Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. §119, of German application DE 10 2009 020 352.4, filed May 7, 2009; the prior application is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
       [0002]    The invention relates to a mounting module for a cooling air flap module in a front panel of a motor vehicle, which in each case faces an air feed opening in the front panel. The cooling air flaps of the cooling air flap module are arranged in a frame element and can be actuated by at least one actuating element of an actuating device. 
         [0003]    Published, non-prosecuted German patent application DE 103 06 058 A1 discloses a device for adjusting an air flow to an engine compartment of a motor vehicle which, in the installed position, is arranged in a region situated between an externally visible decorative grille and a cooling water heat exchanger. The device contains pivoted flaps, which are arranged in a frame structure and are supported pivotably in the frame structure by pivots. The pivoted flaps can be actuated by a transmission device, which is connected to an actuating drive device. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a mounting module for a cooling air flap module in a front panel of a motor vehicle which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices of this general type, which is of compact construction and, together with the front panel and a frame structure, forms a preassembled module which is distinguished by an optimum air supply. 
         [0005]    With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention a mounting module for a front panel of a motor vehicle and the front panel has an air feed opening. The mounting module contains a forward-mounted reinforcing frame and a cooling air flap module having a closed mounting frame, cooling air flaps disposed in the closed mounting frame, and an actuating device having actuating elements for actuating the cooling air flaps. The closed mounting frame has bearings and is fixed in the forward-mounted reinforcing frame. The closed mounting frame with the forward-mounted reinforcing frame are connected as a constructional unit to the front panel so as to form a module. 
         [0006]    The principal advantages achieved by the invention consist in that a preassembled module containing a ready-to-use cooling air flap module, a reinforcing frame and a front panel is formed, and, according to the invention, provision is advantageously made for the cooling air flap module to contain a closed mounting frame with bearings and an actuating device for the cooling air flaps, and for the mounting frame of the module to be arranged so as to be fixed in a forward-mounted reinforcing frame. The mounting frame with the reinforcing frame are capable of being connected as a constructional unit to the front panel so as to form a module. 
         [0007]    The front panel has two lateral air inlet openings situated at the outside, which are each adjoined on the inside by the reinforcing frame with integrated mounting frame of the cooling air flap module. The mounting frame is placed on the reinforcing frame from the rear with respect to the direction of driving, and is preferably connected at the top, at the bottom and at the sides by a plurality of screwed joints, the reinforcing frame preferably being capable of being fixed on the front panel by screwed and/or snap-in joints. This embodiment of the reinforcing frame and of the mounting frame for the cooling air flap module and of the fastening between the frame and the front panel provides a compact and robust module unit which is simple to preassemble and can be connected to the front panel of the motor vehicle to form a constructional unit. 
         [0008]    To allow pivotable mounting of the cooling air flaps in the mounting frame, the frame has in the center of the frame a vertical support with bearings embodied as holes or the like and, on lateral edge webs of the frame, has further mutually corresponding bearing holes for holding bearing journals of the individual cooling air flaps. In a preferred embodiment, the bearing journals are, in particular, arranged in a horizontal longitudinal center plane of each cooling air flap, and the bearing journals can be inserted into the respective bearing holes in the mounting frame. According to a further version of the embodiment, it is also possible for the bearing journals to be arranged at the upper edge of the cooling air flaps. 
         [0009]    The bearing holes in the mounting frame are preferably arranged in projecting lugs. According to a further embodiment of the invention, arrangement of the bearing holes in the side walls of the mounting frame is also possible. 
         [0010]    In an open position for allowing the air to flow through, the cooling air flaps of the module are arranged as in-line extensions of laminar transverse ribs arranged in a fixed manner on the forward-mounted reinforcing frame. By the extension of the guidance of the air by the laminar transverse ribs, targeted guidance of the air to the vehicle radiator from the outside inwards is achieved, with the result also that the aerodynamic potential is exploited in a highly effective manner. 
         [0011]    The mounting frame of the cooling air flap module has at one edge a side wall offset at a right angle, on the inside of which the actuating elements of the actuating device for actuating the cooling air flaps are arranged and supported and on the outside of which an actuating motor is held in a motor mounting. 
