Vehicle rear structure
The rear vehicle structure redirects mud and water splashed by the tires to prevent discharge through the gap between the lamp unit and bumper, maintaining the vehicle's rear appearance by using a forward-facing return portion on the lamp unit.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORP
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-07
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-15
AI Technical Summary
In vehicles without a rear tire wheel well, such as pickup trucks, mud and water splashed up by the rear tires can adhere to the underside of the rear lamp unit and travel along its underside to the rear, eventually being discharged through the gap between the lamp unit and the bumper, degrading the vehicle's appearance.
A rear vehicle structure with a lamp unit and bumper arrangement where the lower surface of the lamp unit has a return portion that folds downward and extends forward, preventing mud and water from moving rearward by redirecting it forward, and ensuring it does not fall onto the bumper, thus preventing discharge through the gap between the lamp unit and bumper.
Prevents mud and water from being discharged to the rear, maintaining the vehicle's rear appearance by redirecting and discharging it away from the gap between the lamp unit and bumper, even when the vehicle is stationary.
Smart Images
Figure JP2024039695_15052026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Rear Structure of Vehicle
[0001] The present invention relates to a lamp provided at the rear of a vehicle and the structure in its vicinity.
[0002] Above the rear bumper provided at the rear of the vehicle, a rear lamp (rear combination lamp) having a brake lamp etc. is provided. Also, a rear tire is located below the front side of the rear lamp. Therefore, part of the muddy water etc. splashed up by the rear tire during rainy driving etc. is splashed up toward the lower part of the rear lamp.
[0003] In Patent Document 1, a rear tire wheel house is provided so as to cover above the rear tire. The rear end of the rear tire wheel house extends rearward to near the rear bumper.
[0004] Part of the muddy water etc. splashed up by the rear tire enters upward through the space between the rear end of the rear tire wheel house and the rear bumper, but the upward movement further is blocked by the upper wall of the rear bumper extending forward of the vehicle.
[0005] Thus, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of muddy water to the rear lamp, and to suppress the muddy water etc. from being discharged rearward through the gap between the rear lamp and the rear bumper and spreading on the rear surface of the rear bumper, thereby suppressing the deterioration of the appearance of the rear part of the vehicle.
[0006] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-178198
[0007] However, in Patent Document 1, the rear tire wheel well extends to the rear of the vehicle near the rear bumper, but in vehicles where significant vertical movement of the rear wheels is expected, such as pickup trucks, there may be no rear tire wheel well. In such vehicles, mud and water splashed up by the rear tires may adhere to the underside of the housing of the rear lamp (lamp unit), travel along the underside of the housing to the rear of the vehicle, and be discharged to the rear through the gap between the rear lamp and the rear bumper. As a result, the mud and water that has passed through the gap between the rear lamp and the rear bumper may travel along the rear surface of the rear bumper, adhere to the rear surface of the rear bumper, and degrade the appearance of the rear of the vehicle.
[0008] The present invention was made to solve these problems and aims to provide a rear vehicle structure that prevents muddy water and the like, which are splashed up by the rear tires and adhere to the underside of the lamp unit (rear lamp) at the rear of the vehicle, from being discharged to the rear through the gap between the lamp unit and the bumper.
[0009] To achieve the above objective, the vehicle rear structure of the present invention comprises a lamp unit positioned at the rear of the vehicle and a bumper positioned directly below the lamp unit with a gap between them, wherein the lower surface of the lamp unit has a return portion whose rear end is folded back downward and extends toward the front of the vehicle, and the vehicle-front end of the return portion is positioned in front of the front end of the bumper.
[0010] According to the vehicle rear structure of the present invention, when mud and water splashed up by the vehicle's rear tires adhere to the underside of the lamp unit, the mud and water that have moved along the underside of the lamp unit toward the rear of the vehicle are prevented from moving further rearward by the return portion. Even if the mud and water that have reached the return portion fall from the front end of the return portion, they do not fall onto the bumper, thus preventing them from being discharged to the rear of the vehicle through the gap between the lamp unit and the bumper. This prevents mud and water from flowing onto the rear surface of the bumper and degrading the appearance of the rear of the vehicle.
