JP7831264B2 - Ventilation structure of cargo box in a vehicle - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a ventilation structure for a cargo box in a vehicle.

Patent Document 1 describes a ventilation structure for ventilating the inside of a vehicle's cargo box. This ventilation structure features an introduction passage that draws in outside air from the vehicle's airflow into the cargo box. The introduction passage is formed with an intrusion-blocking element that narrows the airflow area, thereby separating foreign matter such as water from the passing outside air. After the foreign matter is separated by the intrusion-blocking element, the outside air passing through the introduction passage is introduced into the cargo box, and then, after passing through the interior of the cargo box, is discharged to the outside.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-39894

In the aforementioned vehicle's cargo box ventilation structure, while foreign matter such as water contained in the outside air passing through the intake passage can be separated to some extent from the outside air by the intrusion prevention device, there was room for improvement in terms of effectively separating foreign matter from the outside air.

The following describes various forms of ventilation structures for cargo boxes in vehicles that solve the above problems.
(Aspect 1)
In a ventilation structure for a cargo bed box in a vehicle, which has an introduction passage for introducing the airflow from the vehicle as outside air into the cargo bed box, the structure includes a filter member arranged to correspond to the flow cross-section of the outside air in the introduction passage, and the filter member separates foreign matter contained in the outside air from the outside air while allowing the outside air to pass through.

According to the above configuration, outside air is introduced into the cargo box through an intake passage when the vehicle is in motion. A filter member for separating foreign matter from the outside air is positioned in the intake passage, corresponding to the airflow cross-section. Therefore, the outside air introduced into the cargo box from the intake passage passes through the filter member. As the outside air passes through the filter member, foreign matter such as water contained in the outside air adheres to the filter member, thereby separating the foreign matter from the outside air. This effectively separates foreign matter from the outside air introduced into the cargo box via the intake passage. As a result, the entry of foreign matter into the cargo box along with the outside air can be effectively suppressed.

(Aspect 2)
A ventilation structure for a cargo bed box in a vehicle according to Embodiment 1, wherein a cover panel is positioned above the roof panel of the cargo bed box to form the intake passage between it and the roof panel, and a canopy is formed at the front end of the cover panel of the vehicle to guide outside air that hits the front panel of the cargo bed box and flows upward when the vehicle is in motion into the intake passage.

According to the above configuration, when the vehicle is in motion, outside air hits the front panel of the cargo box and flows upward. This upward-flowing outside air then hits the awning and is guided into the intake passage between the roof panel and cover panel of the cargo box. Therefore, outside air can be efficiently introduced into the intake passage while the vehicle is in motion.

(Aspect 3)
A cover panel is positioned above the roof panel of the cargo bed box to form the intake passage between itself and the roof panel, and a communication hole is formed in the roof panel to connect the intake passage to the inside of the cargo bed box, the filter member is positioned upstream of the communication hole in the direction of the flow of outside air through the intake passage when the vehicle is in motion, and a shielding plate is positioned behind the communication hole in the intake passage to block the space between the roof panel and the cover panel. This is a ventilation structure for a cargo bed box in a vehicle according to (Aspect 1) or (Aspect 2).

According to the above configuration, foreign matter can be separated from the outside air by the filter member before the outside air passing through the intake passage is introduced into the cargo box through the communication hole. Furthermore, on the vehicle rearward side of the intake passage beyond the communication hole, the space between the roof panel and the cover panel is blocked by a shielding plate. Therefore, the shielding plate prevents the outside air passing through the intake passage from flowing beyond the communication hole to the vehicle rearward side instead of into the cargo box through the communication hole. As a result, outside air can be efficiently introduced into the cargo box through the communication hole.

(Aspect 4)
The introduction passage extends from the front of the vehicle to the rear of the vehicle, and a waterproof cover is provided in the introduction passage that protrudes from a location in front of the vehicle beyond the communication hole in the roof panel and extends towards the rear of the vehicle above the communication hole (Vehicle Ventilation Structure for a Cargo Box in a Vehicle as described in Embodiment 3).

