JP7697399B2 - Vehicle front structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle front structure having a duct.

JP 2014-226953 A discloses a technology in which a duct for directing cooling air to a drive unit installed in the front wheel of a vehicle is attached to the front bumper at its upstream end and to the wheel house at its downstream end.

In order to achieve cooling performance in air guidance by a duct, it is necessary to stably flow air as intended. However, in the technology disclosed in the above publication, as shown in FIG. 6, of the attachment parts of the duct 1 to the wheel house 2, the attachment part 1a on the inner side in the vehicle width direction is only attached to the wheel house 2 in the vehicle front-rear direction, and is not structured to be attached in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, when the duct 1 is attached (assembled) to the vehicle or when a load is applied to the duct 1 in the vehicle width direction while the vehicle is running, the position of the duct 1 is likely to shift, and the air guidance performance of the duct 1 (stability of air guidance by the duct 1) may decrease. Therefore, there is room for improvement in terms of ensuring the air guidance performance of the duct.

JP 2014-226953 A

The object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle front structure that can stably ensure the air guidance performance of the duct.

The present invention which achieves the above object is as follows.
(1) A duct disposed in a front portion of a vehicle, the duct having an upstream end portion, a downstream end portion, and a connecting portion connecting the upstream end portion and the downstream end portion;
an upstream connecting member to which the upstream end of the duct is attached;
a downstream connecting member to which the downstream end of the duct is attached;
It has
The upstream connecting member has an upstream cylindrical portion that is cylindrical and protrudes downstream,
The downstream connecting member has a downstream cylindrical portion that is cylindrical and protrudes upstream,
A fluid flows from the inside of the upstream cylindrical portion through the inside of the duct to the inside of the downstream cylindrical portion,
A vehicle front structure, in which the upstream end of the duct is attached to the upstream connecting member by being continuously fitted around the upstream cylindrical portion over the entire circumference, and the downstream end of the duct is attached to the downstream connecting member by being continuously fitted around the downstream cylindrical portion over the entire circumference.
(2) A vehicle front structure as described in (1), in which the upstream end of the duct has an upstream expansion portion connected to the connecting portion and whose inner cross-sectional area increases toward the upstream side, and an upstream fitting portion connected to the upstream expansion portion and fitted onto the upstream cylindrical portion.
(3) The vehicle front structure according to (2), further comprising an upstream seal member disposed between the upstream fitting portion and the upstream tubular portion and extending continuously over the entire circumference.
(4) A vehicle front structure as described in (1), in which the downstream end of the duct has a downstream expansion portion connected to the connecting portion and whose inner cross-sectional area increases downstream, and a downstream fitting portion connected to the downstream expansion portion and fitted onto the downstream cylindrical portion.
(5) The vehicle front structure according to (4), further comprising a downstream seal member disposed between the downstream fitting portion and the downstream tubular portion and extending continuously over the entire circumference.
(6) The duct has an outward protruding portion protruding from the connecting portion to an outside of the duct,
The vehicle front structure according to (1) , further comprising an intermediate connecting member to which the outward protrusion of the duct is attached.
(7) The vehicle front structure according to (1), wherein the upstream end, the downstream end and the connecting portion of the duct are integrally formed.

According to the vehicle front structure (1) above, the upstream end of the duct is attached to the upstream connecting member by being continuously fitted around the upstream tubular portion all around, and the downstream end of the duct is attached to the downstream connecting member by being continuously fitted around the downstream tubular portion all around. Therefore, both the upstream end and the downstream end of the duct can be made into a continuous fitting structure all around (continuous external fitting structure all around), and the duct can be prevented from shifting relative to the upstream connecting member and the downstream connecting member even if a load acts on the duct when it is attached (assembled) to the vehicle or when the vehicle is running. Therefore, the air guidance performance of the duct can be stably ensured.

According to the vehicle front structure of (2) above, the upstream end of the duct has an upstream expansion section that is connected to the connecting section and whose inner cross-sectional area increases toward the upstream side, and an upstream fitting section that is connected to the upstream expansion section and fitted onto the upstream tubular section, so that the formation of a step at the parting between the connecting section of the duct and the upstream tubular section can be suppressed. This makes it possible to suppress turbulence in the flow of fluid flowing from the inside of the upstream tubular section to the inside of the duct.

