Vehicle front structure
By integrating the first pipe with the front bumper and placing the second pipe behind it, the problems of increased parts and collision damage are solved, resulting in cost reduction and improved brake cooling efficiency.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-03
AI Technical Summary
In the prior art, the first pipe of the front structure of the vehicle is separated from the front bumper, which leads to an increase in the number of parts, higher costs, and makes it easier for other parts to be damaged in the event of a vehicle collision.
The first pipe is integrally formed with the front bumper, and a second pipe is placed behind it. The rear end of the first pipe is recessed towards the center of the vehicle width direction when viewed from above, so as to avoid collision with the second pipe and reduce the rigidity of the first pipe to reduce the risk of collision.
It effectively prevents damage to other components during vehicle collisions, reduces costs, and improves the cooling efficiency of the front wheel brakes through efficient airflow guidance.
Smart Images
Figure CN224447912U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This specification discloses a vehicle front structure having a first pipe and a second pipe that guide the wind direction of the vehicle to the rear. Background Technology
[0002] In recent years, technologies have been proposed to improve the aerodynamic performance of a vehicle or cool the brakes by guiding air (driving air) introduced from an opening at the front of the front bumper to the vicinity of the front wheels. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a front structure of a vehicle comprising an air inlet formed on the front bumper, a reinforcing member disposed behind the air inlet, and an air duct that guides the driving air guided by the reinforcing member to the vicinity of the front wheels. According to this technology, the driving air flowing in from the air inlet is efficiently guided to the vicinity of the front wheels.
[0003] Prior art literature
[0004] Patent documents
[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-006217 Utility Model Content
[0006] The problem to be solved by the utility model
[0007] In the case of Patent Document 1, the reinforcing member guiding the airflow in the driving direction functions as the first conduit, and the air conduit positioned downstream of it functions as the second conduit. Here, in Patent Document 1, the reinforcing member serving as the first conduit is a separate component completely separate from the front bumper. In this case, the number of parts increases, leading to higher costs. Therefore, the case of integrally forming the first conduit with the front bumper has also been considered. However, in this case, it is possible that other components may be damaged due to the first conduit during a vehicle collision. That is, the front bumper is typically constructed from a material with sufficient rigidity. Therefore, when the first conduit is integrally formed with the front bumper, the first conduit also becomes a high-rigidity component. In this structure, when a vehicle collision occurs, the high-rigidity first conduit may collide with other components (including the second conduit), causing damage to these other components.
[0008] Therefore, this specification provides a vehicle front structure that can reduce costs while preventing damage to other components during a vehicle collision.
[0009] Methods for solving problems
[0010] The vehicle front structure disclosed in this specification is characterized by having: a first duct that extends from the front end of the vehicle toward the rear end of the vehicle and forms a channel through which the driving air passes; and a second duct that is disposed at the rear end of the first duct, with the front end of the second duct close to the rear end of the first duct, and the rear end of the first duct and the front end of the second duct, when viewed from above, having their center in the vehicle width direction recessed in a direction away from the other of the rear end of the first duct and the front end of the second duct.
[0011] Utility Model Effect
[0012] According to the technology disclosed in this specification, since the first pipe is less likely to collide with the second pipe in the event of a vehicle collision, damage to other components can be effectively prevented. Furthermore, since the first pipe extends from the front end of the vehicle, it can be integrated with the front end of the vehicle, thereby reducing costs. Attached Figure Description
[0013] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the front bumper and second pipe as viewed from the rear of the vehicle.
[0014] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view obtained by cutting the first pipe and the second pipe through a horizontal plane.
[0015] Figure 3 A diagram illustrating the front structure of the vehicle in this example and the comparative example. Detailed Implementation
[0016] The following description of the front structure of the vehicle is based on the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the front bumper 10 and the second pipe 50 of the vehicle viewed from the rear side. Furthermore, Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view obtained by cutting the front bumper 10 and the second pipe 50 through a horizontal plane.
[0017] The front bumper 10 forms the front end of the vehicle. Behind the front bumper 10 is the power unit compartment, which houses various onboard components. The onboard components housed in the power unit compartment include, for example, power sources such as the engine and radiators (not shown).
