Vehicle aerodynamics

Abstract

This aerodynamics equipment for a vehicle comprises a pair of side fins that protrude rearward of the vehicle and extend in the vertical direction along the upper rear end on the sides of a vehicle body. The side fins are formed such that the outer-side surface of each side fin displaces inward in the vehicle width direction the further the side fin reaches toward the rear of the vehicle. Each side fin is provided with a slit section extending in the vertical direction and causing the vehicle width-direction outer side and inner side of the side fin to communicate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerodynamic device for a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] When a vehicle is running, various aerodynamic devices for reducing the air resistance applied to the vehicle body have been proposed. For example, in Patent Document 1, as an aerodynamic device provided at the corner of the side surface and the rear surface of the vehicle body rear part, there is proposed one including a suction port provided on the side surface, a discharge port provided on the rear surface, and a cross-flow fan for discharging the air sucked from the suction port from the discharge port. In addition, an aerodynamic device that rectifies the air flow by a pair of side fins extending in the vertical direction along the upper rear end of the vehicle body side surface and protruding rearward of the vehicle has been provided.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the latter aerodynamic device, it is conceivable to more effectively reduce the air resistance by enhancing the rectifying effect of the air flow by ensuring a large dimension in the front-rear direction of the side fins. However, due to restrictions on design and vehicle body specifications, there is a limit to ensuring a large dimension in the front-rear direction of the side fins, and some improvement is required. The present invention has been devised in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an aerodynamic device for a vehicle that is advantageous in reducing air resistance during vehicle running without ensuring a large dimension in the front-rear direction of the side fins.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] To achieve the above objective, one embodiment of the present invention provides an aerodynamic device for a vehicle having a pair of side fins that extend vertically along the upper rear end of the side surface of the vehicle body and protrude toward the rear of the vehicle, wherein the outer surface of the side fin is formed to be displaced inward in the vehicle width direction as it approaches the rear of the vehicle, and the side fin is provided with a slit portion that extends vertically and connects the outer and inner sides of the side fin in the vehicle width direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when a vehicle is in motion, an airflow is ejected from the inside in the vehicle width direction of the side fin through the slit portion toward the outside in the vehicle width direction, which is advantageous in reducing air resistance by suppressing the airflow that is drawn inward in the vehicle width direction from the upper rear end of the side of the vehicle body when the vehicle is in motion. Furthermore, since the outer surface of the side fins is formed to displace inward in the width direction as it approaches the rear of the vehicle, the airflow advecting along the side of the vehicle towards the rear of the vehicle during vehicle operation does not interfere with the slit portion, and the entry of airflow into the slit portion is suppressed. This is advantageous in ensuring an airflow that is ejected from the slit portion, and is advantageous in reducing air resistance. Therefore, this is advantageous in reducing air resistance without having to ensure a large front-to-back dimension of the side fins. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the aerodynamic device according to the first embodiment, as seen from the rear of the vehicle. [Figure 2] (A) is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 1, (B) is a cross-sectional view along line BB in Figure 1, and (C) is a cross-sectional view along line CC in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the aerodynamic device according to the second embodiment, as seen from the rear of the vehicle. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the aerodynamic device according to the third embodiment, as seen from the rear of the vehicle. [Figure 5]This is a perspective view of the aerodynamic device according to the fourth embodiment, as seen from the rear of the vehicle. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of the aerodynamic device according to the fifth embodiment, as seen from the rear of the vehicle. [Figure 7] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the DD line. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] (First Embodiment) The following describes an aerodynamic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the following diagrams, the symbol FR indicates the front of the vehicle, the symbol UP indicates the top of the vehicle, the symbol IN indicates the inside in the vehicle width direction, and the symbol OUT indicates the outside in the vehicle width direction. As shown in Figure 1, the upper rear of the vehicle is composed of the rear of the vehicle body sides 10 on both sides in the vehicle width direction, the rear of the roof panel 12, and the rear window 14. A rear spoiler 16 is provided on the roof panel 12 above the rear window 14, and a pair of side fins 18A are provided at each end of the rear spoiler 16 in the vehicle width direction. The pair of side fins 18A constitute the vehicle's aerodynamic system. In detail, the rear spoiler 16 extends in the width direction of the vehicle along the rear end of the roof panel 12 that forms the upper surface of the vehicle body, and protrudes toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0009] In the first embodiment, the side fin 18A extends vertically along the upper rear end 1002 of the side surface 10 of the vehicle body and protrudes toward the rear of the vehicle, and the upper end of the side fin 18A is connected to the end of the rear spoiler 16. As shown in Figures 2(A), (B), and (C), the side fin 18A has an outer surface 1802 facing outward in the vehicle width direction and an inner surface 1804 facing inward in the vehicle width direction. The side fin 18A also has a front edge 1806 located at the upper rear end 1002 of the vehicle body side 10 and a rear edge 1808 that is separated from the upper rear end 1002 of the vehicle body side 10. The side fin 18A is formed so as to be displaced inward in the vehicle width direction as it reaches the rear of the vehicle. Specifically, the outer surface 1802 of the side fin 18A is formed so as to be displaced inward in the vehicle width direction as it reaches the rear of the vehicle. In FIGS. 2(A), (B), and (C), the symbol L indicates a virtual line extending in the vehicle front-rear direction.

