Front grille

Abstract

The present invention relates to a front grille. The front grille (20) includes a plurality of grille elements (22) arranged in a vehicle width direction and in a vertical direction to form a grid pattern, each grille element (22) having: a pair of vertical walls (26) extending in the vertical direction and arranged in a manner spaced apart in the vehicle width direction; and a transverse wall (28) connecting the lower ends of the pair of vertical walls (26) to each other, the transverse wall (28) being inclined in a front-downward and rear-upward direction in a manner that a front edge (30a) thereof is located below a rear edge (30b).

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-020019 filed on February 10, 2021, the entirety of which including the specification, claims, drawings, and abstract are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This specification discloses a front grille arranged at the front surface of a vehicle. Background Art

[0004] A space called a power unit room is formed on the lower side of the hood of the vehicle, and a power source (such as an engine or a motor, etc.) and a radiator are arranged in the power unit room. In addition, a front grille is provided on the front surface of the vehicle. The front grille is a component formed with a plurality of openings extending through in the front-to-back direction. The front grille has the function of guiding the running wind toward the radiator. In addition, since the front grille is also arranged in a very conspicuous position in the vehicle, it will have a greater impact on the aesthetic impression of the vehicle. Therefore, the front grille has always been considered not only for its functionality but also for its appearance design, and various designs have been proposed. For example, in Patent Document 1, a front grille is disclosed in which transverse fins extending in the width direction of the vehicle and longitudinal fins extending in the up-down direction are arranged in a lattice shape.

[0005] Prior Art Literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-140153 Summary of the invention

[0008] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0009] However, many conventional front grilles have a planar appearance design. For example, in the case of the front grille of Patent Document 1, although the transverse fins and longitudinal fins constituting the front grille are both thin plates, the transverse fins are arranged substantially parallel to the horizontal plane, while the longitudinal fins are arranged substantially parallel to the vertical plane. Therefore, since an observer standing in front of the vehicle can only see the front edges of the longitudinal fins and the front edges of the transverse fins, the observer will feel that the front grille has no depth but is flat.

[0010] Therefore, this specification discloses a front grille that can give a more three-dimensional impression to the observer.

[0011] Methods for solving problems

[0012] The front grille disclosed in the present specification is characterized in that it has a plurality of grille elements arranged in the vehicle width direction and the up-down direction to form a grid-like pattern, each grille element having: a pair of longitudinal walls extending in the up-down direction and arranged at intervals in the vehicle width direction; and a transverse wall connecting the lower ends of the pair of longitudinal walls to each other, the transverse wall being inclined front-downward and rear-upward in such a manner that its front edge is located below the rear edge.

[0013] By inclining the horizontal wall so as to be lower front and higher rear, a three-dimensional impression can be given to the observer.

[0014] In this case, the transverse wall may be composed of a plurality of wall pieces connected at an angle to each other.

[0015] By adopting the above structure, the eye-catching wall piece changes according to the position of the observer, thereby giving the observer a more three-dimensional impression.

[0016] In this case, the lateral wall may include a first wall piece extending substantially in the vehicle width direction, and a pair of second wall pieces extending obliquely upward from both ends of the first wall piece in the vehicle width direction.

[0017] With the above configuration, the appearance of the grille element changes according to the movement of the observer in the vehicle width direction, thereby giving the observer a more three-dimensional impression.

[0018] Furthermore, the vertical dimensions of the grille element may be different depending on the vertical position of the grille element in the front grille.

[0019] By adopting the above structure, a more complex and deep aesthetic appearance can be given to the observer.

[0020] Furthermore, the amount of inclination of the vertical wall of the grille element with respect to the vertical line may be different depending on the position of the grille element in the vehicle width direction within the front grille.

[0021] By adopting the above structure, a more complex and deep aesthetic appearance can be given to the observer.

[0022] Furthermore, the plurality of grille elements may be arranged in a staggered manner such that upper ends of the vertical walls of the grille elements located in a layer below the first layer are connected to substantially the centers of the horizontal walls of the grille elements located in one layer.

[0023] By adopting the above structure, the viewer's line of sight can easily flow not only up and down but also left and right, thereby giving the viewer a complex and deep aesthetic appearance.

[0024] Furthermore, the front grille may be formed of a single plate in which a plurality of grille elements are all connected.

[0025] By adopting the above configuration, it is possible to suppress an increase in the number of parts and, further, suppress an increase in cost.

[0026] Effects of the Invention

[0027] According to the front grille disclosed in this specification, it is possible to give a more three-dimensional impression to the observer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 A schematic front view of the vehicle.

[0029] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of part A in .

