JP7502210B2 - undercover - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to an undercover that is placed under the floor of a vehicle.

Undercovers are known that are placed under the floor of a vehicle such as an automobile and cover the underside of the vehicle. Such undercovers are required to properly dissipate heat generated in the lower part of the vehicle. The following Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which the undercover is provided with multiple heat dissipation holes, and a sliding cover that controls the opening area of these heat dissipation holes is driven by a driving means.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-215074

In the undercover of Patent Document 1, the sliding cover is driven by a driving means such as a motor or solenoid, which creates problems such as a complex structure and increased weight.

One aspect of the present disclosure aims to provide a technology that can adequately dissipate heat from the underside of a vehicle using a simple configuration.

One aspect of the present disclosure is an undercover placed under the floor of a vehicle, comprising a base and an opening/closing part. The base is provided with an opening penetrating the undercover. The opening/closing part is configured to be capable of transitioning between a closed state that blocks the opening and an open state that opens the opening. In addition, the opening/closing part is in the open state when the vehicle is not traveling, and is displaced by receiving wind from the front of the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling, becoming in the closed state.

With this configuration, the opening and closing section can be driven by the wind while the vehicle is moving, eliminating the need to provide a drive source for driving the opening and closing section. In addition, the opening is closed while the vehicle is moving, preventing foreign objects from entering. In this way, heat dissipation from the underside of the vehicle can be adequately achieved with a simple configuration.

The above-mentioned undercover may have an air flow path through which air can move through the undercover when the opening/closing portion is in a closed state.
With this configuration, air can move through the undercover even when the opening/closing section is in the closed state, which allows heat to be dissipated through the movement of air.

The undercover described above may be configured so that an overlapping area between the base and the opening/closing part is formed when the opening/closing part is in a closed state. The air flow path may be a gap formed in the overlapping area described above when the opening/closing part is in a closed state.

With this configuration, the base and the opening/closing part have an overlapping area, so the opening can be sufficiently blocked by the opening/closing part, effectively preventing foreign objects from entering the inside of the undercover while the vehicle is in motion. At the same time, the above-mentioned gap allows air to move, enabling optimal heat dissipation.

The air flow path described above may be a flow path having a length in the horizontal direction. With this configuration, the risk of foreign objects moving from the road surface toward the undercover, i.e., upward, passing through the air flow path is reduced. This makes it possible to effectively prevent foreign objects from entering.

In the above-mentioned undercover, the base and the opening/closing part may be connected by a bending part that is configured to be bendable. Also, the base, the opening/closing part, and the bending part may be formed by integral molding of resin. With such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the size and weight by integral molding of resin.

In the undercover described above, the opening/closing section has a generally plate-shaped portion that is hit by the wind when the vehicle is traveling, and when in the closed state, the generally plate-shaped portion may be in a state closer to horizontal than when in the open state. With this configuration, when in the closed state, the wind is less likely to hit the opening/closing section, and a decrease in aerodynamic performance can be suppressed.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing an undercover of the embodiment with an opening/closing portion in an open state. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the undercover of the embodiment with the opening/closing portion in an open state. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the undercover of the embodiment with the opening/closing portion in an open state. FIG. 4A is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing an undercover of the embodiment with an opening/closing portion in a closed state, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line IVB-IVB of FIG. 4A. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the undercover of the embodiment with the opening/closing portion in a closed state. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the undercover of the embodiment with the opening/closing portion in a closed state. 7A to 7D are plan views showing modified examples of the undercover. FIG. 8A is a side view showing a modified opening/closing section in a closed state, and FIG. 8B is a side view showing a modified opening/closing section in an open state. FIG. 13 is a side view showing a modified example of the opening/closing section. FIG. 13 is a side view showing a modified example of the opening/closing section. 13 is a front cross-sectional view showing an overlapping portion of the base portion and the opening/closing portion in a modified example. FIG. 13 is a front cross-sectional view showing an overlapping portion of the base portion and the opening/closing portion in a modified example. FIG. 13 is a front cross-sectional view showing an overlapping portion of the base portion and the opening/closing portion in a modified example. FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments to which the present disclosure is applied will be described with reference to the drawings.
1. Embodiment
[1-1. overall structure]
1 to 6 show an undercover 1 of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the undercover 1 is disposed under the floor of the vehicle. A battery 5 and a fan 7 are disposed below the floor 3 of the vehicle. The battery 5 is a large-capacity battery that can be charged externally and is used in electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid cars, etc. The fan 7 blows air toward the rear of the vehicle to cool the battery 5.

