Road vehicle with roof having rear duct

Abstract

A road vehicle is provided, equipped with a support frame for a passenger compartment; an outer body configured to define a front compartment delimited by a front bumper and a front hood, and a rear compartment delimited by a rear hood; a front duct extending between the front bumper and the front hood and configured to house inside it a radiator mounted in the front compartment and along the front duct; a drive motor for operating the road vehicle; and a rear wing configured to generate a vertical downward load acting on the road vehicle; characterized in that it further comprises at least one rear duct arranged through the outer body and below the rear hood to receive an air flow at least partly conveyed along the front duct. The road vehicle can be manufactured in a simple and economical manner.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This patent application claims priority to Italian Patent Application No. 102025000007758, filed on April 9, 2025, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This invention relates to a road vehicle. Background Technology

[0004] Known road vehicles include: a support frame; a passenger compartment configured to accommodate at least one driver; an exterior body; a front compartment located in front of the passenger compartment and defined by a front bumper and a front hood; a rear compartment located behind the passenger compartment and defined by a rear hood and a rear bumper; and a drive motor for operating the road vehicle, mounted in the rear compartment.

[0005] Road vehicles also include: a front duct that extends between the front bumper and the hood; a radiator located in the front compartment and mounted along the front duct; and a rear fender configured to generate a vertically downward load commonly referred to as downforce on road vehicles.

[0006] During normal driving, road vehicles are impacted by airflow in front of them, which is divided into primary airflow and secondary airflow.

[0007] The first airflow is directed to the top of the front hood and flows along the body, impacting the rear wing with a higher flow velocity and lower temperature.

[0008] The second airflow is guided through the front bumper, flows along the front duct and through the front hood, is heated by the radiator, and impacts the rear wing with a lower flow rate and higher temperature.

[0009] Because the second airflow impacts the rear wing with a lower velocity and higher temperature, the aforementioned type of known road vehicle has some drawbacks, mainly due to the lower downforce generated on the rear wing by the combined action of the first and second airflows. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The purpose of this invention is to provide a road vehicle that does not have the aforementioned drawbacks and can be manufactured in a simple and economical manner.

[0011] According to the present invention, a road vehicle is provided, comprising: a support frame; a passenger compartment; an outer body; a front compartment disposed in front of the passenger compartment and defined by a front bumper and a front hood; a rear compartment disposed behind the passenger compartment and defined by a rear hood; a front duct extending between the front bumper and the front hood; a radiator in the front compartment and mounted along the front duct; a drive motor for operating the road vehicle; and a rear wing configured to generate a vertically downward load acting on the road vehicle; characterized in that the road vehicle further comprises at least one rear duct passing through the outer body and located below the rear hood to receive at least a portion of the airflow delivered along the front duct.

[0012] In one embodiment, the drive motor is housed in the rear compartment.

[0013] In one embodiment, the rear duct extends through the rear compartment to cool the drive motor.

[0014] In one embodiment, the rear duct is located behind the passenger compartment and extends between an air inlet and an air outlet located through the exterior body.

[0015] In one embodiment, the exterior body includes at least one front panel that is movable between an open position and a closed position to open and close the air intake.

[0016] In one embodiment, the road vehicle further includes an operating device for moving the front panel between the open position and the closed position.

[0017] In one embodiment, the air intake is configured to pass through the roof of the exterior vehicle body, and the air outlet is configured to pass through the rear cover of the exterior vehicle body.

[0018] In one embodiment, the air intake is configured to pass through the roof of the exterior vehicle body, and the air outlet is configured to pass through the rear bumper of the exterior vehicle body. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate non-limiting embodiments thereof, wherein:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a road vehicle according to the present invention; some parts have been removed for clarity.

[0021] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic side view of a road vehicle, with some parts removed for clarity. Detailed Implementation

[0022] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 The designation 1 generally represents a road vehicle, which includes: a support frame 2 that defines a portion of a floor 3; a passenger compartment 4 that is mounted on the floor 3 and configured to accommodate at least one driver; and an outer body 5 that is configured to define the boundaries of the road vehicle 1 externally.

