JP2009234331A - Wheel cover device covering outer surface of wheel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the lower edge of a wheel cover from being interfered with the road surface even in the case that a wheel is covered with the wheel cover up to a place near its lower edge in order to improve an aerodynamic performance of an automobile. <P>SOLUTION: A cover fixing part 112a covering a rear wheel 100 up to a location near its lower edge and a cover movable part 1 supported at the lower part of the cover fixing part 112a in such a way that it can be moved up and down are arranged, wherein the cover movable part connected to an A type upper arm 122 through a link A17 and a link B19 is influenced under a displacement of the A type upper arm 122 and can be moved in an upward direction when a vehicle V negotiates obstacles and causes the rear wheel 100 to substantially bump. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a wheel cover that covers an outer side surface of a wheel.

When driving a car, the driving wind that flows on the side of the car body and under the floor enters the wheel house where the wheels are installed, and is then sucked out to the side of the car body. This phenomenon greatly disturbs the flow of airflow behind the car body. This increases the air resistance (Cd).
Therefore, by attaching a wheel cover with the upper end fixed to the fender panel on the outer side surface of the wheel, it prevents the wind from entering the wheel house and prevents the wind that entered from below the floor from being sucked out from the wheel arch. Such a structure is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).
Further, when a wheel cover is set on the outer side surface of the front wheel, the front wheel becomes a steering wheel when turning, and thus a fixed wheel cover cannot be attached. Therefore, when the front wheels are steered during turning, the wheel cover is rotated together with the front wheels in conjunction with the steering operation, thereby avoiding interference between the wheel cover and the front wheels even when the front wheels are steered. Is known (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
JP 59-192678 A JP-A-61-36064

It is known to cover the outer side of the wheel from the upper side to the lower edge of the wheel house as much as possible in order to reduce the flow of the airflow on the side of the vehicle body caused by the wheel or wheel house when traveling.
However, such a conventional wheel cover only covers from the upper part of the wheel house to the vicinity of the center of the wheel, and the effect of reducing the air resistance is low. This is because when the wheel cover covers the vicinity of the lower edge of the wheel, when the car gets over an obstacle and the rear wheel bumps, the lower edge of the wheel cover hits the curb or the like, causing damage or noise. It is.

  The object of the present invention is to improve the aerodynamic performance around the wheel and prevent the lower edge of the wheel cover from interfering with the road surface even when the wheel is bumped. An object of the present invention is to provide a wheel cover device that can ensure the merchantability.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wheel cover device for rectifying a flow of air on a side surface of a vehicle when the vehicle is running. When the wheel that moves up and down is displaced upward, a displacement transmission member that displaces the cover movable part upward is provided.

  According to claim 1, even when the wheel bumps when the wheel cover covers at least the vicinity of the lower edge of the wheel, the cover movable portion covering the vicinity of the lower edge of the wheel is supported so as to be movable up and down. When the wheel is displaced upward, the movable cover portion is also displaced upward, so that the lower edge of the wheel cover does not interfere with the road surface. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both aerodynamic performance around the wheel and ensuring merchantability of preventing damage to the wheel cover by preventing road surface interference.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the wheel cover device according to the first aspect of the present invention, a cover fixing portion is provided which is fixed to a side surface of the vehicle body above the wheel and covers the wheel to the vicinity of the lower edge, and the movable cover is provided. A part is arrange | positioned under the said cover fixing | fixed part, and the said cover movable part and the said cover fixing | fixed part cover the said wheel outer side surface continuously.

  According to the second aspect, the wheel cover that covers the outer side surface of the wheel is fixed to the side surface portion of the vehicle body that is positioned above the wheel, and the cover movable portion that covers the wheel to the vicinity of the lower edge and the cover movable portion is disposed below the cover fixing portion. As a result, the part that moves up and down due to the displacement of the wheel is only the cover movable part that covers the vicinity of the lower edge of the wheel, so that the movable part is less noticeable and leads to improved visibility. Moreover, by displacing only the lower edge portion rather than displacing the entire wheel cover, the mass of the movable portion is reduced and the required energy is reduced. Moreover, when the cover movable part is damaged, only the cover movable part arranged at the lower edge part needs to be replaced and repaired.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the wheel cover device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the cover movable portion includes an outer cover portion that integrally covers the wheel from the upper portion of the wheel to the vicinity of the lower edge. is there.

  According to claim 3, since the cover movable part integrally covers the wheel from the upper part of the wheel to the vicinity of the lower edge, when the cover movable part is displaced upward at the time of automobile bump, the cover fixing part and the cover movable part Road surface interference can be prevented with a simple configuration rather than dividing into parts.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the wheel cover device according to any one of the first to third aspects, only when the displacement transmitting member is displaced upward by a predetermined amount or more, the cover movable part. It is the structure provided with the displacement permissible mechanism which displaces upward.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, by providing a displacement allowance mechanism in the cover movable part, when the automobile travels on an uneven road, it interferes with the road surface even if the wheel cover that covers the wheel to the vicinity of the lower edge is at a normal position. When this is not the case, the cover movable part will not be displaced, so that unnecessary fine movement can be eliminated, leading to improved visibility. Also, when the cover movable part does not interfere with the road surface even when it is in the normal position, the cover movable part is not pulled upward, so the unsprung weight can be reduced and running stability can be reduced. It can be improved.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the wheel cover device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the displacement transmission member supports the wheel and is displaceable in the vertical direction with respect to the vehicle body. It is the structure connected with the arm.

