WO2021043496A1

WO2021043496A1 - Paneling module of a motor vehicle, in particular wheel house paneling module, undercarriage paneling module, or side skirt paneling module, and motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2021043496A1
Application number: PCT/EP2020/070664
Authority: WO
Inventors: Florian Keller; Bernd Junginger; Roman LEONHARDT; Norbert Strassenberger; Martin Lehmann; Bjoern Schmid; Friedemann Hahn; Gunnar-Marcel Klein
Original assignee: Mann+Hummel Gmbh
Priority date: 2019-09-03
Filing date: 2020-07-22
Publication date: 2021-03-11
Also published as: DE112020004175A5; CN114340955A; DE102019123589A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a paneling module (1), in particular a wheel house paneling module, an undercarriage paneling module, or a side skirt paneling module, of a motor vehicle (10), having at least one paneling part (2) that has an inner face, which is designed to face a motor vehicle body in an assembled state, and an outer face, which is designed to face the surroundings in the assembled state. The paneling part can be connected to the motor vehicle body, is designed to be at least double-walled, and has an inner wall which faces the motor vehicle body in the assembled state and an outer wall which faces the surroundings in the assembled state, said inner wall and outer wall delimiting at least one flow channel (23), through which ambient air can flow from a feed opening to an outlet opening. At least one filter element (3) is arranged in the flow channel such that air flowing from the feed opening to the outlet opening flows past or through the filter element. The filter element has at least one filter medium (31) which is provided in the region of the inner wall and/or the outer wall along a longitudinal extension of at least 25% of the total length of the flow channel, preferably at least 50% of the total length of the flow channel.

Description

Paneling module of a motor vehicle, in particular a wheelhouse paneling module, underbody paneling module or side sill paneling module, and motor vehicle

Technical area

The invention relates to a cladding module, in particular a wheelhouse cladding module, underbody cladding module or side sill cladding module, for a motor vehicle, in particular, but not limited to, a road vehicle, for example a passenger car, a bus, truck, or a rail vehicle, in particular a multiple unit or a locomotive , which has a device for cleaning ambient air, which is designed in particular for separating dusts, in particular fine dusts, and / or gases. The invention also relates to the motor vehicle itself.

Due to the advancing urbanization, especially in metropolitan areas, there is the problem that the ambient air through industrial exhaust gases, road traffic and private fireplaces, especially in adverse weather conditions (no rain, inversion, low wind speeds, no air exchange between layers of altitude) limit values for fine dust and / or gases such as Ozone, NO _x , CO can exceed many times.

It is an approach that has already been documented in the state of the art to use the existing vehicle stocks (for example in Germany in 2014 about 44 million, in China more than 106 million units) as mobile ambient air purifiers.

The problem of traffic-related emissions has recently been exacerbated by the fact that driving bans have been demanded for certain motor vehicle groups, in particular diesel cars, in zones with particularly high levels of air pollution; This is primarily, but not limited to, their PM 2.5 and PM 10 particle emissions (fine dust in the sense of DIN EN 12341).

State of the art

Various approaches for using vehicles as ambient air cleaners are known from the prior art.

From EP 1 837 066 A2 a motor vehicle with a fine dust extraction system is known, which has suction openings in the form of inlet funnels at various locations on its underbody, including on the brakes, the side skirts and in the front and rear areas, which are fluidically and filtered with a central vacuum source are connected, which is arranged in the underbody area. This is a very complex solution in terms of apparatus.

Furthermore, from DE 102016 200 936 A1 a motor vehicle with a fine dust collection device is known which has an air guiding structure for guiding the air out of the caster in an area behind the rear vehicle wheels, which is partially integrated into a rear bumper of the motor vehicle. Through the air guide structure a flow space is formed in which a filter element, not described in detail, is arranged. In addition, a fan can be provided in the flow channel in order to ensure air circulation if there is insufficient passive flow.

The disadvantage here is that the filtration devices disclosed there are attached externally to the vehicle and therefore disrupt the appearance of the vehicle. This is not acceptable for most vehicle customers. Furthermore, the strict requirements for pedestrian safety cannot be met due to the partially freely protruding components of the ambient air cleaner. Finally, the known ambient air cleaners also have functional disadvantages, since the filter area made available is small and the amount of air that can be cleaned is therefore also small.

A filtration solution is known from WO 2004080740 A1 which is integrated into the vehicle structure in a manner that does not impair the silhouette of the vehicle, but this has serious functional disadvantages. There, filter mats are provided in an area of the wheel house and / or a mud flap which, when the vehicle is in operation, are exposed to direct damp and mud thrown from the wheel without protection, which greatly impairs the filter effect within a very short time. Furthermore, there is hardly any real flow through the filter mats proposed there due to the very low pressure gradient, so that only very few air pollutants can be separated.

Based on this, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved cladding module which has a device for cleaning ambient air, which is integrated as invisibly as possible into a motor vehicle in an assembled state and is robust in terms of apparatus and can clean the largest possible amount of air.

This object is achieved by a cladding module with the features of independent claim 1 and by a motor vehicle with the features of claim 19.

Disclosure of the invention

According to a first embodiment, the invention relates to a cladding module, in particular a wheelhouse cladding module, underbody cladding module or side sill cladding module, of a motor vehicle. The cladding module comprises at least one cladding part which has an inner side which is designed to face a motor vehicle body in an assembled state and an outer side which is designed to face the surroundings in the assembled state. The trim part can be connected to the motor vehicle body. The cladding part is designed to be at least double-walled and has an inner wall pointing towards the motor vehicle body in the assembled state and an outer wall pointing toward the surroundings in the assembled state. The inner and outer walls at least also delimit a flow channel through which ambient air can flow from an inflow opening to an outflow opening. At least one filter element is arranged in the flow channel in such a way that air which flows from the inflow opening to the outflow opening flows past the filter element or flows through it. The filter element has at least one filter medium, which along a longitudinal extent of at least 25% of a total length of the flow channel nals, preferably at least 50% of a total length of the flow channel, is present in the region of at least the inner wall and / or the outer wall. In some preferred embodiments, the filter medium even extends over a longitudinal extent of over 70% or even over 80% of the total length of the flow channel. Furthermore, in some designs it is possible for the filter medium to be present on both the inner and the outer wall.

The invention is not limited to wheel house cladding modules, underbody cladding modules and side sill cladding modules, but also includes further cladding modules from the exterior area for motor vehicles. Designs may also be possible in which a cladding module has elements of at least two cladding components; For example, a combined underbody / wheelhouse trim module can be provided.

