Vehicle side part structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle side part structure that is able to improve the stability of the vehicle and quietness in the vehicle while improving road-surface followability.SOLUTION: A vehicle side part structure includes: a duct portion 30 disposed on a vehicle front side of a tire, the duct portion including an intake port through which air is taken in when the vehicle is traveling and a discharge port through which the air is discharged; a pivot shaft 36 extending in a vehicle width direction between the intake port and the discharge port and connected to duct portions 16A, 28; and a rectifying portion 34 that is pivotally supported by the rotating shaft 36 at a center of gravity and has a shape in which a surface 34B on a vehicle lower side increases a speed of a flow of the air more than a surface 34A on a vehicle upper side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle side structure. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses a vehicle front structure that allows air taken in through an intake port to be discharged from an exhaust port along the side of the tire while the vehicle is running. This vehicle front structure generates an air curtain to suppress turbulent airflow on the outer side of the tire in the vehicle width direction, reducing air resistance and improving vehicle stability.

[0003] It is also known to attach a stay (airflow straightening part) that guides the airflow upward in the duct between the intake and exhaust ports in the above-mentioned prior art structure to impart downforce to the vehicle. This stay presses the front tires against the road surface, improving road-holding ability. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-076728 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, with a stay fixed inside the duct as in the above-described prior art, when the wind direction changes vertically, unsteady vortices are generated at the underside of the stay tip due to separation of the air flow, which causes fluctuations in downforce and fluctuations in the speed and direction of the air flow after passing through the air curtain, which may result in a decrease in vehicle handling stability. Furthermore, the generation of unsteady vortices as described above may increase noise generated inside the duct and radiate it outside the duct, which may result in a decrease in interior quietness. Therefore, there is room for improvement in improving interior quietness while maintaining vehicle handling stability.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle side structure that can improve interior quietness while maintaining vehicle steering stability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle side structure of the present invention described in claim 1 comprises a duct portion arranged on the front side of the tire and having an intake port for taking in air while the vehicle is moving and an exhaust port for exhausting the air, a pivot shaft extending in the vehicle width direction between the intake port and the exhaust port and connected to the duct portion, and a straightening portion supported by the pivot shaft at the center of gravity and shaped so that the surface on the lower side of the vehicle increases the speed of the air flow more than the surface on the upper side of the vehicle.

[0008] According to the present invention as set forth in claim 1, when the vehicle is running, air is taken in through the intake port in the duct portion located on the front side of the tire and the air is discharged through the exhaust port, thereby generating an air curtain on the outer side of the tire in the vehicle width direction, suppressing turbulence and reducing air resistance.

[0009] Additionally, the airflow straightening section located between the intake and exhaust ports in the duct section is shaped so that the surface below the vehicle accelerates the airflow more than the surface above the vehicle. This guides the airflow passing through the duct section toward the upper side of the vehicle, applying a downward force (downforce) to the vehicle. This presses the tire against the road surface, improving road-holding performance.

[0010] Furthermore, the airflow straightening unit is supported on a rotating shaft that extends in the vehicle width direction and is connected to the duct unit. Here, the airflow straightening unit is supported on the rotating shaft at the center of gravity. As a result, the airflow straightening unit rotates around the rotating shaft in accordance with the wind direction of the airflow passing through the duct unit, and is stabilized in a state where the downward pressure received by the surface on the upper side of the vehicle and the upward pressure received by the surface on the lower side of the vehicle are balanced. Therefore, the generation of unsteady vortices due to separation and noise due to turbulence are suppressed regardless of whether the wind direction changes vertically.

[0011] The vehicle side structure according to the present invention as set forth in claim 2 is the invention as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a rotation restricting portion that restricts rotation of the rectifying portion within a predetermined angle range.

[0012] According to the present invention as set forth in claim 2, the rotation of the airflow rectifier is restricted to a predetermined angle range by the rotation restricting unit. This prevents the airflow rectifier from rotating forcefully and continuously when the vehicle starts moving or when the wind direction changes. Therefore, the airflow rectifier can quickly assume a stable position according to the wind direction.

[0013] The vehicle side structure of the present invention as set forth in claim 3 is the invention as set forth in claim 2, wherein the duct portion includes an inner duct wall to which the inner end of the pivot shaft in the vehicle width direction is connected, and an outer duct wall to which the outer end of the pivot shaft in the vehicle width direction is connected, and the rotation restriction portion includes a guide groove portion formed to penetrate through at least one of the inner duct wall and the outer duct wall in the vehicle width direction and formed in an arc shape centered on the pivot shaft when viewed from the vehicle width direction, and a guide portion formed to protrude outward in the vehicle width direction from the vehicle side surface of the straightening portion and inserted into the guide groove portion.