         [0012]    In particular, according to the invention the actuating device contains actuating elements, which are each connected to each outer bearing journal on one side of the cooling air flaps and act as levers and are pivoted on a common connecting lever by snap-in studs, and the connecting lever, interacting with a drive lever, can be driven by the actuating motor. By virtue of the arrangement of the actuating motor at the outside, which is snapped into a motor mounting riveted to the side wall, exchange, for purposes of repair for example, is a simple matter. 
         [0013]    Those bearing journals of the cooling air flaps which face the actuating element of the actuating device each have at their end a square profile which can be inserted into a corresponding square profile of the actuating element of each cooling air flap. The bearing journals are secured by retaining clips that are placed on. The construction of the actuating device with the mounted bearing journals of the cooling air flaps makes assembly and disassembly simple. Moreover, the mounting frame, as the central element, carries all the components of the cooling air flap module and can thus be exchanged as a whole in a simple manner. 
         [0014]    The connecting lever is arranged in approximately vertical alignment and is connected to the actuating elements of the cooling air flaps, the flaps being movable synchronously into an open position, a closed position and an intermediate position. 
         [0015]    In particular, optimum air flow control according to the driving situation is achieved through the possibility of selectively setting intermediate positions of the cooling air flaps. 
         [0016]    Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. 
         [0017]    Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a mounting device for a cooling air flap module in a front panel of a motor vehicle, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. 
         [0018]    The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic, elevational view of a mounting device for a cooling air flap module with a mounting frame, a reinforcing frame and a front panel from the inside with respect to a direction of driving according to the invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic, elevational view of the mounting device in accordance with  FIG. 1  with an additional inner air guide element; 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic, perspective view of one half of the cooling air flap module with the reinforcing frame positioned in front; 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic, vertical sectional view through the mounting device in accordance with  FIG. 3  in a region of a central division; 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is a diagrammatic perspective view of an air opening in the front panel with the cooling air flaps closed; 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is a diagrammatic, horizontal sectional view through an axis of rotation of the cooling air flap; 
           [0025]      FIGS. 7 and 8  are diagrammatic, vertical sectional views through the mounting device with the cooling air flaps closed, with a screwed joint and a latching joint on the front panel; 
           [0026]      FIG. 9  is a diagrammatic perspective view of the mounting frame with the cooling air flaps and an actuating device with an actuating motor for the cooling air flaps; and 
           [0027]      FIG. 10  is an enlarged, perspective view of the actuating device for the cooling air flaps. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0028]    Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to  FIGS. 1 and 2  thereof, there is shown a mounting device for a cooling air flap module  2 , which is held in a mounting frame  3 , is arranged in a front panel  1  of a motor vehicle. A reinforcing frame  4 , which can be fixed on the inside of the front panel  1 , is connected to the mounting frame  3  on a front side. The front panel  1  preferably contains a large-area component made of plastic, which has at least two air inlet openings  5  (see  FIG. 5 ) situated laterally at the outside, which are each reinforced by the reinforcing frames  4 . 
         [0029]    The mounting frame  3  is placed on the reinforcing frame  4  from the rear with respect to a direction of driving F, and connected at the top, at the bottom and at the sides by a plurality of screwed joints  16  (see  FIG. 7 ), the reinforcing frame  4  preferably being capable of being fixed on the front panel  1  by screwed and/or snap-in joints. 
         [0030]    To control the air flow through the two lateral air inlet openings  5  in the front panel  1  to radiators situated behind, three pivotable cooling air flaps  6 ,  7  and  8  situated one above the other are in each case arranged in the region of these air inlet openings  5 , the air flaps being adjustable into an open position, into a closed position and into various intermediate positions by an actuating motor  38  via common actuating elements  9 ,  10 ,  11  of an actuating device S (see  FIG. 3 ). 