The term “in the range of” is to be understood here in such a way that it includes both an arrangement of the filter medium directly on the inner and / or outer wall and an arrangement in the direct vicinity of the inner and / or outer wall. The term “longitudinal extension” is to be understood in relation to the flow through the flow channel and, if the cladding part has a curved flow channel, it can also describe a curved path. According to the invention, the filter medium of the filter element can separate the inflow opening (raw side) from the outflow opening (clean side) or will only be overflowed. If the filter medium is only to be flowed over, it is expediently arranged in such a way that it is located in the flow channel. This has the advantage that the flow channel continuously connects the inflow opening with the outflow opening, which contributes to a very low pressure loss. Especially when the filter medium is only overflowing, it is particularly advantageous if the ambient air has the longest possible contact time with the filter medium; this is exactly what is achieved by the extension of the filter medium provided according to the invention along at least 25% of the total length of the flow channel.

The cladding module is particularly preferably designed to be flat, where flat means that its extent in the thickness direction is much smaller than its dimensions in other spatial directions. For example, the thickness of the cladding component can be 35 to 005 times smaller than its extension in the longitudinal direction, preferably 40 to 80 times smaller.

A width of the flow channel can be in a range from 5 mm to 100 mm, preferably in a range between 20 mm and 60 mm. Here, a conflict of objectives is to be resolved in which, on the one hand, the aim is to achieve the lowest possible pressure loss and, on the other hand, the lowest possible overall height of the cladding module. A value of 20 mm to 60 mm width is seen as a good compromise between the two parameters.

The proposed cladding module achieves optimum utilization of the installation space, since the double-walled construction of the cladding part in motor vehicles means that previously unused installation space can be used to accommodate a filtration function. In motor vehicles, for example, there are cavities behind wheel arch linings and / or underbody panels that have previously been filled with insulating materials (acoustics). According to the invention, the filter element with its filter medium also fulfills one Noise-insulating function, so that additional insulating materials can be dispensed with under certain circumstances and as a result the cavities previously filled with insulating materials are available as installation space for the formation of the flow channel. Thus, the largest possible area of filter material can be accommodated in the cladding part, so that a comparatively low pressure loss can be achieved even with high volume flows. In a simplest embodiment, the flow channel is passed through exclusively passively, with only the pressure levels prevailing on the motor vehicle being used as the driving force for the flow.

In particular, if the trim part is designed as a wheel arch trim, there is the advantage that vehicle emissions can be "intercepted" at a point at which, compared to an ambient air concentration of pollutants, there is a much higher pollutant concentration. The pollutant concentration for PM 2.5 lies in an angular range between 0 ° and 45 ° in the direction of travel behind a wheel contact area of a motor vehicle by a factor of 3 to 6 above the ambient air concentration (so-called "wake factor"). If ambient air can be cleaned directly at such a "pollutant hotspot", this has the advantage that very high separation rates can be achieved with a device that is comparatively simple and robust in terms of apparatus. The lining part designed as a wheel house lining has a curvature which corresponds to a curvature of a wheel arch in the assembled state on a motor vehicle.

It was surprisingly found and verified on the basis of a model calculation that a motor vehicle that is equipped with such a cladding module is able to count as a zero-emission vehicle in terms of the direct vehicle emissions. Alternatively, embodiments of the cladding module are conceivable in which only the fine dust emissions of the internal combustion engine are compensated.

The typical car on which the model calculation is based has the following route-related PM 2.5 emissions: Exhaust gases: 2.4 mg / km

Direct emissions (exhaust fumes + tire wear + brake wear + road wear): 22.9 mg / km Total emissions (direct emissions + indirect emissions (dispersal of impurities bound on the road surface)): 69.9 mg / km

Since a reduction in pollutants is of particular interest in the urban traffic environment, in which the traffic is known to be particularly dense and the air quality is particularly poor, an average speed of 13 km / h is assumed for a vehicle speed, which is, for example, for dense inner-city traffic and / or delivery traffic represents a realistic value. Time-related emissions (mg / h) can be calculated on the basis of the aforementioned route-related emissions and the driving speed.

The model calculation also assumes a typical ambient air concentration (PM 2.5) of 50 pg / m ³ and assumes an increase in concentration by a factor of 5.6 for the area immediately adjacent to the wheel house, so that effectively a PM 2.5 concentration of 280 pg / m ³ is present. With a further assumed PM 2.5 separation efficiency of a filter element used in the cladding part of 80%, a volume flow per wheel housing (when all 4 wheel housings are occupied by a filtering cladding module according to the invention) can be achieved with a volume flow of 35 m conveyed by the filter element ³ / h can completely compensate for the PM 2.5 emissions caused by the combustion engine, while the direct emissions of the vehicle could be compensated for ^{with a volume flow of 332 m 3 / h.}

In some versions, a PM 2.5 degree of separation of less than 80%, for example 50%, is also possible. This has the advantage that a lower pressure loss can be achieved, so that higher volume flows can be achieved through the filter element. In some applications, especially when there are very high particle concentrations in the ambient air, a higher total particle mass can be separated with a filter medium which has a lower PM separation degree. These optimal values for degree of separation and volume flow can be solved as extreme value problems for each individual case.

The following estimate of the achievable filter medium areas shows that these volume flows are realistic.

In a typical wheelhouse of a mid-range car, if the surface provided by the wheelhouse shell as a trim part is fully lined, a filter element with a length of 1.6 m and a width of 0.28 m can be accommodated. This results in a frontal area (development) of 0.448 m ² per wheel house. If a pleated filter element is used, which has a pleat height of 40 mm and a pleat spacing of 5 mm, the result is a filter medium area of 7.17 m ² per wheel house. Alternatively, with a pleat spacing of 10 mm and a pleat height of 20 mm, 1.79 m ^{2 of} filter medium area per wheel house could be achieved.

In an exemplary wheel house of a heavy commercial vehicle, if the surface provided by the wheel house shell as a covering part is fully lined, a filter element with the dimensions of a length of 3.3 m and a width of 0.55 m can even be accommodated. This results in a frontal area (development) of 1,815 m ² per wheel house. If a pleated filter element is used, which has a pleat height of 40 mm and a pleat spacing of 5 mm, the result is a filter medium area of 29 m ² per wheel housing. Alternatively, with a pleat spacing of 10 mm and a pleat height of 20 mm, 7.26 m ^{2 of} filter medium area per wheel house could be achieved.

According to a preferred embodiment, the filter medium can protrude from one of the inner wall and / or the outer wall, preferably protrude into the flow channel, and / or line the flow channel. Arranging the filter medium in the flow channel has the advantage that the filter medium is protected from harmful environmental influences; in particular, it is not exposed to mud and moisture from wheels and / or the road. This extends the service life of the filter element and helps to maintain a separation efficiency of the filter medium for as long as possible, since it prevents, for example, a surface of the filter medium from being "clogged" by dirt. According to a likewise preferred embodiment, the cladding part can have guide means, preferably at least one guide rail, on at least one of the inner wall and / or the outer wall in the flow channel, to which the at least one filter element is releasably attached.

