Heat retention structure for an engine, vehicle equipped with it, and method for retaining engine heat

Abstract

Vehicle, including: an engine compartment which has an upper wall, side walls, a front wall and has a rear wall; an engine which is located inside the engine compartment; an upper cover part (22) which is located inside the engine compartment and covers the engine from above; a cover (30) which is arranged inside the engine compartment and is designed in a frame shape which has at least one opening (35) which is arranged in front of the engine; and at least one radiator grille flap (41) which is provided and configured on the trim (30) to open and close the at least one opening (35), wherein a front end (22f) of the upper cover part (22) is arranged on an upper side (31U) of the casing (30), and the radiator grille flap (41) is closed when the ignition is switched off, wherein the trim (30) includes a plurality of openings (35) and the radiator grille flap (41) includes a plurality of radiator grille flaps (41) corresponding to the plurality of openings (35), wherein the vehicle comprises a radiator grille flap unit (40) which has flap-holding parts (440, 441, 442) which hold the radiator grille flaps (41), wherein the parts holding the flap (440, 441, 442) are fixed directly to the trim (30).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heat retention structure for an engine, which is provided with an upper cover portion covering the engine at least from above, and where a cowl is arranged in front of the engine. Furthermore, the invention relates to a vehicle equipped with a heat retention structure for the engine and to a method for retaining engine heat. BACKGROUND OF REVELATION

[0002] In order to improve fuel consumption by shortening warm-up time at restart of an engine and to reduce wear of a transmission by ensuring heat-retaining property (lubricity) of an engine oil, a prior art has been known as disclosed in JP 2013 - 119 384 A, which relates to an engine encapsulating structure that improves the heat-retaining property of the engine by covering the engine at least from the top and the side with a cover.

[0003] JP 2013 - 119 384 A discloses a structure in which a top surface cover covers an engine from above, an engine cowl is arranged in front of the engine (see e.g. Fig. 3 of JP 2013 - 119 384 A), and a front end of the upper surface cover is disposed on an upper side (beam 13) of the cowl. A frame flap holding member (cooling duct) is disposed in front of the cowl and behind a bumper surface, and the flap holding member is provided with a plurality of grille flaps that allow a wind-introducing opening of the bumper surface to open and close (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 of JP 2013 - 119 384A).

[0004] However, according to this structure, since the frame lid holding member is arranged to be separated from the cowl in the front direction, heat easily leaks through a gap in the vehicle longitudinal direction between the lid holding member and the cowl. Furthermore, since the lid holding member is generally not formed as strong as the cowl, which is structured to support a radiator and the front end of the upper surface cover (top lid part), it tends to be formed in a thinner frame shape than the cowl, resulting in poor heat retention performance. Therefore, there is room for improvement regarding heat retention efficiency of the structure in front of the engine.

[0005] Furthermore, since this structure is provided with the frame cover holding member in front of the engine in addition to the cowling, the number of components may increase to increase the cost and weight.

[0006] DE 10 2014 220 119 A1 discloses a functional space with a preferably thermo-acoustically insulating enclosure and air flap arrangement cooperating therewith, in particular for a motor vehicle, which is delimited by an enclosure, wherein more than half, preferably more than 75%, particularly preferably more than 85% of the enclosure surface comprises thermo-acoustically insulating lining material and / or is formed from thermo-acoustically insulating lining material, wherein the enclosure cooperates at an inlet location with an inlet air flap system which has an inlet air passage opening and at least one inlet air flap, preferably a plurality of inlet air flaps, wherein the at least one inlet air flap is adjustable between a passage position in which a cross-section of the inlet air passage opening through which air can flow is larger,so that air can be introduced into the functional space through the inlet air passage opening, and a blocking position in which the cross-section of the inlet air passage opening through which air can flow is smaller, preferably zero, so that the amount of air that can be introduced into the functional space through the inlet air passage opening per unit of time is smaller than in the pass-through position, preferably zero. DE 102 47 704 A1 discloses a motor vehicle with full engine encapsulation and comprises an engine, a sound-insulating full enclosure enclosing the engine, and an engine cooler.which is located outside the full encapsulation and whose exhaust air is bypassed. Forced ventilation with at least one fan is provided on the full encapsulation to supply fresh air exclusively to the full encapsulation. This enables high cooling performance in an encapsulated engine despite the narrow engine compartment. This prevents excessive growth of the engine cooler. At the same time, good sound insulation is achieved.

