Utility Vehicle Air Intake Layout for Mud and Water Exclusion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Utility vehicles face issues with foreign substances like mud and water entering the air intake port, which can block airflow and reduce engine performance due to the air intake port's exposure on the side surface.

Innovation Solution

The air intake port is redesigned to face the center side of the vehicle, with a chamber body and connecting pipe system that includes a mudguard and eaves portion to prevent foreign substances from entering, and an internal flow path that separates and drains contaminants, allowing efficient air intake without the need for a filter.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the air intake port is provided on the side surface of the body facing outside, then air intake is simple and direct, but foreign substances such as water and mud easily enter the air intake port

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair intake efficiencyVSAvoidforeign substance contamination

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The air intake system is segmented into multiple functional components: the air intake conduit with its chamber body, the connecting pipe, the mudguard, and the eaves portion. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function - the mudguard blocks mud, the eaves blocks rain, and the chamber body directs air flow, collectively solving the contradiction between simple air intake and contamination prevention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The mudguard and eaves portion act as intermediary protective elements between the external environment and the air intake port. These intermediaries block harmful substances (mud and rain) before they can reach the air intake, while still allowing air to flow through the designated path to the engine

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If mud accumulates on the honeycomb grill and dries, then the grilled structure provides protection, but the dried mud blocks the air intake port

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection capabilityVSAvoidair intake flow

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The design extracts the air intake function from the side surface location and relocates it to face the center of the vehicle. This extraction removes the air intake port from the harmful external environment where mud accumulates, eliminating the problem of dried mud blocking the intake while maintaining protection through the mudguard and eaves structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If the air intake port faces the outside, then outside air is easily accessed, but water and mud splashes directly enter the intake

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair intake accessibilityVSAvoidwater and mud entry

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The air intake port is reoriented from facing the side (horizontal dimension) to facing the center of the vehicle (internal dimension). This dimensional change allows air to be accessed through the vehicle body's interior space rather than directly from the external side surface, blocking water and mud splashes while maintaining air supply through the designed flow path

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS20220333564A1Utility vehicle

Publication Date: 2022.10.20 KAWASAKI MOTORS LTD

AI summary

The utility vehicle includes a body; a frame that supports the body; an on-board device that is mounted on the frame and requires outside air; and an air intake conduit that is connected to the on-board device. An air intake port of the air intake conduit that sucks in outside air faces a center side of the utility vehicle.