According to the vehicle front structure of (3) above, an upstream seal member that extends continuously around the entire circumference is disposed between the upstream fitting portion and the upstream tubular portion, so that the upstream end of the duct can be prevented from shifting (moving or rattling) relative to the upstream tubular portion. In addition, fluid can be prevented from flowing between the upstream fitting portion and the upstream tubular portion.

According to the vehicle front structure of (4) above, the downstream end of the duct has a downstream expansion section that is connected to the connecting section and whose inner cross-sectional area increases toward the downstream side, and a downstream fitting section that is connected to the downstream expansion section and fitted onto the downstream tubular section, so that the formation of a step at the parting between the connecting section of the duct and the downstream tubular section can be suppressed. This makes it possible to suppress turbulence in the flow of fluid flowing from the inside of the duct to the inside of the downstream tubular section.

According to the vehicle front structure of (5) above, a downstream seal member that extends continuously around the entire circumference is disposed between the downstream fitting portion and the downstream tubular portion, so that the downstream end of the duct can be prevented from shifting (moving or rattling) relative to the downstream tubular portion. In addition, fluid can be prevented from flowing between the downstream fitting portion and the downstream tubular portion.

According to the vehicle front structure of (6) above, the duct has an outward protrusion that protrudes from the connecting portion to the outside of the duct, and has an intermediate connecting member to which the outward protrusion of the duct is attached, so that even if a load acts on the duct while the vehicle is traveling, the duct can be effectively prevented from shifting relative to the upstream connecting member and the downstream connecting member.

In addition, because the outward protrusion of the duct protrudes from the duct connection to the outside of the duct, the duct can be attached to the intermediate connecting member without affecting the inside of the duct (without reducing the cross-sectional area of the inside of the duct).

According to the vehicle front structure (7) above, the upstream end, downstream end and connecting part of the duct are integrally formed, so unlike when the upstream end, downstream end and connecting part of the duct are made up of multiple parts (the duct has a split duct structure), there is no risk of misalignment between the split parts, and the air guidance performance of the duct can be stably ensured.

1 is a partial front view of a vehicle to which a vehicle front structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied; 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of line AA in FIG. 1; 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of line BB in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of part C in FIG. 2 . FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of part D in FIG. 2 . FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional vehicle front structure.

Below, a vehicle front structure 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, UPR indicates the upper side of the vehicle, RH indicates the right side in the vehicle width direction, and FR indicates the front side of the vehicle.

Figures 1 to 5 show a vehicle front structure 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, the vehicle front structure 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a duct 20, an upstream connecting member 30, a downstream connecting member 40, an intermediate connecting member 50 (see Figure 3), an upstream sealing member 60, and a downstream sealing member 61.

The duct 20 is disposed at the front of the vehicle V. The duct 20 is made of resin, such as, but not limited to, PP (polypropylene) or PE (polyethylene), and is, for example, a blow-molded product. The duct 20 is used to guide a fluid (air, running wind) introduced into the vehicle V from the front side of the vehicle to the vicinity of a front brake (not shown) disposed inside the front tire 100. The duct 20 extends in the vehicle front-rear direction and has an upstream end 21, which is the front end of the vehicle, a downstream end 22, which is the rear end of the vehicle, a connecting portion 23 connecting the upstream end 21 and the downstream end 22, and an outward protrusion 24 (see FIG. 3).

As shown in FIG. 4, only one upstream end portion 21 is provided, and is attached (connected, assembled) to an upstream tubular portion 31 (described later) of the upstream connecting member 30. The upstream end portion 21 has an upstream expansion portion 21a and an upstream fitting portion 21b that are provided continuously around the entire circumference.

The upstream expansion section 21a is connected to the upstream end of the connecting section 23 and has an inner cross-sectional area that increases the further upstream. The upstream expansion section 21a bends from the connecting section 23 and extends in a direction in which the inner cross-sectional area increases the further upstream, until it bends at the tip of the extension direction and connects to the upstream fitting section 21b. The upstream fitting section 21b is connected to the upstream end of the upstream expansion section 21a and is fitted to the outside of the upstream tubular section 31. The inner surface 21b1 of the upstream fitting section 21b faces the outer surface 31a of the upstream tubular section 31.

