Vehicle front part structure

Abstract

To suppress disturbance in air flow around a vehicle body and reduce resistance received by the air flow passing through the interior of the vehicle body.SOLUTION: The traveling air flow generated while a vehicle is running is introduced into the interior of a vehicle body through side grille openings 22 formed at a side edge portion of a front bumper 10. The introduced air flow F is guided by a side grille cover 16, a side duct cover 18, and a side duct 20 and is discharged from a side duct opening 42 formed at a side surface of the front bumper 10. Inner guide surfaces 60 and outer guide surfaces 62 that guide the air flow F are arranged only partially in a direction along a path of the air flow F.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle front structure, and in particular to the guidance of airflow through the interior of a vehicle body. [Background technology]

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle airflow straightening device that guides airflow taken into the interior of the vehicle body through a first opening (14) provided in the front of the vehicle (1) to a second opening (18) via a connecting path (16) and sends the air out toward the side of the vehicle from the second opening (18). Note that the reference numerals in parentheses above are the reference numerals used in the following Patent Document 1 and are not related to the reference numerals used in the description of the embodiments of the present application. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-197125 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When the airflow hitting the front of the vehicle flows to the side, away from the body, it disrupts the airflow around the vehicle. In addition, when a continuous duct-like guide is used to guide the airflow from the inlet that takes in the airflow inside the vehicle to the outlet that discharges the airflow, friction between the guide and the airflow creates resistance.

[0005] The present invention aims to achieve at least one of suppressing turbulence in the airflow around the vehicle body and reducing the resistance experienced by the airflow inside the vehicle body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle front structure according to the present invention includes a vehicle front part having an inlet formed at a side end thereof for introducing traveling airflow into the interior of the vehicle, a vehicle side part having an outlet formed thereon for discharging the airflow introduced into the interior of the vehicle, and a guide for guiding the internal airflow introduced from the inlet to the outlet. The guide has an inner guide surface disposed on the inner side in the vehicle width direction and an outer guide surface disposed on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and at least one of the inner guide surface and the outer guide surface is disposed only partially between the inlet and the outlet in the direction along the internal airflow.

[0007] The airflow is introduced into the vehicle from the front of the vehicle, passes through the interior of the vehicle, and is discharged from the side of the vehicle, thereby suppressing the generation of airflow flowing sideways from the front of the vehicle. In addition, by arranging at least one of the outer guide surface and the inner guide surface on the side of the vehicle only partially between the inlet and outlet in the direction along the internal airflow, the contact area between the internal airflow and the guide is reduced.

[0008] In the vehicle front structure, the exhaust port may have an elongated shape extending along the front edge of the wheelhouse opening on the side of the vehicle body. The elongated shape reduces the effect on the airflow flowing along the side of the vehicle body.

[0009] In the above vehicle front body structure, the guide may guide the internal airflow so that the airflow discharged from the exhaust port flows rearward along the side surface of the vehicle body. By having the discharged airflow flow along the side surface of the vehicle body, it is possible to reduce turbulence caused in the airflow flowing along the side of the vehicle body by the discharge of the airflow.

[0010] In the vehicle front body structure described above, the outer guide surface may have a restricting portion that guides the internal airflow so that it does not head toward the convex structure provided on the back surface of the surface member that forms the outer surface of the vehicle body, thereby reducing resistance caused by the airflow hitting the convex structure.