[0014] According to the present invention as set forth in claim 3, a guide groove is formed in at least one of the duct inner wall and the duct outer wall. This guide groove is formed to penetrate in the vehicle width direction and to have an arc shape centered on the rotation axis. Furthermore, a guide portion is formed on the vehicle side surface of the airflow straightening portion so as to protrude outward in the vehicle width direction. This guide portion is inserted into the guide groove. As a result, when the airflow straightening portion rotates around the rotation axis, the guide portion moves along the guide groove, and the rotation of the airflow straightening portion is restricted at the end of the guide groove.

[0015] The vehicle side structure of the present invention described in claim 4 is the invention described in claim 3, in which the guide portion is formed in an arc shape centered on the pivot axis and having a smaller central angle than the guide groove portion when viewed from the vehicle width direction.

[0016] According to the present invention as set forth in claim 4, the guide portion formed in an arc shape moves along the guide groove portion also formed in an arc shape, thereby suppressing rattle of the guide portion relative to the guide groove portion.

[0017] The vehicle side structure according to the present invention as set forth in claim 5 is the invention as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the airflow rectifying portion is hollow and has an opening.

[0018] According to the present invention as set forth in claim 5, the rectifying section is hollow, and the internal space of the rectifying section communicates with the external space through an opening. This allows the rectifying section to function as a resonance type noise suppressor (resonator). In other words, it is possible to reduce the airflow noise amplified through the duct section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] As described above, the vehicle side structure according to the present invention as set forth in claim 1 has the excellent effect of improving the quietness inside the vehicle while maintaining the driving stability of the vehicle.

[0020] The vehicle side structure according to the present invention as set forth in claim 2 has the excellent effect of being able to improve road surface following performance at an early stage.

[0021] The vehicle side structure according to the present invention as set forth in claim 3 has the excellent effect of restricting the rotation of the airflow rectifying portion with a simple configuration.

[0022] The vehicle side structure according to the present invention as set forth in claim 4 has the excellent effect of further improving the driving stability and quietness inside the vehicle.

[0023] The vehicle side structure according to the present invention as set forth in claim 5 has the excellent effect of further improving quietness inside the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1]1 is a perspective view of a front portion of a vehicle to which a vehicle side structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, viewed from the left front side. [Figure 2] 2 is an exploded enlarged perspective view of a main part of the structure of the front wheel shown in FIG. 1 on the front side of the vehicle. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the stay shown in FIG. 2, viewed from the vehicle width direction. FIG. [Figure 4] 3 is a side view showing a state in which, when an obliquely downward wind flows into the duct portion, the stay shown in FIG. 2 is rotated in a direction in which it falls toward the front of the vehicle, and the rotation is restricted. [Figure 5] 5 is a side view showing a state in which the flow of the upper surface of the stay shown in FIG. 4 presses down the vehicle rear side of the stay. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a side view showing a state in which pressures on the upper and lower surfaces of the stay shown in FIG. 5 are balanced. FIG. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the shape of a stay according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] 1 to 6, a vehicle 12 to which a vehicle side structure according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described. Note that the arrows FR, UP, and LH shown as appropriate in each figure respectively indicate the front side, upper side, and left-right (width direction) left side of the vehicle 12. Furthermore, when the directions front-rear, up-down, and left-right are used in the following description unless otherwise specified, they refer to front-rear in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, up-down in the up-down direction of the vehicle, and left-right in the left-right direction (width direction), respectively.

[0026] 1 shows a perspective view of a front portion 14 of a vehicle 12 to which a vehicle side structure according to this embodiment is applied, as seen from the left front side. Because the vehicle 12 is configured symmetrically, the following description will mainly focus on the side structure on the left side of the vehicle, and will omit a description of the side structure on the right side of the vehicle.

[0027] The front part 14 of the vehicle 12 is composed of a front bumper 16 that forms the front of the vehicle 12, an engine hood 20 that is arranged on the front side of the front windshield 18 and forms the upper surface of the engine compartment, front wheels 22 that serve as tires, and fender panels 24 that are arranged to cover the front, upper and rear sides of the front wheels 22.

[0028] In the fender panel 24, the fender front portion 24A located on the vehicle front side of the front wheel 22 is composed of a fender outer panel 26 located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and a fender inner panel 28 (see Figure 2) located on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the fender outer panel 26.

