JP6684136B2 - Air flow controller for vehicle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle airflow control device, and more particularly to a vehicle airflow control device capable of controlling an opening portion of a vehicle wheel in an open state and a closed state.

  Conventionally, a vehicle airflow control device has been developed which stabilizes the vehicle posture by controlling the opening of a vehicle wheel to an open state or a closed state by a control means and changing the airflow flowing through the opening of the vehicle wheel. Has been done.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, a vehicle provided with a vehicle wheel and provided with a shutter that is movable between an open position that opens an opening of the vehicle wheel and a closed position that closes the opening. An air flow control device is described. In this device, the running state of the vehicle itself, such as the pitch and roll of the vehicle, is detected, and based on the detection result, the shutter is moved to switch the opening of the vehicle wheel to the open state or the closed state. , The air flow is changed to stabilize the vehicle posture.

JP, 2007-126088, A

  However, the vehicle airflow control device of Patent Document 1 moves the shutter open or closed after detecting the traveling state of the vehicle itself, that is, after the vehicle posture becomes unstable, Since the vehicle attitude is stabilized by opening or closing the opening, it is not possible to control the air flow to suppress the vehicle attitude before it becomes unstable. It was Therefore, it has been desired to improve the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle at an earlier stage so as to control the air flow and maintain a stable vehicle attitude.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a vehicle airflow control capable of improving an aerodynamic performance of a vehicle by controlling an airflow at an early stage so as to maintain a stable vehicle attitude. The purpose is to provide a device.

In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle airflow control device according to the present invention is provided in a vehicle wheel, and an opening position for opening an opening between spokes of the vehicle wheel, and the opening. A shutter that is movable between a closed position that is in a closed state, a detection unit that detects an external environment of the vehicle, and a shutter that is moved to an open position or a closed position based on detection information of the detection unit. In a vehicle airflow control device including control means for controlling, the detection information of the detection means is information of another vehicle that gives a change in wind pressure to its own vehicle, and the control means is the other vehicle. The shutter is moved so as to generate a moment that cancels the moment generated in the own vehicle by the change in the wind pressure due to.

  According to this configuration, the detection unit that detects the external environment of the vehicle detects the factor that changes the posture of the vehicle, and based on this detection information, sets the shutter provided on the vehicle wheel to the open position or the closed position. Since the opening can be moved to the open state or the closed state by moving, the air flow can be controlled so that the stable vehicle attitude can be maintained even when the vehicle attitude is not unstable. . As a result, the stage of controlling the air flow can be advanced, and the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle can be improved.

  According to this configuration, in the external environment, the shutter is moved so as to detect an object that gives a change in the wind pressure to the vehicle and generate a moment that cancels the moment generated in the vehicle by the change in the wind pressure due to the object. It is possible to suppress the instability of the vehicle posture due to the change of the wind pressure due to the object by canceling the moment.

Further, the present invention is the air flow control device for the vehicle, said control means, said another vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed, and the own vehicle, traveling on the travel lane to the adjacent same direction Of the vehicle on the rear side of the other vehicle, the shutter on the other vehicle side of the left side and the right side of the own vehicle is moved to the closed position. , The shutter on the opposite side is moved to the open position.

  According to this configuration, when the vehicle is located behind the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane in the same direction and within the wind pressure influence range of the other vehicle, the left side and the right side of the own vehicle Among them, the shutter on the other vehicle side is moved to the closed position, and the shutter on the opposite side is moved to the open position, thereby canceling the moment generated in the own vehicle due to the change in the wind pressure by the other vehicle, and stable. The vehicle attitude can be maintained.

Further, the present invention is the air flow control device for the vehicle, said control means, said another vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed, and the own vehicle, traveling on the travel lane to the adjacent same direction When the vehicle is located on the side of the vehicle, it is possible to move the shutter on the other vehicle side among the left side and the right side of the own vehicle to the open position and move the shutter on the opposite side to the closed position. Characterize.

  According to this configuration, when the own vehicle is located on the side of another vehicle traveling in the adjacent traveling lane in the same direction, the shutter on the other vehicle side of the left side and the right side of the own vehicle. Is moved to the open position, and the shutter on the opposite side is moved to the closed position, whereby the moment generated in the own vehicle due to the change in the wind pressure by the other vehicle can be canceled and the stable vehicle attitude can be maintained.

The present invention also provides the air flow control system for a vehicle, said control means, the vehicle is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed, and the own vehicle is, than the other vehicle traveling opposite lane adjacent On the front side, when located in the wind pressure influence range of the other vehicle, the shutter on the other vehicle side is moved to the open position among the left side and the right side of the own vehicle, and The shutter is moved to a closed position.

  According to this configuration, when the own vehicle is located ahead of the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent oncoming lane and is located within the wind pressure influence range of the other vehicle, the left side of the own vehicle and the By moving the shutter on the other vehicle side to the open position and moving the shutter on the opposite side to the closed position on the right side, the moment generated in the own vehicle due to the change in wind pressure by the other vehicle is canceled out and stable. The vehicle posture can be maintained.

The present invention also provides the air flow control system for a vehicle, said control means, the vehicle is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed, and the own vehicle, the side of the other vehicle traveling opposite lane adjacent When the vehicle is located on one side, the shutter on the other vehicle side of the left side and the right side of the own vehicle is moved to a closed position, and the shutter on the opposite side is moved to an open position. Term.

  According to this configuration, when the own vehicle is located on the side of the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent oncoming lane, the shutter on the other vehicle side of the left side and the right side of the own vehicle is set to the closed position. By moving and moving the shutter on the opposite side to the open position, it is possible to cancel the moment generated in the own vehicle due to the change in wind pressure by the other vehicle, and maintain a stable vehicle attitude.

