Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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IN MOLD ASSEMBLY FOR ACTIVE GRILLE SHUTTER SYSTEM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an in mold assembly for complete in mold
forming
of an integrated end cap for use on an active grille shutter system. The
present invention
also relates to a vertically scalable frame for an active grille shutter
system assembled
from modular components.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various attempts have been made to optimize the cooling of various automobile
parts. Some of the various devices developed have been designed to control the
air flow
throughout the engine compartment of the automobile such that the desired
amount of
heat is transferred away from the engine, transmission, and other components
which
generate heat, in order to maintain an optimal operating temperature.
However, it is also desirable to bring the engine up to the normal operating
temperature as soon as possible after engine start-up. When the engine is
substantially
the same temperature as the surrounding environment and is turned on, the
engine is the
least fuel efficient (especially during start-up and the temperature of the
surrounding
environment is cold). The reduced fuel efficiency is why it is considered
desirable to bring
the engine up to the optimal operating temperature very quickly. Under these
conditions,
it is not desirable to remove heat away from the engine and the various
components
surrounding the engine, and therefore devices designed to control air flow
around the
engine are more beneficially used if they do not remove heat away from the
engine at
start-up.
Active grille systems that have been developed usually have a frame is molded
as
a complete part. During assembly, the frame and/or the vanes must be distorted
in order
to assemble the complete system onto the one piece frame. Additionally, the
one piece
frame has a low shipping density as it is mostly empty space. Furthermore, if
an active
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grille system has two variants with either additional vanes or a base air
flow, a complete
new frame must be molded and shipped. It is therefore desirable to provide a
frame that
is multiple separate molded parts instead of one complete molding. This will
aid in the
assembly of the active grille shutter system without having to distort the
frames or the
vanes. Additionally, having multiple components accommodates the various
variants that
can be needed depending on the application. Lastly, having a multi-piece frame
increases the shipping density since the various components can be stacked
more closely
together. It is desirable to provide and AGS system that is modular an allows
different
size and shaped AGS systems to be created from stock components having various
sizes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an active grille shutter system (AGS)
assembled from modular components. The AGS according to the invention can be
expanded both horizontally and vertically using building blocks of components
that allow
the AGS to be designed to have virtually any width or height. The height of
the AGS is
provided in part by a base integrated end cap having a first end and a second
end. The
base integrated end cap includes one or more driven retainers each having a
vane
.. connection side and an end cap connection side rotatably fixed to the base
integrated
end cap. Further provided is a drive retainer with a vane connection side and
an end cap
connection side rotatably fixed to the base integrated end cap.
The AGS further includes a driven retainer end cap extension having the one or
more driven retainers having a vane connection side and an end cap connection
side
.. rotatably fixed to the driven retainer end cap extension. A first end of
the driven retainer
end cap extension connects to the second end of the base integrated end cap.
This
allows for one side of the AGS to be extended vertically or in height. There
is further
provided a link arm connected to and extending between each of the one or more
driven
retainers and the drive retainer of both the base integrated end cap and the
driven retainer
end cap extension.
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On an opposing side of the AGS there is a base non-integrated end cap having a
first end and a second end. The base non-integrated end cap includes a
plurality of posts
equal to both the number of one or more driven retainers and the drive
retainer located
on the base integrated end cap. There is further provided a post end cap
extension
having a first end and a second end, and one or more posts equal to the number
of one
or more driven retainers of the driven retainer end cap extension. The first
end of a post
end cap extension connects to the second end of the base non-integrated end
cap
extension. This allows for a second side opposite the base integrated end cap
and driven
retainer extension to also be extended vertically or in height.
Forming the top and bottom sides, or horizontal sides of the AGS is a first
universal
rail and a second universal rail each having a first end and a second end. The
first
universal rail is connected to the first end of the base integrated end cap at
the first end
of the first universal rail. The second end of the first universal rail is
connected to the first
end of the base non-integrated end cap, thereby forming a bottom side of the
active grille
shutter system. The second universal rail is connected to the second end of
the driven
retainer end cap extension and the second end of the post end cap extension,
thereby
forming a top side of the active grille shutter system. The first universal
rail and the
second universal rail are preferably formed by extrusion and are capable of
being any
desired length, which provides an AGS of any desired width or length.
Additionally, the
first universal rail and the second universal rail can be cut down to a
desired shorter length
to form an AGS having a shorter width or length.
An aperture of the active grille shutter system is formed and defined by the
top
side, bottom side, base integrated end cap and the driven retainer end cap
extension on
a first side and the based non-integrated end cap and the post end cap
extension on a
second side. A plurality of base vanes, where each respective one of the
plurality of base
vanes rotatably extends across the aperture and connects at a first end to one
of the
plurality of posts of the base non-integrated end cap and at a second end to
one of the
one or more driven retainers or the drive retainer. The AGS further includes a
plurality of
extension vanes. Each one of the plurality of extension vanes rotatably
extends across
the aperture and connects at a first end to one of the plurality of posts of
the base non-
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integrated end cap and at a second end to one of the one or more driven
retainers of the
driven retainer end cap extension.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed
description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Fig. 1 is a rear side perspective view of an integrated end cap connected to
the
vanes of an active grille shutter system according to the first and second
embodiments of
the invention.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged front perspective view of the integrated end cap with
the vanes
removed.