[0011] This is a rear view of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a bottom view of the left rear lamp unit of a vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the lower part of the left rear lamp unit and the bumper of a vehicle according to the first embodiment. This is an explanatory diagram showing the shape of the first return portion in the lamp unit of the first embodiment. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the lower part of the left rear lamp unit and the bumper of a vehicle according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
[0012] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[0013] Figure 1 is a rear view of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a bottom view of the left rear lamp unit of a vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the lower part of the left rear lamp unit and the bumper of the vehicle according to the first embodiment. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the shape of the first return portion in the lamp unit according to the first embodiment. Note that Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of section A-A shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of section B-B shown in Figure 2.
[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 1 employing the rear structure of the present invention is, for example, a pickup truck, and is equipped with a rear gate 2 at the rear end of the vehicle.
[0015] The rear gate 2 is positioned above the rear bumper 3, which extends in the width direction of the vehicle at the rear end of the vehicle. In addition, a pair of rear combination lamps 10 (lamp units) are provided at the rear end of the vehicle 1.
[0016] The rear combination lamps 10 are positioned directly above the rear bumper 3 and on either side of the rear gate 2 in the vehicle width direction. The rear combination lamps 10 are positioned approximately at the same location in the vehicle width direction as the left and right rear tires 5 of the vehicle 1.
[0017] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the rear combination lamp 10 includes various lamps 11 such as brake lights, reverse lights, and turn signals; a housing 12 that houses the various lamps 11 and is open on the rear side and the outer side in the vehicle width direction; and a lens 13 that covers the rear and outer side in the vehicle width direction of the housing 12.
[0018] The housing 12 is made of resin and is a box-shaped member fixed to the body 15 of the vehicle 1. The housing 12 has a lower wall member 16, a front wall member 17, and an inner member 18 in the vehicle width direction.
[0019] Various lamps 11 are fixed to the housing 12 facing backward. In addition, some lamps 11, such as turn signals, are not only positioned facing backward, but are also fixed to the housing 12 facing outward in the vehicle width direction.
[0020] The lens 13 is made of a translucent resin or the like, and covers the rear and outer sides in the vehicle width direction of the housing 12, and is positioned so as to be substantially flush with the rear and side surfaces of the body 15.
[0021] The rear combination lamp 10 has a lens 13 fixed to the housing 12, which creates a closed space inside for housing various lamps 11.
[0022] The lower wall member 16 of the housing 12 has a lower surface that is slightly inclined downward toward the rear of the vehicle.
[0023] The rear bumper 3 is box-shaped with an opening at the front of the vehicle in its longitudinal section, and includes a rear wall member 21 extending vertically and in the vehicle width direction at the rear end of the vehicle, a lower member 22 extending forward of the vehicle from the lower end of the rear wall member 21, and an upper wall member 23 (upper member) extending forward of the vehicle from the upper end of the rear wall member.
[0024] The rear bumper 3 is fixed to a structural member of the vehicle 1 (not shown), and the rear combination lamp 10 is fixed to the body 15 of the vehicle 1. Although the rear bumper 3 is positioned directly below the rear combination lamp 10, they are not directly fixed to each other. As a result, there is a small gap C between the rear bumper 3 and the rear combination lamp 10, more specifically between the upper wall member 23 of the rear bumper 3 and the lower end of the rear combination lamp 10 (the lower wall member 16 of the housing 12 and the lower end of the lens 13).
[0025] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the lower wall member 16 of the housing 12 of the rear combination lamp 10 has a first return portion 25 (return portion) at its rear end. The first return portion 25 is formed to be folded back downward and toward the front of the vehicle by, for example, several centimeters from the rear end of the lower wall member 16.
[0026] The upper surface of the first return portion 25 is inclined downward toward the front of the vehicle. Furthermore, the front end 25a (the end on the front side of the vehicle) of the first return portion 25 is located further forward than the front end 23a of the upper wall member 23 of the rear bumper 3.
[0027] Furthermore, the first return portion 25 is open at both ends 25b and 25c (ends in the vehicle width direction).
