JP2007030549A - Movable air straightening device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce initial costs by using an existing control system, reduce weight by miniaturization having only important section for improving aerodynamic characteristic and improve fuel consumption by improving aerodynamic characteristic. <P>SOLUTION: This straightening device arranged in front of wheels of a vehicle to straighten air flow when travelling is provided with a straightening member provided in front of a right and a left wheels of the vehicle freely to project/retract from/into a bottom surface of a car body and to separately cover a front part of each of the wheels when projecting and a driving device for driving the straightening device to project/retract by using high-pressure air of a suspension as a driving source. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a movable rectifier for a vehicle that affects the air resistance of the vehicle.

  Recently, hybrid vehicles that are remarkably widespread are driven mainly by an engine at high speeds and consume a lot of fuel. Therefore, improvement of the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle body, which is particularly susceptible to fuel consumption at high speeds, is required as a technology that produces a great effect.

  Conventionally, it is known that spoilers and rectifying plates are arranged in front of vehicle wheels, and these are made to appear and disappear below the vehicle body according to the vehicle speed to rectify the flow of air when the vehicle is running, thereby reducing air resistance to the vehicle. Known as.

  For example, a front spoiler device as shown in Patent Document 1 is known. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 of Patent Document 1, a motor M that is driven by a spoiler body 1 that is provided below the front apron via link mechanisms A and B is controlled according to the vehicle speed. Can be infested.

Moreover, a movable air balance panel as shown in Patent Document 2 is known. This is because, for an air balance panel that is movably mounted so as to be activated or deactivated via an actuating actuator and switching means, an operating signal is sent when the vehicle speed reaches a predetermined vehicle speed by the control circuit of the switching means. The panel is activated. As this drive source, an air drive device using the negative pressure of the inter-manifold 6 is used.
JP-A-57-59190 (first and second pages, FIGS. 1 and 2) JP 58-22767 (page 5, FIG. 3)

  However, since the spoiler is a long device that protrudes downward along the front of the vehicle, as shown in Patent Document 1, the drive mechanism also requires a large number of link mechanisms to operate. Along with the increase, a high degree of reliability was required for the accuracy of each part. In addition, a weight for maintaining the strength of the support portion itself is required to support the heavy spoiler, and the total weight of the vehicle body increases, which causes a disadvantage that it contradicts the demand for fuel efficiency improvement and increases the production cost. It was. Further, even in a system in which the drive source is air as shown in Patent Document 2, since it is activated depending on conditions such as the vehicle speed, a sensor, an ECU, and the like are newly required, and the system becomes complicated and weight is similarly increased. There was an adverse effect of increase and cost increase.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and by using an existing control system, the initial cost is reduced, and a light-weight structure is achieved by using a small-sized structure with only a critical portion in order to improve aerodynamic characteristics. It is an object of the present invention to provide a movable rectifier for a vehicle that can improve fuel efficiency by realizing an improved aerodynamic characteristic.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the structural feature of the invention according to claim 1 is that the front of the left and right wheels of the vehicle is arranged in a rectifier that is arranged in front of the wheels of the vehicle and regulates the air flow during vehicle travel. Are provided so that they can protrude and immerse from the bottom surface of the vehicle body, and when they protrude, the front of the wheel is independently covered and the rectifying member is driven by the high-pressure air of the air suspension as the drive source. And a driving device.

  The structural feature of the invention according to claim 2 is the drive device according to claim 1, wherein the drive device operates in synchronization with the control of the air suspension.

  The structural feature of the invention according to claim 3 is that in claim 2, the operation is an operation in which the rectifying member protrudes synchronously when the air suspension is operated so that a vehicle height of the vehicle is lowered. is there.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first to third aspects, the rectifying member includes a lower control surface that rectifies the air flow when the vehicle is traveling, and a side that rectifies the side. A rectifying member provided with a control surface.

  In the invention which concerns on Claim 1, an efficient rectification effect | action can be produced around the wheel which is an important part which improves an aerodynamic characteristic by arrange | positioning a rectifier in front of the left and right wheels, respectively. By using small independent rectifying members in front of the left and right wheels, the weight of the device can be reduced. By diverting the air suspension system as a drive source for driving the movable rectifier, a simple vehicle movable rectifier using an existing apparatus can be provided without adding a new apparatus.

  In the invention according to claim 2, since it is synchronized with the control of the air suspension, a movable rectifier for a vehicle provided with a drive device that reduces the initial cost by using an existing system without adding a new control system. Can be provided.

  In the invention according to claim 3, when the vehicle travels at a high speed, the rectifying member protrudes synchronously when the air suspension is operated so that the vehicle height is lowered, so that a new sensor or control device is added. In addition, there is provided a movable rectifier for a vehicle which can reduce the air resistance by preventing the occurrence of turbulent flow around the wheels when the vehicle is traveling at high speed.

  In the invention according to claim 4, when the vehicle travels, the air flow is rectified downward to prevent the occurrence of buoyancy and turbulent flow with respect to the vehicle body, and at the same time rectified to the side, for example, the wheel housing It is possible to effectively reduce the air resistance by preventing the occurrence of turbulent flow due to entrainment.

  An embodiment of a movable rectifier for a vehicle according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of a movable rectifier for a vehicle, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a protruding state.

  The movable rectifier 1 in the present embodiment includes a rectifying member 3 that rectifies the air flow when the vehicle is traveling, an air actuator 5 that drives the rectifying member 3, and an ECU (control device) 7 that controls the driving device. It has.

  The rectifying member 3 is made of a plate material formed in a substantially ship shape made of a steel plate or a resin, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each of the rectifying members 3 is in front of the wheel 9 accommodated in the wheel housing 8 and behind the bumper 12. They are arranged independently corresponding to the wheels 9. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the rectifying member 3 has a lower control surface 3a for rectifying the air flow downward and a side control surface 3b for rectifying the air flow sideways when the vehicle is running. is doing.

  A support member 10 extending from the rear part to the front part of the rectifying member 3 is provided on the upper surface of the rectifying member 3, and a rotating shaft 11 having an axis line in the left-right direction of the vehicle is fixedly passed through the front part of the support member 10. Yes. The rotating shaft 11 penetrates the side wall of the rectifying member 3 and is rotatably supported by a bearing (not shown) provided on the vehicle body. The rectifying member 3 can rotate forward and backward within a predetermined range around the rotating shaft 11. It is configured. A distal end portion of an arm 15 of the air actuator 5 is pivotally attached to the rear portion of the support member 10 via a pin 14.

  The air actuator 5 has an air tank 16, and the air tank 16 is divided into a high-pressure chamber 19 and an atmospheric chamber 21 by a diaphragm 17, and high-pressure air from a compressor used for an air suspension described later is supplied to the high-pressure chamber 19 through an A passage 27. It is supposed to be guided through. The air tank 16 is connected to the vehicle body via a swinging spring 23 in the upper part, and a locking ring 25 provided in the lower part is loosely fitted to a locking shaft 26 provided in the vehicle body. As a result, the air tank 16 is provided so as not to move up and down relative to the vehicle body and to swing left and right. The arm 15 is connected to the diaphragm 17 in an intermediate portion so as not to be relatively movable, and a spring 29 is provided on the atmosphere chamber 21 side of the arm 15 to urge the diaphragm 17 toward the high pressure chamber 19 side. A gap is formed between the arm 15 and the opening of the atmospheric chamber 21 where the side surface of the arm 15 slides, and the atmospheric chamber 21 communicates with the outside air. On the other hand, an unillustrated sealing material is provided between the arm 15 and the opening of the high pressure chamber 19 on which the side surface of the arm 15 slides, so that the airtightness of the high pressure chamber 19 is maintained. The other end of the arm 15 is connected to a link mechanism (not shown) so as to be movable up and down.

  Next, a pneumatic circuit and a control system for driving the air actuator 5 will be described below. As shown in FIG. 3, an electromagnetic actuator operating valve 31 is provided in the A passage 27 communicating with the high pressure chamber 19 of the air actuator 5, and the opening and closing of the actuator operating valve 31 is controlled by the ECU 7. Yes. The actuator operating valve 31 communicates with a check valve 37 and a fixed throttle 39 connected in parallel via a B passage 35, and the check valve 37 and the fixed throttle 39 are connected to a compressor 45 driven by a motor 43 via a dryer 41. It is communicated. Here, the operation of the motor 43 is controlled by the ECU 7, and the air sucked from the suction valve of the compressor 45 is compressed by driving the motor 43. The dryer 41 includes a desiccant such as silica gel, for example, and removes moisture contained in the air compressed by the compressor 45. The check valve 37 allows the flow of compressed air from the dryer 41 side to the B passage 35 side, but does not allow the reverse flow. The fixed throttle 39 depressurizes the flow of air from the dryer 41 side to immediately generate a differential pressure between the upstream side and the downstream side of the check valve 37, and the check valve 37 is quickly opened. It works like this. Further, an electromagnetic exhaust valve 47 is provided between the compressor 45 and the dryer 41, and the exhaust valve 47 is controlled to be opened and closed by the ECU 7.

