Under-engine panel assembly for vehicles

Abstract

The present invention relates to an underbody panel assembly for a vehicle, comprising: air fins mounted on the underside surface of the underbody panel to guide airflow beneath the underbody panel. In the underbody panel assembly, the air fins are configured to remain inserted and folded into the underbody panel when the vehicle is stopped or traveling at a speed less than or equal to a predetermined speed. When the vehicle is traveling at a speed greater than the predetermined speed, the air fins protrude from the underbody panel to guide airflow beneath the underbody panel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an under-hood panel assembly for a vehicle, and more particularly, to an under-hood panel assembly having air fins mounted on a lower surface of the under-hood panel to guide the direction of airflow below the under-hood panel. Background Art

[0002] Typically, as a vehicle moves, airflow beneath the vehicle collides with the suspension and various chassis components, slowing the flow and spreading it to the sides of the vehicle, thereby increasing the width of the wake and, therefore, drag.

[0003] Therefore, in order to reduce drag, it is also important to apply underbody protection to make the lower side surface of the vehicle flat, but it is very important to collect the airflow in the center under the vehicle to prevent it from spreading to the sides of the vehicle.

[0004] To this end, although it is conventional to apply guide pins to the lower surface of the lower guard plate so that the airflow under the vehicle does not spread to the sides of the vehicle, there is a problem in that when the vehicle passes over uneven roads and speed bumps, the guide pins may interfere with them, causing deformation or breakage of the parts.

[0005] The matters described in the description of the related art are intended to help understanding the background of the present invention and may include matters that are not previously known to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention provides an air fin configured to remain folded to the inside of an underpanel at a lower speed (i.e., less than or equal to a predetermined speed) and to protrude to the outside of the underpanel to guide the airflow under the underpanel only at a higher speed (i.e., greater than the predetermined speed) where aerodynamic performance becomes important.

[0007] In the engine room under guard panel assembly for a vehicle of the present invention, the air fins are configured to remain inserted and folded into the under guard panel when the vehicle is stopped or traveling at a speed less than or equal to a predetermined speed, and when the speed is greater than the predetermined speed, the air fins protrude to the outside of the under guard panel, and the air fins are mounted on the lower surface of the under guard panel for the vehicle.

[0008] The air fin preferably has a square plate shape, and a cross-sectional shape of the air fin is an airfoil shape in which curvatures of an outer surface and an inner surface of the air fin are different from each other in a front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0009] More preferably, the curvature of the outer surface of the air fin is greater than the curvature of the inner surface of the air fin.

[0010] The plurality of air fins may be installed to be symmetrical to each other with respect to a center line in a width direction of the vehicle.

[0011] For example, the air fins at positions symmetrical to each other with respect to the center line in the vehicle width direction may be parallel to each other.

[0012] The air fins at positions symmetrical to each other with respect to the center line in the vehicle width direction may gradually approach each other toward the rear end portion of the vehicle.

[0013] The fixing portion may extend with a certain length in a front-rear direction of the vehicle, wherein a fixing hole formed therein penetrating both end portions thereof is formed at one side of the air fin in a width direction of the vehicle.

[0014] A guide groove having a certain depth may be formed on a lower surface of the lower guard plate, and the air fin is inserted into the guide groove.

[0015] Each of the front and rear surfaces of the guide groove may be formed with a fixing pin groove coaxial with each other in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0016] A pressure hole for communicating the inner portion and the outer portion of the lower guard plate may be formed in a bottom surface of the guide groove.

[0017] A fixing pin preferably passes through the fixing hole, and the air fin is fixed to the lower guard plate by the fixing pin, and both ends of the fixing pin are respectively inserted into the fixing pin slots.

[0018] The coil spring may be inserted into either side of the two ends of the fixing pin.

[0019] The coil spring may be coaxial with the fixing pin, and one end of the coil spring may be fixed to an outer surface of the air fin to apply a spring force to the air fin.

[0020] The air fins may be pulled toward the lower panel side by the spring force of the coil spring.

