Underfloor opening / closing control device for vehicle

Abstract

To provide an underfloor opening / closing control device of a vehicle capable of optimally improving aerodynamic performance, cooling performance, steering stability, and vibration noise performance according to a traveling state of the vehicle and a temperature state in an engine room, and coping with a heat damage countermeasure of peripheral parts in the engine room.SOLUTION: An underfloor opening and closing control device 40 for a vehicle includes a first open-close mechanism 20 that is provided in an undercover 15 constituting a bottom surface of a vehicle body front part 1 and covering a lower part of an engine 4, and opens and closes a front side of an opening 16 formed at a position behind a radiator unit 5 and in front of the engine 4, a second open-close mechanism 30 that opens and closes a rear side of the opening, temperature sensors 43 to 47 that detect temperatures of predetermined objects in an engine room 2, a vehicle speed sensor 42 that detects a vehicle speed, and a controller 41 that drives and controls the first open-close mechanism and the second open-close mechanism based on detection results of the temperature sensor and the vehicle speed sensor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an underfloor opening opening control device provided on the underside of the front part of a vehicle body. [Background technology]

[0002] As is well known, vehicles such as automobiles introduce air (wind generated by running) into the engine compartment (inside the engine room) through an outside air inlet formed in the front grille or the like at the front of the vehicle body. This introduced air is guided to heat exchangers such as a radiator, an intercooler, and an air conditioning condenser arranged in the engine compartment to cool them.

[0003] Recently, vehicles have been provided with under covers that cover the lower part of the engine compartment. While under covers are effective in improving aerodynamic performance, they also reduce the efficiency of heat dissipation within the engine compartment.

[0004] That is, when the bottom of the engine compartment is covered by an undercover, the air taken in is not easily evacuated, causing the internal pressure to rise. As a result, the amount of air flowing to heat exchangers such as the radiator, intercooler, and air conditioning condenser is reduced, resulting in a deterioration in cooling performance. As a technology to improve this, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle structure with a bottom opening that exhausts heat from the engine compartment.

[0005] Furthermore, when air taken into the engine compartment of a vehicle flows out through the wheelhouses, it disrupts the flow around the vehicle body, causing a deterioration in aerodynamic performance. For this reason, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses a vehicle structure that exhausts heat from the engine compartment and improves aerodynamic performance by utilizing negative pressure created by an air dam. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 63-180424 [Patent Document 2] International Patent Publication No. WO2017 / 077811 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, with the conventional vehicle structure described above, there was a problem in that it was not possible to change the state to the optimum state in terms of aerodynamic performance, cooling performance, handling stability, vibration and noise performance, and measures to prevent heat damage to peripheral parts in the engine compartment depending on the vehicle's running state and the temperature state in the engine compartment.

[0008] Therefore, in view of the above problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle underfloor opening opening / closing control device that can be adjusted to achieve optimal conditions for aerodynamic performance, cooling performance, handling stability, vibration and noise performance, and measures to prevent heat damage to surrounding components in the engine compartment, depending on the vehicle's driving state and the temperature state in the engine compartment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention provides a vehicle underfloor opening opening / closing control device that is provided on an undercover that forms the bottom surface of the front part of the vehicle body and covers the lower part of the engine, and includes a first opening / closing mechanism that opens and closes the front side of an opening formed behind the radiator unit and in front of the engine, a second opening / closing mechanism that opens and closes the rear side of the opening, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of a specified object in the engine compartment, a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed, and a control unit that drives and controls the first opening / closing mechanism and the second opening / closing mechanism based on the detection results of the temperature sensor and the vehicle speed sensor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle underfloor opening opening / closing control device that is optimal for the vehicle's driving conditions and the temperature conditions in the engine compartment, improving aerodynamic performance, cooling performance, handling stability, vibration and noise performance, and preventing heat damage to surrounding components in the engine compartment. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a front part of a vehicle body provided with an underfloor opening opening / closing control device according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a bottom view of the front part of the vehicle body where the underfloor opening opening / closing control device is installed. [Figure 3] A block diagram showing the configuration of the underfloor opening opening control device of the same. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the control procedure by the control unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the first operation mode of the underfloor opening opening control device. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a second operating mode of the underfloor opening opening control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a third operating mode of the underfloor opening opening control device. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the fourth operating mode of the underfloor opening opening control device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, an engine compartment 2 is formed in a front portion 1 of a vehicle body. The upper portion of this engine compartment 2 is closed off by a panel-like front hood 3, which is a bonnet that can be opened and closed. In addition, an engine (E / G) 4, which is a power unit and serves as a heat generating part, is mounted in the engine compartment 2.

[0013] A radiator unit 5 is provided in the front of the engine compartment 2. The radiator unit 5 has a radiator 6, a condenser 7, and a radiator fan 8.

[0014] The radiator 6 dissipates heat from engine cooling water (coolant) circulating inside the engine 4. The condenser 7 is a heat exchanger for the air conditioning system located in front of the radiator 6. The radiator fan 8 is a cooling fan located behind the radiator 6.

[0015] A front bumper 9 is disposed in front of the radiator unit 5 in the front body 1. The front bumper 9 forms the front end of the vehicle. The front bumper 9 is provided with upper and lower outside air inlet ports 11 and 12. The upper outside air inlet port 11 is a so-called front grill opening.

[0016] The radiator fan 8 generates an air flow by rotating, and actively draws outside air (air) from the upper and lower outside air inlets 11, 12 of the front bumper 9 into the engine compartment 2. A toe board (not shown) is disposed behind the engine compartment 2. A vehicle interior (cabin) (not shown) is provided behind this toe board.