[0029] The left end portion 16A (see FIG. 2) of the front bumper 16 extends to the vehicle front side of the front wheel 22 so as to face the fender inner panel 28 in the vehicle width direction. In other words, the fender inner panel 28 is disposed at a predetermined distance in the vehicle width direction from the left end portion 16A of the front bumper 16. As a result, a passage running in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle is formed between the fender inner panel 28 and the left end portion 16A of the front bumper 16, thereby constituting a duct portion 30. The left end portion 16A of the front bumper 16 in this embodiment corresponds to the duct inner wall in the present invention, and the fender inner panel 28 in this embodiment corresponds to the duct outer wall in the present invention.

[0030] The duct section 30 is configured to include the fender inner panel 28 and the left end portion 16A of the front bumper 16. The duct section 30 also has an intake port 32 that takes in air from the front side of the vehicle while the vehicle 12 is traveling, and an outlet port (not shown) that discharges the air to the rear side of the vehicle. When the vehicle 12 is traveling, air flows out from the outlet port, generating an air curtain on the outer side of the front wheels 22 in the vehicle width direction.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 2, a stay 34 serving as an airflow rectifying section for rectifying the air passing through the duct is provided between the fender inner panel 28 and the left end 16A of the front bumper 16, and between the intake port (see Fig. 1) and the exhaust port (not shown). The stay 34 is supported at its center of gravity by a rotating shaft 36 extending in the vehicle width direction. The outer side of the rotating shaft 36 in the vehicle width direction is connected to the fender inner panel 28. The inner side of the rotating shaft 36 in the vehicle width direction is connected to the left end 16A of the front bumper 16. For ease of explanation, only a portion of the fender inner panel 28 and the front bumper 16 is shown in Fig. 2.

[0032] The stay 34 has the same cross-sectional shape over substantially the entire area in the vehicle width direction. The upper surface 34A of the stay 34 is flat. On the other hand, the lower surface 34B of the stay 34 is curved so as to convex toward the lower side of the vehicle when viewed in the vehicle width direction. More specifically, the lower surface 34B of the stay 34 has a shape that includes a cycloid curve in its front portion when viewed in the vehicle width direction. This allows the lower surface 34B of the stay 34 to increase the speed of the airflow more than the upper surface 34A. The rear portion of the lower surface 34B of the stay 34 is curved more gently than the front portion.

[0033] A shaft insertion hole 38 is formed in the fender inner panel 28, penetrating through the panel thickness direction. The outer end of the pivot shaft 36 in the vehicle width direction is inserted into the shaft insertion hole 38. As a result, the outer end of the pivot shaft 36 in the vehicle width direction is supported by the fender inner panel 28.

[0034] A shaft insertion hole 38 is formed in the left end 16A of the front bumper 16, penetrating in the plate thickness direction. The inner end of the pivot shaft 36 in the vehicle width direction is inserted into the shaft insertion hole 38. As a result, the inner end of the pivot shaft 36 in the vehicle width direction is supported by the fender inner panel 28.

[0035] A pair of front and rear guide portions 40 are provided on each of the left side surface 34C and the right side surface 34D of the stay 34. The fender inner panel 28 is also formed with a pair of front and rear guide grooves 42 into which the pair of front and rear guide portions 40 provided on the left side surface 34C of the stay 34 are inserted. Furthermore, the left end portion 16A of the front bumper 16 is also formed with a pair of front and rear guide grooves 42 into which the pair of front and rear guide portions 40 provided on the right side surface 34D of the stay 34 are inserted.

[0036] The pair of front and rear guide portions 40 and the pair of front and rear guide groove portions 42 are arranged symmetrically, so in the following explanation, we will explain the guide portion 40 and guide groove portion 42 on the left side, and will omit the explanation of the guide portion 40 and guide groove portion 42 on the right side.

[0037] The pair of front and rear guide grooves 42 are each formed to penetrate through the fender inner panel 28 in the thickness direction. Furthermore, the pair of front and rear guide grooves 42 are each formed as elongated holes that curve in an arc shape with the shaft insertion hole 38 as the center when viewed from the vehicle width direction.

[0038] The pair of front and rear guide portions 40 are each formed to protrude outward in the vehicle width direction from the left side surface 34C of the stay 34. The front guide portion 40 is inserted into the front guide groove portion 42. The rear guide portion 40 is inserted into the rear guide groove portion 42.