According to the above configuration, outside air flows through the intake passage from the front to the rear of the vehicle, then wraps around the waterproof cover from the rear to the front of the vehicle, and is introduced into the cargo box through the communication hole. Therefore, even if the outside air contains water that cannot be completely separated by the filter member, the water is separated from the outside air as the outside air flows around the waterproof cover. In this way, the water-free outside air can be introduced into the cargo box.

(Aspect 5)
A ventilation structure for a cargo bed box in a vehicle according to any one of (Aspect 1) to (Aspect 4), wherein a cover panel is positioned above the roof panel of the cargo bed box to form the introduction passage between itself and the roof panel, a communication hole is formed in the roof panel that connects the introduction passage to the inside of the cargo bed box, and a water-stopping plate is provided in the introduction passage that protrudes from the roof panel to prevent the flow of water along the roof panel toward the communication hole.

According to the above configuration, when outside air passes through the intake passage, water contained in the outside air separates from the outside air and accumulates on the roof panel of the cargo box. The water-stopping plate prevents this water from flowing towards the communication hole. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the water from entering the interior of the cargo box through the communication hole.

(Aspect 6)
The introduction passage is connected to the interior of the cargo bed box via a communication hole, and an opening panel is installed inside the cargo bed box so as to cover the communication hole, and the opening panel has a plurality of openings that open in different directions to the interior of the cargo bed box. A ventilation structure for a cargo bed box in a vehicle according to any one of (Aspect 1) to (Aspect 5).

According to the above configuration, when cargo is loaded into the cargo box, even if one of the openings in the opening panel is blocked by the cargo, the likelihood of another opening facing a different direction being blocked by the cargo is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the communication holes from being blocked by the cargo inside the cargo box.

(Aspect 7)
A ventilation structure for a cargo bed box in a vehicle according to any one of (Aspect 1) to (Aspect 6), wherein an outlet passage is formed to discharge the air inside the cargo bed box to the outside, and the filter member is also arranged in the outlet passage so as to correspond to the cross-section of the air flow in the outlet passage.

According to the above configuration, when the vehicle is in motion, outside air introduced into the cargo box from the intake passage passes through the inside of the cargo box and is then discharged to the outside through the outlet passage. Even if outside air enters the cargo box through the outlet passage due to natural wind when the vehicle is stopped or wind while the vehicle is reversing, the filter component separates foreign matter such as water from the outside air, thus preventing the outside air from entering the cargo box along with foreign matter.

This is a perspective view showing the entire vehicle in general terms. Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the intake duct and its surrounding area in the vehicle. This is a perspective view showing an example of a filter component. This is a perspective view showing an example of a filter component. This is a cross-sectional view showing the structure around the second communication hole in the cargo box of the vehicle shown in Figure 1. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing an opening panel located near the second communication hole.

Below, one embodiment of the ventilation structure for a cargo box in a vehicle will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6.
As shown in Figure 1, a vehicle 11 such as a truck is known to be equipped with a cargo bed box 12 into which cargo is loaded. Inside the cargo bed box 12 of such a vehicle 11, heat tends to accumulate due to waste heat from a small mobile freezer 13, and the temperature tends to rise. For this reason, the vehicle 11 employs a ventilation structure that introduces the airflow from the vehicle into the cargo bed box 12 as outside air. This ventilation structure efficiently ventilates the inside of the cargo bed box 12 by introducing the airflow from the vehicle into the cargo bed box 12 as outside air, or in other words, efficiently releases the heat inside the cargo bed box 12 to the outside.

Next, the ventilation structure described above will be explained in detail.
In this ventilation structure, the airflow from the vehicle 11 is introduced into the cargo box 12 as outside air using an intake duct 14 and a first communication hole 15 provided on the front end side of the vehicle 11 within the cargo box 12. The outside air introduced into the cargo box 12 passes through the cargo box 12 from the front to the rear of the vehicle 11. Furthermore, the outside air is led to the outside using a second communication hole 16 provided on the rear end side of the vehicle 11 within the cargo box 12. The structure around the intake duct 14 and the first communication hole 15, and the structure around the second communication hole 16 in the above ventilation structure will be described in detail below.

