Claims:We claim

1. A protective grille shutter system (102) for a vehicle (100), comprising:
a shutter assembly (300) positioned relative to a grille (103) in the vehicle (100), the shutter assembly (300) comprising:
a rotatable roller (306);
a roller blind (302) comprising a first end mechanically coupled to the roller (306) and a second end coupled to a weight (308), wherein the roller blind (302) is deployable between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein the roller blind (302) covers one or more vents (104) in the grille (103) when disposed in the extended position;
a stopper (304) engaged with the weight (308) to hold the roller blind (302) in the retracted position; and
a shutter control system (200) comprising:
a fluid-level sensor (202) configured to detect a level of water in a navigation path of the vehicle (100); and
an actuator (204) coupled to the stopper, and configured to rotate upon receiving an activation signal from the shutter control system (200) when the level of water in the navigation path of the vehicle (100) is detected by the fluid-level sensor (202) to be greater than a designated wading depth of the vehicle (100), the rotation of the actuator (204) disengages the stopper (304) from the weight (308), thereby allowing the weight (308) to fall downwards, which deploys the roller blind (302) in the extended position covering the one or more vents (104) in the grille (103).

2. The protective grille shutter system (102) of claim 1, wherein the fluid-level sensor (202) comprises one or more of a wade sensor, a sonar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and an infrared sensor.

3. The protective grille shutter system (102) of claim 1, wherein the shutter assembly (300) comprises an elastic member (402) that is coupled to the stopper (208) and is adapted to engage the stopper (304) with the weight (308) when the elastic member (402) is disposed in the expanded state, thereby restraining the roller blind (302) in the retracted position, and wherein the elastic member (502) is adapted to disengage the stopper (304) from the weight (308) when disposed in a compressed state, thereby allowing the weight (308) to fall downwards, which deploys the roller blind (302) in the extended position.

4. The protective grille shutter system (102) of claim 3, wherein the elastic member (402) comprises a compression spring.

5. The protective grille shutter system (102) of claim 1, wherein the actuator (204) comprises a pinion (406) and a rack (404), wherein when the actuator (204) is configured to rotate the pinion (406) in a first direction (408) when the level of water in the navigation path of the vehicle (100) is detected by the fluid-level sensor (202) to be greater than the designated wading depth of the vehicle (100), wherein the rotation of the pinion (406) in the first direction causes a linear movement of the rack (404) in a second direction (410), which disengages the stopper (304) from the weight (308) to deploy the roller blind (302) in the extended position.

6. The protective grille shutter system (102) of claim 5, wherein when the actuator (204) is configured to rotate the pinion (406) in a direction opposite the first direction (408) when the level of water in the navigation path of the vehicle (100) is detected by the fluid-level sensor (202) to be lesser than the designated wading depth of the vehicle (100), wherein the rotation of the pinion (406) in the direction opposite the first direction causes a linear movement of the rack (404) in a direction opposite the second direction (410), which retracts the roller blind (302) to the retracted position.

7. The protective grille shutter system (102) of claim 5, wherein the shutter control system (200) comprises an activation mechanism for transmitting an activation signal to the actuator (204) to rotate in a designated direction to dispose the roller blind (302) in one of the extended and the retracted position based on the detected level of water in the navigation path of the vehicle (100), wherein the activation mechanism comprises one or more of a push button, a selectable menu option on an associated human-vehicle interface, and data received from one or more of the fluid-level sensor (202), a humidity sensor, and an image capturing device indicating the detected level of water in the navigation path of the vehicle (100).

8. The protective grille shutter system (102) of claim 1, wherein the protective grille shutter system (102) comprises a roller (306) comprising a set of toothed annular rings (608) disposed around two edges of the roller (306), wherein rotation of the roller (306) is provisioned by manual rotation of at least one of the toothed annular rings (608) to retract the protective grille shutter system (102) in the retraction position.

9. The protective grille shutter system (102) of claim 1, wherein the protective grille shutter system (102) comprises a roller (306), wherein the protective grille shutter system (102) is deployed in the retraction position by an automated rotation of the roller (306).