  According to the fifth aspect, when the wheel is displaced in the upward direction, the displacement transmitting means can be connected to the upper arm that moves in the same manner, thereby transmitting the displacement of the upper arm to the cover movable portion. In addition, the number of parts can be reduced by connecting to the upper arm at the shortest distance across the wheel from the cover movable part in the suspension.

  According to the invention which concerns on Claim 6, in the wheel cover apparatus in any one of the said Claims 1-4, a displacement transmission member protrudes in the said wheel outer surface from the in-wheel motor installed inside the said wheel. It is the structure which consists of a non-rotating member.

  According to the sixth aspect, the displacement transmitting member is composed of the non-rotating member that is the central axis of the in-wheel motor located at the wheel side view center, so that it is closest to the cover movable part and passes through other parts. The displacement of the wheel can be transmitted to the cover movable part. In particular, the center axis of the in-wheel motor is easy to be configured as a displacement transmission member because the axle serving as a non-rotating member is likely to protrude outward from the vehicle body.

  As described above, according to the above configuration, even when the wheel is covered to the vicinity of the lower edge by the wheel cover, the lower edge of the wheel cover does not interfere with the road surface at the time of bumping. While improving the aerodynamic performance to the maximum, it is possible to prevent the wheel cover parts from being damaged and to ensure their merchantability.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

A vehicle body structure common to three embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 1 is a side view showing a vehicle body structure of an automobile V common to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the side surface of the vehicle body structure for explaining the structure of the left rear wheel cover of the present invention as seen from the front. The vehicle V is a rear wheel drive type electric vehicle, and the rear wheel 100 is driven by an in-wheel motor 102.

As shown in FIG. 1, the automobile V has a side door 104 for an occupant to get on and off approximately in the center when viewed from the side, and has a large front fender 108 surrounding the front wheel 106 that is a steering wheel in front of the side door 104. ing. As can be seen from FIG. 2, the rear portion of the vehicle body main body 110 including the front fender 108 has a tapered shape as it goes rearward.
The rear part of the vehicle V is provided with an outer wheel cover 112 that covers the rear wheel outer side surface from the side surface of the vehicle body to the vicinity of the lower edge along the rear wheel outer shape, and an inner wheel cover 114 that covers the rear wheel inner side surface. 100 is covered mostly by the outer wheel cover 112 and the inner wheel cover 114 except for the ground contact portion.

A side air guide passage 116 is formed between the inner wheel cover 114 and the vehicle body 110 so as to extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction and open at the front end and the rear end. Since the rear opening of the side air guide passage 116 is opened facing the negative pressure region generated at the rear of the vehicle body during traveling, the traveling wind entering from the front end of the side air guide passage 116 is efficiently blown rearward. Disturbance in this region can be reduced by reducing the negative pressure behind the vehicle body.
In addition, traveling wind that flows along the side surface of the vehicle body enters from the front end of the side wind guide passage 116 and is installed in the rear wheel 100 that is disposed outside the side wind guide passage 116 in the vehicle width direction. The wheel motor 102 can be cooled. The side surface of the in-wheel motor has a plurality of cooling fins 130 for cooling the in-wheel motor by taking in the traveling wind flowing through the side air guide passage 116, thereby improving the heat exchange performance.

The outer wheel cover 112 is configured such that when the rear wheel 100 is bumped, the lower edge portion of the outer wheel cover 112 can move up and down in order to prevent the lower edge portion of the outer wheel cover 112 from interfering with the road surface.
After the running wind flowing around the rear wheel 100 from the side of the vehicle body enters the wheel house and is sucked out to the outside of the vehicle through the inside of the rear wheel 100, that is, the gap between the wheels, it collides with the airflow flowing on the side of the vehicle body, The air flow was disturbed and the air resistance (Cd) was increased. Therefore, the outer wheel cover 112 covers most of the outer side surface of the rear wheel 100 to prevent the traveling wind from entering the wheel house, and even if the traveling wind enters the wheel house, Therefore, the air resistance caused by the rear wheel house can be minimized.

  However, when the rear wheel 100 is covered close to the road surface in order to improve aerodynamic performance, the outer wheel cover 112 interferes with the obstacle when the rear wheel 100 gets over the obstacle and is greatly displaced upward, so-called bumping. This has been a reason for hindering the conventional structure of covering the lower edge of the wheel with the wheel cover.

  Therefore, in the present invention, the lower edge portion of the outer wheel cover 112 is configured to be movable up and down in the vehicle body vertical direction. Thereby, even when the rear wheel 100 is covered to the vicinity of the lower edge by the outer wheel cover 112, the road surface interference of the outer wheel cover 112 can be avoided when the rear wheel 100 is bumped. Therefore, a problem that could not be solved in the past is that the aerodynamic performance around the rear wheel 100 can be improved to the maximum, the road surface interference of the outer wheel cover 112 can be avoided, and the occurrence of component breakage and abnormal noise can be prevented. I was able to solve it.

