CN215361567U

CN215361567U - Mud guard

Info

Publication number: CN215361567U
Application number: CN202121823179.2U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 斋藤雄太
Original assignee: Toyota Motor Corp
Current assignee: Toyota Motor Corp
Priority date: 2021-08-05
Filing date: 2021-08-05
Publication date: 2021-12-31
Anticipated expiration: 2031-08-05

Abstract

The utility model provides a mudguard. The fender is provided with a fender body part arranged behind a rear wheel of a vehicle and a mounting part formed at the upper end part of the fender body part and fixedly connected with the vehicle body, and the fender body part at least comprises: a front side wall extending downward from a lower portion of the vehicle body in a direction opposite to the rear wheel and having a predetermined width in a vehicle width direction; a lower side wall extending from a lower end portion of the front side wall rearward in the vehicle length direction and extending in an upward curved manner; an inner wall extending rearward in the vehicle length direction from an end portion of the front wall on the vehicle width direction inner side and extending to be curved outward in the vehicle width direction; and an outer wall extending rearward in the vehicle length direction from an outer end portion of the front wall in the vehicle width direction and curved inward in the vehicle width direction. With this configuration, not only can the stones or muddy water splashed by the rear wheels be prevented from scattering or adhering to the vehicle body or the like, but also an increase in air resistance at the rear of the vehicle can be suppressed.

Description

Mud guard

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a fender provided behind a wheel (rear wheel).

Background

Generally, a fender is provided behind a rear wheel of a vehicle. The fender is used to prevent stones, muddy water, and the like splashed by the rear wheel from scattering on a following vehicle or adhering to the body of the own vehicle when the vehicle travels on a road in a poor condition. The fender is generally plate-shaped and is provided behind the rear wheel in a state of extending downward from the lower portion of the vehicle body.

However, in the case where a fender is provided behind the rear wheel, since the fender is perpendicular to the direction of the airflow (traveling wind), air turbulence behind the rear wheel is increased as compared with the case where no fender is provided. When the air turbulence behind the rear wheel increases, the air flow speed under the floor becomes slow, the air flow condition at the vehicle rear side becomes poor, and the air resistance at the vehicle rear portion increases, that is, the air resistance Coefficient (CD) increases.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

In view of the above-described problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a fender capable of preventing stones, muddy water, and the like splashed by a rear wheel from scattering or adhering to a vehicle body and the like, and also capable of suppressing an increase in air resistance in a rear portion of the vehicle.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a fender including a fender body portion provided behind a rear wheel of a vehicle, and a mounting portion formed at an upper end portion of the fender body portion and fixedly connected to a vehicle body, the fender body portion including at least: a front side wall extending downward from a lower portion of the vehicle body in a direction opposite to the rear wheel and having a predetermined width in a vehicle width direction; a lower side wall extending rearward in the vehicle length direction from a lower end portion of the front side wall and extending in an upward curved manner; an inner wall extending rearward in the vehicle length direction from an inner end portion of the front wall in the vehicle width direction and extending to be curved outward in the vehicle width direction; and an outer wall extending rearward in the vehicle length direction from an outer end portion of the front wall in the vehicle width direction and extending while being curved inward in the vehicle width direction.

The fender according to the present invention is configured such that the front side wall facing the rear wheel can prevent stones, muddy water, and the like splashed by the rear wheel from scattering or adhering to the vehicle body and the like, and the curved lower side wall, inner side wall, and outer side wall can smoothly flow air disturbed by the rear wheel to the rear of the vehicle. Specifically, due to the coanda effect (the jet of viscous fluid flows against a nearby wall panel), air disturbed by the rear wheel flows smoothly toward the rear of the vehicle again against the curved lower side wall, inner side wall, and outer side wall of the fender. Therefore, the air flow rate under the floor can be prevented from being slowed, and the flow rate of the air passing under the floor and flowing out from the rear of the vehicle can be increased.

Generally, when a tire wake (air turbulence generated after a running wind collides with a wheel) increases, the running wind passing under a floor decreases, and the running wind flowing along a roof increases to cause a vortex. As a result, the amount of air that is blown from the roof and the D-pillar to the vehicle rear surface increases, resulting in an increase in the air resistance coefficient of the vehicle rear surface.

In contrast, the fender according to the present invention can reduce the amount of air that is blown around the vehicle rear surface from the roof and the D-pillar by increasing the flow rate of air that flows out from the vehicle rear side through the under floor as described above. This prevents the generation of a vortex and increases the back pressure, thereby suppressing an increase in the air resistance coefficient of the vehicle back surface. That is, an increase in air resistance at the rear of the vehicle can be suppressed.