Fig .3 is an enlarged rear perspective view of the integrated end cap with the
motor
removed.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged rear perspective view of the integrated end cap with the
motor
attached.
Fig. 5 is a side perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention
showing
the vertical scalability of the active grille shutter system.
Fig. 6 is another side perspective view of the second embodiment of the
invention
showing the vertical scalability of the active grille shutter system.
Fig. 7 is an exploded side perspective view of a stock of components used to
assemble the active grille shutter systems according to the embodiments of the
present
invention.
Fig. 8A is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of a drive retainer.
Fig. 8B is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of a driven retainer.
Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional plan view of the posts of the non-
integrated
end cap according to both the first and second embodiments of the invention.
Fig. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional plan view of the vanes connected to the
retainer according to both the first and second embodiments of the invention.
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Fig. 11A is a first cross-sectional schematic view of the two shot molding
process
for forming the base integrated end cap.
Fig. 11B is a second cross-sectional schematic view of the two shot molding
process for forming the base integrated end cap.
5 Fig. 11C is a first perspective schematic view of the two shot molding
process for
forming the base integrated end cap.
Fig. 11D is a second perspective schematic view of the two shot molding
process
for forming the base integrated end cap.
Fig. 12A is a side perspective view of the driven retainers and drive retainer
with
vane posts on vane connection side according to an additional aspect of the
invention.
Fig. 126 is an enlarged side perspective view of the driven retainers and
drive
retainer with the vane posts according to an additional aspect of the
invention.
Fig. 13 is a side plan view of two integrated end cap assemblies connected
vertically.
Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional side plan view of a portion of Fig. 13.
Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional side plan view of the driven retainer.
Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional side plan view of the drive retainer.
Fig. 17 is a rear perspective view of an active grille shutter system
according to an
additional embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 18A is a side perspective view of a disconnected two piece link arm
according
to another aspect of the invention.
Fig. 18B is a side perspective view of an enlarged portion of the link arm.
Fig. 19 is a prior art view of an enlarged portion of a link arm.
Fig. 20 is a side plan view of the two piece link arm piece connected with a
link
hitch.
Fig. 21 is an enlarged side perspective view of the link hitch.
Fig. 22 is a side plan cross sectional view of the link hitch
Fig. 23 is a cross sectional side plan view of a universal rail according to
an
alternate embodiment of the invention.
6
Fig. 24 is a cross-sectional side view of the driven retainers connected to
the
integrated end cap and a vane.
Fig. 25 is a top perspective view of a female key.
Fig. 26 is a side perspective view of a base non-integrated end cap and post
end
cap extension.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in
.. nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application,
or uses.
One aspect embodiment of the present invention involves the method of forming
the integrated end cap, which is accomplished using a two shot molding
process. The
molding process allows for the formation of the integrated end cap with
moveable
retainers rotatably connected to both the end cap and link arm in a single
mold, without
the need to additional assembly.
Referring to Figs. 11A, 11B, 11C and 11D a method 200 of in mold forming an
integrated end cap 202 for use on an active grille shutter system is
schematically shown.
The method 200 shown is carried out in two mold cavities that includes a first
mold cavity
204 shown in Fig. 11A, and second mold cavity 206, shown in Fig. 11B, using a
rotary
molding tool, or it can be accomplished using a single mold tool with moving
inserts. The
method 200 includes the step of providing the first mold cavity 204 with an
integrated end
cap body forming surface 208 and a link arm forming surface 210 by using a
first platen
212, a second platen 214 and a third platen 216 to form the integrated end cap
body
forming surface 208, and the third platen 216 and a link arm platen 218 that
close form
the link arm forming surface 210. A step of providing at least one first shot
injection port
220 connected to the link arm forming surface 210 and the integrated end cap
body
forming surface 208. The formation of the integrated end cap 202 begins by
injecting a
first shot of molten material through the at least one first shot injection
port 220 into the
link arm forming surface 210 and the integrated end cap body forming surface
208 and
forming a link arm 30 and an integrated end cap body 14, 114.
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The next step includes changing the first mold cavity 204 into the second mold
cavity 206. This is accomplished by removing portions of the first mold cavity
204 and
providing at least one vane retainer forming surface 222 formed from a first
platen 212',
the integrated end cap body 14, 114, the and link arm 30, a vane retainer
platen 224 and
a spacer 226 positioned between the link arm 30 and the integrated end cap
body 14,
114. There is a retainer spacer 223 positioned between the retainer forming
surface 222
and the integrated end cap body 14, 114. The integrated end cap body 14, 114
and the
link arm 30 are part of the at least one vane retainer forming surface 222.
The method 200 then includes the step of providing at least one second shot
injection port 228 connected to the at least one vane retainer forming surface
222. Next
a step of injecting a second shot of molten material through the at least one
second shot
injection port 228 into the at least one vane retainer forming surface 222 and
forming at
least one vane retainer 230 using the link arm 30 and the integrated end cap
body 14,
114 as portions of the at least one vane retainer forming surface 222. The at
least one
vane retainer 130 can be either one of a driven retainer 18a-d, 118a-d or a
drive retainer
24 as discussed below. Additionally, the integrated end cap 202 can be part of
a base
integrated end cap or base integrated end cap extension, which is described in
greater
detail below. The final step includes opening the mold tool and removing a
base
integrated end cap 12, 112 which will be described in greater detail below.