[0007] DE 10 2012 106 644 A1 describes a structure of an engine encapsulation of a vehicle; comprising an engine compartment encapsulation part arranged at an upper portion of an engine compartment and covering an upper portion of a drive train having an engine and a transmission, an underbody encapsulation part arranged at a lower portion of the engine compartment and covering a lower portion of the drive train, wherein the engine compartment encapsulation part and the underbody encapsulation part form an interior space and enclose the drive train in the interior space when mounted to one another, and a front inlet formed at a front portion of the mounting arrangement to allow air to flow through the front inlet and cool the drive train while the air passes through the interior space of the mounting arrangement, wherein the air is discharged through a rear outlet formed at the mounting arrangement. SUMMARY OF REVELATION

[0008] The present disclosure is made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to reduce cost and weight while improving heat retention efficiency in front of an engine, and to enable efficient encapsulation ranging from above to the front of the engine by an upper cover member and a cowl provided with a grille shutter. This subject matter is achieved by the features of the independent claims. Further developments are defined in the dependent claims.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided including an engine compartment having an upper wall, side walls, a front wall, and a rear wall; an engine disposed inside the engine compartment; an upper cover member disposed inside the engine compartment and covering the engine from above; a cowl disposed inside the engine compartment and formed in a frame shape, having at least one opening located in front of the engine; and at least one grille door provided on the cowl and configured to open and close the at least one opening. A front end of the upper cover member is disposed on an upper side of the cowl, and the grille door is closed when an ignition is turned off.The trim panel includes a plurality of openings, and the grille cover includes a plurality of grille covers corresponding to the plurality of openings. The vehicle includes a grille cover unit having cover-holding members that hold the grille covers, the cover-holding members being directly attached to the trim panel.

[0010] According to this configuration, efficient encapsulation extending from the top to the front of the engine is possible through the upper cover part and the panel, which is provided with the grille flap.

[0011] That is, covering (encapsulating) from above to the front of the engine by the upper cover and the cowling improves efficiency in terms of weight and cost. According to this configuration, the weight of the grille door supporting structure is further reduced while heat loss in front of the engine is suppressed.

[0012] The weight may further include an associated or dedicated heat retention member disposed within the engine compartment and consisting of the top cover portion, the cowling, the grille cover, and side panel portions covering sides of the engine.

[0013] The grille flap can be provided on the panel or cover at a rear or back side.

[0014] According to this configuration, since the grille door is provided on the cowl on the rear side, the grille door can be arranged closer to the engine than in a case where it is provided on the front side, and thus the grille door improves the heat retention efficiency in front of the engine.

[0015] A width of the opening of the fairing in vehicle width directions may be smaller than a width of a wind-introducing opening of a bumper surface in the vehicle width direction, the bumper surface being arranged in front of the fairing.

[0016] According to this configuration, by providing the grille door on the cowl side and opening and closing the opening provided on the cowl with the grille door, the width of the grille door can be reduced more than with the grille door provided on the bumper face side and opening and closing the airflow-introducing opening of the bumper face with the grille door. According to another aspect, a heat retention structure for an engine is provided, comprising: an upper cover part for covering the engine from above; a cover having at least one opening arranged or capable of being arranged in front of the engine; and a grille flap provided on the panel and configured to open and close the at least one opening, wherein a front end of the upper cover part is arranged on an upper side of the casing, and The grille flap is closed or will be closed when the ignition is switched off.

[0017] The trim panel includes a plurality of openings, and the grille cover includes a plurality of grille covers corresponding to the plurality of openings. The vehicle includes a grille cover unit having cover-holding members that hold the grille covers, the cover-holding members being directly attached to the trim panel.

[0018] Preferably, the heat retention structure further comprises an associated heat retention member comprising the upper cover portion, the cowling, the grille door, and side panel portions covering sides of the engine.

[0019] Further preferably, the side wall parts include a rear wall part, a left wall part, a right wall part and a front wall part.

[0020] According to yet another aspect, there is provided a method for maintaining engine heat, comprising the steps of: Covering the engine from above with an upper cover part; Arranging a cover having at least one opening in front of the engine; and Providing a grille flap for opening and closing the at least one opening, Arranging a front end of the upper cover part on an upper side of the casing, and Closing the grille flap when an ignition is switched off, forming the panel with a plurality of openings, Forming the grille flap with a plurality of grille flaps corresponding to the plurality of openings, Providing the vehicle with a grille flap unit which is formed with flap holding parts which hold the grille flaps, The parts holding the flap are attached directly to the panel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a heat retaining structure for an engine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a front view of the heat retention structure. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line AA of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of part X of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line BB of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a rear view of a trim panel. Fig. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical structure of a grille shutter control device. Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating grille shutter control processing when an ignition is OFF. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF REVELATION

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings. Before describing a heat retaining structure of an engine, a body structure of a vehicle will be described first. Note that, in the drawings, an arrow F indicates "front" of the vehicle, an arrow U indicates "upward" of the vehicle, an arrow IN indicates "inward" in the vehicle width direction, an arrow OUT indicates "outward" in the vehicle width direction, an arrow R indicates "rightward" of the vehicle, and an arrow L indicates "leftward" of the vehicle.

[0022] As this is Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, inside an engine compartment, a pair of left and right front side frames 1 extending forward of the vehicle from a dashboard lower portion are provided outward in the vehicle width direction from both left and right sides (left and right wall portions 24 and 25, which will be described later) of the engine heat retaining structure. It should be noted that in Fig. 1, for the sake of simplicity of illustration, only the front side frame 1 on the right side of the vehicle is illustrated, and an illustration of a bumper beam 12 (described later) is omitted. The engine compartment has walls formed by various components of the vehicle body. As shown in dashed lines in Fig. 3 and Fig. 5, for example, the engine compartment includes an upper wall formed by a hood (bonnet) of the vehicle, two side walls formed by left and right fascia panels and fender panels of the vehicle, a front wall formed by a front bumper of the vehicle, and a rear wall formed by an instrument panel of the vehicle.