[0010] A slit portion 20 that extends in the vertical direction and communicates the outside and inside of the side fin 18A in the vehicle width direction is provided in the side fin 18A. The slit portion 20 is provided between the front edge 1806 and the rear edge 1808. The slit portion 20 extends in a substantially straight line with an inclination such that its upper end is located in front of the vehicle compared to its lower end. The upper end of the slit portion 20 is located at a position away from below the upper end of the side fin 18A, and the lower end of the slit portion 20 is located at a position away from above the lower end of the side fin 18A. The portion of the side fin 18A located above the slit portion 20 is formed as a single upper fin portion 22 as shown in FIG. 2(A), and the portion of the side fin 18A located below the slit portion 20 is formed as a single lower fin portion 24 as shown in FIG. 2(C).

[0011] At the portion of the side fin 18A where the slit portion 20 is located, as shown in FIG. 2(B), the side fin 18A includes a front fin portion 26 located in front of the slit portion 20 and a rear fin portion 28 located behind the slit portion 20. The rear end 2602 of the front fin portion 26 is located inward in the vehicle width direction compared to the front end 2802 of the rear fin portion 28, and the slit portion 20 is provided between the rear end 2602 of the front fin portion 26 and the front end 2802 of the rear fin portion 28. The rear end 2602 of the front fin portion 26 and the front end 2802 of the rear fin portion 28 overlap in the vehicle width direction.

[0012] According to the first embodiment, a pair of side fins 18A extending vertically along the upper rear end 1002 of the vehicle body side surface 10 and protruding rearward of the vehicle are provided with slit portions 20 extending vertically and communicating the outside and inside in the vehicle width direction of the side fins 18A. Therefore, when the vehicle is running, by ejecting an air flow from the inside in the vehicle width direction to the outside in the vehicle width direction of the side fin 18A through the slit portion 20, the negative pressure applied to the rear surface of the vehicle body is reduced by suppressing the air flow drawn into the inside in the vehicle width direction from the upper rear end 1002 of the vehicle body side surface 10 when the vehicle is running, which is advantageous in reducing air resistance. Further, since the outer surface 1802 of the side fin 18A is formed so as to be displaced inward in the vehicle width direction as it reaches the rear of the vehicle, when the vehicle is running, the air flow flowing rearward along the vehicle body side surface 10 does not interfere with the slit portion 20, and the entry of the air flow into the slit portion 20 is suppressed. Therefore, it is advantageous in ensuring the air flow ejected from the slit portion 20, reducing the negative pressure applied to the rear surface of the vehicle body, and reducing air resistance. Therefore, it is advantageous in reducing air resistance without significantly increasing the longitudinal dimension of the side fin 18A.

[0013] Also, according to the first embodiment, the slit portion 20 extends vertically between the leading edge 1806 and the trailing edge 1808 of the side fin 18A, the rear end 2602 of the front fin portion 26 of the side fin 18A is located inward in the vehicle width direction than the front end 2802 of the rear fin portion 28, and the slit portion 20 is provided between the rear end 2602 of the front fin portion 26 and the front end 2802 of the rear fin portion 28. Therefore, since the air flow ejects obliquely forward from the slit portion 20, it is more advantageous in suppressing the air flow drawn into the inside in the vehicle width direction from the upper rear end 1002 of the vehicle body side surface 10 when the vehicle is running, reducing the negative pressure applied to the rear surface of the vehicle body, and reducing air resistance.

[0014] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the rear end 2602 of the front fin portion 26 and the front end 2802 of the rear fin portion 28 overlap in the vehicle width direction, which is advantageous in more reliably ejecting airflow diagonally forward from the slit portion 20. Therefore, it is even more advantageous in suppressing the airflow that is drawn inward in the width direction from the upper rear end 1002 of the side of the vehicle body 10 when the vehicle is in motion, and is even more advantageous in reducing the negative pressure applied to the rear of the vehicle body and reducing air resistance.