[0030] Figure 3 The front view of a grid element. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Hereinafter, the structure of the front grille 20 will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 1 is a schematic front view of the vehicle 10. In addition, Figure 2 for Figure 1 In addition, Figure 1 As shown, as is well known, a grille opening 12 is formed at the front surface of the vehicle 10, and a mesh-like member called a front grille 20 is embedded in the grille opening 12. The shape of the grille opening 12 is appropriately changed depending on the vehicle model. Figure 1 In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the grille opening 12 has a substantially trapezoidal shape that becomes wider as it goes downward.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, the front grille 20 has a plurality of grille elements 22 arranged in the vehicle width direction and in the up-down direction, thereby forming a substantially grid-like pattern as a whole. Figure 3 is a front view of a grid element 22. Figure 3 As shown, the grille element 22 has a substantially U-shape including a pair of vertical walls 26 extending in the up-down direction and a horizontal wall 28 connecting the lower ends of the pair of vertical walls 26 .

[0033] In addition, if Figure 2As shown, the plurality of grille elements 22 are arranged in a staggered manner so that the phases of the grille elements 22 in the vehicle width direction are staggered for each layer. Therefore, the upper ends of the longitudinal walls 26 of the grille elements 22 of the next layer are connected to the approximate center of the transverse walls 28 of the grille elements 22 of one layer. In addition, the grille elements 22 adjacent to each other in the vehicle width direction are connected without leaving a gap. For example, the longitudinal wall 26 on the right side of one grille element 22 and the longitudinal wall 26 on the left side of the grille element 22 located on the right side thereof are adjacent without leaving a gap.

[0034] The front grille 20 composed of such a plurality of grille elements 22 is composed of a sheet material that is stamped or injection molded. In other words, the plurality of grille elements 22 are a component that is always connected to each other and will not be separated during the manufacturing process. In this way, by using a single sheet of plate to form the front grille 20, the number of parts can be reduced, and thus the manufacturing cost can be reduced. On the other hand, in this example, a groove line is formed at the boundary portion of adjacent grille elements 22. By setting it as the above structure, the observer will be given the impression that the plurality of grille elements 22 are separate components that are independent of each other. Moreover, the observer can be given the impression that the front grille 20 is composed of a combination of a plurality of components, thereby creating a sense of luxury.

[0035] Next, the structure of the grille element 22 will be described. As described above, the grille element 22 includes a pair of longitudinal walls 26 and a transverse wall 28 that connects the lower ends of the pair of longitudinal walls 26. Here, the wall surface of the longitudinal wall 26 (i.e., the surface perpendicular to the thickness direction of the longitudinal wall 26) is substantially parallel to the front-rear direction of the vehicle. Therefore, when the front grille 20 is viewed from the front, the wall surface of the longitudinal wall 26 is almost invisible, and only the front edge (i.e., the edge) of the longitudinal wall 26 can be viewed. The longitudinal wall 26 makes the observer aware of the line in the up-and-down direction.

[0036] The transverse wall 28 is inclined in a front-down-back-up manner so that its front edge 30a is lower than the rear edge 30b. As a result, when the front grille 20 is observed from the front, not only the front edge 30a of the transverse wall 28 but also the wall surface of the transverse wall 28 (i.e., the surface perpendicular to the thickness direction of the transverse wall 28) can be observed. As a result, the observer can feel the depth of the front grille 20. In other words, by setting the transverse wall 28 in a front-down-back-up manner, the front grille 20 can have a three-dimensional sense. In addition, since the height dimension of the grille element 22 is larger than its vehicle width dimension, the vertical wall 26 is usually more eye-catching and its height direction lines are easy to be emphasized. However, in this example, since the transverse wall 28 is set in a front-down-back-up shape, the depth of the transverse wall 28 is reflected, so the transverse wall 28 can be made as eye-catching as the vertical wall 26. Moreover, this can also make the observer aware of the horizontal lines in the same way as the vertical lines. Here, the vertical lines are two-dimensional lines formed only by the front edge of the vertical wall 26, while the horizontal lines are three-dimensional lines formed by the front, lower, rear and upper walls of the horizontal wall 28. In this way, by changing the structure of the vertical lines and the horizontal lines, it is possible to give the observer a more complex and deep aesthetic appearance. In addition, the inclination angle of the horizontal wall 28 relative to the horizontal plane is not particularly limited as long as the wall surface of the horizontal wall 28 can be fully observed from the front of the vehicle. Therefore, the inclination angle of the horizontal wall 28 at the center position in the vehicle width direction can be, for example, 30 degrees or more, 45 degrees or more, or 70 degrees or more. In addition, the "inclination angle" mentioned here is the inclination angle relative to the horizontal plane, so an inclination angle of 0 degrees means parallel to the horizontal plane, and an inclination angle of 90 degrees means parallel to the vertical plane.