[0023] This front side frame 1 is a vehicle body reinforcement member provided with a substantially closed cross section 1A extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, where the substantially closed cross section 1A is formed by fixedly connecting respective upwardly projecting and downwardly projecting flange parts of a front side frame inner part (not illustrated) of a hat shape, a cross section of which is convex inward in the vehicle width directions toward the vehicle longitudinal directions, and a plate-like front side frame outer part 2 (see Fig. 1). An adjustment or fixing plate 3 for fixing an impact bushing is formed at a front end of the front side frame 1 (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2).

[0024] As this is Fig. As illustrated in Fig. 3, a frontmost part of the vehicle, which is in front of the engine compartment located in a front part of the vehicle, is covered with a front bumper face 6 (hereinafter referred to as "the bumper face 6") provided with a front grille 5. A front surface opening 7 for introducing running wind (fresh air) into the engine compartment is formed in the front surface of the bumper face 6 at the center in the vehicle width direction. The front surface opening 7 is covered with the front grille 5, which is perforated to allow passage of the running wind.

[0025] In addition, as stated in Fig. 2, the bumper beam 12 for fixing a front bumper (not illustrated) is arranged behind the bumper face 6. The bumper beam 12 extends in the vehicle width direction, and both ends thereof are coupled on rear surfaces to front ends of the left and right front side frames 1, which extend substantially in the vehicle longitudinal directions, by impact bushings (not illustrated) as coupling members.

[0026] Meanwhile, as in Fig. 1 to 4, the heat retaining structure of this embodiment is provided with a heat retaining member 21 covering the periphery of the engine.

[0027] The heat retention member 21 consists of an upper cover part 22, or part of an upper cover, which covers the engine from above, and heat retention wall parts (23, 24, 25, and 26) that cover the sides of the engine (a rear surface, a left surface, a right surface, and a front surface). That is, the heat retention wall parts (23, 24, 25, and 26) consist of a rear wall part 23, a left wall part 24, a right wall part 25, and a front wall part 26, which cover the rear surface, the left surface (i.e., the left surface when facing forward of the vehicle), the right surface (similarly, the right surface), and the front surface of the engine, respectively. It should be noted that an illustration of the engine is omitted from the drawings. In addition, a reference numeral 11a in Fig. 3 a lamp housing of a headlight lamp unit 11 and a reference numeral 8 denotes an air cleaning device.

[0028] As this is Fig. 2 and Fig. 5, the upper cover part 22 is provided with an upper surface cover 220 made of a synthetic resin as an outer cover that completely covers the engine from above, and a heat retaining material 221 made of glass wool, urethane, etc., that is integrally provided on an inner surface of the upper surface cover 220. As shown in Fig. 5, the upper cover member 22 is pivotally supported at a rear end thereof by an upper end of the rear wall member 23 so as to be openable and closable above the engine.

[0029] In a state where the upper cover member 22 closes the engine from above, a front end 22f of the upper cover member 22 is disposed on an upper surface 31Ua of an upper member 31U of a cowl panel 31.

[0030] As this is Fig. 3 and Fig. 5, the rear wall part 23 is provided with a rear surface cover 230 made of a synthetic resin as an outer cover completely covering the rear side of the engine, and a heat retaining material 231 made of glass wool, urethane, etc., integrally provided on an inner surface of the rear surface cover 230.

[0031] As this is Fig. 3, the left wall part 24 is provided with a left surface cover 240 made of a synthetic resin as an outer cover completely covering the left side of the engine in the vehicle width directions, and a heat retaining material 241 made of glass wool, urethane, etc., integrally provided on an inner surface of the left surface cover 240.

[0032] The upper cover part 22, the rear wall part 23 and the left wall part 24 are provided for exclusive use as the heat retention members.

[0033] As this is Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, a heat retaining wall part corresponding to the right side surface of the engine is composed of an engine mounting bracket 90 constituting a rear part of the right side surface and the right wall part 25 constituting a front part of the right side surface and intended for exclusive use as the heat retaining member.

[0034] As this is Fig. 1, the engine mounting bracket 90 is arranged in a rear part on the right side of the engine to support the mounting of the engine by the front side frame 1 which is the vehicle body reinforcement member.

[0035] As this is Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, the engine mounting bracket 90 is provided with a mounting bracket main body 91 of a vertical wall shape (mounting bracket on the vehicle body side), a mounting rubber 92 as a buffer member, and an arm part 93 (see Fig. 3) (Engine side mounting bracket) which extends substantially inward in the vehicle width directions (toward the engine) to support the engine.

[0036] In this embodiment, the rear part of the right side surface of the engine is substituted for the engine mounting bracket 90 to partially omit the right wall part 25, and the right wall part 25 is provided as the dedicated heat retaining member 21 at the front part of the right side surface to reduce the overall weight and cost of the heat retaining member 21 in the right side surface.

