Coolant passage arrangement structure for a vehicle heat exchanger

Abstract

This prevents water kicked up by the front wheels from entering through the vent and splashing into the engine compartment. [Solution] A hose arrangement structure for a vehicle heat exchanger includes a heat exchanger provided in front of the front wheels of the vehicle, a wheelhouse vent located between the heat exchanger and the front wheels, and a first coolant passage and a second coolant passage connected to the heat exchanger. At least one of the first coolant passage and the second coolant passage includes an extension portion that extends vertically along an inner portion of the vent in the vehicle width direction.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a layout structure of coolant passages in a heat exchanger of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an arrangement structure of a heat exchanger for a vehicle, which includes a heat exchanger, a hose, and a vent in a wheelhouse. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 60-231 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, water kicked up by the front wheels can enter through the air vents and splash into the engine compartment.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to prevent water splashed up by the front wheels from entering through the air vent and splashing into the engine compartment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A cooling liquid passage arrangement structure for a heat exchanger of a vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention includes a heat exchanger provided in front of the front wheels of the vehicle, a wheelhouse vent disposed between the heat exchanger and the front wheels, and a first cooling liquid passage and a second cooling liquid passage connected to the heat exchanger. At least one of the first cooling liquid passage and the second cooling liquid passage includes an extension portion extending vertically along an inner portion of the vent in the vehicle width direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent water splashed up by the front wheels from entering through the air vent and splashing into the engine compartment. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing the layout structure of coolant passages of a heat exchanger of a vehicle according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an undercover and a fender protector. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the layout of coolant passages in a heat exchanger of a vehicle. [Figure 4A] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the structure of a heat exchanger and a coolant passage. [Figure 4B] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the layout of coolant passages in a heat exchanger of a vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, the layout structure of the coolant passages of the heat exchanger of a vehicle according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, FR and RR indicate the front and rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, respectively, UP and DN indicate the upper and lower in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and LH and RH indicate the left and right in the width direction of the vehicle. In the following description, the front and rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the upper and lower in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the left and right in the width direction of the vehicle will be simply referred to as the front, rear, upper, lower, left, and right, respectively. Furthermore, components having the same functions as those already described will be assigned the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0010] The layout structure of the coolant passages of the heat exchanger of the vehicle includes a heat exchanger 11 provided in front of the front wheels T, a vent 21 in the wheelhouse S located between the heat exchanger 11 and the front wheels T, and a first coolant passage 31 and a second coolant passage 41 connected to the heat exchanger 11 (see FIG. 1). The layout structure of the coolant passages of the heat exchanger located on the left side of the vehicle will be described below as an example. The layout structure of the coolant passages of the heat exchanger located on the right side of the vehicle is similar, so its description will be omitted.

[0011] The wheelhouse S is the space formed between the front wheel T of a vehicle and the fender of the vehicle body, and is also called a tire house. That is, the front wheel T is stored in the wheelhouse S (see Figure 1). The fender protector 1 runs along the wheelhouse S and covers its front and upper parts (see Figures 1 and 2). The fender protector 1 is also called an inner liner.

[0012] A vent 21, which will be described later, is provided near the front portion of the lower portion of the fender protector 1. An undercover 2 is provided at the front or lower end of the fender protector 1, extending to the lower edge of the front bumper 3 (including a chin spoiler and lip spoiler) (see FIGS. 1-3). The fender protector 1 and undercover 2 according to the embodiment are integrally molded, but the fender protector 1 and undercover 2 may also be formed as separate components and connected together. The integrally molded fender protector 1 and undercover 2 are resin parts formed by, for example, injection molding or sheet molding. The rear portion of the wheelhouse S may be covered by another fender protector, and the rear edge of the fender protector 1 may be connected to the front edge of the other fender protector.

