Back pressure air intake duct

Abstract

The present invention discloses a dynamic pressure air intake duct 1 for a vehicle, e.g., a truck and a bus. The duct 1 includes an inlet portion 2 provided adjacent to a cab door 4 of the vehicle, and a connecting portion 3 connected between the inlet portion 2 and an air filter unit 10. The inlet portion 2 is configured to allow outside air to flow through the inlet portion 2, and the connecting portion 3 is configured to allow air to flow from the inlet portion 2 to the air filter unit 10.

Description

Preamble for DescriptionThe following patent describes the invention and the manner in which it is practiced.DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONTechnical Field of the InventionThe present invention relates to air intake systems for vehicles. More particularly, the invention relates to a ram air inlet duct for a vehicle operating in harsh environments and having a low floor and a limited cabin space.General State of the ArtIn a typical vehicle, a grille or a bumper cover is provided at a front end of a vehicle, and a front vehicle body structure guides the air flow through opening portions in the grille or the bumper cover to a radiator disposed in front of an engine. This construction offers room for improvements in air inlet efficiency, particularly in trucks where air inlet from the rear of a vehicle cabin is not possible. In such cases, the raw air inlet must be designed in front of a cabin flap in order to guide the fresh air. To achieve this, an air filter is mounted on a radiator behind a cabin flap with horizontal cooling grill / horizontal fins.This arrangement is difficult in recent vehicles which require a low floor cabin and a limited space for installation in the engine compartment. In such vehicles, the cabin flap needs to be closed to improve aerodynamics and fuel efficiency, and therefore, entry of ram air through the cabin flap is not possible. On the other hand, there are vehicles in which the air inlet is provided between the cabin flap and the vehicle bumper.CN106515637B discloses an air intake structure provided at a front end of a motor vehicle, wherein an air intake grille is mounted on an outer sheet metal part of the front bumper, and a cowl is located behind the air intake grille. A wind guiding structure is arranged on the wind guiding hood and is positioned between the wind guiding hood and the outer sheet metal part of the front bumper. However, the air inlet between a cabin door and a bumper has the following problems:a small gap between the flap and the bumper reduces the volume of the air inlet;the gap on the bumper is easily exposed to snow, water and larger dust particles during operation in harsh environments;air at high temperature from the adjacent engine compartment zone may easily impair cooling efficiency; andA cooling grille at the entry point to prevent the entry of foreign bodies such as insects can lead to undesired turbulence and pressure losses.Therefore, there is a need for a ram air inlet duct that can prevent water, dust, snow, and the like from entering the air while allowing an air entry point to be placed as low as possible and isolating the entry point from higher temperature engine compartment zones. In addition, laminar air flow must be made possible and air recirculation must be prevented.Summary of the InventionThe present invention relates to a ram air inlet duct for a vehicle, preferably a bus and truck. The duct includes an inlet portion provided adjacent to a cabin door of the vehicle and a connection portion connected between the inlet portion and an air cleaner unit. The inlet portion is configured to allow outside air to flow through the inlet portion. The connecting portion allows air to flow from the inlet portion to the air cleaner unit.The inlet portion includes a U-shaped part positioned adjacent to the cabin door and a first seal provided between a bottom of the U-shaped part and a top of a vehicle bumper, wherein a gap is formed between the cabin door and the vehicle bumper. The U-shaped part is configured to generate a siphon-shaped air flow when the outside air enters through the gap, wherein the air flows upward when entering the U-shaped part and flows downward when exiting the U-shaped part.In one aspect of the present invention, a second seal is provided between the U-shaped part and the cabin flap. A rear edge of the second seal is secured to the U-shaped portion and a front edge of the second seal forms a sealing contact with the cabin flap when the channel is placed adjacent the cabin flap. The first seal forms a sealing contact with the vehicle bumper when the channel is placed adjacent the cabin door.In another aspect of the present invention, the U-shaped member includes a grille and one or more vanes. Preferably, each vane is angled with respect to the grille and each vane is integrated into the grille such that the vane faces an entry point of the U-shaped portion.These and other aspects of the embodiments described herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in connection with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating preferred embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are for purposes of illustration and not limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the scope thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.Brief Description of the DrawingsThe foregoing and other features of the embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements. FIG. 1 illustrates a plan view of a ram air intake duct of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 illustrates an elongated sectional view of the ram air inlet duct of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the ram air inlet duct of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 illustrates an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the ram air inlet duct of FIG. 1.