[0037] As this is Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the right wall part 25 is mounted on and supported by a subtank 94 which is arranged in front of the engine mounting bracket 90 on the right side of the engine so as to be adjacent to and inward of an inner wall part 94i in the vehicle width directions (see Fig. 3) of the subtank 94. As shown in Fig. 1, the right wall part 25 covers the front part on the right side of the engine. It should be noted that an illustration of the subtank 94 in Fig. 1 is omitted.

[0038] The subtank 94 is a subtank for the radiator, and although an illustration is omitted, a lower part of the subtank 94 is directly fixed to and supported by the front side frame 1, and an upper part of the subtank 94 is indirectly fixed to and supported by an upper member 32 of the cowl (described later) through a bracket (not illustrated). That is, the right wall part 25 is supported by the vehicle body through the subtank 94.

[0039] As this is Fig. 1, the right wall part 25 has a divided structure consisting of two, upper and lower members of an upper right wall part 25u and a lower right wall part 25d.

[0040] The upper right wall part 25u and the lower right wall part 25d are fixed to the subtank 94 and supported thereby (not illustrated), and it has, as shown in Fig. 3, each of which comprises a cover 250 made of a synthetic resin as an outer cover and a heat retention material 251 made of glass wool, urethane, etc., which is integrally provided on an inner surface of the cover 250. It should be noted that Fig. 3 only illustrates the cover 250 and the heat retaining material 251 of the lower right wall part 25d, and an illustration of those of the upper right wall part 25u is omitted.

[0041] Meanwhile, as in Fig. 1 to 5, a cover 30 which holds the radiator or condenser as a heat exchanger is arranged in front of the engine to cover the radiator or condenser from the front.

[0042] Below, the panel 30 is described as the front wall part 26. As shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and Fig. 5, the cowl 30 is provided with the cowl panel 31 covering the radiator or condenser as the heat exchanger, and the cowl upper member 32 disposed above the cowl panel 31.

[0043] The upper member 32 of the fairing is formed by integrally coupling the sides 32b of the upper member of the fairing to both ends of a center 32a of the upper member of the fairing in the vehicle width direction, which is located at the center in the vehicle width direction. Both the left and right ends of the left and right sides 32b and 32b of the upper member of the fairing are coupled to a skirt (not illustrated).

[0044] As this is Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and Fig. 5, the cowl panel 31 is integrally formed into a rectangular frame shape by having an upper member 31U (coil upper) constituting an upper side extending substantially in the vehicle width direction, and a lower member 31D (coil lower) similarly constituting a lower side, and a pair of left and right side members 31S and 31S (coil side) constituting sides, and which, as shown in Fig. 1 to 3, vertically couple both left and right ends of the upper link 31U and both left and right ends of the lower link 31D.

[0045] As this is Fig. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5, rectangular openings 35 are formed inside the rectangular frame shape of the cowl panel 31, which penetrate in the vehicle longitudinal direction in the front view (viewed from the front to the rear of the vehicle). A center stay 33 extending substantially in the vertical direction is disposed substantially at the center of the cowl panel 31 in the vehicle width direction, and both the upper and lower ends of the center stay 33 are integrally coupled to the upper member 31U and the lower member 31D, respectively.

[0046] Furthermore, as stated in Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and Fig. 5, cross members 34a and 34b (an upper cross member 34a and a lower cross member 34b) extending substantially in the vehicle width direction are arranged in upper and lower parts separated by a central part of the trim panel 31 in the vertical direction. Both ends of the upper and lower cross members 34a and 34b in the vehicle width direction are integrally coupled to a pair of left and right side members 31S (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2).

[0047] The plurality of (in this example six) openings 35 (35a, 35b and 35c) are formed inside the members 31U, 31D, 31S and 31S by the central strut 33 and the upper and lower cross struts 34a and 34b provided in the fairing panel 31.

[0048] Specifically, the openings 35 consist of left and right upper row openings 35a formed above the upper cross member 34a, left and right middle row openings 35b formed between the upper cross member 34a and the lower cross member 34b, and left and right lower row openings 35c formed below the lower cross member 34b.

[0049] The cowl panel 31 is provided with a grille shutter 41 that opens and closes the openings 35 formed in the cowl panel 31 to adjust an air intake amount in the radiator, and also functions as the front wall part 26 (heat retaining wall part) covering the front of the engine.

[0050] In addition, as stated in Fig. 3, the garnish panel 31 is constructed so that a width Wa (Wal+War) of the openings 35 in the vehicle width directions is smaller than a width Wb of the front surface opening 7 in the vehicle width direction for introducing the running wind of the bumper face 6, which is arranged in front of the garnish panel 31.

[0051] More specifically, the total width Wa of the left and right widths Wal and War of the pair of openings 35a of the left and right upper row, the total width of the pair of openings 35b of the left and right middle row, and the total width of the pair of openings 35b of the left and right lower row are smaller than the width of the front surface opening 7 for introducing the running wind.

