JP4419068B2 - Radiator shroud device for vehicle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a radiator shroud device for a vehicle.

  A vehicle equipped with a water-cooled engine is equipped with a radiator for discharging the heat of engine cooling water. A cooling fan is disposed adjacent to the radiator, and the heat of the engine cooling water inside the radiator is discharged to the outside by air that is forced to pass through the radiator by the cooling fan.

  A radiator shroud is disposed around the radiator to prevent recirculation of hot air that has passed through the radiator through the radiator again. The radiator shroud includes a fan shroud provided on the outer periphery of the cooling fan and a side seal plate disposed along a side edge of the fan shroud, and the side seal plate prevents recirculation from the side of the radiator. The Patent Document 1 discloses a resin radiator shroud in which a fan shroud and a side seal plate are integrally molded.

  Incidentally, in the vehicle manufacturing process, generally, a radiator unit in which a radiator shroud is assembled to a radiator is prepared, and the radiator unit is mounted after the engine is mounted in the engine room. For example, in a car having an engine room at the front of the vehicle body, a radiator unit is attached to a vehicle body shroud frame at the front end of the engine room.

  Patent Documents 2 and 3 disclose a resin radiator shroud having a fan shroud and a side seal plate as separate structures. Patent Document 2 discloses an example of connecting a side seal plate to a fan shroud by inserting the side seal plate in a horizontal direction with respect to the fan shroud as a conventional example, and as a problem, the fan shroud is mounted after being mounted on a vehicle. Pointed out that it is difficult to remove the side seal plate from.

  Patent Document 2 further discloses a conventional example in which a side seal plate is connected to a fan shroud by inserting side seal plates into longitudinal grooves on both side edges of the fan shroud. As a problem, the side seal plate is connected to the fan shroud. It points out that the side seal plate is displaced relatively upward when the lower end of the side seal plate collides with a member on the vehicle body when it is mounted on a vehicle in a state where it is assembled.

  In order to solve this problem, in Patent Document 2, the side seal plate is moved downward along the side edge of the fan shroud to engage the engaging protrusion with the locking portion for receiving the same, and It is proposed that the claw at the upper end fits into the engaging portion at the upper end of the fan shroud, thereby connecting the side seal plate to the fan shroud. According to this proposed structure, the side seal plate is attached to the fan shroud. When mounted on the vehicle in a state, there is an advantage that even if the lower end of the side seal plate collides with a member on the vehicle body side, it can be prevented from being displaced upward.

Patent Document 3 proposes to prepare a rectangular plate made of rubber as a side seal plate and fit this plate into a vertical groove on the side edge of the fan shroud.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-58011 (Japanese Patent No. 2574932) JP 7-332089 A (Patent No. 3159233) JP 11-36866 A

  The integrally-formed radiator shroud disclosed in Patent Document 1 is effective for a vehicle that can be mounted in a relatively large space when the radiator unit is mounted, but in a case where a cooling fan is approaching the front end of the vehicle. However, there is a problem in that workability when the radiator unit is mounted is hindered by the side seal plate member protruding from the side of the radiator unit.

  The same applies to Patent Document 2 in which the fan shroud and the side seal plate member are separated from each other. Patent Document 2 is based on the premise that the side seal plate is mounted on the vehicle in a state in which the fan shroud is assembled in advance. The invention is disclosed.

  Since the rubber side seal plate disclosed in Patent Document 3 is bent and deformed when subjected to wind pressure, it is limited to a special vehicle such as a rear engine type bus disclosed in Patent Document 3. It is a possible invention, and it is difficult to adopt it for a general vehicle in which a radiator is mounted at the front end of the vehicle.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a radiator shroud device for a vehicle in which the radiator unit can be mounted on the vehicle even when the space for mounting the radiator unit on the vehicle is relatively small.

In order to achieve the above technical problem, according to the invention of claim 1,
A fan shroud that covers the outer peripheral portion of the fan on the core surface of the radiator and a side seal plate member for preventing recirculation of hot air from the side of the radiator are separately formed, and the fan shroud is attached to the radiator. A radiator shroud device for a vehicle in which the side seal plate member is assembled to a member on the radiator side after the assembled radiator unit is mounted on the vehicle,
A protrusion provided at a lower portion of either the radiator-side member or the side seal plate member, and includes a shaft portion extending in the vertical direction and a flange provided at a free end of the shaft portion. Protrusions,
A lower end slit that opens to a lower end edge of the radiator side member or the other member of the side seal plate member and extends upward and inclined, and includes a stopper portion in the middle of the extending direction of the lower end slit. Slits,
An engagement member provided on the upper part of either the radiator side member or the side seal plate member;
A radiator shroud device for a vehicle is provided that includes a hook that is provided on an upper portion of the member on the radiator side or the other member of the side seal plate member and that locks the engaging member.

