Vehicle structure

Abstract

This helps to prevent a decrease in the amount of air introduced into the engine compartment due to delamination or other factors. [Solution] The present invention provides a front under cover 100 located below the front of the vehicle, the front under cover having an air intake 13 for introducing airflow into the front under cover, the air intake having a first portion 14 that is inclined in the front-rear direction, and a second portion 15 that is located downstream of the first portion and is inclined in the front-rear direction, with a steeper incline than the first portion.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] An automobile may be provided with an under cover at the lower part of the vehicle for reasons such as reducing the air resistance of the vehicle. In the conventional technology related to the under cover, it is described that a traveling wind introduction part and a guide slope are provided in the main body part of the under cover, and the traveling wind introduction part has a ventilation hole and a traveling wind guiding part.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above conventional technology, in order to take in outside air more upward, if the angle of the traveling wind guiding part with respect to the main body part is made steep, the angle difference becomes large and the traveling wind peels off from the place where the traveling wind guiding part rises from the surroundings. Therefore, there is a problem that the amount of outside air taken in cannot be ensured due to the peeling.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to suppress a decrease in the amount of air introduced into the engine room due to peeling or the like.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present invention includes a front under cover located below the front of the vehicle. The front under cover includes an air intake for introducing airflow into the front under cover. The air intake includes a first portion that is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction, and a second portion located downstream of the first portion that is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction, and whose inclination is steeper than that of the first portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the above vehicle structure, it is possible to suppress the reduction in the amount of air introduced into the engine compartment due to delamination or other factors. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view showing the front under cover included in the vehicle structure according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic perspective view showing the components located on the upper part of the front under cover. [Figure 3] This is a schematic side view showing the air intakes and brackets located on the top of the front under cover that make up the front under cover. [Figure 4] This is a schematic front view showing the raised parts that make up the front under cover and the brackets positioned on the top of the front under cover. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used for identical components, and redundant descriptions are omitted. In the drawings, the size and proportions of each component are exaggerated to facilitate understanding of the embodiments and may differ from the actual size and proportions.

[0010] Furthermore, in each figure, arrows (coordinate system) represented by X and Y indicate the orientation of the components constituting the vehicle structure according to the embodiment. X represents the longitudinal direction and is denoted as longitudinal direction X. Y represents the vehicle width direction and is denoted as vehicle width direction Y.

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a front under cover 100 included in the vehicle structure according to the embodiment. Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view showing parts provided on the upper part of the front under cover 100. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the air intake 13 and bracket P11 etc. that constitute the front under cover 100 and are located on the upper part of the front under cover 100. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the raised portion 16 and bracket P11 etc. that constitute the front under cover 100 and are located on the upper part of the front under cover 100.

[0012] The vehicle structure according to this embodiment can be used in vehicles equipped with an engine, etc. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle structure according to this embodiment includes support component groups P1, P2, and P3, an under cover 200, and a front under cover 100. A detailed description follows below.

[0013] (Support parts) Support component groups P1, P2, and P3 are provided as parts that support the engine and powertrain housing, such as the transmission, in the vehicle. Support component group P1 is a group of components located approximately in the center of the vehicle width direction Y, as shown in Figure 2; support component group P2 is a group of components located on the left side of the vehicle width direction Y; and support component group P3 is a group of components located on the right side of the vehicle width direction Y.

[0014] The bracket P11 included in the support component group P1 is made of a material such as steel plate and is configured to connect to the suspension (not shown) via an insulator made of rubber or the like. While the bracket P11 is fitted with an insulator, the insulator generates heat due to engine vibrations, etc., but the insulator can be cooled by the airflow from the air intake 13, which will be described later.

[0015] The underbody cover, located beneath the vehicle and mounted under the floor, can be constructed as a single component or divided into multiple components. In this embodiment, it is divided into three parts: a front underbody cover 100, a nearly central underbody cover 200, and a rear underbody cover (not shown). However, the number of divisions in the underbody cover is illustrative and does not have to be three.

[0016] (Front under cover) The front under cover 100 is positioned below the powertrain (engine, transmission, or motor for vehicle drive, etc.) located at the front of the vehicle. The front under cover 100 has a sloping section 11 at the front and a substantially horizontal section 12 behind the sloping section 11 in the longitudinal direction X.

[0017] The inclined section 11 is the part that is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane (front-rear direction) when mounted on the vehicle, and the substantially horizontal section 12 is arranged to generally follow the horizontal plane (front-rear direction and vehicle width direction). The inclined section 11 is higher at the front than at the rear. An air intake 13 is provided at the front of the substantially horizontal section 12, approximately in the center in the vehicle width direction Y, to introduce airflow into the front under cover 100. The air intake 13 is formed to rise above the surrounding surface. The shape of the air intake 13 when viewed from the side is not a single step but is formed to bend in multiple steps, and as shown in Figure 3, the inclination of the upper second section 15 is configured to be steeper than the inclination of the first section 14 upstream of the second section 15. The first section 14 is a first inclined surface 14 that is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction, with the rear side being higher than the front side. The second section 15 is a second inclined surface 15 that is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction, with the rear side being higher than the front side. The second inclined surface (second part) 15 is formed with an inclination angle in the front-rear direction that is steeper than the inclination angle of the first inclined surface (first part) 14.

