Splash guard structure for vehicle

Abstract

To provide a splash guard structure for a vehicle which does not affect a door opening area while sufficiently securing cut-off property and sound insulation performance by a seal member, and can easily peel ice iced on the seal member and its periphery.SOLUTION: A splash guard structure 100 for a vehicle includes a wheel arch 110 which is formed of a door panel 104 of a vehicle 102 and surrounds the upper part of a wheel 109, a splash guard 106 installed along the wheel arch, and a seal member 144 which is mounted on the splash guard and is brought into contact with a side body 112 when a door is closed, wherein the seal member has a lower part 146 extending along the vicinity of a lower end 116 of the splash guard, an upper part 148 extending along the vicinity of an upper end 152 as the highest position of the splash guard, and an intermediate part 150 connecting the lower part and the upper part, and the intermediate part overhangs to a side closer to the wheel side than the lower part and the upper part, and further overhangs to a side closer to the wheel side than the end edge on the wheel side of the splash guard.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a splash guard structure for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In vehicles such as automobiles, splash guards are often installed in the wheel arches formed by the door panels. Splash guards are components that not only protect the door panels but also improve the design.

[0003] In such vehicles, snow picked up by the wheels while driving on snowy roads may get between the splash guard and a certain body panel (e.g., side body) of the vehicle, and may accumulate there. When the snow freezes, ice forms over the entire area connecting the splash guard and the body panel, making it difficult to open the door.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes an anti-icing structure for a vehicle door. This anti-icing structure is applied to a vehicle having a wheel house and a vehicle door formed in a vehicle body. The rear end of the vehicle door has a lower rear end that faces the wheel house when closed. This lower rear end is located outside the front part of the wheel house in the vehicle width direction.

[0005] Patent Document 1 describes how a shielding portion is provided at the outer end of the wheel housing in the vehicle width direction that constitutes the front part of the wheel housing, and the shielding portion is positioned between the lower rear end of the vehicle door when it is closed, thereby preventing water or snow inside the wheel housing from entering the gap between the vehicle body and the vehicle door.

[0006] Patent Document 2 describes a seal structure for the periphery of a vehicle opening. This seal structure for the periphery of a vehicle opening includes a vehicle body having an opening that communicates between the inside and outside of the vehicle cabin, an opening / closing member (door) that opens and closes the opening, and a seal member that seals the gap between the vehicle body and the door. The seal member includes a seal body and a protrusion. The seal body is formed with a hollow cross section and is elastically deformable. The protrusion is provided on the outer surface of the seal body, and comes into contact with the opening of the vehicle body or the periphery of the door when the door is closed, preventing contact between the outer surface of the seal body and the opening of the vehicle body and the periphery of the door.

[0007] Patent Document 2 states that when the door is closed, the protrusions on the seal body come into contact with the vehicle body to seal between the door and the body, and the protrusions prevent the seal body from coming into contact with the vehicle body, thereby reducing the contact area with the vehicle body and making it easier to open the door when it is frozen. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-146838 [Patent Document 2] JP 2008-126944 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] However, the structures described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 merely place a shielding part or a sealing member between the vehicle body and the door to prevent snow from entering the gap, and reduce the contact area with the vehicle body by using protrusions on the sealing member. In other words, with the structures described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, when snow that has adhered to the shielding part or the sealing member and its surroundings freezes and ice forms all over the vehicle body connecting the door, the formed ice cannot be easily removed.

[0010] As an example, if an attempt was made to prevent ice from forming all over the vehicle by creating a step in the vertical direction of the vehicle between a protector attached to the side body and a splash guard, the door opening area would be reduced by placing the protector at the top of the vehicle, compromising the marketability of the vehicle.

[0011] In view of these problems, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle splash guard structure that can adequately ensure the water-stopping and sound-proofing performance of the sealing member, while not affecting the door opening area and making it easy to remove ice that has formed on the sealing member and its surroundings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to solve the above problems, a typical configuration of a vehicle splash guard structure according to the present invention comprises a wheel arch formed by the vehicle door panel and surrounding the upper part of the wheel, a splash guard installed along the wheel arch, and a sealing member attached to the splash guard and abutting a specified vehicle body panel when the door is closed, the sealing member having a lower part extending along the vicinity of the lower end of the splash guard, an upper part extending along the vicinity of the highest position of the splash guard, and a middle part connecting the lower and upper parts, the middle part protruding further toward the wheel side than the lower and upper parts, and further protruding further toward the wheel side than the wheel-side edge of the splash guard. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle splash guard structure that can adequately ensure the water-stopping and sound-proofing performance of the sealing member, while not affecting the door opening area and making it easy to remove ice that has formed on the sealing member and its surroundings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a vehicle to which a vehicle splash guard structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied; [Diagram 2]2 is a diagram showing a portion of the vehicle splash guard structure of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a diagram showing a door panel and a splash guard of the vehicle splash guard structure of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 4 is a diagram showing a holder and a seal member of the splash guard of FIG. 3. FIG. [Diagram 5] 5A to 5C are cross-sectional views of the holder and the seal member of FIG. 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] A typical configuration of a vehicle splash guard structure according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a wheel arch formed by the door panel of the vehicle and surrounding the upper part of the wheel, a splash guard installed along the wheel arch, and a sealing member attached to the splash guard and abutting a specified vehicle body panel when the door is closed, the sealing member having a lower portion extending along the vicinity of the lower end of the splash guard, an upper portion extending along the vicinity of the highest point of the splash guard, and a middle portion connecting the lower portion and upper portion, the middle portion protruding toward the wheel side more than the lower and upper portions and further protruding toward the wheel side more than the wheel-side edge of the splash guard.

