Front Deflector Airflow Management for Wheel Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing front deflectors do not adequately suppress the hitting of traveling air against front wheels, leading to increased air resistance in vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A front deflector design featuring an air inlet, a guiding portion that directs air to the rear and outer side, and an air outlet positioned to diagonally exhaust air away from the front wheel, preventing air from hitting the wheel by directing it to the outer side.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a conventional front deflector with a vertical wall portion is provided ahead of the front wheel, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the traveling air still hits the outer side of the front wheel because the deflector ends before the wheel's outer edge
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extends the deflector's protective function into the vehicle-width direction by adding a fin portion that protrudes outward. This dimensional extension allows the deflector to cover the outer side of the front wheel, preventing traveling air from hitting the wheel while maintaining the simplicity of the overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The deflector is divided into two functional portions: a wall portion that extends vertically to block air from below, and a fin portion that extends horizontally to block air from the outer side. This segmentation allows each portion to address specific air flow paths, effectively preventing traveling air from reaching the front wheel.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the end surface of the wall portion is inclined to form a fin portion, then traveling air is deflected to the outer side, but the air may still hit the front wheel depending on the positional relationship between the fin portion and wheel
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the inclination angle of the fin portion's end surface and the extension length of the fin portion to ensure that deflected air flows consistently away from the front wheel. By carefully controlling these geometric parameters, the design achieves reliable air flow diversion that prevents air from hitting the wheel across various operating conditions.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the fin portion extends further outward to ensure air is deflected away from the wheel, then air resistance is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fin portion is integrated with the wall portion as a unified structure, where the end surface of the wall portion is simply inclined to form the fin. This merging approach extends the protective function outward without adding separate components, thereby reducing air resistance while minimizing increases in device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design effectively suppresses the hitting of traveling air against the front wheel, reducing air resistance and turbulence, by ensuring air is directed and exhausted in a manner that avoids contact with the wheel.
Implementation Method 1
an air inlet that opens forward of the vehicle, and is for taking air into an inner space of the front deflector when the vehicle travels forward
Implementation Method 2
a guiding portion that directs the air taken into the inner space from the air inlet to a vehicle rear side and a vehicle-width-direction outer side in the inner space
Implementation Method 3
an air outlet that opens rearward of the vehicle in a position that overlaps with a front wheel in a front view of the vehicle, and diagonally exhausts the air in the inner space to the vehicle-width-direction outer side toward the vehicle rear side
Data Source
AI summary
A front deflector configured to be provided on a surface ahead of a front wheel of a vehicle. The front deflector includes a first opening forward of the vehicle, the first opening configured to receive air into an inner space of the front deflector when the vehicle travels forward; a guide wall that directs the air received into the inner space from the first opening to at least a vehicle-width-direction outer side in the inner space; and a second opening that opens rearward of the first opening in a position that overlaps with a front wheel of the vehicle, and exhausts the air in the inner space to the vehicle-width-direction outer side.