The upstream end 21 is attached to the upstream connecting member 30 by the upstream fitting portion 21b being continuously fitted around the entire circumference of the upstream tubular portion 31 (the upstream fitting portion 21b covers the entire circumference of the upstream tubular portion 31 from the outside).

An upstream sealing member 60 is disposed between the inner surface 21b1 of the upstream fitting portion 21b and the outer surface 31a of the upstream cylindrical portion 31. The upstream sealing member 60 is, for example, an EPTSealer that is compressed from the state shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4 to the state shown by the solid line, and is provided so as to extend continuously around the entire circumference.

As shown in FIG. 5, only one downstream end portion 22 is provided, and is attached (connected, assembled) to a downstream cylindrical portion 41 (described later) of the downstream connecting member 40. The downstream end portion 22 has a downstream expanded portion 22a and a downstream fitting portion 22b that are provided continuously around the entire circumference.

The downstream expansion section 22a is connected to the downstream end of the connecting section 23, and the inner cross-sectional area increases toward the downstream side. The downstream expansion section 22a bends from the connecting section 23 and extends in a direction in which the inner cross-sectional area increases toward the downstream side, and bends at the tip of the extension direction until it connects to the downstream fitting section 22b. The downstream fitting section 22b is connected to the downstream end of the downstream expansion section 22a and is fitted to the outside of the downstream tubular section 41. The inner surface 22b1 of the downstream fitting section 22b faces the outer surface 41a of the downstream tubular section 41.

The downstream end 22 is attached to the downstream connecting member 40 by having the downstream fitting portion 22b continuously fitted around the entire circumference of the downstream tubular portion 41 (the downstream fitting portion 22b covers the entire circumference of the downstream tubular portion 41 from the outside).

A downstream sealing member 61 is disposed between the inner surface 22b1 of the downstream fitting portion 22b and the outer surface 41a of the downstream cylindrical portion 41. The downstream sealing member 61 is, for example, an ept sealer or the like that is disposed in a compressed state from the state shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 5 to the state shown by the solid line, and is provided so as to extend continuously around the entire circumference.

As shown in FIG. 2, only one connecting portion 23 is provided. The inner cross-sectional area of the connecting portion 23 may be constant throughout the entire connecting portion 23, or may be variable, increasing or decreasing toward the downstream side.

As shown in FIG. 3, only one outward protrusion 24 is provided. However, multiple outward protrusions 24 may be provided in the extension direction of the duct 20. The outward protrusion 24 protrudes outward (e.g. upward) from the connecting portion 23 in a cross-sectional view of the duct 20. The outward protrusion 24 is attached (connected, assembled) to an extension portion 51 of the intermediate connecting member 50, which will be described later.

The upstream end 21, downstream end 22, and connecting portion 23 are integrally formed. The outward protrusion 24 may be integrally formed with the upstream end 21, downstream end 22, and connecting portion 23, or may be formed separately and fixed.

The upstream connecting member 30 is not particularly limited, but is made of CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics), for example, and is a front bumper of the vehicle V. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the upstream connecting member 30 has a cylindrical upstream tubular portion 31 that protrudes downstream (toward the duct 20). The upstream tubular portion 31 is located on the front side of the vehicle V and has an opening 31b that takes in fluid. The cross-sectional area of the inside of the upstream tubular portion 31 becomes smaller toward the downstream side. However, the cross-sectional area of the inside of the upstream tubular portion 31 may become larger toward the downstream side, or may be constant throughout the entire upstream tubular portion 31. The fluid flowing inside the upstream tubular portion 31 flows from the inside of the upstream tubular portion 31 to the inside of the duct 20 in a direction parallel (including approximately parallel) to the vehicle front-rear direction, i.e., in a direction perpendicular (including approximately perpendicular) to the vehicle width direction.