The base integrated end cap 12, 112 is formed in the molding tool without the
need
for manual assembly of the components. This provides a significant savings in
the cost
of producing the base integrated end cap 12, 112 when compared to the prior
art
assemblies. However, in order to form the base integrated end cap 12, 112 the
vane
retainer 130 must be rotatably connected to the link arm 30 and the end cap
through the
apertures. This is accomplished during the molding process by using two
different shots
of molten material having different shrinkage rates. In one embodiment of the
invention
the first shot of molten material is preferably a polypropylene material
having a mold
shrinkage value of about 0.5% and the second shot of molten material is a
polybutylene
terephthalate material having a mold shrinkage value of greater than about
0.5%. In
another aspect of the invention the first shot is a polyamide material having
a mold
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shrinkage value of about 0.5% and the second shot of molten material is a
polybutylene
terephthalate material having a mold shrinkage value of greater than about
0.5%. The
term mold shrinkage value is a rate percentage of the volume contraction of
the polymers
during the cooling step of the processing of the polymers. In one exemplary
embodiment
of the invention the polyamide material has about 33% glass fiber filler by
weight of the
polyamide material with the glass fiber filler and the polybutylene
terephthalate material
has about 20% glass fiber filler by weight of the polybutylene terephthalate
with a glass
filler. In another embodiment of the invention the first shot of molten
material is formed of
polyamide material having a mold shrinkage value of about 0.003 at 1/8" bar,
in/in and
the second shot of molten material is polybutylene terephthalate material
having a mold
shrinkage value of greater than about 0.004 at 1/8" bar, in/in. In this
embodiment the
polyamide material has about 33% glass fiber filler by weight of the polyamide
material
with the glass fiber filler and the polybutylene terephthalate material has
about 20% glass
fiber filler by weight of the polybutylene terephthalate material with a glass
filler. An
.. example of a suitable polyamide material is Ultramid0 8233G HS BK-102
Polyamide 6
produced by BASF Corporation 1609 Biddle Avenue, Wyandotte, MI 48192. An
example
of a suitable polybutylene terephthalate material is Ultradur0 B 4300 G4 PBT
(Polybutylene Terephthalate) produced by BASF Corporation 1609 Biddle Avenue,
Wyandotte, MI 48192. However, it is within the scope of this invention to us
other suitable
polyamide and polybutylene terephthalate materials.
In another embodiment of the invention the first shot of molten material is
Polypropylene-GF, which is a glass filled polypropylene; the second shot of
molten
material is Polyamide-GF, which is a glass filled polyamide. An example of a
suitable
polypropylene material is PPH2GF3 produced by Washington Penn Plastic
Corporation
450 Racetrack Road, PO Box 236, Washington, Pennsylvania 15301. An example of
a
suitable polyamide material is Ultramide 8233G HS BK-102 Polyamide 6 produced
by
BASF Corporation 1609 Biddle Avenue, Wyandotte, MI 48192. In this embodiment
the
first shot of molten material and the second shot of molten material have
about the same
shrinkage rate. The method in this embodiment of the invention includes after
the step
.. of injecting the first shot of molten material a step of cooling and
shrinking the first shot of
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molten material occurs before the step of injecting the second shot of molten
material.
This way the first shot of molten material is fully shrunk before the second
shot of material
is introduced.
In another aspect of the invention using polypropylene material, the
polypropylene
material has about 33% glass fiber filler by weight of the polypropylene
material with the
glass fiber filler and the polybutylene terephthalate material has about 20%
glass fiber
filler by weight of the polybutylene terephthalate with a glass filler. In
another embodiment
of the invention the first shot of molten material is formed of polypropylene
material having
a mold shrinkage value of about 0.003 at 1/8" bar, in/in and the second shot
of molten
material is polybutylene terephthalate material having a mold shrinkage value
of greater
than about 0.004 at 1/8" bar, in/in. In this embodiment the polypropylene
material has
about 33% glass fiber filler by weight of the polypropylene material with the
glass fiber
filler and the polybutylene terephthalate material has about 20% glass fiber
filler by weight
of the polybutylene terephthalate material with a glass filler. An example of
a suitable
polybutylene terephthalate material is Ultradur0 B 4300 G4 PBT (Polybutylene
Terephthalate) produced by BASF Corporation 1609 Biddle Avenue, Wyandotte, MI
48192.
However, it is within the scope of this invention to use other suitable
polypropylene and polybutylene terephthalate materials.
Another aspect of the invention involves providing an active grille shutter
system
assembled from modular components. The active grille shutter system has both
horizontal scalability buy using extruded universal rail members and vanes.
Additionally,
the active grille shutter system has vertical scalability by having integrated
connection
features that allow the various components to be connected in a proper
orientation without
requiring mechanical or chemical fastening elements.
