IP Library Granted Patent US 9,834,261
Granted Patent B2
US 9,834,261 · App. 14/901,840 · Granted Dec 5, 2017

Rear spoiler device for a vehicle

Inventors: Thomas Dieckmann (Pattensen, DE); Jakob Tobias Krost (Braunschweig, DE); Josef Oleksik (Braunschweig, DE); Timo Richter (Braunschweig, DE); Gandert Van Raemdonck (Delft, NL); Frank Zielke (Barsinghausen, DE)
Assignee: WABCO Europe BVBA
B62D35/001B62D35/007
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,834,261
App. No.
14/901,840
Granted
Dec 5, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle ( 1 ) includes at least one rear door ( 6, 8 ) with a rear spoiler device ( 14 ). The rear spoiler device includes an air deflector element ( 15, 25, 35, 45 ), which is adjustable between a basic position and a drive position for extending the contour and aerodynamic air deflection. The rear spoiler device further includes one support device ( 18, 28, 38, 48 ) for supporting the air deflector element ( 15, 25, 35, 45 ) in its drive position. The support device has a four-bar linkage ( 18, 28, 38, 48 ) with at least four joints or joint axes (A, B, C, D) for adjusting the air deflector element ( 15, 25, 35, 45 ) between the basic position and the drive position.

Claims (26)

1. A rear spoiler device ( 14 ) for a vehicle ( 1 ) having at least one pivoted rear door ( 6 , 8 ), the rear spoiler device ( 14 ) comprising:

at least one air deflector element ( 15 , 25 , 35 , 45 ), which is adjustable between a basic position and a drive position for extending the contour and aerodynamic air deflection, and

at least one support device ( 18 , 28 , 38 , 48 ) for supporting the air deflector element ( 15 , 25 , 35 , 45 ) in the drive position,

wherein the at least one support device includes a four-bar linkage ( 18 , 28 , 38 , 48 ) having at least four joint axes (A, B, C, D) for adjusting the air deflector element ( 15 , 25 , 35 , 45 ) between the basic position and the drive position, the four-bar linkage ( 18 , 28 , 38 , 48 ) including:

at least one main oscillating link ( 16 , 26 , 36 , 46 ) of greater length (L 1 , L 3 ) and at least one secondary oscillating link ( 17 , 27 , 37 , 47 ) of a smaller length (L 2 , L 4 ),

wherein the main oscillating link ( 16 , 26 , 36 , 46 ) and the secondary oscillating link ( 17 , 27 , 37 , 47 ) each include a front joint ( 16 a , 17 a , 26 a , 27 a , 36 a , 37 a , 46 a , 47 a ) for attachment to the rear door ( 6 , 8 ) and a rear joint ( 16 b , 17 b , 26 b , 27 b , 36 b , 37 b , 46 b , 47 b ), which serves for pivotally connecting the main oscillating link ( 16 ) and the secondary oscillating link ( 17 ) respectively to the air deflector element ( 15 , 25 , 35 , 45 ),

wherein the rear spoiler device is configured to be mounted exclusively to the at least one rear door ( 6 , 8 ).

2. The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the four-bar linkage ( 18 , 28 , 38 , 48 ) comprises precisely four joint axes (A, B, C, D).

3. The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the four joint axes (A, B, C, D) in which the air deflector element ( 15 , 25 , 35 , 45 ) is adjustable run parallel to one another.

4. The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the four-bar linkage ( 18 , 28 , 38 , 48 ) forms a positive guidance for adjusting the air deflector element ( 15 , 25 , 35 , 45 ) between the basic position and the drive position.

5. The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the front joint ( 17 a , 27 a , 37 a , 47 a ) of the secondary oscillating link ( 17 , 27 , 37 , 47 ) is attached to the rear door ( 6 , 8 ) further outwards towards a side wall ( 3 ) or the roof ( 4 ) of the vehicle ( 1 ) than the front joint ( 16 a , 26 a , 36 a , 46 a ) of the main oscillating link ( 16 , 26 , 36 , 46 ).

6. The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the basic position the rear joint ( 17 b , 27 b , 37 b , 47 b ) of the secondary oscillating link ( 17 , 27 , 37 , 47 ) is attached to the air deflector element ( 15 , 25 , 35 , 45 ) further laterally outwards than the rear joint ( 16 b , 26 b , 36 b , 46 b ) of the main oscillating link ( 16 , 26 , 36 , 46 ).

