JP6623880B2 - Splash shield - Google Patents

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a splash shield for blocking mud, pebbles, ice, snow and the like scattered from a front wheel while a vehicle is running.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a splash shield is provided inside a wheel house in which wheels of a vehicle are arranged in order to protect a vehicle body from mud, pebbles, ice and snow, etc., which are rolled up by the wheels during traveling. In particular, the front of the splash shield extends vertically and horizontally at the front of the wheel house of the front wheel of the vehicle, shielding between the front wheel (wheel house) and the engine room ahead (inside the front bumper). It is configured to

  By the way, depending on a vehicle, a heat exchanger such as an oil cooler may be arranged in an engine room (in a front bumper) ahead of a front part of a splash shield due to a component layout requirement. In such a case, in order to maintain the cooling performance of the heat exchanger, a plurality of ventilation holes are formed in the front part of the splash shield to allow the traveling wind taken into the engine room (inside the front bumper) to escape to the rear. You. Further, if a plurality of ventilation holes are provided in the front portion, the rigidity is reduced and the front portion is easily deformed. Therefore, beads having various irregularities are arranged in a row on the front portion (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2009-35160 A

  However, when the uneven-shaped beads are provided as described above, the rigidity of the front part can be improved, but the rigidity of the front part cannot be efficiently secured depending on the shape and arrangement of the beads, and the adjustment is performed. Was difficult. In particular, when the splash shield is made thinner to reduce cost and weight, simply arranging the beads alone may cause the beads to be deformed and the front part may be deformed. It was more difficult to secure rigidity. If the rigidity is not secured, the front part of the splash shield may be deformed by the vibration of the vehicle or the wind pressure of the traveling wind, and if the front part flaps, there is a possibility that abnormal noise may occur and it may be damaged due to contact with the front wheel etc. For example, the durability of the splash shield may be reduced. For this reason, it is desired to further increase the rigidity of the front part of the splash shield and suppress its deformation.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problem, and it is an object of the splash shield to further increase the rigidity of the front portion with a simple configuration. It is to be noted that the present invention is not limited to this object, and it is another effect of the present invention that it is an operation effect derived from each configuration shown in the embodiment for carrying out the invention described later, and that it has an operation effect that cannot be obtained by the conventional technology. is there.

  (1) A splash shield disclosed herein has a front portion extending vertically and horizontally at a front portion of a wheel house accommodating a front wheel of a vehicle and having a front portion through which a plurality of ventilation holes are formed. It is a shield. The front part includes a plurality of horizontal beads extending in the left-right direction and arranged in the vertical direction, and a plurality of vertical beads extending in the vertical direction. Further, in the plurality of horizontal beads, a continuous bead extending continuously in the left-right direction across the left and right end portions of the front portion, and a divided bead divided in the left-right direction by intersecting with the vertical bead, include. Further, the continuous bead is formed such that the length in the front-rear direction is longer than the length in the front-rear direction of the split bead, and at least one of the mounting portions for fixing the left and right ends of the front portion to the vehicle body member of the vehicle. Extending between.

(2) It is preferable that the split bead is provided at each of an upper portion and a lower portion of the front surface portion. In this case, it is preferable that the continuous bead is provided at an intermediate portion between an upper portion and a lower portion of the front portion.
(3) It is preferable that the continuous bead has a curved shape such that a central portion protrudes forward from both left and right end portions thereof.

(4) It is preferable that the continuous bead in which the ventilation hole is not provided extends between the mounting portions.
(5) It is preferable that the front portion has a triangular bead between the continuous bead and the mounting portion, the triangular bead tapering toward the mounting portion.
(6) It is preferable that the vent hole is not provided in the upper half of the front part in the vehicle width direction outside.

  According to the disclosed splash shield, a continuous bead extending continuously in the left-right direction is provided between the left and right end portions of the front portion, and the length of the continuous bead in the front-rear direction is longer than the length of the divided bead in the front-rear direction. Since it is formed and at least one continuous bead extends between the mounting portions, the rigidity of the front surface portion can be efficiently increased. Therefore, the rigidity of the front portion can be further increased with a simple configuration.