10. The protective grille shutter system (102) of claim 1, wherein the shutter assembly (300) comprises one or more guide rails (310) coupled to one or more of the grille (103) and an interior of the vehicle (100), wherein the guide rails (310) are adapted to support and position the stopper (304) and the roller blind (302) behind the grille (103).

, Description:
PROTETCIVE GRILLE SHUTTER SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES

BACKGROUND

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to active safety systems in vehicles, and more particularly to a protective grille shutter for preventing entry of water into the engine compartment of vehicles.
[0002] Climate change is leading to increasingly devastating weather events. In recent times, the Caribbean and Gulf Coast have suffered an onslaught of hurricanes, while Southeast Asia has been inundated with heavy and incessant rains, leading to frequent floods that cause significant damage to life and property. Apart from houses and infrastructure, the next biggest damage in terms of sheer monetary value for most people is usually their vehicles. A typical car will lose power in depths greater than 15 centimeters (cm) as water enters the exhaust and washes into the air intake, causing it to float once flood levels exceed 30 cm. With thousands of vehicles under water, some for days at a time, most are written off as a complete loss.
[0003] This is because entry of water into the engine through the air intake causes hydrolocking that severely damages the pistons and cylinders. Additionally, water can easily find its way into other moving parts such as the brake, clutch, and accelerator and damage them quickly. Moreover, modern cars include a multitude of electrical components such as the dashboard, radio, infotainment system, windows, doors, seats, lights, and even side-view mirrors that turn hazardous once water finds its way into electrical wiring. In addition to the serious issues mentioned hereinabove, soggy carpets, horrible odors, and rusting metal add to the list of woes befalling water-damaged vehicles, making repair costs astronomical. Consequently, vehicles that are damaged in floods are usually totaled and end up in junkyards.
[0004] Conventional advice during floods is to park on higher ground, which may not be effective in case of incessant rains as most urban areas are prone to flooding rather quickly. Accordingly, certain vehicle manufacturers such as Rivian have explored waterproof vehicle designs. For example, the Rivian R1T houses its battery pack in a unique structural shell made from carbon composite that reduces weight and is sealed to be completely waterproof. Once the pack is affixed to the Rivian's chassis, the vehicle gets an additional full-length skid plate designed to prevent the intrusion of foreign objects into the pack. However, such solutions are quite expensive and require complete vehicle redesign.
[0005] Certain other approaches employ more cost-effective devices such as protective covers and floatation bags for cars to prevent damage from floods. By way of example, the ClimaGuard® bag can be used by laying out the bag, driving the vehicle into the bag, subsequently zipping the bag up to form a watertight cocoon over the vehicle. The bag includes ropes to anchor the vehicle to a certain spot to prevent the vehicle from floating away. Similarly, certain bags function like airbags that can be put under a vehicle and are inflated to keep the vehicle floating or on higher ground to prevent flood damage.
[0006] However, these conventional solutions can be used only in situations when a car is parked or is stationary at a certain location but will not be ideal in situations when car is on road, is traveling through a flooded path, or is being driven in a terrain that includes ditches filled with water and mud. Additionally, these solutions require significant manual effort in covering or inflating the bag and additional forethought from a user to always carry these devices as additional baggage in the car.
[0007] Accordingly, there is a need for an improved protective system that can prevent entry of water into various vehicle compartments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0008] It is an objective of the present disclosure to provide a protective grille shutter system for a vehicle. The shutter assembly includes a rotatable roller, a roller blind including a first end mechanically coupled to the roller and a second end coupled to a weight. The roller blind is deployable between a retracted position and an extended position. The roller blind covers one or more vents in the grille when disposed in the extended position. The shutter assembly further includes a stopper engaged with the weight to hold the roller blind in the retracted position, and a shutter control system. The shutter control system includes a fluid-level sensor configured to detect a level of water in a navigation path of the vehicle, and an actuator coupled to the stopper.
