Side step device

Abstract

To provide a side step device capable of reducing tire noise and reducing impact sound caused by stone splash and sand splash.SOLUTION: A side step device 10 comprises: a side step body 20 mounted on both sides in a vehicle width direction; and a cover portion 30 mounted on a lower side of the side step body 20, formed in a box shape having a sound absorbing base material on an outer side surface and being open on the side step body 20 side, and including vent holes 34 bored in a lower wall 32, communication pipes 36 in a cylindrical shape erected respectively from the vent holes 34 on an upper surface of the lower wall 32, and partition walls 38 erected from the upper surface of the lower wall 32 and each surrounding the vent hole 34 and the communication pipe 36. The side step device 10 further comprises: resonance chambers 39 each partitioned including the vent hole 34, the communication pipe 36, the partition wall 38, a portion of the upper surface of the lower wall 32, and a portion of the side step main body 20, in a state in which the cover portion 30 is attached to the side step main body 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a side step device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a side step device that improves the aerodynamic characteristics of a vehicle while it is moving when the side steps are stored, and allows easy ingress and egress when the side steps are deployed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-032847 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Meanwhile, with the recent tightening of regulations on exterior vehicle noise, noise caused by tires during acceleration (hereinafter referred to as tire noise) is particularly loud in off-road vehicles, and the contribution of tire noise to overall noise has become significant, creating a demand for reducing tire noise. Off-road vehicles often travel through mountain forests, seaside areas, and other areas, and vehicles equipped with the side step device described in Patent Document 1, for example, are subject to the impact noise caused by stone and sand splashes generated when stones and sand kicked up by the tires strike the side step. Furthermore, the spread of electric vehicles (BEVs; Battery Electric Vehicles) has been increasing in recent years, and since electric vehicles do not have engine noise, they are quieter than internal combustion engine vehicles, further increasing the contribution of tire noise to overall noise.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a side step device that can reduce tire noise and impact noise caused by stone or sand splashes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The side step device according to the present invention as set forth in claim 1 comprises a side step body attached to both sides in the vehicle width direction of a rocker that constitutes a part of the framework of the vehicle body, and a side step body attached to the lower side in the vehicle up-down direction of the side step body. Covering the underside of the side step body a cover portion attached to the side step body, the cover portion having a sound-absorbing base material on its outer surface and formed in a box shape with the side step body side open, the cover portion having an air vent drilled in the lower wall in the vertical direction of the vehicle, a cylindrical connecting pipe erected from the air vent on the upper surface of the lower wall, and a partition wall erected from the upper surface of the lower wall surrounding the air vent and the connecting pipe; and a resonance chamber separated and including the air vent, the connecting pipe, the partition wall, a portion of the upper surface of the lower wall, and a portion of the side step body when the cover portion is attached to the side step body.

[0007] In the side step device according to the present invention as set forth in claim 1, a cover portion formed in a box shape with a sound-absorbing base material on the outer surface and an open side to the side step body is provided on the lower side of the side step body in the vehicle vertical direction. Covering the underside of the side step body Therefore, when kicked up stones or sand come into contact with the cover, the sound-absorbing base material of the cover absorbs the impact noise, thereby reducing the impact noise caused by splashing stones or sand.

[0008] In the side step device according to the present invention described in claim 1, the cover portion has an air vent hole drilled in the lower wall in the vehicle vertical direction, a cylindrical communication pipe erected from the air vent hole on the upper surface of the lower wall, and a partition wall erected from the upper surface of the lower wall surrounding the air vent hole and the communication pipe. When the cover portion is attached to the side step body, the side step device has a resonance chamber that is separated by the vent hole, the connecting pipe, the partition wall, a portion of the upper surface of the lower wall, and a portion of the side step body. Therefore, by changing the positions of the vent hole, the connecting pipe, and the partition wall, the size of the resonance chamber can be changed, and the resonance band, i.e., the frequency characteristics, of the resonance chamber can be freely changed. This allows tire noise to be efficiently reduced by changing the size of the resonance chamber to match the high frequency band of tire noise levels, i.e., to the resonance band where noise is canceled out. The side step device of the present invention described in claim 2, in the configuration described in claim 1, is provided with a plurality of link parts that enable the side step body to be rotated between a use position in which the footstep surface is positioned horizontally and a storage position in which the footstep surface is positioned vertically, and the cover part is arranged to cover the underside of the side step body when the side step body is positioned in the use position or the storage position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] As described above, the side step device according to the present invention has the excellent effect of reducing tire noise and impact noise caused by stone or sand splashes. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle equipped with a side step device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2A is a side view showing, in partial cross section, the side step device of FIG. 1. FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the cover part of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 1A is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a conventional side step device, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged side view showing a main part of the conventional side step device of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A vehicle 50 equipped with a side step device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the arrows UP and FR shown as appropriate in each drawing indicate the upward and forward directions of the vehicle 50, respectively. Hereinafter, when the terms "front-rear," "left-right," and "up-and-down" are used in the description, they will refer to the front-rear direction of the vehicle 50, the left-right direction (vehicle width direction), and the up-and-down direction, unless otherwise specified.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 1, a vehicle 50 of this embodiment is equipped with front wheels 52 provided at the front of the vehicle and rear wheels 54 provided at the rear of the vehicle, on both sides of the vehicle width direction on the vehicle lower side of the vehicle 50. Here, G in Fig. 1 indicates the ground. In addition, in the area between the front wheels 52 and the rear wheels 54, i.e., on both sides of a rocker 56 that forms part of the frame of the body of the vehicle 50, side step devices 10 are provided on each side in the vehicle width direction for occupants to place their feet on when getting in and out of the passenger compartment of the vehicle 50.