1 is a perspective view of a front portion of a vehicle to which a splash shield according to one embodiment is applied. It is the front view which looked at the front part of the splash shield of FIG. 1 from the front. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2. 3A is an enlarged view of a portion A (horizontal bead) in FIG. 2, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A′-A ′ in FIG. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along a line VV in FIG. 2. 3A is an enlarged view of a portion B (vertical bead) of FIG. 2, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B′-B ′ of FIG. It is the figure which expanded the C section (triangular bead) of FIG.

A splash shield as an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are merely examples, and there is no intention to exclude various modifications and application of techniques not explicitly described in the following embodiments.
Hereinafter, left and right are determined based on the traveling direction of the vehicle, and the left and right direction is also referred to as a vehicle width direction.

[1. Constitution]
[1-1. Vehicle front structure]
The splash shield 20 according to the present embodiment is applied to the vehicle 10 shown in FIG. On the left and right sides of the engine room 14 at the front of the vehicle 10, wheel houses 16 for housing the front wheels 11 are provided. The wheel house 16 is a space defined by a fender panel 12 forming a vehicle body side surface around the front wheel 11 and a fender shield panel 13 provided inside the fender panel 12 in the vehicle width direction. A front bumper 17 attached to the front of the fender panel 12 is provided in front of the wheel house 16. The front bumper 17 partitions the engine room 14.

  The fender panel 12 is a vehicle body member that covers the wheel house 16 from the outside in the vehicle width direction, and is erected along the front-rear direction. A wheel arch is formed on the fender panel 12 so as to match the front wheel 11. On the other hand, the fender shield panel 13 is a vehicle body member that partitions the wheel house 16 and the engine room 14 inside the front wheel 11 in the vehicle width direction, and is provided so as to cover the front wheel 11.

In the present embodiment, description will be made focusing on the wheel house 16 on the left side of the vehicle 10. That is, in the following description, the inside in the vehicle width direction is the right side of the vehicle 10, and the outside in the vehicle width direction is the left side of the vehicle 10.
A splash shield 20 is provided in the wheel house 16 along the outer periphery of the front wheel 11. In the present embodiment, the oil cooler 15 is installed in front of the splash shield 20.

  The oil cooler 15 is a heat exchanger that cools oil for cooling various devices (for example, an engine and a transmission) mounted in the engine room 14 by exchanging heat with air. The oil cooler 15 of the present embodiment is disposed in the front bumper 17 (in the engine room 14) so as to face the front part 1 of the splash shield 20 in front of the splash shield 20. The oil cooler 15 is configured such that air taken into the engine room 14 from the front end of the vehicle 10 passes from the front to the rear.

[1-2. Splash shield]
The splash shield 20 is a shielding member for blocking mud, pebbles, ice and snow, etc., which are wound up by the front wheel 11 while the vehicle 10 is traveling. It extends in the shape of a circular arc along. The splash shield 20 of the present embodiment is formed by pressing a resin material (for example, polypropylene).

  The splash shield 20 has a front portion 1 extending vertically and horizontally in a front portion of the wheel house 16. The front part 1 is a plate-like part that partitions between the wheel house 16 and the inside of the front bumper 17 (engine room 14) in front of the front wheel 11. Hereinafter, mainly the front part 1 of the splash shield 20 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a front view of the front part 1 of the splash shield 20 as viewed from the front. That is, the left and right of FIG. In the following description, the inside in the vehicle width direction is simply referred to as “inside”, and the outside in the vehicle width direction is simply referred to as “outside”.

A plurality of ventilation holes 2 for discharging air from the engine room 14 are formed through the front surface 1 of the splash shield 20. The number and opening area of the ventilation holes 2 are set according to the amount of air passing through the oil cooler 15, the amount of air taken into the engine room 14, and the like. Each of the ventilation holes 2 has a substantially rectangular shape.
In the front part 1 of the present embodiment, the outer half in the vehicle width direction of the upper part 1U is closed so as not to ventilate. In other words, the ventilation hole 2 is not formed in the outer half of the upper part 1U of the front part 1 in the vehicle width direction.