The downstream connecting member 40 is not particularly limited, but is made of CFRP, for example, and is, for example, the inner cowl (which may be called a wheel house) of the vehicle V. As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the downstream connecting member 40 has a downstream cylindrical portion 41 that protrudes upstream (towards the duct 20). The downstream cylindrical portion 41 has an outlet 41b at the downstream end of the downstream cylindrical portion 41 for discharging the fluid. The inner cross-sectional area of the downstream cylindrical portion 41 is constant throughout the entire downstream cylindrical portion 41. However, the inner cross-sectional area of the downstream cylindrical portion 41 may become larger or smaller as it goes downstream.

The fluid that flows inside the downstream tubular portion 41 flows out from the downstream tubular portion 41 to the rear of the vehicle and to the inside (center) in the vehicle width direction. This is to prevent the front tire 100 from being positioned on the extension of the outlet 41b downstream in the fluid flow direction, thereby preventing the fluid from hitting the front surface of the front tire 100 and applying resistance to the vehicle V, which could result in poor fuel economy or poor acceleration performance of the vehicle V.

As shown by arrow E in FIG. 2, the fluid (air, running wind) that flows into the inside of the upstream cylindrical portion 31 from the opening 31b of the upstream cylindrical portion 31 flows inside the upstream cylindrical portion 31, then flows from the inside of the upstream cylindrical portion 31 into the inside of the duct 20, and flows inside the duct 20. Then, after flowing inside the duct 20, it flows from the inside of the duct 20 into the inside of the downstream cylindrical portion 41, and flows inside the downstream cylindrical portion 41. The fluid that has flowed inside the downstream cylindrical portion 41 is discharged from the inside of the downstream cylindrical portion 41 through the outlet 41b.

As described above, the fluid that flows inside the upstream end 31 flows from the inside of the upstream end 31 to the inside of the duct 20 in a direction parallel to the vehicle front-rear direction, and the fluid that flows inside the downstream tubular portion 41 flows out from the downstream tubular portion 41 to the rear of the vehicle and in the vehicle width direction inside. Therefore, the duct 20 connecting the upstream tubular portion 31 and the downstream tubular portion 41 has two bent portions (which may be called curved portions) 23a in a plan view to change the flow direction of the fluid flowing inside the duct 20, and is approximately "S" shaped. The fluid discharged from the inside of the downstream tubular portion 41 through the outlet 41b has its flow direction changed to the outside in the vehicle width direction by the air guide plate 70 arranged inside the front tire 100 in the vehicle width direction, and is guided to the front brake (not shown) and used for cooling the front brake. The air guide plate 70 is made of metal so that it can withstand impacts such as sand and stones kicked up by the front tire 100, and is fixed to the chassis of the vehicle V.

The intermediate connecting member 50 is a vehicle body part (body) made of a resin such as PP or PE, but is not particularly limited thereto, and is made of a separate air guide member, etc., different from the duct 20. The intermediate connecting member 50 may be a one-part structure, a two-part structure made of two connecting member elements 50a and 50b as shown in FIG. 3, or a multiple structure made of three or more parts. The intermediate connecting member 50 has an extension 51 that extends in a direction approaching the outward protrusion 24 of the duct 20. The outward protrusion 24 is attached to the extension 51 using a clip 80 made of a resin that is elastically deformable, but is not particularly limited thereto. In this case, a through hole is formed in each of the outward protrusion 24 and the extension 51, and the clip 80 is inserted into both through holes and engaged with the edges of each through hole, thereby attaching the outward protrusion 24 to the intermediate connecting member 50.

The method of attaching (connecting, assembling) the duct 20, the upstream connecting member 30, the downstream connecting member 40 and the intermediate connecting member 50 is as follows.
(i) First, with the upstream seal member 60 and the downstream seal member 61 arranged in the duct 20 , the outward protruding portion 24 of the duct 20 is attached to the extending portion 51 of the intermediate connecting member 50 using the clip 80 .
(ii) Next, the upstream connecting member 30 is brought close to the duct 20 from the front side of the vehicle so that the upstream end 21 of the duct 20 is externally fitted into the upstream cylindrical portion 31 of the upstream connecting member 30, and the downstream connecting member 40 is brought close to the duct 20 from the rear side of the vehicle so that the downstream end 22 of the duct 20 is externally fitted into the downstream cylindrical portion 41 of the downstream connecting member 40.

