Front of a motor vehicle

• US 9,694,858 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2015
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dr. Ing. H.C.F. Porsche Ag
• Original Assignee: Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Wolf, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II, J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): CASSIDY, BRIAN L
• Application Number:
  US14/795,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20160016617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 180 681
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/04 Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds B60K11/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/085 with adjustable shutters or blinds
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 37/02 by aerodynamic means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses

Abstract

The invention relates to a front (1) of a motor vehicle (2) having an air inlet opening (5) and a first air duct (8) which emanates from the air inlet opening (5) and in which a heat exchanger (10) is arranged, through which air can flow, having a second air duct (9) which emanates from the air inlet opening (5) and is arranged adjacently with respect to the first air duct (8) and guides an air flow into the wheel arch (3) or to the side of the wheel arch (3), an air flow control apparatus (16, 19) being provided which controls the air flow through the first air duct (8) and/or through the second air duct (9).

Claims

1. A front of a motor vehicle that has a wheel arch, comprising:

an air inlet opening forward of the wheel arch;

a first air duct that emanates from the air inlet opening for accommodating a flow of air, the first air duct having a downstream end that opens into the wheel arch;

a heat exchanger in the first air duct;

a second air duct that emanates from the air inlet opening at a location substantially adjacent the first air duct, the second air duct having no heat exchanger and guiding an air flow into the wheel arch or to a position of the wheel arch adjacent a laterally outer side of the motor vehicle; and

an air flow control apparatus at an upstream end of at least one of the first and second air ducts and in proximity to the air inlet opening, the air flow control apparatus controlling air flow through at least one the first and second air ducts.

2. The front of claim 1, wherein the air flow control apparatus is arranged at a transition from the air inlet opening to the first and/or to the second air duct.

3. The front of claim 1, wherein the air flow control apparatus is arranged in the first and in the second air duct.

4. The front of claim 1, wherein the air flow control apparatus is connected upstream of the heat exchanger in an air flow direction.

5. The front of claim 1, wherein the air flow control apparatus is connected downstream of the heat exchanger in the air flow direction.

6. The front of claim 1, wherein the air flow control apparatus has flaps or slats that can be moved, displaced or rotated to control the air flow.

7. The front of claim 1, wherein the air flow control apparatus has control elements that can be controlled jointly or independently of one another and that are arranged in one of the first or second air ducts.

8. The front of claim 1, wherein the air flow control apparatus has control elements that can be controlled jointly or independently of one another and that are arranged in the first and in the second air duct.

9. The front of claim 1, wherein the second air duct opens into the wheel arch.

10. The front of claim 1, wherein the second air duct opens on a side of the vehicle body in front of the wheel arch.

11. The front of claim 1, the air flow control apparatus is disposed to selectively block the flow of air through the first air duct, the air flow control apparatus is sloped relative to a direction of travel of the motor vehicle to guide the flow of air toward the second air duct when the air flow control apparatus is selectively blocking the flow of air through the first air duct.

12. The front of claim 1, wherein the first air duct is delimited by a first wall and a second wall laterally outward on the motor vehicle from the first wall, and the second air duct is delimited by the second wall and an outer side wall of the vehicle.