Vehicle structure and vent duct

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of reducing noise entering a cabin in a conventional vehicle structure.SOLUTION: One aspect of a vehicle structure of the present disclosure is a vehicle structure including at least a surrounding part that surrounds a vent port of a hood part covering the vent port on a side part of a vehicle. The surrounding part surrounds the vent port from three sides, i.e., an upper side, a lower side, and a front side, such that the hood part is open rearward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to vehicle structures. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Vehicle structures having a vent port for releasing pressure inside a vehicle compartment have been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-127750 (paragraphs

[0020] to

[0022] ,

[0025] ,

[0037] , Figures 1 to 3, etc.) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] There is a demand for the development of technology that can reduce noise entering the passenger compartment compared to conventional vehicle structures. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the invention is a vehicle structure that includes at least a surrounding portion of a hood portion that covers a vent opening on the side of the vehicle, the surrounding portion surrounding the vent opening from three sides, above, below and the front, so that the hood portion opens toward the rear. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle structure according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view of the vehicle structure of the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an enclosed portion of the vehicle structure of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway perspective view of an enclosed portion of the vehicle structure of the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional plan view of a vehicle structure according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an enclosed portion of a vehicle structure according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway perspective view of an enclosed portion of a vehicle structure according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an enclosed portion of a vehicle structure according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional plan view of a vehicle structure according to a third embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an enclosed portion of a vehicle structure according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional plan view of a vehicle structure according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a graph showing the relationship between frequency and noise level in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a graph showing the relationship between frequency and noise level in each embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] [First embodiment] As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, in the example of the first embodiment of the invention, a vehicle structure 10 is disposed on a side of a vehicle 90. A vent port 21 (terminal exhaust port) of a vent duct 20 for discharging air inside the vehicle cabin to the outside of the vehicle is disposed on the side of the vehicle 90 (see Fig. 2). For example, the vent port 21 is provided on both the left and right sides of the vehicle 90. Below, the vent port 21 and the vehicle structure 10 provided on the left side of the vehicle 90 will be described, but the same applies to the vent port 21 and the vehicle structure 10 provided on the right side of the vehicle 90. Note that examples of the vehicle 90 include an electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, and a fuel cell vehicle.

[0008] In this embodiment, the vent port 21 opens in a portion of the side surface of a body panel 91 on the side of the vehicle 90, rearward of the rear wheels, and covered by a rear bumper 92. An end portion of the vent duct 20 is fitted into and fixed to a side opening 91K formed in the side surface of the body panel 91.

[0009] As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the vent duct 20 is provided with an on-off valve 22 for opening and closing the vent port 21. When the pressure in the vehicle cabin increases when the door is closed or the vehicle air conditioner is operating, the on-off valve 22 is opened to release the pressure in the vehicle cabin through the vent port 21. The on-off valve 22 changes from a closed state in which the vent port 21 is closed to an open state in which the vent port 21 is opened (see Figs. 3 and 4) in response to a relative increase in pressure on the vehicle cabin side with respect to the pressure on the vehicle exterior side. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, the on-off valve 22 has a flap 22A that rotates around its upper end portion. For example, the vent port 21 has a stopper portion against which the vehicle cabin side of the outer edge of the flap 22A abuts, and when the vehicle cabin side becomes negative pressure relative to the vehicle exterior side, the vent port 21 is not in an open state but in a closed state.

[0010] As shown in Fig. 3, in this embodiment, a hood portion 30 is provided to cover the vent port 21. The hood portion 30 has a rear opening 31 that opens to the rear of the vehicle 90, and exhausts air from the vent port 21 to the outside of the vehicle through the rear opening 31. In this embodiment, the hood portion 30 has an opening for exhausting air from the vent port 21 only at the rear opening 31, and does not open to the front, upper, lower, or side. Therefore, the air from the vent port 21 is exhausted to the outside of the vehicle substantially only from the rear opening 31.

[0011] The hood portion 30 has an enclosing portion 32 that encloses the vent opening 21. The enclosing portion 32 provided in the vehicle structure 10 of this embodiment encloses the vent opening 21 from three sides, namely, above, below, and the front, so that the rear opening 31 opens rearward. In the example of this embodiment, the hood portion 30 is disposed inward from the rear bumper 92.

