Vehicle air intake device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle air intake device capable of: preventing warm air heated in an engine room from flowing to a back side of an air intake port of an air intake duct and being sucked therethrough; and curbing a reduction in engine output due to decreased intake air density.SOLUTION: A radiator 42 with an upper section thereof supported with an upper core support 5 is arranged on a left side of an air intake duct 52 in a vehicle width direction. The air intake duct 52 has a shielding wall section 59, extended to the left side in the vehicle width direction along a rear edge of an upper surface of the upper core support 5, on a left side edge section of an air intake port 53 in the vehicle width direction. The shielding wall section 59 is inclined forward so that a lower edge section thereof is positioned anterior to an upper edge section thereof. The air intake duct 52 has a side wall section 55 extended toward a front side of a vehicle on the left side edge section of the air intake port 53 in the vehicle width direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an intake device for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an intake duct mounting structure for mounting an intake duct in an engine room. In Patent Document 1, a radiator support is disposed in front of the engine room in the front of the vehicle, and an upper portion of the radiator support extends in the vehicle width direction. In addition, a front portion of the intake duct is attached to the upper portion of the radiator support. The intake duct has an intake portion at the front and an exhaust portion at the rear. The intake portion is formed with an intake port that opens to the front, and the exhaust portion is formed with an exhaust port that opens to the rear. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6350317 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the conventional technology described in Patent Document 1, a part of the air that passes through the radiator rearward hits the engine, etc. and flows forward. As a result, the warm air heated by the engine, etc., flows around from the rear and is sucked into the intake port of the intake duct, which reduces the intake density and may reduce engine output.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide an intake device for a vehicle that can prevent warm air heated in the engine compartment from flowing around to the rear and being sucked into the intake port of the intake duct, thereby preventing a decrease in engine output due to a decrease in intake density. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is an intake device for a vehicle comprising an intake duct having an intake port that opens toward the front of the vehicle in an engine compartment at the front of the vehicle, and an intake hose that sends the air taken in by the intake duct to the engine, wherein the intake duct is attached to an upper surface of a support member extending in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle, a radiator whose upper part is supported by the support member is arranged on one side of the intake duct in the vehicle width direction, and the intake duct has a blocking wall portion at one end of the intake port in the vehicle width direction that extends to one side in the vehicle width direction along the rear edge of the upper surface of the support member. Effect of the Invention

[0007] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an intake device for a vehicle that can prevent warm air heated in the engine compartment from flowing around to the rear and being sucked into the intake port of the intake duct, thereby preventing a decrease in engine output due to a decrease in intake density. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the front part of a vehicle equipped with an intake device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vehicle intake device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a front view of the vehicle intake device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of the vehicle intake device shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow VV of the vehicle intake device shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The vehicle intake device according to one embodiment of the present invention is an intake device for a vehicle that includes an intake duct having an intake port that opens toward the front of the vehicle in an engine room at the front of the vehicle, and an intake hose that sends air taken in by the intake duct to the engine, and the intake duct is attached to an upper surface of a support member that extends in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle, and is characterized in that a radiator whose upper part is supported by the support member is disposed on one side of the intake duct in the vehicle width direction, and the intake duct has a blocking wall portion that extends to one side in the vehicle width direction along the rear edge of the upper surface of the support member at one end of the intake port in the vehicle width direction. As a result, the vehicle intake device according to one embodiment of the present invention can prevent warm air heated in the engine room from going around to the intake port of the intake duct from the rear and being sucked in, and can prevent a decrease in engine output due to a decrease in intake density. EXAMPLES

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An intake device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] 1 to 5 are diagrams showing a vehicle intake device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 1 to 5, the up-down, front-rear, left-right directions refer to the front-rear direction of the vehicle, the left-right direction of the vehicle (vehicle width direction) and the up-down direction of the vehicle (vehicle height direction).