[0009] The actuator is configured to rotate upon receiving an activation signal from the shutter control system when the level of water in the navigation path of the vehicle is detected by the fluid-level sensor to be greater than a designated wading depth of the vehicle. The rotation of the actuator disengages the stopper from the weight, thereby allowing the weight to fall downwards, which deploys the roller blind in the extended position covering the one or more vents in the grille. The fluid-level sensor includes one or more of a wade sensor, a sonar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and an infrared sensor. The shutter assembly includes an elastic member that is coupled to the stopper and is adapted to engage the stopper with the weight when the elastic member is disposed in the expanded state, thereby restraining the roller blind in the retracted position. The elastic member is adapted to disengage the stopper from the weight when disposed in a compressed state, thereby allowing the weight to fall downwards, which deploys the roller blind in the extended position.
[0010] The elastic member includes a compression spring. The actuator includes a pinion and a rack. The actuator is configured to rotate the pinion in a first direction when the level of water in the navigation path of the vehicle is detected by the fluid-level sensor to be greater than the designated wading depth of the vehicle. The rotation of the pinion in the first direction causes a linear movement of the rack in a second direction, which disengages the stopper from the weight to deploy the roller blind in the extended position. The actuator is configured to rotate the pinion in a direction opposite the first direction when the level of water in the navigation path of the vehicle is detected by the fluid-level sensor to be lesser than the designated wading depth of the vehicle. The rotation of the pinion in the direction opposite the first direction causes a linear movement of the rack in a direction opposite the second direction, which retracts the roller blind to the retracted position.
[0011] The shutter control system includes an activation mechanism for transmitting an activation signal to the actuator to rotate in a designated direction to dispose the roller blind in one of the extended and the retracted position based on the detected level of water in the navigation path of the vehicle. The activation mechanism includes one or more of a push button, a selectable menu option on an associated human-vehicle interface, and data received from one or more of the fluid-level sensor, a humidity sensor, and an image capturing device indicating the detected level of water in the navigation path of the vehicle. The protective grille shutter system includes a roller including a set of toothed annular rings disposed around two edges of the roller. Rotation of the roller is provisioned by manual rotation of at least one of the toothed annular rings to retract the protective grille shutter system in the retraction position.
[0012] The protective grille shutter system includes a roller. The protective grille shutter system is deployed in the retraction position by an automated rotation of the roller. The shutter assembly includes one or more guide rails coupled to one or more of the grille and an interior of the vehicle. The guide rails are adapted to support and position the stopper and the roller blind behind the grille.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the claimed subject matter will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a graphical illustration of an exemplary vehicle including a protective grille shutter system, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;
[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary shutter control system for operating the protective grille shutter system of FIG. 1 in one of a retracted and an extended position, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;
[0016] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary shutter assembly in the protective grille shutter system of FIG. 1 that is adapted to prevent entry of water into an engine compartment, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;
[0017] FIG. 3A illustrates a side perspective view of a roller blind associated with the shutter assembly of FIG. 3, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;
[0018] FIG. 3B illustrates an exemplary representation of one or more guide rails that are coupled to an interior surface of a front grille or a bumper body of the vehicle of FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;
[0019] FIG. 3C illustrates another exemplary representation of one or more guide rails that are coupled to the interior surface of the front grille or the bumper body of the vehicle of FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;
[0020] FIG. 3D illustrates an exemplary representation of the guide rails that securely lock the roller blind associated with the shutter assembly of FIG. 3 in an extended position, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;
[0021] FIG. 3E illustrates another exemplary representation of the guide rails that securely lock the roller blind associated with the shutter assembly of FIG. 3 in the extended position, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;
[0022] FIG. 4 illustrates a graphical representation of certain additional components of the shutter assembly of FIG. 3, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;