[0012] In this embodiment, the hood portion 30 has a box-shaped structure, and the surrounding portion 32 is a surrounding wall portion in which the front ends of the upper wall portion 32A and the lower wall portion 32B, which are opposed to each other vertically, are connected by the front wall portion 32C. In this embodiment, the hood portion 30 is provided with a facing portion 33 that faces the vent opening 21 and is integrated with the surrounding portion 32. The facing portion 33 is connected to the end of the surrounding portion 32 on the rear bumper 92 side, and in this embodiment, is plate-shaped. In this embodiment, the hood portion 30 is provided with a base wall portion 34 that is overlapped with the opening edge of the side opening 91K of the vehicle body panel 91. The base wall portion 34 has a through hole 34K that exposes the vent opening 21. The base wall portion 34 faces the facing portion 33 and is integrated with the surrounding portion 32. For example, the surrounding portion 32 and the hood portion 30 may be integrally molded products (e.g., made of resin or metal). For example, the vehicle structure 10 may have a vent duct 20 integrally provided with the hood portion 30. In this case, the base wall portion 34 may be integrally molded with the vent duct 20, or the base wall portion 34 may be integrated with an end portion of the vent duct 20 by welding or bonding. For example, the vehicle structure 10 may have the hood portion 30 that is separate from the vent duct 20.

[0013] The inner space R formed inside the hood portion 30 may have a substantially constant cross-sectional area in the front-rear direction from the position of the vent opening 21 to the position of the rear opening 31. In the example of this embodiment shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the inner space R has a rectangular shape in plan view, and has a substantially constant cross-sectional area from the front wall portion 32C to the rear opening 31. The inner space R may have a cross-sectional area that increases or decreases from at least the position of the vent opening 21 (for example, from the position of the front wall portion 32C) toward the position of the rear opening 31. By configuring the inner space R to be substantially constant or increase from the position of the vent opening 21 toward the position of the rear opening 31, it becomes possible to smoothly discharge the air that has passed through the vent opening 21 from the rear opening 31.

[0014] 2, in this embodiment, the front wall portion 32C of the surrounding portion 32 is disposed at a position away from the vent opening 21. Specifically, the distance X between the vent opening 21 (the edge of the opening of the rear vent opening 21) and the rear opening 31 is shorter than the distance Y between the vent opening 21 (the edge of the opening of the front vent opening 21) and the front wall portion 32C (i.e., the surrounding portion 32 is disposed so that the vent opening 21 is closer to the rear opening 31).

[0015] In this embodiment, since the vent opening 21 is covered by the hood portion 30, it is possible to reduce noise entering the vehicle interior from the vent opening 21. In addition, since the opening in the hood portion 30 for discharging air from the vent opening 21 is the rear opening 31 that opens rearward, it is possible to reduce noise entering the vehicle interior compared to when the opening is forward or sideways. In addition, since the front wall portion 32C is provided at a position facing the rear opening 31, it is possible to mute the noise that has entered the inner space R from the rear opening 31 by overlapping it with the noise reflected by the front wall portion 32C. In addition, as described above, since the surrounding portion 32 is arranged so that the vent opening 21 is closer to the rear opening 31, it is possible to reduce noise entering the vehicle interior compared to when the vent opening 21 is arranged closer to the front wall portion 32C (see [Example] below for details). In addition, by positioning the vent port 21 and the rear opening 31 closer to each other, it is possible to smoothly exhaust air from inside the vehicle cabin and to facilitate maintenance (cleaning, replacement, etc.) of the vent port 21 and the opening / closing valve 22.

[0016] [Second embodiment] As shown in Figs. 5 to 7, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the hood portion 30 does not have a base wall portion 34. Specifically, the surrounding portion 32 of the hood portion 30 is directly fixed to the vehicle body panel 91. In this embodiment, the surrounding portion 32 is fixed to the vehicle body panel 91 without any gap. For example, the hood portion 30 may integrally include the surrounding portion 32 and the opposing portion 33 (for example, integrally molded from resin or the like). The other configurations of this embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment. The vehicle structure 10 of this embodiment can also achieve the same effects as the vehicle structure 10 of the first embodiment.