Next, the movement of the rear wheel suspension mechanism W and the rear wheel 100 common to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
A lower arm 120 having an outer end in the vehicle width direction coupled to a wheel hub 118 fixed to the front and rear of the side surface of the in-wheel motor 102 built in the rear wheel 100 is connected to the side air guide passage 116 through the vehicle width. The inner end of the lower arm 120 in the vehicle width direction is pivotally supported by a vehicle body constituent member 124 disposed inside the vehicle body so as to be able to swing up and down.
Above the lower arm 120, an A-type upper arm 122 that is tapered toward the outside in the vehicle width direction is disposed, and the outer end portion in the vehicle width direction of the A-type upper arm 122 curves upward from the in-wheel motor 102. The knuckle arm 126 extending while being pivotally supported so as to swing up and down. The lower end of the knuckle arm 126 is fixed above the side surface of the in-wheel 102.

The two front and rear shocks arranged in the vehicle body front-rear direction so as to be sandwiched between the A-type upper arm 122 and the lower arm 120 inside the vehicle body on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the side air guide passage 116. Absorbers 128 and 129 are provided. The upper ends of the shock absorbers 128 and 129 are pivotally supported at the inner end in the vehicle width direction of the A-type upper arm 122, and the lower ends thereof are pivotally supported at the center portion on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the lower arm 120.
A vehicle body side swing axis 123, which is a central axis when the A-type upper arm 122 moves up and down, is located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction from the shaft fulcrum supporting the upper ends of the shock absorbers 128 and 129 and the A-type upper arm 122. It extends in the front-rear direction.
A vehicle body side swing axis 121 that is a central axis when the lower arm 120 moves up and down extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction from the lower end of the shock absorbers 128 and 129 and the shaft fulcrum that supports the lower arm 120 in the vehicle width direction. .

When the automobile gets over the obstacle and the rear wheel 100 bumps, the A-type upper arm 122 receives the displacement of the knuckle arm 126 upward, and the vehicle width direction outer side portion around the vehicle body side swing axis 123. Moves upward, and the inner side in the vehicle width direction moves downward. Thereby, a downward force is applied to the upper ends of the shock absorbers 128 and 129 that are pivotally supported at the inner end in the vehicle width direction.
The lower arm 120 receives an upward displacement of the in-wheel motor 102, and an outer portion in the vehicle width direction moves upward about the vehicle body side swing axis 121. At this time, the inner end portion in the vehicle width direction is pivotally supported by the vehicle body constituting member 124 and therefore does not move. Thereby, an upward force is applied to the lower ends of the shock absorbers 128 and 129.

  For this reason, the shock absorbers 128 and 129 sandwiched between the A-type upper arm 122 and the lower arm 120 are contracted by a force applied from above and a force applied from below. At this time, since the A-type upper arm 122 and the lower arm 120 swing up and down in the same phase, the shock absorbers 128 and 128 can be greatly expanded and contracted even when the rear wheel 100 is moved in a small vertical direction, and the damping performance is efficiently achieved. It can be secured.

(First embodiment)
Next, 100 outer wheel covers 112 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the rear wheel 100 viewed obliquely from the rear for explaining the structure of the cover movable portion 1 that covers the lower edge of the outer side surface of the rear wheel 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the rear wheel 100 according to the first embodiment as viewed from the rear.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the outer wheel cover 112 that covers the outer side surface of the rear wheel 100 includes a cover fixing portion 112 a that hangs from the side surface of the vehicle body to the vicinity of the lower edge along the outer shape of the rear wheel 100, and a lower end portion thereof. And a cover movable portion 1 that covers the lower edge portion of the rear wheel 100.
The cover movable portion 1 is located at the movable lower portion 2 that covers the vicinity of the lower edge of the rear wheel 100 in an arc shape in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and the central portion of the movable lower portion 2 in the front-rear direction, as viewed from the side. The movable connecting portion 3 extends upward to the vicinity of the center of the rear wheel 100 in a side view along the inner side in the width direction. Therefore, the entire cover movable part 1 has a substantially mountain shape when viewed from the side.
The front end portion of the movable lower portion 2 is pivotally supported by the cover movable swing support portion 5 extending in the vehicle width direction on the cover fixing portion 112a. Further, the rear end portion of the movable lower portion 2 is supported by the cover fixing portion 112 via the swing support mechanism 7 so as to be swingable up and down.
Therefore, when the rear wheel 100 bumps, the movable lower portion 2 is displaced so that the movable movable portion 1 is pulled vertically upward with the movable swing support portion 5 as a fulcrum (2 ′).

