Vehicle grille flow control assembly and method
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsAaron Peter Klop, Colin Christopher Nitroy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exemplary flow control assembly includes, among other things, a grille member and a flow control device having a plurality of bowed shutters adjacent the grille member. The bowed shutters are configured to move back and forth between a flow permitting position and a flow restricting position. An exemplary flow control method includes, among other things, moving a plurality of bowed shutters back and forth between a flow permitting position and a flow restricting position. The flow permitting position permitting more flow through apertures in a grille member than the flow restricting position.
Claims19
A flow control assembly, comprising:
- a grille member;
- and
- a flow control device having a plurality of bowed shutters adjacent the grille member, the plurality of bowed shutters configured to move back and forth between a flow permitting position and a flow restricting position, each of the plurality of bowed shutters extends along an arc from a first shutter end portion that is pivotably connected to the grille member to a second shutter end portion that is pivotably connected to the grille member, wherein a curvature of each of the bowed shutters mimics a corresponding curvature of the grille member such that the plurality of bowed shutters can nest within the corresponding curvature of the grille member.
A flow control assembly, comprising:
- a grille member;
- a flow control device having a plurality of bowed shutters adjacent the grille member, the plurality of bowed shutters configured to move back and forth between a flow permitting position and a flow restricting position, the plurality of bowed shutters in the flow restricting position nested with the grille member;
- and
- a plurality of hinge members that connect the plurality of bowed shutters to the grille member.
A flow control method, comprising:
- moving a plurality of bowed shutters back and forth between a flow permitting position and a flow restricting position, the flow permitting position permitting more flow through a plurality of apertures in a grille member than the flow restricting position, each of the plurality of bowed shutters extends along an arc from a first shutter end portion that is pivotably connected to the grille member to a second shutter end portion that is pivotably connected to the grille member;
- and
- at least partially receiving an extension from each of the plurality of bowed shutters within at least one of the apertures when the plurality of bowed shutters are in the flow restricting position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.