[0013] The side step device 10 includes a side step main body 20 attached to the rocker 56, and a cover portion 30 attached to the lower side in the vehicle vertical direction of the side step main body 20. Fig. 2(A) is a side view showing a cross section of the cover portion 30 of the side step device 10, and Fig. 2(B) is a perspective view of the cover portion 30 as seen obliquely from below.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 2(A), the side step body 20 is made of metal, is formed into a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, and extends along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The side step body 20 is used by occupants to place their feet when getting in and out of the vehicle interior. The side step body 20 is attached to the rocker 56 by being connected to, for example, three link portions 40.

[0015] The three link portions 40 are disposed on the inside in the vehicle width direction at the front, center, and rear portions of the side step main body 20 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The three link portions 40 have, as an example, a four-bar link mechanism (not shown) and are made of metal. The end of each link portion 40 on the upper side of the vehicle and on the inside in the vehicle width direction is attached to a rocker 56 by a link support portion (not shown). Note that a known mechanism can be used for the link portions 40.

[0016] The side step body 20 is attached to the end of each link portion 40 on the lower side of the vehicle and on the outer side in the vehicle width direction. The side step body 20 is configured to be rotatable by the three link portions 40 between an in-use position where the foot tread surface 22, which is the larger surface of the side step body 20, is positioned horizontally, and a stored position where the foot tread surface 22 is positioned vertically. Note that Figures 1 and 2 show the state when the vehicle 50 is traveling, with the side step body 20 positioned in the stored position so that the foot tread surface 22 is positioned vertically on the inner side in the vehicle width direction.

[0017] 2(B), the cover portion 30 is made of a sound-absorbing base material, and in the stored position is formed in a box shape that is open on the side facing the side step main body 20. The sound-absorbing base material may be a breathable material such as nonwoven fabric, felt, or urethane foam, and is designed to absorb vibrations (sound) from the air passing through it.

[0018] The cover portion 30 has, for example, eight substantially circular vent holes 34 drilled in a lower wall 32 on the vehicle lower side. Also, as shown in Fig. 2(A), the cover portion 30 has substantially cylindrical communication pipes 36 erected from each of the vent holes 34 on the upper surface of the lower wall 32. In this embodiment, for example, the communication pipes 36 extend from the outer peripheral edge of the vent holes 34 toward the upper side of the vehicle.

[0019] The cover portion 30 also has a partition wall 38 that stands upright from the upper surface of the lower wall 32 and surrounds the vent hole 34 and the communication pipe 36. The partition wall 38 is configured, for example, to connect a pair of side walls 33 that stand upright from both ends of the lower wall 32 in the vehicle width direction.

[0020] As shown in Figure 2(A), when the cover portion 30 is attached to the side step main body 20, the side step device 10 has a resonance chamber 39 that is separated and includes the air vent 34, the connecting pipe 36, the partition wall 38, a portion of the upper surface of the lower wall 32, and a portion of the lower surface of the side step main body.

[0021] In this embodiment, for example, five resonance chambers 39 are separated from each other, and the resonance chambers 39 at both ends in the vehicle longitudinal direction and the central resonance chamber 39 have the lower ends of link portions 40 located within the resonance chambers 39 and include two vent holes 34 and two communicating pipes 36. The other two resonance chambers 39 do not include a link portion 40, and each include one vent hole 34 and one communicating pipe 36.

[0022] In the five resonance chambers 39 configured as described above, the size of the resonance chambers 39 is set so that the resonance band of the resonance chambers 39 approaches a frequency band where the noise level of tire noise measured in advance on the vehicle 50 is high, i.e., so that the resonance band becomes a resonance band where tire noise is canceled out. The resonance band of the resonance chambers 39, i.e., the frequency characteristics, are changed by specifically changing the positions of the air vents 34, the connecting pipes 36, and the partition walls 38.

[0023] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0024] 3(A) is a side view showing the schematic configuration of a conventional side step device 110, and (B) is an enlarged side view showing the main parts of the conventional side step device 110 of (A). As shown in Fig. 3(A) and Fig. 3(B), in the conventional side step device 110, stones and sand S kicked up by the front wheel 152 or rear wheel 154, i.e., the tires, come into contact with the side step main body 120 or link portion 140, generating impact noise due to the splashing of stones and sand.

[0025] 1, in the side step device 10 according to this embodiment, a box-shaped cover portion 30 made of a sound-absorbing base material and open on the side facing the side step main body 20 is attached to the lower side of the side step main body 20 in the vehicle vertical direction. Therefore, when kicked-up stones or sand S come into contact with the cover portion 30, the sound-absorbing base material of the cover portion 30 absorbs the impact noise, thereby reducing the impact noise caused by splashing stones or splashing sand.