[0011] In the above vehicle front structure, a dam structure may be provided on the front of the vehicle body around the periphery of the inlet to prevent the airflow from flowing sideways from the front of the vehicle body, thereby suppressing turbulence in the airflow around the vehicle body caused by the airflow flowing sideways. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] A portion of the airflow received at the front of the vehicle passes through the interior of the vehicle and is discharged from the side of the vehicle, thereby suppressing turbulence of the airflow around the vehicle. By arranging at least one of the outer guide surface and the inner guide surface only partially between the inlet and outlet in the direction along the internal airflow, the contact area between the internal airflow and the guide is reduced, thereby reducing the resistance acting on the internal airflow. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a front bumper as seen from outside the vehicle body. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a side end portion of a front bumper as viewed from the inside of a vehicle body. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the rear end portion of the front bumper as seen obliquely from behind. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the front bumper broken in a horizontal plane. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an airflow path passing through the inside of a front bumper. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating other configuration examples of the flow path of the internal airflow. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing yet another example of the configuration of the flow path of the internal airflow. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, terms indicating relative positions and orientations, such as front, rear, left, right, top, bottom, etc., refer to relative positions and orientations with respect to the vehicle. In addition, in the left-right direction (width direction) of the vehicle, the side closer to the center line extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle will be referred to as the inside in the vehicle width direction, and the side further away will be referred to as the outside in the vehicle width direction. In each drawing, the arrow FR points forward, the arrow UP points upward, the arrow LH points leftward, and the arrow IN points inside in the vehicle width direction.

[0015] 1 to 3 are diagrams showing a front body structure of a vehicle, in particular a front bumper 10 of a passenger vehicle. Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the front bumper 10 as seen from the front of the vehicle. Fig. 2 shows a perspective view showing the back side of a side end portion of the front bumper 10. Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the side end portion of the front bumper 10 as seen from the rear.

[0016] The front bumper 10 includes a bumper cover 12 provided to cover the front part of the vehicle body, and a side grille 14, a side grille cover 16, a side duct cover 18, and a side duct 20 attached to the bumper cover 12. The bumper cover 12, the side grille 14, the side grille cover 16, the side duct cover 18, and the side duct 20 may be made of resin. In addition to an overall view of the front bumper 10, Figures 1 to 3 also show the side grille cover 16, the side duct cover 18, and the side duct 20 removed from the bumper cover 12.

[0017] The bumper cover 12 covers the front of the vehicle body and also wraps around from the front to cover the side surfaces of the front of the vehicle body. The portions of the bumper cover 12 that cover the side surfaces of the front of the vehicle body form part of the fenders. A radiator grille 21 is provided in the center of the bumper cover 12 in the vehicle width direction. Side grilles 14 are provided on the left and right sides of the radiator grille 21 of the bumper cover 12. The side grilles 14 have side grille openings 22 formed therein for introducing a portion of the airflow received by the front bumper 10 into the interior of the vehicle body. The side grille openings 22 are inlets for introducing the airflow into the interior of the vehicle body. The side grilles 14 have wall-like structures 24 erected forward around the periphery of the side grille openings 22. The wall-like structures 24 are dam structures that prevent the airflow received by the front of the vehicle body from flowing sideways. Hereinafter, the wall-like structures 24 will be referred to as dam structures 24. The dam structure 24 may be provided particularly on the outer side edge and upper side edge in the vehicle width direction of the side grill opening 22. The bumper cover 12 may have a front spoiler 26 extending forward from the lower edge thereof. The portion of the front spoiler 26 extending forward from the lower edge of the side grill opening 22 cooperates with the dam structure 24 to guide the running airflow to the side grill opening 22.

[0018] The side grille cover 16 is positioned on the rear surface of the bumper cover 12 so as to correspond to the side grille opening 22. The side grille cover 16 has a cover plate 28 arranged to cover most of the side grille opening 22. The side grille cover 16 also has a grille cover opening frame 32 that cooperates with the outer edge of the cover plate 28 in the vehicle width direction to define a grille cover opening 30. The grille cover opening 30 is a vertically elongated opening formed in the outer edge of the side grille cover 16 in the vehicle width direction. The cover plate 28 serves as a screen to prevent the interior structure of the vehicle from being seen through the side grille opening 22. The front surface of the cover plate 28 serves as a guide surface that guides the airflow introduced from the side grille opening 22 to the grille cover opening 30.

[0019] The grill cover opening 30 is provided with grill cover air straightening plates 34, the left and right sides of which are respectively connected to the cover plate 28 and the grill cover opening frame 32. A plurality of grill cover air straightening plates 34 may be arranged along the longitudinal direction of the grill cover opening 30, with each grill cover air straightening plate 34 being disposed substantially horizontally. The grill cover air straightening plates 34 straighten the airflow passing through the side grill opening 22.