The undercover 1 is a member that covers the underside of a floor 3 of the vehicle, and is disposed below the battery 5 and the fan 7. The undercover 1 has a base portion 11 and an opening/closing portion 12.
The base 11 is a generally plate-shaped member. The base 11 is provided with a plurality of openings 9 that vertically penetrate the undercover 1. The openings 9 are generally rectangular elongated holes when viewed from above.

The opening/closing part 12 is a substantially rectangular plate-like member for blocking the opening 9. Here, the term "plate-like" means that it has a large spread relative to its thickness, and does not necessarily have to be a flat plate, but may be curved or have protrusions or irregularities. The opening/closing part 12 is connected to the base 11 via a bending part 13 that is configured to be bendable, and is configured to be rotatable about the bending part 13. The opening/closing part 12 is also configured to be able to transition between a closed state that blocks the opening 9 and an open state that opens the opening 9 by the above-mentioned displacement. The base 11, the opening/closing part 12, and the bending part 13 are formed by integral molding of resin.

The closed state described above means that at least a part of the opening/closing section 12 is positioned at the opening 9, thereby reducing the area through which air can pass in the opening 9 compared to the open state. In other words, blocking the opening 9 means that the opening/closing section 12 reduces the area through which air can pass compared to the open state in which the opening 9 is open.

The bent portion 13 is a portion that is formed to be thinner than the surrounding area, and functions as a hinge that rotates the opening/closing portion 12 relative to the base portion 11.
4B, a corrugated plate portion 14 having a corrugated cross section is formed at the end of the opening/closing part 12 opposite to the bent portion 13. In addition, a recess 15 recessed toward the floor 3 of the vehicle is formed at a portion of the base 11 that abuts against the corrugated plate portion 14 of the opening/closing part 12 in the closed state.

[1-2. Operation of opening and closing part]
The battery 5 is charged when the vehicle is not running (i.e., when the vehicle is stopped). The temperature of the battery 5 increases during charging, and therefore the battery 5 needs to be cooled.

When the vehicle is not traveling, the opening/closing section 12 is in the open state shown in Figs. 1 to 3. The side of the opening/closing section 12 on which the corrugated plate section 14 is provided is positioned downward, and the opening/closing section 12 is inclined overall relative to the horizontal direction. In the example of Fig. 1, the opening/closing section 12 is inclined so that it is higher toward the front of the vehicle.

When in the open state, the opening 9 is wide open, so the wind blown by the fan 7 effectively dissipates heat from the battery 5. As shown in FIG. 2, the wind blown by the fan 7 passes above and below the battery 5, removing heat from the battery 5 and dissipating it to the outside through the opening 9.

Even when the vehicle is running, the battery 5 generates heat due to discharge and therefore requires cooling. However, since there is a high possibility of foreign objects entering the battery 5 from the road surface while the vehicle is running, it is desirable to close the opening 9 to protect the battery 5.

As shown in Figures 4 to 6, when the vehicle is traveling, the opening/closing section 12 receives a traveling wind 31 from the front of the vehicle and rotates about the bent section 13 to enter a closed state. At this time, the opening/closing section 12 is approximately horizontal. In the closed state, the opening 9 is blocked, so that the intrusion of foreign objects into the upper part of the undercover 1 is suppressed. The above-mentioned traveling wind 31 is wind that travels from the front to the rear and that the vehicle receives relatively as the vehicle moves forward.

When the opening/closing section 12 is in the closed state, an area 22 is formed where the base 11 and the opening/closing section 12 overlap. As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the part where the recess 15 of the base 11 is formed and the part where the corrugated plate part 14 of the opening/closing section 12 is formed overlap. Between the base 11 and the opening/closing section 12, an air flow path 21 is formed through which air can move through the undercover 1. Passing through here means moving from one side of the undercover 1 to the other side. Since the corrugated plate part 14 has a wavy cross section, a flow path having a horizontal length is formed in the part that does not abut the recess 15. This flow path becomes the air flow path 21. In other words, this air flow path 21 is a gap formed in the above-mentioned area 22 when the opening/closing section 12 is in the closed state. This air flow path 21 allows the air blown by the fan 7 to pass under the undercover 1 even when the vehicle is running, so that heat dissipation of the battery 5 can be realized well. Furthermore, while driving, the lower part of the undercover 1 has a negative pressure compared to the upper part, so air is more likely to be released to the outside through the air flow path 21.