  In the invention according to claim 1, the side seal plate member is assembled after the radiator unit without the side seal plate member is mounted on the vehicle. When assembling the side seal plate member, the side seal plate member is guided to the normal position while the protrusion enters the deep part of the lower end slit by pushing down the side seal plate member after aligning the protrusion and the lower end slit. And since the lower end slit is inclined, the upper end portion of the side seal plate member is positioned while swinging back and forth. Further, the engaging member and the hook are engaged by swinging the side seal plate member back and forth, whereby the side seal plate member can be connected to the radiator unit.

  Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, since the radiator unit without the side seal plate member is mounted on the vehicle in the first stage, the radiator unit can be mounted on the vehicle even in a relatively narrow space. Further, when the side seal plate member is assembled to the radiator unit without the side seal plate member, the side seal plate member is guided to the normal position by the lower end slit, so that the installation work is easy. Since the side seal plate member is connected to the radiator unit by swinging the member back and forth, the assembly work of the side seal plate member can be facilitated.

The invention of claim 2 presupposes the invention of claim 1,
The side seal plate member is made of resin and connected to a side surface of the fan shroud so as to protrude forward from the radiator unit;
The protrusion is provided at the lower part of the side surface of the fan shroud, and the protrusion is an inclined protrusion in which the shaft portion extends obliquely rearward at an acute angle,
The lower end slit for receiving the shaft portion of the inclined projection is provided at the lower portion of the side seal plate member,
The lower end slit includes an inlet portion that opens to the lower end edge of the side seal plate member and extends upward, and an inclined portion that inclines toward the rear of the vehicle body from the inlet portion.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the upper end portion of the side seal plate member projecting forward is positioned at the normal position while being displaced forward. And since the side edge of a lower end slit and the axial part of a processus | protrusion contact between the entrance part and inclination part of a lower end slit, the urging | biasing force toward a front acts on a side seal plate member. The biasing force can assist the assembly of the side seal plate member, and therefore the assembly operation of the side seal plate member is facilitated.

  According to a third aspect of the invention, on the premise of the invention of the second aspect, the stopper portion is provided at a boundary between the inlet portion and the inclined portion. According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the side seal plate member is assembled, when the lower end slit completely receives the protrusion, the protrusion is released from the stopper portion. It is possible to confirm that the lower end slit has completely received the protrusion, and after the side seal plate member is assembled, the stopper can prevent the protrusion from coming out of the lower end slit.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, on the premise of the invention according to any one of the first to third aspects, an elastic sealing material that contacts the vehicle body member is provided at a front end edge of the side seal plate member. According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the elastic seal material can be interposed between the front end of the side seal plate member and the vehicle body member by assembling the side seal plate member. Thus, recirculation of hot air can be reliably prevented.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, on the premise of the first aspect of the present invention, a cooling fan is provided behind the core surface of the radiator, and the cooling fan is driven by an engine crankshaft. The engine is mounted on the vehicle in a vertical position with the crankshaft directed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. In a vehicle in which a cooling fan is driven by a crankshaft of a vertically mounted engine, the working space is extremely small for mounting a radiator unit compared to an electric fan, but according to the radiator shroud device of the present invention, In such a case, the radiator unit can be mounted on the vehicle without any trouble.

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

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a part of the engine room at the front of the vehicle body. A front end of the engine room 1 is defined by a vehicle body shroud 2, and a radiator unit 3 is assembled to the vehicle body shroud 2. The vehicle body shroud 2 includes an upper frame 2a and a lower frame 2b. Between the upper end of the radiator unit 3 and the upper frame 2a and between the lower end of the radiator unit 3 and the lower frame 2b, for example, an elastic made of a urethane seal material is used. A sealing material 4 is interposed. A cooling fan 5 is disposed adjacent to the radiator unit 3 behind the core surface (not shown in the drawing) of the radiator unit 3, and the cooling fan 5 is a crank pulley (not shown) of the vertically installed engine 6. And the crankshaft of the engine 6 through a fan belt 7 stretched between the two.

  FIG. 2 is a rear view of the radiator unit 3 as viewed from the rear side of the vehicle body, and FIG. 3 is a side view of the radiator unit 3. The radiator unit 3 includes a radiator 10, a resin fan shroud 11 that covers a fan outer peripheral portion of the core surface of the radiator 10, and a pair of left and right resin side seal plate members 12 </ b> R projecting forward from both side surfaces of the fan shroud 11. , 12L.