[0017] [Third embodiment] As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the facing portion 33 integrated with the surrounding portion 32 is not provided. Specifically, instead of the facing portion 33 of the first embodiment, the rear bumper 92 is provided with a facing portion 33 that faces the vent opening 21 and abuts against the surrounding portion 32. The facing portion 33 of the rear bumper 92, the surrounding portion 32, and the base wall portion 34 form a hood portion 30 that covers the vent opening 21 and has a rear opening 31. For example, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, a seal member 39 that brings the rear bumper 92 and the surrounding portion 32 into close contact may be provided at the end of the surrounding portion 32 on the rear bumper 92 side. In this way, since the elastic seal member 39 is provided to ensure close contact, for example, the portion of the surrounding portion 32 other than the seal member 39 and the base wall portion 34 can be made of a rigid thin member, which makes it possible to achieve compactness. For example, the surrounding portion 32 and the base wall portion 34 may be integrally provided with the vent duct 20 (for example, integrally molded with resin or the like). Other configurations of this embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment. The vehicle structure 10 of this embodiment can also achieve the same effects as the vehicle structure 10 of the first embodiment.

[0018] [Fourth embodiment] The fourth embodiment is different from the second embodiment in that the facing portion 33 integrated with the surrounding portion 32 is not provided, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. Specifically, instead of the facing portion 33 of the second embodiment, the rear bumper 92 is provided with a facing portion 33 that faces the vent opening 21 and abuts against the surrounding portion 32 (note that, in this embodiment, the base wall portion 34 of the first embodiment is not provided, as in the second embodiment). The facing portion 33 of the rear bumper 92 and the surrounding portion 32 form a hood portion 30 that covers the vent opening 21 and has a rear opening 31. For example, the surrounding portion 32 may be formed of an elastic body. This makes it possible to bring the rear bumper 92 and the surrounding portion into close contact. Examples of the elastic body that forms the surrounding portion 32 include resin foam and rubber. As the foam, a foam that is difficult to breathe, such as one with a closed cell structure, is preferable from the viewpoint of reducing noise toward the vehicle interior. For example, the surrounding portion 32 may have at least the portion that contacts the rear bumper 92 formed of an elastic material. For example, the surrounding portion 32 may be provided integrally with the vent duct 20 (for example, integrally molded with resin or the like). The other configurations of this embodiment are similar to those of the second embodiment. The vehicle structure 10 of this embodiment can also achieve the same effects as the vehicle structures 10 of the first and second embodiments.

[0019] [Other embodiments] Although the hood portion 30 has a box-shaped structure in the first embodiment, it may have another shape, for example, a dome-shaped structure that bulges away from the vent opening 21. In addition, the surrounding portion 32 may be any configuration that surrounds the vent opening 21, and is not limited to a wall-shaped portion (surrounding wall portion).

[0020] For example, in the fourth embodiment, the surrounding portion 32 may be integrally provided on (or molded integrally with) the rear bumper 92. In this case, the vehicle structure 10 may be a structure that is included in the rear bumper 92.

[0021] Although the vent duct 20 is provided with an on-off valve in the above embodiment, it is not necessary to provide the on-off valve 22, and the vent port 21 may be always open. Even in this case, by providing the surrounding portion 32 and the hood portion 30, it is possible to reduce noise entering the vehicle cabin.

[0022] The hood portion 30 may be configured to have, for example, an opening that opens downward instead of the rear opening 31. Even in this case, by providing the surrounding portion 32 and the hood portion 30, it is possible to reduce noise entering the vehicle interior. EXAMPLES

[0023] The above embodiment will be described in more detail below with reference to examples and comparative examples, but the soundproofing structure of the present disclosure is not limited to the following examples. The vehicle structures of the examples and comparative examples were evaluated for their noise reduction effects.

[0024] (1) Vehicle Structures of Examples and Comparative Examples <Examples 1 to 5> The vehicle structures of Examples 1 to 5 are the vehicle structure 10 of the first embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4. The hood portion 30 has a box-shaped structure in which the inner space R is a rectangular parallelepiped. The hood portion 30 is arranged so that the vent port 21 is located in the center of the inner space R in the vertical direction, and is formed of a non-breathable material. The inner space R has a vertical size (height) H of 300 mm shown in Fig. 4, and a horizontal size (width) W of 60 mm shown in Fig. 2 (i.e., this size is the size of the rear opening 31). The longitudinal size Z of the inner space R (see Fig. 4) varies depending on each Example. The vent port 21 has a rectangular shape, a vertical size (height) M of 104 mm, and a longitudinal size L of 100 mm (see Fig. 4).

[0025] In Examples 1 to 5, the distance Y between the front wall portion 32C and the vent port 21 is constant at 60 mm, but the distance X (see Figs. 2 and 4) between the rear opening 31 and the vent port 21 is different. Other points are similar among Examples 1 to 5.