The guide rails preferably extend along a longitudinal extension of the flow channel. The guide rails are preferably arranged in pairs and run parallel, so that a filter element can be inserted along the longitudinal extent of the flow channel. The guide rails can particularly preferably extend as far as the inflow opening and / or outflow opening, so that the filter element can be replaced through the inflow opening and / or outflow opening. The filter element can be replaced as part of regular service activities on a motor vehicle, for example on an annual basis. The inflow opening and / or outflow opening functioning as a service opening is preferably arranged in such a way that it is accessible from the underside of the motor vehicle when the cladding module is installed. The filter element can engage directly in the guide means, in particular the guide rail (s). Alternatively, the filter element can have fastening means which correspond to the guide means and which enable assembly.

The fastening means of the filter element can for example comprise a flange or collar which is designed to engage in the guide means of the inner wall and / or the outer wall. The flange or collar can protrude from the filter element in its main plane or parallel to it. Depending on the filter element design, the flange area can be continuous or interrupted (slotted). This enables a quick and easy service. In order to ensure that the filter element can be pushed in from the service opening over a complete length of the guide rails, a corresponding clearance must be provided between the width of the guide rail and the thickness of the flange so that no excessive frictional forces occur.

In a further embodiment, the filter medium of the filter element can have a fold which has a plurality of folds, the folds protruding from at least one of the inner wall and / or the outer wall, preferably protruding into the flow channel. In the assembled state, the folds preferably extend tangentially with respect to an axis of rotation of a wheel of the motor vehicle. The tangential alignment of at least some of the folds can be selected in a special embodiment such that, in the assembled state, fold valleys are formed against a direction of gravity in which particulate contaminants can be retained. Alternatively or additionally, the tangential alignment of the folds can be such that they are inclined against a predetermined direction of rotation of a wheel of the motor vehicle when driving forward, so that some of the particulate impurities emitted and / or whirled up by the wheel are captured in a form-fitting manner, as if by a catch pocket can.

The filter element preferably has a multiplicity of folds along the longitudinal extent of the flow channel. The filter element can be cuboid or non-cuboid. Non-cuboidal, for example, prismatic, cylindrical, conical, frustoconical, uniaxially or multiaxially curved bodies can be understood.

The filter element can have a filter medium that is folded to form at least one filter bellows, the filter element in particular being a flat filter element, the filter bellows of which in particular has a variable pleat height and / or variable bellows height / length. Through these measures, filter elements with a three-dimensionally complex structure can be obtained, especially in combination of a variable pleat height with variable bellows dimensions in the plane (height / width), which can be optimally fitted into the installation space available in the cladding part. Other types of folds and / or the omission of individual folds as well as variable fold heights and trimming of the bellows are also possible and useful here if this helps to optimally adapt the filter element to the installation space.

Furthermore, it can be provided that the filter element has a plurality of fold stabilization means that support the filter bellows and are preferably present at a lateral distance of not more than 150 mm from one another.

The optional support of the filter bellows by fold stabilization means takes into account two kinds of problems, in particular if the cladding module according to the invention is exposed to a direct flow at a flow speed essentially corresponding to the driving speed and / or very high volume flows are to be driven: First, a filter element arranged in this way experiences a high dynamic pressure , and secondly, the filter element is exposed to the effects of moisture, not only from precipitation, but also from the effects of cleaning the vehicle, for example from a high-pressure cleaner.

Surprisingly, the above-mentioned challenges can be elegantly solved by supporting the folds of the filter bellows with fold stabilizers at a maximum distance of 150 mm, so that the filter element can withstand an incident flow at Vmax, e.g. 180 km / h, preferably> 200 km / h, without damage also that an external cleaning action by high-pressure cleaners does not have a damaging effect. Without an effective fold stabilizer, the folds can pack up, i.e. the spaces between the folds are closed, which leads to a sudden loss of filter surface and thus directly to a corresponding increase in the flow resistance and thus a corresponding decrease in the volume flow.

The area of the lateral spacing of the fold stabilizing means of not greater than 150 mm can advantageously be limited towards the bottom in such a way that the distance is preferably greater than 15 mm, preferably greater than 30 mm, since otherwise an unfavorable ratio of the filter bellows areas covered by the fold stabilizing means and freely flowable areas existed.

Various wrinkle stabilizers are possible that fulfill this function.

In a particular embodiment it can be provided that the wrinkle stabilizers each run parallel to one another, preferably in the transverse direction of the folds. Other angular orientations are of course also possible, for example diagonally. Two groups of wrinkle stabilizing means can also be provided, each of which runs parallel and crosses one another.

A parallel course has the advantage that it can be easily implemented in the filter element production through continuous production processes. Arranging the fold stabilization means in the transverse direction of the folds is also particularly advantageous since the smallest possible support length is implemented between two adjacent folds, which leads to particularly effective fold support.

In a further embodiment it can be provided that the wrinkle stabilizers are present at least on a clean air side of the filter element, preferably additionally on an unfiltered air side of the filter element.

Such an arrangement, at least on the clean side, reliably prevents the folds from compacting under the above-mentioned mechanical loads. An additional arrangement on the raw side further increases the load-bearing capacity, but the greater contribution to the filter element rigidity is provided by the fold stabilizing means on the clean side.

Furthermore, it can be provided that the filter medium has an inherent flexural rigidity of at least 1 Nm ² , preferably at least 2 Nm ² . What is meant here is an intrinsic flexural rigidity of the filter medium, ie in an unprocessed, i.e. unfolded, state.

The filter element can advantageously have a filter area of at least 1 m ² , preferably at least 2 m ² , most preferably at least 4 m ² . Depending on the embodiment, the filter surface can be distributed over one, two or even more individual filter elements.

According to yet another embodiment, the fold stabilization means can comprise at least one inner fold stabilization means which at least partially engages in the intermediate folds, preferably fills the intermediate folds. The inner wrinkle stabilizing means can be, for example, a continuous bead of adhesive and / or an intervening stabilizing comb. A "continuous bead of adhesive" is understood here to mean a bead of adhesive that is applied to the flat filter medium before folding and thus runs completely from the bottom of the fold to the tip of the fold after folding, ie is designed to be continuous. As an alternative or in addition to this, at least one outer fold stabilization means can be provided which is connected at least to respectively adjacent fold tips. The outer fold stabilization means can have at least one adhesive bead connected at least to the fold tips, at least one thread connected at least to the fold tips and / or at least one stabilizing band or rib and / or at least one support grid. The outer fold stabilization means can also be materially connected to the fold tips, which contributes to an optimal introduction of force from the fold tips into the outer fold stabilization means. Such a material connection can be made, for example, by welding the outer fold stabilizing means to the filter bellows, in particular the fold tips, in particular by mirror welding. In contrast to the inner wrinkle stabilizers The adhesive bead of the outer fold stabilizing means is not a continuous adhesive bead, but one that is superficially connected to the fold tips.