[0023] The vehicle body 5 defines the front compartment 6 and the rear compartment 9, wherein the front compartment 6 is located in front of the passenger compartment 4 and is defined by the front bumper 7 and the front cover 8, and the rear compartment 9 is located behind the passenger compartment 4 and is defined by the rear cover 10 and the rear bumper 11.

[0024] The road vehicle 1 also includes: a front duct 12 extending between the front bumper 7 and the front hood 8; a radiator 13 located in the front compartment 6 and mounted along the front duct 12; a drive motor 14 for operating the road vehicle 1, housed in the rear compartment 9; and a rear wing 15 mounted above the rear hood 10 and configured to generate a vertically downward load, i.e., downforce, on the road vehicle 1.

[0025] During normal driving, the road vehicle 1 is impacted by airflow F at its front, and airflow F is divided into first airflow F1 and second airflow F2.

[0026] The first airflow F1 is directed to the top of the front cover 8 and flows along the body 5, impacting the rear wing 15 with a higher flow velocity and lower temperature.

[0027] The second airflow F2 is first guided through the front bumper 7 and flows along the front duct 12, is heated by the radiator 13, and then guided through the front cover 8 and flows along the body 5. It has a lower speed and a higher temperature.

[0028] The second airflow F2 is further guided along at least one rear duct 16, which extends behind the passenger compartment 4, is located below the rear cover 10, and further extends between an air inlet 17 and an air outlet 18, the air inlet 17 being configured to pass through the roof of the road vehicle 1, and the air outlet 18 being configured to pass through the rear cover 10 or the rear bumper 11.

[0029] The rear duct 16 extends further through the rear compartment 9 to cool the drive motor 14.

[0030] According to a variant not shown herein, the vehicle body 5 includes at least one front panel that is movable between an open position and a closed position to open and close the air intake 17 due to the thrust of an operating device.

[0031] According to another variation not shown in this document, the number of rear pipes 16 is not one, and each rear pipe 16 has the above-described features.

[0032] Preferably, but not necessarily, the rear cover 10 can move between an open position and a closed position to open and close the air inlet 17; and can also move between an open position and a closed position to open and close the air outlet 18.

[0033] The presence and construction of the rear duct 16 enable the second airflow F2 to be directed below the rear wing 15, thereby preventing the second airflow F2 from impacting the rear wing 15 and limiting the effect of the air on the rear wing 15 to the first airflow F1 itself.

[0034] Therefore, the rear wing 15 is subjected to only the first airflow F1, that is, to the airflow with high speed and low temperature, thereby generating a high downward load, that is, a high downforce.

Claims

1. A road vehicle, comprising: Supporting framework (2); Passenger compartment (4); exterior body (5); front compartment (6), which is located in front of the passenger compartment (4) and defined by a front bumper (7) and a front cover (8); rear compartment (9), which is located behind the passenger compartment (4) and defined by a rear cover (10); front duct (12), which extends between the front bumper (7) and the front cover (8); radiator (13), which is located in the front compartment (6) and mounted along the front duct (12); drive motor (14), for operating the road vehicle; and rear wing (15), which is configured to generate a vertically downward load acting on the road vehicle; characterized in that the road vehicle further includes at least one rear duct (16), which passes through the exterior body (5) and is located below the rear cover (10) to receive at least a portion of the airflow (F2) delivered along the front duct (12).

2. The road vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, The drive motor (14) is housed in the rear compartment (9).

3. The road vehicle according to claim 2, wherein, The rear duct (16) extends through the rear compartment (9) to cool the drive motor (14).

4. The road vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The rear duct (16) is located behind the passenger compartment (4) and extends between the air inlet (17) and the air outlet (18) located through the outer body (5).

5. The road vehicle according to claim 4, wherein, The exterior body (5) includes at least one front panel that is movable between an open position and a closed position to open and close the air intake (17).

6. The road vehicle of claim 5, further comprising an operating device for moving the front panel between the open position and the closed position.

7. The road vehicle according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein, The air inlet (17) is configured to pass through the roof of the outer body (5), and the air outlet (18) is configured to pass through the rear cover (10) of the outer body (5).

8. The road vehicle according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein, The air intake (17) is configured to pass through the roof of the outer body (5), and the air outlet (18) is configured to pass through the rear bumper (11) of the outer body (5).

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