Airplane wheel anti-drag cover device

Abstract

The invention provides an aircraft wheel anti-drag cover device which suppresses damage to an aircraft wheel anti-drag cover when a vehicle is conveyed. The wheel drag reduction cover device (16) is provided with: a wheel drag reduction cover (20) which is attached to the lower part (12a) of the vehicle body, and which deflects and elastically deforms the traveling airflow toward the wheels; and a fixing structure for holding the wheel anti-drag cover (20) at the vehicle body lower part (12a) in the folded state. The wheel anti-drag cover (20) is provided with a fixing piece (28) on the lower edge. The fixing structure is provided with: a clip receiving part (36) provided to the vehicle body lower part (12a); and a clip engaged with the clip receiving portion (36). The fixing piece (28) is fixed to the vehicle body lower part (12a) through a clip (34) clamped with the clip receiving part (36), so that the wheel anti-drag cover (20) is kept in a folded state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a wheel drag reduction cover device located on the lower part of the vehicle body in front of the wheels. Background Technology

[0002] A wheel drag reducer is known, which is installed on the lower part of the vehicle body in front of the wheels and removes the airflow towards the wheels. Patent Document 1 below discloses a wheel drag reducer (14a, 14b, 14c) installed in front of the front wheels (12) of a vehicle, and a wheel drag reducer actuation mechanism (16a, 16b, 16c) that moves the wheel drag reducer between an deployed position and a retracted position. Under predetermined conditions such as when driving on a road with a high probability of poor road conditions, when reversing, or when towing a towed vehicle, the wheel drag reducer actuation mechanism moves the wheel drag reducer to the retracted position. By retracting the wheel drag reducer when it does not need to be deployed, interference from the road surface with the wheel drag reducer is suppressed. Furthermore, the symbols in parentheses above are those used in Patent Document 1 below and are not related to the symbols used in the description of the embodiments of this application.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-118583 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] To mitigate damage to the vehicle body when wheel drag shields collide with road surfaces or curbs, they can be constructed from flexible materials such as rubber. In this case, the aim is to prevent damage to the wheel drag shields before the vehicle is delivered to the customer.

[0008] Methods for solving problems

[0009] The present invention relates to a wheel drag reduction shield device disposed on the lower part of the vehicle body in front of the wheels, comprising: a wheel drag reduction shield, which is installed on the lower part of the vehicle body to deflect the airflow toward the wheels and is elastically deformable; and a fixing structure disposed near the wheel drag reduction shield on the lower part of the vehicle body. The wheel drag reduction shield has a fixing piece at its lower edge, which is fixed to the lower part of the vehicle body by the fixing structure, thereby maintaining the wheel drag reduction shield in a folded state by fixing the fixing piece to the lower part of the vehicle body.

[0010] By keeping the wheel drag reduction shield in a folded state, the ground clearance of the wheel drag reduction shield is increased, thus suppressing damage to the wheel drag reduction shield.

[0011] In the aforementioned wheel drag reduction cover device, it can also be configured such that a locking hole is formed on the fixing plate of the wheel drag reduction cover, and the fixing structure includes: a clamp receiving part disposed at the lower part of the vehicle body; a clamp that passes through the locking hole of the fixing plate and engages with the clamp receiving part, thereby fixing the fixing plate to the lower part of the vehicle body. A fixing structure is provided for reliably fixing and holding the fixing plate at the lower part of the vehicle body.

[0012] Furthermore, as another option for fixing the aforementioned wheel drag reduction cover device, the fixing structure can be configured to have a receiving slit located at the lower part of the vehicle body to receive the fixing plate. A simple fixing structure for fixing the fixing plate is provided.

[0013] In the aforementioned wheel drag reduction shield device, the wheel drag reduction shield may also have: a front wall, which is configured such that its upper edge is located further forward than its lower edge; and left and right side walls, which extend rearward from the left and right edges of the front wall respectively. Creases may also be formed on the left and right side walls in a manner that facilitates folding of the wheel drag reduction shield. The creases facilitate folding of the wheel drag reduction shield.

[0014] Invention Effects

[0015] It can keep the wheel drag reduction shield in a folded state when transporting vehicles, thus preventing damage to the wheel drag reduction shield during transportation. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 A side view schematically illustrating the structure of the front of a vehicle.