[0013] The heat exchanger 11 is disposed on the outer side of the left front side member in the vehicle width direction and in front of the front wheel T (see FIGS. 1 and 3). That is, the heat exchanger 11 and the front wheel T are disposed so as to partially overlap each other when viewed in the front-rear direction (see FIGS. 3 and 4B). The heat exchanger 11 is disposed in front of the fender protector 1 and is provided in a space formed by the fender protector 1, the undercover 2, the front bumper 3, and the like (see FIGS. 1-3). The heat exchanger 11 is, for example, a sub-radiator, an intercooler (also referred to as a charge air cooler: CAC), or an oil cooler. The heat exchanger 11 exchanges heat between the coolant and the air outside the heat exchanger 11 as the coolant passes through it. This allows the heat of the coolant, which has risen in temperature due to use in cooling electrical components, etc., to be released to the outside, thereby cooling the coolant.

[0014] An air vent 21 is disposed between the heat exchanger 11 and the front wheel T. That is, the air vent 21 and the front wheel T are disposed so as to partially overlap when viewed in the front-to-rear direction (see FIGS. 3 and 4B). The air vent 21 is provided with a lattice-shaped louver and is configured to communicate with the wheel house S (see FIGS. 1, 2 and 4B). The louver is configured, for example, with a plurality of horizontal louver plates and a plurality of vertical louver plates.

[0015] When the vehicle is traveling, wind flows in through an air intake (not shown), which is an air intake port provided in the front bumper 3. The wind exchanges heat with the coolant as it passes through the heat exchanger 11. After passing through the heat exchanger 11, the wind passes through the vent 21 in the fender protector 1 and is discharged into the wheelhouse S. Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 1 , water kicked up by the front wheel T may splash forward while the vehicle is traveling. The arrows in the figure indicate an example of the trajectory of splashed water droplets. The splashed water droplets may fall near the vent 21 and enter the space in front of the fender protector 1 through the vent 21. In the layout structure of the coolant path of the heat exchanger according to the embodiment, the extension portion 32, which will be described later, prevents water that enters through the vent 21 from splashing into the engine compartment M on the inside in the vehicle width direction.

[0016] A first coolant passage 31 and a second coolant passage 41 are connected to the heat exchanger 11. The first coolant passage 31 and the second coolant passage 41 are provided behind the heat exchanger 11 in the front-rear direction.

[0017] The first coolant path 31 is connected to an upper portion of the heat exchanger 11. The second coolant path 41 is connected to a lower portion of the heat exchanger 11. That is, the first coolant path 31 is connected to the heat exchanger 11 above the second coolant path 41 (see FIGS. 1, 4A, and 4B). The first coolant path 31 is also referred to as an upper hose located above, and the second coolant path is also referred to as a lower hose located below. Furthermore, in a portion where the first coolant path 31 and the second coolant path 41 overlap when viewed in the front-to-rear direction (in other words, a portion where the first coolant path 31 and the second coolant path 41 join in the up-down direction), the first coolant path 31 is located rearward of the second coolant path 41 (see FIGS. 1, 3, and 4A).

[0018] The first coolant passage 31 is disposed downstream of the heat exchanger 11 and allows the coolant flowing out from the heat exchanger 11 to pass through. The second coolant passage 41 is disposed upstream of the heat exchanger 11 and allows the coolant flowing into the heat exchanger 11 to pass through. Note that, as viewed from the heat exchanger 11, the passage on the forward side of the coolant flow direction is defined as downstream, and the passage on the reverse side of the coolant flow direction is defined as upstream. In this case, as the coolant passes through the heat exchanger 11, heat exchange occurs between the air outside the heat exchanger 11 and the coolant. As a result, the coolant whose temperature has increased after being used to cool the cooled components (such as an engine or a turbocharger) is cooled by the heat exchanger 11. Therefore, the coolant whose temperature has increased after being used to cool the cooled components passes through the second coolant passage 41, which is upstream. The coolant that has been cooled by passing through the heat exchanger 11 passes through the first coolant passage 31, which is downstream. As shown in Fig. 4A , the first coolant path (upper hose) 31 is connected to the heat exchanger 11 at a rear side of the heat exchanger 11 in the front-to-rear direction, at an upper part of the heat exchanger 11 in the up-down direction, and at a central part of the heat exchanger 11 in the vehicle width direction. The first coolant path 31 extends from a connection portion at the center of the upper rear side of the heat exchanger 11 toward the inside in the vehicle width direction to near an edge of the heat exchanger 11 and to the outside in the vehicle width direction of a washer tank 51 (described later), extends downward from near this edge to the central part of the heat exchanger 11 in the up-down direction, and extends from this central part into the engine compartment M. As shown in Fig. 4A , the second coolant path (lower hose) 41 is connected to the heat exchanger 11 at a rear side of the heat exchanger 11 in the front-to-rear direction, at a lower part of the heat exchanger 11 in the up-down direction, and at a central part of the heat exchanger 11 in the vehicle width direction. The second coolant passage 41 extends from a connection portion at the center of the lower rear side of the heat exchanger 11 toward the inside in the vehicle width direction to near the edge of the heat exchanger 11, extends from near this edge portion upward and toward the inside in the vehicle width direction to the height of the vertical center of the heat exchanger 11, and extends from this center portion into the engine compartment M. Note that the arrangement, connection positions, etc. of the first coolant passage 31 and the second coolant passage 41 are not limited to those described above.

[0019] The first coolant passage 31 according to this embodiment includes an extending portion 32 extending in the up-down direction along the inner portion 21A of the vent 21 in the vehicle width direction. This allows the extending portion 32 to block a part of the space on the inner side of the vent 21 in the vehicle width direction. This prevents water entering through the vent 21 from splashing into the engine compartment M on the inner side in the vehicle width direction. The extending portion 32 may extend from the central portion 21C to the upper portion 21U of the vent 21 in the up-down direction. Furthermore, the extending portion 32 may be disposed rearward of the second coolant passage 41 in a portion where the first coolant passage 31 and the second coolant passage 41 overlap in the front-rear direction (see FIGS. 1, 3, and 4A).

[0020] The extension portion may be provided in the second coolant path 41. In this case, the second coolant path 41 may be disposed rearward of the first coolant path 31 in the portion where the first coolant path 31 and the second coolant path 41 overlap in the front-to-rear direction.

[0021] A washer tank 51 may be provided on the inner side of the extension portion 32 in the vehicle width direction and on the outer side of the left front side member in the vehicle width direction. The washer tank 51 according to this embodiment is disposed on the inner side of the heat exchanger 11 and the extension portion 32 in the vehicle width direction, and has a shape that extends in the front-rear direction (see FIGS. 1 and 3). That is, a front portion 51F of the washer tank 51 is disposed forward of the heat exchanger 11 in the front-rear direction. A rear portion of the washer tank 51 extends rearward of the heat exchanger 11 in the front-rear direction, and is disposed near the inner side of the extension portion 32 of the first coolant path 31 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the washer tank 51 can prevent water entering through the air vent 21 from splashing into the engine compartment M. In addition, the washer tank 51 can prevent a portion of the wind generated during travel from flowing into the engine compartment M.

[0022] (1) The layout structure of the coolant passages of the heat exchanger of the vehicle according to the embodiment includes a heat exchanger 11 provided in front of the front wheels T of the vehicle, an air vent 21 in a wheel house S arranged between the heat exchanger 11 and the front wheels T, and a first coolant passage 31 and a second coolant passage 41 connected to the heat exchanger 11. At least one of the first coolant passage 31 and the second coolant passage 41 includes an extension portion 32 extending in the vertical direction along a portion 21A of the air vent 21 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction. With the above configuration, the extension portion 32 can block a portion of the space on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the air vent 21. This can prevent water entering through the air vent 21 from splashing into the engine compartment M on the inner side in the vehicle width direction. This eliminates the need for a water shield or other structure to prevent water from entering the engine compartment M, thereby contributing to weight reduction and cost reduction of the vehicle. Furthermore, the traveling wind that has passed through the heat exchanger 11 is guided by the extension portion 32 arranged along the inner portion of the vent 21 in the vehicle width direction, and is then led to the vent 21. This makes it possible to prevent a portion of the traveling wind from flowing into the engine compartment M. This eliminates the need to provide a configuration such as an air guide that leads the traveling wind to the vent 21, thereby enabling reductions in vehicle weight, parts costs, and ease of assembly.

