JPH0330550B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a spoiler device attached to the front end or rear end of a vehicle, and in particular to a spoiler device that can be moved up and down to move the spoiler body up and down to take it in and out between a raised storage position and a lowered protrusion position. The present invention relates to a possible movable spoiler device.

(Prior Art) In recent years, an increasing number of cars are equipped with front spoilers in order to improve driving stability when driving at high speeds, that is, to reduce lift, drag, and yawing moment. However, since such a front spoiler protrudes downward from the front of the car, when driving at low speeds,
Sometimes, when driving on rough roads or riding over bumps, the lower part of the spoiler would get rubbed. For this reason, a movable front spoiler was proposed in which the spoiler is moved upward during low-speed driving, and is lowered and used only during high-speed driving when the spoiler is required (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 131219/1983). Figures 12a and 12b show this type of movable front spoiler. According to such a front spoiler, at low speeds when the front spoiler 1 is not needed, the 12th spoiler is
As shown in Figure 12, the front spoiler main body 1 is moved upward and retracted, and when the front spoiler 1 is required at high speeds, the front spoiler 1 is moved downward as shown in Figure 12B. In other words, it exhibits the effect of reducing lift, drag, lateral force, and yawing moment, thereby improving running stability.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in such a conventional movable front spoiler, the front spoiler 1 is located in the space between the radiator 9, the bumper 11, and the apron 12.
When the radiator is retracted, the cooling air flowing in from the ventilation opening of the apron 12 is blocked by the front spoiler 1, resulting in a problem in that the cooling performance of the radiator 9 is reduced. Such a problem similarly occurs in the case of a movable rear spoiler provided at the rear end of a vehicle equipped with a rear engine.

(Means for Solving the Problems) An object of the present invention is to obtain a spoiler device that solves the above-mentioned problems in conventional movable spoilers. The spoiler body is equipped with a spoiler body attached to the end of the vehicle, and the spoiler body can be raised to a position that crosses the cooling air intake in the engine compartment and stored, or lowered from this position to a position where it protrudes downward from the vehicle body. In the spoiler device, an opening is provided at a portion of the spoiler main body that crosses the cooling air inlet, and a lid is provided to open and close the opening, and when the spoiler main body projects downward, the lid is closed, and the spoiler Means is provided for opening the lid when the main body is raised and stored.

(Function) By opening the lid when storing the spoiler body, there will be no shortage of cooling air sent to the heat source such as the radiator in the engine room, and when the spoiler body is protruded downward. By closing the lid, the spoiler's original performance can be effectively exhibited.

(Example) The movable spoiler device of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 7 show an embodiment of the present invention, and are diagrams in which the present invention is applied to a front spoiler.
First of all, in Fig. 1, 1 is the front spoiler body,
Reference numeral 2 denotes an attachment part for attaching the front spoiler body 1 to the vehicle body, and the front spoiler body 1 is supported movably in the vertical direction by a stay 7 attached to a roller support mechanism 6 attached to the attachment part 2. On the other hand, a motor 3 and a ball screw 4 driven by the motor 3 are attached to the mounting part 2, and the rotation of the motor 3 is converted into vertical driving force by a rod 5 with a nut screwed onto the ball screw 4. The front spoiler body 1 is driven up and down via the stay 7. As shown in Fig. 2, the front spoiler body 1 includes an engine compartment,
A plurality of openings 13 are mainly provided for ventilating the radiator, and these openings 13 can be opened and closed by an opening panel 14 that is a lid. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a rotating rod 15 is integrally attached to the opening panel 14, and a pin 1 is attached to the opening panel mounting portion 21.
It is rotatably supported by 6. 17 is an E-ring for fixing the pin 16. The coil spring 18 is attached to the opening panel 1 by fixing one end to the rotating rod 15 and the other end to the opening panel mounting part 21.
4 in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. A roller 19 is pivotally attached to the tip of the rotating rod 15 by a pin 20. 22 is fixed to the vehicle body side with a guide rail. Note that a plurality of opening panels 14 are provided corresponding to the plurality of openings 13.

Next, the function of this movable front spoiler will be explained. At low speeds when the front spoiler 1 is not required based on detected values from a vehicle speed sensor or a crosswind sensor (not shown), the front spoiler 1 moves upward and is housed between the apron 12 and the radiator 9 as shown in FIG. The opening panel 14 is closed by the coil spring 18 when the front spoiler 1 is lowered, but as the front spoiler 1 rises, the roller at the tip of the rotating rod 15 closes as shown in FIG. 19 comes into contact with the guide rail 22 and the rod 15 is pushed down, thereby opening the opening panel 14.
As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a plurality of opening panels 14 are provided in the vertical direction, and as the front spoiler 1 rises, the opening panels 14 are successively opened. In this position, all aperture panels 14 are open. In this state, air flowing from the apron 12 flows into the radiator 9 through the opening 13 and cools the radiator 9, so cooling air is efficiently supplied to the radiator 9 even though the front spoiler 1 is retracted upward. can do.