[0052] Note that the total width Wa of the widths Wal and War of the pair of openings 35a of the left and right upper rows is a width obtained by adding the width Wal of the opening 35a of the left upper row and the width War of the opening 35a of the right upper row. The same applies to the total width of the pair of openings 35b of the left and right middle rows and the total width of the pair of openings 35c of the left and right lower rows.

[0053] In addition, the openings 35 of the trim 30 may also be configured to have the vertical dimension smaller than the vertical dimension of the opening 7 of the front surface for introducing the airflow of the bumper surface 6, similar to the widths.

[0054] As this is Fig. 1 to 6, the garnish panel 31 is provided with a grille shutter unit 40 that supports (holds) a plurality of grille shutters 41 (hereinafter referred to as "the shutters 41") to be pivotable (driven to be opened and closed), and the plurality of shutters 41 are assembled (fixed) to the grille shutter unit 40 as a part thereof. Thus, the plurality of shutters 41 are provided on the garnish panel 31 to be openable and closable for the openings 35 according to an operating state of the vehicle.

[0055] The grille shutter unit 40 includes, in addition to the plurality of shutters 41 extending substantially in the vehicle width direction, an actuator 55 (see Fig. 6) as an actuator of the grille flap unit, which drives the flaps 41 for opening and closing (pivoting), pivoting connections or couplings 43a and 43b (see Fig. 6) which transmit a driving force of the actuator 55 to the flaps 41, and frames 440, 441 and 442 as flap holding members which are fixed to the side of the trim panel 31 and hold the flaps 41 and the pivot links 43a and 43b.

[0056] As this is Fig. 6, the grille shutter unit 40 is substantially laterally symmetrical relative to a first central frame 441 (described later) which is disposed substantially at the center in the vehicle width direction, and is fixed to the garnish panel 31 from the rear side, as will be described later (see Fig. 3 to 6). Thus, each flap 41 is provided on the rear side (back) of the covering sheet 31 (see the same figures).

[0057] As this is Fig. 6, the plurality of flaps 41 are provided at the plurality of openings 35a, 35b and 35c, respectively, and are capable of opening and closing the openings 35a, 35b and 35c, respectively.

[0058] For example, the plurality of flaps 41 consists of flap groups 410U of a left and right upper row provided corresponding to the openings 35a of the left and right upper row, flap groups 410M of a left and right middle row provided similarly corresponding to the openings 35b of the left and right middle row, and flap groups 410D of a left and right lower row provided corresponding to the openings 35c of the left and right lower row.

[0059] In this example, the upper row flap groups 410U consist of four flaps 41, the middle row flap groups 410M consist of two flaps 41, and the lower row flap groups 410D consist of five flaps 41. These flaps 41 have widths corresponding to the widths of the openings 35a, 35b, and 35c, respectively, and are arranged substantially parallel in the vertical directions.

[0060] As this is Fig. 6, the frames 440, 441 and 442 consist of outer frames 440 which support flap shafts 45o which are respectively arranged outwardly of the flaps 41 in the vehicle width direction, and central frames 441 and 442 which support flap shafts 45i which are arranged inwardly of the flaps 41 in the vehicle width direction.

[0061] Three outer frames 440 are provided on each of the left and right sides, corresponding to the left and right openings 35a, 35b, and 35c of the upper, middle, and lower rows. Shaft support members 440a that support (hold) the door shafts 45o arranged outward in the vehicle width direction at outer ends of the plurality of doors 41 provided on the door groups 410U, 410M, and 410D are respectively provided.

[0062] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 6, the center frames 441 and 442 are composed of a first center frame 441 disposed at the center in the vehicle width direction, and a pair of left and right second center frames 442 provided above the first center frame 441.

[0063] The first central frame 441 is provided with the shaft support parts 440a that support (hold) the door shafts 45i arranged inward in the vehicle width direction at inner ends of the two lower doors 41 of each left and right lower row door group 410U and the plurality of doors 41 provided at the left and right middle row door groups 410M and the left and right lower row door groups 410D (note that the second doors 41d2 are excluded from the upper side in the lower row door groups 410D, and this door is referred to as “the second lower row door 41d2”) (see Fig. 6).

[0064] In addition, the actuating device or actuator 55 is or will be fixed below the first central frame 441 (see Fig. 6). Although illustration is omitted, the actuator 55 is arranged in a space in the first central frame 441, opposite to the central strut 33 (see Fig. 2). The second flaps 41d2 of the left and right lower rows are held by the outer frames 440, where the flap shafts 45o, which are arranged outward in the vehicle width direction, are arranged in the openings 35c of the lower row, and the flap shafts 45i, which are arranged inward in the vehicle width direction, are directly coupled to a drive shaft 55a (motor shaft) of the actuator 55 described above (see Fig. 6).

[0065] The pair of left and right second central frames 442 are provided with shaft support parts 442a which support (hold) the door shafts 45i arranged inward in the vehicle width direction corresponding to the two upper doors 41 of each of the door groups 410U of the left and right upper rows (see Fig. 6).

[0066] Next, a fixing of the frames 440, 441 and 442 to the covering sheet 31 is described. As shown in Fig. 6, the outer frames 440 described above are fixed to outer edges in the vehicle width direction of the left and right openings 35a, 35b and 35c from the back of the cowl panel 31.