Further, the present invention is the air flow control device for the vehicle, detection information of the detecting means includes information of wind direction of the external environment, said control means, the selection by the reference or the selection switch is set in advance, crosswind When a control process is selected, instead of controlling the shutter based on the information of the other vehicle, a crosswind control process for controlling the shutter based on the wind direction information is executed, and in the crosswind control process, The control means moves the shutter of the vehicle wheel on the side receiving the crosswind among the left side and the right side of the vehicle to the open position when the vehicle is at a predetermined speed or more and receives the crosswind. Then, the shutter of the vehicle wheel on the opposite side is moved to the closed position.

  According to this configuration, when the vehicle has a predetermined speed or more and receives a cross wind, the shutter of the vehicle wheel on the side receiving the cross wind is moved to the open position on the left side and the right side of the vehicle, By moving the shutter of the vehicle wheel on the opposite side to the closed position, it is possible to cancel the moment generated in the own vehicle by the lateral wind and maintain a stable vehicle posture.

  According to the vehicle airflow control device of the present invention, it is possible to control the airflow at an early stage and improve the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle so that the stable vehicle posture can be maintained.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle airflow control device that is an embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a figure which shows the closed state of the opening part of the wheel for vehicles. (B) is a figure showing an opened state of an opening of a wheel for vehicles. FIG. 3A is an enlarged partial sectional view of a region indicated by III (a) in FIG. FIG. 3B is an enlarged partial sectional view of a region indicated by III (b) in FIG. 2. (A) is a typical partial cross section perspective view explaining the air flow in the case where the opening of the vehicle wheel is closed. (B) is a typical partial cross-sectional perspective view explaining the air flow when the opening of the vehicle wheel is in an open state. It is a top view explaining generation | occurrence | production of the moment by the opening / closing state of an opening part in the running state of a vehicle, (a) is the figure which made the right side of a vehicle an open state, and left side closed state, (b) is a vehicle's The figure which made the right side the closed state and the left side the opened state. FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a case where a vehicle overtakes another vehicle traveling in the same traveling lane in the same direction. The flowchart figure which shows the process which a control unit performs. FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory diagram in the case where a vehicle is overtaken by another vehicle traveling in the adjacent traveling lane in the same direction. The flowchart figure which shows the process which a control unit performs. The schematic explanatory drawing in the case where a vehicle passes by another vehicle of the adjacent oncoming lane. The flowchart figure which shows the process which a control unit performs. The schematic explanatory drawing when a vehicle passes a side wind zone. The flowchart figure which shows the process which a control unit performs.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle airflow control device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a vehicle wheel that is an airflow control target of the vehicle airflow control device 1. 2A shows a closed state of the opening 14 of the vehicle wheel 10, and FIG. 2B shows an open state of the opening 14 of the vehicle wheel 10. The vehicle airflow control device 1 includes a vehicle speed sensor 31 that detects the speed of the vehicle X of its own, a changeover switch 32, an external environment detection sensor (detection means) 33, a control unit (control means) 34, and an actuator ( Drive unit) 35. The actuator 35 operates the shutter 20 provided on the vehicle wheel 10.

  The changeover switch 32 switches between manual control for manually controlling the opening / closing state of the opening 14 of the vehicle wheel 10 by the shutter 20 and automatic control for controlling by the control unit 34 based on the detection information of the external environment detection sensor 32. It is a switch.

  The external environment detection sensor 33 detects the external environment around the own vehicle X, for example, surrounding vehicles, buildings, terrain, wind direction, etc., and at least imparts a change in wind pressure to the own vehicle X. An object, for example, a large-sized vehicle, the wind direction or wind speed around the vehicle, is detected. As such an external environment detection sensor 33, for example, an in-vehicle camera, a wind direction sensor, a wind speed sensor, or the like can be used, or a combination of these can be used.

When the automatic control is selected by the changeover switch 32, the control unit 34 operates the actuator 35 based on the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 33 and the detection information of the external environment detection sensor 33. The control unit 34 is set with a speed threshold value _VA for determining whether or not the vehicle X of the own vehicle is traveling at a high speed equal to or higher than a predetermined speed. Further, a speed threshold value V _B for determining whether or not the vehicle speed of the target vehicle Y described later is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed is set. Further, the control unit 34 is provided with a wind speed threshold S _A for determining whether or not the wind speed around the vehicle X is higher than or equal to a predetermined wind speed.

  The vehicle wheel 10 includes a wheel center portion 11, a rim portion 12 on which a tire 18 is mounted, and a plurality of spokes 13 that connect the wheel center portion 11 and the rim portion 12. The wheel center portion 11 is connected and fixed to a hub connected to the end portion of the drive shaft 19 of the vehicle X (see FIG. 4). The plurality of spokes 13 extend radially from the wheel center portion 11, and the tips are connected to the inner peripheral surface of the rim portion 12. A shutter 20 is provided on the vehicle wheel 10.

  The shutter 20 is movable by an actuator 35 of the vehicular air flow control device 1 between an open position that opens the openings 14 between the spokes 13 and a closed position that closes the openings 14. Is configured to be. The shutter 20 and the actuator 35 are provided on each wheel. The shutter 20 can be provided on the back side (inside of the vehicle) or the front side (outside of the vehicle) of the vehicle wheel 10. In the present embodiment, the shutter 20 is provided on the back side, and FIG. It shows the condition as seen. The shutter 20 has an annular portion 21 mounted on the wheel center portion 11, and a plurality of shutter portions 22 extending radially from the annular portion.

  The shutter 20 is configured to be rotatable by the operation of an actuator 35 attached to the wheel center portion 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the wheel center portion 11 is formed with a concave cylinder portion 11a extending from the outer peripheral surface toward the center portion. The cylinder portion 11a operates the piston 23 and the piston 23. And an actuator 35 that operates. The piston 23 is configured to be reciprocally movable by the actuator 35 along the extending direction of the cylinder portion 11a (that is, the radial direction of the wheel center portion 11). The wheel center portion 11 further includes a recessed portion 11b formed on the outer peripheral surface at a position substantially opposite to the cylinder portion 11a with the center of rotation interposed therebetween, and a spring 24 disposed in the recessed portion 11b. In addition, in FIG. 3, the cylinder part 11a and the recessed part 11b, and the 1st groove part 26 and the 2nd groove part 27 which are mentioned later are shown in a cross-sectional state.