[0020] The side duct 20 cooperates with the bumper cover 12 to form the outer surface of the front bumper 10. The side duct 20 is part of the fender that covers the front wheels (not shown), and the rear edge 20a of the side duct 20 defines part of the front edge 36a of the wheelhouse opening 36. The side duct 20 is positioned so that the outer surface 20b of its front edge is flush with the outer surface of the portion of the bumper cover 12 forward of the side duct 20. The side duct 20 has a duct outer plate 38 and a duct inner plate 40. A duct opening 42 is formed between the duct outer plate 38 and the duct inner plate 40 (see FIG. 4). The duct opening 42 is an outlet that discharges airflow flowing inside the vehicle body to the outside of the vehicle body. The duct outer plate 38 is located on the outer side of the airflow passing through the duct opening 42 in the vehicle width direction. The surface of the duct outer plate 38 facing the airflow is a guide surface that guides the airflow. The duct inner plate 40 is located on the inside in the vehicle width direction of the airflow passing through the duct opening 42. The surface of the duct inner plate 40 facing the airflow is a guide surface that guides the airflow. This guide surface has a generally convex shape in the direction of the airflow.

[0021] The duct outer plate 38 is connected at its rear edge to the outer surface 20b of the front edge of the side duct 20 (see Figures 4 and 5). The duct inner plate 40 is positioned so that its rear edge is flush with the portion of the bumper cover 12 adjacent in the vertical direction. The duct opening 42 is an opening located at the front edge of the side duct 20. The duct opening 42 is also an elongated opening that extends in the vertical direction or in a direction along the front edge 36a of the wheelhouse opening. The duct opening 42 is provided with a duct rectifier vane 44, the left and right ends of which are connected to the duct outer plate 38 and the duct inner plate 40, respectively. Multiple duct rectifier vanes 44 may be arranged along the longitudinal direction of the duct opening 42, and each duct rectifier vane 44 is disposed approximately horizontally. The duct rectifier vane 44 rectifies the airflow passing through the duct opening 42.

[0022] The side duct cover 18 is disposed on the rear side of the bumper cover 12. The side duct cover 18 is positioned forward of the side duct 20 so as to overlap partially with the side duct 20. Furthermore, the side duct cover 18 is disposed at a distance from the side grille cover 16. The side duct cover 18 has a duct cover outer plate 46 and a duct cover inner plate 48. A duct cover opening 50 is formed between the duct cover outer plate 46 and the duct cover inner plate 48. The airflow introduced through the side grille opening 22 is guided toward the duct opening 42 by the duct cover opening 50. The duct cover outer plate 46 is positioned outward in the vehicle width direction of the airflow passing through the duct cover opening 50. The surface of the duct cover outer plate 46 facing the airflow is a guide surface that guides the airflow. The duct cover inner plate 48 is positioned inward in the vehicle width direction of the airflow passing through the duct cover opening 50. The surface of the duct cover inner plate 48 that faces the airflow is a guide surface that guides the airflow. This guide surface has a generally concave shape in the direction along the airflow.

[0023] The duct cover opening 50 is an opening that is elongated in the vertical direction. The duct cover opening 50 is provided with a duct cover straightening vane 52 whose left and right ends are respectively connected to the duct cover outer plate 46 and the duct cover inner plate 48. A plurality of duct cover straightening vanes 52 may be arranged along the longitudinal direction of the duct cover opening 50, and each duct cover straightening vane 52 may be disposed approximately horizontally. The duct cover straightening vane 52 straightens the airflow passing through the duct cover opening 50.

[0024] The duct cover outer plate 46 guides the airflow so that it does not head toward a convex structure 54 (see FIG. 5 ) protruding from the rear side of the bumper cover 12. The duct cover outer plate 46 also directs the airflow toward the duct opening 42. The duct cover outer plate 46 is separated from the duct outer plate 38 of the side duct 20. The duct cover inner plate 48 is connected at its rear edge to the front edge of the duct inner plate 40. This allows the duct cover inner plate 48 and the duct inner plate 40 to define a continuous guide surface. The duct inner plate 40 and the duct cover inner plate 48 also cover the interior structure of the vehicle so that it cannot be seen from the outside. In particular, the duct cover inner plate 48 acts as a screen that prevents the interior structure of the vehicle from being seen through the duct opening 42.

