Patent Description:
The air supplying system according to the present invention is particularly suitable for being used in trucks or similar type of vehicles and will be described hereinafter by making specific reference to such application, without intending in any way to limit its possible use in other types of motor vehicles.

As known, motor vehicles use air supplying systems in order to provide flows of fresh air suitable for cooling the engine of the motor vehicles. Such systems are disclosed in documents <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT>.

For example, some known trucks use air supplying systems which are associated to and are configured for conveying air flows to the front radiator of a truck.

These known systems usually comprise an upper air guide part, which is mounted on and is movable with the cabin of the truck, and a lower air guide which is usually fixedly connected to the lower part of the truck.

An air gap is formed between the upper air guide and the lower air guide, which may lead to some air escapes; in turn, these air escapes generate undesired turbulences, increase the drag force required to the vehicle, worsen the cooling capabilities, and in the end negatively impact the overall efficiency of the vehicles in terms of fuel consumption.

Thus, the main aim of the present invention is to provide a solution able to mitigate, at least partially, one or more of the above mentioned issues.

This aim is achieved by an air supplying system for a motor vehicle, comprising:.

characterized in that it further comprises at least a first device which is positioned, at least in part, between said first portion of the upper air guide and said second portion of the first air guide and is configured to substantially close said first air gap, wherein the first device includes at least one deformable portion which is arranged to allow the first device deforming upon a relative movement between said upper air guide and said first lower air guide while keeping the first air gap substantially closed.

According to some embodiments, the air supplying system for a motor vehicle according to the invention may comprise one or more of the following features, which may be combined in any technical feasible combination.

The main aim of the present invention is also achieved by a motor vehicle and by a truck comprising each an air supplying system as above indicated, and in particular as described in more details hereinafter and defined in the appended claims.

Further characteristics and advantages will become apparent from the description of some preferred but not exclusive exemplary embodiments of an air supplying system according to the present disclosure, illustrated only by way of non-limitative examples with the accompanying drawings, wherein:.

It should be noted that in the detailed description that follows, identical or similar components, either from a structural and/or functional point of view, may have the same reference numerals, regardless of whether they are shown in different embodiments of the present disclosure; it should also be noted that in order to clearly and concisely describe the present disclosure, the drawings may not necessarily be to scale and certain features of the disclosure may be shown in somewhat schematic form.

Further, when the term "adapted" or "arranged" or "configured" or "shaped", or "set" or any equivalent or similar term is used herein while referring to any component as a whole, or to any part of a component, or to a combination of components, it has to be understood that it means and encompasses correspondingly either the structure, and/or configuration and/or form and/or positioning of the related component or part thereof, or combinations, such term refers to.

In addition, when the term "substantial" or "substantially" is used herein, it has to be understood as encompassing an actual variation of plus or minus <NUM>% with respect to an indicated reference value, or axis, or position, and when the terms transversal or transversally are hereby used, they have to be understood as encompassing a direction non-parallel to the reference part(s) or direction(s)/axis they refer to, and perpendicularity has to be considered a specific case of transverse direction.

Finally, in the following description and claims, the numeral ordinals first, second, et cetera. , will be used only for the sake of clarity of description and in no way they should be understood as limiting for whatsoever reason, nor that the order should be necessarily the one described in the illustrated exemplary embodiment(s).

<FIG> schematically illustrates an air supplying system <NUM> for a motor vehicle, such as for instance a truck.

Just for the sake of example, a truck in the form of a semi-trailer tractor is illustrated in <FIG> and therein indicated with the reference number <NUM>.

According to know solutions, such truck <NUM> comprises for example a chassis <NUM>, a cabin <NUM>, and a radiator <NUM> which is installed at the front of the truck <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the air supplying system <NUM> according to the invention comprises an upper air guide <NUM> and at least a lower and/or a side air guide <NUM> which are adapted to be installed on board of the truck <NUM>, for example around the radiator <NUM> (schematically represented in <FIG>) and are suitable for providing flows of cooling air, e.g. to be conveyed towards the radiator <NUM> itself for improving in the end cooling of the engine of the truck <NUM>.