  The annular portion 21 of the shutter 20 is mounted on the outer periphery of the wheel center portion 11, and has a substantially arc-shaped first groove portion 26 and second groove portion 27 extending in the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface. Each of the first groove portion 26 and the second groove portion 27 is formed at a position corresponding to each of the piston 23 and the spring 24 of the wheel center portion 11. The shutter portion 22 has a size capable of closing the opening 14 of the vehicle wheel 10, and is formed in a size capable of being stored on the back surface of the spoke 13 when moved to the open position.

  In the shutter 20 described above, as shown in FIG. 3A, when the piston 23 moves radially outward due to the operation of the actuator 35, the arc-shaped bottom surface of the first groove portion 26 is pressed by the piston 23, and the shutter 20 moves. It rotates in the first direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 3A). When the piston 23 moves to the bottom surface 26a of the first groove portion 26 and comes into contact with the wall surface 26b, the movement of the shutter 20 is stopped and the shutter 20 is in the closed position. At this time, the vehicle wheel 10 is in a closed state in which the opening portion 14 is closed by the shutter portion 22.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3B, when the piston 23 moves inward in the radial direction by the operation of the actuator 35, the urging force of the spring 24 located on the opposite side of the piston 23 causes the arc-shaped bottom surface of the second groove portion 27. Is pressed, and the shutter 20 rotates in a second direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 3B) opposite to the first direction. When the piston 23 moves to the bottom surface 27a of the second groove 27 and comes into contact with the wall surface 27b, the movement of the shutter 20 is stopped and the shutter 20 is in the open position. At this time, the shutter 22 is stored in the back surface of the spoke 13, and the opening 14 of the vehicle wheel 10 is opened.

  FIG. 4A is a schematic partial cross-sectional perspective view illustrating the air flow when the opening 14 of the vehicle wheel 10 is closed in the traveling state. When the opening 14 is in the closed state, the shutter 20 blocks the air flow that flows from the inside to the outside of the vehicle X through the opening 14. Therefore, the air flow flowing through the side surface of the vehicle X is not interfered with by the air flow passing through the vehicle wheel 10, and the side surface of the vehicle X is in a low drag state in which the air resistance is reduced. As a result, the drag can be reduced and the fuel consumption can be improved.

  FIG. 4B is a schematic partial cross-sectional perspective view illustrating the air flow when the opening 14 of the vehicle wheel 10 is in the open state in the traveling state. When the opening 14 is open, the brake cooling action can be obtained by the airflow passing through the vehicle wheel 10. On the other hand, the turbulent airflow that flows from the inside to the outside of the vehicle X through the opening 14 interferes with the airflow that flows on the side surface of the vehicle X. As a result, the side surface of the vehicle X is in a high drag state in which air resistance is high. 4A and 4B, the air flow in one wheel (front left wheel) is described, but the same applies to each of the other wheels.

FIG. 5 is a plan view for explaining the generation of a moment due to the opening / closing state of the opening 14 in the traveling state of the vehicle X. In the traveling state in which the vehicle X moves forward, the openings 14 of the front and rear vehicle wheels 10 on the right side of the vehicle X are opened, and the openings 14 of the front and rear vehicle wheels 10 on the left side of the vehicle X are opened. Is closed. Then, as shown in FIG. 5 (a), the right side of the vehicle X is high drag condition, the left side becomes the low-drag state, drag F _R of the right side is larger than the force F _L of the left side. At this time, a clockwise moment M ₁ about the rotation axis (roll axis) of the vehicle X is generated in the vehicle X in a plan view.

In a traveling state in which the vehicle X moves forward, the openings 14 of the front and rear vehicle wheels 10 on the right side of the vehicle X are closed, and the openings 14 of the front and rear vehicle wheels 10 on the left side of the vehicle X are closed. To open. Then, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), the left side of the vehicle X becomes low-drag state, the right side becomes a low-drag state, drag F _L of the left side is larger than the force F _R of the right side. At this time, a counterclockwise moment M ₁ about the rotation axis of the vehicle X is generated in the vehicle X in a plan view.

  When the vehicle X has a relatively high speed equal to or higher than a predetermined speed, the influence of the drag due to the running wind becomes large. In this case, the moment generated in the vehicle X can be controlled by controlling the open / closed state of the opening 14 as shown in FIGS.

  Next, control of the vehicle wheel 10 by the vehicle airflow control device 1 described above will be described.

When the vehicle X is traveling, a low pressure region is generated in the rear and sides (left side and right side) thereof, and a high pressure region is generated in front thereof. When the vehicle is a large vehicle (for example, a large truck), the low pressure region and the high pressure region have a relatively large range, and when the vehicle speed is high, the pressure difference between the high pressure region and the low pressure region is large. That is, when the own vehicle X is traveling at a high speed equal to or higher than the predetermined speed V _A , the pressure difference between the high pressure region and the low pressure region generated around the own vehicle X becomes large, and the own vehicle X becomes If it enters the range of the low pressure region or the high pressure region of another large vehicle that travels, the vehicle attitude of the own vehicle X becomes unstable due to the influence of the wind pressure of the large vehicle. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the external environment detection sensor 33 detects another vehicle (especially a large vehicle) that is an object that gives a change in wind pressure to the own vehicle X, and stabilizes the vehicle attitude of the own vehicle X. As described above, the shutter 20 is moved to control the opening / closing of the opening 14 of the vehicle wheel 10.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory diagram in the case where the vehicle X overtakes another vehicle traveling in the adjacent traveling lane in the same direction, and FIG. 7 shows a process performed by the control unit 34 when overtaking another vehicle. It is a flowchart figure shown. Hereinafter, the process of the control unit 34 will be described step by step.