  The radiator unit 3 includes a pair of left and right pins 13 that hang downward from the lower tank 10a of the radiator 10 and is inserted into the lower frame 2b of the vehicle body shroud and then bolted to the upper tank 10b of the radiator 10 via rubber. It is attached to the upper frame 2a of the vehicle body shroud via a pair of attachment brackets 14.

  FIG. 4 is a front view of the fan shroud 11 as viewed from the front side of the vehicle body, and FIG. 5 is a plan view of the fan shroud 11. The fan shroud 11 has a peripheral wall 16 that surrounds the outer periphery of the cooling fan 5. The upper half peripheral wall 16a is formed integrally with the fan shroud 11, and the lower half peripheral wall 16b (FIGS. 6 and 7) is attached and detached. Can be assembled as possible. 6 is a front view of the lower half peripheral wall 16b, and FIG. 7 is a plan view of the lower half peripheral wall 16b.

  The fan shroud 11 has three locking holes 17 spaced along the lower peripheral edge of the opening 11a for the cooling fan 5, while the lower peripheral wall 16b corresponds to the locking hole 17. Three claws 18 are formed. The peripheral wall 16b of the lower half is assembled to the fan shroud 11 by fitting the three claws 18 into the corresponding locking holes 17 of the fan shroud 11.

  Referring to FIG. 4, the fan shroud 11 has a pin 20 that hangs downward from the left and right ends of its lower edge, and a pair of left and right mounting brackets 21 that extend upward from the upper edge. An insertion hole 21a is formed. The fan shroud 11 is attached to the radiator 10 by inserting a pin 20 into a pin receiving hole (not shown) provided in the lower tank 10a of the radiator 11, and then a bolt (not shown) inserted through the mounting bracket 21. Is fixed to the upper tank 10b of the radiator 11 using

  The fan shroud 11 has an upper protrusion 23 and a lower protrusion 24 that protrude outward in the lateral direction from both side surfaces thereof. The upper projection 23 provided on the upper end portion of the fan shroud 11 has a T-shaped cross section as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 8, and is formed at the shaft portion 23a and the free end of the shaft portion 23a. Upper and lower flanges 23b and 23c extending vertically are provided. The upper protrusion 23 has a certain length in the lateral direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 4).

  Referring to FIG. 9, lower projection 24 provided at the lower end portion of fan shroud 11 has a T-shaped cross section like upper projection 23, and includes shaft portion 24 a and free end of shaft portion 24 a. A front flange 24b and a rear flange 24c (FIG. 13) extending in the front-rear direction. In FIG. 9, the rear flange 24 c does not appear in the drawing because of drawing. The lower protrusion 24 has a certain length in the vertical direction (the direction along the paper surface of FIG. 4).

  10 to 12 are views relating to the side seal plate member 12. FIG. 10 is a view showing the right side seal plate member 12R. FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged view (a part indicated by an arrow XI in FIG. 10) of the lower end portion of the side seal plate member 12R. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII in FIG.

  A hook 26 extending in the lateral direction is formed adjacent to the rear edge of the upper end portion of the side seal plate member 12R. In addition, a lower end slit 27 extending in the vertical direction is formed adjacent to the rear end edge at the lower end of the side seal plate member 12R.

  FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the lower end slit 27. The lower end slit 27 has an opening 27a opened at the lower end edge of the side seal plate member 12R, and the opening 27a is formed in a shape that widens toward the bottom. It has an inlet portion 27b extending vertically from the opening 27a and an inclined portion 27c extending obliquely rearward upward. That is, the inclined portion 27c is inclined backward from the entrance portion 27b by an acute angle θ. The lower end slit 27 has a stopper portion 27d formed of a step at the front edge of the boundary between the inlet portion 27b and the inclined portion 27c, and the distance L1 between the stopper portion 27d and the upper end edge of the inclined portion 27c is: It is substantially equal to the length L2 (FIG. 9) of the shaft portion 24a of the lower protrusion 24 described above.

  Referring to FIGS. 10 and 12, the hook 26 provided at the upper end of the side seal plate member 12R includes a slit 26a extending laterally rearward, a lip 26b positioned in front of the slit 26a, and a slit. 26a and a lip 26b, a vertically long opening 26c is provided, and a step G is provided between the slit 26a and the lip 26b. A claw 26d is formed at the tip of the lip 26b, that is, a portion facing the slit 26a, and a tapered surface 26e is formed at the rear end edge of the vertically long opening 26c, that is, the inlet side edge of the slit 26b.