[0017] An EPS (Electric Power Steering) 10, which is one of the components of the vehicle, is provided below and behind the engine 4. The EPS 10 has an electric motor and is a device that uses this electric motor to assist the steering force of the steering wheel operated by the driver in the vehicle cabin. The EPS 10 is also one of the heat-generating parts due to the drive of the electric motor.

[0018] As shown in Figure 2, an undercover 15 made of a plate-like member is disposed on the front body 1. The undercover 15 covers part or all of the engine 4 to form the bottom surface. The undercover 15 protects the bottom surface of the engine 4 and other components disposed in the engine compartment 2. In addition, the undercover 15 has the function of rectifying the airflow passing under the vehicle. The undercover 15 extends from the front body 1 to the positions of the left and right front wheels 17, 18.

[0019] The undercover 15 of this embodiment has an opening 16 that serves as an exhaust port that connects the engine compartment 2 with the outside of the vehicle. The opening 16 is a rectangular exhaust port that exhausts air that has been introduced into the engine compartment 2 through the radiator fan 8 of the radiator unit 5 from the undercover 15 to the outside of the vehicle. The opening 16 is not limited to a rectangular shape, and can be set to various shapes such as a trapezoidal shape, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, or the like, as appropriate.

[0020] The opening 16 formed in the under-cover 15 is set to have approximately the same width (length) in the vehicle width direction as the radiator 6 of the radiator unit 5. The opening 16 is formed to be located rearward of the radiator unit 5 and forward of the engine 4. In other words, the opening 16 is formed in a position of the under-cover 15 between the radiator unit 5 and the engine 4.

[0021] In the front vehicle body 1, an under-cover 15 is provided with an under-floor opening opening / closing control device 40 that opens and closes an opening 16 formed in the under-cover 15. The under-floor opening opening / closing control device 40 has a first opening / closing mechanism 20, a second opening / closing mechanism 30, and an ECU 41 (see FIG. 3) that is a control unit.

[0022] The first opening / closing mechanism 20 is provided on the front side of the opening 16. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the first opening / closing mechanism 20 has a first rotating plate 21, a first sliding plate 22, a first rotating actuator 23, and a first sliding actuator 24.

[0023] The first rotating plate 21 is a substantially rectangular plate-like cover body. The first rotating plate 21 is provided so as to cover approximately the front half of the opening 16 of the under-cover 15. The first rotating plate 21 is provided at the front edge of the opening 16 so as to be rotatable by a rotating shaft member such as a hinge mechanism.

[0024] The first sliding plate 22 is a substantially rectangular plate-like member whose area is set to be slightly smaller than that of the first rotating plate 21. The first sliding plate 22 is superimposed and slidably disposed along the upper surface (the surface on the engine room 2 side) of the first rotating plate 21. The first sliding plate 22 is slidably mounted on the first rotating plate 21 by a component (not shown) such as a slider rail.

[0025] The first rotation actuator 23 is disposed on the under-cover 15 and drives the first rotation plate 21 to rotate. Note that the first rotation actuator 23 may be provided on the first rotation plate 21 side.

[0026] The first rotating plate 21 is configured to be freely movable between a blocking position (first blocking position) in which it blocks the front of the opening 16 and an opening position (first opening position) in which it rotates downward to open the front of the opening 16 by the driving force of the first rotating actuator 23.

[0027] The first slide actuator 24 is disposed on the upper surface of the first rotating plate 21 and drives the first sliding plate 22 to slide. The first sliding plate 22 is configured to be movable by the driving force of the first slide actuator 24 between a retracted position (first retracted position) where it overlaps the upper surface of the first rotating plate 21 and an expanded position (first expanded position) where it slides to the rear side of the first rotating plate 21.

[0028] The second opening and closing mechanism 30 is provided on the rear side of the opening 16. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the second opening and closing mechanism 30 has a second rotating plate 31, a second sliding plate 32, a second rotating actuator 33, and a second sliding actuator 34.

[0029] The second rotating plate 31 is a substantially rectangular plate-like cover body. The second rotating plate 31 is provided so as to cover approximately the rear half of the opening 16 of the undercover 15. The second rotating plate 31 is provided at the rear edge of the opening 16 so as to be rotatable by a rotating shaft member such as a hinge.

[0030] The second sliding plate 32 is a substantially rectangular plate-like member having an area slightly smaller than that of the second rotating plate 31. The second sliding plate 32 is superimposed and slidably disposed along the upper surface (the surface on the engine room 2 side) of the second rotating plate 31. The second sliding plate 32 is slidably mounted on the second rotating plate 31 by a mechanical component (not shown) such as a slider rail.

[0031] The second rotation actuator 33 is disposed on the under-cover 15 and drives the second rotation plate 31 to rotate. Note that the second rotation actuator 33 may be provided on the second rotation plate 31 side.

[0032] The second rotating plate 31 is configured to be freely movable between a blocking position (second blocking position) in which it blocks the rear of the opening 16 and an opening position (second opening position) in which it rotates upward to open the rear of the opening 16 by the driving force of the second rotating actuator 33.

[0033] The second slide actuator 34 is disposed on the upper surface of the second rotating plate 31 and drives the second sliding plate 32 to slide. The second sliding plate 32 is configured to be movable by the driving force of the second slide actuator 34 between a retracted position (second retracted position) where it overlaps the upper surface of the second rotating plate 31 and an expanded position (second expanded position) where it slides forward of the second rotating plate 31.