[0039] Furthermore, the pair of front and rear guide portions 40 are each formed as an elongated arc-shaped hole centered on the pivot shaft 36 and having a smaller central angle than the guide groove 42 when viewed from the vehicle width direction. This allows the front guide portion 40 to move within the front guide groove 42 in the circumferential direction of the arc within a predetermined angular range, and the rear guide portion 40 to move within the rear guide groove 42 in the circumferential direction of the arc within a predetermined angular range. In other words, the pair of front and rear guide portions 40 and the pair of front and rear guide grooves 42 restrict the rotation of the stay 34 within a predetermined angular range. The pair of front and rear guide portions 40 and the pair of front and rear guide grooves 42 in this embodiment correspond to the rotation restricting portion in the present invention.

[0040] 3, the stay 34 is formed hollow and includes an upper wall portion 44 and a lower wall portion 46. A slit 48 serving as an opening extending in the vehicle width direction is formed in the rear portion of the lower wall portion 46 of the stay 34. In this way, the stay 34 has a resonator structure that can suppress noise generated in the space inside the duct.

[0041] (action) Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0042] According to the vehicle side structure of this embodiment, when the vehicle 12 is traveling, air is taken in through the intake port 32 in the duct portion 30 located on the vehicle front side of the front wheels 22, and the air is discharged from the exhaust port (not shown). This generates an air curtain on the outer side of the front wheels 22 in the vehicle width direction, suppressing turbulence and reducing air resistance.

[0043] Additionally, the stay 34 is shaped so that the lower surface 34B accelerates the airflow more rapidly than the upper surface 34A. This causes the airflow passing through the duct portion 30 to be guided upward of the vehicle, and a downward force (downforce) acts on the vehicle 12. This presses the front wheels 22 against the road surface, improving road-following performance.

[0044] Furthermore, the stay 34 is pivotally supported at its center of gravity by a rotation shaft 36. As a result, the stay 34 rotates about the rotation shaft 36 in accordance with the wind direction of the airflow passing through the duct portion 30, and is stabilized in a state where the downward pressure on the upper surface 34A and the upward pressure on the lower surface 34B are balanced. Therefore, the generation of unsteady vortices due to separation and noise due to turbulence are suppressed regardless of whether the wind direction changes vertically.

[0045] Furthermore, with the vehicle side section structure according to this embodiment, the pair of front and rear guide portions 40 and the pair of front and rear guide groove portions 42 restrict the rotation of the stay 34 within a predetermined angle range. This makes it possible, with a simple configuration, to prevent the stay 34 from rotating forcefully and continuously when the vehicle 12 starts moving or when the wind direction changes. Therefore, the stay 34 can quickly assume a stable position in accordance with the wind direction.

[0046] Here, the state change from when the wind direction changes until the stay 34 assumes a stable posture will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0047] 4, for example, if the wind direction changes and wind flows diagonally downward into the duct portion 30, the stay 34 is forcefully rotated in a direction that causes it to fall toward the front of the vehicle. At this time, the lower end of the front guide portion 40 abuts against the lower end of the front guide groove portion 42, and at the same time, the upper end of the rear guide portion 40 abuts against the upper end of the rear guide groove portion 42. This restricts the rotation of the stay 34.

[0048] Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the rear end side of the stay 34 is pressed down by the difference between the pressure applied to the upper surface 34A and the pressure applied to the lower surface 34B.

[0049] 6, the stay 34 assumes a stable posture when the pressure on the upper surface 34A and the pressure on the lower surface 34B are balanced. At this time, because the front part of the lower surface 34B has a shape that includes a cycloid curve, a force acts on the pivot shaft 36 in an obliquely downward and forward direction at the point of maximum flow velocity. This imparts downforce to the vehicle 12, improving road-following ability.

[0050] Although not shown, for example, if the wind direction changes and wind flows diagonally upward into duct portion 30, stay 34 will be rotated forcefully in a direction that causes it to fall toward the rear of the vehicle, and the rotation will be restricted by the rotation restricting portion. Then, the rear end of stay 34 will be pushed up by the difference in pressure between upper surface 34A and lower surface 34B, and stay 34 will assume a stable posture when the pressures on upper surface 34A and lower surface 34B are balanced.

[0051] Furthermore, according to the vehicle side portion structure of this embodiment, the guide portion 40 formed in an arc shape moves along the guide groove portion 42 also formed in an arc shape. This suppresses rattle of the guide portion 40 relative to the guide groove portion 42.

[0052] Furthermore, in the vehicle side section structure according to this embodiment, the stay 34 is hollow, and the internal space of the stay 34 communicates with the external space via the slits 48. This allows the stay 34 to function as a resonance type noise suppressor (resonator), which means that it is possible to reduce airflow noise amplified through the duct.