  First, the control unit 34 determines whether the opening / closing control of the opening 14 of the vehicle wheel 10 is in the automatic control mode based on the signal from the changeover switch 32 (step S101). When it is not in the automatic control mode (in the case of the manual control mode) (step S101: No), the processing is ended (return).

In the automatic control mode (step S101: Yes), the control unit 34 determines whether the vehicle speed V ₁ (t) of the vehicle X of its own is equal to or higher than the threshold value _VA based on the detection value of the vehicle speed sensor 31. When it is less than the threshold value _VA (step S102: No), the actuator 35 is operated and the shutter 20 is moved to the open position so that the openings 14 of the vehicle wheels 10 of all the wheels are in the open state (step S103). , The process ends (return). In this way, by opening the opening portion 14 at a low vehicle speed, it is possible to obtain a brake cooling action by the air flow.

When the vehicle speed of the vehicle X is equal to or higher than the threshold value _VA (step S102: Yes), it is a large lane ahead of the adjacent lane, which is a traveling lane in the same adjacent direction, based on the detection information of the external environment detection sensor 33. It is determined whether another vehicle is present. Whether or not the other vehicle is large can be determined, for example, by estimating the size of the vehicle from the rear area of the other vehicle based on the image information of the vehicle-mounted camera that is the external environment detection sensor 33. . When there is no other vehicle (step S104: No), the actuator 35 is operated and the shutter 20 is moved to the closed position so that the openings 14 of all the vehicle wheels 10 are closed (step S105). ), The processing is ended (return). Thus, when the vehicle speed is high and there is no influence of the wind pressure of another vehicle, the opening 14 is closed to improve fuel efficiency.

When another vehicle exists (step S104: Yes), the vehicle closest to the own vehicle X among the other vehicles is recognized as the target vehicle Y (step S106). Next, the vehicle speed V ₂ (t) of the target vehicle Y is calculated based on the detection information of the external environment detection sensor 33, and the vehicle speed V ₂ (t) is faster than a preset vehicle speed threshold V _B , and , Is in a range slower than the vehicle speed V ₁ (t) of its own vehicle X (that is, whether threshold V _B <vehicle speed V ₂ (t) <vehicle speed V ₁ (t)). When the vehicle speed V ₂ (t) is not within this range, that is, when the vehicle speed V ₂ (t) is equal to or lower than the threshold value V _B or the vehicle speed V ₂ (t) is equal to or higher than the vehicle speed V ₁ (t) (step S107). : No), the process is ended (returned).

When the vehicle speed V ₂ (t) of the target vehicle Y is in the range of the threshold value V _B <vehicle speed V ₂ (t) <vehicle speed V ₁ (t) (step S107: Yes), the lane in which the own vehicle X is traveling is determined. Among the adjacent left and right lanes, the lane in which the target vehicle Y is traveling is specified (step S108). Note that FIG. 6 shows a case where the target vehicle Y travels in the adjacent left lane, and in this case, the control unit 34 identifies the left lane as the travel lane of the target vehicle Y.

Next, the distance L ₁ (t) between the rear end of the target vehicle Y and the front end of the own vehicle X is calculated based on the detection information of the external environment detection sensor 33, and the distance L ₁ (t) is the target vehicle Y. by determining whether or not more than a distance _{L a} which falls within the wind pressure effect range (step S109). When the distance L ₁ (t) is larger than the distance L _A (step S109: No), the process ends (return). In the present embodiment, the distance L _A is about twice the vehicle length (length in the front-rear direction) of the target vehicle Y, and should be calculated based on the information acquired by the external environment detection sensor 33. You can For example, when the target vehicle Y is a large truck, the distance L _A can be determined by estimating the vehicle length from the rear area of the target vehicle Y based on the image information of the vehicle-mounted camera (external environment detection sensor 33). When the distance L ₁ (t) is less than or equal to the distance L _A (step S109: Yes), it is determined whether the distance L ₁ (t) is greater than or equal to zero (step S110).

Distance _L 1 (t) is zero or more, i.e., if it is 0 ≦ distance _L 1 (t) ≦ distance _{L A} (step S110: Yes), the actuator 35 is operated, the left and right of its vehicle X Among them, the shutter 20 of each wheel is moved so that the opening 14 of the vehicle wheel 10 on the target vehicle Y side is closed and the opening 14 on the opposite side is opened (step S111), and the processing is performed. End (return). In the example shown in FIG. 6, the shutters 20 on the front wheels and the rear wheels on the left side of the vehicle X, which are on the target vehicle Y side, are moved to the closed position, and the shutters 20 on the front wheels and the rear wheels on the right side of the vehicle X, which are on the opposite side, are moved. Is moved to the open position.

When the distance L ₁ (t) is smaller than zero, that is, when the distance L ₁ (t) <0 (step S110: No), the actuator 35 is activated to select one of the left side and the right side of the own vehicle X as the target. The shutter 20 of each wheel is moved so that the opening 14 of the vehicle wheel 10 on the vehicle Y side is opened and the opening 14 on the opposite side is closed (step S112). In the example shown in FIG. 6, the shutters 20 on the front wheels and the rear wheels on the left side of the vehicle X on the target vehicle Y side are moved to the open position, and the shutters 20 on the front wheels and the rear wheels on the right side of the vehicle X on the opposite side thereof are moved. Is moved to the closed position. Then, from the relative speed between the vehicle speed V ₁ (t) of the vehicle X and the vehicle speed V ₂ (t) of the target vehicle Y, the time T during which the vehicle X travels the distance L _B required to pass the target vehicle Y is calculated. It is calculated (step S113), and the process waits for the time T until passing (step S114). After the passing time T has elapsed, the control unit 34 moves the shutter 20 to the closed position so that the openings 14 of all the vehicle wheels 10 are closed (step S115), and ends the process (return). ) Do. In step S113, instead of calculating the time T, the external environment detection sensor 33 detects overtaking of the target vehicle Y by the vehicle X, and the control unit 34 waits for processing during that time (step S114). May be In addition, after moving the shutter 20 to the closed position so that the openings 14 of the vehicle wheels 10 of all the wheels are in the closed state when No is determined in each of S step 107 and step S109, It may be configured to end (return) the process.