[0067] More specific are or will be, as in Fig. 4 and Fig. 6, through holes 440b are formed at upper and lower positions of the left and right outer frames 440 of the upper and lower rows, and vertically intermediate positions of the left and right outer frames 440 of the middle row and screw insertion holes 31b are formed in the trim panel 31 at positions corresponding to the through holes 440b.

[0068] Self-tapping screws T are inserted into the screw insertion holes 31b and the corresponding through holes 440b from the rear side to fix the outer frames 440 of the upper, middle and lower rows integrally to the trim panel 31 from the rear side.

[0069] As this is Fig. As illustrated in Figure 6, the first central frame 441 described above is fixed to the central strut 33 in the trim panel 31 from the rear side at a plurality of locations. Thus, the first central frame 441 is vertically oriented at a position corresponding to the central strut 33, which extends beyond the upper and lower cross struts 34a and 34b in the front view.

[0070] More specifically, a plurality of (eight in this example) through holes 441b are arranged in the first central frame 441 at locations substantially along a vertical line (see Fig. 6). On the other hand, as illustrated in the same figure, screw insertion holes 33a are formed at positions corresponding to the through holes 441b formed in the first center frame 441 in the front view from the back of the center stay 33.

[0071] As illustrated in the same figure, self-tapping screws T are inserted into the screw insertion holes 33a and the corresponding through holes 441b from the back side to firmly fix the first central frame 441 integrally to the central stay 33.

[0072] As this is Fig. 6, the second center frames 442 described above are fixed to inner edges in the vehicle width direction of the upper row openings 35a from the back of the cowl panel 31.

[0073] Be more specific, as in Fig. 4 and Fig. 6, through holes 442b are formed in the second central frame 442, and, as illustrated in the same figure, screw insertion holes 31a are formed at positions of the trim panel 31 corresponding to the through holes 442b formed in the second central frame 442.

[0074] Self-tapping screws T are inserted into the screw insertion holes 31a and the through holes 442b from the back side to firmly fix the second central frames 442 integrally to the trim panel 31.

[0075] As described above, in the grille door unit 40, the pair of left and right outer frames 440 of the upper, middle and lower rows, the first center frame 441 and the pair of left and right second center frames 442 are directly fixed to the garnish panel 31.

[0076] As this is Fig. 6, the pivot links 43a and 43b are composed of the pair of left and right first pivot links 43a which are arranged adjacent to each other at least on both left and right sides of the first central frame 441 and which are provided at inner edges in the vehicle width direction of the openings 35a, 35b and 35c of the upper, middle and lower rows, and the pair of left and right second pivot links 43b which are arranged adjacent to the upper row outer frames 440 inward in the vehicle width direction and which are provided at the outer edges in the vehicle width direction of the left and right openings 35a of the upper row.

[0077] On the other hand, in each flap 41, although the flap shafts 45i and 45o are provided at the inner and outer ends in the vehicle width direction, pivot shafts 48 and 49, which are pivotally supported by the pivot links 43a and 43b, are additionally provided at the opposite ends in the vehicle width direction from the pivot links 43a and 43b (see Fig. 6).

[0078] The second flaps 41d2 of the lower row are pivotally constructed by being directly coupled to the drive shaft 55a of the actuator 55, other flaps 41 are pivotally constructed by the driving force of the actuator 55 being transmitted thereto at least through the first pivotal connection 43a consisting of the first pivotal connection 43a and the second pivotal connection 43b.

[0079] The vehicle of this embodiment is configured such that the shutters 41 are opened and closed according to the vehicle's operating state (e.g., the openings 35 are opened during high-speed driving, etc.). The vehicle is provided with a grille shutter control device 50 that controls the shutters 41 to be closed when the ignition is off.

[0080] For example, the grille shutter control device 50 is mounted on the vehicle and includes, as shown in Fig. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the control device includes a CPU (central processing unit) 51 that controls the opening and closing of the doors 41, an ignition sensor 53 that detects, for example, an ignition ON / OFF state (IG) of an ignition switch 52 and outputs a detection signal to the CPU 51, a grille door position sensor 54 that detects open / closed states of the doors 41, and the actuator 55 that opens and closes (swings) the doors 41. The ignition sensor 53, the grille door position sensor 54, and the actuator 55 are electrically connected to the CPU 51.

[0081] A grille shutter control using the grille shutter control device 50 is described using a flowchart of Fig. 8. First, when the ignition sensor 53 detects that the ignition switch 52 is turned off (step 1), the CPU 51 reads a grille shutter position signal detected by the grille shutter position sensor 54 (step 2).

[0082] As a result, when the flaps 41 are in an open state (step 3: Yes), the CPU 51 controls the actuator 55 such that the flaps 41 are pivoted to be in a closed state (step 4).

[0083] On the other hand, when the doors 41 are in the closed state when the ignition switch 52 is OFF (step 3: No), the CPU 51 performs control to maintain the doors 41 in the closed state.