In the fender according to the present invention, it is preferable that the fender body portion is formed in a substantially rectangular pyramid shape lying in a lateral direction, the front side wall forms a bottom surface of the rectangular pyramid, the lower side wall, the inner side wall, and the outer side wall form a first side surface, a second side surface, and a third side surface of the rectangular pyramid, respectively, and the fender body portion further includes an upper side wall extending rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction from an upper end portion of the front side wall and extending while being bent downward, the upper side wall forming a fourth side surface of the rectangular pyramid. With this configuration, the air disturbed by the rear wheel can flow more smoothly toward the rear of the vehicle again against the first to fourth side surfaces of the fender body portion having the substantially quadrangular pyramid shape.

In the fender according to the present invention, the fender body may be configured in a substantially truncated quadrangular pyramid shape lying horizontally, the front side wall may be a bottom surface of the truncated quadrangular pyramid, and the lower side wall, the inner side wall, and the outer side wall may be first, second, and third side surfaces of the truncated quadrangular pyramid, respectively, and the fender body may further include an upper side wall extending rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction from an upper end portion of the front side wall and extending while being bent downward; and a rear side wall facing the rear of the vehicle, the upper side wall constituting a fourth side face of the quadrangular frustum, and the rear side wall constituting a top face of the quadrangular frustum. With this configuration, the dimension of the fender in the vehicle length direction can be reduced, and the appearance can be improved.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a rear structure of a vehicle to which a fender according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached.

Fig. 2 is a side view schematically showing a rear structure of a vehicle to which the fender is attached.

Fig. 3 is a side view schematically showing the fender.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in fig. 3 and taken in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the fender.

Fig. 6 is a side view schematically showing a rear structure of a vehicle to which a fender according to a modification is attached.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view schematically showing a rear structure of a vehicle mounted with a fender according to the related art.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, a fender according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiments. In addition, the dimensional relationship (length, width, etc.) in each drawing does not reflect the actual dimensional relationship. In each figure, an arrow Rr shows the rear in the vehicle length direction, an arrow Up shows the upper side in the vehicle height direction, and an arrow Out shows the outer side in the vehicle width direction.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a rear structure of a vehicle 1 to which a fender 10 of the present embodiment is attached, and fig. 2 is a side view schematically showing the rear structure of the vehicle 1 to which the fender 10 is attached. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, a fender 10 is provided behind a wheel (rear wheel 5) to prevent stones, muddy water, and the like splashed by the rear wheel 5 from scattering on a following vehicle or from adhering to a vehicle body 3 of the host vehicle 1 when the vehicle 1 travels on a road with a poor condition.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view schematically showing a rear structure of a vehicle 101 to which a fender 110 according to the related art is attached. As shown in fig. 7, a fender 110 of the related art is provided behind the rear wheel 105, and stones, muddy water, and the like splashed by the rear wheel 105 are received by the fender 110, and are not easily scattered to a following vehicle, and are not easily attached to the vehicle body 103 of the self-vehicle 101, and the like.

However, the fender 110 of the related art is formed in a plate shape, and is provided behind the rear wheel 105 in a state of extending downward from the bottom of the vehicle body 103, and therefore is perpendicular to the direction of the airflow (traveling wind). Therefore, when the fender 110 according to the related art is used, air turbulence behind the rear wheel 105 may increase. When the air turbulence behind the rear wheel 105 increases, the air flow velocity below the floor of the vehicle decreases, the air flow condition at the back of the vehicle becomes worse, and the air resistance at the rear of the vehicle 101 increases (the air resistance coefficient increases).

More specifically, when the tire wake (air turbulence generated when the traveling wind collides with the rear wheel 105) increases, the traveling wind flowing from below the floor decreases, and the traveling wind flowing along the roof increases. Therefore, with the prior art fender 110 in which the air turbulence behind the rear wheel 105 is increased, the air that is rolled up from the roof and D-pillar to the rear face of the vehicle 101 is increased, so that the roof airflow forms a vortex behind the roof end, resulting in an increase in the air resistance coefficient of the rear face of the vehicle 101.

In contrast, in the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, instead of the plate-shaped fender 110, a fender 10 having a three-dimensional shape is provided behind the rear wheel 5. This can prevent stones, muddy water, and the like splashed by the rear wheels 5 from scattering or adhering to the vehicle body 3 and the like, and can suppress an increase in air resistance at the rear of the vehicle 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view schematically showing the fender 10, and fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in fig. 3 and taken in the direction of an arrow. As shown in fig. 3, the fender 10 includes a fender body 30 disposed rearward of the rear wheel 5; and a mounting portion 20 formed at an upper end portion of the fender body portion 30 and fixedly connected (mounted) to the vehicle body 3.