[0017] Figure 2 A three-dimensional view showing the drag reduction shield for the turbine wheel.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a side view showing the wheel drag reduction shield in its normal state.

[0019] Figure 4 A side view of the wheel drag reduction shield device showing the folded state of the wheel drag reduction shield.

[0020] Figure 5 A perspective view showing other types of wheel drag reduction shields.

[0021] Figure 6 To indicate Figure 5 The side view of the wheel drag reduction shield device in the folded state is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, terms indicating relative position and orientation, such as front, back, left, right, up, and down, refer to relative position and orientation related to the vehicle. Furthermore, the side closer to the centerline extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle in the left-right direction (width direction) is designated as the inner side in the vehicle width direction, and the side farther away is designated as the outer side in the vehicle width direction. In the various figures, the arrow marked FR points forward, the arrow marked UP points upward, the arrow marked LH points to the left, and the arrow marked OUT points to the outer side in the vehicle width direction.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic side view of the front of the vehicle 10. A wheel drag reduction shield 16 is provided on the lower part 12a of the vehicle body 12 (hereinafter referred to as the lower part 12a), particularly in front of the front wheels 14. The wheel drag reduction shield 16 is arranged to hang downwards from the lower part 12a of the vehicle body. The wheel drag reduction shield 16 deflects the airflow generated by vehicle movement, especially the airflow 18 directed towards the front wheels 14, away from the front wheels 14. The wheel drag reduction shield 16 directs the airflow 18 downwards. In addition, the wheel drag reduction shield 16 can also direct the airflow 18 to the side. The wheel drag reduction shield 16 can be positioned near the front wheels 14 of the lower part 12a of the vehicle body. In other words, the wheel drag reduction shield 16 can be positioned at the rear end of the lower part 12a of the vehicle body, which is located forward of the front wheels 14. The wheel drag reduction shield device 16 includes a wheel drag reduction shield 20 that deflects the airflow 18 and a fixing structure for holding the wheel drag reduction shield 20 in a folded state at the lower part 12a of the vehicle body. The wheel drag reduction shield 20 is made of a soft material such as rubber, and will not substantially deform even when subjected to the airflow 18, but as described later, it can be folded by deformation performed by workers or others.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic perspective view of the wheel drag reduction shield 20. The wheel drag reduction shield 20 can be made of, for example, TPV (thermoplastic cross-linked elastomer), and can be integrally molded with a hardness of approximately 80 Hs and an overall thickness of approximately 3 mm. The wheel drag reduction shield 20 has a front wall 22 located at the front and facing forward, and two side walls 24 extending rearward from the left and right side edges of the front wall 22, respectively. The wheel drag reduction shield 20 can also be configured to be open rearward without a rear wall.

[0025] The upper edge of the front wall 22 of the wheel drag reduction shield 20 is located further forward than the lower edge. The front wall 22 of the wheel drag reduction shield 20 curves forward in a cross-section orthogonal to the left-right direction of the vehicle, but does not curve in the horizontal cross-section. The front wall is not limited to this configuration; it may also curve forward in the horizontal cross-section, or it may smoothly connect to the left and right side walls 24. Furthermore, the front wall may also be made of a flat surface.

[0026] The sidewall 24 of the wheel drag reduction shield 20 can be configured to be orthogonal to the left-right direction of the vehicle. The rear edge of the sidewall 24 extends in the up-down direction. Furthermore, the sidewall is not limited to this configuration; for example, it can also be configured such that the distance between the left and right sidewalls is smaller at the front and larger at the rear.

[0027] The upper edge of the wheel drag reduction cover 20 forms a roughly U-shape that opens rearward through the upper edges of the front wall 22 and the left and right side walls 24. An upper edge flange 26 is provided along this upper edge. The wheel drag reduction cover 20 is mounted on the lower part 12a of the vehicle body at multiple points on the upper edge flange 26 by fasteners such as self-tapping screws (not shown).