[0026] 2(A), the side step device 10 according to this embodiment has a cover portion 30 having an air vent 34 drilled in a lower wall 32 in the vehicle vertical direction, a cylindrical communication pipe 36 erected from the air vent 34 on the upper surface of the lower wall 32, and a partition wall 38 erected from the upper surface of the lower wall 32 and surrounding the air vent 34 and the communication pipe 36. When the cover portion 30 is attached to the side step main body 20, the side step device 10 has a resonance chamber 39 separated by the air vent 34, the communication pipe 36, the partition wall 38, a portion of the upper surface of the lower wall 32, and a portion of the side step main body 20.

[0027] In the resonance chamber 39 configured as described above, the size of the resonance chamber 39 can be changed by changing the positions of the vent 34, the connecting pipe 36, and the partition 38, thereby arbitrarily changing the resonance band, i.e., the frequency characteristics, of the resonance chamber 39. In the resonance chamber 39, sounds including tire noise enter through the vent 34, pass through the connecting pipe 36, and enter the resonance chamber 39. At this time, by changing the size of the resonance chamber so that the noise level of tire noise measured in advance on the vehicle 50 corresponds to a high frequency band, i.e., so that the resonance band is one in which noise is canceled, the sound that has entered the resonance chamber 39 is canceled in the resonance chamber 39, thereby efficiently reducing tire noise.

[0028] In the above embodiment, the cover 30 is made of a sound-absorbing base material, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as long as the outer surface is made of a sound-absorbing base material, the inner surface may be made of another base material.

[0029] In the above embodiment, the communication pipe 36 extends from the outer peripheral edge of the air vent 34 toward the upper side of the vehicle, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the communication pipe 36 may be provided at a position surrounding the vent 34 at a certain distance.

[0030] In the above embodiment, the vent hole 34 is generally circular and the communicating pipe 36 is generally cylindrical, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the vent hole 34 may be rectangular, elliptical, or any other shape. Similarly, the communicating pipe 36 may be rectangular cylindrical, elliptical cylindrical, or any other shape.

[0031] In the above embodiment, the partition wall 38 is configured to connect the pair of side walls 33, but the present invention is not limited to this. As long as it can form the resonance chamber 39, it may be configured as, for example, a cylinder surrounding the communicating pipe 36, a square cylinder, a polygonal cylinder, an elliptical cylinder, or the like.

[0032] In the above embodiment, the resonance chambers 39 at both ends in the vehicle longitudinal direction and the central resonance chamber 39 have the lower ends of the link portions 40 located therein and include two vent holes 34 and two connecting pipes 36, but the present invention is not limited to this. The resonance chambers 39 at both ends in the vehicle longitudinal direction and the central resonance chamber 39 may also include one vent hole 34 and one connecting pipe 36, similar to the other resonance chambers 39. In this case, the resonance chamber 39 is defined by the vent hole 34, the connecting pipe 36, one partition wall 38, a portion of the upper surface of the lower wall 32, a portion of the side step main body 20, and any one of the surfaces of the link portions 40 in the longitudinal direction.

[0033] In addition, in the above embodiment, the side step main body 20 is configured to be rotatable by three link portions 40, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of link portions 40 may be two or four. This can be changed as appropriate depending on the size of the vehicle 50 in the fore-and-aft direction.

[0034] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the side step main body 20 is configured to be rotatable by the link portion 40, but the present invention is not limited to this. The side step main body 20 may be fixed in an in-use position, for example, in which the tread surface 22 is positioned horizontally. In this case, the cover portion 30 may be attached so that its open side is positioned below the vehicle when the tread surface 22 is positioned horizontally.

[0035] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 10 Side step device 20 Side step body 30 Cover 32 Lower wall 34 Ventilation holes 36 Communication pipe 38 Bulkhead 39 Resonance chamber

Claims

1. A side step body attached to both sides of the rocker in the vehicle width direction, which constitutes part of the frame of the vehicle body; The side step is attached to the lower side of the side step body in the vehicle vertical direction so as to cover the lower surface of the side step body, has a sound-absorbing base material on the outer surface, and is formed in a box shape with the side step body side open, a cover portion including: an air vent hole formed in a lower wall in the vehicle vertical direction; a cylindrical communication pipe extending from the air vent hole on an upper surface of the lower wall; and a partition wall extending from the upper surface of the lower wall and surrounding the air vent hole and the communication pipe; a resonance chamber defined by the vent hole, the communication pipe, the partition wall, a portion of the upper surface of the lower wall, and a portion of the side step body when the cover portion is attached to the side step body; A side step device comprising:

2. The side step body is provided with a plurality of link parts that allow the side step body to rotate between a use position in which the footstep surface is positioned horizontally and a storage position in which the footstep surface is positioned vertically, The side step device according to claim 1, wherein the cover portion is disposed so as to cover a lower surface of the side step body when the side step body is positioned at the use position or the storage position.

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