  The right side seal plate member 12R has been described above with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12, but the left side seal plate member 12L has substantially the same structure. Note that reference numeral 29 in FIG. 10 indicates an elastic seal material, and the elastic seal 29 is bonded along the front end edge of the side seal plate member 12.

  When the radiator unit 3 is mounted on the vehicle, the side seal plate member 12 is omitted, and the side seal plate member 12 is assembled after the radiator unit 3 without the side seal plate member 12 is assembled to the vehicle. .

  FIG. 13 is a view for explaining a process of moving the side seal plate member 12 downward and inserting the lower end slit 27 of the side seal plate member 12 into the lower projection 24 of the fan shroud 11.

  As can be understood from FIG. 13, the shaft portion 24 a of the lower projection 24 of the fan shroud 11 is preferably inclined at an acute angle and obliquely rearward. Accordingly, the side seal plate member 12 is positioned with respect to the radiator unit 3 (fan shroud 11), and the side seal plate member 12 is pushed obliquely forward, whereby the lower protrusion 24 of the fan shroud 11 is inserted into the lower end slit 27. The shaft portion 24a can be inserted. The positioning of the side seal plate member 12 can be easily aligned with the shaft portion 24a of the lower projection 24 because the opening 27a of the lower end slit 27 has a shape that spreads downward. it can.

  Since the lower end slit 27 is formed with an inclined portion 27c at the deep portion thereof, when the shaft portion 24a of the lower protrusion 24 enters the inclined portion 27c, the side seal plate member 12 is shown by an arrow in FIG. As shown, the shaft portion 24a of the lower projection 24 is on the side edge of the slit 27, in particular, the inclined portion, between the inlet portion 27b and the inclined portion 27c whose inclination angle changes. The side seal plate member 12 is slidably contacted with a step portion located at the boundary between 27c and the inlet portion 27b, that is, the corner portion between the stopper portion 27d and the inlet portion 27b and the inclined portion 27c, and the side edge of the slit 27 is elastically deformed. The force which urges this toward the front acts. When the side seal plate member 12 is further pushed down and the shaft portion 24a of the lower projection 24 enters the deep portion of the lower end slit 27, the shaft portion 24a of the lower projection 24 is released from the stopper portion 27d. An operator can confirm that the lower protrusion 24 has been completely received by the lower end slit 27 with the touch applied to the hand. After the side seal plate member 12 is assembled, the stopper portion 27 d prevents the side seal plate member 12 from being displaced upward and the shaft portion 24 a from coming out of the lower end slit 27.

  At the stage where the side seal plate member 12 is pushed diagonally forward with respect to the radiator unit 3 (fan shroud 11), the upper end portion of the side seal plate member 12 is displaced rearward as shown by the phantom line in FIG. As shown in FIG. 15, the upper protrusion 23 of the fan shroud 11 is located at the lip 26 b of the hook 26 of the side seal plate member 12. By pushing the side seal plate member 12 further downward, the upper end portion of the side seal plate member 12 is automatically displaced forward as described above, and the urging force by the resin acts on the side seal plate member 12 as described above. Therefore, the shaft portion 23a of the upper protrusion 23 enters the lateral slit 26a of the hook 26 only by pressing the upper end portion of the side seal plate member 12 slightly forward, and the upper protrusion 23 is engaged by the hook 26. Stopped. A solid line in FIG. 14 shows a state after the side seal plate member 12 is assembled to the radiator unit 3 (fan shroud 11). Since the hook 26 of the side seal plate member 12 is provided with a claw 26d at the tip of the lip 26b, even if the upper end portion 23 of the side seal plate member 12 is displaced rearward and the upper projection 23 moves relatively forward, Since the upper projection 23 is locked by the claw 26d, the upper projection 23 can be prevented from escaping from the hook 26.

  The radiator unit 3 is mounted on the vehicle without the side seal plate member 12. Therefore, even if the space between the vehicle body shroud 2 and the cooling fan 5 is small, the radiator unit 3 without the side seal plate member 12 can be inserted and assembled to the vehicle. After the radiator unit 3 is assembled to the vehicle, the side seal plate member 12 can be inserted into the space on both sides of the radiator unit 3 and the side seal plate member 12 can be connected to the radiator unit 3 as described above. During this operation, the side seal plate member 12 is pushed downward and obliquely forward, and therefore, the assembly operation of the side seal plate member 12 is performed using the space behind the radiator unit 3 having a relatively large space. It can be carried out.