  The splash shield 20 has a pair of right and left mounting portions 6 and 7 for fixing the left and right end portions 1a and 1b of the front surface portion 1 to a vehicle body member. In the present embodiment, the pair of left and right attachment portions 6 and 7 are provided at substantially the same height position in the vertical middle portion 1M of the front surface portion 1. The outer mounting portion 6 has a clip hole formed in an outer (left) end portion 1a extending in the vertical direction of the front portion 1, and is fixed to the front bumper 17 by a clip (not shown), for example. On the other hand, the inner mounting portion 7 is a flange protruding rearward from an inner (right) end 1b extending in the vertical direction of the front surface portion 1 (see FIG. 5), and is, for example, a bolt and a clip (not shown). It is fixed to the fender shield panel 13.

  The front portion 1 is also provided at the lower end of the outer end portion 1a and at the left and right end portions of the lower end portion 1c extending in the left-right direction with the vehicle body members of the vehicle 10 (for example, the above-mentioned fender panel 12 and fender shield panel). 13, front bumper 17 etc.).

  The front part 1 has a plurality of horizontal beads 3 extending in the left-right direction and a plurality of vertical beads 4 extending in the vertical direction. Each of the horizontal bead 3 and the vertical bead 4 is an uneven portion formed to increase the rigidity of the front portion 1 and has a substantially V-shaped cross section. The horizontal beads 3 are arranged vertically. In other words, the plurality of horizontal beads 3 are arranged vertically. The vertical beads 4 are arranged in a row in the vertical and horizontal directions. That is, the plurality of vertical beads 4 are arranged in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, respectively.

  The horizontal bead 3 includes a continuous bead 3A extending continuously in the left-right direction across the left and right end portions 1a and 1b of the front part 1, and a divided bead 3B divided in the left-right direction by intersecting the vertical bead 4. include. In the present embodiment, three divided beads 3B are arranged in rows on each of the upper portion 1U and the lower portion 1L of the front surface portion 1. Each divided bead 3B is divided into four in the left-right direction by intersecting three vertical beads 4. In this embodiment, three continuous beads 3A are arranged in a row in an intermediate portion 1M between the upper portion 1U and the lower portion 1L of the front surface portion 1.

  Of the three continuous beads 3A, the lower two are continuous beads 3A with ventilation holes 2 penetrating therethrough, and the other one (the uppermost one) is a continuous bead without ventilation holes 2 penetrating therethrough. 3A. As described above, the three continuous beads 3A of the present embodiment include two types, one having air permeability and the other having no air permeability. The continuous bead 3A without the ventilation hole 2 (having no air permeability) has higher rigidity and strength than the continuous bead 3A with the ventilation hole 2 (having air permeability). Each continuous bead 3A having air permeability is provided with four air holes 2 arranged in the left-right direction.

  In the present embodiment, the continuous bead 3A having no air permeability (that is, the uppermost one of the three continuous beads 3A) extends between the pair of left and right mounting portions 6,7. In other words, the rigidity and strength of the continuous bead 3A extending between the mounting portions 6 and 7 are higher than the rigidity and strength of the other continuous bead 3A.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the length in the front-rear direction of each continuous bead 3A (hereinafter, referred to as “bead height”) is formed longer than the bead height of any of the divided beads 3B. In the present embodiment, among the three continuous beads 3A, the uppermost (non-breathable) continuous bead 3A has the longest bead height L1. The bead height L2 of each divided bead 3B is substantially equal to each other.

  As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, each horizontal bead 3 has an upward wall 31 obliquely upward and forward and a downward wall 32 obliquely downward and forward. Each of the upward wall 31 and the downward wall 32 of the present embodiment is formed in a flat shape extending in the left-right direction. In the plurality of horizontal beads 3 of the present embodiment, the upward walls 31 extend substantially parallel to each other, and the downward walls 32 extend substantially parallel to each other.