[0018] If the angle of the rising part of the air inlet 13 is made constant, the angle difference from the bottom surface of the under cover increases, the running air peels off, and the amount of outside air taken in cannot be ensured. However, by making the inclination of the air inlet 13 multi-step and making the inclination of the second part (second inclined surface) 15 steeper than that of the first part (first inclined surface) 14, the outside air can be circulated upward in the engine room without peeling. In the present embodiment, the part to be cooled is the insulator of the lower torque rod provided on the bracket P11 of the engine, and by configuring as described above, it can be cooled substantially as intended up to the upper part of the bracket P11. Further, the air inlet 13 can rectify the air. The angle difference between the first part 14 and the second part 15 of the air inlet 13 is not particularly limited, but as an example, it can be configured to be approximately 26 degrees so that the running air does not peel off.

[0019] A raised part 16 that rises upward from the surroundings is provided behind (downstream side) of the air inlet 13 of the substantially horizontal part 12. The raised part 16 is configured such that the inclination of the front (upstream side) base part is steeper than the inclination of the upper side of the air inlet 13. By configuring in this way, the outside air introduced into the vehicle interior can be circulated further upward. The apex of the air inlet 13 is at a position lower than the apex in the height direction of the raised part **************16.

[0020] It seems there is an incomplete part in the translation of the last sentence of where "**************16" is shown. Please check and correct if necessary.In the present embodiment, the raised portion 16 is configured such that the height of the shape directly below the bracket P11 is lower than that of the air inlet 13 in consideration of the bracket P11 that supports an engine or the like adjacent directly above. On the other hand, in a portion that is not directly below the bracket P11 in the vehicle width direction Y, the raised shape of the raised portion 16 is formed higher than that directly below the bracket P11. By abruptly changing the inclination of the raised shape of the raised portion 16 in this way, outside air can be introduced up to above the bracket P11. The shape of the raised portion 16 is not particularly limited, but in FIG. 3, it is formed so as to be a convex curve when viewed from the side. Note that the raised portion 16 has a shape like an upside-down U in the side view of FIG. 3, but the shape of the rear side does not have to drop downward like a U shape. Also, in a portion where a predetermined gap is provided between the bracket P11 and the raised portion 16 in the vehicle width direction Y, the raised portion 16 may be made higher than the air inlet 13.

[0021] Moreover, beads 17 are provided on the inclined portion 11 and the substantially horizontal portion 12. As shown in FIG. 1, the beads 17 are provided on both the left and right sides of the air inlet 13 in the vehicle width direction Y and are configured to extend from the substantially horizontal portion 12 to the inclined portion 11 in the front-rear direction X. Considering the case where there are no beads 17, the inclined portion 11 of the front under cover 10 comes into contact with foreign substances such as snow and mud and is lifted, and the inclined portion 11 is lifted in conjunction with the substantially horizontal portion 12. As a result, the opening of the air inlet 13 is deformed to open, and snow, mud, or the like may enter through it, and there is a risk that the under cover will fall off.

[0022] In contrast, in the front under cover 100 according to the present embodiment, beads 17 are provided over the inclined portion 11 and the substantially horizontal portion 12. Therefore, when the inclined portion 11 is lifted in conjunction with the substantially horizontal portion 12, tilting is suppressed, the opening of the air inlet 13 can be suppressed from opening, and the intrusion of foreign substances such as snow and mud can be suppressed. Note that the beads 17 can be formed at the same height as the apex of the air inlet 13 or higher than the apex.

[0023] Furthermore, the temperature around the bracket P11 was analyzed to confirm the temperature when cooling air was drawn in from the air inlet 13 for both the comparative example undercover, where the shape of the air inlet 13 was a straight line, and the embodiment undercover, where the second part 15 of the air inlet 13 was steeper than the first part 14. As a result, it was confirmed that the ambient temperature around the bracket P11 in the comparative example could only be cooled to a maximum of the high 90s°C, whereas in the embodiment undercover, the ambient temperature around the bracket P11 could be cooled to a maximum of the low 80s°C. Thus, it was confirmed that the cooling effect of the bracket P11 can be improved by making the shape of the air inlet 13 multi-stage.

[0024] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. In the above description, the inclined portion of the air inlet 13 consists of a first portion 14 and a second portion 15. However, the number of recognizable parts in the inclined portion does not have to be two as described above. Also, the first portion 14 and the second portion 15 may intersect in a straight line, or they may be connected by a gentle curve or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0025] 100 Front under cover, 11 slope, 12 Almost horizontal part, 13 Air intake, 14 1st part (1st slope), 15 Second part (second slope), 16 ridges, 17 beads.

Claims

1. It is equipped with a front under cover located at the lower front of the vehicle, The front under cover is equipped with an air intake for introducing airflow into the front under cover. The vehicle structure comprises an air intake having a first portion that is inclined in the front-rear direction and a second portion that is provided downstream of the first portion, is inclined in the front-rear direction, and has a steeper incline than the first portion.

2. A raised portion is formed downstream of the aforementioned air inlet, which is raised upward from the surrounding area. The vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein the inclination of at least the root portion on the upstream side of the raised portion when viewed from the side is steeper than the inclination of the second portion.

3. The front under cover has a sloping section at the front and a substantially horizontal section at the rear, and beads are formed on both sides of the air intake in the vehicle width direction. The vehicle structure according to claim 2, wherein the bead extends from the substantially horizontal portion to the inclined portion of the front under cover.

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