[0018] In order to Figure 1 , Figure 2In this example, the front bumper 10 has a bumper panel 12 and a grille panel 14. Both the bumper panel 12 and the grille panel 14 are made of a hard resin with a certain degree of rigidity. An opening is formed in the bumper panel 12, and the grille panel 14 is configured to cover the opening. One or more grille openings are formed in the bumper panel 12, through which airflow is guided towards the power unit compartment.
[0019] Here, on the bumper panel 12, there are central grille openings (not shown) that primarily guide driving air to the radiator, and side grille openings 22 (see reference 12) that guide driving air to the second duct 50 described later. Figure 2 ).exist Figure 1 , Figure 2 The diagram only shows the area around the side grille openings 22. The side grille openings 22 are located on both sides of the central grille opening in the vehicle width direction.
[0020] like Figure 2 As shown, the periphery of the side grille opening 22 extends rearwards to form a first duct 20. The first duct 20 guides the airflow towards the second duct 50. This first duct 20 is integrally formed with the grille panel 14. Furthermore, the first duct 20 has a flared shape whose diameter increases as it approaches the front of the vehicle. In the following text, the opening at the front end of the first duct 20 is referred to as the "first inlet 24," the opening at the rear end as the "first outlet 28," and the internal passage of the first duct 20 as the "first passage 26." The first inlet 24 refers to the side grille opening 22.
[0021] Here, as Figure 2 As shown, the walls at both ends of the first pipe 20 in the vehicle width direction protrude rearwards compared to the wall at the center in the vehicle width direction. In other words, the rear end edge of the first pipe 20 is recessed towards the front of the vehicle compared to the two ends in the vehicle width direction. Figure 1 , Figure 2 In the example case, to achieve this recess, a bend 36 is provided at the rear end edges of the top and bottom walls of the first pipe 20, such that it bulges forward toward the vehicle. The reason for providing such a bend 36 will be explained later.
[0022] A second duct 50 is disposed behind the first duct 20. The second duct 50 is a duct that guides airflow to the side of the front wheel (not shown). The second duct 50 is made of a resin with lower rigidity than the first duct 20. By guiding the airflow to the side of the front wheel, the front wheel brakes can be cooled more efficiently. Moreover, this further improves the vehicle's braking performance.
[0023] In the following text, the front opening of the second pipe 50 will be referred to as the "second inlet 52", the rear opening as the "second outlet", and the internal passage of the second pipe 50 as the "second passage 54". The second pipe 50 is configured such that the second inlet 52 and the first outlet 28 face each other in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and are close to each other. Furthermore, the second pipe 50 is configured such that the second outlet faces the front wheel in the width direction of the vehicle.
[0024] By configuring the structure described above, the airflow entering from the side grille opening 22 flows into the second channel 54 after passing through the first channel 26. Furthermore, the airflow flowing along the second channel 54 is ultimately output to the front wheels from the second outlet. This allows for more efficient cooling of the front wheel brakes.
[0025] Furthermore, as described above, in this example, the rear end of the first pipe 20 is recessed towards the front of the vehicle compared to its center in the vehicle width direction and its ends in the vehicle width direction. The reason for this structure will be explained by comparing it with a comparative example. Figure 3 The lower section is a diagram showing the first pipe 20* in the comparative example. For example... Figure 3 The following section considers the case where the rear end of the first pipe 20* is straight. In this case, when the first pipe 20* is displaced rearward due to a vehicle collision or other reasons, the rear end of the first pipe 20* will collide with the front end of the second pipe 50. This collision could cause significant deformation of the second pipe 50. Furthermore, if the second pipe 50 deforms significantly, it may collide with other surrounding components 100 (such as an air filter), causing damage to these other components 100 as well.
[0026] Therefore, in order to suppress the deformation of the second pipe 50, the rigidity of the first pipe 20* was also considered. However, the grille panel 14 (front bumper 10), which is integrated with the first pipe 20*, is a component constituting the front end of the vehicle, and therefore requires a certain degree of rigidity. Therefore, reducing the rigidity of the grille panel 14 is difficult. Therefore, in order to reduce the rigidity of the first pipe 20*, it is necessary to make the first pipe 20* a separate component from the grille panel 14. However, making it a separate component increases the number of parts, thus increasing costs.