[0012] First, the configuration will be described. In Fig. 1, an upper core support 5 serving as a support member extending in the vehicle width direction is provided in the front part of a vehicle 1. Behind the upper core support 5 in the front part of the vehicle 1, an engine room 21 surrounded by an engine hood (bonnet), a dash panel, etc. (not shown) is formed.

[0013] An engine 22 is installed in the engine room 21. The engine 22 includes an engine body 22A, an air cleaner 29 provided on an upper portion of the engine body 22A, and the like. A transmission 30 is installed in the engine room 21. The transmission 30 is connected to the left end portion of the lower portion of the engine body 22A.

[0014] The engine body 22A includes a cylinder block (not shown), a cylinder head connected to the top of the cylinder block, a cylinder head cover connected to the top of the cylinder head, and an oil pan connected to the bottom of the cylinder block.

[0015] The cylinder block is provided with a plurality of cylinders (not shown). Pistons (not shown) are housed in the cylinders and reciprocate vertically relative to the cylinders. The pistons are connected to a crankshaft (not shown) via connecting rods (not shown), and the reciprocating motion of the pistons is converted into the rotational motion of the crankshaft via the connecting rods. The engine 22 is arranged horizontally in the engine room 21 so that the plurality of cylinders are aligned in the width direction of the vehicle 1.

[0016] An exhaust pipe 41 is connected to the front surface of the engine body 22A, and the exhaust pipe 41 exhausts high-temperature exhaust gas discharged from the engine body 22A to the outside of the vehicle. The exhaust pipe 41 extends downward on the front side of the engine body 22A.

[0017] A front grill having a grill opening (not shown) is provided at the front end of the vehicle 1. Wind generated while the vehicle is traveling is introduced into the engine compartment 21 through the grill opening of the front grill.

[0018] The vehicle 1 is equipped with a vehicle intake device 50. The vehicle intake device 50 is equipped with an intake duct 52 and an intake hose 51 connected to the rear end of the intake duct 52. The intake duct 52 and the intake hose 51 are made of flexible rubber or the like. The intake duct 52 has an intake port 53 that opens toward the front of the vehicle in the engine compartment 21, and takes in air from this opening 53. The downstream end of the intake hose 51 is connected to the air cleaner 29. The intake hose 51 sends the air taken in by the intake duct 52 to the engine 22 via the air cleaner 29.

[0019] The upper core support 5 extends in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle 1. The intake duct 52 is attached to the upper surface of the upper core support 5. The grill opening of the front grille is not at the same height as the intake duct 53 in front of the intake duct 53, but is located lower than the intake duct 53. In other words, the intake duct 53 is not at the same height as the rear of the grill opening of the front grille, but is located higher than the grill opening. Therefore, the intake duct 52 does not directly take in air that has passed through the grill opening, but takes in air that has passed through the grill opening and moved obliquely upward after hitting the upper core support 5 or the like. This makes it possible to prevent water that has passed through the grill opening from being sucked into the intake duct 53 when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a flooded road. A hood lock member (not shown) is attached to the upper surface of the upper core support 5, and the hood lock member fixes the engine hood in a closed state.

[0020] The radiator 42 is disposed on the left side of the intake duct 52 in the vehicle width direction. An upper portion of the radiator 42 is supported by the upper core support 5. Thus, the radiator 42 is disposed lower than the intake duct 52 in the vehicle vertical direction. The radiator 42 cools the coolant by heat exchange with air introduced into the engine compartment 21 from the front of the vehicle 1.

[0021] A fan shroud 42A is disposed on the rear surface of the radiator 42. An electric cooling fan (not shown) is housed in the fan shroud 42A. The electric cooling fan operates when the temperature of the cooling water reaches or exceeds a threshold value, and draws in air in front of the radiator 42 and blows it rearward.

[0022] 2 and 3, intake duct 52 has a rectangular cross section when viewed from the front, and the cross-sectional area becomes smaller toward the rear. Moreover, intake port 53 also has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front.