[0026] In the first embodiment, the distance X is 15 mm. In the second embodiment, the interval X is 30 mm. In the third embodiment, the interval X is 60 mm. In the fourth embodiment, the interval X is 90 mm. In the fifth embodiment, the distance X is 105 mm.

[0027] <Comparative Example 1> The vehicle structure of Comparative Example 1 is a conventional vehicle structure, and does not include the hood portion 30 (specifically, does not include the surrounding portion 32, the opposing portion 33, and the base wall portion 34). The other configurations (vent duct 20, etc.) are the same as those of Example 1.

[0028] (2) Evaluation method <Noise measurement> The vehicle structures of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were subjected to noise measurement and evaluation in the vehicle cabin. Specifically, for the vehicle structure corresponding to the vent port 21 on the left side of the vehicle 90, a microphone was placed at a position P (see FIG. 1) at the height of the ears of a passenger sitting in the passenger seat in the vehicle cabin, and the noise level (dB(A)) was measured while the vehicle 90 was driven forward at 60 km / h. By driving the vehicle 90 in this manner, the opening / closing valve 22 (i.e., the flap 22A) of the vent duct 20 is in an open state during the noise measurement, making it possible to open the vent port 21. The position P is 2300 mm forward and 600 mm higher than the center of the vent port 21.

[0029] <Noise analysis by simulation> A simulation of noise in the vehicle cabin was performed for the vehicle structures of Examples 1 to 5. Specifically, in a model in which a wall separating the vehicle cabin from the outside of the vehicle with the vent opening as a boundary extends infinitely in the front-rear and up-down directions as a vehicle structure corresponding to the vent opening 21 on the left side of the vehicle 90, a white noise source was placed at a position Q (see FIG. 2) 230 mm away from the center of the vent opening 21 behind the rear opening 31, and the noise level (dB(A)) at the position P (see FIG. 1) at the height of the ears of a passenger sitting in the passenger seat in the vehicle cabin was calculated. In the simulation, the opening / closing valve 22 (i.e., the flap 22A) was not provided and the vent opening 21 was set to be always open.

[0030] (3) Evaluation results <Noise measurement> 12, it was confirmed that in the frequency range of 125 Hz to 10,000 Hz, the vehicle structure 10 of Example 1 provided with the hood portion 30 reduced the noise level (dB(A)) in the vehicle interior compared to the vehicle structure 10 not provided with the hood portion 30. This reduction effect is particularly noticeable in the frequency ranges of 180 Hz to 300 Hz, 560 Hz to 1900 Hz, and 3150 Hz to 10,000 Hz.

[0031] <Noise analysis by simulation> 13, when the distance X between the rear opening 31 and the vent port 21 is equal to or greater than the distance Y (60 mm) between the front wall portion 32C and the vent port 21 (Examples 3 to 5), the noise level (dB(A)) in the vehicle cabin tends to worsen. This is particularly noticeable in the frequency ranges of 400 Hz to 630 Hz and 800 Hz to 1200 Hz, which are also the frequency ranges of noise that bothers passengers.

[0032] From the above, it was confirmed that the vehicle structures 10 of Examples 1 to 5 are capable of reducing noise into the vehicle cabin compared to the conventional vehicle structure of Comparative Example 1, and in particular, the vehicle structures 10 of Examples 1 and 2, in which the distance X between the rear opening 31 and the vent port 21 is smaller than the distance Y (60 mm) between the front wall portion 32C and the vent port 21, are capable of significantly reducing noise into the vehicle cabin.

[0033] <Additional Notes> The following describes the features extracted from the above-mentioned embodiments and examples, while indicating the effects, etc., as necessary. Note that, in the following, for ease of understanding, the corresponding configurations in the above-mentioned embodiments are appropriately indicated in parentheses, etc., but these feature groups are not limited to the specific configurations indicated in parentheses, etc.

[0034] For example, the following group of features can be considered to have been conceived in response to the problem that "there is a demand for development of technology capable of reducing noise entering the vehicle cabin compared to conventional vehicle structures," in relation to the background technology that "conventionally, vehicle structures equipped with vents for releasing pressure inside the vehicle cabin have been known (see, for example, JP 2000-127750 (paragraphs

[0020] -

[0022] ,

[0025] ,

[0037] , Figs. 1-3, etc.))." In addition, there has been a demand for new vehicle structures and new vehicle parts.