The adhesive beads of the inner and / or outer fold stabilizing means can have a width in a range from 0.5 mm to 12 mm, preferably 1 mm to 8 mm. In a particular embodiment, the folds of the filter bellows are “folded into a block” so that the distance between the folds corresponds approximately to twice the width of the continuous adhesive beads (as inner fold stabilization means). A hot-melt adhesive, for example, can be used as the material for the adhesive beads.

As an alternative or in addition, the filter medium of the filter element can have one or more embossed lines, which preferably run in the transverse direction of the folds. With such embossed lines, the rigidity of the folds of the filter bellows is additionally increased by increasing the area moment of inertia, which also helps to prevent the folds from collapsing / compacting under the action of pressure.

In a particularly preferred embodiment it can be provided that the filter element has a collapse compressive strength of at least 15 mbar, preferably at least 25 mbar.

Furthermore, the at least one filter element can be a filter hose formed from filter medium, in particular a folded filter hose. This is flexible per se and particularly well suited to be used in long, narrow installation spaces, such as the interior of a paneling part.

In yet another embodiment, the fold can be designed as a 3-D fold, at least one fold of the fold having at least a variable height and / or a variable angle along its longitudinal extension. By designing the fold as a 3D fold, inhomogeneous, in particular turbulent, highly eddy flow fields can be influenced in a targeted manner in such a way that the largest possible amount of polluted air can be supplied to the filter element.

If the cladding module is designed as a wheelhouse cladding module, the height of the folds in an area facing the wheel arch can be greater than in an area directly above the wheel, since this can influence any wheel arch edge vortex.

Alternatively or additionally, the filter element can have a plurality of fringes made of filter medium, which protrude from at least one of the inner wall and / or the outer wall, preferably protrude into the flow channel, particularly preferably in a planar arrangement. Here, the filter element can have a carrier plate or a comparable carrier structure on which the fringes are attached at one end, while their other end protrudes freely into the space. The fringes can be attached to the carrier structure in a form-fitting or cohesive manner, for example glued or welded, or woven or linked to the carrier structure, similar to a deep-pile carpet. This design is particularly suitable for applications in which the filter medium only flows over and does not flow through, but is not restricted to this. According to a further, likewise preferred development, the cladding module can have at least one negative pressure source which is fluidically connected to the inflow opening of the flow channel, the negative pressure source in particular comprising at least one fan or blower and / or a Venturi tube. The fan or the blower can in particular have an electric drive motor.

The fan or blower can be an axially, radially or diagonally operating turbomachine. Advantages of a radial design can be seen in the ease of integration into elongated installation spaces, so that rotating parts can be installed in a concealed manner, a comparatively high maximum pressure and their good energy efficiency can be seen. In contrast, an axial machine has the advantage that it tends to achieve higher volume flows, although this is offset by a slightly lower maximum pressure. If one fan or blower is not sufficient, two or more fans or blowers can also be connected in parallel or in series in order to achieve a predetermined volume flow.

In principle, the fluidic interconnection can take place in such a way that the at least one filter element is arranged on the pressure or suction side of the fan or blower, an arrangement on the suction side being preferred, since this generally leads to a lower pressure loss.

The mode of operation of a negative pressure source with a Venturi tube is as follows: The negative pressure is generated by a negative pressure source, which comprises a channel with a flow cross-section suitably varied along the main flow (direction of travel of the motor vehicle in the assembled state), in which a negative pressure according to the Venturi principle (Bernoulii equation) can be generated, a negative pressure being generated in the venturi tube in the channel which initially narrows and then widens. This negative pressure is tapped and fluidly fed to the inflow opening of the flow channel, so that a pressure gradient is created between the inflow opening and the outflow opening of the flow channel, which represents the driving force for the flow through the flow channel. In particular, the airflow from the motor vehicle is introduced into the Venturi tube, so that no additional energy has to be used to generate the negative pressure. The airflow flowing through the Venturi channel generates a negative pressure, in particular in the transition area between the convergent channel section (nozzle) and the divergent channel section (diffuser), which is fed to the inflow opening of the flow channel via a communication link. The airflow leaves the Venturi tube again via the outlet opening. Such an arrangement is sometimes also referred to as a jet pump.

The vacuum source, in particular the fan or the blower, can in certain embodiments also be spatially separated from the cladding part, a connecting line being provided from the vacuum source to the outflow opening of the flow channel. In particular, it can be provided that the fan or blower is accommodated in a side sill and / or a (rear) bumper or in another position that appears suitable. In certain embodiments, a combination of a blower or fan with a venturi tube can be provided, so that at low driving speeds the blower mainly takes over the generation of negative pressure and at higher driving speeds the negative pressure can be provided by the venturi tube. This has the advantage that no auxiliary energy is required for this.

In yet another embodiment, the cladding part can have at least one intermediate wall which runs in the flow channel and divides it into two sub-channels, the intermediate wall preferably being partially air-permeable and / or wherein the flow channel has at least one deflection, preferably a deflection with a deflection angle of at least 45 °. This embodiment enables a construction that is particularly space-saving with regard to an angular extent, since the flow channel can be formed by, so to speak, stacked partial flow channels. This offers advantages especially when the lining module according to the invention is designed as a wheelhouse lining module, since both the inflow opening and the outflow opening of the flow channel can be located on the same side of a wheel in the assembled state. In an advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that the inflow opening is behind the wheel in the assembled state, the first sub-channel runs along a curve of the outer wall, then a 90 ° deflection is provided which opens into a second sub-channel which is radially outside the inner sub-channel also runs in the opposite direction along the curvature and finally opens into the outflow opening. The outflow opening can preferably be provided in a side sill, wherein the vacuum source can also be arranged in the side sill.

According to a very particularly preferred development, it is provided that the lining module is a wheel house lining module, the inflow opening being in a position behind a wheel of the motor vehicle in the assembled state. The term "behind" here relates to a movement of the motor vehicle when driving forward, so that "behind" means behind in the direction of travel. At this position, due to tire and brake wear, a greatly increased concentration of pollutants, in particular PM 2.5, occurs. Compared to the ambient level, an increase by a factor of 2 to 6 can be assumed on average. Experience has shown that this increased concentration level is present in an area (viewed from a wheel contact point on the roadway) in an angular range from 0 ° to 90 °, which is why it is particularly important to extract and purify ambient air in this area.

