Air guide structure on the underside of the front of the vehicle

Abstract

To provide an air guide structure below a vehicle front part capable of preventing or alleviating deterioration of an aerodynamic characteristic attributable to an air stream flowing below a vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle having a fin 22 extending below from a lower part of a front bumper 2 includes: a horizontal wall 71 extending generally in a fore-and-aft direction behind the fin 22; and a vertical wall 72 extending generally below continuously to a front end of the horizontal wall 71.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air guide structure for the underside of a front portion of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to prevent the wind flowing under the vehicle from entering the engine compartment and deteriorating the aerodynamic characteristics, an air guide structure is known which has fins extending downward from the front of the vehicle, for example, from the lower part of the front bumper (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] With this type of air guide structure, the negative pressure generated behind the fins acts to suck the air in the engine compartment downward, thereby preventing the wind flowing below the vehicle from entering the engine compartment.

[0004] However, with an air guide structure that simply provides the above-mentioned fins, the speed difference between the wind flowing beneath the vehicle and the airflow sucked out of the engine compartment is large, so the two do not mix well, resulting in an uneven distribution of the wind speed passing through the rear of the vehicle, which causes a deterioration in the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-101698 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention was devised in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide an air guide structure for the underside of the front of a vehicle that can prevent or reduce the deterioration of aerodynamic characteristics caused by the air flowing below the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following technical means.

[0008] In other words, the air guide structure for the underside of the front of a vehicle provided by the present invention is characterized in that, in a vehicle having a fin extending downward from the lower part of the front bumper, a horizontal wall extending generally in the fore-and-aft direction is provided behind the fin, and a vertical wall continuing from the front end of the horizontal wall and extending generally downward. Effect of the Invention

[0009] When the vehicle is traveling at high speed, counterclockwise vortices are generated one after another near the lower end of the fin extending from the front bumper when viewed from the right side of the vehicle. Meanwhile, an airflow is generated from the engine room along the lower surface of the horizontal wall or the rear surface of the vertical wall, as if sucked in by the negative pressure of the traveling wind flowing under the vehicle, and this airflow develops the vortexes more strongly. The vortices thus developed fly backward one after another under the vehicle, so that the traveling wind flowing under the vehicle and the airflow sucked in from the engine room mix well, and the speed difference between the traveling wind flowing under the vehicle and the airflow sucked in from the engine room can be reduced. As a result, the wind speed distribution of the wind passing through the rear of the vehicle is made uniform, and deterioration of the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle can be prevented or reduced.

[0010] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a front part of a vehicle showing an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a front part of a vehicle showing another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the lower front part of a vehicle showing one embodiment of an air guide structure A1 according to the present invention, in which the reference character fr indicates the front of the vehicle and the reference character rr indicates the rear of the vehicle.

[0014] A grill opening 21 is provided in the front of the vehicle, for example in the front bumper 2, and an air conditioner condenser 4, a radiator 5, and a radiator fan 6 are arranged in this order in the engine room 3 behind the grill opening 21. A power unit (not shown), such as a gasoline engine and a transmission, is arranged further behind the radiator fan 6. Reference numeral 51 denotes a radiator lower support that supports the lower part of the radiator 5.

[0015] A downwardly extending fin 22 is provided on the lower part of the front bumper 2. The fin 22 is made of, for example, resin, and is provided over a predetermined region corresponding to the interval between side members (not shown) of the vehicle.

[0016] In the present invention, a horizontal wall 71 and a vertical wall 72, which will be described next, are provided behind the fins 22 described above.

[0017] The horizontal wall 71 is formed in a plate shape extending generally in the front-rear direction in its cross section. The vertical wall 72 is formed in a plate shape extending generally downwardly from the front end of the horizontal wall 71, and in this embodiment, the vertical wall 72 is formed to include a tapered portion 721 and a vertical portion 722 continuing from the tapered portion 721. The tapered portion 721 may be a gently curved round portion.

[0018] Preferably, the distance a between the fin 22 and the vertical wall 72 is equal to the extension length b of the fin 22, and the lower end position of the vertical wall 72 is set to the same height as or slightly higher than the lower end position of the fin 22, but is not limited thereto. Preferably, the vertical height c of the vertical wall 72 is set to half or more of the extension length b of the fin 22, but is not limited thereto.