[0028] At the lower edge of the wheel drag reduction shield 20, a fixing plate 28 is provided to secure it to the lower part 12a of the vehicle body when the wheel drag reduction shield 20 is folded. The fixing plate 28 can be an elongated flat plate extending left and right in a manner that connects to the lowermost rear edges of the left and right side walls 24. The front wall 22 can be connected to the fixing plate 28 at its lower edge. Alternatively, a bottom wall with a generally horizontal arrangement can be provided from the lower edge of the front wall 22 to the fixing plate 28. The length of the fixing plate 28 in the left and right direction can also be shorter than the interval between the left and right side walls 24. Engaging holes 32 are formed on the fixing plate 28 for use when securing it to the lower part 12a of the vehicle body. Two engaging holes 32 are shown in the figure, but the number of engaging holes 32 can also be more than two. To obtain rigidity, the fixing plate 28 can be formed to be thicker than other parts of the wheel drag reduction shield 20, or the metal plate can be integrally formed by insert molding.

[0029] A rear edge flange 30 can be provided along the rear edge of the side wall 24 of the wheel drag reduction cover 20. The rear edge flange 30 and the fixing plate 28 can be configured in the same plane.

[0030] Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 The side view is schematically shown of the wheel drag reduction cover device 16 and the lower part of the vehicle body 12a. Figure 3 Indicates the normal state. Figure 4 This indicates that the wheel drag reduction shield 20 is kept in the folded state.

[0031] The retaining piece 28 of the wheel drag reducer shroud 20 is fixed to the lower part 12a of the vehicle body by inserting a clamp 34, which passes through its engagement hole 32, into a clamp receiving portion 36 formed at the lower part 12a of the vehicle body. Thus, the wheel drag reducer shroud 20 remains in a folded state. The clamp 34 and the clamp receiving portion 36 constitute a fixing structure that secures the retaining piece 28 to the lower part 12a of the vehicle body. The clamp 34 engages with the clamp receiving portion 36 through elastic deformation. The engaged clamp 34 can be released by pulling the clamp 34 or the retaining piece 28 and removing the clamp 34 from the clamp receiving portion 36. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the clamp receiving part 36 can be a bottomed hole. Alternatively, it can be a through hole drilled in the sheet metal constituting the lower part 12a of the vehicle body.

[0032] On the side wall 24 of the wheel drag reduction shield 20, creases 38 are formed to facilitate folding of the wheel drag reduction shield 20. The creases 38 are formed by creating grooves on the surface of the side wall 24, thinning that portion. When folding the wheel drag reduction shield 20, the grooved portion bends, making folding easier. Figure 3 In the diagram, crease 38A, indicated by a solid line, is a so-called mountain crease that bulges towards the front of the paper, while crease 38B, indicated by a dashed line, is a valley crease that indents towards the depth of the paper. The groove forming a crease 38 can be formed on one surface of the sidewall 24, or on both surfaces. Furthermore, the grooves forming each crease 38 can also be formed entirely on one surface of the sidewall 24, or on a surface different for each crease 38.

[0033] The wheel drag reducer 20 is folded during loading or unloading of vehicles relative to the transport ship. Before loading the vehicle onto the transport ship, the operator folds the wheel drag reducer 20. The lower edge of the wheel drag reducer 20 is pushed upwards, aligning the engagement hole 32 of the retaining plate 28 with the clamp receiving portion 36. Then, the clamp 34 is passed through the engagement hole 32 and pushed into the clamp receiving portion 36 to engage. The clamp 34 overcomes the force of the wheel drag reducer 20's own elasticity to maintain the wheel drag reducer 20 in a folded state. After unloading the vehicle from the transport ship, the clamp 34 is pulled out from the clamp receiving portion 36. Thus, the wheel drag reducer 20 returns to its original shape. By folding, the height of the wheel drag reducer 20 above the ground increases compared to before folding. By folding the wheel drag reducer 20, contact between the wheel drag reducer 20 and uneven surfaces of ramps or roads can be suppressed during loading and unloading relative to the transport ship. The timing for folding the wheel drag reduction cover 20 is not limited to just before loading; it can be any time from the time of factory shipment to loading. Furthermore, the timing for restoring the wheel drag reduction cover 20 from the folded state can be any time from unloading to delivery to the customer.