In view of their installation on board of the truck <NUM>, the upper air guide <NUM> may move relative to the first lower or side air guide <NUM> or vice versa.

In particular, according to solutions well known in the art or in any case readily available to those skilled in the art and thus not described herein in detail, the upper air guide <NUM>, which can be installed for instance on and solidly movable with the cabin <NUM>, comprises for instance a central portion <NUM>, positioned above the radiator <NUM>, a first side portion <NUM> and a further side portion <NUM> which protrude downwardly from the ends of the central portion <NUM> towards the and at the sides of the radiator <NUM>.

In turn, the at least a lower and/or a side air guide <NUM> comprises a first lower air guide <NUM> which can be fixed to the chassis <NUM> under the upper air guide <NUM>, for example on a side of the radiator <NUM>, and comprises an own portion <NUM>.

As schematically illustrated in <FIG>, the upper air guide <NUM> and the first lower air guide <NUM> are mutually positioned with the respective first side portion <NUM> and own portion <NUM> which face to each other with a first air gap <NUM> defined there between.

As schematically illustrated in <FIG>, the air supplying system <NUM> can comprise also a second lower or side air guide <NUM>, substantially identical or very similar to the first lower air guide <NUM>, which is also fixed for instance to the chassis <NUM> under the upper air guide <NUM>, for example at the opposite side of the radiator <NUM>, and comprises an own portion <NUM>; likewise, the upper air guide <NUM> and the second lower air guide <NUM> are mutually positioned with the respective further side portion <NUM> and own portion <NUM> which face to each other with a second air gap <NUM> defined there between.

In the following, for ease of description reference will be made only to the part of the air supplying system <NUM> at the side including the first lower air portion <NUM>, the first side portion <NUM> and the first air gap <NUM>.

However, what described hereinafter for this side has to be understood as applicable mutatis mutandis also to the opposite side including the second lower air portion <NUM>, the further side portion <NUM> and the second air gap <NUM> formed there between.

Usefully, the air supplying system <NUM> according to the invention comprises at least a first device <NUM> which is positioned, at least in part, between the first portion <NUM> of the upper air guide <NUM> and the own portion <NUM> (hereinafter referred to as the second portion <NUM>), and is configured to substantially close the first air gap <NUM>.

In particular, the first device <NUM> includes at least one deformable portion which is arranged to allow the first device <NUM> itself to deform upon a relative movement between the upper air guide <NUM> and the first lower air guide <NUM> while keeping the first air gap <NUM> substantially closed.

In a possible embodiment, the first device <NUM> is configured to close the first air gap <NUM> in a substantially airtight manner, i.e. to substantially prevent air escapes at the first air gap <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the upper air guide <NUM> and the first lower air guide <NUM> are adapted to be installed on board of the truck <NUM> with the respective first portion <NUM> and second portion <NUM> substantially aligned to each other in a virtual vertical plan (coinciding with the sheet on which <FIG> is depicted), and the at least one deformable portion is arranged to allow the first device <NUM> to deform displacing along a substantially vertical axis Z lying on or parallel to the virtual vertical plan.

In one possible embodiment, the first device <NUM> is connected, for instance mechanically, to the first lower air guide <NUM>.

In yet a further possible embodiment, the first device <NUM> comprises or is constituted by at least a first bellow forming or incorporating in its body said at least one deformable portion, which can be made for instance of rubber.

An exemplary embodiment of such first deformable bellow is illustrated in <FIG> and its operative coupling with the first portion <NUM> and the second portion <NUM> is illustrated in more details in <FIG>.

In particular, as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the first bellow comprises a base portion <NUM> which is adapted to be connected to the second portion <NUM> of the first lower air guide <NUM>, an upper portion <NUM> suitable to be operatively connected to an associated surface 12A of the first portion <NUM> of the upper air guide <NUM>, and an intermediate portion <NUM> which extends between the base portion <NUM> and the upper portion <NUM> and is suitable to be positioned at and close the first air gap <NUM>.

In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the first bellow comprises corrugated side walls which favoring its deformation.

