Pivotable Wheel House Air Flow Device for Vehicle Underbody
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for reducing air flow into a motor vehicle's wheel house while moving are complex and do not effectively address the aerodynamic drag and lift issues from below the vehicle.
Innovation Solution
A pivotable device connected to the underbody panel of a motor vehicle, oriented parallel to its longitudinal axis, reduces air flow into the wheel house by enlarging the panel and allowing it to pivot with the wheel's compression and rebound, maintaining structural simplicity and aerodynamic coverage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a plate-like device is pivoted out by approximately 90° to span the distance from the wheel house to the radially outer circumference of the wheel, then air flow from the side of the vehicle into the wheel house is blocked, but the device complexity and structural complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The air flow control device is divided into multiple segments: a wheel house cover portion and a wheel cover portion that can move independently. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function (blocking side air flow and bottom air flow respectively) without requiring a single complex structure, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining effective air flow control.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel house cover is designed to be pivotable about a longitudinal axis, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position based on wheel movement (compression and rebound). This dynamic design enables the cover to maintain optimal air flow blocking performance during vehicle operation without requiring a complex fixed structure, resolving the contradiction between effectiveness and simplicity.
2Reliability
If the pivot axis is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle, then the device can pivot during compression and rebound of the wheel without damage, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot mechanism is merged with the existing wheel house cover structure, which is already part of the vehicle's chassis assembly. By integrating the pivot function into the existing cover design rather than adding a separate complex mechanism, the patent achieves reliable operation during wheel compression and rebound while minimizing additional device complexity.
3Device complexity
If the device is formed by an enlargement of the underbody panel into the wheel house, then structural simplicity is improved, but the area of the underbody panel increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of enlarging the underbody panel in the horizontal plane (which would increase its area), the patent extends the panel vertically into the wheel house space. This dimensional change allows the same structural element to provide both underbody protection and wheel house air flow control functions without increasing the panel's footprint area, thereby resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and area maintenance.
Data Source
AI summary
A motor vehicle (1) has a device (5) that projects into the wheel house (3) to reduce the flow of air into the wheel house (3) while the motor vehicle (1) is moving. The device (5) may extend from an underbody panel (4) of the motor vehicle (1) and may be pivotable about a longitudinal axis (6) of the motor vehicle (1) on a side of the underbody panel (4) that faces the wheel house (3). Alternatively, the device (5) is connected to a chassis component (7) of a wheel (2) arranged within the wheel house (3).