[0025] 4 and 5 are diagrams showing the path of airflow F that is introduced into the vehicle interior through the side grill opening 22 and discharged through the duct opening 42, and the configuration that defines this path. Fig. 4 shows the front bumper 10 cut along a horizontal plane. Fig. 5 is an end view of the front bumper 10 in the horizontal plane. In Fig. 5, the airflow F passing through the inside of the side end of the front bumper 10 is indicated by a solid arrow.

[0026] A portion of the airflow received by the front surface of the front bumper 10 is guided to the side grill opening 22. This airflow attempts to flow sideways, as indicated by the dashed-dotted arrow R1. This airflow moves away from the side of the vehicle body, disrupting the airflow around the vehicle. The dam structure 24 of the side grill 14 blocks this sideward flow. The side grill 14 guides the airflow toward the side grill opening 22. The side grill cover 16 is located behind the side grill opening 22. The airflow that strikes the cover plate 28 of the side grill cover 16 flows outward in the vehicle width direction along the surface of the cover plate 28 and enters the interior of the front bumper 10 through the grill cover opening 30.

[0027] Furthermore, the airflow F heads toward the duct cover opening 50 of the side grille cover 16. The airflow heading further outward in the vehicle width direction, indicated by arrow R2, is directed inward by the duct cover outer plate 46. The duct cover outer plate 46 prevents the airflow from hitting a convex structure 54 provided on the rear surface of the bumper cover 12, thereby suppressing an increase in air resistance. The convex structure 54 may be, for example, a rib provided to reinforce the bumper cover 12, or may be a base for attaching another component to the bumper cover 12. After passing through the duct cover opening 50, the airflow is guided by the duct cover inner plate 48 and the duct inner plate 40 to the duct opening 42 and is then discharged from the duct opening 42 to the outside of the vehicle body.

[0028] Airflow F introduced into the front bumper 10 from the side grille opening 22 is guided by the side grille cover 16, the side duct cover 18, and the side duct 20, and is discharged from the duct opening 42. The side grille cover 16, the side duct cover 18, and the side duct 20 are guides that guide the airflow (internal airflow) inside the front bumper 10. More specifically, the airflow F is guided by the cover plate 28, the duct cover inner plate 48, and the duct inner plate 40, which are located on the inside of the airflow F in the vehicle width direction. The surfaces of the cover plate 28, the duct cover inner plate 48, and the duct inner plate 40 that face the airflow F constitute an inner guide surface 60 that guides the airflow F. Meanwhile, the surfaces of the duct cover outer plate 46 and the duct outer plate 38, which are located on the outside of the airflow F in the vehicle width direction, that face the airflow F, constitute an outer guide surface 62 that guides the airflow F.

[0029] In the direction along the airflow F, the inner guide surface 60 is disposed only partially between the side grill opening 22 and the duct opening 42. Specifically, the inner guide surface 60 includes a front portion 60f that connects with the edge of the side grill opening 22 and a rear portion 60r that connects with the edge of the duct opening 42, with the front portion 60f and the rear portion 60r disposed with a gap between them. In other words, the inner guide surface 60 is not disposed between the front portion 60f and the rear portion 60r. The front portion 60f of the inner guide surface 60 is defined by the cover plate 28, and the rear portion 60r is defined by the duct cover inner plate 48 and the duct inner plate 40.

[0030] The outer guide surface 62 is also disposed only partially between the side grille opening 22 and the duct opening 42. Specifically, the outer guide surface 62 includes a rearward portion 62r that connects with the edge of the duct opening 42 and a central portion 62c that is spaced apart from both the side grille opening 22 and the rearward portion 62r. ​​The outer guide surface 62 is not disposed forward of the central portion 62c or between the central portion 62c and the rearward portion 62r. ​​The central portion 62c of the outer guide surface 62 is defined by the duct cover outer plate 46. The central portion 62c also serves as a restricting portion that prevents the airflow F from heading toward the convex structure 54 on the rear side of the bumper cover 12. The rearward portion 62r of the outer guide surface 62 is defined by the duct outer plate 38.