[0021] When the air under the lower fender passes through the air fins during vehicle travel, a speed difference and a pressure difference may be generated between the inner and outer surfaces of the air fins due to the difference in curvature between the inner and outer surfaces of the air fins.

[0022] Preferably, as the vehicle speed increases, the pressure applied to the inner surface of the air fin gradually increases, and the pressure applied to the outer surface of the air fin gradually decreases through the pressure hole.

[0023] When a difference between a pressure applied to an inner surface of the air fin and a pressure applied to an outer surface of the air fin is greater than a spring force of the coil spring, the air fin rotates with the fixing pin as a rotation axis thereof.

[0024] When the air fin rotates to protrude outside the guide groove, magnitudes of lift forces acting on inner and outer surfaces of the air fin differ from each other due to a cross-sectional shape of an airfoil shape.

[0025] The deployment angle of the air fin is adjusted according to a force balance between a lift force acting on the air fin and a spring force of a coil spring.

[0026] The speed of the vehicle when the air fins are fully opened is determined by adjusting the spring force of the coil spring.

[0027] According to the present invention, air fins may be applied to the lower surface side of the lower guard plate to collect airflow under the vehicle so as not to diffuse the airflow (ie, substantially prevent the airflow from diffusing), thereby improving aerodynamic performance.

[0028] In addition, the deployment angle of the air fins is controlled by air force according to the vehicle speed, and when the vehicle passes through speed bumps or bumpy roads, etc., or during high-pressure washing, the air fins can be inserted into the lower guard plate to prevent damage caused by collision with the ground or water pressure, and the air fins can be deployed only under high-speed driving conditions (where aerodynamic performance is most required), thereby improving durability.

[0029] In addition, according to the present invention, there is no need to additionally provide a speed sensor and a drive motor, etc., which is advantageous in terms of cost and weight, and by reducing the number of parts and thus reducing the assembly process, it is also possible to save installation and assembly costs of the production line. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an air fin installed at an underbody panel assembly for a vehicle according to the present invention.

[0031] Figure 2 is an exemplary view showing a cross-sectional shape of an air fin according to the present invention.

[0032] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the deployed state of the air fins according to the present invention at a relatively low traveling speed.

[0033] Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the deployed state of the air fins according to the present invention at a medium traveling speed.

[0034] Figure 5FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the deployed state of the air fins according to the present invention at a higher traveling speed.

[0035] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing a first embodiment of the position of air fins according to the present invention.

[0036] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing a second embodiment of the position of the air fins according to the present invention.

[0037] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing a third embodiment of the position of the air fins according to the present invention.

[0038] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing analysis results of flow changes under a lower guard plate when no air fins are applied according to the present invention.

[0039] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing analysis results of flow changes below a lower guard plate when air fins are applied according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] It should be understood that the term "vehicle" or "vehicular" or other similar terms used herein generally include motor vehicles, such as passenger cars including sport utility vehicles (SUVs), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft including various boats, ships, aircraft, etc., and include hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g., fuels derived from non-fossil energy sources). As referred to herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle having two or more power sources, such as both gasoline-powered and electric-powered vehicles.

[0041] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "one", "an" and "said" are intended to also include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, it is indicated that the features, numerical values, steps, operations, elements and / or components are present, but the presence or addition of one or more other features, numerical values, steps, operations, elements, components and / or their groups are not excluded. As described herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more related enumerated items. Throughout the specification, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the term "comprising" and variations such as "comprising" or "including" should be understood to imply the inclusion of the elements but do not exclude any other elements. In addition, the terms "unit", "device", "component" and "module" described in the specification are meant to be units for performing at least one function and operation, and can be implemented by hardware components or software components and their combinations.

[0042] Furthermore, the control logic of the present invention can be implemented as a non-transitory computer-readable medium on a computer-readable medium containing executable program instructions executed by a processor, controller, or the like. Examples of computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, ROM, RAM, compact disc (CD)-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, flash drives, smart cards, and optical data storage devices. The computer-readable medium can also be distributed across a network of connected computer systems, such that the computer-readable medium is stored and executed in a distributed manner, for example, via a telematics server or a controller area network (CAN).