Next, the swing support mechanism 7 provided at the rear end portion of the movable lower portion 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the rear wheel 100 as viewed from the rear. The movable connecting portion 3 and the links 17 and 19 are not shown.
An outer end portion in the vehicle width direction is fixed to the cover fixing portion 112a at the upper end portion of the swing hole portion 9 constituting the swing support mechanism 7, and protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction to pass through the swing hole portion 9. A guide portion 11 is provided, and the guide portion 11 has an L-shape when viewed from the vehicle rear sectional view.
A spring member 13 is urged between the lower end portion of the swing hole portion 9 and the guide portion 11, and the spring member 13 presses the guide portion 11 against the upper end portion of the swing hole portion 9. Yes.
Further, a displacement allowance mechanism 14 having a long hole portion 16 to be described later is provided at the upper end portion of the movable connecting portion 3. An engagement member 15 is slidably engaged with the long hole portion 16 from the inner side to the outer side in the vehicle width direction with a gap in the upper part of the vehicle body in the vertical direction.

A link 17 is connected to the upper surface of the A-shaped upper arm 122 that is tapered outward in the vehicle width direction by two bolts that are detachably attached, and extends across the rear wheel 100 in the vehicle width direction. It extends outward.
A link 19 is pivotally supported on the outer side of the link 17 in the vehicle width direction so as to be vertically movable by a hinge extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. The link 19 hangs down along the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the cover fixing portion 112a, and the lower end thereof is slidably engaged with the movable connecting portion 3 via the engaging member 15.
By connecting the link 17, the link 19 and the movable part connecting part 3 across the upper part of the rear wheel 100 from the A-type upper arm 122, the upward displacement of the A-type upper arm 122 is transferred to the cover movable part 1. Can be transmitted in the shortest distance across the board, reducing the number of parts, leading to lighter moving parts and cost reduction.

Next, the displacement allowance mechanism 14 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a side view of the rear part of the vehicle body showing that the cover movable part 1 is not displaced upward even when the automobile V has crossed the joint between the pebbles and the bridge. FIG. 7 is a side view of the rear part of the vehicle body showing the operation when the cover movable unit 1 is displaced upward when the automobile V gets over an obstacle.
The displacement allowing member 14 includes an engaging portion 15 located at the lower end portion of the link 19 and a long hole portion 16 into which the engaging portion is slidably engaged. In the upper part of the engaging member 15 that engages with the lower end of the long hole portion 16, there is a gap through which the engaging member 15 can be displaced upward.
When the vehicle V gets over an obstacle or a joint between pebbles and a bridge, the links 17 and 19 connected to the A-type upper arm 122 are displaced upward (17 ', 19').

Next, whether or not the cover movable portion 1 is displaced upward is determined by the displacement allowance mechanism 14 provided at the lower end portion of the link 19.
That is, when the engaging member 15 that engages with the long hole portion 16 of the displacement permissible mechanism 14 comes into contact with the upper end portion of the long hole portion 16 (15 ′), the cover movable portion 1 pulls upward on the link 17. (17 '). When the engaging member 15 that engages with the elongated hole portion 16 of the displacement allowing mechanism 14 returns to the original position without contacting the upper end portion of the elongated hole portion 16, the cover movable portion 1 is pulled by the link 19. Without moving from a predetermined position (FIG. 6).
The operation when the engaging member 15 contacts the upper end of the long hole portion 16 of the displacement allowing mechanism 14 and the cover movable portion 1 is displaced upward will be described later (FIG. 6).

When the vehicle V travels on an uneven road surface by the displacement allowance mechanism 14, the unevenness is a joint between pebbles and a bridge, and there is a risk that the road surface may interfere even if the cover movable portion 1 is not displaced upward. When there is not, the engaging member 15 does not contact the upper end part of the long hole part 16, and the cover movable part 1 does not displace upward. Therefore, since the cover movable part 1 is not pulled by the engaging member 15, the unsprung weight of the automobile can be reduced, leading to improvement in running stability.
Here, in order to reduce the number of parts and reduce the cost, the movable connecting portion 3 may not be provided with the displacement permissible mechanism 14, and the cover movable portion 1 may always move up and down with the movement of the rear wheel 100.

Next, the operation of the cover movable unit 1 when the automobile V according to the first embodiment of the present invention gets over an obstacle and the rear wheel 100 bumps will be described.
When the vehicle V gets over an obstacle and the rear wheel 100 bumps, the lower arm 120 pivotally supported by the side surface portion of the in-wheel motor 102 built in the rear wheel 100 via the bracket 118 so as to swing up and down; An A-type upper arm 122 pivotally supported at the outer end in the vehicle width direction by a knuckle arm 126 fixed above and extending upward on the side surface of the in-wheel motor 102 is displaced upward (120 ′, 122 ′, 126 '). At this time, the lower arm 120 and the A-type upper arm 122 are displaced upward with the vehicle body side swing axis lines 121 and 123 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body as center axes.
At the same time, the link 17 connected to the upper surface of the A-type upper arm 122 in the vertical direction of the vehicle body and the link 19 connected to the link 17 are displaced upward. (17 ', 19')

Next, the engaging member 15 located at the lower end portion of the link 19 abuts on the upper end portion of the long hole portion 16, and the movable connecting portion 3 is pulled upward by the link 19 (15 ′), and the front end of the movable lower portion 1. The movable swinging support portion 5 that is pivotally supported in the vehicle width direction is displaced upward (1 ′). When the cover movable portion 1 is displaced upward, the swing hole portion 9 constituting the swing support mechanism 5 provided at the rear end portion of the movable lower portion 2 is also displaced upward (7 ′). At this time, the swing hole 9 is displaced upward while the guide portion 11 positioned at the upper end of the swing hole 9 compresses the spring member 13.
Thereby, since the movable movable part 1 is displaced upward, even when the vehicle V bumps over the obstacle, the lower edge of the outer wheel cover 112 can travel without interfering with the obstacle.