<Structure around the intake duct 14 and the first communication hole 15>
As shown in Figure 2, the intake duct 14 is attached to the roof panel 17 of the cargo box 12. The ceiling of the intake duct 14 is located above the roof panel 17 and serves as a cover panel that forms an introduction passage 19 between it and the roof panel 17. A solar panel 18 for generating solar power is attached to the ceiling of the intake duct 14. The intake duct 14 is realized by utilizing the solar panel 18 and the structure that supports the solar panel 18 on the roof panel 17. The roof panel 17 has the first communication hole 15 formed therein, which connects the introduction passage 19 to the inside of the cargo box 12.

At the front end of the intake duct 14, i.e., the left end in Figure 2, an inlet 20 for outside air in the intake passage 19 is formed. A filter member 21 is attached to the inlet 20. The filter member 21 is positioned to correspond to the flow cross-section of outside air in the intake passage 19 (inlet 20). In other words, the filter member 21 is positioned to extend across the entire flow cross-section of outside air in the intake passage 19. The filter member 21 separates foreign matter such as water contained in the outside air while allowing the outside air to pass through.

As the filter element 21, the perforated metal 22 shown in Figure 3 can be used. The perforated metal 22 is formed from a plate with numerous holes 22a. Outside air can pass through the numerous holes 22a of the perforated metal 22. As the outside air passes through the holes 22a, foreign matter such as water contained in the outside air adheres to the areas around the holes 22a in the perforated metal 22. This separates the foreign matter from the outside air.

Furthermore, the nonwoven fabric 23 shown in Figure 4 can also be used as the filter element 21. The nonwoven fabric 23 is formed from numerous fibers 23a. Outside air can pass through the gaps between the numerous fibers 23a of the nonwoven fabric 23. As the outside air passes through the gaps between the numerous fibers 23a, foreign matter such as water contained in the outside air adheres to the numerous fibers 23a of the nonwoven fabric 23. This separates the foreign matter from the outside air.

As shown in Figure 2, a canopy 25 is formed at the front end of the ceiling of the intake duct 14, i.e., the left end in Figure 2. This canopy guides the outside air that flows upward when the vehicle 11 is in motion, hitting the front panel 24 of the cargo box 12, to the intake port 20 of the intake passage 19. The canopy 25 is at the front end of the ceiling of the intake duct 14, protruding forward from a position corresponding to the upper end of the intake port 20, and is inclined to be positioned lower as it moves further forward. This allows the canopy 25 to guide the outside air into the intake passage 19.

The intake passage 19 extends from the front of the vehicle to the rear, that is, from the left side to the right side in Figure 2. Therefore, when the vehicle 11 is in motion, the outside air guided into the intake passage 19 enters the first communication hole 15 through the intake passage 19, and is then introduced into the cargo box 12 via the first communication hole 15. As can be seen from this, the filter member 21 is located upstream of the first communication hole 15 in the direction of the outside air flow through the intake passage 19 when the vehicle 11 is in motion.

An air dam 26, which functions as a mounting base for the solar panel 18, is provided at the rear end of the intake duct 14, i.e., the right end in Figure 2. The air dam 26 acts as a shielding plate, positioned to block the space between the roof panel 17 and the solar panel 18, located behind the first communication hole 15 in the intake passage 19, i.e., on the right side of Figure 2.

An air return plate 27 is positioned behind the first communication hole 15 in the entry passage 19, and in front of the air dam 26, protruding from the roof panel 17 and sealing the space between the roof panel 17 and the solar panel 18. This air return plate 27, like the air dam 26, also serves as a shielding plate.

A waterproof cover 28 is positioned in the intake passage 19, protruding from a point in the roof panel 17 that is further forward than the first communication hole 15, and extending towards the rear of the vehicle above the first communication hole 15. Therefore, outside air introduced into the intake passage 19 flows from the front to the rear of the vehicle, then wraps around the waterproof cover 28 from the rear to the front of the vehicle, before being introduced into the cargo box 12 through the first communication hole 15.

The intake passage 19 is provided with water-blocking plates 29 and 30 that protrude from the roof panel 17, thereby blocking the flow of water towards the first communication hole 15 along the roof panel 17. Water-blocking plate 29 is positioned to surround the first communication hole 15 and extends in the width direction of the vehicle 11. Water-blocking plate 30 is positioned between the first communication hole 15 and the air return plate 27 and also extends in the width direction of the vehicle 11.