In addition, in the closed state, the opening/closing section 12 is approximately horizontal, and the corrugated plate section 14 fits inside the recess 15, so that the portion of the opening/closing section 12 that protrudes from the underside of the base section 11 is small, as shown in FIG. 4A. Therefore, the area that receives the running wind 31 is very small.

[1-3. Effects]
According to the embodiment described above in detail, the following effects can be obtained.
(1a) In the undercover 1 of this embodiment, the opening/closing unit 12 can be operated by the wind 31 generated while the vehicle is traveling, thereby closing the opening 9 provided in the base 11. This eliminates the need to provide the undercover 1 with a drive source for driving the opening/closing unit 12, and also prevents flying stones and the like from entering through the opening 9 while the vehicle is traveling, thereby achieving appropriate heat dissipation from the underside of the vehicle with a simple configuration.

(1b) The undercover 1 has an air flow path 21 through which air can move through the undercover 1 when the opening/closing section 12 is in the closed state. Therefore, even when the opening/closing section 12 is in the closed state, the air above the undercover 1 can be discharged to the outside below the undercover 1, and heat from the battery 5 can be dissipated.

(1c) The air flow path 21 described above is a gap formed in the area 22 where the base 11 and the opening/closing part 12 overlap when the opening/closing part 12 is in the closed state. By having the area 22 described above, the opening 9 can be sufficiently blocked by the opening/closing part 12, and the intrusion of foreign objects into the inside of the undercover 1 while the vehicle is traveling can be effectively prevented.

(1d) The air flow passage 21 described above is a flow passage that has a length in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the risk of a foreign object approaching from the road surface toward the undercover 1, i.e., upward, passing through the air flow passage 21 is reduced, and the intrusion of foreign objects can be effectively suppressed.

(1e) In the undercover 1, the base 11 and the opening/closing portion 12 are connected by a bending portion 13 that is configured to be bendable, and the base 11, the opening/closing portion 12, and the bending portion 13 are formed by integral molding of resin. Therefore, the undercover 1 can be made smaller and lighter by integral molding of resin.

(1f) The opening/closing section 12 is generally plate-shaped and is exposed to the wind 31 when the vehicle is traveling. In addition, when the opening/closing section 12 is in a closed state, it is closer to horizontal than when it is in an open state. Therefore, when in the closed state, the opening/closing section 12 is less likely to be exposed to the wind 31, and the deterioration of aerodynamic performance during traveling can be suppressed.

2. Other embodiments
Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can take various forms.

(2a) The shape of the opening/closing section 12 is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment. For example, all or part of the opening/closing section may be a plate shape other than a rectangle, or may have a box shape, an L-shaped cross section, a U-shaped cross section, or the like.

(2b) The arrangement and number of the opening/closing parts 12 are not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment. For example, as in the undercover 1a shown in FIG. 7A, four opening/closing parts 12a may be arranged in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and three opening/closing parts 12a in the left-right direction. Also, as in the undercover 1b shown in FIG. 7B, five opening/closing parts 12b may be arranged in the front-rear direction and four opening/closing parts 12b in the left-right direction. The number of opening/closing parts may be less or more than these. Also, as in the undercover 1c shown in FIG. 7C, two opening/closing parts 12c that are relatively long in the left-right direction and arranged side by side may be used, or an opening/closing part 12d that is extremely long in the left-right direction may be used. Also, as in the undercover 1d shown in FIG. 7D, the opening/closing part 12e may be provided only in a part of the area. For example, the opening/closing part 12e may be provided only in the area 41 close to the battery. Also, the opening/closing part may be provided only in a position away from the battery.

(2c) The opening/closing part 12 may be configured so that the opening angle in the open state is limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, a small notch 13a may be configured in the hinge portion. With such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the opening/closing part 12 is in the open state, the inner surfaces of the notch 13a come into contact with each other and function as a stopper, so that the opening/closing part 12 does not open any further. Also, as shown in FIG. 9, a first protrusion 51 and a second protrusion 52 may be formed near the bent part 13, and these protrusions may function as stoppers to limit the opening angle. The specific configuration of such a stopper is not particularly limited, and various known shapes can be adopted. Also, as shown in FIG. 10, a limiting member 53 may be provided to limit the opening angle of the opening/closing part 12. The limiting member 53 may be, for example, a rope made of resin, a metal chain, a helical spring, or the like.

(2d) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the air flow path 21 is formed by the corrugated plate portion 14 and the recessed portion 15 is illustrated. However, the specific configuration of the air flow path 21 is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration.