Next, the operation and effects of the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
(A) The upstream end 21 of the duct 20 is attached to the upstream connecting member 30 by being continuously fitted around the upstream tubular portion 31, and the downstream end 22 of the duct 20 is attached to the downstream connecting member 40 by being continuously fitted around the downstream tubular portion 41, so that both the upstream end 21 and the downstream end 22 of the duct 20 can have a continuous fitting structure (continuous outer fitting structure), and even if a load acts on the duct 20 when it is attached (assembled) to the vehicle V or when the vehicle is running, the duct 20 can be prevented from shifting relative to the upstream connecting member 30 and the downstream connecting member 40. Therefore, the air guiding performance of the duct 20 can be stably ensured.

(B) The upstream end 21 of the duct 20 has an upstream expansion section 21a that is connected to the connecting section 23 and whose inner cross-sectional area increases toward the upstream side, and an upstream fitting section 21b that is connected to the upstream expansion section 21a and is fitted onto the upstream tubular section 31, so that the formation of a step at the parting section 90 (Figure 4) between the connecting section 23 of the duct 20 and the upstream tubular section 31 can be prevented. This prevents the flow of fluid flowing from the inside of the upstream tubular section 31 to the inside of the duct 20 from being disturbed.

(C) Since the upstream seal member 60 extending continuously over the entire circumference is disposed between the upstream fitting portion 21b and the upstream cylindrical portion 31, it is possible to suppress the upstream end portion 21 of the duct 20 from shifting (moving, rattling) relative to the upstream cylindrical portion 31. More specifically, since the upstream seal member 60 extending continuously over the entire circumference is disposed in a compressed state, it is possible to generate action and reaction forces between the upstream seal member 60 and the upstream end portion 21 and the upstream cylindrical portion 31, and it is possible to suppress the upstream end portion 21 from shifting (moving, rattling) relative to the upstream cylindrical portion 31.
In addition, the flow of fluid between the inner surface 21b1 of the upstream fitting portion 21b and the outer surface 31a of the upstream cylindrical portion 31 can be suppressed.

(D) The upstream end 21 is attached to the upstream connecting member 30 by being continuously fitted around the entire circumference of the upstream tubular portion 31. This not only reduces the number of parts and reduces costs compared to when the upstream end 21 is attached to the upstream connecting member 30 using fasteners such as bolts or clips, but also eliminates the need for fastening fasteners, thereby reducing the work space required to attach the upstream end 21 to the upstream connecting member 30.

(E) The downstream end 22 of the duct 20 has a downstream expansion section 22a that is connected to the connecting section 23 and whose inner cross-sectional area increases downstream, and a downstream fitting section 22b that is connected to the downstream expansion section 22a and fitted onto the downstream tubular section 41, so that the formation of a step at the parting section 91 (Figure 5) between the connecting section 23 of the duct 20 and the downstream tubular section 41 can be suppressed. This makes it possible to suppress turbulence in the flow of the fluid flowing from the inside of the duct 20 to the inside of the downstream tubular section 41.

(F) Since the downstream seal member 61 extending continuously over the entire circumference is disposed between the downstream fitting portion 22b and the downstream cylindrical portion 41, it is possible to suppress the downstream end portion 22 of the duct 20 from shifting (moving, rattling) relative to the downstream cylindrical portion 41. More specifically, since the downstream seal member 61 extending continuously over the entire circumference is disposed in a compressed state, it is possible to generate action and reaction forces between the downstream seal member 61 and the downstream end portion 22 and the downstream cylindrical portion 41, and it is possible to suppress the downstream end portion 22 from shifting (moving, rattling) relative to the downstream cylindrical portion 41.
In addition, the flow of fluid between the inner surface 22b1 of the downstream fitting portion 22b and the outer surface 41a of the downstream tubular portion 41 can be suppressed.

(G) The downstream end 22 is attached to the downstream connecting member 40 by being continuously fitted around the entire circumference of the downstream tubular portion 41. This not only reduces the number of parts and reduces costs compared to when the downstream end 22 is attached to the downstream connecting member 40 using fasteners such as bolts or clips, but also eliminates the need for fastening fasteners, thereby reducing the work space required to attach the downstream end 22 to the downstream connecting member 40.

