Air duct

Abstract

This allows airflow to be directed over a wider area in front of the radiator. [Solution] The air guide duct 10 is positioned in front of the radiator 90 located at the front of the vehicle and has an internal passage 11 that guides airflow to the front of the radiator 90. The air guide duct 10 has an air intake port 12 that opens forward and an exhaust port 13 that opens rearward and is provided to cover the front surface 91 of the radiator 90. The upper end of the exhaust port 13 is located above the upper end of the air intake port 12. The air guide duct 10 has an upper wall 20 that connects the upper end of the air intake port 12 and the upper end of the exhaust port 13. The lower surface of the upper wall 20 has a curved portion 21 that includes the air intake port 12 and is convex downward in the front-rear direction L.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an air duct.

Background Art

[0002] A radiator for heat exchange between a coolant such as an internal combustion engine and air is provided at the front of a vehicle. Patent Document 1 describes an air guiding device that is arranged in front of the radiator and takes in traveling wind into the radiator.

[0003] The air guiding device described in Patent Document 1 has a grill that opens forward, and a duct that is connected to the rear end of the grill, extends upward, opens rearward, and is provided so as to cover the front surface of the radiator. Further, in order to guide the traveling wind introduced into the air guiding device through the grill to a position higher on the front surface of the radiator, a flow rectifying device that applies a force to move the traveling wind upward is provided on the front wall of the duct. The flow rectifying device includes a first electrode and a second electrode provided on the inner surface and the outer surface of the front wall, respectively, and a plasma actuator connected to the first electrode and the second electrode.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the air guiding device described in Patent Document 1, since a flow rectifying device including a plasma actuator is provided, the configuration of the air guiding device becomes complicated.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An air duct for solving the above problems is an air duct having an internal passage that guides airflow to the front of the radiator, which is positioned in front of a radiator located at the front of the vehicle, and when the front and rear of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction are defined as front and rear, and when the vehicle is located on a horizontal plane, the upper and lower parts of the vehicle in the vertical direction are defined as upper and lower, respectively, it has an air intake opening that opens to the front and an exhaust opening that opens to the rear and is provided to cover the front of the radiator, the upper end of the exhaust opening is located above the upper end of the air intake opening and has an upper wall that connects the upper end of the air intake opening and the upper end of the exhaust opening, and the lower surface of the upper wall has a curved portion that includes the air intake opening and is convex downward in the longitudinal direction. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the front of a vehicle to which one embodiment of the air duct is applied. [Figure 2] Figure 2(a) is a perspective view of the air duct in Figure 1, viewed from the front, and Figure 2(b) is a perspective view of the air duct in Figure 1, viewed from the rear. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a front view of the air duct shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the operation of the air duct shown in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] An embodiment of the air duct will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 4. In the following explanation, the longitudinal direction of the vehicle will be referred to as the longitudinal direction L, and the vertical direction of the vehicle when it is positioned on a horizontal plane will be referred to as the vertical direction Z. The width direction of the vehicle will be referred to as the vehicle width direction W.

[0009] The air guide duct 10 of this embodiment has a symmetrical shape in the vehicle width direction W. As shown in Figure 1, a radiator 90 is provided at the front of the vehicle. The radiator 90 exchanges heat between the airflow from the vehicle and the coolant of the onboard equipment (not shown in the figure). The onboard equipment may be an internal combustion engine or an electric motor.

[0010] An air intake duct 10 is positioned in front of the radiator 90 at the front of the vehicle. The air intake duct 10 has an internal passage 11 that guides airflow to the front surface 91 of the radiator 90. In front of the air duct 10, exterior components 80 such as a front grille and front bumper are provided. At the lower part of the exterior components 80, an opening 81 is provided to introduce airflow into the air intake 12 of the air duct 10.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1, 2(a), 2(b), and 3, the air intake duct 10 has an air intake port 12 that opens forward and an exhaust port 13 that opens rearward and is provided to cover the front surface 91 of the radiator 90.

[0012] The upper end of the exhaust port 13 is located above the upper end of the air intake port 12. The upper end of the air intake port 12 is located below the center position of the exhaust port 13 in the vertical direction Z. The lower end of the exhaust port 13 and the lower end of the air intake port 12 are in the same position in the vertical direction Z.

[0013] The air duct 10 has an upper wall 20, a lower wall 30, and a pair of side walls 40. The air intake 12 is formed by the leading edges of the upper wall 20, the lower wall 30, and the pair of side walls 40, and has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, which is elongated in the vehicle width direction W (see Figures 2(a) and 3).

[0014] The exhaust port 13 is formed by the rear edges of the upper wall 20, the lower wall 30, and the pair of side walls 40, and has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, which is elongated in the vehicle width direction W (see Figure 2(b)). The upper wall 20 connects the upper end of the air intake 12 and the upper end of the exhaust 13.

[0015] The lower surface of the upper wall 20 includes the air supply port 12 and has a curved portion 21 that is convex downward in the front-rear direction L. The portion of the curved portion 21 that is anterior to the lowest point 22 is curved such that it is positioned higher as it is positioned more anteriorly. The portion of the curved portion 21 that is posterior to the lowest point 22 is curved such that it is positioned higher as it is positioned more posteriorly.

[0016] It is preferable that the lowest point 22 of the curved portion 21 is positioned above the central position in the vertical direction Z of the air supply port 12. It is preferable that the lowest point 22 of the curved portion 21 is positioned anterior to the central position of the air guide duct 10 in the front-rear direction L.