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONReference will now be made in detail to the description of the present subject matter, one or more examples of which are shown in the figures. Each example is provided for the explanation of the subject matter and is not intended to be limiting. Various changes and modifications that will be apparent to one skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and intent of the invention.The present disclosure relates to a ram air inlet duct for a vehicle, preferably a truck and a bus. The duct includes an inlet portion having a U-shaped part configured to generate a siphon-shaped airflow, wherein outside air is directed to enter the U-shaped part in an upward direction. Thereby, the present invention prevents water, dust, snow and the like from entering the duct in the air, thus making it possible to place the air entry point of the duct as low as possible and lower the cabin floor. Gaskets are mounted on the U-shaped part forming sealing contacts with a cabin flap and a vehicle bumper and thus allows only air between the flap and the bumper to enter the duct while isolating the entry point of the duct from the high temperature engine compartment zones. Moreover, a grille is provided inside the U-shaped part, and vanes are integrated with the grille to allow laminar air flow and prevent air recirculation, which also helps suck more air and reduce pressure loss.FIG. 1 illustrates a plan view of a ram air intake duct 1 for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The duct 1 includes an inlet portion 2 provided adjacent to a cabin door 4 of the vehicle in FIG. 2, and a connection portion 3 connected between the inlet portion 2 and an air cleaner unit 10 in FIG. 2. The inlet portion 2 is configured to allow outside air to flow through the inlet portion 2, and the connection portion 3 is configured to allow air to flow from the inlet portion 2 to the air cleaner unit 10. The air cleaner unit 10 filters the inflowing air and discharges the filtered air to an engine 40 of the vehicle via a connection line 30. The engine 40 is placed next to a radiator 50 for cooling the engine 40, wherein the inlet portion 2 of the duct 1 is placed on top of a vehicle bumper 20 at a corner in a gap available between a vehicle cabin and a chassis unaffected by cabin movements.The inlet portion 2 includes a U-shaped part 5 placed next to the cabin door 4, and a first seal 6 provided between a bottom of the U-shaped part 5 and the top of the vehicle bumper 20, as shown in FIG. 2, wherein a gap 7 is formed between the cabin door 4 and the vehicle bumper 20 to allow outside air to enter therebetween. The U-shaped part 5 is configured to generate a siphon-shaped air flow when the outside air enters through the gap 7, wherein the air flows upward while entering the U-shaped part 5 and flows downward while leaving the U-shaped part 5, as shown in FIG. 2. Since the air enters the duct 1 upward, the present invention can prevent water, dust, snow and the like from entering the air, thus enabling the duct 1 to be placed as low as possible and the cabin floor to be lowered.A second seal 8 is provided between the U-shaped part 5 and the cabin flap 4, a rear edge of the second seal 8 being fixed to the U-shaped part 5, as shown in Figures 3 & 4, and a front edge of the second seal 8 forming a sealing contact with the cabin flap 4 when the duct 1 is placed next to the cabin flap 4, as shown in Figure 2. The first seal 6 forms a sealing contact with the vehicle bumper 20 when the duct 1 is placed next to the cabin flap 4. In this case, the seals 6, 8 form an entry point for outside air which can only enter the duct 1 through the gap 7 between the cabin flap 4 and the vehicle bumper 20, while the entry point is insulated from the nearby engine compartment zone with high temperature and the entry of air with higher temperature from the engine compartment zone is avoided. In addition, the seals 6, 8 form an air reservoir at the entry point as shown in Fig. 2. In one embodiment, the first seal 6 is angled downward, preferably 10-15°, with respect to a bottom surface to function as a drain valve to drain any condensed water in the reservoir. In a preferred embodiment, the first seal (6) flexes downwardly at an angle of 10-15° with respect to a ground surface due to the weight of the dust, snow and / or water accumulated in the reservoir to function as a drain valve for draining the accumulated material. The gaskets 6, 8 are formed of a suitable elastomeric material, preferably ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), which is flexible enough to flex according to the contours of the cabin flap 4 and / or bumper 20 when the duct 1 is placed in position as mentioned above, thus allowing easy assembly of the duct 1 to the bumper 20.The U-shaped part 5 further includes a grille 5a for preventing insect and dust from entering the air cleaner unit 10, and one or more vanes 5b for guiding the air entering the U-shaped part 5. Each guide vane 5 bis integrated into the grille 5 aand angled at an angle θ, preferably in a range of 122-130°, with respect to the grille 5 a, thus facilitating the maintenance of a laminar air flow. Moreover, the vanes 5b are integrated into the grille 5a such that the vanes 5b face the entry point of the U-shaped part, thus allowing the grille 5a to prevent the return of air from the connecting portion 3 towards the entry point, which in turn makes it easier to draw more air into the duct 1 while maintaining an optimum pressure of the air inlet.Although the above embodiment shows that the present invention is applied to commercial vehicles such as buses and trucks, it should be understood that it can also be applied to any vehicle having a low floor, a cabin, space restrictions, or when operating in harsh environments such as snow, rain, dust, and the like. It should also be understood that the figures are for illustration purposes only and the actual product may vary in shape and size.The list of reference numerals and the names thereof are as follows: 1 ram air intake duct 2 intake portion 3 connection portion 4 cabin flap 5 U-shaped part 5 a grille 5 b stationary blades 6 first seal 7 gap 8 second seal 10 air cleaner unit 20 vehicle bumper 30 connection pipe 40 engine 50 radiator.Although at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing summary and detailed description, it should be understood that there are a great number of variations. It should also be understood that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration in any way. Rather, the foregoing summary and detailed description serve to teach a person skilled in the art a practical schedule for implementing an exemplary embodiment, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents.References included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedCN106515637B

