Motor Vehicle Water Drain Crosspiece with Segmented Parallel Conduits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle body water drainage systems in the rear engine compartment, particularly the 'water box' or 'under-windshield tank', suffer from reduced efficiency due to clogging by debris, leading to rainwater overflow and potential engine compartment infiltration, which can cause damage from freezing.
Innovation Solution
A motor vehicle body structure featuring a crosspiece with a channel that receives rainwater and directs it through two parallel flows, one above and one below, into vertical passages within the wheelhouses, enhancing drainage efficiency and eliminating the need for obstructive drain sleeves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If vertical drain sleeves are used for water drainage, then the drainage structure is simple, but the passage tends to clog due to debris deposition
Solution Approach 1:
The single vertical drain sleeve is segmented into two parallel drain conduits, each with its own passage. This segmentation reduces clogging risk because debris cannot easily block both passages simultaneously, and maintenance can be performed on one conduit while the other remains functional.
Solution Approach 2:
The drainage system transitions from a single vertical dimension to a two-dimensional arrangement with two parallel vertical passages. This dimensional expansion provides redundant drainage paths, ensuring that if one passage becomes partially blocked, the other can still handle the water flow.
2Productivity
If rainwater drains into the engine compartment, then the drainage path is direct, but water may freeze and damage electric members
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful effect of water freezing in the engine compartment is extracted and eliminated by redirecting the drainage path. The drain conduits are configured to discharge water away from the engine compartment, specifically targeting the wheelhouse area instead, thereby removing the source of potential freezing damage to electric members.
Solution Approach 2:
The drain conduits act as intermediaries that transfer water from the manifold to a safe discharge location. By introducing these conduits as intermediate elements, the system controls the water's journey and ensures it is deposited in the wheelhouse rather than directly into the engine compartment where it could cause harm.
3Device complexity
If a single drain conduit is used, then the structure is simple, but the rainwater outflow rate is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The single drain conduit is divided into two parallel conduits, each capable of carrying rainwater independently. This segmentation effectively doubles the total outflow capacity of the drainage system while maintaining relatively simple individual conduit structures that are easy to manufacture and install.
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
This design increases rainwater outflow rate, reduces stagnation, and minimizes water in the engine compartment, thereby preventing damage from freezing, while maintaining structural integrity and reducing component costs.
Implementation Method 1
a channel (17a) elongated in the orthogonal direction and adapted to receive the rainwater; characterized in that the crosspiece (17) is provided with two holes (23) symmetric with respect to a vertical centerline plane, which have each a relatively wide passage section, so as to promote a relatively quick drainage of water
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A motor vehicle body is provided with a substantially vertical wall, which separates a lower zone of the passenger compartment (3) from the engine compartment (4), and with a structure (16) for receiving and draining water; such a structure (16) protrudes forward into the engine compartment (4) from an upper end of the substantially vertical wall (5) and has an upper crosspiece (17) shaped so as to define a manifold for receiving water; the upper crosspiece (17) has a perforated intermediate portion (21) and two opposite end portions (22) provided with respective openings (26) for draining water into drain passages (27); the structure (16) further has a reinforcing crosspiece (30), which is arranged underneath the perforated intermediate portion (21) for receiving some of the water and is shaped so as to define a channel (33) which is elongated in the transversal direction so as to divert the water sideways and outwards.