For example, as shown in FIG. 11, a corrugated plate portion 15a may be formed in place of the recess 15, and the portion that constituted the corrugated plate portion 14 may be a flat plate portion 14a. In this configuration, an air flow path 21a is formed in the gap between the corrugated plate portion 15a and the plate portion 14a. Also, as shown in FIG. 12, a groove forming portion 14b in which a plurality of grooves 54 are formed may be provided in the opening and closing portion in place of the corrugated plate portion 14. In this configuration, an air flow path 21b is formed in the gap between the recess 15 and the groove forming portion 14b. Also, as shown in FIG. 13, an air flow path 21c may be formed by the corrugated plate portion 14 and the corrugated plate portion 15a. The air flow path 21c is formed by combining a concave portion recessed below the corrugated plate portion 14 and a concave portion recessed above the corrugated plate portion 15a. FIGS. 11 to 13 are cross-sectional views in the same plane as FIG. 4B.

In addition to the above, various types of air flow paths can be formed, for example, by forming irregularities in the area where the base 11 and the opening/closing part 12 overlap. The air flow path does not have to have a horizontal length. In addition, the undercover does not have to have an air flow path, and an air flow path that is unrelated to the opening and closing of the opening/closing part 12 may be formed in the base 11.

(2e) In the above embodiment, an area 22 is formed where the base 11 and the opening/closing part 12 overlap. However, such an area may not be formed. Also, in the closed state, a portion of the opening 9 may not be blocked and may be configured to be constantly open.

(2f) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the base 11 and the opening/closing unit 12 are connected by a bending portion 13 is exemplified. However, the base 11 and the opening/closing unit 12 may be connected by a configuration other than the bending portion 13. For example, the opening/closing unit may be configured to rotate and displace using a mechanism having a shaft and a bearing.

(2g) In the above embodiment, the opening/closing section 12 is configured to be approximately horizontal in the closed state. However, in the closed state, the plate-shaped portion may not be approximately horizontal, but may be closer to horizontal than in the open state. "Closer to horizontal" can also be said to mean that the angle with respect to the horizontal plane is smaller. By being closer to horizontal, the area of the portion receiving the wind when viewed from the front is smaller, and deterioration of aerodynamic performance is suppressed.

(2h) The functions of one component in the above embodiments may be distributed among multiple components, or the functions of multiple components may be integrated into one component. In addition, part of the configuration of the above embodiments may be omitted. In addition, at least part of the configuration of the above embodiments may be added to or substituted for the configuration of another of the above embodiments.

1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d...undercover, 3...floor, 5...battery, 7...fan, 9...opening, 11...base, 12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e...opening/closing section, 13...bent section, 13a...notch, 14, 15a...corrugated plate section, 14a...plate section, 14b...groove forming section, 15...recess, 21, 21a, 21b, 21c...air flow path, 22...area, 31...running wind, 41...area, 51...first protrusion, 52...second protrusion, 53...restricting member, 54...groove

Claims (4)

An undercover disposed under a floor of a vehicle,
a base portion having an opening penetrating the undercover; and an opening/closing portion configured to be transitionable between a closed state in which the opening is closed and an open state in which the opening is opened,
the opening/closing unit is in the open state when the vehicle is not traveling, and is displaced by receiving a traveling wind from the front of the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling, and is in the closed state;
The undercover is
an opening/closing unit side abutment portion that is a portion located on an edge of the opening/closing unit and that abuts on an edge portion surrounding the opening of the base when the opening/closing unit is in the closed state;
a base-side abutment portion that is located on an edge portion surrounding the opening of the base and that abuts against the opening-closing-part-side abutment portion when the opening-closing part is in the closed state;
Further equipped with
When the opening/closing unit is in the closed state, the opening/closing unit side abutment portion and the base side abutment portion abut against each other in an overlapping state in a direction facing the opening, and an air flow path that is a gap that communicates between a space above and a space below the undercover is formed between the opening/closing unit side abutment portion and the base side abutment portion.
undercover. The undercover according to claim 1 ,
The air flow path is a flow path having a length in a horizontal direction. The undercover according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The base portion and the opening/closing portion are connected by a bending portion configured to be bendable,
The base portion, the opening/closing portion, and the bending portion are formed by integral molding of resin. The undercover according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The opening/closing portion has a plate-shaped portion that is hit by wind when the vehicle is traveling, and when in the closed state, the plate-shaped portion is closer to horizontal compared to when in the open state, which is an undercover.