[0034] The ECU 41, which is a control unit, constitutes an electronic control unit having, for example, an information processing means such as a CPU, a storage means such as a RAM and a ROM, an input / output interface, and the like.

[0035] The output side of the ECU 41 is connected to the first and second rotation actuators 23, 33 and the first and second slide actuators 24, 34. The input side of the ECU 41 is connected to a vehicle speed sensor 42 that detects the vehicle speed V of the vehicle, and various temperature sensors that detect the temperatures of predetermined objects in the engine compartment 2, including a water temperature sensor 43, an engine (E / G) oil temperature sensor 44, a transmission (T / M) oil temperature sensor 45, a differential gear oil temperature sensor 46, and a component temperature sensor 47. Here, the component temperature sensor 47 detects the temperature of the EPS 10, for example.

[0036] The ECU 41 controls the drive of the first opening / closing mechanism 20 and the second opening / closing mechanism 30 based on the detection results of the sensors 42, 43 (44 to 47). That is, the ECU 41 operates the actuators 23, 24, 33, 34 to control the movement of the first and second rotating plates 21, 31 to the closed position or the open position, and the movement of the first and second sliding plates 22, 32 to the retracted position or the deployed position.

[0037] The ECU 41 is set with predetermined first threshold vehicle speeds αv1, αv2 and predetermined first threshold temperatures αt1, αt2, which will be described later and which serve as references for drive control of the first opening / closing mechanism 20 and the second opening / closing mechanism 30.

[0038] Regarding the underfloor opening opening / closing control device 40 configured as described above, an example of drive control of the first opening / closing mechanism 20 and the second opening / closing mechanism 30 by the ECU 41, which is the control unit, will be described below based on the routine of step S in the flowchart of Figure 4.

[0039] First, the ECU 41 of the underfloor opening opening / closing control device 40 determines whether the temperature T of the engine cooling water is less than a predetermined first threshold temperature αt1 (T<αt1) from the detection signal input from the water temperature sensor 43 (S1). The predetermined first threshold temperature αt1 here is set to, for example, 85°C. When the temperature T of the engine cooling water is less than the predetermined first threshold temperature αt1 (for example, less than 85°C), it means that the engine 4 is in a low temperature state, including when it is warming up.

[0040] When the temperature T of the engine cooling water is lower than a predetermined first threshold temperature αt1 (for example, 85°C), the ECU 41 determines whether the vehicle speed V of the vehicle is lower than a predetermined first threshold vehicle speed αv1 based on the detection signal input from the vehicle speed sensor 42 (S2). Note that the predetermined first threshold vehicle speed αv1 here is set to, for example, 60 km / h.

[0041] On the other hand, if the temperature T of the engine cooling water is equal to or higher than a predetermined first threshold temperature αt1 (for example, 85° C.) (T≧αt1), the ECU 41 proceeds to a determination routine of step S5, which will be described later.

[0042] In the judgment routine of step S2, if the vehicle speed V of the vehicle is less than a predetermined first threshold vehicle speed αv1 (e.g., 60 km / h) (T<αt1), the ECU 41 executes the first operating mode (S3), transitions to the judgment routine of step S1, and returns the control processing.

[0043] That is, the ECU 41 executes drive control of the first opening / closing mechanism 20 and the second opening / closing mechanism 30 based on the set first operation mode when the temperature T of the engine coolant is low and below a predetermined first threshold temperature αt1 (e.g., 85°C) and the vehicle is traveling at a medium to low speed and the vehicle speed V is below a predetermined first threshold vehicle speed αv1 (e.g., 60 km / h). Note that the operation and effect of the ECU 41 executing the first operation mode to drive and control the first opening / closing mechanism 20 and the second opening / closing mechanism 30 will be described later.

[0044] On the other hand, in the judgment routine of step S2, if the vehicle speed V of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined first threshold vehicle speed αv1 (e.g., 60 km / h) (V≧αv1), the ECU 41 executes the second operating mode (S4), transitions to the judgment routine of step S1, and returns the control processing.

[0045] That is, the ECU 41 executes drive control of the first opening / closing mechanism 20 and the second opening / closing mechanism 30 based on the set second operation mode when the temperature T of the engine coolant is low and below a predetermined first threshold temperature αt1 (e.g., 85°C) and the vehicle is traveling at a high speed and the vehicle speed V is equal to or higher than a predetermined first threshold vehicle speed αv1 (e.g., 60 km / h). Note that the operation and effect of the ECU 41 executing the second operation mode to drive and control the first opening / closing mechanism 20 and the second opening / closing mechanism 30 will be described later.

[0046] In the determination routine of step S1, when the temperature T of the engine cooling water is equal to or higher than a predetermined first threshold temperature αt1 (e.g., 85°C) (T≧αt1), the ECU 41 determines whether the temperature T of the engine cooling water is lower than a predetermined second threshold temperature αt2 based on a detection signal input from the water temperature sensor 43 (S5). The predetermined second threshold temperature αt2 is set to, for example, 108°C.

[0047] In the judgment routine of step S5, in addition to the temperature T of the engine coolant, predetermined threshold temperatures for the engine (E / G) oil, transmission (T / M) oil, differential gear oil, and peripheral components (here, the temperature of EPS10) that are high may be set in the ECU 41, and the ECU 41 may determine whether or not each of these temperatures is below the predetermined threshold temperature.