[0016] In the above configuration, the middle part of the seal member protrudes further toward the wheel side than the lower and upper parts, and further protrudes further toward the wheel side than the wheel-side edge of the splash guard, i.e., the parting of the vehicle body. Therefore, the seal member has a convex shape toward the wheel side at the middle part. As a result, even if the snow scooped up by the wheels freezes to form ice, the ice does not form a uniform surface over the entire seal member, and the ice is likely to crack starting from the convex shape of the middle part. Therefore, the ice cracks easily when the door is opened and closed, making it easy to open and close the door.

[0017] Furthermore, when the door is closed, the seal member comes into contact with a vehicle body panel between the splash guard and a specific vehicle body panel. The specific vehicle body panel is, for example, a side body, which is provided with a protector. Therefore, when the door is closed, the seal member comes into contact with the protector of the side body, thereby providing water-stopping and sound-insulating properties.

[0018] Therefore, according to the above-mentioned configuration, the water-stopping and sound-insulating performance of the seal member is sufficiently ensured, while ice formed on the seal member and its surroundings can be easily peeled off. In addition, since the middle part of the seal member is convex toward the wheel side, the door opening area is not reduced, and the marketability of the vehicle is not impaired.

[0019] The upper part is spaced a predetermined distance from the wheel-side edge of the splash guard in the direction away from the wheel, forming a space between the splash guard and the vehicle body panel over the predetermined distance. As a result, when the door is closed, the upper part of the seal member, the splash guard, and the vehicle body panel can secure a space (gap) in which no ice is generated during freezing. Therefore, with the above configuration, compared to when ice generates a uniform surface, the seal member is prevented from sticking to the vehicle body side, and ice is more likely to crack when the door is opened or closed, making it easier to open the door.

[0020] The lower end of the seal member changes its extension direction at the boundary between the middle part and the upper part in a side view, forming a step. As a result, when ice forms at the lower end of the seal member, the stress that causes the ice to crack is concentrated at the step formed at the boundary between the middle part and the upper part, making the ice more likely to crack. Therefore, even if a small operating load is applied to the door, the ice cracks, making it easier to open and close the door. EXAMPLES

[0021] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific values ​​shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are given the same reference numerals to avoid repeated explanations, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0022] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a vehicle 102 to which a vehicle splash guard structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a part of the vehicle splash guard structure 100 of Fig. 1. In each of the following drawings, the vehicle front-rear direction is indicated by arrows Front and Back, the left and right in the vehicle width direction are indicated by arrows Left and Right, and the vehicle up-down direction is indicated by arrows Up and Down. In the following explanation, the vehicle splash guard structure 100 on the right side of the vehicle in Fig. 1 is illustrated, but this embodiment may also be applied to the left side of the vehicle.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle splash guard structure 100 includes a door panel 104 constituting a rear door of a vehicle 102, a splash guard 106, and a side splash 108. The door panel 104 forms a wheel arch 110 (see Fig. 3) that surrounds the upper part of a wheel 109 shown by a chain line in Fig. 1(a). The splash guard 106 is installed in the wheel arch 110 of the door panel 104 to protect the door panel 104 and further improve the design.

[0024] Fig. 2(a) shows the vehicle splash guard structure 100 of Fig. 1(b) without the door panel 104 and the splash guard 106. Fig. 2(b) is a diagram showing a part of Fig. 1(b) and shows the door panel 104 and the splash guard 106.

[0025] 2(a), the vehicle 102 includes a side body 112 as a predetermined vehicle body panel. A protector 113, which is a resin part, is fixed to the side body 112 by, for example, a clip and an adhesive (double-sided tape).

[0026] The side splash 108 is fixed to a lower end 114 (e.g., a side sill) of a side body 112 shown in Fig. 2(a) and extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The side splash 108 protects the lower end 114 of the side body 112 and further improves the design.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 1(b), a lower end 116 of the splash guard 106 is adjacent to a rear end 118 of the side splash 108 when the door is closed. A protrusion 120 that protrudes upward from the vehicle is formed at the rear end 118 of the side splash 108 as shown in Fig. 2(a). This protrusion 120 of the side splash 108 is provided to prevent an occupant from putting his / her foot on the side splash 108 when getting into the vehicle, for example.

