JPH1059215A - Fitting part construction of front fender protector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To positively cool a brake rotor by forming an underfloor flow convergence part which converges underfloor air flow and circulates the flow toward the brake rotor arranged part of a front wheel house. SOLUTION: When running wind enters the underside of the front end part of an under cover 1 and the front end part of the front guard part 8 of a front fender protector 6 at running a vehicle, an underfloor flow convergence part 9 is swellingly formed upward in the longitudinal direction at the connecting part of the side part of the front end part of the under cover 1 and the side part of the front guard part 8 so as to reduce the flow through resistance of air, and hence the underfloor flow is converged in the underfloor convergence part 9. Hereby, as shown by the arrow mark A, the underfloor flow flows rearward toward a brake rotor B.R arranged inside the front wheel in a front wheel house so as to cool it.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mounting structure for a front fender protector provided in a front wheel house of an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Some front fender protectors provided in a front wheel house of an automobile include, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-316278.
2. Description of the Related Art There is known a wheel arch portion in which a front guard portion which functions as an air guide for deflecting an underfloor air flow downward at the front end extends forward.

[0003]

According to the conventional front fender protector, the under-floor air blows against the front wheel because the under-floor air flow during traveling is deflected downward by the front guard portion at the front end. Has the advantage of reducing the air resistance coefficient ( _CD value) and improving the aerodynamic characteristics, but has no function of guiding the wind to the brake rotor of the front wheel. It is necessary to separately install a wind guide duct and actively introduce cooling air to the brake rotor.

Accordingly, the present invention is to improve the braking effect in terms of structure and cost because cooling air can be introduced into the brake rotor without providing a dedicated air guide duct made of a separate member. It is an object of the present invention to provide a mounting structure for a front fender protector.

[0005]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, an undercover is provided below the drive unit mounting room, and a wheel arch portion is formed on the front wheel house along the lower edge shape of the front fender. A front fender protector having a front guard portion extending forward at a front end portion of the wheel arch portion, wherein a side edge of a front guard portion of the front fender protector and a side of a front end portion of an under cover. An underfloor flow converging portion that connects the edge and bulges upward and backward at the connecting portion to converge the underfloor air flow and directs the air to the brake rotor mounting portion of the front wheel house. Is formed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the underfloor flow converging portion according to the first aspect has an inverted L-shape formed on a side wall formed upright on a side edge of the under cover and a side portion of the front guard portion of the front fender protector. It is characterized in that it is formed by bending a cross section and a side edge is formed by a partition wall connected to an upper edge of a side wall of the undercover.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle wherein the front end of the under cover and the front guard of the front fender protector are substantially symmetrically adjacent to the underfloor flow converging portion. It is characterized in that a hot air outlet for discharging hot air passing through a heat exchanger mounted on the front end is formed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a slit is formed in an upper wall of the underfloor flow converging portion according to any one of the first to third aspects, and a tie-down hook is arranged to project through the slit to the underfloor flow converging portion. And

[0009]

According to the first aspect, the under-floor flow flowing under the front end of the under cover and under the front guard portion of the front fender protector when the vehicle is running bulges upward and backward. Since it is converged to the underfloor flow converging part where the flow resistance of the formed air is reduced and flows toward the brake rotor installation part of the front wheel house, it does not use a dedicated air guide duct made of a separate member The brake rotor can be cooled positively, and the braking effect can be advantageously increased structurally and cost-effectively.

According to the second aspect, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, the underfloor flow converging portion is bent into an inverted L-shaped cross section on the upper edge of the side wall of the under cover and on the side of the front guard portion of the front fender protector. Since the side walls of the formed partition are connected to each other, the underfloor flow converged by the underfloor flow converging portion is deflected and diffused in the left-right direction along the side wall of the undercover to the rear portion where the brake rotor is provided. Thus, it is possible to guide the flow without any trouble, and it is possible to further enhance the cooling effect of the brake rotor.

According to the third aspect, in addition to the effects of the first and second aspects, in addition to the effects of the first and second aspects, the differential pressure between the negative pressure generated on the lower surface side of the under cover due to the under-floor flow of air when the vehicle travels and the internal pressure of the drive unit mounting room. And the differential pressure between the negative pressure generated on the lower surface side of the front guard portion of the front fender protector and the internal pressure of the front fender separated by the front fender protector, provided at the symmetrical position across the underfloor flow converging portion. The high-pressure hot air after passing through the heat exchanger flows out of the left and right hot air outlets to form an air curtain, and the underfloor flow converged by the underfloor flow converging section is
These air curtains can reliably converge without being deflected and diffused to the left and right, and can be directed to the rear brake rotor and flow therethrough, so that the cooling effect of the brake rotor can be further enhanced.

Further, since high-pressure hot air flows out of the hot air outlet of the front guard portion, the flow velocity of the underfloor flow decreases immediately before the front wheel, so that the aerodynamic coefficient of the front wheel portion is reduced to reduce aerodynamic characteristics. Can be improved.