Referring now to Figs. 1-4 an active grille shutter system (AGS) 10 according
to
one aspect of the present invention is shown. The AGS 10 includes the base
integrated
end cap 12 an integrated end cap body 14 with a first female key 16a at a
first end and a
second female key 16b at a second end. The base integrated end cap 12 further
includes
one or more driven retainers 18a-d, shown in Fig. 8B, each having a vane
connection
side 20 and an end cap connection side 22 rotatably fixed to the integrated
end cap body
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14. Referring also to Fig. 8A there is a drive retainer 24 with a vane
connection side 26
and an end cap connection side 28 rotatably fixed to the integrated end cap
body 14. A
drive post 54 extends from the end cap connection side 22, through the
integrated end
cap body 14 and into an actuator 52. The actuator 52 then rotates the drive
post 54 and
5
the driven retainer 24. The actuator 52 described herein is a rotary motor
with gears,
however, it is within the scope of this invention for the actuator to be a
different device
such as a servo, linear actuator, solenoid actuator or virtually any type of
mechanical or
electrical device suitable for driving the active grille shutter system.
Referring to Figs. 1-4 there is further provided a link arm 30 connected to
and
10
extending between each of the driven retainers 18a-d and the drive retainer
24. The link
arm 30 transfers rotational torque from the drive retainer 24 to the driven
retainers 18a-
d. Each driven retainer 18a-d and drive retainer 24 is connected to a link arm
30 and the
integrated end cap body 14. As shown in Fig. 3 the drive retainer 24 and
driven retainers
18a-d are connected to the link arm 30 with link posts 19a-e which extend
through
apertures formed on the link arm 30. The link posts 19a-e extend from the end
cap
connection side 22 of the driven retainer 18a-d and the end cap connection
side 28 of the
drive retainer 24. The driven retainers 18a-d are rotatably connected to the
end cap body
14 by driven retainer posts 25a-d extending through apertures formed on the
end cap
body 14.
The AGS 10 further includes a base non-integrated end cap 32 (shown in
Figs. 1, 7 and 26) having a first female key 34a at a first end and a second
female key
34b at a second end. There are also a plurality of posts 36a-e equal to both
the number
of one or more driven retainers 18a-d and the drive retainer 24 located on the
base
integrated end cap 12. As shown in the Figs. 1-4 the base integrated end cap
12 forms
a first side 31 or right side of the AGS 10as shown in Fig. 1, and the base
non-integrated
end cap 32 forms a second side 33 or left side of the AGS 10 as shown in Fig.
1.
A top side 38 and a bottom side 40 of the AGS 10 is provided by a set of
universal
rails. The set of universal rails includes a first universal rail 42 and a
second universal
rail 43 each having a male key at a first end 44a, 44b and a male key second
end 46a,
46b. The first universal rail 42 is connected to the first female key 16a of
the first end of
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the base integrated end cap 12 at the first end 44a of the first universal
rail 42. The
second end 46a of the first universal rail 42 is connected to the first female
key 34a at the
first end of the base non-integrated end cap 32 thereby forming the bottom
side 40. The
second universal rail 43 is connected to the first female key 16b of the
second end of the
base integrated end cap 12 at the first end 44b of the second universal rail
43. The
second end 46b of the second universal rail 43 is connected to the first
female key 34b
at the second end of the base non-integrated end cap 32 thereby forming the
top side 38.
Once assembled the active grille shutter system 10 has an aperture 48 formed
that is
defined by the top side 38, bottom side 40, first side 31 and second side 33.
The first universal rail 42 and second universal rail 43 are formed by
extrusion and
can be cut to any desired length and connected to the base integrated end cap
12. The
first universal rail 42 and second universal rail 43 have an integrated seal
fin 45, 45' that
is used as an abutment surface for the uppermost vane and lowermost vane of
the
aperture 48 when rotated to the closed position. The integrated seal fin fits
45, 45' into a
respective groove 47, 47'of the first female key 16a or second female key 16b
of the
integrated end cap body 14. In prior applications a rubber seal is connected
to the top
or lower frame piece, however the present invention provides an improvement
over the
prior methods by integrating the sealing element into the upper frame piece
and lower
frame piece during the extrusion process, thereby eliminating the need for
additional
assembly of sealing elements.
During operation air flow through the aperture 48 in a controlled manner due
to the
rotation of a plurality of base vanes 50a-e that extend across the aperture 48
and rotate
between an open position where the vanes are generally perpendicular to the
aperture
48, a closed position where the vanes rotate to be parallel to and block the
aperture 28,
or to an intermediate position. Each respective one of the plurality of base
vanes 50a-e
rotatably extends across the aperture 48 and connects at a first end to one of
the plurality
of posts 36a-e of the base non-integrated end cap 32, and at a second end to
one of the
one or more driven retainers 18a-d or the drive retainer 24 of the base
integrated end cap
12. The base vanes 50a-e are rotated by the respective driven retainer 18a-d
or drive
retainer 24.