Next, when the vehicle V finishes over the obstacle and the rear wheel 100 returns to a predetermined position, the cover movable portion 1 has its own weight and the swing hole portion 9 constituting the swing support mechanism 7. It returns to its original position by the elastic force of the spring member 13 provided on the.
By providing the spring member 13 in the swing hole portion 9, the cover movable portion 1 quickly returns due to the elastic force of the spring member 13 when the cover movable portion 1 returns to the original position after the cover movable portion 1 is displaced upward. Is possible. Moreover, when the cover movable part returns to the original position, it is possible to prevent the guide part 11 from interfering with the cover movable part, and thus it is possible to prevent component damage.

(Second embodiment)
Next, the outer wheel cover 112 of the rear wheel 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 8 to 11.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the rear wheel 100 as viewed obliquely from the rear for explaining the structure of the cover movable portion 21 that covers the lower edge of the outer side surface of the rear wheel 100 in particular. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the rear wheel 100 according to the second embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a cover fixing portion 112 b that hangs from the side of the vehicle body to the vicinity of the lower edge along the outer shape of the rear wheel 100, and a cover that is disposed at the lower end of the cover and covers the vicinity of the lower edge of the rear wheel 100 It consists of a movable part 21.
The movable cover portion 21 is located at the movable lower portion 22 that covers the vicinity of the lower edge of the rear wheel 100 in an arc shape in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and the central portion of the movable lower portion 22 in the longitudinal direction when viewed from the side. Along the inner side in the width direction, the movable connecting portion 23 extends upward to the center portion of the rear wheel 100 in a side view. Therefore, the entire cover movable portion 21 has a substantially mountain shape when viewed from the side.

Next, the swing support mechanism 7 provided at the rear end portion of the movable lower portion 22 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 8. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the rear wheel 100 as viewed from the rear. Note that the movable connecting portion 23 and the axle 35 are not shown.
As shown in FIG. 5, one end of the swing hole 9 constituting the swing support mechanism 7 is fixed to the cover fixing portion 112b, and the swing hole 9 is inserted inside the vehicle width direction. A guide portion 11 is provided, and the guide portion 11 has an L-shape when viewed in cross section.
A spring member 13 is urged between the lower end portion of the swing hole portion 9 and the guide portion 11, and the guide portion 11 is pressed against the upper end portion of the swing hole portion 9 by the spring member 13. Are arranged as follows.
In addition, although the movable swing support part 5 connected to the cover fixing | fixed part 112b so that rocking up and down is not provided in the front-end part of the movable lower part 22 shown in FIG. 8, it is movable like 1st embodiment. A configuration in which the lower swing 22 and the cover fixing portion 112b are connected to each other and the movable swing support portion 5 extending in the vehicle width direction may be provided.

At the upper end portion of the movable connecting portion 23, a displacement allowing mechanism 34 having a long hole portion 36 to be described later is provided. In the long hole portion 36, an axle 35, which is a rotation center shaft located at the center of the in-wheel motor 102 built in the rear wheel 100, protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction, and extends from the inner side to the outer side in the vehicle width direction. Are slidably engaged.
Since the in-wheel motor 102 rotates the rear wheel 100 about the rotation center axis located at the center of the side view, the rotation center axis itself does not rotate with the wheel. Therefore, the axle 35 (rotation center axis) protruding outward in the vehicle width direction can be easily slidably engaged with the movable connecting portion 23.
The non-rotating member is most preferable like the rotation center axis of the in-wheel motor 102, but even in the case of a wheel that does not have the non-rotating member at the center in the side view, it protrudes outward with the bearing in between. It is possible to engage with the movable connecting portion 23 by separately providing the caused axle.
Unlike the first embodiment, the present embodiment does not take the displacement from the A-type upper arm 122, so that the upward displacement of the rear wheel 100 can be transmitted directly to the cover movable portion 21. This leads to reduction in the number of moving parts, cost reduction, and weight reduction.

Next, the displacement permission mechanism 34 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a side view of the rear portion of the vehicle body showing that the cover movable portion 21 is not displaced upward even when the automobile V has crossed a joint between pebbles and a bridge. FIG. 11 is a side view of the rear portion of the vehicle body showing the operation when the cover movable portion 21 is displaced upward when the automobile V gets over an obstacle.
An axle 35 that protrudes outward from the center of the rear wheel 100 viewed from the side is engaged with the lower end of the long hole portion 36 constituting the displacement permissible mechanism 34 so as to be slidable from the inner side to the outer side in the vehicle width direction. . An upper portion of the axle 35 that engages with the lower end portion of the long hole portion 29 has a gap that allows the axle 35 to be displaced upward.