According to the fourth aspect, in addition to the effects of the first to third aspects, in addition to the effects of the first to third aspects, the tie-down hooks are formed in the under-floor flow converging section through the slits in the upper wall of the under-floor flow converging section which are formed by bulging upward. Since the tie-down hooks are protruded and arranged so as to penetrate the front guard portion or the undercover and protrude downward, the protruding length of the tie-down hooks can be reduced as much as possible.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 to 5, reference numeral 1 denotes an undercover for closing a lower side of a driving unit mounting room such as an engine room. In this embodiment, a heat source such as a radiator or an air condenser at a front end of the driving unit mounting room R is provided. The range from the lower side of the portion where the exchanger is provided to the lower side of the drive unit such as the engine (the heat exchanger and the drive unit are not shown) is closed by the under cover 1.

The undercover 1 is made of an oil-resistant and heat-resistant resin material or a thin steel plate, and is formed in a flat plate shape. A notch 3 is formed in the middle portion for disposing a tension rod of a front suspension (not shown) across the drive unit mounting room R and the front wheel houses W and H.

In this embodiment, the under cover 1 has a front end coupled to a lower surface of a radiator core lower member (not shown) and a rear end of the side wall 2 to a front side member 4 via a bracket (not shown). And a central portion of the rear end is connected to a lower surface of a suspension cross member (not shown).

The front end portion of the undercover 1 is curved so as to be able to deflect the underfloor flow flowing from the front to the lower side downward, and the nozzle portion 5 which narrows the underfloor flow between the undercover flow and the road surface to increase the flow velocity. Is formed.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a front fender protector provided in the front wheel houses W and H. The front fender protector 6 is formed of an oil-resistant and heat-resistant resin material or the like similarly to the under cover 1, and a front cover (not shown) A wheel arch portion 7 is formed along the lower edge shape of the fender, and a front guard portion 8 extending forward at the front end of the wheel arch portion 7 is formed.

The outer edge of the front fender protector 6 is fastened by a clip or the like along the lower edge of the front fender, and the inner edge of the wheel arch portion 7 is attached to a corresponding hood ridge panel (not shown) by a clip or the like. The front wheel fender WH is separated from the inside of the front fender by fastening.

The front guard portion 8 at the front end of the front fender protector 6 is curved and formed to substantially conform to the curved shape of the front end of the under cover 1, and deflects the underfloor flow from the front to the lower side downward. Thus, the blow of the underfloor flow to the front wheels F and W in the front wheel houses W and H is suppressed.

A side edge inside the front guard portion 8;
The side edge of the front end of the undercover 1 is connected below the front end of the front side member 4, and the underfloor flow converging portion 9 is formed to bulge upward and forward in this connection portion, and The under-floor flow of air is converged by the under-floor flow converging portion 9 and the brake rotor B of the front wheel house WH
・ R is distributed to the part where R is arranged.

In this embodiment, a partition 10 is bent at the side edge of the front guard portion 8 into an inverted L-shaped cross section, and is formed on the side edge of the partition 10 at the upper edge of the front end of the side wall 2 of the undercover 1. The bent and formed flanges 2a are overlapped and brought into close contact with each other, and the partition wall 10 and the side wall 2 constitute the above-mentioned underfloor flow converging section 9.

Further, hot air outlets 11 and 12 are formed in the front end portion of the under cover 1 and the front guard portion 8 at substantially symmetrical positions adjacent to the above-mentioned underfloor flow converging portion 9 to mount the driving portion. Hot air that has passed through a heat exchanger such as a radiator or air condenser (not shown) mounted at the front end of the room R, and an intercooler (not shown) mounted at the front end inside the front fender separated by the front fender protector 6, The hot air is discharged from these hot air outlets 11 and 12.

The above-mentioned outflow of the hot air flows under the front guard portion 8 and the differential pressure between the negative pressure generated by the under-floor flow flowing under the under cover 1 and the internal pressure of the drive unit mounting room R. Due to the differential pressure between the negative pressure generated by the underfloor flow and the internal pressure inside the front fender, the hot air outlets 11 and 12 flow downward from the hot air outlets 11 and 12, respectively. For example, the hot air outlet 12 is located at the rear end of the front guard 8 at the lowest level above the ground, and the hot air outlet 11 is curved at the front end of the undercover 1 which is symmetrical with respect to the underfloor flow converging portion 9. It is desirable to provide it at a substantially nozzle throat portion at the rear end of the portion.

Further, in this embodiment, a slit 13 is formed in the upper wall of the underfloor flow converging section 9 so as to be formed at the front end of the front side member 4, specifically, at the lower edge of the front end of the closing plate 4a. Protruding tie down hook 1
4 is arranged so as to protrude into the underfloor flow converging section 9 through the slit 13.