  The front ends of the upward wall 31 and the downward wall 32 of each horizontal bead 3 are connected to each other to form the top 33 of the horizontal bead 3. The top 33 of the divided bead 3B extends linearly along the left-right direction. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, the top 33 of the continuous bead 3A extends in a curved shape protruding forward. That is, the continuous bead 3A has a shape that is curved such that the central portion protrudes forward compared to the left and right ends (both ends in the longitudinal direction).

  As shown in FIG. 2, all of the ventilation holes 2 of the present embodiment penetrate through the downward wall 32 of the horizontal bead 3. In addition, the downward wall 32 of the horizontal bead 3 stands up more than the upward wall 31 in order to make it easy for the traveling wind flowing from the engine room 14 to pass through the ventilation hole 2 (that is, the inclination angle with respect to the horizontal direction is the upward wall). (Greater than 31).

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, each vertical bead 4 has an inward wall 41 facing obliquely inward toward the front and an outward wall 42 facing outward in the forward direction. . Each of the inward wall 41 and the outward wall 42 is formed in a triangular planar shape, and is provided so as to fill a substantially V-shaped groove formed between the downward wall 32 and the upward wall 31 of the horizontal bead 3. Has been. The outer end of the inward wall 41 and the inner end of the outward wall 42 are connected to each other to form the top 43 of the vertical bead 4. The top 43 of the vertical bead 4 extends linearly along the vertical direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the front part 1 of the splash shield 20 according to the present embodiment has a triangular bead 5 formed on an inner end 1b. In the present embodiment, a case is exemplified in which four triangular beads 5 are provided side by side in the vertical direction. Each triangular bead 5 has a shape that tapers inward. Of these triangular beads 5, the second triangular bead 5 from the top is provided inside the uppermost (non-breathable) continuous bead 3A of the three continuous beads 3A, and It is located between the inner mounting part 7 (the middle part 1M of the front part 1).

  As shown in FIG. 7, each triangular bead 5 has an upper wall 51 facing inward and obliquely upward toward the front, and a lower wall 52 facing inward and obliquely downward toward the front. Both the upper wall 51 and the lower wall 52 are formed in a triangular planar shape. The lower end of the upper wall 51 and the upper end of the lower wall 52 are connected to each other to form a top 53 of the triangular bead 5. The top 53 of the triangular bead 5 extends inward and rearward.

[2. Action and effect]
(1) According to the above-described splash shield 20, a continuous bead 3A extending continuously in the left-right direction is provided between the left and right end portions 1a and 1b of the front surface portion 1, and the length of the continuous bead 3A in the front-rear direction is reduced. The split bead 3B is formed to be longer than the length in the front-rear direction, and at least one continuous bead 3A (in this embodiment, the uppermost bead) extends between the mounting portions 6 and 7, so that the front portion 1 The rigidity can be efficiently and reliably increased. In particular, since the continuous bead 3A extending between the mounting portions 6 and 7 allows the front portion 1 to pass through the beam connecting the mounting portions 6 and 7, the surface rigidity of the front portion 1 is improved. Can be done. Further, the continuous beads 3A can reinforce the mounting portions 6 and 7 to improve the mounting rigidity.

  As described above, according to the above-described splash shield 20, the rigidity of the front portion 1 can be further increased with a simple configuration in which the continuous bead 3A is provided in addition to the divided bead 3B and the vertical bead 4. As a result, it is possible to suppress the front part 1 from being deformed by the wind pressure of the traveling wind passing through the engine room 14, so that the front part 1 generates an unusual sound due to fluttering and a splash due to contact with the front wheel 11. A decrease in the durability of the shield 20 can be suppressed.