The fender body 30 is formed in a substantially rectangular pyramid shape that is laterally disposed, and as shown in fig. 3 and 4, the fender body 30 includes a front side wall 31 that forms a bottom surface of the rectangular pyramid, a lower side wall 33, an inner side wall 34, an outer side wall 35, and an upper side wall 32 that form four side surfaces (first side surface to fourth side surface) of the rectangular pyramid.

The front wall 31 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and an upper end 31a thereof is integrally connected to the mounting portion 20. In this way, in a state where the attachment portion 20 is attached to the vehicle body 3, as shown in fig. 3, the front side wall 31 and the rear wheel 5 extend downward from the bottom of the vehicle body 3 in the vehicle longitudinal direction so as to face each other, and have a predetermined width in the vehicle width direction. Thus, the front wall 31 receives the stones, muddy water, and the like splashed by the rear wheel 5, and the stones, muddy water, and the like can be prevented from scattering to the following vehicle or from adhering to the vehicle body 3 of the host vehicle 1.

As shown in fig. 1 and 3, the upper side wall 32 is configured to extend rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction from the upper end portion 31a of the front side wall 31 and to gently curve downward. The lower side wall 33 is configured to extend rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction from the lower end portion 31b of the front side wall 31 and to extend while curving upward. Therefore, the outer surface of the lower side wall 33 (the lower surface 33a of the fender body 30) is a curved surface extending in a curved manner from the lower end of the fender body 30 toward the rear upper side.

As shown in fig. 4, the inner wall 34 is configured to extend rearward in the vehicle length direction from an end portion 31c of the front wall 31 on the vehicle width direction inner side and to curve toward the center of the fender body portion 30 in the vehicle width direction (which may be said to be outward in the vehicle width direction). Therefore, the outer surface of the inner wall 34 (the inner surface 34a of the fender body 30) is a curved surface that extends rearward from the vehicle-width-direction inner end of the fender body 30 and curves toward the vehicle-width-direction center of the fender body 30.

The outer wall 35 is configured to extend rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction from the vehicle width direction outer end portion 31d of the front wall 31 and to curve toward the vehicle width direction center (or inward in the vehicle width direction) of the fender body portion 30. Therefore, the outer surface of the outer side wall 35 (the outer side surface 35a of the fender body 30) is a curved surface that extends rearward from the vehicle width direction outer side end portion of the fender body 30 and curves toward the vehicle width direction center of the fender body 30.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the fender 10. With the fender 10 having the above-described configuration, due to the coanda effect, air disturbed by the rear wheel 5 flows again against the curved lower surface 33a, inner surface 34a, and outer surface 35a of the fender 10 as indicated by hollow arrows in fig. 5.

That is, the airflow flowing against the lower surface 33a, the inner surface 34a, and the outer surface 35a is rectified by the lower surface 33a, the inner surface 34a, and the outer surface 35a, and then can smoothly flow rearward of the vehicle 1. This prevents the air flow velocity under the floor of the vehicle 1 from slowing down, and increases the flow rate of air (indicated by the hatched arrows in fig. 5) that passes under the floor and flows out from behind.

Further, the flow velocity of air is greater at the side surface on the outside in the vehicle width direction of the rear wheel 5 than at the side surface on the inside in the vehicle width direction of the rear wheel 5. Therefore, the traveling wind flows from the outside in the vehicle width direction to the inside in the vehicle width direction behind the rear wheel 5. In this way, the flow velocity of the air is highest on the vehicle width direction outer side near the fender 10, so that the air is more likely to flow against the outer side surface 35a than the lower surface 33a and the inner side surface 34 a. In other words, of the lower surface 33a, the inner surface 34a, and the outer surface 35a, the outer surface 35a has the greatest effect (the greatest contribution) in increasing the flow rate of air that passes under the floor panel and flows out from the rear of the vehicle.

Specifically, it was confirmed through simulation experiments that the contribution of the outer side surface 35a is approximately four times that of the lower surface 33a and the inner side surface 34a in increasing the flow rate of the air passing under the floor and flowing out from the rear of the vehicle. Further, it was also confirmed through simulation experiments that the same contribution degree can be maintained even when the curved outer surface 35a is configured to have a shorter dimension in the vehicle length direction than that of fig. 1 to 4.