[0028] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the door panel 104 and the splash guard 106 of the vehicle splash guard structure 100 of Fig. 1. In the figure, the door panel 104 and the splash guard 106 of Fig. 2(b) are shown as viewed obliquely from the rear on the vehicle interior side.

[0029] The door panel 104 includes an outer panel 122 on the vehicle exterior side shown in Fig. 2(b) and an inner panel 124 on the vehicle interior side shown in Fig. 3, and the outer panel 122 and the inner panel 124 form the wheel arch 110. The splash guard 106 installed in the wheel arch 110 has a main body 126 shown in Fig. 2(b) and Fig. 3, and a holder 128 shown in Fig. 3.

[0030] The main body 126 is a member extending along the wheel arch 110, and has an outer portion 130 and an extension portion 132 shown in Fig. 3. The outer portion 130 covers the wheel arch 110 from the outer side of the vehicle to form a design surface as shown in Fig. 2(b). The extension portion 132 bends from the outer portion 130 to the inner side of the vehicle, and wraps around to the inner side of the wheel arch 110 as shown in Fig. 3.

[0031] The holder 128 extends along the body 126 and secures the body 126 to the wheel arch 110. The holder 128 also has one end 134 shown in Figure 3, and the other end 136 (see Figure 5).

[0032] One end 134 is fixed to an inner panel 124 of the door panel 104 that forms the wheel arch 110 from the inside of the vehicle. The other end 136 is continuous from the one end 134, bent toward the outside of the vehicle, and overlapped and fixed to the extension part 132 of the main body 126. A lower end 138 of the holder 128 connects the one end 134 and the other end 136, increasing the rigidity of the holder 128 and forming the lower end 116 of the splash guard 106.

[0033] The holder 128 also has a plurality of (four in this embodiment) fixing portions 140a, 140b, 140c, and 140d. The fixing portions 140a, 140b, 140c, and 140d are provided at predetermined intervals along one end portion 134, and are fixed to the inner panel 124 of the door panel 104 from the vehicle interior side.

[0034] The main body 126 has a plurality of (three in this example) main body side fixing parts 142a, 142b, and 142c. The main body side fixing parts 142a, 142b, and 142c are provided on the extension part 132 of the main body 126, and are overlapped and fixed to the other end part 136 of the holder 128.

[0035] Furthermore, a seal member 144 is fixed to the holder 128. When the door is closed, the seal member 144 abuts (presses) against a protector 113 provided on the vehicle body side, i.e., the side body 112 shown in FIG. 2(a) (see FIG. 5). This provides the seal member 144 with sound insulation performance, and also with water-stopping properties that prevent water and the like from entering between the door panel 104 and the side body 112.

[0036] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the holder 128 and the seal member 144 of the splash guard 106 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the holder 128 and the seal member 144 of Fig. 4.

[0037] 4, the seal member 144 has a lower portion 146, an upper portion 148, and an intermediate portion 150. The lower portion 146 is a portion that extends along the vicinity of the lower end 116 of the splash guard 106. The upper portion 148 is a portion that extends along the vicinity of the upper end 152, which is the highest point of the splash guard 106.

[0038] Intermediate portion 150 is a portion that connects lower portion 146 and upper portion 148, and is separated from lower portion 146 by boundary 154, and from upper portion 148 by boundary 156. As shown in Fig. 4, the longitudinal lengths of the portions of seal member 144 are such that lower portion 146 is the longest, followed by intermediate portion 150, and upper portion 148 is the shortest.

[0039] In addition, the middle portion 150 protrudes toward the wheel 109 (see FIG. 1(a)) more than the lower portion 146 and the upper portion 148, and further protrudes toward the wheel 109 more than the wheel 109-side edge of the splash guard 106, which serves as a border for the vehicle body.

[0040] Specifically, the seal member 144 is attached to one end 134 of the holder 128 of the splash guard 106, as shown in the AA cross section of Fig. 5(a). Furthermore, an intermediate portion 150 of the seal member 144 protrudes toward the wheel 109 side from the edge of the splash guard 106 on the wheel 109 side, i.e., from the other end 136 of the holder 128. In the figure, the protector 113 provided via an adhesive layer 158 to the side body 112 that becomes the vehicle body side when the door is closed is shown by a dashed line together with the adhesive layer 158.

[0041] In this way, the sealing member 144 has a convex shape on the wheel 109 side at the intermediate portion 150. As a result, even if the snow scooped up by the wheel 109 freezes to form ice 160 as shown in Fig. 5(a), the ice 160 does not form a uniform surface over the entire sealing member 144, and the ice 160 is likely to crack starting from the convex shape of the intermediate portion 150.

