Airfoil with adjustable tail flap

• US 9,469,354 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ciccone, Thomas Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Blankenship, Gregory
• Application Number:
  US14/753,218
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 2961801-1805
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/005 Front spoilers B62D35/001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/02 Streamlining the undersurfaces B62D35/005, B62D35/007, B62D35/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 37/02 by aerodynamic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 3/00 Control of position or direction G05D1/00 takes precedence; numerical control to execute positioning G05B19/18
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/82 Elements for improving aerodynamics

Abstract

An adjustable airfoil assembly attached to a front fascia of a vehicle. The airfoil assembly includes an airfoil wing and a flap pivotally connected to the airfoil wing. An actuator is operatively attached to the flap to selectively pivot the flap upwardly and downwardly to adjust downforce applied by the airfoil assembly to the front end of the vehicle. The wing is a fiber reinforced polymeric member fixedly attached to the front fascia by a plurality of posts connected to the front fascia. The flap has a top surface extending from the flat top surface of the wing to a rear edge of the flap and a base surface extending from the convex bottom surface to the rear edge of the flap.

Claims

1. An airfoil assembly for a vehicle comprising:

an airfoil having a convex bottom and a relatively flat top, fixedly attached to and extending transversely across a front fascia;

a flap attached to a rear portion of the airfoil by a pivot connector;

a linkage operatively attached to the flap; and

an actuator connected to the flap through the linkage for pivoting the flap by moving a rear edge of the flap vertically.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the airfoil is a fiber reinforced polymeric member.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the flap has a top surface extending from the flat top surface of the airfoil to a rear edge of the flap and a base surface extending from the convex bottom surface to the rear edge of the flap.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the linkage further comprises:

a pinion gear operatively connected to the actuator; and

a rack gear connecting the pinion gear to the flap.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the pivot connector is an elongated shaft that is received in an opening extending through the airfoil and the flap.

6. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of posts connected to the airfoil and the front fascia that suspend the wing shaped member below the front fascia in a spaced relationship relative to the front fascia.

7. A front fascia assembly of a vehicle comprising:

a fascia panel defining a plurality of air flow openings that is attached to the vehicle in front of an engine compartment; and

an airfoil assembly including a wing fixedly attached to the fascia panel and having a convex bottom surface and a relatively flat top surface that form an airfoil, the wing having a flap pivotally attached to a rear portion of the wing, a motor attached to the fascia panel and the flap by a linkage that is operative to raise and lower a rear edge of the flap to change an aerodynamic effect of the airfoil assembly.

8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the wing is a fiber reinforced polymeric member.

9. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the flap has a top surface extending from the flat top surface of the wing to the rear edge of the flap and a base surface extending from the convex bottom surface to the rear edge of the flap.

10. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the linkage further comprises:

a pinion gear operatively connected to the motor; and

a rack gear connecting the pinion gear to the flap.

11. The assembly of claim 7 further comprising:

an elongated hinge pin; and

wherein the wing and the flap define a hinge pin opening, and wherein the elongated hinge pin is assembled into the hinge pin opening.

12. The assembly of claim 7 further comprising:

a plurality of posts connected to the wing and the fascia panel that suspend the wing below the fascia panel in a spaced relationship relative to the fascia panel.

13. An adjustable airfoil assembly attached to a fascia of a vehicle comprising:

an airfoil wing fixedly attached to the fascia and having a convex bottom surface and a relatively flat top surface that form an airfoil;

a flap pivotally connected to the airfoil wing; and

an actuator operatively attached to the flap to selectively pivot the flap upwardly and downwardly to adjust a downforce applied by the airfoil assembly to the vehicle.

14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the wing is a fiber reinforced polymeric member attached by a plurality of posts connected to the wing that suspend the wing below the fascia in a spaced relationship relative to the fascia.

15. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the flap has a base surface extending from the convex bottom surface of the wing to a rear edge of the flap and a top surface extending from the top surface to the rear edge of the flap.

16. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the actuator further comprises:

a motor;

a pinion gear operatively connected to the motor;

a rack gear connecting the pinion gear to the flap; and

a controller operative to bi-directionally actuate the motor to raise and lower the flap.