[0048] That is, the ECU 41 may determine whether the temperature of the engine oil, transmission oil, differential gear oil, or peripheral components, in this case the EPS 10, is below the respective set predetermined threshold temperatures based on detection signals input from various temperature sensors that detect the temperatures of predetermined objects in the engine compartment 2, such as the engine oil temperature sensor 44, the transmission oil temperature sensor 45, the differential gear oil temperature sensor 46, or the component temperature sensor 47.

[0049] In this case, it is determined whether the temperature of any of the engine coolant, engine oil, transmission oil, differential gear oil, or peripheral parts (such as EPS 10) is below a predetermined threshold temperature set for each.

[0050] In the determination routine of step S5, if the temperature T of the engine cooling water is less than a predetermined second threshold temperature αt2 (for example, 108°C) (T<αt2), the ECU 41 proceeds to the determination routine of step S2 and executes the subsequent processes in sequence.

[0051] When the temperature T of the engine cooling water is less than a predetermined second threshold temperature αt2 (e.g., 108°C) (T<αt2), the engine 4 is not at a high temperature and the temperature T of the engine cooling water is stable. In other words, when the temperature T of the engine cooling water is equal to or higher than a predetermined first threshold temperature αt1 (e.g., equal to or higher than 85°C) and less than a predetermined second threshold temperature αt2 (e.g., less than 108°C), the engine 4 is in a stable temperature state, including when warming up is complete.

[0052] On the other hand, when the temperature T of the engine coolant is equal to or higher than a predetermined second threshold temperature αt2 (for example, 108°C) (T≧αt2), the ECU 41 determines whether the vehicle speed V of the vehicle is higher than a predetermined second threshold vehicle speed αv2 (V>αv2) based on the detection signal input from the vehicle speed sensor 42 (S6). Note that the predetermined second threshold vehicle speed αv2 is set to, for example, 60 km / h.

[0053] If the vehicle speed V is higher than a predetermined second threshold vehicle speed αv2 (e.g., 60 km / h) (V>αv2), the ECU 41 executes the third operation mode (S7), proceeds to the determination routine of step S1, and returns the control process.

[0054] That is, the ECU 41 executes drive control of the first opening / closing mechanism 20 and the second opening / closing mechanism 30 based on the set third operation mode when the temperature T of the engine coolant is high (T≧αt2) equal to or higher than a predetermined second threshold temperature αt2 (e.g., 108°C) and the vehicle is traveling at a high speed where the vehicle speed V is higher than a predetermined second threshold vehicle speed αv2 (e.g., 60 km / h) (V>αv2). Note that the operation and effect of the ECU 41 executing the third operation mode to drive and control the first opening / closing mechanism 20 and the second opening / closing mechanism 30 will be described later.

[0055] On the other hand, if the vehicle speed V is equal to or less than a predetermined second threshold vehicle speed αv2 (e.g., 60 km / h) (V≦αv2), the ECU 41 executes the fourth operation mode (S8), transitions to the judgment routine of step S1, and returns the control processing.

[0056] That is, the ECU 41 executes drive control of the first opening / closing mechanism 20 and the second opening / closing mechanism 30 based on the set fourth operation mode when the temperature T of the engine coolant is a high temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined second threshold temperature αt2 (e.g., 108°C) (T≧αt2) and the vehicle is running at a low to medium speed steady state where the vehicle speed V is equal to or lower than a predetermined second threshold vehicle speed αv2 (e.g., 60 km / h) (V≦αv2). Note that the operation and effect of the ECU 41 executing the fourth operation mode to drive and control the first opening / closing mechanism 20 and the second opening / closing mechanism 30 will be described later.

[0057] Next, the operation and function of the first opening / closing mechanism 20 and the second opening / closing mechanism 30 in each mode executed by the ECU 41 of the underfloor opening opening / closing control device 40 will be described. (First operating mode)

[0058] In the first operation mode, as shown in FIG. 5, the opening 16 of the under-cover 15 is entirely closed by the first opening / closing mechanism 20 and the second opening / closing mechanism 30. As shown in FIG.

[0059] Specifically, the ECU 41 controls the drive of the first rotation actuator 23 so that the first rotation plate 21 of the first opening / closing mechanism 20 moves to a closing position that covers approximately half of the front side of the opening 16. Then, the ECU 41 controls the drive of the first slide actuator 24 so that the first slide plate 22 of the first opening / closing mechanism 20 moves to a retracted position where it overlaps the first rotation plate 21.

[0060] Furthermore, the ECU 41 controls and drives the first rotation actuator 23 so that the second rotation plate 31 of the second opening / closing mechanism 30 moves to a closing position that covers approximately the rear half of the opening 16. Then, the ECU 41 controls and drives the second slide actuator 34 so that the second slide plate 32 of the second opening / closing mechanism 30 moves to a retracted position that overlaps the second rotation plate 31.

[0061] In this way, in the first operation mode, both the first rotating plate 21 and the second rotating plate 31 are moved to the closing position, and the opening 16 of the under-cover 15 is entirely closed. The first sliding plate 22 and the second sliding plate are driven to the retracted position where they overlap the first rotating plate 21 or the second rotating plate 31, respectively.

[0062] The first operation mode of the underfloor opening opening / closing controller 40 is a mode that is executed when the engine cooling water temperature T is a low temperature below a predetermined first threshold temperature αt1 (e.g., 85°C) and the vehicle is traveling at a low to medium speed steady state where the vehicle speed V is below a predetermined first threshold vehicle speed αv1 (e.g., 60 km / h). In other words, the first operation mode is a mode that is executed by the underfloor opening opening / closing controller 40 when the vehicle is traveling at a low to medium speed steady state and there is a margin for cooling performance in the engine compartment 2.

