초록 ▼

An active front skirt for a vehicle includes an airfoil positioned in an air stream existing when the vehicle is moving forward. An airfoil positioning mechanism attached to the vehicle and the airfoil allows the airfoil to move between a first position when the vehicle is at rest and a second posit

An active front skirt for a vehicle includes an airfoil positioned in an air stream existing when the vehicle is moving forward. An airfoil positioning mechanism attached to the vehicle and the airfoil allows the airfoil to move between a first position when the vehicle is at rest and a second position when the vehicle has attained an upper limit velocity, the airfoil being moved to the second position through interaction with the air stream. A retracting mechanism returns the airfoil to the first position. A movable front skirt connected to the airfoil correspondingly moves with the airfoil between raised and lowered positions. In the raised position, ground clearance of the skirt is increased. In the lowered position, the skirt deflects an increased portion of the air stream to lower aerodynamic drag on the vehicle.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. An active front skirt for a vehicle, comprising: an airfoil positioned in an air stream existing when the vehicle is moving forward; an airfoil positioning mechanism attached to the vehicle and to the airfoil, the airfoil positioning mechanism allowing the airfoil to move bet

What is claimed is: 1. An active front skirt for a vehicle, comprising: an airfoil positioned in an air stream existing when the vehicle is moving forward; an airfoil positioning mechanism attached to the vehicle and to the airfoil, the airfoil positioning mechanism allowing the airfoil to move between a first position when the vehicle is stationary and a second position when the vehicle has attained an upper limit velocity, the airfoil being moved to the second position through interaction with the air stream; a movable front skirt connected to the airfoil to correspondingly move with the airfoil between a raised position and a lowered position, wherein, in the raised position, a ground clearance of the front skirt is increased and in the lowered position, the front skirt deflects an increased portion of the air stream to lower an aerodynamic drag on the vehicle; a pivoting arm attached between the airfoil and the movable front skirt to pivotably connect the movable front skirt with respect to the airfoil. 2. An active front skirt as in claim 1, wherein the first position of the airfoil is raised and the second position is lowered. 3. An active front skirt as in claim 1, wherein the airfoil positioning mechanism maintains the airfoil at a generally same angle of attack with the air stream as the airfoil moves between the first and second positions. 4. An active front skirt as in claim 1, and further comprising: a retracting mechanism connected to the airfoil for returning the airfoil to the first position when the vehicle has slowed below the upper limit velocity, wherein the retracting mechanism is a spring. 5. An active front skirt as in claim 1, wherein the airfoil positioning mechanism includes a fixed base attached to the vehicle and a movable carriage attached to the airfoil and a pivoting arm, the movable carriage movably attached to the fixed base to allow a range of movement of the movable carriage. 6. An active front skirt as in claim 5, wherein the fixed base includes at least one linear bearing and the movable carriage includes at least one elongated member for engaging the linear bearing and allowing linear movement between the elongated member and the linear bearing, and thus, linear movement between the movable carriage and the fixed base. 7. An active front skirt as in claim 1, and further comprising a selectively engageable stop mechanism for engaging one of the moving components to selectively fix the movable front skirt in the raised position when the vehicle is at rest and to also selectively fix the movable front skirt in the lowered position when the vehicle has reached the upper limit velocity. 8. An active front skirt as in claim 7, wherein the selectively engageable stop mechanism fixes the movable front skirt in the raised position until the vehicle has accelerated to a lower limit velocity less than the upper limit velocity, whereupon the selectively engageable stop mechanism disengages the respective moving component to allow movement of the movable front skirt; the selectively engageable stop mechanism also fixing the movable front skirt in the lowered position until the vehicle has decelerated from the upper limit velocity to the lower limit velocity, whereupon the selectively engageable stop mechanism disengages the respective moving component to allow movement of the movable front skirt. 9. An active front skirt as in claim 1, wherein the pivoting arm is pivotably attached to the vehicle at a first engagement position, and also connected to the airfoil at a second engagement position and to the movable front skirt at a third engagement position, thereby connecting the movable front skirt to the airfoil. 10. An active front skirt as in claim 9, wherein the airfoil has an elongated wing profile and is positioned generally horizontally at an underside of the vehicle and is attached to the movable front skirt with two pivoting arms attached between opposite ends of the airfoil and movable front skirt. 11. An active front skirt as in claim 9, and further comprising an auxiliary pivoting arm pivotably connected between the vehicle and the movable front skirt, at a different elevation on the movable front skirt than the pivoting arm, to provide additional stability to the movable front skirt and maintain a given range of attitude of the movable front skirt throughout a range of travel of the movable front skirt. 12. An active front skirt as in claim 9, wherein the first, second and third engagement positions are arranged on the pivoting arm to create a mechanical advantage between the airfoil and the movable front skirt such that a distance between the raised position and the lowered position of the movable front skirt is greater than a distance between the first position and the second position of the airfoil. 13. An active front skirt as in claim 12, and further comprising: a retracting mechanism connected to the airfoil for returning the airfoil to the first position when the vehicle has slowed below the upper limit velocity, wherein the retracting mechanism is a spring. 14. An active front skirt as in claim 12, wherein the mechanical advantage is 2:1. 15. An active front skirt as in claim 14, wherein the mechanical advantage is approximately 5:1. 16. An active front skirt as in claim 12, wherein the airfoil positioning mechanism includes a fixed base attached to the vehicle and a movable carriage attached to the airfoil and the pivoting arm, the movable carriage movable attached to the fixed base to allow a range of movement of the movable carriage. 17. An active front skirt as in claim 16, wherein the fixed base includes at least one linear bearing and the movable carriage includes at least one elongated member for engaging the linear bearing and allowing linear movement between the elongated member and the linear bearing, and thus, linear movement between the movable carriage and the fixed base. 18. An active front skirt as in claim 17, and further comprising a sliding connector connecting the airfoil to the pivoting arm such that the second engagement position can move along the pivoting arm within a given range. 19. An active front skirt as in claim 17, and further comprising a selectively engageable stop mechanism for engaging one of the moving components to selectively fix the movable front skirt in the raised position when the vehicle is at rest and to also selectively fix the movable front skirt in the lowered position when the vehicle has reached or exceeded the upper limit velocity. 20. An active front skirt as in claim 19, wherein the selectively engageable stop mechanism fixes the movable front skirt in the raised position until the vehicle has accelerated to a lower limit velocity less than the upper limit velocity, whereupon the selectively engageable stop mechanism disengages the respective moving component to allow movement of the movable front skirt; the selectively engageable stop mechanism also fixing the movable front skirt in the lowered position until the vehicle has decelerated to the lower limit velocity, whereupon the selectively engageable stop mechanism disengages the respective moving component to allow movement of the movable front skirt. 21. An active front skirt as in claim 20, wherein the selectively engageable stop mechanism is electrically controlled with respect to a signal from a vehicle velocity measuring device. 22. An active front skirt as in claim 21, wherein the lower limit velocity is approximately 60 km/h and the upper limit velocity is approximately 80 km/h. 23. An active front skirt for a vehicle, comprising: an airfoil positioned in an air stream existing when the vehicle is moving forward; an airfoil positioning mechanism attached to the vehicle and to the airfoil, the airfoil positioning mechanism allowing the airfoil to move between a first position when the vehicle is stationary and a second position when the vehicle has attained an upper limit velocity, the airfoil being moved to the second position through interaction with the air stream; a movable front skirt connected to the airfoil to correspondingly move with the airfoil between a raised position and a lowered position, wherein, in the raised position, a ground clearance of the front skirt is increased and in the lowered position, the front skirt deflects an increased portion of the air stream to lower an aerodynamic drag on the vehicle; wherein the airfoil positioning mechanism includes a fixed base attached to the vehicle and a movable carriage attached to the airfoil and a pivoting arm, the movable carriage movable attached to the fixed base to allow a range of movement of the movable carriage; wherein the fixed base includes at least one linear bearing and the movable carriage includes at least one elongated member for engaging the linear bearing and allowing linear movement between the elongated member and the linear bearing, and thus, linear movement between the movable carriage and the fixed base. 24. An active front skirt for a vehicle, comprising: an airfoil positioned in an air stream existing when the vehicle is moving forward; an airfoil positioning mechanism attached to the vehicle and to the airfoil, the airfoil positioning mechanism allowing the airfoil to move between a first position when the vehicle is stationary and a second position when the vehicle has attained an upper limit velocity, the airfoil being moved to the second position through interaction with the air stream; a movable front skirt connected to the airfoil to correspondingly move with the airfoil between a raised position and a lowered position, wherein, in the raised position, a ground clearance of the front skirt is increased and in the lowered position, the front skirt deflects an increased portion of the air stream to lower an aerodynamic drag on the vehicle; a selectively engageable stop mechanism for engaging one of the moving components to selectively fix the movable front skirt in the raised position when the vehicle is at rest and to also selectively fix the movable front skirt in the lowered position when the vehicle has reached the upper limit velocity. 25. An active front skirt as in claim 24, wherein the selectively engageable stop mechanism fixes the movable front skirt in the raised position until the vehicle has accelerated to a lower limit velocity less than the upper limit velocity, whereupon the selectively engageable stop mechanism disengages the respective moving component to allow movement of the movable front skirt; the selectively engageable stop mechanism also fixing the movable front skirt in the lowered position until the vehicle has decelerated from the upper limit velocity to the lower limit velocity, whereupon the selectively engageable stop mechanism disengages the respective moving component to allow movement of the movable front skirt. 26. An active front skirt for a vehicle, comprising: an airfoil positioned in an air stream existing when the vehicle is moving forward; an airfoil positioning mechanism attached to the vehicle and to the airfoil, the airfoil positioning mechanism allowing the airfoil to move between a first position when the vehicle is stationary and a second position when the vehicle has attained an upper limit velocity, the airfoil being moved to the second position through interaction with the air stream; a movable front skirt connected to the airfoil to correspondingly move with the airfoil between a raised position and a lowered position, wherein, in the raised position, a ground clearance of the front skirt is increased and in the lowered position, the front skirt deflects an increased portion of the air stream to lower an aerodynamic drag on the vehicle; a pivoting arm pivotably connected between the vehicle and the movable front skirt; an auxiliary pivoting arm pivotably connected between the vehicle and the movable front skirt, at a different elevation on the movable front skirt than the pivoting arm, to provide additional stability to the movable front skirt and maintain a given range of attitude of the movable front skirt throughout a range of travel of the movable front skirt.