[0028] The rear surfaces of the vehicle body 15 and rear bumper 3 of vehicle 1 are smoothly sloped towards the rear of the vehicle from the outer end in the vehicle width direction toward the center in the vehicle width direction. Accordingly, the rear end of the housing 12 of the rear combination lamp 10 is sloped along the rear surfaces of the body 15 and rear bumper 3. In addition, the front end 25a of the first return portion 25 provided on the lower wall member 16 of the housing 12 is also smoothly sloped towards the rear of the vehicle from the outer end 25c in the vehicle width direction toward the center end 25b in the vehicle width direction.
[0029] Furthermore, the length of the first return portion 25 in the vehicle longitudinal direction varies depending on its position in the vehicle width direction, with the length of the central end 25b in the vehicle width direction being longer than the length of the outer end 25c in the vehicle width direction. More specifically, the length of the first return portion 25 in the vehicle longitudinal direction gradually decreases as you move from the outer end 25c in the vehicle width direction towards the central end 25b in the vehicle width direction.
[0030] The lower member 22 of the rear bumper 3 has an upper surface that slopes downward as it approaches the front of the vehicle, and its front end is open.
[0031] The lower end of the lens 13 is supported by the rear end of the lower wall member 16 of the housing 12. Furthermore, the lens 13 is provided with a projection 27 that extends downward and towards the front of the vehicle from its lower end to the vicinity of the upper wall member 23 of the rear bumper 3. This projection 27 is intended to cover a portion of the gap C between the lower wall member 16 of the housing and the upper wall member 23 of the rear bumper 3 from the rear of the vehicle, thereby improving the appearance from the rear of the vehicle.
[0032] Next, we will explain the path of mud and water splashed up by the rear tires 5 of vehicle 1.
[0033] As shown by the dashed arrows in Figure 3, some of the mud and water splashed up by the rear tires 5 is scattered towards the lower wall member 16, which is the underside of the rear combination lamp 10, and towards the rear bumper 3.
[0034] Mud and water that are scattered toward the lower wall member 16 of the rear combination lamp 10 adhere to the lower surface of the lower wall member 16. As shown by the solid arrows in Figure 3, the mud and water that adhere to the lower surface of the lower wall member 16 move toward the rear of the vehicle by inertia and wind during forward vehicle travel.
[0035] Since the rear end of the lower wall member 16 is provided with a first return portion 25, mud and water that reach the rear end of the lower wall member 16 along the lower surface of the lower wall member 16 are not discharged rearward from that rear end but are folded back toward the front of the vehicle, travel along the upper surface of the first return portion 25 toward the front of the vehicle, and fall downward from the front end 25a of the first return portion 25. Since the front end 25a of the first return portion 25 is located in front of the vehicle, mud and water that fall from the front end 25a of the first return portion 25 do not fall onto the upper surface of the upper wall member 23 of the rear bumper 3, but fall in front of the rear bumper 3.
[0036] Therefore, muddy water and the like that that travel along the lower surface of the lower wall member 16 towards the rear of the vehicle will not fall onto the upper surface of the rear bumper 3, thus preventing them from passing through the gap C between the rear combination lamp 10 and the rear bumper 3. This prevents muddy water and the like from being discharged to the rear from the gap C between the rear combination lamp 10 and the rear bumper 3 and flowing down the rear surface of the rear bumper 3, thereby preventing a deterioration in the appearance of the rear of the vehicle.
[0037] Furthermore, since the lower surface of the lower wall member 16 of the rear combination lamp 10 is sloped downward toward the rear of the vehicle, mud and water adhering to the lower surface of the lower wall member 16 can be facilitated to move toward the rear of the vehicle even when the vehicle is stopped. This makes it possible to efficiently eliminate the condition of mud and water adhering to the lower wall member 16 of the rear combination lamp 10.
[0038] Furthermore, since the upper surface of the first return portion 25 is inclined downward toward the front of the vehicle, mud and water that travel along the lower surface of the lower wall member 16 to the rear of the vehicle and reach the first return portion 25 are encouraged to move along the upper surface of the first return portion 25 toward the front of the vehicle. This prevents mud and water from remaining on the first return portion 25.