[0035] [Feature 1] A vehicle structure including at least a surrounding portion surrounding a vent port of a hood portion covering the vent port on a side of a vehicle, A vehicle structure, characterized in that the surrounding portion surrounds the vent opening from three sides, namely, above, below and the front side, so that the hood portion opens toward the rear.

[0036] [Feature 2] A vehicle structure including a vent duct having a vent port provided on a vehicle side and a hood portion covering the vent port, A vehicle structure, wherein the hood portion surrounds the vent opening from three sides, namely, above, below and the front, so that the rear side is open.

[0037] [Feature 3] A vent duct having a vent port that can be opened and closed by an opening and closing valve disposed on a side of a vehicle, The vent duct is characterized in that it has an enclosing portion that surrounds the vent port from three sides, namely, above, below and in front, so that the rear side is open, and abuts against an opposing portion that faces the vent port.

[0038] [Feature 4] A vent duct having a vent port that can be opened and closed by an opening and closing valve disposed on a side of a vehicle, The vent duct is characterized in that it comprises an enclosing portion that surrounds the vent port from three sides (top, bottom, and front) so that the rear is open, and an opposing wall (opposing portion 33) that is connected to the enclosing portion and faces the vent port.

[0039] [Feature 5] The vent duct according to feature 3 or 4, wherein a wall portion (front wall portion 32C) of the surrounding portion that is arranged on the front side of the vent opening is arranged at a position away from the vent opening.

[0040] [Feature 6] The vent duct according to feature 5, wherein the surrounding portion is disposed so that the vent port is closer to a rear opening side of the surrounding portion that opens rearward.

[0041] [Feature 7] The hood portion includes a facing portion that faces the vent port, The vehicle structure according to feature 6, wherein the facing portion is included in a rear bumper and abuts against the surrounding portion.

[0042] [Feature 8] A rear bumper including a hood portion covering a vent opening on a vehicle side, the hood portion including a surrounding portion surrounding the vent opening and a facing portion facing the vent opening and integral with the surrounding portion, The rear bumper is characterized in that the surrounding portion surrounds the vent opening from three sides, namely, above, below and in front, so that the hood portion opens rearward.

[0043] According to the above features 1 to 8, it is possible to reduce noise entering the vehicle cabin. In the description of the above features, the "vehicle structure" may be replaced with "vehicle parts", and these vehicle parts are also included in the configurations of the above embodiments and examples.

[0044] In addition, although this specification and drawings disclose specific examples of the technology included in the scope of the claims, the technology described in the claims is not limited to these specific examples, but includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples, as well as parts of the specific examples taken alone. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 10 Vehicle Structure 20 Vent Duct 21 Vent 22 On-off valve 22A Flap 30 Food Section 31 Rear opening 32 Enclosed section 32A Upper wall 32B Lower wall 32C Front wall 33 Opposite part 34 Base wall 34K through hole 90 vehicles 91 Body Panel 91K side opening 92 Rear bumper R inner space

Claims

1. A vehicle structure including at least a surrounding portion surrounding a vent port of a hood portion covering the vent port on a side of the vehicle, A vehicle structure, characterized in that the surrounding portion surrounds the vent opening from three sides, namely, above, below and the front side, so that the hood portion opens toward the rear.

2. A vehicle structure including a vent duct having a vent port provided on a vehicle side and a hood portion covering the vent port, A vehicle structure, wherein the hood portion surrounds the vent opening from three sides, namely, above, below and the front, so that the rear side is open.

3. A vent duct having a vent port that can be opened and closed by an opening and closing valve disposed on a side of a vehicle, The vent duct is characterized in that it has an enclosing portion that surrounds the vent port from three sides, namely, above, below and in front, so that the rear side is open, and abuts against an opposing portion that faces the vent port.

4. A vent duct having a vent port that can be opened and closed by an opening and closing valve disposed on a side of a vehicle, The vent duct is characterized in that it comprises an enclosing portion that surrounds the vent opening from three sides, namely, above, below and the front, so that the vent duct is open at the rear, and an opposing wall that is connected to the enclosing portion and faces the vent opening.

5. The vent duct according to claim 3 or 4, wherein a wall portion of the surrounding portion that is disposed in front of the vent opening is disposed at a position away from the vent opening.

6. The vent duct according to claim 5, wherein the surrounding portion is disposed so that the vent port is closer to a rear opening side of the surrounding portion that opens rearward.

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