[0037] Furthermore, by making the transverse wall 28 tilted so that the front is lower and the rear is higher, in other words, the rear portion is tilted upward, it is possible to induce airflow in the vehicle vertical direction. That is, in the case of a design in which the transverse wall 28 is substantially horizontal, it is difficult to induce airflow in the vertical direction, but by tilting the rear portion of the transverse wall 28 upward as in this example, it is possible to guide the airflow passing through the front grille 20 in an oblique upward direction that tends to go upward as it goes downstream. Furthermore, in the case where the radiator is arranged above the lower end of the front grille 20, by guiding the airflow in an oblique upward direction, the cooling efficiency of the radiator can be further improved.

[0038] In addition, if Figure 3As shown, the transverse wall 28 has a first wall piece 30 extending in a substantially vehicle width direction, and a pair of second wall pieces 32 extending obliquely upward from both ends of the first wall piece 30 in the vehicle width direction. In other words, the transverse wall 28 is composed of a plurality of wall pieces 30, 32 connected at angles to each other. By adopting the above structure, the appearance of the front grille 20 changes according to the position of the observer. For example, when the observer moves from the front of the front grille 20 toward the right, the visible surface of the second wall piece 32 and the first wall piece 30 on the right side gradually becomes smaller, while on the other hand, the surface of the second wall piece 32 on the left side is gradually observed to be larger. In this way, by making the appearance change according to the position of the observer, a more three-dimensional impression can be given to the observer.

[0039] In this example, the shape of the grid element 22 is subtly changed according to the configuration position of the grid element 22. To be specific, in this example, the height of the grid element 22 increases as it goes downward. Figure 2 In the embodiment, when the height dimension of the grid element 22 of the nth layer is set to t1, the height dimension of the grid element 22 of the n+1th layer to be the next layer is set to t2, and the height dimension of the grid element 22 of the n+2th layer to be the next layer is set to t3, changes are made to each layer in which the grid elements 22 are configured so that t1<t2<t3.

[0040] In this example, the inclination amount of the vertical wall 26 of the grille element 22 relative to the vertical line Lv is increased toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction. Figure 2 In the figure, the inclination of the vertical wall 26 of the grille element 22a located at the approximate center of the front grille 20 relative to the vertical line Lv is almost zero. On the other hand, the vertical wall 26 of the grille element 22b located at the outer side in the vehicle width direction relative to the center is inclined by an angle α relative to the vertical line Lv in such a way that the upper end is located at the inner side in the vehicle width direction relative to the lower end. In this way, by changing the shape of the grille element 22 little by little according to the configuration position, a more complex and deep aesthetic appearance can be given to the observer.

[0041] As can be seen from the above description, the front grille 20 of this example can give the observer an impression of rich three-dimensionality, complexity, depth, and high-end feeling. In addition, the structure described so far is an example. As long as the front grille 20 includes a plurality of grille elements 22 arranged vertically and horizontally, and each grille element 22 has a pair of longitudinal walls 26 and a transverse wall 28 inclined from the front to the bottom and from the rear to the top, other structures can also be appropriately changed. For example, although in the above description, the transverse wall 28 is formed by a plurality of wall pieces 30 and 32, the transverse wall 28 can also be formed by a single flat plate-shaped portion. In addition, the configuration position and shape of the grille element 22 can also be appropriately changed.

[0042] Explanation of symbols

[0043] 10…vehicle; 12…grill opening; 20…front grille; 22…grill element; 26…longitudinal wall; 28…transverse wall; 30…first wall piece; 32…second wall piece.

Claims

1. A front grille, characterized in that: A plurality of grille elements are arranged in a vehicle width direction and in a vertical direction to form a grid pattern, The grid elements have: a pair of longitudinal walls extending in the up-down direction and arranged at intervals in the vehicle width direction; a transverse wall connecting the lower ends of the pair of longitudinal walls to each other, The transverse wall is inclined in a downward and upward direction in front so that its front edge is located below its rear edge. The transverse wall is composed of a plurality of wall sheets connected at an angle to each other. The vertical dimensions of the grille element vary according to the vertical position of the grille element in the front grille. The upper ends of the vertical walls of the grille elements of the next layer are connected to the centers of the horizontal walls of the grille elements of one layer.

2. The front grille according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lateral wall includes a first wall piece extending substantially in the vehicle width direction, and a pair of second wall pieces extending obliquely upward from both ends of the first wall piece in the vehicle width direction.

3. The front grille according to claim 1, characterized in that: An amount of inclination of the vertical wall of the grille element relative to a vertical line varies depending on a vehicle width direction position of the grille element in the front grille.

4. The front grille according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of grille elements are arranged in a staggered pattern such that upper ends of the vertical walls of the grille elements located in a layer lower than the first layer are connected to substantially the centers of the horizontal walls of the grille elements located in one layer.

5. The front grille according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The front grille is composed of a plate with multiple grille elements all connected.

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