The roof panel 17 is sloped downwards toward both sides in the width direction of the vehicle 11. Therefore, before the outside air flows into the first communication hole 15, water is separated from the outside air within the intake passage 19. This water then flows along the roof panel 17, following the water-stopping plates 29, 30, etc., toward both sides in the width direction of the vehicle 11. Furthermore, this water flows toward the front of the vehicle 11 on both sides in the width direction and is discharged downwards from the front end of the roof panel 17.

An opening panel 32 is installed inside the cargo box 12 so as to cover the first communication hole 15. The opening panel 32 has multiple openings 32a and 32b that open in different directions to the interior of the cargo box 12. Therefore, outside air flowing from the introduction passage 19 to the first communication hole 15 flows through the first communication hole 15 into the opening panel 32, and further flows into the cargo box 12 through the openings 32a and 32b of the opening panel 32. Opening 32a opens towards the front of the vehicle 11. Therefore, outside air passing through opening 32a is blown out towards the front of the vehicle inside the cargo box 12. Similarly, opening 32b opens towards the rear of the vehicle 11. Therefore, outside air passing through opening 32b is blown out towards the rear of the vehicle inside the cargo box 12.

<Structure around the second communication hole 16>
As shown in Figure 5, the second communication hole 16 is formed near the rear end of the vehicle in the side panel 33 of the cargo bed box 12. The side panel 33 has an outlet passage 34 that leads the air inside the cargo bed box 12 to the outside. The second communication hole 16 is located at the opening of the outlet passage 34 to the inside of the cargo bed box 12. Therefore, when outside air is introduced into the cargo bed box 12 while the vehicle 11 is in motion, the air inside the cargo bed box 12 is led out to the outlet passage 34 via the second communication hole 16, and then led out to the outside from the outlet passage 34.

A filter member 35, similar to the filter member 21, is attached to the opening in the outlet passage 34 that leads to the interior of the cargo box 12, i.e., the second communication hole 16. Furthermore, a filter member 36, similar to the filter member 21, is attached downstream of the filter member 35 in the direction of airflow in the outlet passage 34. These filter members 35 and 36 are arranged to correspond to the airflow cross-section in the outlet passage 34. In other words, the filter members 35 and 36 are arranged to cover the entire airflow cross-section in the outlet passage 34.

An opening panel 37 is installed inside the cargo box 12 to cover the second communication hole 16. As shown in Figure 6, the opening panel 37 has multiple openings 37a, 37b, 37c, 37d, and 37e that open in different directions to the interior of the cargo box 12. Opening 37a opens towards the front of the vehicle 11, opening 37b opens towards the rear of the vehicle 11, and opening 37c opens towards the center of the vehicle 11 in the width direction. Furthermore, opening 37d opens upward, and opening 37e opens downward.

The air inside the cargo bed box 12 flows into the opening panel 37 through the openings 37a, 37b, 37c, 37d, and 37e of the opening panel 37. Therefore, air from the cargo bed box 12 flows into the openings 37a, 37b, 37c, 37d, and 37e from different directions. This air is then led out to the outlet passage 34 via the second communication hole 16 shown in Figure 5. The air led out to the outlet passage 34 passes through the passage 34 from the front to the rear of the vehicle, and is then led out to the outside of the cargo bed box 12.

Next, the effects and advantages of the ventilation structure of the cargo box 12 in the vehicle 11 of this embodiment will be explained.
(1) When the vehicle 11 is in motion, outside air is introduced into the cargo box 12 through the introduction passage 19. A filter member 21 for separating foreign matter from the outside air is positioned at the introduction opening 20 of the introduction passage 19 so as to correspond to the flow cross-section of the outside air in the introduction passage 19. Therefore, the outside air introduced into the cargo box 12 from the introduction passage 19 passes through the filter member 21 positioned in the introduction passage 19. When the outside air passes through the filter member 21, foreign matter such as water contained in the outside air adheres to the filter member 21, thereby separating the foreign matter such as water from the outside air. This effectively separates foreign matter from the outside air introduced into the cargo box 12 via the introduction passage 19. As a result, it is possible to effectively suppress foreign matter from entering the cargo box 12 along with the outside air.