Furthermore, as an extension of the outer wall and / or the inner wall, a flow guiding element can extend away from the outer wall and / or the inner wall, which is present in an assembled state outside a wheel house of the motor vehicle and extends against a vertical axis of the vehicle. The flow guide element can be designed, for example, in the form of a mud catcher and consist, for example, of a robust plastic material. The term "opposite to the vertical axis of the vehicle" means an extension of the flow guide element in a direction towards the road surface.

In particular, an arrangement in the extension of the outer wall offers the advantage of a wheel arch trim module that the flow guide element can induce a vortex through which the flow areas near the roadside, which are rich in particles, can be directed to the inflow opening that is preferably behind the flow guide element in the assembled state. The flow guiding element expediently extends As far as possible to a road surface, as this allows the desired effect to be maximized. However, a change in the vehicle height due to loading and / or dynamic axle loads must be taken into account here. In order to achieve an optimal flow influencing in as many operating states as possible, the flow guide element can be adjustable in height, for example as a function of a driving speed or a load condition of the motor vehicle. For this purpose, the flow guide element is mounted relative to the trim part with one degree of freedom in the vertical direction of the vehicle and is provided with a suitable drive.

Furthermore, it is advantageously possible for the flow guide element to extend away from the inner wall as an extension, so that the inflow opening is in front of the flow guide element in the direction of travel. In a special development, a secondary inflow opening can be provided behind the flow guide element in the direction of travel, so that ambient air can be sucked in both in front of and behind the flow guide element. According to this embodiment, the aforementioned positive effects are combined. The inflow opening and the secondary inflow opening can both open into the same flow channel.

Furthermore, the cladding part can have at least one flow guide rib essentially parallel to a wheel arch edge, which is designed to extend in the assembled state from the wheel arch edge in the direction of a wheel of the motor vehicle. Such a flow guide rib allows pollutants that circulate in a tip vortex that is often present at this position near the wheel arch to be separated off better. The flow guide rib can also be provided by a wheel arch strip which is separate from the trim part and which has a raised structure on the inside, i.e. facing the wheel house, which forms the flow guide rib.

According to yet another embodiment, the flow guide element can be designed as a hollow body and preferably have at least one opening to the environment, an interior of the flow guide element being fluidically connected to the inflow opening of the flow channel. This makes it possible to suck air into the flow channel through the flow guide element, namely at a position that is significantly closer to the roadway (in relation to the vertical axis of the vehicle). The flow guide element preferably has a plurality of openings, which are present, for example, as slots in a wall of the hollow body. Advantageously, measures for mechanical water separation (baffle plates, lamellae or the like) can also be provided in the hollow flow guide element, so that as little water as possible is sucked into the flow channel. For this purpose, the hollow flow-guiding element preferably has at least one drainage opening at a lower end in the direction of gravity for discharging separated water and dirt. Such a hollow flow guide element can be produced in a particularly simple and cost-effective manner in terms of production technology by means of blow molding.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the outer wall of the cladding part, which is designed to be air-permeable to the environment at least with limited at least sections, can preferably have a plurality of through-flow openings, in particular bores and / or slots. Alternatively or additionally, the inner wall can be made air-impermeable. The filter element is in this case preferably arranged on the at least partially air-permeable outer wall. An air-permeable outer wall allows on the one hand the regeneration of the filter medium by rinsing with water (rain, spray from the wheel, high-pressure cleaner) and on the other hand a suction at other points deviating from the inflow opening. For example, the inflow opening can be provided at a pollutant hot spot of the motor vehicle, while the throughflow openings in the outer wall are expediently provided at locations where secondary emission sources are present.

According to a preferred embodiment of a wheel arch lining module, the outer wall has throughflow openings at least along one edge of the wheel arch, since pollutants that circulate in a peripheral vortex that is often present at this position near the wheel arch can be separated in this way.

According to an alternative embodiment, the cladding module is an underbody cladding module, the inflow opening in the assembled state pointing in a predetermined direction of travel of the motor vehicle when driving forward, the inflow opening preferably being preceded by an inflow tulip. There is usually a very large amount of installation space on the underbody, which allows filter elements with a large filter surface to be accommodated. The features and advantages mentioned with regard to the wheel arch lining module can be transferred to the underbody lining module and vice versa.

According to yet another preferred embodiment, it can be provided that the filter element is a flexible or pliable filter element that is deformable at least during assembly. The filter element is particularly preferably a thermoformed filter element, which in particular consists exclusively of filter medium. Alternatively or additionally, the filter element can have a filter hose formed from filter medium, in particular a folded filter hose.

Thermoforming is understood to mean a manufacturing process by means of which three-dimensional structures can be formed from a flat starting material by means of the action of heat and pressure in a thermoforming press. This has the advantage that this is a one-step process and no large number of components are required to provide the filter element, but the complete filter element can be produced from a layer of media, preferably a non-woven layer, using suitable press rams. Alternatively, it can be provided that the flexible filter element is provided along its side edges (fold front sides) with at least one deformable side band, preferably made of a fleece or foam material, which also enables flexibility. Flexibility is particularly important when the space of the trim part provided for the filter element receptacle is curved, as is the case with a wheel arch trim.

By means of the thermoforming manufacturing process, filter elements with the aforementioned 3-D folds in particular can be manufactured particularly easily.

Alternatively or in addition, the filter element can also be pre-bent with a radius of curvature of the cladding part to facilitate assembly, in which case lower requirements are placed on the flexibility of the filter element and the filter element can even be designed as a plastic-coated filter element with a hard plastic frame. Furthermore, the filter medium of the filter element can be a single-layer or multi-layer filter medium, preferably a synthetic fleece medium. The filter medium can be water-resistant, in particular hydrophobic, and / or have at least one drainage layer and / or pre-separator layer. Alternatively or additionally, it can have or consist of glass fibers and / or plastic fibers, in particular made of polyester and / or polyethylene and / or polypropylene. Optionally, a porosity gradient can be provided in a thickness direction and / or the filter medium can be electrostatically charged, wherein the filter medium can in particular be an electret filter medium.

An electrostatically charged medium, which has a particularly pronounced electrostatic separation, can be designed as a nonwoven fabric with a filament fineness of 1 to 50 dtex, preferably 2 to 10 dtex, and a weight per unit area of 5 to 500 g / m ² and a thickness of 0, 5 to 5 mm.

As an alternative or in addition, so-called stitch-bonded nonwovens are also suitable as filter media in the context of the present invention. These can advantageously have fiber fineness of 1 to 10 dtex with a weight per unit area of approx. 80 to 800 g / m ² .