[0039] Furthermore, since the rear bumper 3 has an upper wall member 23 extending forward of the vehicle at the upper end of the rear wall member 21, even if mud and water splashed up toward the rear bumper 3 by the rear tires 5 move upward along the inner wall surface (front wall surface) of the rear wall member 21 of the rear bumper 3 due to its force, the upper wall member 23 prevents it from moving any further upward. This prevents mud and water from reaching the gap C between the rear bumper 3 and the rear combination lamp 10, and prevents mud and water from being discharged toward the rear of the vehicle from the gap C.
[0040] Furthermore, since both ends 25b and 25c in the vehicle width direction of the first return section 25 are open, mud and water can be discharged from the upper surface of the first return section 25 through both ends 25b and 25c in the vehicle width direction. This prevents mud and water from accumulating on the upper surface of the first return section 25.
[0041] In addition, a groove extending along the lower position of the center portion 25b in the vehicle width direction of the first return portion 25 is provided on the upper surface of the upper wall member 23 of the rear bumper 3, and mud and water that have fallen from the center portion 25b in the vehicle width direction of the first return portion 25 are discharged by the groove on the upper surface of this upper wall member 23.
[0042] For example, if the bottom of the groove on the upper surface of this upper wall member 23 is inclined downward toward the front of the vehicle, mud and water that have fallen from the center portion 25b in the vehicle width direction of the first return portion 25 can be dropped in front of the vehicle on the upper wall member 23 of the rear bumper 3. Alternatively, a groove extending in the vertical direction is provided in the rear wall member 21 of the rear bumper 3 continuously with the rear end of the groove on the upper surface of the upper wall member 23, and the mud and water are discharged below the rear bumper 3 by passing through the groove of this rear wall member 21, so that a decrease in the appearance of the rear of the vehicle can be suppressed.
[0043] Further, the first return portion 25 is arranged so as to be positioned rearward from the outer end portion 25c in the vehicle width direction toward the center portion 25b in the vehicle width direction. As a result, mud and water that have moved rearward along the lower surface of the lower wall member 16 of the housing 12 in the rear combination lamp 10 and reached the first return portion 25 move to the center portion 25b in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the mud and water in the first return portion 25 can be gathered at the center portion 25b in the vehicle width direction, and the dropping position of the mud and water from the first return portion 25 can be specified in the vehicle width direction.
[0044] In addition, the length of the first return portion 25 in the vehicle longitudinal direction varies depending on the position in the vehicle width direction, and becomes shorter as it goes from the outer end portion 25c in the vehicle width direction toward the center portion 25b in the vehicle width direction. Thereby, in response to the fact that mud and water gather and become a large amount as the mud and water move toward the center portion 25b in the vehicle width direction on the first return portion 25, the mud and water on the first return portion 25 can be surely guided to the center portion 25b in the vehicle width direction.
[0045] Of the muddy water and the like splashed from the rear tire 5, those scattered inside the rear bumper 3, specifically, on the front surface of the rear wall member 21 and the lower surface of the upper wall member 23 of the rear bumper 3, move downward along the front surface of the rear wall member 21 and move onto the upper surface of the lower member 22. Since the upper surface of the lower member 22 is inclined downward toward the front of the vehicle and its front end is open, the muddy water and the like on the upper surface of the lower member 22 move forward along the upper surface of the lower member 22 and fall downward from the front end of the lower member 22. As a result, the muddy water and the like fall at a position in front of the rear end of the vehicle from the rear bumper 3, and it is suppressed that the muddy water and the like fall directly below the rear end of the vehicle 1. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the muddy water and the like from falling on the feet of the passengers and the like who have moved to the rear part of the vehicle, for example, when loading and unloading luggage from the rear gate 2 of the vehicle immediately after the vehicle stops.
[0046] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 5.
[0047] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lower part of the lamp unit and the bumper at the left rear part of the vehicle according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
[0048] Hereinafter, only the parts different from the above-described first embodiment will be described.
[0049] As shown in FIG. 5, in the rear combination lamp 30 of the second embodiment, the first return portion 25 is not provided at the rear end portion of the lower wall member 16 of the housing 12, and the second return portion 35 (return portion) is provided on the lens 13.