[0084] Thus, in the state where the openings 35 are closed by the flaps 41, since the cowl panel 31 also functions as the front wall part 26 constituting the heat retaining wall parts covering the engine from the front side, the upper cover part 22 and the cowl panel 31 closing the openings 35 by the flaps 41 are capable of efficient engine encapsulation extending from the top to the front.

[0085] As described above, the heat retaining structure for the engine of this embodiment is provided with the upper cover part 22 covering the engine at least from above, and the cowling plate 31 provided on the cowling 30 is arranged in front of the engine (see Fig. 1 to 3 and 5). The cover plate 31 is constructed into the frame shape having the openings 35, and the front end 22f of the upper cover part 22 is arranged on the upper member 31U as the upper side of the cover plate 31 (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 5). The flaps 41 are provided on the trim panel 31 so that they open and close openings 35 according to the operating state of the vehicle and that they close the openings 35 when the ignition is switched off (see Fig. 1 to 3, 5, 7 and 8).

[0086] According to this structure, the efficient encapsulation from top to front is possible by the upper cover part 22 and the covering plate 31, which is provided with the flaps 41.

[0087] On the other hand, in the conventional structure in which, for example, a shell of a frame shape such as a duct is additionally provided in front of a cowl panel and the doors are provided on the frame shell without being provided on the cowl panel, since a gap is generated in the vehicle longitudinal direction between the frame shell holding the doors and the cowl panel, heat may possibly escape through the gap from the space surrounded by the heat retaining members inside the engine room.

[0088] On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the flaps 41 are provided on the cover plate 31, the cover plate 31 can be used as a wall to prevent heat from escaping (ie, the heat retention wall part). Furthermore, since the front end 22f of the upper lid part 22 is arranged on the upper member 31U of the cover plate 31 (see Fig. 5), the engine can be covered without creating any gap for heat leakage in the cover plate 31 itself or between the cover plate 31 and the upper cover part 22.

[0089] Therefore, the efficient encapsulation from top to front in terms of heat retention efficiency is possible by the upper cover part 22 and the cladding sheet 31, which is provided with the flaps 41.

[0090] Furthermore, in the conventional structure in which the frame shell supporting the doors is disposed in front of the cowl panel, the number of components increases because the frame shell is provided separately or additionally, and the bumper beam 12 extending in the vehicle width direction is disposed in front of the cowl panel. Therefore, the frame shell supporting the doors may interfere with the bumper beam 12. To avoid this, the frame shell must adopt a structure in which it is vertically divided to avoid interference with the bumper beam 12, resulting in a complicated structure.

[0091] On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the flaps 41 are provided on the trim panel 31, the frame sheathing is unnecessary, and the number of components can be reduced accordingly. Therefore, efficient encapsulation is also possible in terms of cost and weight without having a complicated structure.

[0092] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the flaps 41 are provided on the trim panel 31 from the rear side (see Fig. 3, Fig. 4 and Fig. 6).

[0093] According to this structure, since the doors 41 are provided on the cowl panel 31 from the rear side, the doors 41 can be arranged closer to the engine than in a case where they are provided from the front side.

[0094] That is, in the state where the engine is enclosed from top to front by the upper cover member 22 and the cowl panel 31, since the shutters 41 are arranged from the space where the engine is mounted relative to the cowl panel 31, the heat leakage to the front of the engine can be prevented, resulting in a higher heat retention efficiency to the front of the engine.

[0095] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of openings 35 (35a, 35b, and 35c) are formed in the trim panel 31. The grille door unit 40 is provided, which has the frames 440, 441, and 442 as the door holding parts that hold the doors 41 for the respective openings 35a, 35b, and 35c. In the grille door unit 40, the plurality of frames 440, 441, and 442 are directly fixed to the trim panel 31 (see Fig. 3, Fig. 4 and Fig. 6).

[0096] According to this structure, since the plurality of frames 440, 441, and 442 holding the doors 41 for the respective openings 35a, 35b, and 35c are directly fixed to the trim panel 31, the doors 41 can be fixed to the trim panel 31 without any gaps, whereby heat leakage can be effectively reduced.

[0097] Furthermore, since the plurality of doors 41 are fixed to the garnish panel 31 by the frames 440, 441, and 442 provided for the respective openings 35, the large-scale frame shell (door holding member) for holding the doors 41 does not need to be separately or additionally provided. Thus, an increase in the weight of the frames 440, 441, and 442, i.e., the grille door unit 40, is suppressed while efficiently holding the doors 41. Therefore, the weight of the supporting structure of the doors 41 can be reduced while suppressing heat leakage.

[0098] In addition, since the doors 41 are held (pivotally supported) by the respective frames 440, 441, and 442 so as to be divided into the door groups 410U, 410M, and 410D for the respective openings 35a, 35b, and 35c, and the frames 440, 441, and 442 are integrally assembled as the grille door unit 40, the doors 41 do not fall apart and can be easily assembled as a package when the plurality of doors 41 are assembled to the garnish panel 31.

[0099] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the width Wa in the vehicle width direction of the openings 35 of the trim 30 is smaller than the width Wb of the front surface opening 7 in the vehicle width direction for introducing the running wind (running wind introducing opening) of the bumper surface 6, which is arranged in front of the trim 30 (see Fig. 3).