In addition to at least one particle filter layer, the filter medium can have at least one gas filtration layer, in particular with an activated carbon bed as active material. The gas filtration layer can be provided with appropriate active materials that enable the adsorption / absorption of various harmful gases from the ambient air, for example ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide. Various active materials can also be used for this purpose. The activated carbon can also be impregnated in order to improve the separation of certain gases.

In a particular embodiment, the drainage layer and / or the pre-separator layer can also be designed as a separate pre-separator element which is upstream of the “main filter element” in the direction of flow. This can increase the service life of the main filter element. A water-resistant property can be achieved, for example, by suitable impregnation of the filter medium or by using base materials for the filter medium that are already water-resistant per se, e.g. synthetic filter media.

In addition, the filter medium of the filter element can have at least one support layer, in particular a support grid, in particular made of a plastic, in particular polypropylene and / or a polyester. The support grid can have a mesh size of 0.5 mm to 20 mm, particularly preferably from 1 mm to 2 mm. The support grid is advantageously folded into the filter bellows during the production of the bellows and is part of the filter medium; it serves to stabilize the filter medium at the rear against dynamic pressure.

The thickness of the filter medium can be between 0.2 and 10 mm, with typical "pure" particle filter media in a range of 0.3-2 mm, relatively air-permeable fleece in a range of 4-8 mm and media for the above-mentioned production of the Filter element by thermoforming at approx. 5.5 mm. The air permeability of the filter medium can range between 650 l / m ² s and over 3000 l / m ² s 200 Pa.

In a likewise preferred embodiment of the cladding module, provision can be made for at least one water separation device to be provided upstream of the at least one filter element in the flow direction, preferably an inertial separator, particularly preferably a lamellar separator or swirl separator, the water separation device in particular directly upstream of the inflow opening of the flow channel is. In particular, the water separation device can be assigned to the hollow flow guide element described herein.

The measures described above reduce the load on the filter element with spray water and / or cleaning water, which can be harmful to the filter element. Inertial separators, such as the above-mentioned lamellar separators, are technically reliable and long-lasting liquid separators that have a considerable separation performance in their design spectrum. Without a liquid separator, the filter element would be too exposed to the effects of water mentioned above, which in the worst case can lead to a temporary almost complete loss of the effective filter surface.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a motor vehicle with at least one trim module according to the invention. The motor vehicle can have an electric and / or internal combustion engine drive. The advantages mentioned with regard to the cladding module according to the invention can essentially also be transferred to the motor vehicle according to the invention and vice versa.

Description of the drawings

Further advantages and useful designs can be found in the further claims, the description of the figures and the drawings. Similar device components can be provided with the same reference numerals. Show it:

1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the wheel arch trim module according to the invention according to a first embodiment;

2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the wheel arch trim module according to the invention according to a second embodiment;

3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the wheel arch trim module according to the invention according to a third embodiment;

4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the wheel arch trim module according to the invention according to a fourth embodiment;

5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the side sill panel module according to the invention according to a first embodiment;

6 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the side sill panel module according to the invention according to a second embodiment;

7 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the side sill panel module according to the invention according to a third embodiment;

8 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the wheel arch trim module according to the invention according to a fifth embodiment; 9 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the wheel arch trim module according to the invention according to a sixth embodiment;

10 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the wheel arch trim module according to the invention in accordance with a seventh embodiment;

11 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the wheel arch trim module according to the invention in accordance with an eighth embodiment;

12 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the underbody paneling module according to the invention according to a first embodiment;

13 shows a schematic bottom view of the underbody paneling module according to the invention according to the first embodiment.

Embodiment (s) of the invention

A first embodiment of the wheel house lining module 1 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 1 in a schematic cross-sectional view. The cladding module 1 has a cladding part 2 which is double-walled and has an inner wall 21 facing a vehicle body and an outer wall 22 facing the surroundings or the wheel R, between which a flow channel 23 extends. The flow channel 23 communicates with the environment via an inflow opening 231 and an outflow opening 232. The direction of flow is shown with the reference symbol S and the direction of travel of a motor vehicle, which is equipped with the fairing module, when driving forwards as intended, with the reference symbol F. The inflow opening 231 is provided in an area behind a wheel contact point, so that as many of the direct vehicle emissions as possible ( Tire wear, brake wear, road wear) and indirect emissions (resuspension from the road) can be sucked into the flow channel 23. In the flow channel 23 there is a filter element 3 which has a filter medium 31 which is pleated to form a plurality of folds 311. The folds 311 here run in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, the filter medium 31 is not flowed through, but only overflowed. The filter medium 31 covers the outer wall 22 over almost its entire longitudinal extent. For this purpose, both the inner wall 21 and the outer wall 22 are made air-impermeable. This has the advantage that the filter medium 31 is protected from harmful effects; above all, it is not exposed to any direct mud or moisture thrown from the wheel R. Since the filter medium 31 is only flowed over and the flow channel 23 is otherwise freely passable, a flow through it causes only a very low pressure loss. In the embodiment shown, the pressure gradient required for this is generated by a jet pump with a Venturi tube 4. The venturi has an inflow cross-section 41 with a large cross-sectional area, a narrowed cross-sectional area 42 downstream of this in the flow direction, in which the flow is accelerated with the formation of a dynamic negative pressure and finally, further in the flow direction, an outflow cross-section 43 with again an enlarged cross-section (diffuser) in which the flow is slowed down again. The outflow opening 232 of the flow channel 23 of the cladding module 1 is now fluidically coupled to the Venturi tube in the area of the narrowed cross-sectional area 42, at this point there is an intake cross-section for a working medium 44 through which the dynamic negative pressure prevailing at this point for flow of the flow channel 23 can be made usable. Advantageously, this does not require any auxiliary energy, but purely passively uses the dynamic pressure potential that is already present due to the driving speed. After the ambient air has flowed along the flow path S through the flow channel 23, it flows into the cross section of the Venturi tube 4 in the area of the discharge opening 232, mixes with the motive medium and is fed to the discharge cross section 44.

In order to be able to provide a sufficient pressure gradient for the flow through the flow channel 23 even at low driving speeds, a fan or blower 5 can be used as a vacuum source as an alternative or in addition to the Venturi tube 4. The fan / blower 5 can, for example, be electrically driven, with sufficient possibilities to use an on-board network for the power supply, especially in the front area of a motor vehicle. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the fan 5 supports the flow of propellant medium through the Venturi nozzle. However, it can also be provided that the blower 5 is connected to the suction cross-section for the working medium 44 with suction, or that a blower 5 is used exclusively to generate negative pressure, the blower being fluidically coupled directly to the outflow opening 232 of the flow channel 23.