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Referring now to Figs. 2-4 and 8A front, rear and cross-sectional views of the
base
integrated end cap 12 are shown. The drive retainer 24 has a drive post 54
that extends
from the end cap connection side 28 of the drive retainer 24, through the
integrated end
cap body 14 and connects to an actuator 52 that is connected to the integrated
end cap
body 14. The connection to the actuator 52 can be any suitable connection,
however, in
the present embodiment of the invention the drive post 54 slides into an
aperture of the
actuator 52 that has a mated fitting with the drive post 54. The integrated
end cap body
14 is sized to hold the actuator 52, shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 3 shows the
actuator 52 removed
from the integrated end cap body 14 so the connection features can be better
seen and
described. Fig. 3 shows locator posts 56, 58 extending from the rear surface
of the
integrated end cap body 14 that align with holes on the housing of the
actuator 52 to
ensure the actuator 52 is properly aligned with the drive post 54. The
actuator 52 is held
to or connected to the integrated end cap body 14 by retainer clips 60, 60'
integrated or
molded into the integrated end cap body 14 that are configured to grasp the
housing of
the actuator 52 and hold it in place. The use of the retainer clips 60, 60'
and the locator
posts 56, 58 allow the actuator 52 to be pushed onto the integrated end cap
body 14 in
a level manner, meaning that a longitudinal axis A-A of the actuator 52
remains parallel
to a longitudinal axis B-B of the integrated end cap body 14 during assembly.
This is an
improvement over prior techniques where the actuator would have to be tilted
with respect
to the end cap and snapped into place, which can be a disadvantage because it
requires
more clearance during assembly. During operation the drive retainer 24 will
receive the
direct rotational force from the actuator 52 and then cause all the driven
retainers 18a-d
to rotate by transferring the rotational force to the driven retainers 18a-d
through the link
arm 30. While the drive post 54 is described as being part of the drive
retainer 24 it is
within the scope of this invention for the drive post 54 to be part of the
actuator 52 or
some intermediary component that connects between the actuator 52 and the
drive
retainer 24.
The AGS 10 of Figs. 1-4 is modular, meaning that it is assembled from a stock
of
components that are connectable to allow greater or lesser vertical height and
horizontal
width through the selection of the stock components, which have different
sizes or can be
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connected together to create longer sides of the AGS. An active grille shutter
system
(AGS) 100 shown in Figs. 5-7 demonstrates the modular aspects of the invention
by using
the components of the AGS 10 as a base structure and then adding to the
vertical height
of the AGS 10 to form the AGS 100. Like reference numbers from the AGS 10
described
above will be carried over to depict the same components used in the AGS 100.
The
AGS 100 further includes the base integrated end cap 112 having driven
retainers 118a-
d and a drive retainer 124 that have link posts 99a-h that are positioned
differently and
will be described in greater detail below. A driven retainer end cap extension
62 having
a male key 64 at a first end and a female key 66 at a second end. Also
referring to Fig.
8B there are three driven retainers 68a-c each having a vane connection side
20' and an
end cap connection side 22' rotatably fixed to the driven retainer end cap
extension 62.
The male key 64 of the driven retainer end cap extension 62 is connectable to
the second
female key 16b of the base integrated end cap 112 thereby extending the length
of a first
side 31' of the AGS 100. Similarly a second side 33' of the AGS 100 is
extended by using
.. a post end cap extension 70 having a male key 72 at a first end and a
female key 74 at a
second end, the details of which are best shown in Figs. 7 and 26. Extending
from a side
of the post end cap extension 70 are three posts 76a-c equal to the number of
one or
more driven retainers 68a-c of the driven retainer end cap extension 62. The
male key
72 of the post end cap extension 70 connects to the second female key 34b of
the base
non-integrated end cap 32.
In this embodiment of the invention the second universal rail 43 is
disconnected and moved upward to connect to the female key 74 at the first end
44b and
the female key 66 at a second end thereby forming an aperture 48' that is
larger than the
aperture 48. A plurality of extension vanes 78a-c extend across a portion of
the aperture
48' that has been enlarged by the addition of the driven retainer end cap
extension 62
and the post end cap extension 70. Each one of the plurality of extension
vanes 78a-c
connects at a first end to one of the plurality of posts 76a-c of the post end
cap extension
70 and at a second end to one of the driven retainers 68a-c of the driven end
cap retainer
extension 62.
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In Fig. 2 the AGS 10 the link arm 30 is a single piece link arm that connected
to
the driven retainers and drive retainer 24. In the present embodiment of the
invention,
the AGS 100 has a link arm 80 that has two link arm pieces that include a
first arm 82 of
the two link arm pieces that connects to the driven retainers 118a-d and drive
retainer
124 however, the first arm 82 is modified to link with a second arm 84 of the
two link arm
pieces. The second arm 84 of the two link arm pieces is connected to the
driven retainers
68a-c. The details of the link arm 80 is are shown in Figs. 6, 7, 13, 18A and
20-22. The
first arm 82 and the second arm 84 are joined by a link hitch 86. The link
hitch 86 includes
a snap fitting provided by a slot 88 formed on the first arm 82 of the two
link arm pieces
that receives a tab 90 formed on the second arm 84 of the two link arm pieces.
Rotational
force from the drive retainer 124 is transferred to all the driven retainers
118a-d, 68a-c
through the link arm 80. The use of the two link arm pieces allows the base
integrated
end cap 112 to be formed separately from the driven end cap retainer extension
62 and
then be connected together when the driven end cap retainer extension 62 is
connected
to the base integrated end cap 112. While the link arm 80 is depicted with a
single link
hitch 86 it is within the scope of the invention for additional pieces to be
connected with
the link arm using additional link hitches.
