FI88600B - STAENKSKYDD FOER MOTORFORDON - Google Patents

Description

1 88600

This invention relates to a spray valve for a motor vehicle, and more particularly to an industrial vehicle.

5 Motor vehicles, especially industrial vehicles, are often equipped with splash guards at the rear of the wheel to prevent spray from the wheels from being directed transversely to or behind the vehicle, which would seriously impair visibility.

10 The known rubber splash guards offer only a partial solution to the problem, as most of the water on the flap splashes back on the wheel or in the transverse direction to the vehicle.

Also known are multilayer splash flaps comprising a waterproof rear and one or more superimposed layers, one of which, on the wheel side, is designed to allow water to filter into the underlying layers, which absorb the kinetic energy of the water, substantially preventing it from "popping" from the water-20. from the back and allow for controlled drainage. Said layers are usually formed of extruded plastic mesh. An important disadvantage of the known multilayer splash flaps of the above-mentioned type is the high manufacturing and assembly costs of the various layers 25, as well as the relatively high weight of the finished flap. In addition, the properties of said layers are the same over the entire surface of the flap, regardless of how much water actually hits each part of the surface. Thus, those parts of the flap that are exposed to relatively small amounts of water (e.g., the top and side parts) cover the same part of the total weight and manufacturing cost as the parts that are most affected (e.g., the lower end of the center) where greater efficiency is required.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a splash flap for a motor vehicle designed to remove the drawbacks associated with known splash flaps of the above type.

In view of this object, there is provided a splash flap adapted to a wheel of a vehicle according to the present invention, comprising a waterproof rear element, a permeable layer abutting the waterproof rear element on the wheel side, spacer means and percussion means for cutting a jet filtering through the permeable layer and allowing the jet to flow in a controlled manner along the waterproof rear element, the spacer and impact means being located between the waterproof rear element and the permeable layer, characterized in that the impact means and spacer means consist of first and second integral front projections, respectively.

A number of preferred embodiments 20 of the present invention will be explained by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows a partially sectioned front view of a splash valve according to the teachings of the present invention.

Figures 2a and 2b show a partial front view and 25 cross-sections of a part of Figure 1, respectively.

Figures 3a and 3b show a front view and a cross-section, respectively, of a part of another embodiment of Figures 2a and 2b.

Figure 4 shows a partial section of a part of Figure 1.

Figure 5 shows a partial section of a part of Figure 4 of another embodiment.

Fig. 6 shows on a reduced scale a side view of the splash flap of Fig. 35 1 attached to the mudguard of an industrial vehicle.

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Reference numeral 1 in Fig. 1 denotes an industrial vehicle splash guard.

The splash flap 1 comprises a rectangular, substantially flat, waterproof rear element 2 suitably formed of a pressed elastomer and having a flat, raised edge 3 extending along the vertical sides 4 and the upper side 5, and further having external projections 6 along the vertical sides 4. According to the present invention, the rear element 2 comprises a plurality of protrusions 7, for example five, which are parallel and equidistant from each other and from the outer projections 6 and which extend vertically from the upper side 5 to the lower side 8 of said rear element 2. 15 and the same height as the edge 3 with respect to the surface of the rear element 2. The rear element 2 also comprises a plurality of substantially conical protrusions 9, rounded at the upper end, which are lower than said protrusions 7. The division of the protrusions 9 by the rear element 2 varies from one part of the elements 20 to another. Referring to Figure 1, the longitudinal projections 7, the lower part of the rear element 2, and the dashed horizontal line 10 shown by the broken line, and approximately two-fifths of the rear element 2 from said lower edge 8 form a part 11, hereinafter referred to as maximum impact 25. Said part 11 is further divided by three central projections 7 and a line 13 between the lower edge 8 and half of the line 10 into eight parts, the numbers (outwards and upwards from the center) being 14, 14 ', 15, 15', 16, 16 ', 17 and 17 '. Inside each of said parts, the projections 30 9 are arranged in parallel vertical rows which are offset by half of each other. The rows in parts 14, 14 ', 15 and 15' are at the same distance from each other and placed closer to each other than in parts 16, 16 ', 17, 17'. The vertical central distance of the protrusions 9 is the same in sections 15, 15 ', 16 and 16', smaller in sections 14 and 14 'and larger in sections 17 and 17'.

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In the part outside the part 10 of the rear wall element 2, said rows and the projections 9 in each row have the same, double row spacing from each other, and at a vertical distance from the parts 14 and 14 '.

As clearly shown in Fig. 1, the pattern described above is symmetrical with respect to the vertical central axis of the rear element 2, i.e. with respect to the central protrusion 7.