[0050] The second return portion 35 has a shape in which the protruding portion 27 in the first embodiment further protrudes, and extends downward and forward at an inclination from the attachment portion with the lower wall member 16 at the lower part of the lens 13. Therefore, the second return portion 35 is located below the lower wall member 16 of the housing 12. Further, the front end 35a (the end portion on the vehicle front side) of the second return portion 35 is located in front of the vehicle with respect to the rear end of the lower wall member 16 of the housing 12 and is also located in front of the vehicle with respect to the front end 23a of the upper wall member 23 of the rear bumper 3. The upper surface of the second return portion 35 is inclined downward from the rearward position to the front at least from the rear end of the lower surface of the lower wall member 16.
[0051] As a result, as shown by the dashed arrows in Figure 5, mud and water that splashes toward the lower wall member 16 of the rear combination lamp 30 and adheres to the lower surface of the lower wall member 16 moves along the lower surface of the lower wall member 16 toward the rear of the vehicle, as shown by the solid arrows in Figure 5, and falls from the rear end of the lower wall member 16 onto the second return portion 35 of the lens 13. Then, the mud and water moves forward along the upper surface of the second return portion 35 and falls downward from the front end 35a of the second return portion 35. Since the front end 35a of the second return portion 35 is located in front of the vehicle, ahead of the front end 23a of the upper wall member 23 of the rear bumper 3, it does not fall onto the upper surface of the rear bumper 3, but falls in front of the rear bumper 3. As a result, similar to the first embodiment, it is possible to suppress the mud and water that has moved toward the rear of the vehicle along the lower surface of the lower wall member 16 from passing through the gap C between the rear combination lamp 30 and the rear bumper 3 and being discharged to the rear of the vehicle, thereby suppressing a deterioration in the appearance of the rear of the vehicle.
[0052] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above.
[0053] For example, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to vehicle 1, which is a pickup truck, but the present invention can be broadly applied to various types of vehicles.
[0054] 1 Vehicle 3 Rear bumper (bumper) 10, 30 Rear combination lamp (lamp unit) 11 Lamp 12 Housing 13 Lens 16 Lower wall member 22 Lower member 25 First return portion (return portion) 25a Front end (end on the front side of the vehicle) 23 Upper wall member (upper member) 23a Front end 25b Center end in the vehicle width direction (end in the vehicle width direction) 25c Outer end in the vehicle width direction (end in the vehicle width direction) 35 Second return portion (return portion) 35a Front end (end on the front side of the vehicle)
Claims
1. A rear structure for a vehicle comprising: a lamp unit positioned at the rear of the vehicle; and a bumper positioned directly below the lamp unit with a gap between them, wherein the lower surface of the lamp unit has a return portion whose rear end is folded back downward and extends toward the front of the vehicle, and the front end of the return portion is positioned in front of the front end of the bumper.
2. The rear structure of the vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower surface of the lamp unit is inclined downward toward the rear of the vehicle.
3. The rear structure of a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the upper surface of the return portion is inclined downward toward the front end of the vehicle.
4. The rear structure of a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the return portion extends in the vehicle width direction and its end in the vehicle width direction is open.
5. The rear structure of a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the return portion extends in the vehicle width direction and is positioned towards the rear of the vehicle toward the center in the vehicle width direction.
6. The rear structure of a vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that the return portion is formed such that the length in the vehicle longitudinal direction of the portion on the central side in the vehicle width direction is longer than the length in the vehicle longitudinal direction of the portion on the outer side in the vehicle width direction.
7. The rear structure of a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the bumper has a lower member that extends toward the front of the vehicle at its lower end, the lower member is inclined downward toward the front of the vehicle and its front end is open.
8. The rear structure of a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the bumper has an upper member extending toward the front of the vehicle at its upper end.
9. The rear vehicle structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the lamp unit comprises a lamp, a housing for housing the lamp, and a lens fixed to the housing, covering the rear of the lamp and having its lower part fixed to the housing, the housing having a lower wall member extending from the lower part of the lamp toward the front of the vehicle, and the return portion being provided on the lower wall member.
10. The rear vehicle structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the lamp unit comprises a lamp, a housing for housing the lamp, and a lens fixed to the housing, covering the rear of the lamp and having its lower part fixed to the housing, the housing having a lower wall member extending from the lower part of the lamp toward the front of the vehicle, and the return portion being provided at the lower end of the lens located below the lower wall member.