[0019] In this embodiment, the horizontal wall 71 and the vertical wall 72 are formed of an integral sheet metal member, and the length in the vehicle width direction may be set to a length corresponding to the distance between left and right side members (not shown), for example. The integral member of the horizontal wall 71 and the vertical wall 72 is supported by the radiator lower support 51 via a stay (not shown). In this embodiment, in order to ensure the rigidity of the horizontal wall 71, a bent portion 711 having a crank-shaped cross section is provided at the rear end of the horizontal wall 71.

[0020] Next, the operation of the air guide structure A1 having the above configuration will be described.

[0021] When the vehicle is traveling at high speed, the cooling air flows into the engine compartment 3 from the grill opening 21, and the high-speed traveling wind A blows through the lower part of the vehicle. At this time, immediately behind the fins 22, an air flow B1 flowing downward from the engine compartment 3 generates a vortex R1 that rotates at a fixed position in a clockwise direction in FIG. 1. Then, due to the rotational force of this vortex R1 and the traveling wind A below the vehicle, counterclockwise vortices R2 are generated one after another and flow rearward on the traveling wind A. Meanwhile, an air flow indicated by an arrow B2 in FIG. 1 flows largely counterclockwise from the engine compartment along the lower surface of the horizontal wall 71 or the rear surface of the vertical wall 72, as if sucked out by the negative pressure of the traveling wind A flowing below the vehicle, and this air flow B2 develops the above-mentioned vortex R2 more strongly. The vortex R2 thus developed flies backward one after another under the vehicle, effectively mixing the traveling wind A flowing under the vehicle with the air currents B2, B2 sucked out from the engine compartment 3, thereby reducing the speed difference between the traveling wind A flowing under the vehicle and the air currents B2, B2 sucked out from the engine compartment 3. As a result, the wind speed distribution of the wind passing through the rear of the vehicle is made uniform, and deterioration of the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle can be prevented or reduced.

[0022] Fig. 2 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the lower front part of a vehicle showing an air guide structure A2 according to another embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 2, the same reference numerals are used for the members or parts equivalent to those shown in Fig. 1, and the description thereof will be omitted below as appropriate.

[0023] In this embodiment, a part of the lower surface 51a of the radiator lower support 51 functions as the horizontal wall 71, and a vertical wall 72 extends downward from the lower surface 51a of the radiator lower support 51.

[0024] Even in this configuration, the counterclockwise vortexes R2 that are generated one after another near the lower end of the fin 22 can be strongly developed by the air flow shown by arrow B2 in Figure 2 that flows largely counterclockwise from the engine compartment 3 along the underside of the horizontal wall 71 or the rear surface of the vertical wall 72, and the same effect as described above for the embodiment shown in Figure 1 can be expected.

[0025] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and all modifications within the scope of the claims are included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0026] A1, A2 Air guide structure 1 vehicle 2 Front bumper 21 Grill opening 22 Finn 3. Engine Room 4. Air conditioner condensers 5. Radiator 51 Radiator lower support 51a Bottom side 6 Radiator fan 71 horizontal wall 711 Bend 72 Vertical Wall 721 Tapered section 722 Vertical section A. Driving wind B1 Air flow B2 Air flow B3 Air flow R1 Vortex R2 Vortex

Claims

1. In a vehicle having a fin extending downward from the lower part of the front bumper, A horizontal wall extending generally in the front-rear direction and a vertical wall continuing from a front end of the horizontal wall and extending generally downward are provided behind the fin, An air guide structure for a lower front portion of a vehicle, characterized in that a space communicating from an engine compartment to the underside of the vehicle is provided between the fin and the vertical wall.

2. An air guide structure for the underside of the front of a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the vertical wall has a tapered portion or a gently curved round portion continuing to the front end of the horizontal wall, and a vertical portion continuing thereto.

3. An air guide structure for the underfront of a vehicle as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the distance between the fin and the lower end of the vertical wall is equal to the extension length of the fin, and the position of the lower end of the vertical wall is at the same height as or slightly higher than the position of the lower end of the fin.

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