Mudguard

Abstract

To improve aerodynamic characteristics during high-speed traveling while preventing mud and stones from being thrown off toward the rear part of a vehicle.SOLUTION: In a mud guard, an upper part of a mud guard portion 2 that is flexible is attached to a rear part of a wheelhouse, and a lower part of the mud guard portion 2 is a free end. A slit 7 is formed in the mud guard portion 2, a plurality of shielding portions 6 projecting backward is provided so as to cover the slit 7, and a discharge port 8 that is open upward or downward is formed in a rear part of each shielding portion 6. When the mud guard portion 2 is bent during high-speed traveling, each shielding portion 6 is deformed, and the slit 7 and the discharge port 8 linearly communicate with each other, making it easy for wind pass through a passage 10 of the shielding portion 6. Wind smoothly passes through the mud guard via the shielding portions 6. Stones, mud, ect. are guided by the shielding portions 6 so as to be directed downward and are thus prevented from being thrown off upward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mudguard attached to the rear of a wheel house. [Background Art]

[0002] A mudguard attached to the rear of a wheel house suppresses mud and water from splashing to the rear of the vehicle and prevents stone throwing during driving. In a flexible mudguard, when the upper portion is attached to the wheel house, the lower portion becomes a free end, and the lower portion of the mudguard bends rearward due to wind from the front of the vehicle during driving. Particularly when driving at high speed, the mudguard creates air resistance, which degrades fuel efficiency and steering stability.

[0003] In order to reduce air resistance, Patent Document 1 describes a mudguard provided with a plurality of horizontal fins and slits formed between the respective fins. Further, Patent Document 2 describes that a communication hole and an opening / closing vane for changing the opening degree of the communication hole are provided on the inner wall of the wheel house, and the inflow and outflow of air relative to the wheel house is controlled according to the vehicle speed. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 55-119269 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-286267 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] In a mudguard provided with horizontal fins, when the mudguard bends during driving, muddy water or stones that pass through the slits may splash upward toward the rear of the vehicle and hit the lower portion of the vehicle body, so that the mudguard cannot fulfill its original function. Further, providing a movable member such as an opening / closing vane on the mudguard leads to deterioration in cost, weight and productivity, and is not practical.

[0006] In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide a mudguard that can improve aerodynamic characteristics at high speeds while suppressing the ejection of mud and stones to the rear of the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The mudguard of the present invention has a flexible upper mudguard section attached to the rear of the wheel well, with the lower part of the mudguard section being a free end, and the mudguard section is provided with a shielding section that is open at the front and protrudes to the rear, with the rear of each shielding section opening downwards.

[0008] When the mudguard flexes during high-speed driving, the shielding section deforms, allowing wind to pass through more easily. This allows wind to pass smoothly through the mudguard via the shielding section. In addition, stones and mud are guided downwards by the shielding section and do not bounce up. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, a shielding section having openings at the front and rear is provided on the mudguard, and by utilizing the deflection of the mud flap when the vehicle is in motion to deform the shielding section, the airflow can be controlled to pass smoothly through the mudguard, thereby improving aerodynamic characteristics. In addition, the shielding section can guide stones and mud downwards as they pass through the mudguard, suppressing the splashing of stones and mud. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] A diagram showing the rear of a vehicle fitted with mudguards according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Rear view of the mudguard [Figure 3] Diagram showing the function of mudguards at low speeds. [Figure 4] Diagram showing the function of mudguards at high speeds. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Figures 1 to 3 show a mudguard according to an embodiment of the present invention. The mudguard 1 has a thin plate-shaped mudguard portion 2, and a mounting portion 3 is provided on the upper part of the mudguard portion 2. The mounting portion 3 is attached to the rear of the wheel well 4 by bolts, and the mudguard portion 2 is located behind the tire 5. In the case of a mudguard 1 made of rubber or synthetic resin, the mudguard portion 2 is flexible, and its lower part is a free end.

[0012] The mudguard section 2 is provided with multiple shielding sections 6 that are open at the front and protrude to the rear, and the shielding sections 6 are arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction. Multiple horizontally elongated slits 7 are formed in the mudguard section 2, and the slits 7 become the openings at the front of the shielding sections 6. At the rear of the shielding sections 6, an outlet 8 is formed facing upward or downward, communicating with the slits 7. The outlets 8 of the two upper shielding sections 6 open upward, and the outlets 8 of the two lower shielding sections 6 open downward. In this way, the shielding sections 6 have passages 10 from the slits 7 to the outlets 8, and the passages 10 are labyrinthine in shape.

[0013] The shielding section 6 is integrally molded with the mudguard section 2 and is formed to cover the slit 7. That is, the shielding section 6 is formed as a flexible, elongated box shape in the left-right direction, tapering towards the discharge port 8. The rear wall 11 of the shielding section 6 is parallel to the mudguard section 2, the left-right side walls 12 of the shielding section 6 are inclined toward the center in the left-right direction, the lower wall 13 of the upper shielding section 6 is inclined toward upward, and the upper wall 14 of the lower shielding section 6 is inclined toward downward. By inclining each wall of the shielding section 6, the shielding section 6 becomes trapezoidal in cross-section and becomes more flexible. Therefore, the left-right width of the discharge port 8 is narrower than the left-right width of the slit 7, and the opening area of ​​the discharge port 8 is smaller than the opening area of ​​the slit 7.