The rear element 2 is provided with a net 10 20 made of a flexible elastomeric or plastic material, suitably formed by compression. The net 20, shown in detail in Figures 2a and 2b, is two-level, has rhombic net elements 21, is placed on the edge 3 and the protrusions 7 and is loosely placed between the two longitudinal projections 6. The net 20 is attached to the rear element by two pressure strips 22, each of which has an L-shaped edge 23 which cooperates with a corresponding protrusion 6. Said strips 22 extend substantially along the lower half of the sides 4 and are connected to the edge 3 by bolts 24 (Fig. 4) which are in the respective holes 25 in the edge 3 and fit through the elements 21 of the net 20. Alternatively, said net may be of the type indicated by reference numeral 26 in Figures 3a and 3b, in which the net 26 is again substantially two-level, but consists of two groups of alternating alternating elements 27, 27 'with an irregular sinusoidal cross-section and located slightly laterally offset , 28 '.

Adjacent elements 27, 27 'form opposite convex sides which are interconnected with each other so as to form elongate mesh elements 29.

Figure 5 shows an alternative solution for attaching the net 20 (or 26) to the rear element 2. In this case, the edge 3 is bent into a U-shape at least along the part of the sides 4 to form transverse guides 30 to the net 20 fixed by a plurality of rivets 33.

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Fig. 6 shows an example of a splash guard 1 attached to the mudguard 34 of a wheel 35 of an industrial vehicle (shown only partially and schematically).

The splash guard 1 is attached to the rear surface 5 of the mudguard 34 so that the lower portion extends downwardly to at least the same height as the maximum impact portion 11 designed to cut off most of the jet of the wheel 35. Within said part 11, the possible impact increases as it goes downwards towards the center.

The splash flap 1 is fixed to the mudguard 34 by bolts 36, for which purpose the splash flap 1 has a plurality of holes 37 along the upper side 5 of the edge 3 and a plurality of sleeves 38 aligned substantially along the horizontal center line of the Rois spool 1. The sleeves 38 are suitably the same height as the protrusions 7 and the edge 3 to provide additional support and mounting points for the net 20.

Splash flap 1 works as follows. The water lifted by the wheels 35 is stopped by a net 20 (or 26) which always allows most of it to be filtered into the waterproof rear element 2. The impact of the water droplets on the protrusions 9 causes a considerable reduction in the kinetic energy of the droplets deflected transversely and "trapped" by the rear element 2. and a gap 20 (or 26) in the net 20, where they finally accumulate on the rear element 2 and flow downwards.

The advantages of the splash flap 1 will become apparent from the foregoing description. Firstly, it is cheap and light due to the fact that it is formed of only a few components (essentially two layers and corresponding fastening means). Second, it provides high power due to the protrusions 9 arranged to operate in the event of a possible impact.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made to the splash flap 1 described and described herein without departing from the scope of the present invention.

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For example, changes can be made to the structure and placement of the protrusions 7 and 9, the type of net, and the way the net 20 or 26 is attached to the rear element 2. In particular, the net 20 or 26 can be formed by extrusion or, if pressed, the screen elements can be of different sizes. and / or shapes in different parts of the network. The splash flap 1 can also be mounted differently from that shown in Fig. 6, for example placed inside the wheel housing both above and behind the wheel.

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Claims (10)

7 88600 A splash flap adapted for a wheel of a vehicle, comprising a waterproof rear element (2), a permeable layer (20, 26) abutting the waterproof rear element on the wheel side, spacer means and impact means for filtering through the permeable layer. to allow the jet to flow in a controlled manner along the waterproof rear element (2), the spacer and impact means being located between the waterproof rear element and the permeable layer, characterized in that the impact means and spacer means consist of first and second integral front projections 7), which 15 are fitted to the waterproof rear element (2). Splash flap according to Claim 1, characterized in that the frequency of the first projections (9) of the waterproof rear element (2) varies from one part of the rear element to another. Splash flap according to claim 2, characterized in that the density of the first protrusions (9) is higher in those parts (14,15,16,17,14 ', 15', 16 ', 17') of the waterproof rear element (2) in which water during use strikes harder. ! Splash flap according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first projections (9) are substantially conical. Splash flap according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second projections, '30 (7), extend substantially linearly over the surface of the waterproof rear element (2). Splash flap according to Claim 5, characterized in that the second projections (7) are parallel and at the same distance from one another, and in that the second projections (7) extend vertically from the upper side (5) to the lower side (8) of the waterproof rear element (2). 8 88600 Splash flap according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second projections (7) are higher than the first projections (9). Splash flap 5 according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the permeable layer consists of a net (20, 26). Splash flap according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the waterproof rear element (2) has an edge (3) which is substantially the same height as the other projections (7) and extends at least along the two vertical sides (4) of the waterproof rear element (2). ), and that it comprises means (22, 24) for attaching the net (20, 26) at least to the edge (3) along opposite sides (4) of the waterproof rear element (2). Splash flap according to claim 9, characterized in that the fastening means comprise two clamping elements (22) for fastening the net (20, 26) to the edge (3). 9 88600