[0031] By not arranging the guide surfaces 60, 62 in a portion along the direction of the airflow F, the contact area between the airflow and the guide surfaces 60, 62 is reduced, reducing friction and thereby reducing the air resistance of the vehicle.

[0032] The angle θ formed in the horizontal plane between the outer surface of the front bumper 10 around the duct opening 42 and the portion of the outer guide surface 62 connected to the duct opening 42 may be 40° or less. By setting the angle θ to 40° or less, the airflow discharged from the duct opening 42 flows rearward along the side of the vehicle body. This suppresses turbulence of the airflow on the side of the vehicle body and reduces air resistance. The angle θ may also be set to 30 to 40°.

[0033] Furthermore, because the duct opening 42 is an elongated opening, the airflow discharged from the duct opening 42 is dispersed in the vertical direction, forming a homogeneous airflow, which suppresses turbulence in the airflow flowing along the side of the vehicle body.

[0034] 6 and 7 are diagrams showing other embodiments of the guide surface. The embodiment shown in Fig. 6 is an example in which an inner guide surface 70 that continues from the side grill opening 22 to the duct opening 42 is arranged instead of the inner guide surface 60 of the embodiment in Fig. 5. The continuous inner guide surface 70 may be configured by extending one or both of the cover plate 28 of the side grill cover 16 and the duct cover inner plate 48 of the side duct cover 18. The outer guide surface 62 is arranged only partially in the direction along the airflow, reducing flow path resistance.

[0035] The embodiment shown in Fig. 7 is an example in which an outer guide surface 82 that continues from the side grill opening 22 to the duct opening 42 is arranged instead of the outer guide surface 62 in the embodiment of Fig. 5. The continuous outer guide surface 82 may be configured by extending the duct cover outer plate 46 of the side duct cover 18 forward and rearward. The inner guide surface 60 is arranged only partially in the direction along the airflow, reducing flow path resistance.

[0036] The structure of the right end portion of the front bumper 10 has been described above, but the left end portion has a structure that is bilaterally symmetrical to the right end portion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 10 front bumper (vehicle front structure), 12 bumper cover, 14 side grille, 16 side grille cover, 18 side duct cover, 20 side duct, 22 side grille opening (inlet), 24 dam structure, 28 cover plate, 30 grille cover opening, 36 wheelhouse opening, 36a leading edge (of wheelhouse opening), 38 duct outer plate, 40 duct inner plate, 42 duct opening (exhaust port), 46 duct cover outer plate, 48 duct cover inner plate, 50 duct cover opening, 54 convex structure, 60, 70 inner guide surface, 62, 82 outer guide surface, F air flow.

Claims

1. a front surface of the vehicle body having an inlet formed at a side end portion thereof for introducing the running airflow into the vehicle body; a side surface of the vehicle body having an exhaust port formed therein for discharging the airflow introduced into the vehicle body; a guide that guides the internal airflow introduced from the inlet to the outlet, the guide having an inner guide surface arranged on the inner side in the vehicle width direction and an outer guide surface arranged on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and at least one of the inner guide surface and the outer guide surface being arranged only in a portion between the inlet and the outlet in a direction along the internal airflow; Front body structure including:

2. 2. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust port has an elongated shape extending along a front edge of a wheelhouse opening on the side surface of the vehicle body.

3. 3. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 2, wherein the guide guides the internal airflow so that the airflow discharged from the exhaust port flows rearward along the side surface of the vehicle body.

4. 4. A vehicle body front structure according to claim 1, wherein the outer guide surface has a regulating portion that guides the internal airflow so that it does not flow toward a convex structure provided on the back surface of a surface member that forms the outer surface of the vehicle body.

5. 2. A vehicle front structure according to claim 1, wherein a dam structure is provided on the front of the vehicle body around the periphery of the inlet to prevent the running airflow from flowing from the front of the vehicle body toward the side of the vehicle body.

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