(H) Since it further has an intermediate connecting member 50 to which the outward protrusion 24 of the duct 20 is attached, it is possible to effectively prevent the duct 20 from shifting relative to the upstream connecting member 30 and the downstream connecting member 40 even if a load acts on the duct 20 while the vehicle is traveling.

(I) The outward protrusion 24 of the duct 20 protrudes from the connection portion 23 of the duct 20 to the outside of the duct 20, so that the duct 20 can be attached to the intermediate connecting member 50 without affecting the inside of the duct 20 (without reducing the cross-sectional area (flow path cross-sectional area) of the inside of the duct 20).

(J) The outward protrusion 24 of the duct 20 is attached to the intermediate connecting member 50 using the clip 80, so that the outward protrusion 24 can be attached to the intermediate connecting member 50 relatively easily and at low cost.

(K) The upstream end 21, downstream end 22 and connecting portion 23 of the duct 20 are integrally formed. This means that, unlike when the upstream end 21, downstream end 22 and connecting portion 23 of the duct 20 are made up of multiple components (the duct 20 has a split duct structure), there is no risk of misalignment between the split components, and the air guidance performance of the duct 20 can be stably ensured.

Description of the Reference Signs 10 Vehicle front structure 20 Duct 21 Upstream end 21a Upstream enlarged portion 21b Upstream fitted portion 21b1 Inner surface of upstream fitted portion 22 Downstream end 22a Downstream enlarged portion 22b Downstream fitted portion 22b1 Inner surface of downstream fitted portion 23 Connecting portion 23a Bent portion 24 Outward protrusion 30 Upstream connecting member 31 Upstream tubular portion 31a Outer surface 31b of upstream tubular portion Opening 40 Downstream connecting member 41 Downstream tubular portion 41a Outer surface 41b of downstream tubular portion Discharge port 50 Intermediate connecting member 51 Extension portion 60 Upstream seal member 61 Downstream seal member 70 Air guide plate 80 Clip 100 Front tire V Vehicle

Claims (6)

a duct disposed at a front portion of the vehicle, the duct having an upstream end portion, a downstream end portion, and a connecting portion connecting the upstream end portion and the downstream end portion;
an upstream connecting member to which the upstream end of the duct is attached;
a downstream connecting member to which the downstream end of the duct is attached;
It has
The upstream connecting member has an upstream cylindrical portion that is cylindrical and protrudes downstream,
The downstream connecting member has a downstream cylindrical portion that is cylindrical and protrudes upstream,
A fluid flows from the inside of the upstream cylindrical portion through the inside of the duct to the inside of the downstream cylindrical portion,
the upstream end of the duct is attached to the upstream connecting member by being continuously fitted around the upstream tubular portion over the entire circumference, and the downstream end of the duct is attached to the downstream connecting member by being continuously fitted around the downstream tubular portion over the entire circumference,
The duct has an outward protruding portion protruding from the connecting portion to the outside of the duct, and further includes an intermediate connecting member to which the outward protruding portion of the duct is attached.
Vehicle front structure.
2. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, wherein the upstream end of the duct has an upstream expansion portion connected to the connecting portion and whose inner cross-sectional area increases toward the upstream side, and an upstream fitting portion connected to the upstream expansion portion and fitted onto the upstream cylindrical portion.
3. The vehicle front structure according to claim 2, further comprising an upstream seal member disposed between the upstream fitting portion and the upstream tubular portion, the upstream seal member extending continuously over the entire periphery.
2. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, wherein the downstream end of the duct has a downstream expansion portion connected to the connecting portion and whose inner cross-sectional area increases downstream, and a downstream fitting portion connected to the downstream expansion portion and fitted onto the downstream cylindrical portion.
5. The vehicle front structure according to claim 4, further comprising a downstream seal member disposed between said downstream fitting portion and said downstream tubular portion, said downstream seal member extending continuously over the entire periphery.
The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 , wherein the upstream end portion, the downstream end portion and the connecting portion of the duct are integrally formed.

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