[0023] (2) In the embodiment, the extension portion 32 is provided in the rearwardly disposed first coolant path 31 or the rearwardly disposed second coolant path 41 in a portion where the first coolant path 31 and the second coolant path 41 overlap in the front-rear direction. This reduces the gap in the front-rear direction between the extension portion 32 and the vent 21. That is, the extension portion 32 can block a portion of the space on the inner side of the vent 21 in the vehicle width direction that is closer to the vent 21. This further prevents water entering through the vent 21 from splashing into the engine compartment M on the inner side in the vehicle width direction.

[0024] (3) Furthermore, in the embodiment, the first coolant passage 31 is connected to the heat exchanger 11 above the second coolant passage 41, and the extension portion 32 is provided in the first coolant passage 31. Therefore, the extension portion 32 is formed by the first coolant passage 31 connected to the upper part of the heat exchanger 11, which makes it easy to arrange the extension portion 32 in a part of the space inside the vent 21 in the vehicle width direction.

[0025] (4) In the embodiment, the extension portion 32 extends from the central portion 21C to the upper portion 21U in the up-down direction of the vent 21. This allows the extension portion 32 to be arranged from the central portion to the upper portion in the space inside the vent 21 in the vehicle width direction. This makes it possible to appropriately block the space from the central portion 21C to the vicinity of the upper portion 21U of the vent 21, into which water is relatively likely to enter. Furthermore, by configuring the path of the first coolant path 31 to be short, the weight of the first coolant path 31 can be reduced.

[0026] (5) Furthermore, in the embodiment, a washer tank 51 is provided on the inner side of the extension portion 32 in the vehicle width direction. This can further prevent water entering through the air vent 21 from splashing into the engine compartment M. In addition, the washer tank 51 can prevent a portion of the traveling wind from flowing into the engine compartment M. In other words, there is no need to provide a structure such as a water shield to prevent water from entering the engine compartment M or a structure such as an air guide to guide the traveling wind to the air vent 21, which can reduce the weight of the vehicle, reduce parts costs, and improve assembly.

[0027] (6) Furthermore, by disposing the heat exchanger 11 and the washer tank 51 on the outer side of the left front side member in the vehicle width direction, i.e., by disposing both the heat exchanger 11 and the washer tank 51 on one side (the same side) of the left or right side of the front of the vehicle, as shown in FIG. 4A , the first coolant passage 31 and the second coolant passage 41 extending from the heat exchanger 11 into the engine compartment M are arranged around the inside of the washer tank 51. Therefore, the washer fluid in the washer tank 51 is warmed by the coolant flowing through the first coolant passage 31 and the second coolant passage 41. This improves the cleaning performance of the washer fluid and prevents the washer fluid from freezing.

[0028] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the descriptions and drawings that form part of this disclosure should not be understood to limit the present invention. Various alternative embodiments, examples, and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0029] 11 Heat exchanger 21 Ventilation hole 21A Inside part in the vehicle width direction 21C central part 21U upper part 31 1st coolant path 32 Extension 41 2nd coolant path 51 Washer tank S Wheelhouse T front wheel

Claims

1. a heat exchanger provided in front of the front wheels of the vehicle; a vent in a wheelhouse disposed between the heat exchanger and the front wheels; a first coolant passage and a second coolant passage connected to the heat exchanger; An arrangement structure of coolant paths of a heat exchanger, wherein at least one of the first coolant path and the second coolant path has an extending portion extending in the vertical direction along a portion of the vent hole on the inner side in the vehicle width direction.

2. 2. The cooling liquid path arrangement structure of a heat exchanger as described in claim 1, wherein the extension portion is provided in the first cooling liquid path or the second cooling liquid path arranged at the rear, at a portion where the first cooling liquid path and the second cooling liquid path overlap in the front-to-rear direction.

3. the first coolant passage is connected to the heat exchanger at a position above the second coolant passage; The arrangement structure of coolant passages of a heat exchanger according to claim 2 , wherein the extension portion is provided in the first coolant passage.

4. 4. The arrangement structure of the coolant passages of the heat exchanger according to claim 3, wherein the extending portion extends from a central portion to an upper portion of the vent hole in the up-down direction.

5. 5. The arrangement structure of the coolant passage of the heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein a washer tank is provided on an inner side of the extension portion in the vehicle width direction.

6. 5. The heat exchanger coolant passage arrangement structure according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger and the washer tank are arranged on one of the left and right sides of the front of the vehicle.

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