[0005]

Claims

A ram air inlet duct (1) for a vehicle, the duct (1) comprising: a) an inlet portion (2) provided adjacent to a cabin flap (4) of the vehicle and configured to allow outside air to flow through the inlet portion (2); and b) a connection portion (3) connected between the inlet portion (2) and an air filter unit (10) to allow the air to flow from the inlet portion (2) to the air filter unit (10), characterized in that the inlet portion (2) includes: - a U-shaped part (5) positioned adjacent to the cabin flap (4); a first seal (6) provided between a lower surface of the U-shaped part (5) and an upper surface of a vehicle bumper (20), a gap (7) being formed between the cabin door (4) and the vehicle bumper (20), the U-shaped part (5) being configured to generate a siphon-shaped air flow when the outside air enters through the gap (7), the air flowing upward while entering the U-shaped part (5) and flowing downward while letting the U-shaped part (5).The duct (1) according to claim 1, wherein a second seal (8) is provided between the U-shaped part (5) and the cabin flap (4), wherein a rear edge of the second seal (8) is fixed to the U-shaped part (5) and a front edge of the second seal (8) forms a sealing contact with the cabin flap (4) when the duct (1) is placed next to the cabin flap (4).The duct (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first seal (6) forms a sealing contact with the vehicle bumper (20) when the duct (1) is placed next to the cabin flap (4).Duct (1) according to claim 1, wherein the U-shaped part (5) comprises a grille (5a) and one or more guide vanes (5b).Duct (1) according to claim 4, wherein each guide blade (5b) is angled with respect to the grille (5a).Duct (1) according to claim 4, wherein each guide vane (5b) is integrated into the grille (5a) such that the guide vane (5b) faces an entry point of the U-shaped part (5).

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