Referring now to all the figures with specific reference to Figs. 18A, 18B and
20-
22 the details of the link arm 80 is now shown and described. The first arm 82
and the
second arm 84 connect the drive retainer 24 with driven retainers in the
driven end cap
extension 62 and additional driven retainer end cap extensions described in
greater detail
with respect to Fig. 7. This further allows a single actuator to drive vanes
that are part of
other driven end cap extension. The first arm 82 and second arm 84 are joined
by a link
hitch 86 that has a slot 88 on second arm 84 that receives a tab 90 on first
arm 82. It is
.. within the scope of this invention for the slot 88 to be located on the
first arm 82 and the
tab 90 to be located on the second arm 84. The tab 90 is held there by a snap
fitting as
shown in Fig. 22. During formation of the integrated end cap and link arm, the
first arm
82 and second arm 84 are formed separate from each other and then snapped
together
using the slot 88 and tab 90 of the link hitch 86. While a single link hitch
86 is shown it
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is within the scope of this invention for multiple link arm pieces to be
connected using
multiple link hitches.
The link arm 80 also has several link post apertures 97a-h that are configured
to
receive the respective link posts 99a-h (shown in Fig. 12A). Referring now to
Fig. 22b
5 there is a close up view of the link post aperture 97-a-h, which will be
compared with prior
art Fig. 19, which shows a link post aperture 2 that is also capable of
connecting to the
link posts 99a-h in certain applications. The link post aperture 2 of the has
an aperture
diameter of about 5mm with a 50 draft side wall 5 that extends between a first
side 6 and
second side 8. The link post aperture 97a-h differs from the link post
aperture 2 in that
10 there is a straight side wall 102 without a draft between a first side
104 and second side
106. Also, the diameter of the link post aperture 97a-h is a constant 5.5 mm
which allows
the link arm 80 to float vertically along the axis of the respective link
posts 99a-h as
described above. While the design of link post aperture 97a-h is desired for
several
applications, it is within the scope of this invention for certain
applications or designs to
15 use the link post aperture 2, where a different type of fit between the
link posts 99a-h and
link post aperture 2 is desired.
Referring now to Figs. 8A, 8B, 15 and 16 the location of the link arm 30
connection
to the drive retainer 24 and driven retainers 18a-d is different than the
location of the link
arm 80 connection to the drive retainer 124 and driven retainers 118a-d, 68a-
c. In these
figures, link arm 30 and link arm 80 are not shown to better illustrate the
spacing between
the various components. Link arm 30 connects to the driven retainers 18a-d on
end cap
connection side 22 and drive retainer 24 on the end cap connection side 28.
The link arm
80 connects to the drive retainer 124 on vane connection side 26' and driven
retainer
118a-d, 68a-c on the vane connection side 20'. When the link arm 80 (show in
Fig. 6) is
connected to the vane connection side 20', 26' instead of the end cap
connection side
22', 28' a gap 123 between the end cap connection side 22' 28' is reduced
because less
clearance is needed between the end cap connection side 22',28 and the
integrated end
cap body 114 or driven end cap retainer extension 62. By comparison a gap 23
between
the integrated end cap body 14 and the driven retainers 18a-d and drive
retainer 24 is
greater than gap 123 because more room is required for link arm 30 to be
positioned in
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the gap 23. The gap results in more air leakage through the AGS 10 then would
leak
through AGS 100. However, some applications may require the link arm 30 to be
connected to the end cap connection side 22, 28 in certain design
applications.
Referring now to Figs. 12A and 126 each of the details of the driven retainers
118a-d, 68a-c and drive retainer 124 of the AGS 100 is now described. The link
posts
99a-h extend from the vane connection side 20' and are adjacent clamp surfaces
115a-
h. The driven retainers 118a-d, 68a-c have one of two different style link
posts depending
on the location when connected to the link arm. Link posts 99a, 99c, 99d, 99h
are link
posts that have an L shaped cross-section having a flange 108 (shown in Fig.
12B) that
wraps around and locks onto the drive link 80 during the molding process. Link
posts
99a, 99c, 99d, 99h of this particular style is used at the ends of the link
arm 80, thereby
allowing the link arm to move loosely on all the link posts (in the left to
right direction
shown in Fig. 17), while the flange 108 prevents the link arm 80 from coming
off each link
posts 99a-h. Link posts 99b, 99e, 99f, 99g have as shown in Fig. 12B, a
constant
diameter portion 110 of about 5.5mm in diameter that tapers to a reduced
diameter
portion, which will be referred to as an undercut 112 of about 3mm in diameter
at the end
of the link posts 99b, 99e, 99f, 99g. During molding of the link posts 99b,
99e, 99f, 99g
through the link arm (or vice versa) the undercut 112 prevents the end of the
link posts
99b, 99e, 99f, 99g from becoming flat and sticking to the link arm 80, which
can hinder
rotation between the link arm and the link posts 99b, 99e, 99f, 99g.