According to the structure of the above embodiment, when the traveling wind flows under the front end of the undercover 1 and the front end of the front guard 8 of the front fender protector 6 during traveling of the vehicle, the undercover 1 At the connection between the side of the front end of the front guard 8 and the side of the front guard 8
The underfloor flow converging portion 9 is formed to bulge upward and backward in the front-rear direction, and the flow resistance of the air is reduced, so that the underfloor flow converges on the underfloor flow converging portion 9 and is indicated by an arrow A in FIGS. Rotors BR arranged inside the front wheels FW in the front wheel houses WH
It will be distributed to the rear in the direction of.

Therefore, the brake rotors B and R can be actively cooled without using a dedicated air guide duct made of a separate member, and the braking effect can be advantageously improved structurally and cost-effectively. it can.

In particular, in this embodiment, the above-mentioned underfloor flow converging portion 9 is bent and formed on the upper edge of the front end of the side wall 2 of the undercover 1, and an inverted L-shape is formed on the side of the front guard portion 8. The underflow flow converged by the underfloor flow converging section 9 is applied to the rear brake along the side wall 2 of the undercover 1 because the underflow flow converges at the underfloor flow converging section 9 because the underflow flow converges on the side edge of the partition wall 10 that is bent and formed into a cross section. There is an advantage that the flow can be guided to the portion where the rotors B and R are arranged.

In addition to the above-described underflow flow guiding action by the side wall 2 of the undercover 1, the hot air discharge ports 11, which are provided adjacent to the underfloor flow converging portion 9 at symmetrical positions, are provided.
12, since the high-pressure hot air after passing through the heat exchanger flows out to form an air curtain as shown by the arrow B in FIGS. 1 and 2, the underfloor flow converged by the underfloor flow converging section 9 is These air curtains reliably converge without being deflected and diffused to the left and right, and can be directed to the rear portion where the brake rotors B and R are provided, so that the cooling effect of the brake rotors B and R can be reduced. Can be even higher.

Here, a notch 3 for arranging a tension rod (not shown) is formed in a middle portion of the side wall 2 of the under cover 1 in the front-rear direction, and the notch 3 is just a brake rotor. As shown by arrows C in FIGS. 1 and 2, hot air in the drive unit mounting room R flows out of the notch 3 so as to separate the underfloor flow along the side wall 2. Thus, the brake rotors B and R can be deflected toward the brake rotors B and R, and the cooling effect of the brake rotors B and R can be further enhanced.

On the other hand, as described above, the hot air outlets 11 and 12
The flow of the underfloor flow is reduced immediately before the front wheel F / W at the hot air discharge port 11 by the high-pressure hot air flowing out of the hot air outlet 11. Together with this, it is possible to prevent the underfloor flow from hitting the front wheels F and W, reduce the air resistance coefficient ( _CD value), and improve the aerodynamic characteristics.

Further, such brake rotors BR
In addition to the effects of improving the cooling effect of the above and improving the aerodynamic characteristics of the front wheel FW portion, a slit 13 is provided in the above-mentioned underfloor flow converging section 9 on the high wall above the ground, and through the slit 13 Since the tie-down hooks 14 are protrudingly arranged in the underfloor flow converging portion 9, the tie-down hooks 14 that penetrate through the front guard portion 8 or the undercover 1 and protrude downward can be shortened as much as possible. It can also be obtained cost-effectively.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Undercover 2 Side wall 6 Front fender protector 7 Wheel arch part 8 Front guard part 9 Underfloor flow converging part 10 Partition wall 11, 12 Hot air exhaust port 13 Slit 14 Tie down hook R Drive installation room W ・ H Front wheel house BR Brake rotor

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An undercover is provided below a driving unit mounting room, and a wheel arch portion is provided on a front wheel house along a lower edge shape of a front fender.
In a structure in which a front fender protector having a front guard portion extending forward at a front end portion of the wheel arch portion is provided, a side edge of a front guard portion of the front fender protector and a side edge of a front end portion of an under cover. And an underfloor flow converging portion that is formed to bulge upward in the front-rear direction at the connection portion, converges the underfloor flow of air, and directs the air to the brake rotor mounting portion of the front wheel house. The mounting structure of the front fender protector, which is formed. 2. An underfloor flow converging portion is formed by bending a side wall formed upright on a side edge of an undercover and a side portion of a front guard portion of a front fender protector into an inverted L-shaped cross section. 2. A mounting structure for a front fender protector according to claim 1, wherein the mounting structure comprises a partition connected to an upper edge of a side wall of the cover. 3. The front end of the undercover and the front guard of the front fender protector are provided with hot air passing through a heat exchanger mounted on the front end of the vehicle at a substantially symmetrical position adjacent to the underfloor flow converging portion. The mounting structure for a front fender protector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a hot air discharge port for discharging the hot air is formed. 4. The front according to claim 1, wherein a slit is formed in an upper wall of the underfloor flow converging portion, and a tie-down hook is protruded from the underfloor flow converging portion through the slit. Mounting part structure for fender protector.