[0063] In the first operating mode, the opening 16 of the under-cover 15 of the vehicle is entirely closed, and the airflow (arrow UF in the figure) flowing under the floor below the under-cover 15 is rectified. This improves the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle. Also, by entirely closing the opening 16 of the under-cover 15, the downforce of the vehicle is improved, and the handling stability is improved. Furthermore, because the opening 16 of the under-cover 15 is entirely closed, the sound of the engine 4 is effectively insulated from the outside of the vehicle, and vibration and noise characteristics are also improved. (Second operating mode)

[0064] In the second operating mode, as shown in FIG. 6, the first opening / closing mechanism 20 moves from the underside of the under-cover 15 to the outside of the vehicle, and the second opening / closing mechanism 30 blocks approximately half of the rear side of the opening 16 in the under-cover 15.

[0065] Specifically, the ECU 41 controls the first rotation actuator 23 so that the first rotation plate 21 of the first opening / closing mechanism 20 moves to a lower open position on the vehicle exterior side where approximately the front half of the opening 16 is open. The ECU 41 then controls the first slide actuator 24 so that the first slide plate 22 of the first opening / closing mechanism 20 slides relative to the first rotation plate 21 and moves further to a lower deployed position on the vehicle exterior side.

[0066] Furthermore, the ECU 41 controls and drives the first rotation actuator 23 so that the second rotation plate 31 of the second opening / closing mechanism 30 moves to a closed position that closes approximately the rear half of the opening 16. Then, the ECU 41 controls and drives the second slide actuator 34 so that the second slide plate 32 of the second opening / closing mechanism 30 slides forward relative to the second rotation plate 31 and moves to a deployed position that covers approximately the front half of the opening 16.

[0067] Thus, in the second operating mode, the first rotating plate 21 is driven to the open position, and the second rotating plate 31 is driven to the closed position. Then, the first sliding plate 22 is driven to the deployed position, and the second sliding plate 32 is driven to the deployed position. As a result, the opening 16 of the under-cover 15 is almost entirely closed by the movement of the second rotating plate 31 to the closed position and the movement of the second sliding plate 32 to the deployed position.

[0068] The second operation mode of the underfloor opening opening / closing controller 40 is a mode that is executed when the temperature T of the engine cooling water is low, below a predetermined first threshold temperature αt1 (e.g., 85°C), and the vehicle is traveling at a high speed steadily, with the vehicle speed V being equal to or higher than a predetermined first threshold vehicle speed αv1 (e.g., 60 km / h). That is, the second operation mode is a mode that is executed by the underfloor opening opening / closing controller 40 when the vehicle is traveling at a high speed steadily and there is a margin for cooling performance in the engine compartment 2.

[0069] In the second operating mode, the vehicle is in a state in which the opening 16 of the under-cover 15 is almost entirely blocked by the second rotating plate 31 and the second sliding plate 32. Then, the first rotating plate 21 and the first sliding plate 22 rotate and slide downwards on the outside of the vehicle, reducing the airflow (indicated by the arrow UF in the figure) flowing under the floor below the under-cover 15 and improving air resistance.

[0070] This significantly improves the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle. In addition, the opening 16 of the under-cover 15 is entirely closed, and the first rotating plate 21 and first sliding plate 22 extending downward on the outside of the vehicle act as an air dam, separating the airflow flowing from the front to the rear of the vehicle and generating negative pressure under the floor below the under-cover 15, further improving downforce and improving handling stability. In addition, since the opening 16 of the under-cover 15 is almost entirely closed, there is also the effect of insulating the sound of the engine 4 from the outside of the vehicle, and vibration and noise characteristics are also improved. (Third operating mode)

[0071] In the third operating mode, as shown in FIG. 7, the first opening / closing mechanism 20 closes the front side of the opening 16 in the under-cover 15, and the first opening / closing mechanism 30 opens the rear side of the opening 16.

[0072] Specifically, the ECU 41 controls the drive of the first rotation actuator 23 so that the first rotation plate 21 of the first opening / closing mechanism 20 moves to a closing position that covers approximately the front half of the opening 16. Then, the ECU 41 controls the drive of the first slide actuator 24 so that the first slide plate 22 of the first opening / closing mechanism 20 moves to a retracted position that overlaps the first rotation plate 21.

[0073] The ECU 41 also controls and drives the second rotation actuator 33 so that the second rotation plate 31 of the second opening / closing mechanism 30 moves to an upward open position facing the engine room 2 on the vehicle interior side, opening approximately the rear half of the opening 16. The ECU 41 then controls and drives the second slide actuator 34 so that the second slide plate 32 of the second opening / closing mechanism 30 slides relative to the second rotation plate 31, and moves further to an upward deployed position facing the engine room 2 on the vehicle interior side.

[0074] Thus, in the third operating mode, the first rotating plate 21 is driven to the closed position, and the second rotating plate 31 is driven to the open position. Then, the first sliding plate 22 is driven to the retracted position, and the second sliding plate 32 is driven to the deployed position. As a result, the opening 16 of the under-cover 15 is closed in approximately the front half due to the movement of the first rotating plate 21 to the closed position, and is opened in approximately the rear half due to the movement of the second rotating plate 31 to the open position. In other words, the opening 16 of the under-cover 15 is entirely open.