[0053] [Supplementary explanation of the above embodiment] In the above embodiment, the duct portion 30 is described as being arranged on the vehicle front side of the front wheels 22, but this is not limited thereto, and the duct portion may also be arranged on the vehicle front side of the rear wheels.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the vehicle side structure has been described as having a pair of front and rear guide portions 40 and a pair of front and rear guide groove portions 42 that restrict the rotation of the stay 34 within a predetermined angle range, but this is not limited to this. For example, the guide portion and guide groove portion may be provided on only one side instead of a pair. Furthermore, the number of rotation restricting portions may be any number, and they may be arranged asymmetrically. Furthermore, for example, the guide portion is not limited to an arc-shaped elongated hole, but may be formed in a circular shape having a diameter substantially equal to the width of the guide groove when viewed from the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, the rotation restricting portion is not limited to a configuration of a guide portion and a guide groove portion, and may have any structure that restricts the rotation of the airflow straightening portion.

[0055] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the stay 34 is described as being hollow and having the slits 48 formed therein, but this is not limiting, and the airflow rectifying portion may be solid.

[0056] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a single stay 34 is disposed in the duct, but this is not limiting, and multiple rectifying units may be disposed in the duct. For example, multiple stays may be disposed in a line in the vertical direction.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the upper surface 34A of the stay 34 is flat, and the lower surface 34B of the stay 34 has a shape that includes a cycloid curve at the front when viewed from the vehicle width direction, but this is not limited to this. For example, the shape of the stay 50 according to the modified example shown in Fig. 7 may be adopted. In the following modified examples, the same components as those in the embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted as appropriate.

[0058] (Variation) As shown in FIG. 7, the stay 50 serving as the airflow control section of the vehicle side section structure according to the modified example has a laminar airfoil cross section. The laminar airfoil cross section is a shape in which the point P at which the bulge of the lower surface 50A is at its maximum is located 40-50% from the front end 50B of the stay 50, and is located behind the maximum bulge point of a stay with a typical airfoil cross section. This positions the turbulent transition point Q further rearward of the vehicle than the turbulent transition point of a stay with a typical airfoil cross section, allowing the air flowing along the lower surface 50A to remain in a laminar state for a long period of time. In other words, the laminar flow region (shown by the thick line in FIG. 7) increases and the turbulent flow region decreases, thereby reducing air resistance compared to a stay with a more conventional airfoil cross section. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 12 vehicles 16A Left end of front bumper (duct inner wall, duct section) 22 Front wheel (tire) 28 Fender inner panel (duct outer wall, duct section) 30 Duct section 32 Intake 34, 50 Stay (straightening part) 34A Top surface (surface on the upper side of the vehicle) 34B, 50A bottom surface (bottom surface of vehicle) 34C Left side (side of vehicle) 34D Right side (side of vehicle) 36 Rotating shaft 40 Guide section 42 Guide groove 48 Slit (opening)

Claims

1. a duct portion disposed on a vehicle front side of the tire and including an intake port for taking in air while the vehicle is running and an exhaust port for discharging the air; a rotating shaft extending in the vehicle width direction between the intake port and the exhaust port and connected to the duct portion; an airflow straightening portion that is pivotally supported by the rotation shaft at the center of gravity and has a shape such that a surface on a lower side of the vehicle increases the speed of the air flow more than a surface on an upper side of the vehicle; A vehicle side structure having:

2. Further, a rotation restricting portion restricts the rotation of the rectifying portion within a predetermined angle range. The vehicle side structure according to claim 1 .

3. the duct portion includes a duct inner wall connected to an inner end of the pivot shaft in the vehicle width direction, and a duct outer wall connected to an outer end of the pivot shaft in the vehicle width direction, The rotation restricting portion is formed to penetrate at least one of the duct inner wall and the duct outer wall in the vehicle width direction, and includes a guide groove portion formed in an arc shape centered on the rotation axis when viewed from the vehicle width direction, and a guide portion formed to protrude outward in the vehicle width direction from a vehicle lateral side surface of the airflow straightening portion, and inserted into the guide groove portion so as to be movable within the guide groove portion. The vehicle side structure according to claim 2.

4. The guide portion is formed in an arc shape having a center on the pivot shaft and a central angle smaller than that of the guide groove portion when viewed from the vehicle width direction. The vehicle side structure according to claim 3.

5. The rectifying portion is hollow and has an opening. The vehicle side structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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