[0043] In order to better understand the present invention, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various forms, and the scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments described in detail below. This embodiment is provided to enable those skilled in the art to more fully understand the present invention. Therefore, the shapes of the elements in the accompanying drawings, etc. may be exaggerated to emphasize a clearer description. It should be noted that in each of the accompanying drawings, the same components are represented by the same reference numerals. Detailed descriptions of well-known functions and configurations that may make the subject of the present invention unnecessarily obscure are omitted.

[0044] The present invention relates to an engine room lower guard plate assembly for a vehicle, wherein air fins are installed on the lower side surface of the lower guard plate to guide the direction of air flow below the lower guard plate.

[0045] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an air fin installed at an underbody panel assembly for a vehicle according to the present invention.

[0046] The air fins 4 are mounted on the lower surface of the lower guard plate 2 and are configured to remain inserted and folded into the lower guard plate 2 when the vehicle is stopped or traveling at a lower speed (i.e., less than or equal to a predetermined speed), and to guide the airflow under the lower guard plate 2 when traveling at a higher speed (i.e., greater than a predetermined speed).

[0047] The air fins 4 preferably have a square plate shape and are as follows Figure 2 As shown, it has a wing-shaped cross-sectional shape in which the curvatures of its outer surface and inner surface are different from each other in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0048] The curvature of the outer surface of the air fin 4 is formed to be greater than that of the inner surface thereof, and according to this shape, when the air under the vehicle passes through the air fin 4 , a speed difference and a pressure difference are generated between the inner and outer surfaces of the air fin 4 .

[0049] A plurality of air fins 4 are installed symmetrically with respect to the center line in the width direction of the vehicle.

[0050] A fixing portion is formed at one side of the air fin 4 in the width direction of the vehicle, the fixing portion extending with a certain length in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and having fixing holes formed therein penetrating both end portions thereof.

[0051] The fixing pin 14 passes through the fixing hole, and the coil spring 18 is inserted to either side of both end portions of the fixing pin 14 passing through the fixing hole.

[0052] The coil spring 18 is coaxial with the fixing pin 14 , one end of the coil spring 18 is fixed to the outer surface of the air fin 4 (the surface facing the ground when the air fin is folded), and the other end of the coil spring 18 is fixed to the guide groove 10 to apply spring force to the air fin 4 .

[0053] The air fins 4 are pulled toward the lower panel 2 by the spring force of the coil spring 18 .

[0054] A guide groove 10 having a certain depth is formed on the lower surface of the lower guard plate 2 , and the air fin 4 is inserted into the guide groove 10 .

[0055] The guide groove 10 has a cross section of the same shape and size as that of the lower shroud 2 , and each of its front and rear surfaces is formed with a fixing pin groove 12 coaxial with each other in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0056] Both ends of the fixing pin 14 passing through the fixing hole are inserted into the fixing pin groove 12 to fix the air fin 4 and the lower guard plate 2 respectively.

[0057] A pressure hole 16 for communicating the inner portion and the outer portion of the lower panel 2 is formed on the bottom surface of the guide groove 10 .

[0058] The interior air of the vehicle applies pressure to the inner surface of the air fin 4 through the pressure holes 16 , and the air fin 4 is expanded or folded according to the magnitude of the pressure.

[0059] In the following, reference will be made to Figures 3 to 5 Describes the deployment state of the air fins according to the vehicle's speed.

[0060] According to the Bernoulli effect, pressure decreases as air velocity increases.

[0061] That is, as the vehicle speed increases, the pressure applied to the inner surface of the air fin 4 gradually increases, while the pressure applied to the outer surface of the air fin 4 gradually decreases through the pressure hole 16 .

[0062] like Figure 3 As shown, in the stop / low speed driving section, the pressure acting vertically on the outer surface of the air fin 4 is greater than the pressure acting on the inner surface of the air fin 4 .