[0075] The third operation mode of the underfloor opening opening / closing controller 40 is a mode executed when the temperature T of the engine cooling water is high and equal to or higher than a predetermined first threshold temperature αt1 (for example, 108°C) and the vehicle is traveling at a high speed with the vehicle speed V higher than a predetermined first threshold vehicle speed αv1 (for example, 60 km / h). That is, the third operation mode is a mode executed by the underfloor opening opening / closing controller 40 when the cooling performance in the engine compartment 2 and the peripheral components, in this case, the EPS 10, are severely damaged by heat while the vehicle is traveling at a high speed.

[0076] In the third operating mode, the vehicle is in a state in which approximately the front half of opening 16 of under-cover 15 is blocked by first rotating plate 21, and approximately the rear half of opening 16 is open. As a result, the air passing through the radiator on the lower side, which is air (AIR) that has become heated by passing through radiator unit 5, is blocked by second opening / closing mechanism 30 and is discharged as exhaust flow ExF (indicated by an arrow in the figure) from opening 16 of under-cover 15 to the underfloor outside the vehicle without reaching peripheral components, in this case EPS 10.

[0077] That is, the hot air passing through the radiator is blocked by the second rotating plate 31 rotated into the engine room 2 inside the vehicle and the second sliding plate 32 deployed to extend along the upper surface of the second rotating plate 31, and is directed toward the opening 16 of the under cover 15, the rear half of which is open, and is discharged as exhaust flow ExF.

[0078] Therefore, the vehicle is prevented from trapping hot air in the engine compartment 2, improving cooling performance. Also, the hot air from the air that has passed through the radiator unit 5 is blocked by the second opening / closing mechanism 30, making it difficult for it to flow to the surrounding components, in this case, the EPS 10 side, thereby reducing heat damage to the surrounding components.

[0079] Furthermore, the hot air in the engine compartment 2 is exhausted as an exhaust flow ExF from the opening 16 of the undercover 15, the rear half of which is open, thereby reducing the pressure in the engine compartment 2. This increases the amount of air passing through the radiator unit 5, improving the cooling performance of the radiator unit 5. (4th operating mode)

[0080] In the fourth operating mode, as shown in FIG. 8, the first opening / closing mechanism 20 opens the front side of the opening 16 in the under-cover 15, and the first opening / closing mechanism 30 opens the rear side of the opening 16.

[0081] Specifically, the ECU 41 controls the drive of the first rotation actuator 23 so that the first rotation plate 21 of the first opening / closing mechanism 20 moves to a lower release position on the outside of the vehicle that opens approximately the front half of the opening 16. Then, the ECU 41 controls the drive of the first slide actuator 24 so that the first slide plate 22 of the first opening / closing mechanism 20 moves to a retracted position where it overlaps the first rotation plate 21.

[0082] Note that, assuming a rough road or the like, the first sliding plate 22 is moved to a retracted position where it overlaps the first rotating plate 21 so that the first sliding plate 22 does not interfere with the road surface. That is, when the vehicle speed is high and in the second operating mode, the first sliding plate 22, which serves as an air dam, is moved to deploy, but when the vehicle speed is low, the aerodynamic effect of the air dam is small and there is a risk of the air dam being destroyed by contact with the ground when traveling on a rough road, so the first sliding plate 22 is controlled not to deploy.

[0083] The ECU 41 also controls and drives the second rotation actuator 33 so that the second rotation plate 31 of the second opening / closing mechanism 30 moves to an upward open position facing the engine room 2 on the vehicle interior side, opening approximately the rear half of the opening 16. The ECU 41 then controls and drives the second slide actuator 34 so that the second slide plate 32 of the second opening / closing mechanism 30 slides relative to the second rotation plate 31, and moves further to an upward deployed position facing the engine room 2 on the vehicle interior side.

[0084] In this way, in the fourth operating mode, both the first rotating plate 21 and the second rotating plate 31 are driven to the open position. Then, the first sliding plate 22 is driven to the retracted position, and the second sliding plate 32 is driven to the deployed position. As a result, the opening 16 of the under-cover 15 is entirely opened by the movement of the first rotating plate 21 and the second rotating plate 31 to the open position.

[0085] The fourth operation mode of the underfloor opening opening control device 40 is a mode that is executed when the temperature T of the engine cooling water is high and equal to or higher than a predetermined first threshold temperature αt1 (e.g., 108°C) and the vehicle is traveling at a low to medium speed steady state where the vehicle speed V is less than a predetermined first threshold vehicle speed αv1 (e.g., 60 km / h). That is, the fourth operation mode is a mode that is executed by the underfloor opening opening opening control device 40 when the cooling performance in the engine compartment 2 and heat damage to peripheral components (e.g., EPS 10) are most severe when the vehicle is traveling at a low to medium speed steady state. The fourth operation mode is a mode that is executed when the vehicle is traveling uphill, towing, sports driving, etc.

[0086] In the fourth operating mode, the vehicle is in a state in which the entire opening 16 of the under-cover 15 is open. As a result, similar to the third operating mode, the air passing through the radiator on the lower side, which is air (AIR) that has become heated by passing through the radiator unit 5, is blocked by the second opening / closing mechanism 30 and does not reach peripheral components (EPS 10, etc.), but is discharged as exhaust flow ExF (indicated by the arrow in the figure) from the opening 16 of the under-cover 15 to the underfloor outside the vehicle.

[0087] That is, the hot air passing through the radiator is blocked by the second rotating plate 31 rotated into the engine room 2 and the second sliding plate 32 deployed in the engine room 2, and is directed toward the opening 16 of the under cover 15, which is now fully opened, and is discharged as exhaust flow ExF.