(2) When the vehicle 11 is in motion, outside air hits the front panel 24 of the cargo box 12 and flows upward. This upward-flowing outside air then hits the canopy 25 and is guided into the intake passage 19 located between the roof panel 17 of the cargo box 12 and the ceiling of the intake duct 14. Therefore, outside air can be efficiently introduced into the intake passage 19 while the vehicle 11 is in motion.

(3) When the vehicle 11 is in motion, outside air introduced from the inlet 20 into the intake passage 19 flows through the intake passage 19 into the first communication hole 15, and is then introduced into the cargo bed box 12 via the first communication hole 15. A filter member 21 is positioned at the inlet 20 of the intake passage 19. Therefore, before the outside air passing through the intake passage 19 is introduced into the cargo bed box 12 via the first communication hole 15, foreign matter such as water can be separated from the outside air by the filter member 21. In addition, on the vehicle rearward side of the intake passage 19 beyond the first communication hole 15, the space between the roof panel 17 and the ceiling of the intake duct 14 is closed by an air dam 26 and an air return plate 27. Therefore, the air dam 26 and air return plate 27 prevent the outside air passing through the intake passage 19 from flowing to the vehicle rearward side of the first communication hole 15 instead of flowing into the cargo bed box 12 via the first communication hole 15. As a result, outside air can be efficiently circulated into the cargo box 12 through the first communication hole 15.

(4) The outside air flows through the intake passage 19 from the front to the rear of the vehicle, then wraps around the waterproof cover 28 from the rear to the front of the vehicle, and is introduced into the cargo box 12 through the first communication hole 15. Therefore, even if the outside air contains water that cannot be completely separated by the filter member 21, the water is separated from the outside air as the outside air flows around the waterproof cover 28. In this way, the water-free outside air can be introduced into the cargo box 12.

(5) The intake passage 19 is provided with water-stopping plates 29 and 30 that protrude from the roof panel 17, thereby preventing water from flowing toward the first communication hole 15 along the roof panel 17. When outside air passes through the intake passage 19, water contained in the outside air separates from the outside air, and this water accumulates on the roof panel 17 of the cargo box 12. The water-stopping plates 29 and 30 can prevent this water from flowing toward the first communication hole 15. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the water from entering the interior of the cargo box 12 through the first communication hole 15.

(6) An opening panel 32 is installed inside the cargo box 12 so as to cover the first communication hole 15. The opening panel 32 has multiple openings 32a, 32b that open in different directions to the inside of the cargo box 12. Therefore, when cargo is loaded into the cargo box 12, even if one of the openings 32a, 32b of the opening panel 32 is blocked by the cargo, the possibility of other openings 32a, 32b that open in different directions being blocked by the cargo is reduced. Thus, it is possible to prevent the first communication hole 15 from being blocked by the cargo inside the cargo box 12.

(7) When the vehicle 11 is in motion, the outside air introduced into the cargo box 12 from the intake passage 19 passes through the inside of the cargo box 12 and is then discharged to the outside through the discharge passage 34 via the second communication hole 16. Filter members 35 and 36, similar to filter member 21, are installed in this discharge passage 34. Therefore, even if outside air enters the cargo box 12 through the discharge passage 34 due to natural wind when the vehicle 11 is stopped or wind while the vehicle 11 is moving in reverse, the filter members 35 and 36 can separate foreign matter such as water from the outside air. Thus, it is possible to suppress the entry of outside air into the cargo box 12 along with foreign matter.

(8) An opening panel 37 is installed inside the cargo box 12 so as to cover the second communication hole 16. The opening panel 37 has multiple openings 37a, 37b, 37c, 37d, and 37e that open in different directions to the interior of the cargo box 12. One of the openings 37a, 37b, 37c, 37d, or 37e of the opening panel 32 may be blocked by the cargo loaded into the cargo box 12. However, the other openings 37a, 37b, 37c, 37d, and 37e that open in a different direction from the opening 37a, 37b, 37c, 37d, or 37e that are blocked by the cargo are less likely to be blocked by the cargo. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the second communication hole 16 from being blocked by the cargo inside the cargo box 12.