  In the above-described control process, when the vehicle X enters the wind pressure influence range in which the wind pressure changes due to the vehicle Y when overtaking another traveling vehicle Y (that is, the target vehicle) in high-speed traveling, It is possible to suppress changes in the vehicle attitude of X.

Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 6, when the vehicle X is traveling within the wind pressure influence range behind the target vehicle Y (step S110: Yes) (range of distance L _{A in} FIG. 6), the target vehicle Due to the wind pressure of Y, a counterclockwise moment M ₂ is generated in the vehicle X in a plan view. At this time, the opening / closing state of the left and right openings 14 is made different (see FIG. 5) to generate the clockwise moment M ₁ that cancels the moment M ₂ . As a result, the action of the moment M ₂ can be reduced and the running posture of the vehicle X can be stabilized.

Further, when the vehicle X is traveling within the wind pressure effect range on the side of the target vehicle Y (step S110: No) (range of the distance L _B in FIG. 6), by the wind pressure of the target vehicle Y, the vehicle X is A clockwise moment M ₂ is generated in a plan view. At this time, the opening and closing states of the left and right openings 14 are made different from each other to generate the counterclockwise moment M ₁ that cancels the moment M ₂ . As a result, the action of the moment M ₂ can be reduced and the running posture of the vehicle X can be stabilized. Incidentally, distinguished in FIG. 8, 10, 12 to 6 and described below, the arrows indicating the moment _M 1, _{M 2} size does not indicate the size of each moment, and a moment _{M 1} and the moment _{M 2} In order to do so, the size is changed and described.

  Such control can be performed before the own vehicle attitude is changed by detecting the target vehicle Y by the external environment detection sensor 33 and calculating the wind pressure affected range based on the detected target vehicle Y. In comparison, the airflow can be controlled at an early stage to improve the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle X.

  Next, another control of the vehicle wheel 10 by the vehicle airflow control device 1 will be described. FIG. 8 is a schematic explanatory diagram in the case where the vehicle X is overtaken by another vehicle traveling in the adjacent traveling lane in the same direction, and FIG. 9 is performed by the control unit 34 when overtaken by another vehicle. It is a flowchart figure which shows a process. Hereinafter, the process of the control unit 34 will be described step by step.

  First, the control unit 34 determines whether the opening / closing control of the opening 14 of the vehicle wheel 10 is in the automatic control mode based on the signal from the changeover switch 32 (step S201). When it is not in the automatic control mode (in the case of the manual control mode) (step S201: No), the process is ended (return).

In the automatic control mode (step S201: Yes), the control unit 34 determines whether the vehicle speed V ₁ (t) of the vehicle X is equal to or higher than a predetermined vehicle speed threshold V _A based on the detection value of the vehicle speed sensor 31. If it is less than the threshold value _VA (step S202: No), the actuator 35 is operated to move the shutter 20 to the open position so that the openings 14 of the vehicle wheels 10 of all the wheels are in the open state (step S203). , The process ends (return).

When the vehicle speed of the vehicle X is equal to or higher than the threshold value _VA (step S202: Yes), based on the detection information of the external environment detection sensor 33, it is a traveling lane in the same direction and behind the adjacent lane, a large other vehicle is present. It is determined whether there is a vehicle. Whether or not the other vehicle is large can be determined, for example, by estimating the size of the other vehicle from the front area of the other vehicle based on the image information of the vehicle-mounted camera that is the external environment detection sensor 33. it can. When no other vehicle is present (step S204: No), the actuator 35 is actuated to move the shutter 20 to the closed position so that the openings 14 of all the vehicle wheels 10 are closed (step S205). ), The processing is ended (return).

When another vehicle exists (step S204: Yes), the vehicle closest to the own vehicle X among the other vehicles is recognized as the target vehicle Y (step S206). Next, the vehicle speed V ₂ (t) of the target vehicle Y is calculated based on the detection information of the external environment detection sensor 33, and whether the vehicle speed V ₂ (t) is higher than the vehicle speed V ₁ (t) of the own vehicle X. (That is, vehicle speed V ₂ (t)> vehicle speed V ₁ (t)) is determined. When the vehicle speed V ₂ (t) is equal to or lower than the vehicle speed V ₁ (t) (step S207: No), the process ends (returns).

When the vehicle speed V ₂ (t) of the target vehicle Y is higher than the vehicle speed V ₁ (t) (step S207: Yes), the target vehicle Y is selected from the left lane and the right lane adjacent to the lane in which the own vehicle X is traveling. The lane in which the vehicle is traveling is specified (step S208). Note that FIG. 8 shows a case where the target vehicle Y travels in the adjacent left lane, and in this case, the control unit 34 specifies the left lane as the travel lane of the target vehicle Y.

Next, the distance L ₁ (t) between the rear end of the target vehicle Y and the front end of the own vehicle X is calculated based on the detection information of the external environment detection sensor 33, and the distance L ₁ (t) is the target vehicle Y. It is determined whether or not the distance is equal to or less than the distance L _C within the wind pressure influence range (step S209). Here, the distance L _C is a distance in the wind pressure influence range on the front side from the rear end of the target vehicle Y, and is calculated from the vehicle speed V ₂ (t) of the target vehicle Y and the front area of the target vehicle Y. It can be calculated based on the size of the vehicle Y. When the distance L ₁ (t) is larger than the distance L _C (step S209: No), the process ends (return). If the distance L ₁ (t) is less than or equal to the distance L _C (step S209: Yes), it is determined whether the distance L ₁ (t) is greater than or equal to zero (step S110).