The development according to FIG. 3 differs from the above-described embodiments in that a flow guide element 6 is provided directly adjacent to the inflow opening 231, which extends as an extension of the inner wall 21 of the trim part 2 against the vertical axis of the vehicle towards the roadway. The flow guide element 6 can, for example, be designed like a mud catcher, for example made of a robust plastic material. The flow guide element 6 is located downstream of the inflow opening 231 in the direction of travel F, so that particulate contaminants whirled up by the wheel are guided into the flow channel 23 via the flow control achieved in this way. Flow losses through a gap between the road surface and the tip of the flow guide element 6 are minimized. Furthermore, the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 differs from the previously described ones in that the filter medium 31 of the filter element 3 is arranged here on the inner wall 21. However, embodiments are also useful in which filter medium is present on both the inner and the outer wall, although this is not shown figuratively. A vacuum source is not shown in FIG. 3, but both the aforementioned Venturi tube and / or fan variants are suitable.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 differs from that shown in FIG. 3 by the design of the flow guide element 6; otherwise there are no functional differences. The flow guide element 6 is designed to be hollow and has a cavity 62 which is connected in a fluidically tight manner to the inflow opening 231 of the flow channel 23 of the cladding part 2. Furthermore, the flow guiding element 6 has a plurality of openings 61 which are present on a boundary wall of the flow guiding element 6 which is at the front in the direction of travel F and can in particular be designed as slots. This offers the advantage that particulate contaminants can be sucked off much closer to the road surface, and thus a significantly smaller part of the particles from the trailing area of the wheel flows through as "gap loss" between the tip of the flow guide element 6 and the road surface. The hollow flow guide element 6 is also sensibly made of a robust plastic material so that it can withstand contact with foreign bodies, e.g. curbs, undamaged. It can, for example, be designed as a blow molded part and / or alternatively or additionally be connected to the cladding part 2 in an articulated manner.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is a side sill panel module 1. The inflow is implemented in a hollow flow guide element 6, similar to the wheel house lining module of FIG. 4, while the inflow opening 231 is part of a side sill lining part 2, which has an outer wall 22 and an inner wall (not shown in the figure), which at least also delimit a flow channel 23, Can be supplied via the ambient air to at least one filter element.

As shown in FIG. 6, the filter element 3 can be arranged in the flow channel 23 delimited by the inner wall 21 and the outer wall 22 of the side sill panel part 2. Even in the embodiments which are side sill paneling module 1, the driving pressure gradient can be generated by the variants described above; In addition to a fan 5 and a Venturi tube, however, the invention also encompasses other negative pressure sources not expressly mentioned herein. The inflow opening 231 is in turn provided behind the wheel R. The flow guide element 6 of FIG. 6, however, differs in terms of its positioning from the embodiments described above. This is located downstream of the inflow opening 231 in the direction of rotation of the wheel R during normal forward travel F and is arranged above the inflow opening 231 defined by the side sill panel part 2. The flow guide element 6 extends as close as possible to a lateral surface of the wheel R. Such an arrangement can in particular swirl a circumferential flow formed on the wheel R in a targeted manner and convey particulate contaminants carried by it to the inflow opening 231.

According to the further development of FIG. 7, provision is made for the flow guide element 6 to be positioned in front of the inflow opening 231 in the direction of travel F. This is based on the fluid-mechanical effect that vortices form in the trailing area of a plate-shaped interfering contour around which flow occurs, which here move with a directional component in the vertical direction of the vehicle, so that part of the flow otherwise running in the trailing area of the wheel in the direction of travel F is deflected in the vertical direction of the vehicle and the inflow opening 231 can be fed.

8 again shows a wheel house lining module 1. This is characterized by a reduced space requirement in the circumferential direction. This is achieved in that the flow channel 23 is quasi folded. An intermediate wall 9 is arranged in the flow channel 23, which divides it into a first partial channel 233 and a second partial channel 234, with a flow deflection 91 by 180 ° taking place in a transition between the first partial channel 233 and the second partial channel 234, so that the flow direction in the second Partial channel 234 runs counter to the flow direction in first partial channel 233. The second sub-channel 234 runs parallel and radially outside the first sub-channel 233. The intermediate wall 9 is made impermeable to air. According to the embodiment shown, a filter element 3 is arranged only in the first partial channel on the outer wall 22; in embodiments not shown in the figures, however, a filter element can also be present in the second sub-channel 234, which helps to achieve a maximum Filter medium area is advantageous. The outflow opening 232 is arranged in a transition area between the inner wall 21 of the wheelhouse lining part 2 and a side sill lining, a fan 5 being arranged in the side sill lining, the suction side of which is fluidically connected to the outflow opening 232. The inflow opening 231 is in turn provided downstream of the wheel R in the direction of travel and opens into the first sub-channel 233.

The embodiment of FIG. 9 also has a two-part flow channel 23 with a first partial channel 233 and a second partial channel 234. The inflow with the hollow flow guide element 6 corresponds to the embodiment explained in detail in FIG. 4. A vacuum source is not shown figuratively; however, all variants described hereinbefore are suitable. The embodiment of FIG. 9 now has the decisive difference that the partition 9 is designed to be air-permeable over its longitudinal extent in the circumferential direction, so that ambient air which reaches the first sub-channel 233 via the inflow opening 231, after flowing through the filter medium 31 of the filter element 3 can be passed through the partition 9 into the second partial channel. In contrast to the above-described embodiments, a separation of a clean side (in the second sub-channel) from a raw side (in the first sub-channel) is achieved via the filter medium 31 of the filter element 3 according to the present embodiment. Furthermore, there is a significant difference in that the filter element 3 is arranged on the intermediate wall 9 in the first sub-channel 233. As an alternative or in addition, the filter element 3 could also be arranged on the partition 9 in the second sub-channel 234, although this is not shown in the figures.

The developments shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 essentially correspond functionally to the variants described hereinbefore. One difference lies in the design of the filter element 3, the filter medium 31 of which hangs down in the form of fringes 312 from the inner wall of the wheel house lining part 2. This design can be implemented particularly advantageously with highly electrostatically charged filter media (see feather duster), which has the advantage that, compared to an overflow, pleated filter medium, even lower pressure losses can be achieved, while good particle separation can still be achieved due to the electrostatic charge. It is particularly useful to design the filter element 3 as a fringe filter for overhead installation, as shown.