[0023] The intake duct 52 has a bottom wall portion 54 at the lower end of the intake port 53. The bottom wall portion 54 extends toward the front of the vehicle along the upper surface of the upper core support 5. The bottom wall portion 54 is fixed to the upper surface of the upper core support 5 by bolts 54A.

[0024] The intake duct 52 has a side wall portion 55 extending toward the front of the vehicle at the left end of the intake port 53 in the vehicle width direction. The intake duct 52 also has a side wall portion 56 extending toward the front of the vehicle at the right end of the intake port 53 in the vehicle width direction.

[0025] The lower ends of the left and right side walls 55, 56 are continuous with the left and right ends in the vehicle width direction of the bottom wall 54. Of the left and right side walls 55, 56, the left side wall 55 constitutes the side wall in the present invention.

[0026] In this way, bottom wall 54 and left and right side walls 55, 56 are arranged on the bottom surface and left and right side surfaces of air intake port 53 of air intake duct 52. As a result, the space in front of air intake port 53 is surrounded from below by bottom wall 54, from the left by side wall 55, and from the right by side wall 56. Bottom wall 54 and left and right side walls 55, 56 guide air in front of air intake duct 52 to air intake port 53.

[0027] The intake duct 52 has a blocking wall portion 59. The blocking wall portion 59 is disposed at the left end portion in the vehicle width direction of the intake port 53, and extends to the left side in the vehicle width direction along the rear edge of the top surface of the upper core support 5. A right end portion of the blocking wall portion 59 is continuous with the rear end portion of the side wall portion 55.

[0028] The intake duct 52 has a connecting portion 58. The connecting portion 58 is disposed in front of the blocking wall portion 59 and extends toward the front of the vehicle along the upper surface of the upper core support 5. The connecting portion 58 is fixed to the upper surface of the upper core support 5 by a bolt 58A. The bottom wall portion 54, the side wall portions 55 and 56, the blocking wall portion 59, and the connecting portion 58 of the intake duct 52 are integrally configured. The rear end portion of the connecting portion 58 is continuous with the lower end portion of the blocking wall portion 59. The right end portion of the connecting portion 58 is continuous with the lower end portion of the side wall portion 55. In other words, the connecting portion 58 connects (connects) the blocking wall portion 59 and the side wall portion 55. This allows the connecting portion 58, the blocking wall portion 59, and the side wall portion 55 to mutually increase their rigidity. Therefore, the fixing to the upper core support 5 makes it possible to prevent the connecting portion 58, the blocking wall portion 59, or the side wall portion 55 from being deformed by the load acting on the connecting portion 58. Furthermore, the load acting on intake duct 52 from above by other members (such as a part of front bumper 60 described below) can be borne by connecting portion 58, blocking wall portion 59 and side wall portion 55.

[0029] 5, the blocking wall portion 59 extends upward from the position of the upper surface of the upper core support 5. The blocking wall portion 59 is inclined downward toward the front so that a lower end portion 59B is located further forward than an upper end portion 59A.

[0030] In Figure 2, length L1 from downstream end 52A of intake duct 52 on the left side in the vehicle width direction to intake port 53 is longer than length L2 from downstream end 52A of intake duct 52 on the right side in the vehicle width direction to intake port 53.

[0031] A reinforcing bead 57 that protrudes upward is formed on the upper surface of the intake duct 52. The reinforcing bead 57 is formed from the left end position to the right end position of the intake port 53 on the upper surface of the intake duct 52, and prevents the upper surface of the intake duct 52 from bending downward due to negative pressure acting on the intake duct 52. The reinforcing bead 57 and the blocking wall portion 59 are arranged on the same line when viewed from above, and the left end of the reinforcing bead 57 is continuous with the upper right end of the blocking wall portion 59. In addition, the left end of the reinforcing bead 57 is continuous with the upper end of the rear end of the side wall portion 55. In other words, the reinforcing bead 57, the blocking wall portion 59, and the side wall portion 55 are connected (linked) to each other to increase their rigidity. This makes it possible to improve the rigidity of the intake duct 52.