[0027] Therefore, in order to prevent collisions of the first pipe 20* without reducing its rigidity, the separation of the first outlet 28* from the second inlet 52 is also considered. In this case, the travel distance of the first pipe 20* during a vehicle collision can be ensured. As a result, collisions between the first pipe 20* and the second pipe 50 are less likely to occur, thereby suppressing deformation of the second pipe 50. However, in this case, the gap from the first outlet 28* to the second inlet 52 will increase. As a result, if... Figure 3 As shown by the dotted line, the airflow F can easily leak out through the gaps. In this case, the cooling efficiency of the front wheel brakes will decrease.
[0028] On the other hand, in this example, as described above, at the rear end of the first pipe 20, the center in the vehicle width direction is recessed towards the front of the vehicle compared to both ends in the vehicle width direction. In this case, even if the first pipe 20 is displaced diagonally rearward of the vehicle in the event of a vehicle collision, a collision between the first pipe 20 and the second pipe 50 is unlikely to occur. That is, in this case, as... Figure 3 As shown in the previous paragraph, since the end of the second pipe 50 in the vehicle width direction enters the recess of the bend 36 of the first pipe 20, the distance until the first pipe 20 and the second pipe 50 collide is increased by an amount corresponding to the depth of the recess. As a result, collision between the first pipe 20 and the second pipe 50 is effectively avoided.
[0029] Furthermore, in this example, the two ends of the first pipe 20 in the vehicle width direction protrude rearwards. In other words, the two ends of the first pipe 20 in the vehicle width direction are close to the second pipe 50. In this case, as in Figure 2 As shown by the dashed lines, the driving air F is properly guided through the walls on both sides of the first duct 20 in the vehicle width direction. As a result, leakage of the driving air F to the outside is suppressed, thereby enabling efficient cooling of the front wheel brakes.
[0030] Furthermore, the structure described so far is an example, and other structures can be appropriately modified as long as the structure of technical solution 1 is present. For example, in the description so far, a bend 36 is provided at the rear end of the first pipe 20. However, the bend 36 at the rear end of the first pipe 20 can be replaced, or a bend that protrudes towards the rear of the vehicle can be provided at the front end of the second pipe 50. Moreover, although the first pipe 20 is constructed using a single component in the description so far, it can also be constructed using multiple components. For example, in… Figure 3In the lower section, as indicated by the double-dotted line, an auxiliary wall 38 protruding towards the rear of the vehicle can also be installed at the rear end of the side wall 30 of the first pipe 20. By installing the auxiliary wall 38, leakage of the driving air F can be prevented more effectively. Furthermore, when the auxiliary wall 38 is installed, the rear end of the main body of the first pipe 20 can also be a straight shape without the bend 36. That is, as long as the auxiliary wall 38 is installed, the shape of the main body of the first pipe 20 can also be consistent with... Figure 3 The first pipe 20* of the comparative example shown in the lower paragraph is the same. In addition, the auxiliary wall 38 can be made of the same rigid resin as the main body of the first pipe 20, or it can be made of an elastic component such as rubber.
[0031] In addition, such as Figure 2 As shown, vanes 40 for improving the straight-line forward motion of the driving airflow F can also be formed inside the first duct 20. By adopting the above structure, turbulence of the driving airflow F can be suppressed, thereby enabling more efficient cooling of the front wheel brakes.
[0032] Symbol Explanation
[0033] 10…Front bumper; 12…Bumper panel; 14…Grill panel; 20, 20*…First pipe; 22…Side grille hole; 24…First inlet; 26…First channel; 28, 28*…First outlet; 30…Side wall; 36…Bend; 38…Auxiliary wall; 40…Flange; 50…Second pipe; 52…Second inlet; 54…Second channel; 100…Other components.
Claims
1. A vehicle front structure characterized by comprising: have: The first duct extends from the front of the vehicle to the rear, forming a passage for the airflow during travel. A second pipe is positioned behind the vehicle of the first pipe, with the front end of the second pipe close to the rear end of the first pipe. When viewed from above, the rear end of the first pipe and the front end of the second pipe are recessed in the center of their vehicle width direction in a direction away from the other of the rear end of the first pipe and the front end of the second pipe.