The front spoiler 1 is lowered when the detection values of a vehicle speed sensor and a cross wind sensor (not shown) change due to an increase in the vehicle speed of the automobile and a cross wind, and the front spoiler becomes necessary. As the opening panel 14 is lowered, it is sequentially closed by the biasing force of the coil spring 18, and in the completely lowered state shown in FIG. The unique characteristics of the vehicle, namely lift, drag, and yawing moment reduction effects, are effectively exhibited. Note that when the front spoiler 1 is lowered, there is no front spoiler 1 in front of the radiator 9, so the air flowing in from the apron 12 directly cools the radiator 9, so even if the opening panel 14 is closed, a sufficient amount of cooling air is secured.

10 and 11 are diagrams showing other embodiments of the present invention. In this embodiment, the opening panel can be opened left and right. The front spoiler 1 has an opening 1 in the part that corresponds to the front of the radiator when the front spoiler is retracted, as in the previous embodiment.
3 is provided. Opening panels 14a and 14b for opening and closing this opening are held by slide pins 23 so as to be slidable in the horizontal direction along a guide slit 24. A pair of opening panels 14a, 1
4b is pivotally connected to both ends of a slide drive member 25 which is rotatably bent at the center,
A spring 26 also biases the panel in the closing direction. The opening panels 14a, 14b open when the bent portion of the slide drive member 25 is pressed from the A direction, and are automatically closed by the spring 26 when the force applied from the A direction is removed. FIG. 11 shows a state in which the front spoiler 1 has been moved upward and is housed between the bumper 8 and the radiator 9. In this state, the slide drive member 25 is held down by the guide rail 27 attached to the radio core support 11, and the opening panel 1
4a and 14b open left and right, and air flowing in from the apron 12 cools the radiator 9 through the three openings.

Even with such a configuration, the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiments can be obtained, and the structure is most suitable for front-wheel drive vehicles and the like where there is not enough space in the front and rear directions.
In the above embodiments, a front spoiler was described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be used for a rear air dam, for example.

(Effects) As detailed above, the movable spoiler device of the present invention is attached to the end of the vehicle, moves up and down, protrudes,
The retractable spoiler body has an opening at a point that crosses the cooling air inlet in the engine room, and this opening is closed when the spoiler body is extended and opened when the spoiler body is retracted, which eliminates the need for a spoiler at low speeds. When driving, the spoiler can be retracted upward and stored without interfering with the supply of cooling air to the engine room, and when driving at high speeds, when the spoiler is required, the spoiler body can be protruded downward and the opening can be closed. This allows the spoiler to take full advantage of its effects in reducing lift, drag, lateral force, and yawing moment, thereby improving driving stability.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing an embodiment of the movable front spoiler of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the spoiler portion of the front spoiler shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the spoiler shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view of the opening panel shown in FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway front view of the pivot portion of the opening panel shown in FIGS. 3 and 4; Figure 6 shows the third
Figures 4 and 5 are side views showing the structure of the E-ring attachment part of the opening panel, Figure 7 is a rear view of Figure 6, and Figure 8 is the front spoiler shown in Figures 1 to 7 retracted upwards. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the front spoiler shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 is projected downward; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which the front spoiler shown in FIGS. Figures 12a and 12b are diagrams showing an example of a conventional movable front spoiler. 1...Front spoiler, 2...Mounting part, 8
... Motor, 4 ... Ball screw, 5 ... Rod with nut, 6 ... Roller support mechanism, 7 ... Stay, 8 ... Radio core support, 9 ... Radiator, 10 ... Cooling fan, 11 ... Bumper, 12
...Apron, 13...Opening, 14, 14a,
14b...Opening panel, 15...Rotating rod,
16... Pin, 17... E-ring, 18... Spring, 19... Roller, 20... Pin, 21... Opening panel attachment part, 22... Guide rail, 23
...Slide pin, 24...Guide slit,
25...Slide drive member, 26...Spring, 27
...Guide rail.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A spoiler body attached to an end of a vehicle,
In a spoiler device in which the spoiler body is used by being raised and stored to a position that crosses a cooling air inlet in an engine room, or lowered from this position to a position where it projects downward from the vehicle body, the cooling air inlet is An opening is provided at a portion of the spoiler body that traverses the spoiler body, and a lid is provided for opening and closing the opening, and means is provided for closing the lid when the spoiler body is projected downward and opening the lid when the spoiler body is raised and retracted. A movable spoiler device characterized by: