Abstract:
An air brake system is provided for using the air resistance of a car (1) to produce energy and for simultaneously braking the car (1). The air brake system comprises an air intake port (2) having an open and a closed position. The air intake port (2) can be arranged, for instance, on the car (1) grille or on the sides of the car (1). The air intake port (2) is connected to an air guiding channel (4) disposed inside of the car (1), preferably in the hood compartment or engine bay thereof. The air entering the air intake port (2) in its open position and being guided through the air guiding channel (4) acts on energy conversion means being configured to convert the kinetic energy of the moving air into a different usable form of energy. Preferably, the energy conversion means comprise a rotatable fan (5) and a generator (6). The fan (5) is arranged inside of the air guiding channel (4) so that air entering the air intake port (2) in its open position and being guided through the air guiding channel (4) passes by the fan (5) and causes a rotating motion thereof. The fan (5) is operatively connected to the generator (6) for converting the rotational energy of the fan (5) and, thus, ultimately the energy of the air entering via the air intake port (2) in its open position and moving through the car (1) via the air guiding channel (4) into electric energy, which can be stored, for instance, by a battery of the car (1). The inventive air brake system, thus, provides for the advantage that in addition to using an increased air resistance for braking the car (1) this braking action is also producing energy that can be re-used by the car (1).
Abstract:
The invention relates to an air-guiding device (10) of a vehicle (1), comprising a spoiler (12) fastened to a spoiler base (14), and an adjusting device (20) for adjusting the spoiler base (14) between an inoperative position, in which the spoiler (12) is essentially situated within the vehicle contour (3), and at least one first operating position, in which the spoiler (12) is deployed beyond the vehicle contour (3) in order to provide a down force effect during the journey, the adjusting device (20) comprising a pivoting-link arrangement (22, 28) coupled to the spoiler base (14) and controllable driving means for pivoting the pivoting-link arrangement (22, 28) in order to adjust the spoiler base (14) between the inoperative position and the operating position. In order to permit a greater maximum deployment angle of the spoiler, according to the invention the adjusting device (20) is suitably designed in order to overstretch a joint (26) between a front region of the spoiler base (14) and an end of a front pivoting link (22) of the pivoting links (22, 28) during deployment of the spoiler (12).