An embodiment of an underbody paneling module 1 according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. On the underbody of a motor vehicle 10, an underbody paneling part 2 is provided, which has an inner wall 21 and an outer wall 22, between which a flow channel 23 runs, which has an inflow opening 231 at the front in the direction of travel F and an outflow opening 232 at the rear in the direction of travel. The inflow opening 231 can advantageously be provided with an inflow tulip, which is not shown in the figure, but has a positive effect on the volume flow that can be achieved by the dynamic pressure. In the flow channel 23, a plurality of filter elements 3 designed as bag filters are arranged, which line the flow channel 23 almost over its entire length, preferably at least 80%. This design makes it possible, particularly in the case of electric vehicles, but expressly not limited to this, to use installation spaces on the underbody for filtration in which previously components of the internal combustion engine system were templates, for example exhaust system components or fluid lines. List of reference symbols

1 cladding module

10 motor vehicle

2 panel

21 inner wall

22 outer wall

23 flow channel

231 inflow opening

232 discharge opening

233 first sub-channel

234 second sub-channel

3 filter element 31 filter medium

311 folds

312 fringes

4 venturi tube

41 Inflow cross-section

42 narrowed cross-section

43 Outlet cross-section

44 Suction cross section working medium

5 blowers / fans

6 flow guide element 61 opening of the flow guide element 62 cavity of the flow guide element

7 side skirts

8 Wheel housing 9 Partition 91 Flow deflection F Direction of travel when driving forwards as intended R Wheel S Flow

Claims

Expectations

1. cladding module (1), in particular wheel arch cladding module, underbody cladding module or side sill cladding module, of a motor vehicle (10) which has at least one cladding part (2) which has an inside which is designed to face a motor vehicle body in an assembled state, and has an outer side which is designed to face the environment in the assembled state, the trim part (2) being connectable to the motor vehicle body, and the trim part (2) being at least double-walled and one facing the motor vehicle body in the assembled state Inner wall (21) and an outer wall (22) facing the environment in the assembled state, which at least also delimit at least one flow channel (23) through which ambient air can flow from an inflow opening (231) to an outflow opening (232) characterized in that in the flow channel (23) at least one filter element (3) is arranged in such a way that air which flows from the inflow opening (231) to the outflow opening (232) flows past or flows through the filter element (3), and that the filter element (3) has at least one filter medium (31) which is present along a longitudinal extension of at least 25% of a total length of the flow channel (23), preferably at least 50% of a total length of the flow channel (23), the filter medium (31) being present in the region of at least the inner wall and / or the outer wall.

2. cladding module (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the filter medium (31) protrudes from one of the inner wall (21) and / or the outer wall (22), preferably protrudes into the flow channel (23), and / or the flow channel (23) lines.

3. cladding module (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cladding part (2) on at least one of the inner wall (21) and / or the outer wall (22) in the flow channel (23) guide means, preferably at least one guide rail, has, on which the at least one filter element (3) is releasably attached.

4. cladding module (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the fastening means of the filter element (3) comprise a flange or collar which is designed to engage in the guide means of the inner wall (21) and / or the outer wall (22).

5. cladding module (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the filter medium (31) of the filter element (3) has a fold (311) which has a plurality of folds (311), the folds (311) protrude from at least one of the inner wall (21) and / or the outer wall (22), preferably protrude into the flow channel (23), and the folds (311) preferably in the assembled state tangentially with respect to an axis of rotation of a wheel (R) of the motor vehicle (10) extend.

6. cladding module (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the fold (311) is designed as a 3D fold, with at least one fold of the fold (311) along its lengthwise fold has at least a variable height and / or a variable angle.

7. cladding module (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the filter element (3) has a plurality of fringes (312) made of filter medium (31), which of at least one of the inner wall (21) and / or the Outer wall (22) protrude, preferably protrude into the flow channel (23), particularly preferably in a planar arrangement.

8. cladding module (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the cladding module (1) has at least one vacuum source (4, 5) which is fluidly connected to the inflow opening (231) of the flow channel (23) wherein the negative pressure source (4, 5) in particular comprises at least one fan (5) or blower (5) and / or a Venturi tube (4).

9. cladding module (1) according to at least one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the cladding part (2) has at least one intermediate wall (9) which runs in the flow channel (23) and divides this into two sub-channels (233, 234) divided, wherein the partition (9) is preferably partially air-permeable and / or wherein the flow channel (23) has at least one deflection (91), preferably a deflection (91) with a deflection angle of at least 45 °.

10. cladding module (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the cladding module (1) is a wheel arch lining module (1), wherein the inflow opening (231) in the assembled state on a behind a wheel (R) of the motor vehicle ( 10) is in a lying position.

11. cladding module (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that a flow guide element (6) extends away from the outer wall (22) and / or the inner wall (21) as an extension of the outer wall (22) and / or the inner wall (21) extends, which is present in the assembled state outside a wheel house (8) of the motor vehicle (10) and extends against the vertical axis of the vehicle.

12. Cladding module (1) according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the cladding part (2) has at least one flow guide rib substantially parallel to a wheel arch edge, which is designed to extend in the assembled state from the wheel arch edge in the direction of a wheel (R ) of the motor vehicle (10) to extend.

13. cladding module (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that the flow guide element (6) is designed as a hollow body and preferably has at least one opening (61) to the environment, an interior of the flow guide element (6) with the inflow opening (231) of the Flow channel (23) is fluidly connected.

14. Cladding module (1) according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the outer wall (22) is at least partially air-permeable, preferably has a plurality of flow openings, in particular bores and / or slots, and / or the inner wall (21 ) is designed to be air-impermeable, the filter element (3) being particularly preferably arranged on the at least partially air-permeable outer wall (22).

15. cladding module (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the cladding module (1) is an underbody cladding module, wherein the inflow opening (231) in the assembled state in a predetermined direction of travel of the motor vehicle (10) points when driving forward, wherein the inflow opening (231) is preferably preceded by an inflow tulip.

16. cladding module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that

- The filter element (3) is a flexible filter element which is deformable at least during assembly, the filter element (3) preferably being a thermoformed filter element, which preferably consists exclusively of filter medium (31) or

- The filter element (3) has a filter hose formed from filter medium (31), in particular a folded filter hose.

17. cladding module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the filter medium (31) of the filter element (3) is a single or multi-layer filter medium (31), preferably a synthetic fleece medium that

- Is designed to be water-resistant and / or

- Has at least one drainage layer and / or pre-separator layer and / or

- comprises or consists of glass fibers and / or plastic fibers, in particular polyester and / or polyethylene and / or polypropylene and / or

- Has a porosity gradient in a thickness direction and / or

- Is electrostatically charged, in particular is an electret filter medium.

18. cladding module (1) according to at least one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the at least one filter element (3) is provided upstream in the flow direction at least one water separator, preferably an inertial separator, particularly preferably a lamellar separator or swirl separator, wherein the Water separation device is in particular directly upstream of the inflow opening (231) of the flow channel and / or at least one of the throughflow openings of the at least partially air-permeable outer wall (22) is directly upstream.

19. Motor vehicle (10), in particular road vehicle, in particular passenger car, bus, truck or rail vehicle, in particular multiple unit, locomotive, which has at least one cladding module, characterized in that the cladding module is a cladding module (1) according to one of claims 1 to 18.