When the automobile V gets over an obstacle or a joint between pebbles and a bridge, the displacement allowing mechanism 34 provided at the upper end portion of the movable connecting member 23 determines whether the cover movable portion 21 is displaced upward.
When the axle 35 that engages with the long hole portion 36 of the displacement allowance mechanism 34 comes into contact with the upper end portion of the long hole portion 36 (35 '), the cover movable portion 21 is displaced vertically upward (21'). ). When the axle 35 engaged with the long hole portion 36 returns to the original position without contacting the upper end portion of the long hole portion 36, the cover movable portion 21 does not move from a predetermined position (FIG. 10). .
The operation (FIG. 11) when the axle 35 comes into contact with the upper end portion of the long hole portion 36 of the displacement allowing mechanism 34 and the cover movable portion 21 is displaced upward will be described later.

When the vehicle V travels on an uneven road surface by the displacement allowance mechanism 34, the unevenness is small, and there is no possibility of interference with the road surface even if the cover movable portion 21 is not displaced upward. Since 35 does not come into contact with the upper end portion of the long hole portion 36, the cover movable portion 21 is not displaced upward. For this reason, since the cover movable part 21 is not pulled by the axle 35, the unsprung weight of the automobile is reduced, leading to an improvement in running stability.
Here, in order to reduce the number of parts and reduce the cost, the movable connecting portion 23 may not be provided with the displacement permissible mechanism 34, and the cover movable portion 21 may always move up and down with the movement of the rear wheel 100.

Next, the operation of the cover movable unit 21 when the automobile V according to the second embodiment of the present invention gets over an obstacle and the rear wheel 100 bumps will be described.
When the vehicle V gets over an obstacle and bumps, a lower arm 120 pivotally supported by a side surface of an in-wheel motor 102 built in the rear wheel 100 via a wheel hub 118 so as to swing up and down, and an in-wheel motor The A-type upper arm 122 pivotally supported by the knuckle arm 126 fixed above the side surface portion 102 is displaced upward (120 ′, 122 ′, 126 ′). At this time, the lower arm 120 and the A-type upper arm 122 are displaced upward with the vehicle body side swing axis lines 121 and 123 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body as center axes.
At the same time, the axle 35 located at the center of the in-wheel motor 102 and projecting outward in the vehicle width direction is displaced upward (35 ').

Next, the axle 35 located at the center of the rear wheel 100 in a side view comes into contact with the upper end of the long hole portion 36 constituting the displacement allowance mechanism 34, and the movable connecting portion 23 is pulled upward (35 ' ), The movable cover portion 21 is displaced approximately vertically upward (21 ′). When the cover movable portion 21 is displaced upward, the swing hole portion 9 constituting the swing support mechanism 5 provided at the rear end portion of the movable lower portion 22 is also displaced upward (7 ′). At this time, the swing hole 9 is displaced upward while the guide portion 11 positioned at the upper end of the swing hole 9 compresses the spring member 13.
As a result, the cover movable portion 21 can be displaced upward, and even when the automobile V gets over an obstacle, the lower edge of the outer wheel cover 112 can travel without interfering with the road surface. become.

Next, when the vehicle V finishes over the obstacle and the rear wheel 100 returns to the original position, the cover movable portion 21 is configured to have its own weight and the swing hole portion that constitutes the swing support mechanism 7. 9 is returned to its original position by the elastic force of the spring member 13 provided at 9.
By providing the spring member 13 in the swing hole portion 9, when the cover movable portion 21 returns to its original position after the cover movable portion 21 is variably moved upward, the spring member 13 quickly returns due to the elastic force of the spring member 13. It becomes possible. Further, when the cover movable portion 21 is displaced upward, the guide portion 11 can be prevented from interfering with the lower end portion of the swing hole portion 9, and damage to the components can be prevented.

In the second embodiment, since the central axis of the in-wheel motor 102 is made of a non-rotating member, when the rear wheel 100 is bumped, the axle 35 for displacing the movable cover portion 21 upward can be easily set in the vehicle width. The axle 35 can be directly engaged with the cover movable portion 21 without any other components.
When the rear wheel 100 is bumped as in the first and second embodiments, the mass is smaller than moving the entire outer wheel cover 112 by displacing only the lower edge of the outer wheel cover 112 as a movable portion. Therefore, since the energy required for the upward displacement is reduced, the unsprung weight can be reduced to the maximum.

(Third embodiment)
Next, 100 outer wheel covers 112 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 12 is a side view of the rear portion of the vehicle body for explaining the cover movable portion 41 that covers the outer side surface of the rear wheel 100 to the lower edge. FIG. 13 is a side view of the rear portion of the vehicle body in which the cover movable portion 41 is omitted to show the three link mechanisms that support the cover movable portion 41. 14 and 15 are cross-sectional views showing the support structure of the cover movable portion 41. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 12, a side door 104 for a passenger to get on and off the vehicle body side surface, a vehicle body rear side surface portion 134 that hangs down from the upper part of the vehicle body rear portion side surface, and an outer wheel cover 112 that covers the wheel to the vicinity of the lower edge, Parting lines 132 are formed at the portions where the two contact each other.
The outer wheel cover 112 is movable by a cover that is supported by the vehicle body so that the lower edge can be displaced upward when the automobile gets over an obstacle by the three link mechanisms described later when the lower edge may interfere with the road surface. The unit 41 is configured.