  Further, for example, even if scattered matters such as mud, pebbles, ice and snow that are wound up by the front wheel 11 and scatter forward enter the engine room 14 from the ventilation hole 2 above the continuous bead 3A, the continuous bead 3A. Are longer in the front-rear direction than the divided beads 3B, so that they can easily collide with flying objects (see broken arrows in FIG. 3). For this reason, according to the continuous bead 3 </ b> A, it is possible to more appropriately receive the scattered matter from the front wheel 11, and to suppress the scattered matter from being scattered (penetrated) forward from the vent hole 2 to the front of the front part 1. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to contribute to protection of a member in front of the splash shield 20. For example, it is possible to suppress the attachment or collision of flying objects to the oil cooler 15.

  (2) Since the continuous bead 3A is provided in the middle portion 1M where the front portion 1 is most deformable, and the divided beads 3B are provided in the upper portion 1U and the lower portion 1L of the front portion 1 across the continuous bead 3A, the front portion is provided. 1 can reliably suppress deformation of the intermediate portion 1M. Thereby, the rigidity of the entire front part 1 can be efficiently improved. As a result, since the deformation of the front part 1 due to wind pressure can be more appropriately suppressed, generation of abnormal noise due to fluttering of the front part 1 and reduction in durability of the splash shield 20 can be more appropriately suppressed. .

  (3) Since the continuous bead 3A has a curved shape such that the central portion protrudes forward from the left and right ends thereof, the continuous bead 3A generates a reaction force (elastic force) against wind pressure from the front. Can occur. As a result, since the deformation of the continuous bead 3A is suppressed, the deformation of the front portion 1 can be more reliably suppressed, and the generation of abnormal noise and the reduction in durability can be more appropriately suppressed as described above. Can be.

  (4) Since the continuous bead 3A in which the ventilation hole 2 is not provided extends between the mounting portions 6 and 7 of the front surface portion 1, the continuous bead 3A makes the space between the mounting portions 6 and 7 more firm. They can be connected, and the rigidity of the front part 1 can be more reliably improved. This makes it possible to more appropriately suppress the deformation of the front portion 1 due to the wind pressure as described above, and to more appropriately suppress the generation of abnormal noise and the reduction in durability.

  (5) Since the front part 1 has the triangular bead 5 tapering toward the mounting part 7 between the continuous bead 3A and the mounting part 7, the mounting rigidity of the front part 1 can be further increased. That is, since the triangular bead 5 functions as a supporting rod between the continuous bead 3A of the front portion 1 and the mounting portion 7, the triangular bead 5 increases the rigidity between the continuous bead 3A and the mounting portion 7. Can be enhanced. This makes it possible to more appropriately suppress the deformation of the front portion 1 due to the wind pressure as described above, and to more appropriately suppress the generation of abnormal noise and the reduction in durability.

  (6) Since the ventilation hole 2 is not provided in the upper half of the upper part 1U of the front part 1 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, it is effective to prevent flying objects from being scattered forward from the front part 1 through the ventilation hole 2. Can be suppressed. That is, the outer half of the upper part 1U of the front part 1 in the vehicle width direction is a part where the scattered matter wound up by the front wheel 11 is easier to reach than other parts, and therefore, the ventilation hole 2 is not provided in this part. Thereby, it is possible to effectively suppress the scattering of the scattered object forward, and it is possible to contribute to protection of a member in front of the front part 1. In particular, when the oil cooler 15 is installed in front of the front part 1 as in the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the scattered substances from adhering to and colliding with the oil cooler 15. Can be suppressed.

[3. Modification]
Regardless of the embodiment described above, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Each configuration of the present embodiment can be selected as needed, or may be appropriately combined.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the splash shield 20 is applied to the left side of the vehicle 10 is illustrated, but the above-described splash shield 20 is similarly applicable to the right side of the vehicle 10. Further, the above-described splash shield 20 may be applied to both left and right sides of the vehicle 10. In this case, it is preferable that the right and left splash shields have a front portion having an appropriate shape according to the shape and characteristics of the oil cooler disposed in front of each. That is, the splash shields 20 having different shapes may be provided on the left and right sides of the vehicle 10.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the oil cooler 15 is installed in front of the splash shield 20 has been exemplified. However, the oil cooler 15 may be omitted, or another device (for example, a washer tank) may be used instead of the oil cooler 15. Or another heat exchanger). Even in this case, according to the above-described splash shield 20, the rigidity of the front surface 1 can be further increased by the continuous bead 3A. Also, it is possible to prevent the flying object from scattering forward.