[0032] 4 and 5, a part of a front bumper 60 as a vehicle body member is disposed above the upper core support 5. The front bumper 60 extends in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle 1. An upper end portion 59A of the blocking wall portion 59 is disposed at the same position as the front bumper 60 or at a higher position than the front bumper 60 in the vehicle height direction. Therefore, the space in front of the intake port 53 is surrounded from above by the front bumper 60.

[0033] Next, the operation will be described. In the engine compartment 21 of the vehicle 1, the intake port 53 of the intake duct 52 provided on the top surface of the upper core support 5 takes in air that has passed through a grill opening of a front grille (not shown) and then moved obliquely upward after hitting the upper core support 5, as shown by the arrow A1 in FIG.

[0034] Also, as shown by the arrow A2, the air that has passed through the radiator 42 is sent rearward. As shown by the arrow A3 in Figs. 1 and 5, a part of the air sent rearward moves to the upper right and forward by hitting the engine 22 and the like, and approaches the intake port 53 of the intake duct 52 from the rear at the lower left, as if going around. The air shown by the arrow A3 is high-temperature warm air that has been warmed not only by the engine body 22A but also by the exhaust pipe 41 at the front of the engine 22. The intake duct 52 of this embodiment is provided on the upper surface of the upper core support 5, so that it can suppress the direct intake of wind from the grill opening, and can prevent the intake of water when driving on a flooded road. On the other hand, the position of the upper surface of the upper core support 5 in the engine room 21 is less susceptible to direct wind (ram pressure) taken in from the grill opening as the vehicle 1 travels, and warm air that goes around from the rear is likely to gather.

[0035] In this embodiment, a radiator 42, whose upper part is supported by the upper core support 5, is arranged on the left side of the intake duct 52 in the vehicle width direction, and the intake duct 52 has a blocking wall portion 59 at the left end of the intake port 53 in the vehicle width direction, which extends to the left side in the vehicle width direction along the rear edge of the upper surface of the upper core support 5.

[0036] As a result, when warm air heated by the engine 22 after passing through the radiator 42 comes around from the rear toward the intake port 53 of the intake duct 52, the warm air is blocked by the blocking wall portion 59 provided at the left end portion of the intake duct 52, and the warm air can be prevented from being taken in through the intake port 53. As a result, it is possible to prevent the warm air heated in the engine compartment 21 from coming around from the rear and being taken in through the intake port 53 of the intake duct 52, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in engine output due to a decrease in the intake density. In addition, it is possible to prevent snow that is blown up into the engine compartment 21 when driving in snow from being taken in through the intake port 53.

[0037] In this embodiment, the blocking wall portion 59 is inclined downward toward the front so that the lower end portion 59B is located further forward than the upper end portion 59A.

[0038] 2 and 5, the warm air (indicated by arrow A3) that wraps around from the rear of the vehicle toward the intake port 53 in the engine compartment 21 can be guided downward by the blocking wall portion 59 and away from the intake port 53. This makes it possible to prevent the warm air from climbing over the blocking wall portion 59 and being drawn into the intake port 53 as shown by arrow A5 in Fig. 5. This makes it possible to prevent the warm air heated in the engine compartment 21 from wrapping around from the rear and being drawn into the intake port 53 of the intake duct 52, thereby preventing a decrease in engine output due to a decrease in intake density.

[0039] In this embodiment, the intake duct 52 has a side wall portion 55 extending toward the front of the vehicle at the left end portion of the intake port 53 in the vehicle width direction.

