wheel house trim

Abstract

A wheel house liner (13) for a vehicle (10), comprising: a body part; a sensor (26); and a wheel house deflector (100) positioned within a wheel house (12), the wheel house deflector (100) comprising a deflector portion (102) extending from an outer edge (14) of the wheel house liner (13) to form a lip on the outer edge (14) of the wheel house liner (13); the wheel house deflector (100) being integrally formed with the wheel house liner (13); the wheel house deflector (100) being positioned with the wheel house liner (13) such that the sensor (26) is protected from a jet of contaminants from the wheel (15); andwherein the sensor (26) is arranged in front of the wheel house (12) and the wheel house deflector (100) is configured to direct a fluid flow away from the sensor (26).

Description

The present description relates generally to a wheel arch deflector for protecting sensors located near the wheel arch or wheel arch of a vehicle from liquids and debris.During the travel of a motor vehicle, liquids and dirt can be thrown from the tires into the wheel house. As vehicles are automated, sensors and cameras are mounted in various areas of the vehicle, including the wheel arch. These sensors and cameras are therefore exposed to dirt and debris and must be cleaned for optimal performance.DE 36 33 204 A1 describes a widening of a body in order to increase a vehicle width. For this purpose, in the case of the vehicle body, a decorative element which engages over a body edge at a wheel arch opening is at least partially surrounded by a body part which projects beyond the decorative element in the transverse direction of the body and is provided on both sides of the edge with abutment lugs which engage around and cooperate with abutment pieces, edge, bead provided on the decorative element for positioning and fastening the body part on the decorative element. The body part can thus be fastened to the body without requiring special interventions on the body. In particular, welded and screwed connections and thus damage to the rust-protection coating are avoided.DE 32 16 697 A1 describes a fender for a tractor, having a panel made of plastic or the like which is mounted laterally for widening and bears with a flat web against the side wall of the fender and is fastened by means of U-shaped elastic clamps, the legs of which bear under prestress against the web or against the side wall and are rounded at their free ends by U-shaped angled portions, sheet metal strips which are braced against the side wall on the inner leg of the clamps and engage behind an angled part of the side wall of the fender in order to secure the clamps.DE 880 555 B describes a splash plate for motor vehicles, in particular for the front wheel of motorcycle wheels. The front part of the splash plate is shaped and / or supplemented by structural parts in such a way that the forwardly drawing splash water is deflected and conducted backwards by guides without lifting from the splash plate to the outside.EP 1 300 324 A2 describes a wheel arch shell for a passenger motor vehicle which forms effective splash protection despite the small installation space available. The wheel arch shell has, in the vicinity of the vehicle outer side, a single water collecting channel which runs along the development of the wheel arch shell and is set back radially outwards. The water collecting channel collects a part of the water swirling in the wheel arch and discharges it toward the vehicle lower side. This reduces the amounts of spray that laterally leave the wheel arch. The vehicle thus becomes significantly less dirty and the traffic safety for the other road users increases, since the visibility is better for them.It is therefore the object of the invention to enable a deflection of liquid and dirt from the cameras and / or sensors which are arranged in the vicinity of the front fender or in the vicinity of the wheel arch of a vehicle.In one application, the wheel arch cladding according to the invention and the embodiments is implemented in a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle comprises a body with a wheel arch. The wheel arch has the wheel arch cladding. The motor vehicle also includes a wheel connected to the body and surrounded by the wheel arch, a vehicle sensor disposed adjacent the wheel arch, and a wheel arch deflector disposed within the wheel arch.The object of the invention is achieved by a wheel arch cladding for a vehicle. The wheel arch trim includes a body portion, a sensor, and a wheel arch deflector positioned within the wheel arch. The wheel house deflector includes a deflector portion extending from an outer edge of the wheel house fairing to form a lip at an outer edge of the wheel house fairing. The wheel house deflector is formed integrally with the wheel house cladding. The wheel arch deflector is positioned with the wheel arch trim such that a sensor is protected from a jet of contaminants from the wheel. The sensor is disposed in front of the wheel house and the wheel house deflector is configured to direct fluid flow away from the sensor.According to an embodiment, the wheel arch deflector includes a deflector surface defining a recess configured to direct a flow of liquid.According to one embodiment, the depression is arranged inside the outer edge of the wheel arch cladding.According to one embodiment, the depression extends parallel to the outer edge of the wheel arch cladding.According to an embodiment, the wheel house deflector extends along the outer edge of the wheel house fairing from a first position to a second position behind the first position.The present description will be described in conjunction with the following figures, wherein like reference numerals designate like elements. FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a vehicle wheel well having a wheel well fouling deflector. FIG. 2 is a close-up perspective view of the wheel arch debris deflector of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic bottom view of a vehicle wheel arch with a wheel arch debris deflector. FIG. 4 is a close-up perspective cross-sectional view of the wheel arch debris deflector of FIG. 3.Embodiments of the present description will be described herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments may take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features could be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components.Certain terms are used in the following description for reference purposes only and are therefore not to be considered limiting. For example, terms such as "top" and "bottom" refer to directions in the figures to which reference is made. Terms such as "front," "rear," "left," "right," and "lateral" describe the orientation and / or location of portions of the components or elements within a uniform, but arbitrary frame of reference that will be apparent by reference to the text and the associated figures in which the discussed components or elements are described. Moreover, terms such as "first", "second", "third", etc. can be used to describe individual components. This terminology may include the terms expressly mentioned above, their derivatives, and terms of similar meaning.The operation of modern vehicles is becoming more automated, i.e. they are able to control driving with fewer driver interventions. To enable control of the vehicle, the vehicle includes a plurality of sensors disposed around the vehicle and configured to provide data about the environment of the vehicle. In various embodiments, the vehicle includes one or more sensors disposed proximate to the wheel arch or wheel arch of the vehicle. In this position near the wheel arch, the sensors are exposed to contaminants such as splashing and dirt, which can impair the function of the sensors. In various embodiments, washer systems are used to keep sensors clean of dirt and other contaminants; however, the washer systems increase the complexity of the sensor installation.FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of a wheel arch deflector for a vehicle. As described herein, a vehicle 10 shown in partial view in FIG. 1 includes a body 11 and a wheel arch 12. The wheel arch 12 comprises a wheel arch cladding 13 which is connected to the wheel arch 12 or is formed integrally therewith. The wheel house cover 13 is a body part including a wheel house deflector 100. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the wheel house deflector 100 is disposed inside the wheel house fairing 13 or integrated with the wheel house fairing 13 to protect a sensor 26 from contaminants that are swirling by the wheel 15 or sprays of roads, etc.In various embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the wheel house deflector 100 includes a deflector portion 102 extending from a first or outer edge 14 of the wheel house fairing 13. The first or outer edge 14 is located at an outer position of the wheel arch trim 13. the deflector portion 102 extends downwardly from the outer edge 14, i.e., toward the area defined by the wheel arch 12, and forms a lip or edge at the outer edge of the wheel arch trim 13. The wheel arch deflector 100 is positioned with the wheel arch trim 13 such that a sensor, such as the sensor 26 shown in FIG. 1, is protected from a jet of contaminants from the wheel 15.In various embodiments, the sensor 26 is disposed in front of the wheel house 12, and the wheel house deflector 100 is configured to direct fluid flow away from the sensor 26. In various embodiments, the wheel house deflector 100 extends along the first or outer edge 14 of the wheel house fairing 13 from a first position in front of the wheel 15 to a second position, as shown in FIG. 1. In various embodiments, the second position is rearward of the first position, and in some embodiments rearward of the wheel 15.A further embodiment of a wheel arch deflector 200 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle 10 includes a body 11 and a wheel arch 12 having a wheel arch trim 13. In various embodiments, the wheel house deflector 200 is manufactured as part of and is integral with the wheel house fairing 13.As shown in FIG. 4, the wheel arch deflector 200 includes an edge 202. In various embodiments, the edge 202 is an outer edge of the wheel arch trim 13. a deflector surface 203 defines a depression 204. The depression 204 is located inside the outer edge 14 of the wheel arch trim panel 13 to make the depression 204 invisible from the outside of the vehicle 10. In various embodiments, the recess 204 extends generally parallel to the outer edge 14 of the wheel arch liner 13. a spray of contaminants from the wheel 15 is directed along the deflector surface 203 and retained in the recess 204 such that the spray is prevented from passing beyond the edge 202. The depression 204 is disposed within the outer edge 14 of the wheel arch liner 13 to direct a flow of liquid away from a sensor disposed adjacent the wheel arch, such as the sensor 26 shown in FIG. 1.As used herein, unless expressly stated otherwise or otherwise understood in context, the conditional language, such as "may", "could", "e.g.," and the like, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include certain characteristics, elements, and / or states, while other embodiments do not include these. Therefore, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that characteristics, elements and / or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic to decide, with or without the author's input or prompt, whether these characteristics, elements and / or states are included in or are to be executed in a particular embodiment.In addition, the following terminology may have been used herein. The singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, reference to an item includes reference to one or more items. The term "some" refers to one, two, or more, and generally applies to the selection of a portion or the entirety of a set. The term "multiple" refers to two or more copies of an article. The term "about" or "about" means that amounts, dimensions, sizes, formulations, parameters, shapes, and other properties need not be exact, but may be approximated and / or larger or smaller as desired, taking into account acceptable tolerances, conversion factors, rounding offs, measurement errors, and the like, as well as other factors known to those skilled in the art. The term "substantially" means that the stated characteristic, parameter, or value need not be exactly achieved, but that deviations or variations, for example tolerances, measurement errors, measurement accuracy constraints, and other factors known to those skilled in the art, may occur to an extent that does not exclude the intended effect of the characteristic.

