IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,722,475
Granted Patent B2
US 12,722,475 · App. 18/245,555 · Granted Sep 1, 2026

Frame for a device for regulating the air intake of a vehicle

Inventors: Frederic Vacca (La Verriere, FR); Juan-Carlos De Francisco (Saragossa, ES)
Assignee: Valeo Electrification
B60K11/085F01P7/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,722,475
App. No.
18/245,555
Granted
Sep 1, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A frame for an air intake regulating device of a vehicle, including at least two walls participating in defining an opening zone for receiving a set of movable flaps arranged parallel to one another, at least one movable flap being movable in rotation about at least one pivot axis, at least one bearing supported by an elastically deformable tab, the bearing being configured to receive a pin participating in defining the pivot axis of the movable flap, the tab being delimited in a wall of the frame by a U-shaped groove, the groove including a base and two arms respectively extending an end of the base, each of the arms having a free end opposite the base. The groove includes a clearance zone positioned at one of the free ends of the arms of the groove, the clearance zone laterally extending the corresponding arm while forming at least one protuberance.

Claims (36)

1 . A frame for an air intake regulating device of a vehicle, the frame comprising:

two walls defining an opening zone for receiving a set of movable flaps arranged parallel to one another,

at least one movable flap of the set of movable flaps being movable in rotation about at least one pivot axis,

at least one bearing formed by an elastically deformable tab, the at least one bearing being configured to receive a pin defining the pivot axis of the at least one movable flap,

wherein the elastically deformable tab is circumscribed in one wall of said two walls of the frame by a U-shaped groove extending through a thickness of the one wall of said two walls,

wherein the U-shaped groove includes a base and two arms, each arm respectively extending an end of the base, each of the two arms having a free end opposite the base,

wherein the U-shaped groove includes at least one clearance zone positioned at one of the free ends of the two arms of said U-shaped groove,

said at least one clearance zone laterally extending the corresponding arm of the two arms while forming at least one protuberance.

2 . The frame as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the elastically deformable tab is movable around a hinge arranged between the free ends of the two arms of the groove.

3 . The frame as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two arms extends axially in a median extension plane of the arm, said at least one arm having a mean lateral dimension perpendicular to the medium extension plane of a first determined value, wherein the at least one clearance zone positioned at the free end of said at least one arm has a lateral dimension perpendicular to said median extension plane of a second value greater than said first determined value.

4 . The frame as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the at least one clearance zone is centered on the median extension plane of the said at least one arm, forming two lateral protuberances of said at least one arm which are symmetrical relative to said extension plane.

5 . The frame as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the at least one clearance zone has an asymmetric profile relative to the median extension plane of said at least one arm, the at least one protuberance extending from the free end of the corresponding arm opposite the other arm of the groove.

6 . The frame as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the second value representative of the lateral dimension of the at least one clearance zone is equal to twice the first determined value representative of the mean lateral dimension of the arm, at the free end of which the at least one clearance zone is positioned, and equal to one quarter of the corresponding lateral dimension of the hinge.

7 . The frame as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one clearance zone axially extends the corresponding arm via a junction zone of curved profile.

8 . The frame as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the profile of the at least one protuberance formed by the at least one clearance zone in the plane of the wall of the frame is a circle portion.

9 . The frame as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the groove at least one clearance zone includes a first clearance zone positioned at the end of one of the arms of the groove, and a second clearance zone positioned at the end of the other arm of the groove, the two clearance zones being symmetrical to one another relative to a median extension plane of the tab, perpendicular to the plane in which the corresponding frame wall extends.

10 . A device for regulating the air intake of a vehicle, comprising:

a frame including two walls defining an opening zone for receiving a set of movable flaps arranged parallel to one another,

at least one movable flap of the set of movable flaps being movable in rotation about at least one pivot axis,

at least one bearing formed by an elastically deformable tab, the at least one bearing being configured to receive a pin defining the pivot axis of the at least one movable flap, the tab being circumscribed in one wall of said two walls of the frame by a U-shaped groove,

the U-shaped groove including a base and two arms, each arm respectively extending an end of the base, each of the arms having a free end opposite the base,

wherein the U-shaped groove includes at least one clearance zone positioned at one of the free ends of the two arms of said U-shaped groove,

said at least one clearance zone laterally extending the corresponding arm while forming at least one protuberance.

11 . The frame as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the second value representative of the lateral dimension of the at least one clearance zone is equal to twice the first value representative of the mean lateral dimension of the arm, at the free end of which the clearance zone is positioned, or equal to one quarter of the corresponding lateral dimension of the hinge.

12 . The device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the tab is circumscribed in one of said walls of the frame by a U-shaped groove extending through a thickness of the wall.

13 . The device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the at least one clearance zone has an asymmetric profile relative to a median extension plane of the at least one arm, the at least one protuberance extending from the free end of a corresponding arm opposite the other arm of the groove.

14 . The device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein at least one of the two arms extends axially in a median extension plane of the arm, said at least one arm having a mean lateral dimension perpendicular to the medium extension plane of a first determined value, wherein the at least one clearance zone positioned at the free end of said at least one arm has a lateral dimension perpendicular to said median extension plane of a second value greater than said first determined value.

15 . The device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the at least one clearance zone is centered on a median extension plane of the at least one arm, forming two lateral protuberances of the at least one arm which are symmetrical relative to the extension plane.

16 . A frame for an air intake regulating device of a vehicle, the frame comprising:

two walls defining an opening zone for receiving a set of movable flaps arranged parallel to one another, at least one movable flap of the set of movable flaps being movable in rotation about at least one pivot axis,

at least one bearing formed by an elastically deformable tab, the at least one bearing being configured to receive a pin defining the pivot axis of the at least one movable flap,

the elastically deformable tab being circumscribed in one wall of said two walls of the frame by a U-shaped groove extending through a thickness of the one wall of said walls.

17 . The frame as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the groove includes a base and two arms respectively extending ends of the base, each of the arms having a free end opposite the base, wherein the groove includes at least one clearance zone positioned at one of the free ends of the arms of the groove.

18 . The frame as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the at least one clearance zone laterally extends a corresponding arm while forming at least one protuberance.

19 . The frame as claimed in claim 16 , wherein at least one of the two arms extends axially in a median extension plane of the arm, said at least one arm having a mean lateral dimension perpendicular to the medium extension plane of a first determined value, wherein the at least one clearance zone positioned at the free end of said at least one arm has a lateral dimension perpendicular to said median extension plane of a second value greater than said first determined value.

20 . The frame as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the frame includes at least one stop element formed by a transverse protrusion of the vertical wall, the at least one stop element configured to limit the deflection of the at least one movable flap.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 16, 2023
From: VACCA, FREDERIC; DE FRANCISCO, JUAN-CARLOS
To: VALEO SYSTEMES THERMIQUES
Reel/Frame 062998/0533 →
Priority Claims (1)
FR 2009400 · Sep 17, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230364985A1 · Nov 16, 2023
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