7. The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a first swivel angle (α 1 ) of the main oscillating link ( 16 , 26 , 36 , 46 ) is smaller than a second swivel angle (α 2 ) of the secondary oscillating link ( 17 , 27 , 37 , 47 ).

8. The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the basic position the air deflector element ( 15 , 25 , 35 , 45 ) rests flat on the secondary oscillating link ( 17 , 27 , 37 , 47 ) and the main oscillating link ( 16 , 26 , 36 , 46 ) and substantially parallel to the rear door ( 6 , 8 ) and in the drive position protrudes from the rear door ( 6 , 8 ) at a drive position angle (α 3 ), which is greater than 0° and less than 90°.

9. The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising two secondary oscillating links ( 17 , 27 , 37 , 47 ) having front joints ( 17 a , 27 a , 37 a , 47 a ) lying in a common joint axis (B) and rear joints ( 17 b , 27 b , 37 b , 47 b ) lying in a common joint axis (D), and a main oscillating link ( 16 ) arranged between the secondary oscillating links ( 17 ), in order to rest with no overlap on the rear door ( 6 , 8 ) in the basic position.

10. The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the air deflector element ( 15 , 25 ) has a front end ( 15 a , 25 a ) with a contour extension ( 54 ), which in the drive position extends over a vehicle structure ( 2 ) of a rear area or up to a side wall ( 3 ) of the vehicle ( 1 ) and bridges an intermediate gap.

11. The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a side air deflector element ( 15 , 25 ), having vertically running joint axes (A, B, C, D), for extending a contour of a side wall ( 3 ) of the vehicle ( 1 ).

12. The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a roof air deflector element ( 35 , 45 ), having horizontally running joint axes, for extending the contour of a roof ( 4 ) of the vehicle ( 1 ).

13. The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising arresting mechanisms ( 71 , 69 , 52 , 62 ) for at least one of the basic position and the drive position, the arresting mechanisms being mounted to the at least one rear door ( 6 , 8 ).

14. The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one spring device ( 68 ), which pushes the at least one air deflector element ( 15 , 25 , 35 , 45 ) into the basic position in a first swivel range and into the drive position in a second swivel range.

15. The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a left-hand side spoiler device ( 9 ) and left-hand roof spoiler device ( 11 ) for attachment to a left-hand rear door ( 6 ) of the vehicle ( 1 ) and a right-hand side spoiler device ( 10 ) and right-hand roof spoiler device ( 12 ) for attachment to a right-hand rear door ( 8 ) of the vehicle ( 1 ),

wherein the rear spoiler device ( 14 ) in the basic position with the left-hand and right-hand rear doors ( 6 , 8 ) swiveled forwards and resting on side walls ( 3 ) of the vehicle ( 1 ) is accommodated between the left-hand and right-hand rear doors ( 6 , 8 ) and the side walls ( 3 ).

16. A vehicle ( 1 ) having a rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the vehicle ( 1 ) comprises two pivoted rear doors ( 6 , 8 ), which can be opened by more than 180° forwards,

wherein the rear spoiler device ( 14 ) is attached only to the rear doors ( 6 , 8 ), and

in the basic position of the rear spoiler device ( 14 ) the rear doors ( 6 , 8 ) can be fixed to the sidewalls ( 3 ) of the vehicle ( 1 ), wherein the rear spoiler device ( 14 ) can be accommodated between the sidewalls ( 3 ) and the rear doors ( 6 , 8 ).

17. The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the spring device is installed in a bistable arrangement having a dead-point position between the first swivel range and second swivel range.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 3, 2024
From: WABCO EUROPE BV
To: ZF CV SYSTEMS EUROPE BV
Reel/Frame 067002/0195 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 29, 2015
From: DIECKMANN, THOMAS; KROST, JAKOB TOBIAS; OLEKSIK, JOSEF; RICHTER, TIMO; VAN RAEMDONCK, GANDERT; ZIELKE, FRANK
To: WABCO EUROPE BVBA
Reel/Frame 037375/0864 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2013 011 169 · Jul 4, 2013 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160347380A1 · Dec 1, 2016