[0040] As a result, the double-wall structure of the blocking wall portion 59 and the side wall portion 55 can prevent the warm air from being drawn into the intake port 53, despite the flow of warm air circulating from the rear of the vehicle inside the engine compartment 21 toward the intake port 53. For this reason, even if warm air were to climb over the top of the blocking wall portion 59 as shown by arrow A5 in Fig. 5, the warm air that has climbed over can be blocked by the side wall portion 55. This can prevent the warm air heated inside the engine compartment 21 from circulating around from the rear and being drawn into the intake port 53 of the intake duct 52, thereby preventing a decrease in engine output due to a decrease in intake air density.

[0041] In addition, in this embodiment, the length L1 from the downstream end 52A of the intake duct 52 on the left side in the vehicle width direction to the intake port 53 is longer than the length L2 from the downstream end 52A of the intake duct 52 on the right side in the vehicle width direction to the intake port 53.

[0042] As a result, the left side surface of intake duct 52 is formed longer than the right side surface, so that it is possible to prevent warm air from radiator 42 from reaching side wall portion 55 along the left side surface of intake duct 52. Therefore, it is possible to prevent warm air heated in engine compartment 21 from going around to intake port 53 of intake duct 52 from the rear and being sucked in, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in engine output due to a decrease in intake density.

[0043] In this embodiment, a front bumper 60 extending in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle 1 is disposed above the upper core support 5. An upper end portion 59A of the blocking wall portion 59 is disposed at the same position as the front bumper 60 or at a higher position than the front bumper 60 in the vehicle height direction.

[0044] As a result, the warm air that passes over the blocking wall portion 59 and flows into the intake port 53 from the rear can be blocked by the front bumper 60 above the blocking wall portion 59. Also, since the upper end portion 59A of the blocking wall portion 59 is disposed at the same position as the front bumper 60 or at a higher position than the front bumper 60, the amount of warm air that passes over the blocking wall portion 59 and flows into the intake port 53 from the rear can be reduced. This makes it possible to prevent the warm air heated in the engine compartment 21 from flowing over from the rear and being sucked into the intake port 53 of the intake duct 52, thereby preventing a decrease in engine output due to a decrease in intake density.

[0045] Although an embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention, and it is intended that all such modifications and equivalents be included in the following claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1...vehicle, 5...upper core support (support member), 21...engine room, 22...engine, 42...radiator, 50...vehicle intake device, 51...intake hose, 52...intake duct, 53...intake port, 55...side wall portion, 59...blocking wall portion, 59A...upper end portion, 59B...lower end portion, 60...front bumper (vehicle body member)

Claims

1. an intake duct having an intake port that opens toward the front of the vehicle in an engine compartment at the front of the vehicle; and an intake hose that sends air taken in by the intake duct to an engine, The vehicle air intake device includes a support member extending in a vehicle width direction at a front portion of the vehicle, the support member having an upper surface, and the air intake duct is attached to the upper surface of the support member, a radiator supported at an upper portion by the support member is disposed on one side of the intake duct in a vehicle width direction; The vehicle intake device is characterized in that the intake duct has a blocking wall portion at one end of the intake port in the vehicle width direction, the blocking wall portion extending to one side in the vehicle width direction along the rear edge of the upper surface of the support member.

2. 2. The vehicle intake device according to claim 1, wherein the blocking wall portion is inclined downward toward the front such that a lower end portion of the blocking wall portion is positioned forward of an upper end portion of the blocking wall portion.

3. 3. The vehicle intake device according to claim 1, wherein the intake duct has a side wall portion extending toward the front of the vehicle at one end portion of the intake port in the vehicle width direction.

4. An intake device for a vehicle as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the length from the downstream end of the intake duct on one side of the vehicle width direction to the intake port is longer than the length from the downstream end of the intake duct on the other side of the vehicle width direction to the intake port.

5. A vehicle body member extending in a vehicle width direction at a front portion of the vehicle is disposed above the support member, 3. The vehicle intake device according to claim 1, wherein an upper end of the blocking wall portion is disposed at the same position as the vehicle body member or at a higher position than the vehicle body member in a vehicle height direction.

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