When the distance L ₁ (t) is greater than or equal to zero, that is, 0 ≦ distance L ₁ (t) ≦ distance L _C (step S210: Yes), the actuator 35 is operated to operate the left and right sides of the vehicle X of its own. Among them, the shutter 20 of each wheel is moved so that the opening 14 of the vehicle wheel 10 on the target vehicle Y side is opened and the opening 14 on the opposite side is closed (step S111), and the processing is performed. End (return). In the example shown in FIG. 8, the shutters 20 for the front wheels and the rear wheels on the left side of the vehicle X, which are on the target vehicle Y side, are moved to the open position, and the shutters 20 for the front wheels and the rear wheels on the right side of the vehicle X, which are on the opposite side, are moved. Is moved to the closed position.

When the distance L ₁ (t) is smaller than zero, that is, when the distance L ₁ (t) <0 (step S210: No), the actuator 35 is operated to select one of the left side and the right side of the own vehicle X as the target. The shutter 20 of each wheel is moved so that the opening 14 of the vehicle wheel 10 on the vehicle Y side is closed and the opening 14 on the opposite side is opened (step S212). In the example shown in FIG. 8, the shutters 20 for the front wheels and the rear wheels on the left side of the vehicle X, which are on the target vehicle Y side, are moved to the closed position, and the shutters 20 for the front wheels and the rear wheels on the right side of the vehicle X, which are on the opposite side, are moved. Is moved to the open position. Then, from the relative speed between the vehicle speed V ₁ (t) of the vehicle X and the vehicle speed V ₂ (t) of the target vehicle Y, the time T until the vehicle X leaves the wind pressure influence range on the rear side of the target vehicle Y. , i.e., it calculates the travel time T to reach the farthest distance _{L a} which receives the wind pressure effect (step S213), waits, processes until the end of the time T (step S214). In the present embodiment, the distance L _A is about twice the vehicle length (length in the front-rear direction) of the target vehicle Y, and the distance L _A is based on the information acquired by the external environment detection sensor 33. Can be calculated. After the time T has passed, the control unit 34 moves the shutter 20 to the closed position so that the openings 14 of all the vehicle wheels 10 are closed (step S215), and the process ends (return). To do. When it is determined No in each of step S207 and step S209, the shutter 20 is moved to the closed position so that the openings 14 of the vehicle wheels 10 of all the wheels are in the closed state, and then the processing is performed. May be configured to end (return).

  In the above-described control process, when the vehicle X enters the wind pressure influence range in which the wind pressure changes due to the vehicle Y when passing the other vehicle (that is, the target vehicle) Y that is traveling at high speed, It is possible to prevent the vehicle attitude of the vehicle X from changing.

Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 8, when the vehicle X is traveling in the wind pressure influence range in front of and on the side of the target vehicle Y (step S210: Yes) (range of distance L _{C in} FIG. 8). Due to the wind pressure of the target vehicle Y, a clockwise moment M ₂ is generated in the vehicle X in plan view. At this time, the opening and closing states of the left and right openings 14 are made different from each other to generate the counterclockwise moment M ₁ that cancels the moment M ₂ . As a result, the action of the moment M ₂ can be reduced and the running posture of the vehicle X can be stabilized.

Further, when the vehicle X is traveling within the wind pressure effect range behind the target vehicle Y (step S210: No) (range of the distance L _A in FIG. 8), the wind pressure of the target vehicle Y, the vehicle X, A counterclockwise moment M ₂ is generated in a plan view. At this time, the opening and closing states of the left and right openings 14 are made different from each other to cancel the moment M ₂ and generate a clockwise moment M ₁ . As a result, the action of the moment M ₂ can be reduced and the running posture of the vehicle X can be stabilized.

  Next, still another control of the vehicle wheel 10 by the vehicle airflow control device 1 will be described. FIG. 10 is a schematic explanatory diagram in the case where the vehicle X passes by another vehicle in the adjacent oncoming lane, and FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the processing performed by the control unit 34 when passing the other vehicle. Hereinafter, the process of the control unit 34 will be described step by step.

  First, the control unit 34 determines whether the opening / closing control of the opening 14 of the vehicle wheel 10 is in the automatic control mode based on the signal from the changeover switch 32 (step S301). When it is not in the automatic control mode (in the case of the manual control mode) (step S301: No), the process is ended (return).

When in the automatic control mode (step S301: Yes), the control unit 34 determines whether the vehicle speed V ₁ (t) of the vehicle X of its own is equal to or higher than a predetermined vehicle speed threshold V _A based on the detection value of the vehicle speed sensor 31. To do. When it is less than the threshold value _VA (step S302: No), the actuator 35 is operated and the shutter 20 is moved to the open position so that the openings 14 of the vehicle wheels 10 of all the wheels are in the open state (step S303). , The process ends (return).

When the vehicle speed of the vehicle X is equal to or higher than the threshold value _VA (step S302: Yes), based on the detection information of the external environment detection sensor 33, another large vehicle exists in the opposite lane and in front of the adjacent lane. Determine whether to do. When no other vehicle is present (step S304: No), the actuator 35 is operated and the shutter 20 is moved to the closed position so that the openings 14 of all the vehicle wheels 10 are closed (step S305). ), The processing is ended (return).

When another vehicle exists (step S304: Yes), the vehicle closest to the own vehicle X among the other vehicles is recognized as the target vehicle Y (step S306). Next, the vehicle speed V ₂ (t) of the target vehicle Y is calculated based on the detection information of the external environment detection sensor 33, and it is determined whether the vehicle speed V ₂ (t) is faster than the set threshold value V _B. If the vehicle speed V ₂ (t) is less than or equal to the threshold value V _B (step S307: No), the process ends (return).

When the vehicle speed V ₂ (t) of the target vehicle Y is higher than the threshold value V _B (step S307: Yes), the target vehicle Y travels in the left lane and the right lane adjacent to the lane in which the own vehicle X travels. The lane is specified (step S308).