         [0031]    The three pivotable cooling air flaps  6 ,  7  and  8  are each provided at the outer edge and centrally with bearing journals  21 ,  22 ,  23 , which engage in bearings  24 ,  25  and  26  consisting of holes in the mounting frame  3  (see  FIG. 9 ). The bearing journals  21 ,  22  and  23  and the bearings  24 ,  25 ,  26  of a cooling air flap are in each case arranged coaxially. The three bearing journals of a cooling air flap  6 ,  7 ,  8  and the associated bearing holes  24 ,  25 ,  26  in the mounting frame  3  are each provided with just one single reference number in the figures. 
         [0032]    The mounting frame  3  has a vertical support  28  for the central bearing holes, from which support there extend inward-projecting lugs N, in which the bearing holes  24 ,  25  and  26  are arranged. Corresponding projecting lugs N for the bearing holes  24 ,  25  and  26  are also formed on the lateral edges of the mounting frame  3 . 
         [0033]    The three bearing journals  21 ,  22  and  23  of the cooling air flap  6 ,  7  and  8  are each preferably arranged in a horizontal longitudinal center plane L. However, it is also possible for them to be arranged at the upper edge of the cooling air flaps. 
         [0034]      FIG. 3  shows that the reinforcing frame  4  has at least two fixed laminar transverse ribs  33  and  34  situated one above the other, which are positioned in front of the three cooling air flaps  6 ,  7  and  8  in the air inlet openings  5  of the front panel  1  and are held centrally with respect to the reinforcing frame  4  by an approximately vertical support  35 . The transverse ribs  33  and  34  are arranged in alignment with the cooling air flaps  6 ,  7  and  8  in such a way that, in the open position of the cooling air flaps  6 ,  7  and  8 , a horizontal air guide surface F is obtained together with the transverse ribs  33  and  34 , this being illustrated in greater detail in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0035]    At its edge  36   a,  the mounting frame  3  for the cooling air flap module  2  has a side wall  36 , which is preferably offset at a right angle from the frame  3  and on the outside of which a mounting  37  for an actuating motor  38  is fixed by riveting and on the inside of which the actuating elements  9 ,  10  and  11  of the actuating device S are arranged. In one possible version of the illustrative embodiment, it would also be possible for the actuating motor  38  to be arranged on the inside of the side wall  36  and for the actuating device S to be arranged on the outside of the side wall. 
         [0036]    The actuating device S contains actuating elements  9 , which are each connected to a respective lateral bearing journal  21 ,  22 ,  23  of the cooling air flaps  6 ,  7  and  8  and are connected pivotably at the free end to a common connecting lever  10  in such a way that there is a synchronous motion of the three actuating elements  9  and thus also of the cooling air flaps  6 ,  7  and  8  by virtue of the connecting lever  10 . A drive lever  11  is pivotably connected to the connecting lever  10 , the drive lever in turn being drive-connected to the actuating motor  38 . 
         [0037]    The actuating elements  9  are connected to the bearing journals  21 ,  22 ,  23  of the cooling air flaps  6 ,  7  and  8  by a square profile  40  (see  FIG. 10 ), which can be inserted into a square opening  41  corresponding thereto in the actuating element  9  so that the two components interact. Retention is provided by a retaining clip  42 , which fixes the actuating element  9  in the axial direction. The connecting lever  10  is snapped onto the drive lever  11 , which is, in turn, connected to a projecting square profile  44  on a drive shaft of the actuating motor  38  by a square opening  43 . 
         [0038]    When the drive lever  4  is pivoted by the actuating motor  38 , the connecting lever  10  is adjusted and pivots the three actuating levers  9  and hence also the cooling air flaps  6 ,  7  and  8  in synchronism into an open position, a closed position or into intermediate positions. 
         [0039]    At its free end, the drive lever  11  has an angled offset  45 , which is arranged in a recess  46  in the offset side wall  36  of the mounting frame  3 , and this recess  46  has a lower stop  47  for the offset  45  of the drive lever  11  in the open position of the cooling air flaps  6 ,  7  and  8  and an upper stop  48  in the closed position of the cooling air flaps  6 ,  7  and  8  (see  FIG. 3 ).

Technology Category: 7