[0100] According to this structure, when covering the front of the engine with the flaps, the flaps 41 provided on the cowl 30 that cover the openings 35 can reduce the widths of the flaps 41 rather than the flaps provided on the bumper face 6 that cover the front surface opening 7. Therefore, the front of the engine can be easily covered, the heat retention structure in front of the engine can be simplified, and the weight and cost can be reduced.

[0101] Furthermore, since the bumper face 6 constitutes the external surface of the front part of the vehicle body, the shape and size of the front surface opening 7 of the bumper face 6 vary according to the design of the vehicle body. Therefore, in the structure in which the front surface opening 7 is opened and closed by the flaps provided on the bumper face 6, it is necessary to change the size and layout of the flaps when the shape and size of the front surface opening 7 are changed.

[0102] On the other hand, since this embodiment is provided with the flaps 41 that open and close the openings 35 of the cowl 30, the front of the engine can be covered to be openable and closable without the need to change the size and layout of the flaps 41 when the shape and size of the front surface opening 7 are changed. DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 6 Front bumper area (bumper area) 7 Opening of the front surface (airstream introduction opening) 22 upper cover part 22f front end of the upper lid part 31 Cladding sheet or panel 31U upper link (upper side of the fairing) 35 (35a, 35b and 35c) Opening 40 Grille flap unit 41 Radiator grille flap 440, 441 and 442 frame (flap holding part) Wa (Wal+War) Width of an opening in the panel in the vehicle width direction (opening width of the panel in the vehicle width direction) Wb Width of the opening of the front surface in the vehicle width direction (width of the airflow introduction opening in the vehicle width direction)

Claims

[1] Vehicle comprising: an engine compartment comprising a top wall, side walls, a front wall and has a rear wall; an engine located inside the engine compartment; an upper cover part (22) which is arranged inside the engine compartment and covers the engine from above; a panel (30) arranged inside the engine compartment and formed in a frame shape having at least one opening (35) arranged in front of the engine; and at least one grille flap (41) provided on the panel (30) and configured to open and close the at least one opening (35), wherein a front end (22f) of the upper cover part (22) is arranged on an upper side (31U) of the casing (30), and wherein the grille flap (41) is closed when an ignition is switched off, wherein the trim (30) includes a plurality of openings (35) and the grille flap (41) includes a plurality of grille flaps (41) corresponding to the plurality of openings (35), wherein the vehicle comprises a grille flap unit (40) having flap holding parts (440, 441, 442) which hold the grille flaps (41), wherein the parts (440, 441, 442) holding the flap are fixed directly to the covering (30). [2] A vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising an associated heat retaining member (21) disposed inside the engine compartment and consisting of the upper cover part (22), the trim (30), the grille cover (41) and side wall parts (23 to 26) covering sides of the engine. [3] A vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the grille flap (41) is provided on the trim panel (30) on a rear side. [4] A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a width (Wa) of the opening (35) of the cowl (30) in the vehicle width direction is smaller than a width (Wb) of a wind-introducing opening (7) of a bumper surface (6) in the vehicle width direction, the bumper surface (6) being arranged in front of the cowl (30). [5] Heat retention structure for an engine, comprising: an upper cover part (22) for covering the motor from above; a cover (30) having at least one opening (35) which is arranged or can be arranged in front of the engine; and a grille flap (41) provided on the panel (30) and configured to open and close the at least one opening (35), wherein a front end (22f) of the upper cover part (22) is arranged on an upper side (31U) of the casing (30), and wherein the grille flap (41) is closed when an ignition is switched off, wherein the trim (30) includes a plurality of openings (35) and the grille flap (41) includes a plurality of grille flaps (41) corresponding to the plurality of openings (35), wherein the vehicle comprises a grille flap unit (40) having flap holding parts (440, 441, 442) which hold the grille flaps (41), wherein the parts (440, 441, 442) holding the flap are fixed directly to the covering (30). [6] A heat retention structure according to claim 5, further comprising an associated heat retention member (21) comprising the upper cover part (22), the cowl (30), the grille door (41) and side wall parts (23 to 26) covering sides of the engine. [7] The heat retaining structure according to claim 6, wherein the side wall parts (23 to 26) include a rear wall part (23), a left wall part (24), a right wall part (25) and a front wall part (26). [8] A method for maintaining engine heat, comprising the steps of: Covering the motor from above by an upper cover part (22); Arranging a cover (30) having at least one opening (35) in front of the engine; and Providing a grille flap (41) for opening and closing the at least one opening (35), Arranging a front end (22f) of the upper cover part (22) on an upper side (31U) of the cover (30), and Closing the grille flap (41) when an ignition is switched off, forming the panel (30) with a plurality of openings (35), Forming the grille flap (41) with a plurality of grille flaps (41) corresponding to the plurality of openings (35), Providing the vehicle with a grille flap unit (40) which is formed with flap holding parts (440, 441, 442) which hold the grille flaps (41), wherein the parts (440, 441, 442) holding the flap are fixed directly to the covering (30).

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