  Further, since the side seal plate member 12 swings forward and is positioned in a proper state simply by pushing down the side seal plate member 12, the operator's attention is exclusively given to the lower end of the side seal plate member 12. The slit 27 can be concentrated to align with the shaft portion 24a of the lower projection 24 of the fan shroud 11, and thereafter, the side seal plate member 12 is automatically pushed only by pushing the side seal plate member 12 down and then pushing it forward. Positioning is performed. After the side seal plate member 12 is assembled, the side seal plate member 12 can be prevented from being displaced by the stopper portion 27d of the lower end sleeve 27 and the claw 26d at the lip end of the hook 26. After the side seal plate member 12 is assembled, the elastic seal material 29 bonded along the front end edge of the side seal plate member 12 contacts the vehicle body member, and the front end edge of the side seal plate member 12 and the vehicle body member Is shielded.

It is a figure for demonstrating the cooling fan driven by the crankshaft of the vertical engine mounted in the engine of the vehicle body front part, and the radiator unit arrange | positioned adjacent to this. It is a rear view of the radiator unit which assembled | attached the side seal plate member. It is a side view of the radiator unit of FIG. It is a rear view of a fan shroud. It is a top view of a fan shroud. It is a front view of the surrounding wall of the lower half of the fan opening of a fan shroud. It is a top view of the surrounding wall of the lower half of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the upper side protrusion provided in the upper part of the side surface of a fan shroud. It is a figure for demonstrating the lower side protrusion provided in the lower part of the side surface of a fan shroud. It is the figure which looked at the side seal plate member provided with the lower end slit and the upper clip from the vehicle width direction. It is an enlarged view of the part shown by arrow XI of FIG. It is sectional drawing which followed the XII-XII line | wire of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the shape and effect | action of a lower end slit and the lower protrusion received in this. It is a figure for demonstrating the clip provided in the upper part of the side seal plate member. It is a figure for demonstrating the state just before an upper side protrusion is latched by the clip of a side seal plate member.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Engine room 3 Radiator unit 5 Cooling fan 6 Vertical engine 10 Radiator 11 Fan shroud 12 Side seal plate member 23 Upper protrusion 23a of upper side of fan shroud 23b Shaft part of upper protrusion 23b Upper flange 23c of upper protrusion 24c Lower projection of the side surface of the fan shroud 24a Shaft portion of the lower projection 24b Front flange of the lower projection 24c Rear flange of the lower projection 26 Hook 27 Lower slit 27a Opening of the lower slit 27b Entrance portion of the lower slit 27c Inclination of the lower slit Part 27d Lower end slit stopper 29 Side seal plate member elastic sealing material

Claims (5)

A fan shroud that covers the outer peripheral portion of the fan on the core surface of the radiator and a side seal plate member for preventing recirculation of hot air from the side of the radiator are separately formed, and the fan shroud is attached to the radiator. A radiator shroud device for a vehicle in which the side seal plate member is assembled to a member on the radiator side after the assembled radiator unit is mounted on the vehicle,
A protrusion provided at a lower portion of either the radiator-side member or the side seal plate member, and includes a shaft portion extending in the vertical direction and a flange provided at a free end of the shaft portion. Protrusions,
A lower end slit that opens to a lower end edge of the radiator side member or the other member of the side seal plate member and extends upward and inclined, and includes a stopper portion in the middle of the extending direction of the lower end slit. Slits,
An engagement member provided on the upper part of either the radiator side member or the side seal plate member;
A radiator shroud device for a vehicle, comprising a hook provided on an upper portion of the radiator side member or the other member of the side seal plate member and locking the engagement member. The side seal plate member is made of resin and connected to a side surface of the fan shroud so as to protrude forward from the radiator unit;
The protrusion is provided at the lower part of the side surface of the fan shroud, and the protrusion is an inclined protrusion in which the shaft portion extends obliquely rearward at an acute angle,
The lower end slit for receiving the shaft portion of the inclined projection is provided at the lower portion of the side seal plate member,
2. The lower end slit includes an inlet portion that opens upward and extends upward at a lower end edge of the side seal plate member, and an inclined portion that extends obliquely rearward from the inlet portion toward the vehicle body. A radiator shroud for a vehicle according to claim 1.   The radiator shroud device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the stopper portion is provided at a boundary between the inlet portion and the inclined portion.   The radiator shroud device for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an elastic seal member that contacts the vehicle body member is provided at a front end edge of the side seal plate member.   A cooling fan is provided behind the core surface of the radiator, the cooling fan is driven by an engine crankshaft, and the engine is mounted on the vehicle in a vertical position with the crankshaft directed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. The radiator shroud device for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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