As illustrated in more detail in <FIG>, the upper portion <NUM> comprises an inclined top surface 33A.

For instance, the upper portion <NUM>, via the top inclined surface 33A, offers a bearing surface on which the surface 12A of the first portion can rest against.

Alternatively, the upper portion <NUM> can be coupled with the first portion <NUM> of the upper air guide <NUM>, for example by means of one or more transverse ribs of the first portion <NUM> entering in corresponding recesses formed by adjacent corrugations of the corrugated side walls.

In one possible embodiment, the air supplying system <NUM> further comprises a mounting base <NUM>, illustrated in <FIG>, which is arranged to be connected at a base portion <NUM> of the first bellow and to be releasably fastened to the second portion <NUM> of the first lower air guide <NUM>, e.g. screwed, as illustrated in <FIG>.

In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the mounting base <NUM> comprises a central opening <NUM> suitable for allowing flows of air moving into and out from the inside of the first bellow.

Further, the mounting base <NUM> comprises a rim <NUM> defined around the border of the opening <NUM>, which protrudes upwardly and is suitable to be coupled with the base portion <NUM> of the first bellow.

In one possible embodiment, the mounting base <NUM> is made of plastic.

As previously mentioned, what above described in relation to the side of the air supplying system <NUM> where the first air gap <NUM> is formed, can be replicated, substantially in the same way, where the second air gap <NUM> is defined, i.e. on the other side where there are the further side portion <NUM> of the upper air guide <NUM> and the second lower air guide <NUM> having its own portion <NUM>.

Accordingly, a second device <NUM>, substantially identical to the first device <NUM>, can be installed to substantially close the second gap <NUM> as well, with its at least one deformable portion arranged to allow the second device <NUM> itself to deform upon a relative movement between the upper air guide <NUM> and the second lower air guide <NUM>, while keeping the second air gap <NUM> substantially closed.

Also in this case, the second device <NUM> can comprise or be constituted by a further bellow, substantially identical to the first bellow previously described, and a further mounting base <NUM> can be likewise used.

Hence, it is evident from the foregoing description that the air supplying system <NUM> according to the present invention allows achieving the intended aim and is capable of at least reducing air escapes and thus turbulences. In this way, the aerodynamic behavior is ameliorated, and the cooling efficacy and the fuel consumption efficiency of a motor vehicle are improved.

In fact, the use of the described first device <NUM> (and second device <NUM> as well) allows to properly and substantially close an air gap present between the upper and lower guides. In particular, the solution hereby conceived forms a kind of aerodynamic seal which properly works not only in static conditions but also dynamically, e.g. when for example the upper air guide <NUM> moves relative to the lower air guide <NUM> (and/or <NUM>), e.g. along the vertical axis Z. In these situations, the capability of deformation of the device(s) <NUM> allows to "absorb" such a relative movement. For instance, during compression, each device <NUM> used can take up the load exerted acting as a dynamic damper with the air flows moving as for example illustrated by the arrows F in <FIG>.

These results are achieved according to a solution very easy to be realized and installed at competitive costs.

Claim 1:
Air supplying system (<NUM>) for a motor vehicle, comprising:
- an upper air guide (<NUM>) and at least a first lower air guide (<NUM>) which are adapted to be installed on board of the motor vehicle and provide flows of cooling air, wherein said upper air guide (<NUM>) and said first lower air guide (<NUM>) comprise a first portion (<NUM>) and a second portion (<NUM>), respectively, which are arranged facing to each other with a first air gap (<NUM>) defined there between;
characterized in that it further comprises at least a first device (<NUM>) which is positioned, at least in part, between said first portion (<NUM>) of the upper air guide (<NUM>) and said second portion (<NUM>) of the first air guide (<NUM>) and is configured to substantially close said first air gap (<NUM>), wherein the first device (<NUM>) includes at least one deformable portion which is arranged to allow the first device (<NUM>) deforming upon a relative movement between said upper air guide (<NUM>) and said first lower air guide (<NUM>) while keeping the first air gap (<NUM>) substantially closed.