First, the structure of the link member 45 and the cover movable part 41 arranged at the uppermost part of the cover movable part 41 in the three link mechanisms will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14.
A portion where the cover movable portion 41 intersects the parting line 132 in the periphery of the vehicle body rear side surface 134 and the side door 104 has a substantially U-shape in cross-sectional view from the inside in the vehicle width direction. A link member 45 is pivotally supported in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body via a support member on a movable connecting portion 43 exposed in the vicinity of the opening of the cover movable portion 41.

The cover movable portion 41 is provided on the inner side surface in the vehicle width direction with a protruding portion 47 that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction above the axle 35 located at the center of the rear wheel 100 in plan view. When the rear wheel 100 is displaced upward, the protrusion 47 protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction so that the protrusion 47 and the axle 35 are in contact with each other when the cover movable portion 41 is displaced upward. It is necessary to be. The protruding portion 47 protrudes to the extent that it does not hit the outer side surface of the rear wheel 100 disposed inside the cover movable portion 41.
Further, a gap portion 49 is provided between the protruding portion 47 and the axle 35 so that the protruding portion 47 and the axle 35 do not come into contact with each other. When the automobile V gets over the joint between the pebbles and the bridge by the gap 49, that is, when the lower edge portion of the cover movable portion 41 does not interfere with the road surface even if the cover movable portion 41 is not displaced upward. In this case, only the rear wheel 100 is displaced upward, and the cover movable portion 41 is not displaced upward.
Therefore, even when the rear wheel 100 is displaced, the cover movable portion 41 is not displaced at all times, so that useless fine movement of the cover movable portion 41 can be prevented. Further, when only the rear wheel 100 is displaced, the unsprung weight can be reduced, leading to an improvement in running stability.

Next, the link member 51 arrange | positioned at the back part of the cover movable part 41 is demonstrated using FIG.
One end of a link member 51 that supports the cover movable portion 41 so as to be displaceable in the upward direction is pivotally supported at the rear portion of the cover movable portion 41, and the other is exposed around the opening of the cover movable portion 41. It is pivotally supported in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle so as to be movable up and down via a support member fixed to the movable connecting portion 43 by two fastening members.
The movable connecting member 43 has a shape curved along the side surface of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction on the side surface of the vehicle body, and is connected to the vehicle body via a support member. The movable connecting portion 43 is provided with a connecting portion reinforcing member 44 along the back surface of the movable connecting portion 43. By this connection part reinforcement member 44, the movable connection member 43 which supports the weight of the cover movable part can be prevented from being bent inward in the vehicle width direction.
A link member 53 having a structure similar to that of the link member 51 disposed at the rear portion of the cover movable portion 41 is provided at the front portion of the cover movable portion 41, and supports the cover movable portion 41. Since the rotation shaft 55 of the link member 53 disposed in the front portion and the link member 51 disposed in the rear portion is disposed on the same plane, the cover moving portion 41 is stably moved upward when displaced. Can be displaced.

Next, the operation of the cover movable unit 41 when the automobile V according to the third embodiment of the present invention gets over an obstacle and the rear wheel 100 bumps will be described.
When the automobile V gets over an obstacle and bumps, the lower arm 120 pivotally supported by the in-wheel motor 102 built in the rear wheel 100 via the wheel hub 118 so as to swing up and down, and the in-wheel motor 102 are fixed. The A-type upper arm 122 pivotally supported on the outer end in the vehicle width direction by the knuckle arm 126 that is provided and extends upward is displaced upward (120 ′, 122 ′, 126 ′). The vehicle body side swing axis lines 121 and 123 of the lower arm 120 and the A-type upper arm 122 both extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.
At the same time, the axle 35 located at the center of the in-wheel motor 102 and projecting outward in the vehicle width direction is displaced upward (35 ').

Displacement is upward in the axle 35 located at the center of the wheel when viewed from the side (35 '), so that a force is applied in the upward direction against the projecting portion 47 located inside the cover movable portion 41 in the vehicle width direction (47'). The cover movable part starts to be displaced upward (47 ′).
When a force is applied to the cover movable portion 41 due to the contact of the axle 35, the cover movable portion 41 moves outward with the side where each of the three link members 45, 51, 53 is pivotally supported by the movable connecting portion 43 as the center. Displacement along an arcuate locus (41 ′, 45 ′, 51 ′).
In this way, the cover movable portion 41 is not vertically displaced upward, but is displaced in an arc shape by the link members 45, 51, 53, so that the vehicle body rear side surface portion 134 positioned above the cover movable portion 41 and Interference with the side door 104 can be avoided.