[0015] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the vehicle has a rear spoiler 16 that extends in the vehicle width direction along the rear end of the upper surface of the vehicle body and protrudes toward the rear of the vehicle, and the upper ends of a pair of side fins 18A are connected to both ends of the rear spoiler 16, respectively. Therefore, the rectifying effect of the rear spoiler 16 reduces the negative pressure applied to the rear of the vehicle body, which is advantageous in reducing air resistance. In addition, because air is ejected from the space enclosed by the rear spoiler 16 and the pair of side fins 18A through the slit portion 20, it is even more advantageous in suppressing the airflow that is drawn inward in the width direction from the upper rear end 1002 of the side of the vehicle body 10 when the vehicle is in motion, further reducing the negative pressure applied to the rear of the vehicle body and further reducing air resistance.

[0016] (Second Embodiment) In the following embodiments, the same reference numerals are used for parts and components as in the first embodiment, and their descriptions are omitted or simplified. The explanation will focus on the parts that differ from the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, in the side fin 18B of the second embodiment, the extension direction of the slit portion 20 is different from that of the first embodiment, while other parts are the same as in the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the slit portion 20 extends substantially linearly in the vertical direction. Therefore, in addition to achieving the same effects as in the first embodiment, when the vehicle is in motion and viewed from the side, the direction of the band-shaped airflow ejected from the slit portion 20 is approximately perpendicular to the direction of the airflow flowing along the side of the vehicle along the side of the vehicle body 10. As a result, the airflow can be uniformly controlled in the vertical direction of the vehicle, which is even more advantageous in suppressing the airflow that is drawn inward in the width direction from the upper rear end 1002 of the side of the vehicle body 10, thereby reducing the negative pressure applied to the rear of the vehicle body and further reducing air resistance.

[0017] (Third embodiment) As shown in Figure 4, in the side fin 18C of the third embodiment, the extension direction of the slit portion 20 is different from that of the first embodiment, similar to the second embodiment, while other parts are the same as those of the first embodiment. In the third embodiment, the slit portion 20 extends substantially in a substantially straight line substantially parallel to the upper rear end 1002 of the side surface 10 of the vehicle body. Therefore, not only are the same effects as in the first embodiment achieved, but it is also advantageous in securing a larger overall length for the slit portion 20. Therefore, when the vehicle is in motion, a larger airflow can be secured from the slit section 20, which is even more advantageous in suppressing the airflow that is drawn inward in the vehicle width direction from the upper rear end 1002 of the side of the vehicle body 10, thereby reducing the negative pressure applied to the rear of the vehicle body and further reducing air resistance.

[0018] (Fourth embodiment) As shown in Figure 5, the side fin 18D of the fourth embodiment is a modified version of the third embodiment, and a slit portion 20 extending substantially in a substantially straight line substantially parallel to the upper rear end 1002 of the side surface 10 of the vehicle body is provided adjacent to the upper rear end 1002 of the side surface 10 of the vehicle body. Therefore, compared to the third embodiment, the slit portion 20 can be positioned further forward of the side fin 18D. Further forward of the side fin 18D, the air circulation flow that develops in the space enclosed by the rear spoiler 16 and the pair of side fins 18D strongly interferes with the vehicle's movement, resulting in a region with higher pressure than the area behind the side fin 18D. Therefore, when the vehicle is in motion, the pressure difference between the outside of the side fin 18D and the inside of the side fin 18D increases, which is advantageous for expelling more air through the slit portion 20 from the space enclosed by the rear spoiler 16 and the pair of side fins 18D. This reduces the negative pressure applied to the rear of the vehicle, which is even more advantageous in reducing air resistance.

[0019] (Fifth embodiment) As shown in Figure 6, the side fin 18E of the fifth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the slit portion 20 is not formed between the leading edge 1806 and the trailing edge 1808, and the slit portion 20 is provided between the upper rear end 1002 of the side surface 10 of the vehicle body and the side fin 18E. In other words, a forward-opening notch 1810 is provided in the lower part of the middle section of the leading edge 1806 of the side fin 18E. The side fin 18E has an upper notch 1811 that extends substantially linearly in the front-rear direction and forms the upper end of the notch 1810, and a rear notch 1812 that extends substantially linearly in the up-down direction and forms the rear end of the notch 1810. Then, the notched rear end 1812 and the upper rear end 1002 of the side of the vehicle body 10 form a vertically extending slit portion 20. As shown in Figure 7, the notched rear end 1812 of the side fin 18E that forms the slit portion 20 is located inward in the vehicle width direction from the extension line X which is an extension of the upper rear end 1002 of the side surface 10 of the vehicle body. Therefore, in the fifth embodiment, the side fin 18E comprises an upper fin portion 22 located above the slit portion 20, a rear fin portion 28 located behind the slit portion 20, and a lower fin portion 24 located below the slit portion 20.