  The shapes and positions of the ventilation holes 2 shown in the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and are not limited to those described above. For example, the ventilation hole 2 may have a circular or elliptical shape, or may extend through the upward wall 31 of the horizontal bead 3. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where two types of the continuous bead 3A in which the ventilation hole 2 is provided and the continuous bead 3A in which the ventilation hole 2 is not provided is exemplified. Alternatively, the ventilation holes may be formed in all the continuous beads 3A, or the ventilation holes may not be formed in all the continuous beads 3A. In addition, if the continuous bead 3A is not provided with the ventilation hole 2, the rigidity of the continuous bead 3A can be further increased, so that the deformation of the front portion 1 can be more effectively suppressed. On the other hand, if the ventilation hole 2 is provided in the continuous bead 3A, the air permeability of the front part 1 can be further enhanced.

  Each number and arrangement of the horizontal beads 3, the vertical beads 4, and the triangular beads 5 shown in the above-described embodiment are examples. The horizontal bead 3 and the vertical bead 4 may be provided at least two each according to the rigidity required for the front surface 1. In addition, a plurality of continuous beads 3A may extend between the mounting portions 6 and 7. Further, in addition to the above-described mounting portions 6 and 7, when a mounting portion for fixing the left and right end portions 1a and 1b of the front portion 1 to the vehicle body member is provided, a continuous bead is provided between the mounting portions. 3A may be extended. The triangular bead 5 may be omitted, or instead of (or in addition to) the triangular bead 5 described above, a taper between the continuous bead 3A and the outer mounting portion 6 toward the outer mounting portion 6 is formed. A triangular bead having a shape may be provided.

  The attachment destinations of the pair of left and right attachment portions 6 and 7 shown in the above embodiment are not limited to those described above. The pair of left and right attachment portions 6 and 7 may be attached to appropriate body members according to the body structure of the front portion of the vehicle 20 to which the splash shield 20 is applied.

1 Front end 1a Outer end (left end)
1b Inner edge (right edge)
1L Lower part 1M Vertical middle part 1U Upper part 2 Vent hole 3 Horizontal bead 3A Continuous bead 3B Divided bead 4 Vertical bead 5 Triangular bead 6, 7 Mounting part 10 Vehicle 11 Front wheel 12 Fender panel (body member)
13 Fender shield panel (body member)
16 Wheelhouse 20 Splash shield L1, L2 Bead height (Length in front-back direction)

Claims (6)

A splash shield that has a front portion extending vertically and horizontally at a front portion of a wheel house in which a front wheel of a vehicle is housed and through which a plurality of ventilation holes are provided,
The front portion includes a plurality of horizontal beads extending in the left-right direction and arranged in the vertical direction, and a plurality of vertical beads extending in the vertical direction,
The plurality of horizontal beads include a continuous bead extending continuously in the left-right direction across the left and right ends of the front portion, and a divided bead divided in the left-right direction by intersecting with the vertical bead. ,
The continuous bead is formed such that the length in the front-rear direction is longer than the length in the front-rear direction of the split bead, and at least one between the mounting portions for fixing the left and right ends of the front portion to the vehicle body member of the vehicle. Splash shield, characterized by extending. The split bead is provided at each of an upper portion and a lower portion of the front portion,
The splash shield according to claim 1, wherein the continuous bead is provided at an intermediate portion between an upper portion and a lower portion of the front portion. The splash shield according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the continuous bead has a curved shape such that a central portion protrudes forward from both left and right end portions thereof. The splash shield according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the continuous bead in which the ventilation hole is not provided extends between the mounting portions. The said front part has a triangular bead taper-shaped toward the said attachment part between the said continuous bead and the said attachment part, The Claims characterized by the above-mentioned. Splash shield. The splash shield according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the vent hole is not provided in an outer half of the upper part of the front part in the vehicle width direction.

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