Then, based on the detection information of the external environment detection sensor 33, and calculates the distance L _{1 (t)} of the front end of the front end and its own vehicle X of the target vehicle Y, the distance L ₁ is _(t), by target vehicle Y It is determined whether or not the distance L _{D is} within the wind pressure influence range or less (step S309). Here, the distance L _D is a distance in the wind pressure influence range located on the front side from the front end of the target vehicle Y, and is calculated from the vehicle speed V ₂ (t) of the target vehicle Y and the front area of the target vehicle Y. It can be calculated based on the size of Y. When the distance L ₁ (t) is larger than the distance L _D (step S309: No), the process ends (returns). When the distance L ₁ (t) is equal to or less than the distance L _D (step S209: Yes), it is determined whether the distance L ₁ (t) is equal to or greater than zero (step S310).

When the distance L ₁ (t) is greater than or equal to zero, that is, 0 ≦ distance L ₁ (t) ≦ distance L _D (step S310: Yes), the actuator 35 is actuated to operate the left and right sides of the own vehicle X. Among these, the shutter 20 of each wheel is moved so that the opening 14 of the vehicle wheel 10 on the target vehicle Y side is opened and the opening 14 on the opposite side is closed (step S311), and the processing is performed. End (return). In the example shown in FIG. 10, the shutters 20 for the front wheels and the rear wheels on the right side of the vehicle X on the target vehicle Y side are moved to the open position, and the shutters 20 for the front wheels and the rear wheels on the left side of the vehicle X on the opposite side are moved. Is moved to the closed position.

When the distance L ₁ (t) is smaller than zero, that is, when the distance L ₁ (t) <0 (step S310: No), the actuator 35 is activated to select one of the left side and the right side of the own vehicle X as the target. The shutter 20 of each wheel is moved so that the opening 14 of the vehicle wheel 10 on the vehicle Y side is closed and the opening 14 on the opposite side is opened (step S312). In the example shown in FIG. 10, the shutters 20 for the front wheels and the rear wheels on the right side of the vehicle X, which are on the target vehicle Y side, are moved to the closed position, and the shutters 20 for the front wheels and the rear wheels on the left side of the vehicle X, which are on the opposite side, are moved. Is moved to the open position. Then, from the relative speed between the vehicle speed V1 (t) of the vehicle X and the vehicle speed V2 (t) of the target vehicle Y, the time T until the vehicle X departs from the wind pressure influence range on the rear side of the target vehicle Y, that is, calculates a travel time T to reach the farthest distance _{L E} which receives the wind pressure effect (step S313), waits, processes until the end of the time T (step S314). In the present embodiment, the distance L _E is about 3 times the vehicle length of the target vehicle Y from the front end of the target vehicle Y, and the distance L _E is based on the information acquired by the external environment detection sensor 33. , Can be calculated. After the lapse of time T, the control unit 34 moves the shutter 20 to the closed position so that the openings 14 of all the vehicle wheels 10 are closed (step S315), and ends the process (return). To do. When it is determined No in each of step S307 and step S309, the shutter 20 is moved to the closed position so that the openings 14 of the vehicle wheels 10 of all the wheels are in the closed state, and then the processing is performed. May be configured to end (return).

  In the above-described control processing, when the vehicle X passes the other vehicle (that is, the target vehicle) Y that is traveling at high speed, the wind pressure changes due to the vehicle Y, and when the vehicle X enters the wind pressure influence range, It is possible to suppress changes in the vehicle attitude of X.

Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 10, when the vehicle X is traveling within the wind pressure influence range in front of the target vehicle Y (step S310: Yes) (range of distance L _{D in} FIG. 10), the target vehicle Due to the wind pressure of Y, a counterclockwise moment M ₂ is generated in the vehicle X in a plan view. At this time, the opening and closing states of the left and right openings 14 are made different from each other to cancel the moment M ₂ and generate a clockwise moment M ₁ . As a result, the action of the moment M ₂ can be reduced and the running posture of the vehicle X can be stabilized.

Further, when the vehicle X is traveling through the lateral and rear wind influence range of the target vehicle Y (step S310: No) (range of the distance L _E in FIG. 8), the wind pressure of the target vehicle Y, the vehicle X , A clockwise moment M ₂ is generated in a plan view. At this time, the opening and closing states of the left and right openings 14 are made different from each other to generate the counterclockwise moment M ₁ that cancels the moment M ₂ . As a result, the action of the moment M ₂ can be reduced and the running posture of the vehicle X can be stabilized.

  In the control process at the time of passing, immediately after passing the target vehicle Y traveling in the oncoming lane, when passing a large vehicle that follows, after passing the front end of the target vehicle Y, the external environment is detected. When the sensor 33 detects a large vehicle that follows, the large vehicle may be set as the target vehicle Y and the passing control process may be performed.

  Next, still another control of the vehicle wheel 10 by the vehicle airflow control device 1 will be described. FIG. 12 is a schematic explanatory diagram when the vehicle X passes through the lateral wind zone, and FIG. 13 is a flowchart diagram showing processing performed by the control unit 34 when passing through the lateral wind zone. Hereinafter, the process of the control unit 34 will be described step by step.

  First, the control unit 34 determines whether the opening / closing control of the opening 14 of the vehicle wheel 10 is in the automatic control mode based on the signal from the changeover switch 32 (step S401). If not in the automatic control mode (in the case of the manual control mode) (step S401: No), the process ends (return).

When in the automatic control mode (step S401: Yes), the control unit 34 determines whether the vehicle speed V ₁ (t) of the own vehicle is equal to or higher than the threshold value _VA , based on the detection value of the vehicle speed sensor 31. When it is less than the threshold value _VA (step S402: No), the actuator 35 is operated to move the shutter 20 to the open position so that the openings 14 of the vehicle wheels 10 of all the wheels are in the open state (step S403). , The process ends (return).

When the vehicle speed of the vehicle X is equal to or higher than the threshold value V _A (step S402: Yes), it is determined whether the wind speed S ₁ around the vehicle X is higher than the predetermined wind speed threshold value S _A based on the detection information of the external environment detection sensor 33. . When the wind speed S ₁ is equal to or lower than the threshold value S _A (step S404: No), the actuator 35 is operated and the shutter 20 is moved to the closed position so that the openings 14 of all the vehicle wheels 10 are closed. (Step S405), the process ends (return). As described above, when the vehicle speed is high and there is no influence of the surrounding wind, the fuel economy can be improved by closing the opening 14.