Claims

A wheel arch cover (13) for a vehicle (10) comprising: a body part; a sensor (26); and a wheel arch deflector (100) positioned within a wheel arch (12), the wheel arch deflector (100) comprising a deflector portion (102) extending from an outer edge (14) of the wheel arch cover (13) to form a lip on the outer edge (14) of the wheel arch cover (13); wherein the wheel arch deflector (100) is integrally formed with the wheel arch cover (13); wherein the wheel arch deflector (100) is positioned with the wheel arch cover (13) such that the sensor (26) is protected from a jet of contaminants from the wheel (15); and wherein the sensor (26) is arranged in front of the wheel house (12) and the wheel house deflector (100) is configured to direct a fluid flow away from the sensor (26).The wheel arch fairing (13) of claim 1, wherein the wheel arch deflector (200) includes a deflector surface (203) defining a depression (204) configured to direct fluid flow.The wheel arch liner (13) of claim 2, wherein the recess (204) is disposed within the outer edge (14) of the wheel arch liner (13).Wheel arch cover (13) according to claim 3, wherein the depression (204) extends parallel to the outer edge (14) of the wheel arch cover (13).The wheel arch liner (13) of claim 2, wherein the recess (204) is located at an outer edge (14) of the wheel arch liner (13).The wheel arch trim of claim 1, wherein the wheel arch deflector (100) extends along the outer edge (14) of the wheel arch trim (13) from a first position to a second position rearward of the first position.

Images