[0063] At this time, since the spring force of the coil spring 18 also pulls the air fin 4 toward the lower guard plate 2 side, the air fin 4 maintains a state of being inserted and folded into the guide groove 10 .

[0064] Since the air resistance is small in the lower speed driving section, the air fins 4 do not play a big role and remain in a folded state, thereby preventing the vehicle from colliding with the air fins 4 when passing speed bumps or rough roads.

[0065] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, in the medium / high speed driving section, the air flow at the outer surface of the air fin 4 becomes faster, thereby gradually reducing the pressure.

[0066] On the other hand, since the pressure of the interior air of the vehicle applied to the inner surface of the air fin 4 through the pressure hole 16 is relatively large, the sum of the pressure applied to the inner surface of the air fin 4 and the pressure applied to the outer surface of the air fin 4 becomes greater than the spring force of the coil spring 18, and, at this time, as Figure 4 As shown, the air fin 4 starts to protrude toward the outside of the lower guard plate 2 while rotating with the fixing pin 14 as its rotation axis.

[0067] When the air fin 4 has rotated to protrude outside the guide groove 10, a speed difference occurs between the inner surface and the outer surface of the air fin 4 due to the cross-sectional shape of the wing shape, and due to the pressure difference caused thereby, the magnitudes of the lift acting on the inner surface and the outer surface of the air fin 4 are different from each other.

[0068] At this time, the deployment angle of the air fin 4 is adjusted according to the balance of forces between the lift force acting on the air fin 4 and the spring force of the coil spring 18 .

[0069] As the driving speed increases, the pressure acting on the inner surface of the air fin 4 gradually increases, and the driving speed of the vehicle at which the air fin 4 is fully deployed can be determined by adjusting the spring force of the coil spring 18 .

[0070] The maximum expansion angle of the air fins 4 is 90 degrees.

[0071] The position and angle of the air fin 4 are adjustable, and can be adjusted in a manner that more effectively collects the airflow under the vehicle to the centerline side of the vehicle according to the characteristics of the vehicle.

[0072] For example, Figure 6 or Figure 7 As shown, the air fins 4 at positions symmetrical to each other with respect to the center line in the vehicle width direction may be arranged parallel to each other, or as shown in FIG. Figure 8 As shown, they may also be arranged to gradually become closer to each other toward the rear end of the vehicle.

[0073] Figure 6 and Figure 7 is a view showing that the mounting position of the air fin 4 changes on the lower fender 2 between the front and rear tires of the vehicle according to the state of the vehicle, and Figure 8 1 and 2 are views showing changes in the installation angle of the air fins 4 so that the air fins 4 face the center line of the vehicle from the front end toward the rear end of the vehicle in order to further collect the airflow under the vehicle to the center line side of the vehicle.

[0074] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing analysis results of flow changes under the lower guard plate when no air fins are applied according to the present invention, Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing analysis results of flow changes below a lower guard plate when air fins are applied according to the present invention.

[0075] It was confirmed that when the air fins 4 were not used, the airflow passing through the center line below the vehicle spread in the width direction of the vehicle after traveling a certain length in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0076] On the other hand, it can be confirmed that when the air fin 4 is applied, the airflow passing through the center line under the vehicle does not diffuse in the width direction of the vehicle, and does not diffuse even at a portion after a certain length in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and is collected to the center line side of the vehicle.

[0077] Therefore, the fully deployed air fins 4 collect the airflow below the vehicle to substantially prevent the airflow from spreading in the width direction of the vehicle, thereby improving aerodynamic performance.