When the automobile V finishes over the obstacle, the rear wheel 100 returns to the original position, and at the same time returns to the original position along the arcuate locus due to the weight of the cover movable portion 41. At this time, return springs may be attached to the link member B51 and the link member 53 that are disposed in front of and behind the cover movable portion 41 and are pivotally supported by the movable connecting member 43 in the vehicle body longitudinal direction.
When the cover movable part 41 is moved upward, the cover movable part is expelled to the outside in the vehicle width direction from the position of the normal wheel cover, so that the traveling wind enters the wheel house from the gap opened inside the cover movable part 41. Enter and cause an increase in air resistance (Cd). Therefore, by attaching the return spring, it is possible to quickly return the cover movable portion 41 to the original position and suppress an increase in air resistance (Cd).

  In the third embodiment, since the cover movable portion 41 is configured by the outer wheel cover 112 that covers the rear wheel 100, the cover movable portions 1 and 21 and the cover fixing portion 112a as in the first and second embodiments. , 112b, no step can be formed. Thereby, the traveling wind flowing on the side surface of the cover movable portion 41 (outer wheel cover 112) is not disturbed, and the air resistance is not increased. Moreover, since the cover movable part 41 is integrally molded, it leads to the improvement of appearance.

In the present invention, the obstacles when the cover movable parts 1, 21, 41 are displaced upward are, for example, road surfaces and road curbs that have been violently roughened by construction work. When only the wheel 100 is mounted, there is a high possibility that the rear wheel bumps greatly.
In addition, description of preferable embodiment of this invention is only an essential illustration, and is not intending restrict | limiting this invention, its application thing, or its use.

1 is a side view showing a schematic structure of an automobile common to embodiments of the present invention. It is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of a left rear wheel of an automobile common to the embodiment. It is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of a cover movable part and a suspension mechanism of an Eil cover device concerning a first embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the cover movable part and suspension mechanism of the wheel cover apparatus concerning the embodiment. This corresponds to the AA site in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the rocking | fluctuation support mechanism of the wheel cover apparatus concerning 1st embodiment and 2nd embodiment. This corresponds to the A-A ′ site in FIGS. 3 and 8. In the wheel cover apparatus concerning 1st embodiment, it is a side view which shows that a cover movable part does not displace by a displacement permissible mechanism. In the wheel cover device according to the same embodiment, it is a side view showing the operation when the cover movable portion is displaced. In the wheel cover apparatus concerning 2nd embodiment of this invention, it is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of a cover movable part and a suspension mechanism. It is sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the cover movable part and suspension mechanism concerning the embodiment. This corresponds to the BB part in FIG. It is a side view which shows that a cover movable part does not displace by the displacement permissible mechanism concerning the embodiment. It is a side view which shows operation | movement when the cover movable part concerning the embodiment is displaced. In the wheel cover apparatus concerning 3rd embodiment of this invention, it is a side view which shows that a cover movable part covers to a rear-wheel lower edge vicinity. It is a side view which shows the state which removed the cover movable part concerning the embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the cover movable part and suspension mechanism concerning the embodiment. This corresponds to the CC part in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the support structure of the cover movable part concerning the embodiment. This corresponds to the C'-C 'site in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

V ... car W ... suspension mechanism 1,21,41 ... cover movable part 2,22 ... movable lower part 3,23,43 ... movable connecting part 5 ... movable swing support part 7 ... Swing support mechanism 9 ... Swing hole part 11 ... Guide part 13 ... Spring member 15 ... Engagement members 16, 36 ... Long hole part 17 ... Link A
19 ... Link B
112 ... Outer wheel cover 112a, 112b ... Cover fixing part 120 ... Lower arm 122 ... A-type upper arm 126 ... Knuckle arm 128, 129 ... Shock absorber

Claims (6)

  In a wheel cover device for rectifying the air flow on the side of a vehicle when the vehicle is running, a cover movable portion that covers at least the vicinity of the lower edge of the vehicle wheel and is supported so as to move up and down, and a wheel that moves up and down relative to the vehicle body. A wheel cover device, comprising: a displacement transmission member that displaces the cover movable portion upward when displaced upward.   A cover fixing part that is fixed to the side of the vehicle body above the wheel and covers the wheel to the vicinity of the lower edge is provided, the cover moving part is disposed below the cover fixing part, and the cover moving part and the cover fixing part The wheel cover device according to claim 1, wherein and continuously cover the outer side surface of the wheel. The wheel cover device according to claim 1, wherein the cover movable portion is an outer cover portion that integrally covers the wheel from an upper portion of the wheel to a vicinity of a lower edge.   4. The displacement transmitting mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a displacement permissible mechanism for displacing the cover movable portion upward only when an upward displacement of a predetermined amount or more occurs. The wheel cover device according to item.   5. The wheel cover device according to claim 1, wherein the displacement transmission member is connected to a suspension upper arm that supports the wheel and is capable of being displaced in a vertical direction with respect to a vehicle body. 6. The wheel cover according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the displacement transmission member is a non-rotating member protruding from an in-wheel motor installed on the inner side of the wheel to the outer surface of the wheel. apparatus.