Referring now to Fig. 15 a generic view of the driven retainers 68a-c, 118a-d
connected to a respective base integrated end cap 112 or driven end cap
retainer
extension 62 is shown. The driven retainer 68a-c, 118a-d each include a
tapered shaft
108 that is formed through an aperture 110 of the integrated end cap body 112
or driven
end cap retainer extension 62. The tapered shaft 108 has a wider end 113 at
the portion
that fits into the aperture 110 and a narrow end 116 to form a gap 123 between
the side
of the aperture 110 and the vane clamping surface 115a-h. The wider portion of
the
tapered shaft 108 locks the driven retainer 68a-c, 118a-d rotatably in place
in the aperture
110 during the molding process, while the gap 123 allows the driven retainers
68a-c,
118a-d to be slightly pushed during assembly along the rotational axis of the
tapered shaft
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108 to move the driven retainers 68a-c, 118a-d slightly toward the integrated
end cap
body 114 and breakaway the second shot of material from the first shot of
material and
allow the driven retainer 68a-c, 118a-d to begin rotating freely in the
aperture 110, while
the wider portion of the tapered shaft 108 prevents the driven retainer 68a-c,
118a-d from
falling out of the aperture 110, thereby making the driven retainer 68a-c,
118a-d rotatably
locked to the integrated cap body 112 or driven end cap retainer extension 62.
In one
embodiment of the invention described above the first shot and second shot are
different
materials and the second shot is selected to shrink slightly during curing so
that the
tapered shaft 108 will be cured in a manner that rotation of the tapered shaft
108 in the
aperture 110 will be possible. In another embodiment of the invention using
Polypropylene-GF and Polyamide-GF the materials have a similar shrink rate.
The gap
123 allows for use of two shots having similar shrink rate materials by
providing separation
between the driven retainers 68a-c, 118a-d and the driven end cap retainer
extension 62
or the integrated end cap body 114, so that the two pieces do not become
locked or stuck
together.
Referring now to Fig. 16 further details of the drive retainer 124 are shown.
The
drive retainer 124 is a driven vane meaning that it is connected to an
actuator (not shown)
using a drive post 154 integrally formed thereon and extending from the endcap
connection side 28'. Formed at the base of the drive post 154 and extending
away from
the drive post are two blades 126, 128 that rotate with the drive post 154 and
contact one
or more stops 130 formed on the surface of the integrated end cap body 114.
The two
blades 126, 128 and the one or more stops 130 prevent the drive retainer 124
and the
driven retainers 118a-d, shown in the other drawings connected to the drive
retainer 124,
from rotating beyond a desired degree of rotation.
In another aspect of the invention depicted in Fig. 23 a universal rail 336
according
to an alternate embodiment of the invention. The universal rail 336 can be
used in place
of the universal rails found in the other embodiments of the invention. The
universal rail
336 has a top key 338 and a bottom key 340, each having a "T" shaped cross-
section
with a base surface 342, 344, side walls 343, 346, 349, 351 extending
perpendicular from
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the respective base surface 342, 344 and an aperture surface 354, 356, 358 and
360 that
define an aperture. The shape of the top key 338 allows for connection with
other
components that have either a mating T shaped member or fastener that can
slide into
the top key 338 and be locked in place. The other components include, but are
not limited
to shrouds, additional vehicle body attachments, sensors, a vane deflection
bracket or
anything else that would be desirable to mount at the perimeter of the active
grille
arrangement 300.
The shape of the bottom key 340 allows the angled wedge 94 (shown in Fig. 25)
of the female keys to slide into the bottom key 340 with a mated fit. The
universal rail 336
is formed by extrusion and is cut to a desired length thereby allowing the
active grilled
shutter arrangement 300 to have virtually any length. The center of the
universal rail 336
has a channel 364 that provides strength. Additionally, as shown the channel
364 can
optionally be filled with strengthening material 366 such as foam or the
channel 364 can
be used as a duct for another structure 368 such as a hose or electrical wire
depending
on the needs of a particular application.
Referring now to Fig. 9 a schematic diagram showing a cross section of either
the
base non-integrated end cap connection 32 and the post end cap extension 70
and the
respective base vanes 50a-e or extension vanes 78a-c will now be described.
The
following description applies to both AGS 10 and AGS 100 since the base non-
integrated
end cap connection 32 and post end cap extension 70 is the same for all
embodiments
of the invention described herein. The posts 36a-d, 76a-c are configured to
slide into the
a center channel 132 formed in the cross-section of each respective base vanes
50a-e
or extension vanes 78a-c. The posts 36a-d, 76a-c allow the respective base
vanes 50a-
e or extension vanes 78a-c to rotate about the posts 36a-d, 76a-c, while
supporting the
AGS 10, 100. The posts 36a-d, 76a-c have a tapered surface 134 with the tip
being more
narrow than the base such that the widest portion of the surface of the post
36a-d, 76a-c
rests against the side of the channel 132 but allows for the respective base
vanes 50a-e
or extension vanes 78a-c to rotate about respective the post 36a-d, 76a-c.