When the wind speed S ₁ is higher than the threshold value S _A (step S404: Yes), it is determined whether or not there is a cross wind based on the detection information of the external environment detection sensor 33 (step S406). Whether there is a cross wind can be determined by whether the angle is a set angle or more with respect to the front of the vehicle body and is on the diagonal left side or the diagonal right side of the vehicle body. When it is not a crosswind (step S406: No), the actuator 35 is operated to move the shutter 20 to the closed position so that the openings 14 of the vehicle wheels 10 of all the wheels are closed (step S407), and the processing is performed. End (return).

  When the surrounding wind is a side wind (step S406: Yes), it is determined whether the wind direction is the left side (step S408). When the wind direction is on the right side (step S408: No), the actuator 35 is operated so that the opening 14 of the vehicle wheel 10 on the right side of the own vehicle X is opened and the opening 14 on the left side is closed. Then, the shutter 20 of each wheel is moved (step S409), and the process ends (return).

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 12, when the wind direction is on the left side (step S408: Yes), the actuator 35 is operated to open the opening 14 of the vehicle wheel 10 on the left side of the vehicle X of its own, and to open the right side. The shutter 20 of each wheel is moved so that the opening 14 is closed (step S410), and the process ends (return).

In the above-described control processing, it is possible to prevent the vehicle attitude of the vehicle X from changing due to the influence of cross wind during high-speed traveling. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, when the vehicle X passes through a lateral wind band in which a lateral wind blows from the left side, a wind moment due to the lateral wind causes a clockwise moment M _{2 in the} vehicle X in plan view. To do. At this time, the opening and closing states of the left and right openings 14 are made different from each other to generate the counterclockwise moment M ₁ that cancels the moment M ₂ . As a result, the action of the moment M ₂ can be reduced and the running posture of the vehicle X can be stabilized. Although not shown, when the vehicle X passes through a lateral wind zone in which a lateral wind blows from the right side, a counterclockwise moment M ₂ in a plan view is generated in the vehicle X due to wind pressure due to the lateral wind. At this time, the opening and closing states of the left and right openings 14 are made different to cancel the moment M ₂ , and the clockwise moment M ₁ is generated, thereby reducing the action of the moment M ₂ and changing the running posture of the vehicle X. Can be stabilized.

  It should be noted that each of the control processes described above, that is, the overtaking control process, the overtaking control process, the passing control process, and the crosswind control process, preferentially perform one of the processes in accordance with a standard preset in the control unit 34. Can be configured. Further, a configuration may be adopted in which any one of the control processes is selected by a selection switch (not shown) to give priority to the selected control process.

  Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the external environment detection sensor 33 detects a terrain that gives a change in wind pressure to the vehicle X, such as a tunnel entrance or an exit where a change in wind pressure occurs, and the control unit 34 opens or closes the opening 14 based on the detection information. You may make it control a state.

1 Vehicle Air Flow Control Device 10 Vehicle Wheel 13 Spoke 14 Opening 20 Shutter 31 Vehicle Speed Sensor 32 Changeover Switch 33 External Environment Detection Sensor 34 Control Unit 35 Actuator X Own Vehicle Y Target Vehicle

Claims (6)

A shutter provided on the vehicle wheel and movable between an open position that opens the openings between the spokes of the vehicle wheel and a closed position that closes the openings,
Detection means for detecting the external environment of the vehicle,
A vehicle air flow control device comprising: a control unit that controls the shutter to move to an open position or a closed position based on detection information of the detection unit .
The detection information of the detection means is information of another vehicle that gives a change in wind pressure to its own vehicle,
The vehicle airflow control device, wherein the control unit moves the shutter so that a moment that cancels a moment generated in the own vehicle due to a change in wind pressure by the other vehicle is generated . The control means is a vehicle at a speed equal to or higher than a predetermined speed, and the own vehicle is on the rear side of the other vehicle traveling in a traveling lane adjacent to the same direction, When located in the wind pressure influence range, of the left side and the right side of the own vehicle, the shutter on the side of the other vehicle is moved to the closed position, and the shutter on the opposite side is moved to the open position. The airflow control device for a vehicle according to claim 1 . When the vehicle is at a speed equal to or higher than a predetermined speed and the own vehicle is located on the side of the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent traveling lane in the same direction, the control means is the own vehicle. 3. The vehicle airflow according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein, of the left side and the right side, the shutter on the side of the other vehicle is moved to the open position, and the shutter on the opposite side is moved to the closed position. Control device. The control means is a vehicle at a speed equal to or higher than a predetermined speed, and the own vehicle is ahead of the other vehicle traveling in an adjacent oncoming lane and is within the wind pressure influence range of the other vehicle. When the vehicle is located at the position, the shutter on the other vehicle side of the left side and the right side of the vehicle is moved to the open position, and the shutter on the opposite side is moved to the closed position. The vehicle airflow control device according to any one of 1 to 3 . When the vehicle is at a predetermined speed or higher and the own vehicle is located beside the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent oncoming lane, the control means is left and right sides of the own vehicle. The vehicle air according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the shutter on the side of the other vehicle is moved to a closed position, and the shutter on the opposite side is moved to an open position. Flow control device. The detection information of the detection means includes information on the wind direction of the external environment ,
In the case where the crosswind control process is selected by a preset reference or selection by a selection switch, the control unit replaces the control of the shutter based on the information of the other vehicle, based on the wind direction information. Performing a cross wind control process for controlling the shutter,
In the crosswind control process, the control means, when the vehicle is at a predetermined speed or more and receives a crosswind, the control unit of the vehicle wheel on the side receiving the crosswind, of the left side and the right side of the vehicle. moving the shutter to the open position, the vehicle air flow control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the shutter of the vehicle wheel on the opposite side and moving to the closed position.

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