[0023] FIG. 5 illustrates a graphical representation of certain components of the shutter assembly of FIG. 3 when disposed in the extended position, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; and
[0024] FIG. 6 illustrates a graphical representation of certain components of the shutter assembly of FIG. 3 adapted to revert the roller blind from the extended position to a default retracted position, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following description presents an exemplary protective grille shutter system for a vehicle. Particularly, embodiments described herein disclose an active protective grille shutter system that prevents entry of fluids into specific regions, such as an engine compartment of a vehicle, to safeguard the life and performance of the components present therein.
[0026] Conventionally, grille shutters are used in vehicles to compensate for aerodynamic drag and to assist in cooling of various vehicle compartments. These grille shutters are provided on the vehicle body either as a static structure or in movable active grille configuration operable using motors. Conventional active grille shutters typically include a series of rotatable blast-like louvers, which are attached to the vehicle body in front of the vehicle engine compartment. Conventionally, louvers are operated to maintain associated vents or openings in the protective grille shutters in open position to allow maximum airflow into the engine compartment to assist in cooling while the vehicle is traveling at low speeds, but may alternatively be operated to partially or fully close the grille vents at higher speeds to reduce aerodynamic drag.
[0027] Consequently, the vents in conventional grille shutters will be deployed in the open position when a vehicle is parked in a flooded location or when it is traveling through a flooded path at low speeds. Such open grille vents allow water to enter the vehicle compartments, resulting in damage to internal components. Unlike such conventional protective grille shutters, the present disclosure presents an innovative protective grille shutter design that prevents entry of water into vehicle compartments, while also providing thermal management and reducing aerodynamic drag. An exemplary embodiment of the present protective grille shutter system is described in detail in the following sections with reference to FIGs. 1-6.
[0028] FIG. 1 is a graphical illustration of an exemplary vehicle (100) including an embodiment of the present protective grille shutter system (102). In one embodiment, the protective grille shutter system (102) is deployed behind a front grille (103) of the vehicle (100). The protective grille shutter system (102) is deployed preferably at a position between the front grille (103) that includes a plurality of vents (104), and an engine compartment (106) of the vehicle (100) to allow airflow into the engine compartment (106). In particular, the protective grille shutter system (102) is deployed so as to cover one or more of the vents (104) in the front grille (103) when deployed in the extended position, thereby closing a path through which water might enter the engine compartment (106).
[0029] Although, FIG. 1 illustrates the protective grille shutter system (102) disposed adjacent to the front grille of the vehicle (100), in other embodiments, the protective grille shutter system (102) can be provided anywhere, such as at the rear of the vehicle (100), depending upon where the grilles are placed relative to the engine compartment (106) and other significant systems in the vehicle (100). In yet another embodiment, the protective grille shutter system (102) can be deployed in the vehicle (100) in addition to a conventional active grille shutter as a protective covering to overcome the shortcomings associated with conventional active grille shutters.
[0030] In one embodiment, a vehicle manufacturer delivers the protective grille shutter system (102) in a retracted position by default at the time of delivery of the vehicle (100) to a user. The protective grille shutter system (102) can be actuated to switch from the default position to the extended position as needed, for example, when traveling through a flooded path. Certain exemplary components of the protective grille shutter system (102) that control switching between the corresponding retracted and extended position when needed are shown and described with reference to FIG. 2.
[0031] In particular, FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary shutter control system (200) for operating the protective grille shutter system (102) of FIG. 1 in one of a retracted and an extended position. In one embodiment, the shutter control system (200) is implemented by an electronic control unit (ECU) or an engine control unit of the vehicle (100). Alternatively, the shutter control system (200) may be an independent control unit communicatively coupled to the ECU of the vehicle (100).
[0032] In certain embodiments, the shutter control system (200) further includes a fluid-level sensor (202) configured to detect a water level surrounding the vehicle (100) and alert the shutter control system (200) when a fluid level surpasses a designated wading depth of the vehicle (100). To that end, the fluid-level sensor (202) includes a wade sensor such as a SONAR, an ultrasonic, or an infrared sensor that determines the depth of the water in front of, or in the vicinity of the vehicle (100) and compares the determined depth with the designated wading depth for the vehicle (100).
[0033] As used herein, the term ‘wading depth’ is used to refer to a maximum depth or height from the ground level, set by a vehicle manufacturer, at which the vehicle (100) is deemed to be safe when traversing a flooded path while protecting associated electronics, air intake and other vulnerable areas. For example, a wading depth for a Land Rover Defender is set to 900 millimeter (mm), the wading depth for a Ford Ecosport is 550 mm, and the wading depth for a Mercedes GLC is 300 mm of water.
[0034] In one embodiment, the fluid-level sensor (202) may be activated to detect the depth of water in front and/or vicinity of the vehicle (100) when the vehicle (100) is started. In another embodiment, a driver of the vehicle (100) manually activates the fluid-level sensor (208), for example, via a selectable menu or button when off-roading. In yet another embodiment, the vehicle ECU automatically activates the fluid-level sensor (208), for example, based on data received from an associated temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or a camera unit that indicate heavy rainfall or detect water in the path of the vehicle (100).
[0035] In certain embodiments, the shutter control system (200) also includes an actuator (204) configured to switch the protective grille shutter system (102) between the retracted and extended positions. In particular, the shutter control system (200) sends an activation signal to the actuator (204) upon receiving an alert from the fluid-level sensor (202) indicting that the water level outside the vehicle (100) has reached or surpassed the wading depth of the vehicle (100). The actuator (204), thus activated, deploys the protective grille shutter system (102) in the extended position from the retracted position.
[0036] To that end, the fluid-level sensor (208), the shutter control system (200), and the actuator (204) are operatively coupled to, and receive power from, existing power sources in the vehicle (100). In one example, the fluid-level sensor (208) the shutter control system (200), and the actuator (204) receive power from battery modules used for powering one or more electronic components in the vehicle (100). In another embodiment, the fluid-level sensor (208), the shutter control system (200), and the actuator (204) are powered by an engine of the vehicle (100) to detect unsafe water levels and deploy the protective grille shutter system (102) in the extended position from the retracted position, thereby blocking the vents (104) in the front grille (103). Certain exemplary components of the protective grille shutter system (102) that are deployed using the actuator (204) to prevent water damage to the vehicle (100) are described in detail with reference to FIG. 3.
[0037] FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary shutter assembly (300) in the protective grille shutter system of FIG. 1 that is adapted to prevent entry of water into the engine compartment (106). To that end, the shutter assembly (300) includes a roller blind (302) and a stopper (304), which when disposed in a default position, is adapted to restrain the roller blind (302) in the default retracted or rolled-up position. FIG. 3A, for example, depicts an embodiment of the roller blind (302) when disposed in the retracted position. In one embodiment, the roller blind (302) is made of lightweight, flexible, and water-repellent material such as plastic, treated leather, or other suitable fabrics. In particular, the material may be selected to be of a suitable weight so as to lie straight without any crease or shrinkage when deployed in the extended position, yet not add significant weight and degrade fuel efficiency.
[0038] Further, in one embodiment, a first end of the roller blind (302) is attached to a rotatable roller (306), which in turn, is fastened to an interior wall of the vehicle (100) adjacent to a top edge of the front grille (103). Additionally, a second end of the roller blind (302) is unattached and includes a weight (308). In the default position, the second end of the roller blind (302) is disposed at the top edge of the front grille (103) in a rolled up or retracted position. In particular, the second end of the roller blind (302) is restrained at the top edge of the front grille (103) in the retracted position by restraining the associated weight (308) by the stopper (304).
[0039] According to aspects of the present disclosure, the stopper (304) is operatively coupled to the actuator (204). When activated upon detection of an unsafe level of water, the actuator (204) disengages the stopper (304) from the weight (308), thereby causing the weight (308) to fall under the influence of gravity. The falling weight (308), in turn, pulls the second end of the roller blind (302) down towards a bottom edge of the front grille (103), thereby covering the vents (104) in the front grille (103) from end-to-end to block entry of water into the engine compartment (106).
[0040] To that end, the shutter assembly (300) includes a guide rail assembly that supports the stopper (304) and the roller blind (302) and guides movement of the second end of the roller blind (302) while falling under the influence of gravity. FIGs. 3B and 3C depict exemplary representations of one or more guide rails (310) that are coupled, for example via bolts or screws, to an interior surface of the front grille (103) or a bumper body of the vehicle (100) to receive and secure the stopper (304) and the roller blind (302), respectively, behind the front grille (103). In one embodiment, the guide rails (310) receive and securely lock the falling second end of the roller blind (302) to maintain the extended position.
[0041] Particularly, as shown in FIGs. 3D and 3E, the guide rails (310) securely lock the roller blind (302) in the extended position to provide end-to-end coverage of all the vents (104), thus leaving no gap or opening in the front grille (103) through which water can enter the engine compartment (106) of the vehicle (100). Certain exemplary components that facilitate the retraction and extension of the roller blind (302) to adapt the front grille (103) to ether provide thermal cooling to the engine compartment (106) during normal operation or enable extension of the roller blind (302) to block entry of water are described in detail with reference to FIGs. 4-5.
[0042] FIG. 4 provides a graphical representation of certain additional components of the shutter assembly (300) of FIG. 3 adapted to hold the protective grille shutter system (102) in the retracted position during normal driving conditions. To that end, the shutter assembly (300) includes an elastic member (402) such as including a compression spring coupled to one end of the stopper (304). When disposed in a the default expanded state, the elastic member (402) causes the stopper (304) to remain engaged with the roller blind (302) so as to restrain the weight (308) at the top end of the front grille (103). The roller blind (302), thus, remains disposed in the default retracted position, thereby keeping the vents (104) open to allow airflow to cool the engine compartment (106) during normal driving conditions that do not include unsafe levels of water in the navigation path of the vehicle (100). In particular, during normal driving conditions, the roller blind (302) does not obstruct airflow into the engine compartment (106) for cooling the various components of the vehicle (100). As used herein, the phrase ‘normal driving conditions’ refers to conditions where navigation paths or a parking location of the vehicle (100) are clear and dry, or have water levels below the wading depth of the vehicle (100), thus preventing any possibility of water entering the vehicle (100) through the vents (104) and damaging sensitive components.
[0043] However, upon detecting an unsafe level of water in the path of the vehicle (100), the shutter control system (200) activates the actuator (204) to rotate in a designated direction to disengage the stopper (304) from the roller blind (302). To that end, the actuator (204), for example, includes an electric motor and/or a gear assembly. In one embodiment, the actuator (204) includes a rack (404) and a pinion (406) mechanism coupled to the stopper (304). Particularly, one end of the rack (404) is coupled to the stopper (304), whereas the other end is coupled to a top edge of the front grille (103). Additionally, a shaft of the pinion (406) extends outwards such that the pinion (406) rests on the rack (404) when the shutter assembly (300) is disposed in the default retracted position.
[0044] Upon receiving the activation signal from the shutter control system (200), the actuator (204) rotates, in turn, causing the pinion (406) to rotate in a first direction (408), which causes the rack (404) to move linearly in a second direction (410). The linear motion of the rack (404) in the second direction (410) causes the stopper (304) to pull away from the roller blind (302), thereby disengaging the stopper (304) from the weight (308). To that end, the shutter assembly (300) includes a set of channels (412) that receive opposite edges of the stopper (304). The channels (412) are open at one end such that the linear motion of the rack (404) in the second direction (410) causes the stopper (304) to slide through the open end of the channels (412) until reaching a designated position. The sliding movement of the stopper (304) releases the weight (308) and causes the second end of the roller blind (302) to fall under the influence of gravity, thus disposing the shutter assembly (300) in the extended position to block the vents (104) in the front grille (103) of the vehicle.
[0045] FIG. 5 depicts a graphical representation of certain components of the shutter assembly (300) when disposed in the extended position. As evident from the depiction of FIG. 5, the sliding movement of the stopper (304) through the open end of the channels (412) disposes the elastic member (402) in a compressed state. The elastic member (402), when disposed in the compressed state, allows the stopper (304) to be securely held in position above the grille (103) when the vehicle (100) is navigating through a path having an unsafe level of water.