The opposing side of the base vanes 50a-e or the extension vanes 78a-c are
connected to a respective one of driven retainers 18a-d, 68a-c, 118a-d, all of
which have
19
clamp surfaces 115a-h and a center post 116a-e as shown in Figs. 10, 13 and
24. In Fig.
the link posts 99a-h are not shown because the clamp surfaces 115a-h are the
same
for all embodiments. The base vanes 50a-e or the extension vanes 78a-c each
have an
5 outside surface 136 that the clamp surfaces 115a-h grasp the outside
surface 136 of the
base vanes 50a-e or the extension vanes 78a-c thereby allowing the base vanes
50a-e
or the extension vanes 78a-c to be simply pushed onto the center post 116a-e
and held
by the clamp surfaces 115a-h. The clamp surfaces 115a-h have ridges 138, 138'
that
assist in resiliently gripping the respective base vanes 50a-e or the
extension vanes 78a-
10 c.
Fig. 17 shows an active grille shutter system (AGS) 300 is shown and described
in connection with Fig. 7. Fig. 7 depicts the modular aspects of the invention
which
include a stock of components 500. From the stock of components 500 the AGS
10, 100,
300 are assembled. AGS 300 also uses many of the same components from AGS 100
therefore for both stock components 500 and AGS 300 reference numbers used for
components found on AGS 10, 100, 300 have been carried forward to Figs. 7 and
17.
Stock of components 500 include a plurality of additional driven retainer end
cap
extensions, shown herein as second end cap retainer extension 302 and third
end cap
retainer extension 304 connectable end to end in series. Second end cap
retainer
extension 302 has a male key 306 at a first end that is connected to the
female key 66 at
second end of the first driven retainer end cap extension 62 in place of the
second
universal rail 43. The second universal rail 43 is connected to the last
plurality of
additional driven retainer end cap extensions in the series, which in the case
of AGS 300
is a female key 308 at a second end of second end cap retainer extension 302.
However,
if is within the scope of the invention for the third end cap retainer
extension 304 or any
number of additional end cap extensions to be connected in series, and the
second
universal rail 43 would be connected at the end of the series. Each of the
plurality of
additional driven retainer end cap extensions each include one or more driven
retainers.
As shown in Fig. 17 the second end cap retainer extension 302 has driven
retainers 308a-
c rotatably connected. AGS 300 further includes a link arm 310 that has a
first piece 312,
second piece 314 and third piece 316 connected by two link hitches, 318, 320.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-09-12
20
Stock components 500 further include a plurality of additional post end cap
extensions, shown herein as second post end cap extension 322 and third post
end cap
extension 324, connectable end to end in series. Second post end cap extension
322
has a male key 326 at a first end that is connected to the female key 74 at a
second end
of first post end cap extension 70. The second universal rail 43 is connected
to the last of
the additional post end cap extensions in the series, which in the case of AGS
300 is a
female key 328 at a second end of the second post end cap extension 322. It is
within
the scope of the invention for the third post end cap extension 324 or any
number of
additional post end cap extensions to be connected in series, and the
universal second
rail 43 would be connected at the end of the series. Each of the plurality of
post end cap
extensions each includes one or more posts 330a-c.
Referring now to Fig. 17, connected between the second end cap retainer
extension 302 and the second post endcap extension 322 are three extension
vanes 332
a-c. The three extension vanes 332a-c connect to respective driven retainers
308a-c and
posts 330a-c in a manner like the AGS 10, 100 described above. The operation
of the
AGS 300 is like the operation of the AGS 10, 100 described above.
Referring now to Fig. 7 the stock of components 500 includes a plurality of
sets of
universal rails 334 where a first set 342", 343" of the plurality of sets of
universal rails 334
has a length that is shorter than all other plurality of sets of universal
rails 334. A second
set 342, 343 of the plurality of sets of universal rails 334 has a length that
is larger than
all the other plurality of sets of universal rails 334. A third set 342', 343'
has a length that
is longer than the first set 342", 343" and shorter than the second set 342,
343.
The stock components 500 further includes first set 350", second set 350 and
third
set 350' of base vanes each having a different length, which can be selected
to provide
a desired vane length for a particular application. The first set 350" has a
length that is
shorter than the second set 350 and third set 350'. The second set 350 has a
length that
is larger than the first set 350" and the third set 350'. The third set 350'
has a length that
is between the first set 350" and the second set 350.
The stock components 500 further includes first set 352", second set 352 and
third
set 352' of extension vanes each having a different length, which can be
selected to
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provide a desired vane length for a particular application. The first set 352"
has a length
that is shorter than the second set 352 and third set 352'. The second set 352
has a
length that is larger than the first set 352" and the third set 352'. The
third set 352' has a
length that is between the first set 352" and the second set 352.
Referring now to all the figures female keys used in all the embodiments of
the
invention have the same configuration and will now be collectively referred to
as the
female keys. The female keys are used to connect to other frame components of
the
AGS 10, 100, 300 shaped to have a male key using a friction fit. The male key
can take
many forms, but will include a slot, like slot 92 on second universal rail 43
that receives
an angled wedge 94 that slides into a slot 92. Fig. 25 depicts an overhead
perspective
view of angled wedge 94 and has an angled edge 96 that creates a friction fit
between
the angled wedge 94 and the walls of the slot 92. The female keys also all
have a stop
surface, which is shown in Fig. 3 as stop surface 98 on the second female key
16b that
prevents over insertion of the second universal rail 43, but also prevents
over insertion of
a male key of another component used in place of second universal rail 43.
The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus,
variations
that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within
the scope of the
invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the
spirit and scope
of the invention.