[0078] As described above, the embodiments of the underhood panel assembly for a vehicle of the present invention are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible. Therefore, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the forms set forth in the foregoing description. Therefore, the true technical scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical spirit of the appended claims. Furthermore, it should be understood that the present invention encompasses all modifications, equivalents, and alternative forms that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An under-engine panel assembly for a vehicle, comprising: The air fin is configured to maintain a state in which the air fin is inserted and folded into the lower guard plate when the vehicle is stopped or traveling at a speed less than or equal to a predetermined speed, When the vehicle is traveling at a speed greater than a predetermined speed, the air fins protrude to the outside of the lower guard plate to guide the airflow under the lower guard plate; The air fin is mounted on the lower surface of the lower guard plate; A guide groove of a certain depth is formed on the lower surface of the lower guard plate, the air fin is inserted into the guide groove, and the guide groove has a cross section with the same shape and size as the cross section of the lower guard plate; Each of the front and rear surfaces of the guide groove is formed with a fixing pin groove coaxial with each other in the front-rear direction of the vehicle; a fixing portion formed at one side of the air fin in a width direction of the vehicle, the fixing portion extending with a certain length in a front-rear direction of the vehicle and having fixing holes formed therein that penetrate through both end portions of the fixing portion; A fixing pin passes through the fixing hole, and the air fin is fixed to the lower guard plate through the fixing pin, and two ends of the fixing pin are respectively inserted into the fixing pin slots; The fully deployed air fins are configured to collect airflow beneath the vehicle to substantially prevent the airflow from spreading across the width of the vehicle, thereby improving aerodynamic performance; A pressure hole for communicating the inner portion and the outer portion of the lower guard plate is formed on the bottom surface of the guide groove, and the pressure applied to the air fin gradually changes through the pressure hole as the vehicle speed changes; A coil spring is inserted into either side of the two ends of the fixing pin; The deployment angle of the air fin is adjusted according to a force balance between a lift force acting on the air fin and a spring force of a coil spring.

2. The under-engine panel assembly for a vehicle according to claim 1, in, The air fin has a square plate shape, and a cross-sectional shape of the air fin is an airfoil shape in which curvatures of an outer surface and an inner surface of the air fin are different from each other in a front-rear direction of a vehicle.

3. The under-engine panel assembly for a vehicle according to claim 2, in, The curvature of the outer surface of the air fin is greater than the curvature of the inner surface of the air fin.

4. The under-engine panel assembly for a vehicle according to claim 1, in, The plurality of air fins are installed to be symmetrical to each other with respect to a center line in a width direction of the vehicle.

5. The under-engine panel assembly for a vehicle according to claim 4, in, The air fins at positions symmetrical to each other with respect to the center line in the vehicle width direction are parallel to each other.

6. The under-engine panel assembly for a vehicle according to claim 4, in, The air fins at positions symmetrical to each other with respect to the center line in the vehicle width direction gradually approach each other toward the rear end portion of the vehicle.

7. The under-engine panel assembly for a vehicle according to claim 1, in, The coil spring is coaxial with the fixing pin, and one end of the coil spring is fixed to an outer surface of the air fin to apply a spring force to the air fin.

8. The under-engine panel assembly for a vehicle according to claim 7, in, The air fins are pulled toward the lower panel side by the spring force of the coil spring.

9. The under-engine panel assembly for a vehicle according to claim 3, in, When the air under the lower fender passes through the air fins during vehicle travel, a speed difference and a pressure difference are generated between the inner and outer surfaces of the air fins due to the difference in curvature between the inner and outer surfaces of the air fins.

10. The under-engine panel assembly for a vehicle according to claim 9, in, As the vehicle speed increases, the pressure applied to the inner surface of the air fin gradually increases, while the pressure applied to the outer surface of the air fin gradually decreases through the pressure hole.

11. The under-engine panel assembly for a vehicle according to claim 10, in, When a difference between a pressure applied to an inner surface of the air fin and a pressure applied to an outer surface of the air fin is greater than a spring force of the coil spring, the air fin rotates with the fixing pin as a rotation axis thereof.

12. The under-engine panel assembly for a vehicle according to claim 11, in, When the air fin rotates to protrude outside the guide groove, magnitudes of lift forces acting on inner and outer surfaces of the air fin differ from each other due to a cross-sectional shape of an airfoil shape.

13. The under-engine panel assembly for a vehicle according to claim 1, in, The speed of the vehicle when the air fins are fully opened is determined by adjusting the spring force of the coil spring.

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