In this way, in the case of the fender 10 of the present embodiment, the flow rate of the air that passes under the floor and flows out from the rear of the vehicle is increased, and therefore, the air (indicated by solid arrows in fig. 5) that has been wrapped around the vehicle rear surface 9 from the roof 7 and the D-pillar can be reduced. This prevents the occurrence of a vortex, increases the back pressure, and suppresses an increase in the air resistance coefficient (CD value) of the vehicle back surface 9. Therefore, according to the fender 10 of the present embodiment, an increase in air resistance in the rear portion of the vehicle 1 can be effectively suppressed.

Further, as a result of the simulation experiment, when the fender 10 of the present embodiment is provided behind the rear wheel 5, the air resistance coefficient is increased by only + 0.3% or less as compared with the case where no fender is provided behind the rear wheel 5. Therefore, the fender 10 according to the present embodiment can prevent stones, muddy water, and the like from scattering on a following vehicle, or from adhering to the vehicle body 3 of the host vehicle 1, and the like, and can suppress an increase in air resistance at the rear portion of the vehicle 1.

< modification example >

Fig. 6 is a side view schematically showing a rear structure of the vehicle 1 to which the fender 10' according to the modification is attached. In the above embodiment, the fender 10 is configured such that the rear end portion of the upper side wall 32, the rear end portion of the lower side wall 33, the rear end portion of the inner side wall 34, and the rear end portion of the outer side wall 35 are concentrated toward the center in the vehicle width direction of the fender body portion 30 having a substantially quadrangular pyramid shape.

However, as described above, even when the curved outer surface 35a, that is, the outer wall 35' is configured to have a shorter dimension in the vehicle longitudinal direction than the outer wall 35 shown in fig. 1 to 4, the same effect (contribution degree) can be maintained.

For example, in the present modification, as shown in fig. 6, the fender body portion 30 'of the fender 10' is formed in a substantially quadrangular frustum shape (that is, a shape corresponding to a portion where the tip end portion of the fender body portion 30 is cut away) that is horizontal. Although not shown in detail, the fender body portion 30' has a front side wall that constitutes a bottom surface of the quadrangular frustum; a lower side wall, an inner side wall, an outer side wall 35' and an upper side wall which form the first to fourth side surfaces of the quadrangular frustum; and a rear side wall facing the rear of the vehicle 1, which constitutes the top surface of the quadrangular frustum.

Thus, the fender 10' can be shortened in the longitudinal direction, so that it is possible to prevent stones, muddy water, and the like splashed by the rear wheel 5 from scattering or adhering to the vehicle body 3 and the like, to suppress an increase in air resistance at the rear of the vehicle 1, and to improve the appearance.

Claims

1. A fender, characterized in that:

comprises a fender body part arranged at the rear part of a rear wheel of a vehicle and a mounting part formed at the upper end part of the fender body part and fixedly connected with a vehicle body,

the fender body portion has at least a front side wall extending downward from a lower portion of the vehicle body in opposition to the rear wheel and having a predetermined width in a vehicle width direction; a lower side wall extending rearward in the vehicle length direction from a lower end portion of the front side wall and extending in an upward curved manner; an inner wall extending rearward in the vehicle length direction from an inner end portion of the front wall in the vehicle width direction and extending to be curved outward in the vehicle width direction; and an outer wall extending rearward in the vehicle length direction from an outer end portion of the front wall in the vehicle width direction and extending while being curved inward in the vehicle width direction.

2. A fender according to claim 1 wherein:

the fender body portion is formed into a substantially quadrangular pyramid shape lying horizontally,

the front side wall forms the bottom surface of the rectangular pyramid, the lower side wall, the inner side wall and the outer side wall respectively form a first side surface, a second side surface and a third side surface of the rectangular pyramid,

the fender body further includes an upper side wall extending rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction from an upper end portion of the front side wall and extending in a downward curved manner, and the upper side wall forms a fourth side surface of the rectangular pyramid.

3. A fender according to claim 1 wherein:

the fender body portion is formed into a substantially quadrangular frustum shape lying horizontally,

the front side wall forms the bottom surface of the quadrangular frustum pyramid, the lower side wall, the inner side wall and the outer side wall respectively form a first side surface, a second side surface and a third side surface of the quadrangular frustum pyramid,

the fender body further includes an upper side wall extending rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction from an upper end portion of the front side wall and extending while being bent downward; and a rear side wall facing the rear of the vehicle,

the upper side wall forms a fourth side face of the quadrangular frustum pyramid, and the rear side wall forms a top face of the quadrangular frustum pyramid.