[0046] Further, FIG. 6 depicts a graphical representation of certain components of the shutter assembly (300) adapted to revert the roller blind (302) from the extended position to the default retracted position. Once the vehicle (100) has navigated to a location having a safe level of water, the roller (306) can be rotated to retract the roller blind (302) from the extended position to the default retracted position.
[0047] In one embodiment, the roller (306) includes a set of protruding members (602) such as “S” shaped brackets positioned at the two opposite edges of the roller (306) that facilitate a rotatory motion of the roller (306). In particular, a first end of each of the protruding members (602) is attached to one end of the roller (306). Further, a second end of each the protruding members (602) includes a corresponding slot (604) for receiving fastening members (606) such as bolts and screws for fastening the roller (306) to an interior wall of the vehicle (100), while still allowing free rotation in either direction to extend or retract the associated roller blind (302).
[0048] In one embodiment, the roller (306) may be rotated manually by accessing the shutter assembly (300) by opening a bonnet or hood of the vehicle (100). To that end, in one embodiment, the roller (306) may include a set of toothed annular rings (608) disposed at opposite edges of the roller (306). The driver or a mechanic may manually rotate at least one of the toothed annular rings (608) to retract the roller blind (302). In another embodiment, the retraction may be achieved via an automated activation mechanism or a semi-automated activation mechanism.
[0049] The shutter control system (200), for example, may include a selectable menu option on a human-vehicle interface or a physical push button on a dashboard of the vehicle (100), which can be activated by the driver of the vehicle (100) to retract the roller blind (302). The activation of the push button transmits an activation signal to the actuator (204) and activates the actuator (204) to rotate in a designated direction to dispose the roller blind (302) in one of the extended and the retracted position based on the detected level of water in the navigation path of the vehicle (100). In yet another embodiment, the shutter control system (200) activates the actuator (204) upon receiving data from one or more in-vehicle sensors including the fluid-level sensor (208), humidity sensor, and image capturing devices indicating the level of water in the navigation path of the vehicle (100) to be safe.
[0050] Upon activation via either mechanism, the actuator (204) causes the pinion (406) to rotate in a direction opposite to the first direction (408), which causes the rack (404) to move linearly in direction opposite to the second direction (410). The rotation of the pinion (406) and rack (404) in corresponding opposite directions, thus, retracts the roller blind (302) from the extended position back to the default retracted position, thereby unblocking the vents (104) to allow airflow into the engine compartment (106).
[0051] Embodiments of the present protective grille shutter system (102), thus, protects vulnerable areas and components of the vehicle (100) from water damage during flood conditions, while continuing to provide optimal thermal management during normal driving conditions. To that end, the protective grille shutter system (102) employs a lightweight and water-safe shutter assembly (300) that can be retrofitted into present vehicles.
[0052] Unlike conventional approaches, the protective grille shutter system of the present disclosure employs a simple mechanism using the roller blind (302), weight (308), and the simple rack-and-pinion actuator (204) to switch the shutter assembly between retracted and extended positions. The present protective grille shutter system employs simple mechanical components that require minimum packaging space, thereby preventing contribution to additional weight of the vehicle and improving fuel efficiency. Further, the protective grille shutter system employs minimum electronic components, thereby reducing chances of the electronic components being corrupted when water enters the engine compartment and saving cost involved in repairing the electronic components.
[0053] Although specific features of various embodiments of the present systems and methods may be shown in and/or described with respect to some drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only. It is to be understood that the described features, structures, and/or characteristics may be combined and/or used interchangeably in any suitable manner in the various embodiments shown in the different figures.
[0054] While only certain features of the present systems and methods have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes.

 
LIST OF NUMERAL REFERENCES:

100 Vehicle
102 Protective Grille Shutter System
103 Front Grille
104 Vents
106 Engine Compartment
200 Shutter Control System
202 Fluid-level Sensor
204 Actuator
300 Shutter Assembly
302 Roller Blind
304 Stopper
306 Rotatable Roller
308 Weight
310 Guide Rails
402 Elastic Member
404 Rack
406 Pinion
408 First Direction
410 Second Direction
412 Channels
602 Protruding Members
604 Slot
606 Fastening Members
608 Toothed annular rings