[0020] In the fifth embodiment, the slit portion 20 is formed by the notched rear end 1812 of the side fin 18E and the upper rear end 1002 of the side surface 10 of the vehicle body, and the notched rear end 1812 is located inward in the vehicle width direction from the extension line X obtained by extending the upper rear end 1002 of the side surface 10 of the vehicle body inward. Therefore, by providing the slit portion 20 adjacent to the upper rear end 1002 of the side surface 10 of the vehicle body, the slit portion 20 can be positioned at the foremost part of the side fin 18E. Further forward on the side fins 18E, the air circulation flow that develops in the space enclosed by the rear spoiler 16 and the pair of side fins 18E strongly interferes with the vehicle's movement, resulting in a region with higher pressure than the area behind the side fins 18E. Therefore, when the vehicle is in motion, the pressure difference between the outside of the side fin 18E and the inside of the side fin 18E increases, which is advantageous for expelling more air through the slit portion 20 from the space enclosed by the rear spoiler 16 and the pair of side fins 18E. This reduces the negative pressure applied to the rear of the vehicle, which is even more advantageous in reducing air resistance.

[0021] In this embodiment, the case where there is one slit portion 20 in the side fin has been described, but multiple slit portions 20 may be provided. In this case, the multiple slit portions 20 may be spaced apart in the front-to-back direction, or spaced apart in the up-to-down direction, or arranged in a staggered pattern, and the arrangement structure of the multiple slit portions 20 is arbitrary.

[0022] Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and these will naturally also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components of the above embodiments may be combined in any way without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0023] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-53157 filed on March 29, 2023, and its contents are incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0024] 10 Side of the vehicle 1002 Upper rear end 12 Roof Panels 14 Rear window 16 Rear Spoiler 18A, 18B, 18C, 18D, 18E side fins 1802 External surface 1804 Inner surface 1806 Leading edge 1808 Trailing edge 1810 Notch 1811 Upper end for notch 1812 Rear end for notch 20 Slit section 22 Upper fin section 24 Lower fin section 26 Front fin section 2602 Rear end 28 Rear fin section 2802 Front end L is a virtual line extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. X extension line

Claims

1. A vehicle aerodynamic device having a pair of side fins that extend vertically along the upper rear end of the side of the vehicle body and protrude toward the rear of the vehicle, The aforementioned side fins are located inward in the vehicle width direction from the upper rear end of the side surface of the vehicle body. The outer surface of the side fin is formed to displace inward in the vehicle width direction as it approaches the rear of the vehicle. The side fin is provided with a slit portion that extends vertically, connects the outer and inner sides of the side fin in the vehicle width direction, and ejects airflow from the inner side of the side fin in the vehicle width direction toward the outer side. A vehicle aerodynamic device characterized by the following features.

2. The side fin comprises a front edge located at the upper rear end of the side of the vehicle body and a rear edge separated from the upper rear end of the side of the vehicle body. The slit portion extends vertically between the front edge and the rear edge, The side fin comprises a front fin portion located in front of the slit portion and a rear fin portion located behind the slit portion. The rear end of the front fin portion is located inward in the vehicle width direction from the front end of the rear fin portion, and the slit portion is provided between the rear end of the front fin portion and the front end of the rear fin portion. The aerodynamic device for a vehicle according to claim 1.

3. The rear end of the front fin and the front end of the rear fin overlap in the vehicle width direction. The aerodynamic device for a vehicle according to claim 2.

4. The slit portion extends in the vertical direction. The aerodynamic device for a vehicle according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned slit portion extends substantially parallel to the upper rear end of the side surface of the vehicle body. The aerodynamic device for a vehicle according to claim 1.

6. The aforementioned slit portion is provided adjacent to the upper rear end of the side surface of the vehicle body. The aerodynamic device for a vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that it is a vehicle.

7. The aforementioned side fin has a leading edge located at the upper rear end of the side of the vehicle body, A notch that opens forward is provided in the middle of the leading edge of the aforementioned side fin in the vertical direction. The slit portion is formed by the rear end of the side fin that extends vertically and forms the rear end of the notch, and the upper rear end of the side surface of the vehicle body. The aforementioned notched rear end is located inward in the vehicle width direction from the extension line obtained by extending the upper rear end of the side of the vehicle body backward. The aerodynamic device for a vehicle according to claim 1.

8. It has a rear spoiler that extends in the width direction along the rear end of the upper surface of the vehicle body and protrudes toward the rear of the vehicle. The upper ends of the pair of side fins are connected to the ends of the rear spoiler, A vehicle aerodynamic device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by the features described above.

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