[0088] Therefore, even in the fourth operating mode, the vehicle is prevented from trapping hot air in the engine compartment 2, improving cooling performance. Furthermore, the hot air from the air that has passed through the radiator unit 5 is blocked by the second opening / closing mechanism 30, making it difficult for it to flow toward peripheral components (such as the EPS 10), thereby reducing heat damage to the peripheral components.

[0089] Furthermore, the hot air in the engine compartment 2 is exhausted as the exhaust flow ExF from the opening 16 of the fully opened undercover 15, further reducing the pressure in the engine compartment 2. This increases the amount of air passing through the radiator unit 5, further improving the cooling performance of the radiator unit 5.

[0090] Furthermore, the first pivoting plate 21 pivots and moves downward on the vehicle exterior, reducing the airflow (indicated by the arrow UF in the figure) flowing under the floor below the under-cover 15, improving air resistance. This improves the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle. Also, the first pivoting plate 21 extending downward on the vehicle exterior acts as an air dam, separating the airflow flowing from the front to the rear of the vehicle, generating negative pressure under the floor below the under-cover 15, improving downforce and improving handling stability.

[0091] In this way, negative pressure is generated under the floor below the under cover 15, which encourages the hot air in the engine room 2 to be expelled as the hot exhaust flow ExF from the opening 16 of the under cover 15, thereby preventing hot air from building up in the engine room 2.

[0092] In this way, the vehicle's underfloor opening opening / closing control device 40 executes the third operating mode during high-speed steady driving, when the cooling performance in the engine room 2 and heat damage to peripheral components (e.g., EPS 10) are severe, or the fourth operating mode during uphill driving, towing, sports driving, etc., and expels the air passing through the radiator from the opening 16 in the undercover 15, preventing hot air from building up in the engine room 2 and further reducing the pressure in the engine room 2.

[0093] Furthermore, the air passing through the radiator, whose temperature has increased due to heat dissipation from the radiator unit 5, is discharged under the floor before reaching peripheral components (such as the EPS 10) that may be subject to heat damage. As a result, the effects of heat damage on the peripheral components (such as the EPS 10) are alleviated.

[0094] Furthermore, by providing the opening 16 in front of the engine 4, the pressure loss in the engine compartment 2 and the blowing out of the radiator-passing air from the wheel house can be reduced, thereby improving the aerodynamic performance and cooling performance of the vehicle.

[0095] In the vehicle of this embodiment described above, the opening 16 of the undercover 15 constituting the underside of the vehicle body front portion 1 is located behind the radiator unit 5 and in front of the engine 4. The underfloor opening opening control device 40 of the vehicle has a first opening / closing mechanism 20 and a second opening / closing mechanism 30 that open and close the opening 16 of the undercover 15.

[0096] The underfloor opening opening / closing control device 40 executes the first operation mode or the second operation mode according to the vehicle speed V when there is sufficient cooling capacity in the engine room 2 at the front part 1 of the vehicle body and the impact of heat damage on peripheral components is small.

[0097] In the first operation mode, the first opening / closing mechanism 20 and the second opening / closing mechanism 30 close the entire opening 16 of the under-cover 15. This first operation mode is a mode in which the entire opening 16 of the under-cover 15 is closed when the vehicle is traveling at a steady low- to medium-speed vehicle speed V.

[0098] In the second operation mode, the opening 16 of the under-cover 15 is closed only by the second opening / closing mechanism 30. This second operation mode is a mode in which the entire opening 16 of the under-cover 15 is closed when the vehicle is traveling at a high steady speed V. The second operation mode is also a mode in which the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle is improved by the first rotating plate 21 and the first sliding plate 22 of the first opening / closing mechanism 20.

[0099] On the other hand, when the cooling in the engine compartment 2 at the front part 1 of the vehicle body is severe and the impact of heat damage on surrounding components is significant, the underfloor opening opening / closing control device 40 executes the third operation mode or the fourth operation mode depending on the vehicle speed V.

[0100] In the third operation mode, the second opening / closing mechanism 30 opens approximately half of the rear side of the opening 16 of the under-cover 15. In addition, in the third operation mode, the second rotating plate 31 and the second sliding plate 32 of the second opening / closing mechanism 30 guide hot air in the engine compartment 2 toward the opening 16, improving the cooling performance in the engine compartment 2 and reducing heat damage to surrounding components.

[0101] The fourth operating mode is a mode in which the first opening / closing mechanism 20 and the second opening / closing mechanism 30 open the entire opening 16 of the under-cover 15. Also, in the fourth operating mode, the first rotating plate 21 of the first opening / closing mechanism 20 improves the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle, and the second rotating plate 31 and the second sliding plate 32 of the second opening / closing mechanism 30 direct hot air within the engine compartment 2 toward the opening 16, thereby improving the cooling performance within the engine compartment 2 and reducing heat damage to surrounding components.

[0102] As explained above, the underfloor opening opening / closing control device 40 of the vehicle can be changed to one of four optimal modes for optimal aerodynamic performance, cooling performance, handling stability, vibration and noise performance, and measures against heat damage to peripheral components (such as EPS 10) in the engine room 2, depending on the vehicle's steady-state driving state at low, medium, and high speeds and the temperature state in the engine room 2 based on the temperature T of the engine cooling water.

[0103] The first and second rotary actuators 23, 33 and the first and second slide actuators 24, 34 may be various types of actuators, such as motors, solenoids, power cylinders, linear actuators, electric, electromagnetic, hydraulic, or pneumatic actuators.