[0014] While the vehicle is in motion, the mudguard 1 receives wind from the front, causing the lower part of the mudguard 1 to flex backward. At low speeds, as shown in Figure 3, the flex of the mudguard 1 is minimal, and the mudguard section 2 remains almost straight. At this time, the wind from the front enters through the slit 7, passes through the passage 10 of the shielding section 6, and exits diagonally upward or diagonally downward through the outlet 8. When objects such as stones or mud kicked up by the tires 5 hit the mudguard section 2, they are bounced back and fall. When an object enters the lower slit 7, it passes through the passage 10, hitting the upper wall 14 and rear wall 11 of the shielding section 6, and is discharged downward through the outlet 8. When an object enters the upper slit 7, it loses momentum after hitting the lower wall 13 and rear wall 11 of the shielding section 6, and is either bounced back and falls, or passes through the passage 10 and falls through the outlet 8. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the upward movement of objects such as stones and mud towards the rear of the vehicle, and since the wind passes over and under the mudguard section 2, the air resistance caused by the mudguard 1 can be reduced, and the aerodynamic characteristics are not compromised.

[0015] During high-speed driving, as shown in Figure 4, the mudguard 1 flexes significantly due to the wind from the front, and the mudguard section 2 is displaced backward, especially at the bottom. At this time, the lower part of the mudguard section 2 curves significantly, so in the lower shielding section 6, the slit 7 and the outlet 8 are connected in a straight line, forming a straight passage 10 that goes diagonally downward. The upper part of the mudguard section 2 curves slightly, so in the upper shielding section 6, the side wall 12 and the lower wall 13 lean towards the less rigid slit side, the rear wall 11 moves closer to the mudguard section 2, and the outlet 8 is blocked.

[0016] At the top of the mudguard section 2, if the slits 7 are not blocked, the wind from the front hits each wall of the shield section 6, causing turbulence in the airflow. However, since the outlet 8 is blocked, less wind enters the slits 7, suppressing wind turbulence, and the wind from the front flows smoothly downward along the mudguard section 2. At the bottom of the mudguard section 2, when wind from the front enters the slits 7, it smoothly passes through the passage 10 of the shield section 6 and is discharged diagonally downward. At this time, the wind flowing from above is drawn into the lower slits 7, passes through the passage 10 of the shield section 6, and is discharged diagonally downward. In this way, the wind that hits the mudguard section 2 can be effectively released to the rear of the vehicle, reducing air resistance caused by the mudguard 1 and improving aerodynamic characteristics at high speeds. Furthermore, by integrally providing the flexible shielding section 6 with the mudguard section 2, the shape of the shielding section 6 and the passage 10 can be deformed by utilizing the deflection of the mudguard 1, thereby easily improving aerodynamic characteristics, which is beneficial in terms of cost, weight, and productivity.

[0017] Furthermore, when objects such as stones or mud kicked up by the tire 5 hit the upper part of the mudguard 2, their momentum is reduced, and the objects are guided downwards. Since the upper discharge port 8 is blocked, the objects do not fly out behind the mudguard 2. Objects that hit the lower part of the mudguard 2 also lose momentum and fall downwards. When an object enters the lower slit 7, it hits the upper wall 14 of the shielding part 6, its momentum is reduced, and it is guided diagonally downwards along the mudguard 2 from the discharge port 8. In this way, it is possible to prevent objects such as stones and mud from being kicked up upwards towards the rear of the vehicle.

[0018] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and many modifications and changes can be made to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention. The shielding portion 6 may be formed in a cube shape instead of a trapezoidal cross-section. There may be one shielding portion 6, not limited to multiple portions. In this case, the shielding portion 6 is located at the bottom of the mudguard portion 2, and the outlet 8 opens downwards. Even with just one shielding portion 6, sufficient airflow can be released to the rear of the vehicle. Furthermore, when multiple shielding portions 6 are provided, there may be more downward-facing outlets 8 than upward-facing outlets 8.

[0019] Instead of making all the slits 7 and the shielding portions 6 the same size, the sizes of the slits 7 and the shielding portions 6 may be gradually increased from the upper side to the lower side. When the mudguard 1 is deflected, the front projected area of the lower slit 7 increases, allowing a large amount of wind to pass through, which further improves aerodynamic characteristics. Alternatively, the shielding portions 6 may be formed into a short box shape in the left-right direction and arranged in a matrix on the mudguard portion 2. [Description of Reference Numerals]

[0020] 1 Mudguard 2 Mudguard portion 3 Mounting portion 6 Shielding portion 7 Slit 8 Discharge port 10 Passage

Claims

[Claim 1] A mudguard having a flexible upper section attached to the rear of the wheel well, with the lower section being a free end, characterized in that the mudguard has multiple shielding sections that are open at the front and project backward, the rear of the upper shielding section opening upward, and the rear of the lower shielding section opening downward.

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