[0042] Therefore, in the vehicle splash guard structure 100, the water-stopping and sound-proofing performance of the sealing member 144 is sufficiently ensured, while ice 160 that has formed on the sealing member 144 and its surroundings can be easily cracked and peeled off when the door is opened or closed, making it easy to open and close the door.

[0043] Furthermore, in the vehicle splash guard structure 100, the middle portion 150 of the seal member 144 is made convex toward the wheel 109 side, so that the door opening area is not reduced and the marketability of the vehicle 102 is not impaired.

[0044] Furthermore, the upper portion 148 of the seal member 144 is spaced a predetermined distance L in a direction away from the wheel 109 from the other end portion 136 of the holder 128, which is the edge of the splash guard 106 on the wheel 109 side shown in Fig. 4, as shown in the cross section BB of Fig. 5(b). As a result, the upper portion 148 forms a space 162 over the predetermined distance L between one end portion 134 of the holder 128 and the protector 113 provided on the side body 112 when the door is closed.

[0045] This space 162 ensures a gap 164 in which ice 160 does not form when the door is closed, as shown in Fig. 5(b). Therefore, in the vehicle splash guard structure 100, compared to a case in which ice 160 forms a fixed surface, the seal portion 144 is prevented from sticking to the vehicle body side, making it easier for the ice 160 to break when the door is opened or closed, and making it easier to open the door.

[0046] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the edge of the sealing member 144 on the wheel 109 side, i.e., the lower end 166 located on the wheel 109 side, forms a step when viewed from the side by changing the direction of extension at the boundary 156 between the middle portion 150 and the upper portion 148.

[0047] As a result, in the vehicle splash guard structure 100, when ice 160 forms on the lower end 166 of the seal member 144, the stress that triggers the ice 160 to crack is concentrated on the step formed at the boundary 156 between the middle portion 150 and the upper portion 148, making the ice 160 more likely to crack. Therefore, even when a small operating load is applied to the door, the ice 160 cracks, making it easier to open and close the door.

[0048] Furthermore, the intermediate portion 150 of the seal member 144 protrudes toward the wheel 109 further than the other end 136 of the holder 128 of the splash guard 106 as shown in Fig. 5(a), but may also protrude toward the wheel 109 further than the extension portion 132 of the main body 126 of the splash guard 106 as shown in Fig. 3. By having the intermediate portion 150 protrude toward the wheel 109 further than the splash guard 106 in this manner, ice that has formed on the seal member 144 and around it can be easily peeled off.

[0049] Although the above-mentioned vehicle splash guard structure 100 is applied to the door panel 104 constituting the rear door, it is not limited to this and may also be applied to the front door or back door as long as a configuration is adopted in which a sealing member is attached to the splash guard, which serves as a border for the vehicle body.

[0050] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can think of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0051] The present invention can be used in a splash guard structure for a vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 100... vehicle splash guard structure, 102... vehicle, 104... door panel, 106... splash guard, 108... side splash, 109... wheel, 110... wheel arch, 112... side body, 113... protector, 114... lower end of side body, 116... lower end of splash guard, 118... rear end of side splash, 120... protruding portion of side splash, 122... outer panel, 124... inner panel, 126... main body of splash guard, 128... splash guard holder, 1 30...outside part of main body, 132...extension part of main body, 134...one end part of holder, 136...other end part of holder, 138...lower end part of holder, 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d...fixing part of holder, 142a, 142b, 142c...main body side fixing part, 144...sealing member, 146...lower part of sealing member, 148...upper part of sealing member, 150...middle part of sealing member, 152...upper end part of splash guard, 154, 156...boundary, 158...adhesive layer, 160...ice, 162...space, 164...gap, 166...lower end part of sealing member

Claims

1. a wheel arch formed by a door panel of the vehicle and surrounding an upper portion of the wheel; A splash guard installed along the wheel arch; a seal member attached to the splash guard and abutting against a predetermined vehicle body panel when the door is closed; the seal member has a lower portion extending along the vicinity of the lower end of the splash guard, an upper portion extending along the vicinity of the highest position of the splash guard, and an intermediate portion connecting the lower portion and the upper portion, The intermediate portion protrudes toward the wheel side further than the lower portion and the upper portion, and further protrudes toward the wheel side further than the wheel side edge of the splash guard.

2. 2. The vehicle splash guard structure according to claim 1, wherein the upper portion is spaced a predetermined distance away from the wheel-side edge of the splash guard, forming a space between the splash guard and the vehicle body panel over the predetermined distance.

3. 3. The vehicle splash guard structure according to claim 1, wherein the wheel-side edge of the seal member changes its extending direction at a boundary between the middle portion and the upper portion in a side view, forming a step.

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