(9) The intake duct 14 is realized using the solar panel 18 and the structure for supporting the solar panel 18 on the roof panel 17. Therefore, the cost of installing the intake duct 14 on the cargo box 12 can be kept low.

The above embodiment can also be modified as follows, for example. The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.
- The structure for introducing outside air into the cargo bed box 12 may be realized by providing a structure on the front panel 24 of the cargo bed box 12 that reverses the upstream and downstream airflow in the structure for guiding air out of the cargo bed box 12.

- In a structure for guiding air out from the cargo bed box 12, it is not necessarily required to provide an opening panel 37.
- In the structure for discharging air from the cargo bed box 12, one or both of the filter member 35 and the filter member 36 may be omitted.

The intake duct 14 for introducing outside air into the cargo box 12 does not necessarily need to utilize the solar panel 18 and the structure for supporting the solar panel 18 on the roof panel 17.

- Either or both of the water-stopping plates 29 and 30 may be omitted.
- The waterproof cover 28 is not necessarily required.
- Either the air dam 26 or the air return plate 27 may be omitted.

Regarding the canopy 25, it is not necessarily required to provide it.

11...Vehicle 12...Cargo box 14...Intake duct 15...First communication hole 16...Second communication hole 17...Roof panel 18...Solar panel 19...Inlet passage 20...Inlet 21...Filter component 24...Front panel 25...Canopy 26...Air dam 27...Air return plate 28...Waterproof cover 29,30...Water stop plate 32...Opening panel 32a,32b...Opening 33...Side panel 34...Outlet passage 35,36...Filter component 37...Opening panel 37a,37b,37c,37d,37e...Opening

Claims (5)

In a vehicle where an intake passage is formed to introduce the vehicle's airflow as outside air into the cargo box, the ventilation structure of the cargo box in the cargo box is as follows:
The system includes a filter member arranged to correspond to the airflow cross-section in the introduction passage,
The filter member separates foreign matter contained in the outside air from the outside air while allowing the outside air to pass through .
Above the roof panel of the aforementioned cargo box, a cover panel is positioned to form the introduction passage between it and the roof panel.
The roof panel has a communication hole formed therein that connects the access passage and the inside of the cargo box.
The filter member is located upstream of the communication hole in the direction of the flow of outside air through the introduction passage when the vehicle is in motion.
A shielding plate is positioned behind the vehicle in the aforementioned introduction passage, beyond the communication hole, to block the space between the roof panel and the cover panel.
The aforementioned access passage extends from the front of the vehicle towards the rear of the vehicle.
A ventilation structure for a cargo bed box in a vehicle , wherein the introduction passage is provided with a waterproof cover that protrudes from a location in the roof panel that is further forward than the communication hole and extends towards the rear of the vehicle above the communication hole . In a vehicle where an intake passage is formed to introduce the vehicle's airflow as outside air into the cargo box, the ventilation structure of the cargo box in the cargo box is as follows:
The system includes a filter member arranged to correspond to the airflow cross-section in the introduction passage,
The filter member separates foreign matter contained in the outside air from the outside air while allowing the outside air to pass through .
Above the roof panel of the aforementioned cargo box, a cover panel is positioned to form the introduction passage between it and the roof panel.
The roof panel has a communication hole formed therein that connects the access passage and the inside of the cargo box.
A ventilation structure for a cargo bed box in a vehicle , wherein the introduction passage is provided with a water-stopping plate that protrudes from the roof panel and prevents the flow of water along the roof panel toward the communication hole . The ventilation structure for a cargo bed box in a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a canopy is formed at the front end of the cover panel of the vehicle, which guides outside air that hits the front panel of the cargo bed box and flows upward when the vehicle is in motion into the intake passage. An opening panel is installed inside the cargo box so as to cover the communication hole.
The ventilation structure for a cargo bed box in a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the opening panel has a plurality of openings that open in different directions to the interior of the cargo bed box. An outlet passage is formed to guide the air inside the cargo bed box to the outside.
The ventilation structure for a cargo bed box in a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the filter member is also arranged in the outlet passage so as to correspond to the cross-section of the airflow in the outlet passage.