[0034] Figure 5 and Figure 6 The figure shows another type of wheel drag reduction shield device 50. For structures identical to the aforementioned wheel drag reduction shield device 16, the same symbols are used, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0035] The wheel drag reduction shield assembly 50 includes a wheel drag reduction shield 52 having a structure substantially the same as that of the wheel drag reduction shield 20 of the aforementioned wheel drag reduction shield assembly 16. The wheel drag reduction shield 52 has a fixing plate 54 corresponding to the fixing plate 28 of the wheel drag reduction shield 20. The fixing plate 54 is fixed to the lower part 12a of the vehicle body when the wheel drag reduction shield 52 is folded. The fixing plate 54 can be an elongated flat plate extending laterally to the left and right, connecting the lowermost rear edges of the left and right sidewalls 24. The lateral dimension of the fixing plate 54 can also be shorter than the interval between the left and right sidewalls 24. The fixing plate 54 may not have a locking hole. Furthermore, to obtain rigidity, the fixing plate 54 can be formed thicker than other parts of the wheel drag reduction shield 52; alternatively, it can be integrally formed by insert molding.

[0036] A retainer 58 is disposed on the lower part 12a of the vehicle body, forming a receiving slit 56 between itself and the lower surface of the lower part 12a. The retainer 58 may be a rod-shaped member with an L-shaped cross-section. The retainer 58 is arranged such that its length extends along the left-right direction of the vehicle. One arm of the retainer 58, corresponding to the L-shape, is fixed to the rearward-facing surface of the lower part 12a of the vehicle body, while the other arm is disposed approximately parallel to the lower surface of the lower part 12a with a gap. This gap is the receiving slit 56 for receiving the retaining piece 54. When the retaining piece 54 is inserted into the receiving slit 56, the retaining piece is held within the receiving slit 56 due to friction. As a result, the wheel drag reducer cover 52 is maintained in a folded state. The retainer 58 of the receiving slit 56 and the surrounding lower part 12a of the vehicle body constitute a fixing structure for fixing the retaining piece 54 to the lower part 12a of the vehicle body. The wheel drag reduction cover 52 returns to its original shape due to its own elasticity by pulling out the retaining plate 54 from the receiving slit 56.

[0037] In the wheel drag reduction shield 52, creases may also be formed on the side wall 24 in the same manner as in the wheel drag reduction shield 20.

[0038] The wheel drag reduction shield devices 16 and 50 are both devices that are set corresponding to the front wheel 14. The same can be set for the rear wheel.

[0039] Symbol Explanation

[0040] 10…vehicle; 12…body; 12a…lower part of body; 14…front wheel; 16, 50…wheel drag reduction shield; 18…running airflow; 20, 52…wheel drag reduction shield; 22…front wall; 24…side wall; 26…upper edge flange; 28, 54…fixing plate; 32…locking hole; 34…clamp; 36…clamp receiving part; 38…crease; 56…receiving slit; 58…retaining element.

Claims

1. A wheel drag reduction cover device, disposed on the lower part of the vehicle body in front of the wheels, and comprising: A wheel drag reducer, which is installed on the lower part of the vehicle body, deflects the airflow toward the wheels and can be elastically deformed; A fixed structure is located near the wheel drag reduction cover on the lower part of the vehicle body. The wheel drag reduction cover has a fixing piece at its lower edge that is fixed to the lower part of the vehicle body by the fixing structure. The wheel drag reduction cover is kept in a folded state by fixing the fixing plate to the lower part of the vehicle body.

2. The wheel drag reduction cover device as described in claim 1, wherein, Engaging holes are formed on the fixing plate of the wheel drag reduction cover. The fixing structure has: A clamp receiving part is provided on the lower part of the vehicle body; A clamp passes through the engagement hole of the fixing piece and engages with the clamp receiving part to fix the fixing piece to the lower part of the vehicle body.

3. The wheel drag reduction cover device as described in claim 1, wherein, The fixing structure has a receiving slit that receives the fixing piece and is located at the lower part of the vehicle body.

4. The wheel drag reduction cover device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The wheel drag reduction shield has the following features: The front wall is configured such that its upper edge is located further forward than its lower edge; The left and right sidewalls extend rearward from the left and right edges of the front wall, respectively. Creases are formed on the left and right side walls in a manner that facilitates the folding of the wheel drag reduction cover.

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