[0017] The upper wall 20 has a front wall portion 23 and a connecting portion 24. The front wall portion 23 is continuous with the rear end of the curved portion 21 and extends upward. The connecting portion 24 is continuous with the upper end of the front wall portion 23 and extends rearward. The rear end of the connecting portion 24 is connected to the radiator 90.

[0018] The lower wall 30 connects the lower end of the air supply port 12 and the lower end of the exhaust port 13. The lower wall 30 is positioned below the upper wall 20 and extends along both the front-rear direction L and the vehicle width direction W. The side wall 40 connects the side end of the air supply port 12 and the side end of the exhaust port 13. The side wall 40 connects the ends in the vehicle width direction W of the upper wall 20 and the lower wall 30.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, the side wall 40 is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction L such that it is positioned more inward in the vehicle width direction W toward the rear side. The air guide duct 10 is formed of a rigid resin material. The rigid resin material is, for example, polypropylene.

[0020] [[ID=X]]<The operation of this embodiment> As shown by the dashed arrows in Figure 4, when a portion of the airflow introduced from the air intake 12 into the internal passage 11 of the air guide duct 10 comes into contact with the curved portion 21 on the lower surface of the upper wall 20, it is pulled towards the curved portion 21, i.e., upward, due to the Coanda effect. In this case, the Coanda effect acts on the airflow immediately after it is introduced from the air intake 12, making it easier for the airflow to be pulled upward.

[0021] <Effects of this embodiment> (1) The air guide duct 10 is located in front of the radiator 90, which is provided at the front of the vehicle, and has an internal passage 11 that guides airflow to the front surface 91 of the radiator 90. The air guide duct 10 has an air intake port 12 that opens forward and an exhaust port 13 that opens rearward and is provided to cover the front surface 91 of the radiator 90. The upper end of the exhaust port 13 is located above the upper end of the air intake port 12. The air guide duct 10 has an upper wall 20 that connects the upper end of the air intake port 12 and the upper end of the exhaust port 13. The lower surface of the upper wall 20 has a curved portion 21 that includes the air intake port 12 and is convex downward in the front-rear direction L.

[0022] With this configuration, the above-mentioned effects are achieved, allowing the airflow to be directed over a wider area of ​​the front surface 91 of the radiator 90. (2) The lowest point 22 of the curved section 21 is located above the center position in the vertical Z direction of the air intake 12.

[0023] If the lowest point 22 of the curved section 21 is located below the air intake 12, the cross-sectional area of ​​the internal passage 11 may be narrowed, potentially increasing pressure loss. In this regard, the above configuration makes it possible to suppress the narrowing of the cross-sectional area of ​​the internal passage 11 due to the provision of the curved portion 21. This makes it possible to pull the airflow upward due to the Coanda effect while suppressing the airflow from becoming difficult to pass through the internal passage 11.

[0024] (3) The lowest point 22 of the curved section 21 is located in front of the center position of the air duct 10 in the front-rear direction L. If the lowest point 22 of the curved section 21 is located behind the center position of the air duct 10 in the front-rear direction L, depending on the dimensional relationship between the air intake 12 and the exhaust port 13, the airflow may have difficulty reaching the top of the exhaust port 13, i.e., the top of the front surface 91 of the radiator 90.

[0025] In this regard, according to the above configuration, the airflow during driving will reach the upper part of the front surface 91 of the radiator 90 in a suitable manner. <Example of changes> The above embodiment can also be implemented with modifications as follows, for example. This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.

[0026] The side walls 40 may extend along the front-rear direction L. That is, a pair of side walls 40 may extend parallel to each other. The air guide duct 10 may have an asymmetrical shape in the vehicle width direction W.

[0027] Depending on the dimensional relationship between the air intake port 12 and the exhaust port 13, the lowest point 22 of the curved portion 21 may be positioned at the center of the air duct 10 in the front-rear direction L, or it may be positioned behind the center.

[0028] Depending on the dimensional relationship between the air intake port 12 and the exhaust port 13, the lowest point 22 of the curved portion 21 may be located at the center position in the vertical Z direction of the air intake port 12, or it may be located below the center position. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0029] 10... Air duct 11...Internal passage 12...Air supply port 13… Exhaust vent 20... Upper wall 21... Curved section 22...Lowest point 23...Front wall part 24...Connection part 30... Lower wall 40…Side wall 80… Exterior components 81…Opening 90...Radiator 91...Front

Claims

1. An air guide duct having an internal passage that is positioned in front of a radiator located at the front of a vehicle and guides airflow to the front of the radiator, When the front and rear of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction are defined as front and rear, respectively, and the upper and lower parts of the vehicle in the vertical direction when the vehicle is positioned on a horizontal plane are defined as upper and lower, respectively, An air intake opening at the front, It has an exhaust port that opens to the rear and is provided to cover the front of the radiator, The upper end of the exhaust port is located above the upper end of the air intake port. It has an upper wall connecting the upper end of the air intake port and the upper end of the exhaust port, The lower surface of the upper wall includes the air intake and has a curved portion that is convex downward in the front-rear direction. Air duct.

2. The lowest point of the curved section is located above the vertical center of the air intake. The air guide duct according to claim 1.

3. The lowest point of the curved portion is located forward of the center position of the air duct in the front-rear direction. The air guide duct according to claim 1 or claim 2.

Images