[0104] The underfloor opening opening / closing control device 40 is provided with well-known mechanisms such as a rotation link mechanism for rotating the first and second rotating plates 21, 31 using the driving force of the first and second rotation actuators 23, 33 or the first and second slide actuators 24, 34, or a slide link mechanism for sliding movement.

[0105] Furthermore, the ECU 41, which is the control unit of the underfloor opening opening / closing control device 40, has a processor including a central processing unit (CPU) and storage devices such as ROM and RAM. Furthermore, all or part of the configuration of the processor's multiple circuits may be implemented by software. For example, the CPU may read and execute various programs corresponding to each function stored in ROM. Furthermore, all or part of the processor's functions may be implemented by logic circuits or analog circuits, and the processing of the various programs may be implemented by electronic circuits such as FPGAs.

[0106] The invention described in the above embodiments is not limited to those embodiments, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the gist of the invention. Furthermore, each of the above embodiments includes inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriate combinations of the disclosed multiple constituent elements.

[0107] For example, if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in each form, and the stated problem can still be solved and the stated effect can still be obtained, then the configuration from which these constituent elements have been deleted can be extracted as an invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 1. Front of vehicle 2. Engine room 3. Front hood 4. Engine 5. Radiator unit 6. Radiator 7. Capacitor 8 Radiator fan 9. Front bumper 10. Electric Power Steering (EPS) 11. Outside air intake 11,12... Fresh air intake 15 Undercover 16. Opening 17,18 Front wheels 21... First rotating plate 22 First slide plate 23... First rotary actuator 24...First slide actuator 31... Second rotating plate 32 Second slide plate 33...Second rotary actuator 34 Second slide actuator 40 Underfloor opening opening / closing control device 41 ECU 42 Vehicle speed sensor 43 Water temperature sensor 44 Engine oil temperature sensor 45 Transmission oil temperature sensor 46 Differential gear oil temperature sensor 47 Component temperature sensor ExF...Exhaust flow T...Temperature V...Vehicle speed αt1, αt2: First and second threshold temperatures αv1, αv2: First and second threshold vehicle speeds

Claims

1. An underfloor opening opening / closing control device for a vehicle that is provided on an undercover that forms the bottom surface of the front part of the vehicle body and covers a lower part of the engine, a first opening / closing mechanism configured to open and close a front side of an opening formed at a position rearward of the radiator unit and forward of the engine; a second opening / closing mechanism that opens and closes the rear side of the opening; a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of a predetermined object in the engine compartment; a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed; a control unit that controls the first opening / closing mechanism and the second opening / closing mechanism based on detection results of the temperature sensor and the vehicle speed sensor; An underfloor opening opening control device for a vehicle, comprising:

2. The first opening and closing mechanism is a first rotating plate that is rotatably moved between a first closing position that closes the front side of the opening and a first opening position that rotates toward the vehicle exterior and opens the front side of the opening; a first slide plate that is slidably moved between a first retracted position where the first slide plate overlaps the first rotating plate and a first deployed position where the first slide plate deploys along an upper surface of the first rotating plate; a first rotation actuator that drives the first rotation plate to the first closed position and the first open position; a first slide actuator that drives the first slide plate to the retracted position and the deployed position; and The second opening and closing mechanism is a second rotating plate that is rotatably moved between a second closing position that closes the rear side of the opening and a second opening position that rotates toward the interior of the vehicle and opens the rear side of the opening; a second slide plate that is slidably moved between a second retracted position where the second slide plate overlaps the second rotating plate and a second deployed position where the second slide plate deploys along an upper surface of the second rotating plate; a second rotation actuator that drives the second rotation plate to the second closed position and the second open position; a second slide actuator that drives the second slide plate to the retracted position and the deployed position; 2. The vehicle underfloor opening opening control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. The control unit The detection result input from the temperature sensor is less than a first threshold temperature or less than a second threshold temperature higher than the first threshold temperature, When the detection result input from the vehicle speed sensor is less than a first threshold vehicle speed, drive and control the first rotation actuator and the first slide actuator so that the first rotation plate moves to the first closing position and the first slide plate moves to the retracted position; a first operation mode is executed in which the second rotation actuator and the second slide actuator are driven and controlled so that the second rotation plate moves to the second closing position and the second slide plate moves to the retracted position; The detection result input from the temperature sensor is less than the first threshold temperature or less than the second threshold temperature, When the detection result input from the vehicle speed sensor is equal to or greater than the first threshold vehicle speed, drive and control the first rotation actuator and the first slide actuator so that the first rotation plate moves to the first open position and the first slide plate moves to the deployed position; a second operating mode is executed in which the second rotation actuator and the second slide actuator are driven and controlled so that the second rotation plate moves to the second closed position and the second slide plate moves to the deployed position; The detection result input from the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than the second threshold temperature, When the detection result input from the vehicle speed sensor is higher than a second threshold vehicle speed, drive and control the first rotation actuator and the first slide actuator so that the first rotation plate moves to the first closing position and the first slide plate moves to the retracted position; a third operation mode is executed in which the second rotation actuator and the second slide actuator are driven and controlled so that the second rotation plate moves to the second open position and the second slide plate moves to the deployed position; The detection result input from the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than the second threshold temperature, When the detection result input from the vehicle speed sensor is equal to or less than the second threshold vehicle speed, drive and control the first rotation actuator and the first slide actuator so that the first rotation plate moves to the first open position and the first slide plate moves to the retracted position; 3. The underfloor opening opening control device for a vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising a third operating mode for controlling and driving the second rotary actuator and the second slide actuator so that the second rotary plate moves to the second open position and the second slide plate moves to the deployed position.

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