  In the B passage 35, four electromagnetic leveling valves 49 are provided in parallel, and the leveling valves 49 are connected to a suspension device 51 for suspending front, rear, left and right wheels, respectively. The suspension device 51 includes an air suspension 53 and a shock absorber 55. Each suspension device 51 detects the amount of expansion / contraction between the attachment surface 53a of the air suspension 53 to the vehicle body and the connecting portion 55a connected to the wheel 9. A vehicle height sensor 57 is provided.

  The ECU 7 controls the opening / closing of each leveling valve 49 and the exhaust valve 47 and the operation of the motor 43 based on signals from the vehicle height sensor 57, the vehicle speed sensor 59, the vehicle height adjustment manual switch 61 and the rectifying member operation manual switch 63. Control.

  Next, the operation of the movable rectifier having the above configuration will be described with reference to the drawings. When the vehicle is stopped or traveling at a low speed, high pressure air that generates a force larger than the resultant force of the urging force of the spring 29 and the atmospheric pressure is sealed in the high pressure chamber 19 of the air actuator 5 from the compressor 45, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the arm 5 is pushed upward to position the rectifying member 3 at the air rectification non-operating position (storage position). The actuator operating valve 31 is in a closed state after high-pressure air is sealed. The air suspension 53 is also filled with high-pressure air, and the vehicle height is positioned at a high position. The leveling valve 49 is in a closed state after high-pressure air is sealed.

  Next, when the vehicle running on a road with less roads with a smooth road surface is traveling at a high speed, if the vehicle speed sensor 59 detects that the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed, a signal is sent to the ECU 7 to activate the actuator. The valve 31, the leveling valve 49, and the exhaust valve 47 are all positioned at a position where they are opened in synchronization.

  In the air actuator 5, the high pressure chamber 19 is depressurized, and when the pressure in the high pressure chamber 19 becomes smaller than the resultant force of the spring 29 and the atmospheric pressure, the arm 15 moves downward with respect to the vehicle body. Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 2, 6 and 7, the rectifying member 3 rotates around the rotating shaft 11 so that the rear part protrudes downward, and the air rectifying operation covers a part of the wheel 9 in the thickness direction. Positioned. Thus, even if it does not cover the entire front of the wheel 9, the side control surface 3 b rectifies the air flow to the outside of the wheel 9. Generation of turbulent flow caused by entraining air in the housing 8 can be reduced.

  In the air suspension 53, since the leveling valve 49 is positioned at the opening position, the air inside the air suspension 53 is pushed out by the weight of the vehicle and discharged from the exhaust valve 47 to the outside air. Thereby, it changes so that the vehicle height of a vehicle may become low. When the vehicle height sensor 57 detects that the vehicle height has fallen to a predetermined position, a signal is sent to the ECU 7, and the leveling valve 49 is positioned by the ECU 7 to a closed position. Thus, the vehicle is held at a position where the vehicle height is low.

  Next, when the vehicle shifts to low speed travel, if the vehicle speed sensor 57 detects that the vehicle speed is below a predetermined speed, the signal is sent to the ECU 7, and the exhaust valve 47 is positioned at the closing position by the ECU 7, and the motor 43 Is driven and high pressure compressed air is generated by the compressor 45. Then, the actuator operating valve 31 and the leveling valve 49 are positioned to open, and high-pressure compressed air is sent to the high-pressure chamber 19 and the air suspension 53 of the air actuator 5. As a result, in the movable rectifier 1, the arm 15 of the air actuator 5 is pushed upward, and the rectifying member 3 rotates around the rotating shaft 11 so that the rear part is housed in the vehicle body and is positioned at the rectifying non-operating position. Is done. In this way, the movable rectifier 1 can be operated with a simple device using the existing vehicle speed sensor 57 and ECU 7 with reduced initial cost without adding a new sensor or control device.

  The air suspension 53 changes so that the inside of the air suspension 53 is expanded by high-pressure air and the vehicle height is increased. When the vehicle height sensor 57 detects that the vehicle height has risen to a predetermined position, the signal is sent to the ECU 7, and the ECU 7 positions the leveling valve 49 at the closing position. Thus, the vehicle is held at a position where the vehicle height is high.

  The movable rectifier 1 and the air suspension 53 are not limited to driving by the detection of the vehicle speed sensor 59, but can be controlled by the ECU 7 and controlled by the rectifying member operation manual switch 63 or the vehicle height adjustment manual switch 61 as necessary. The operation of the rectifier 1 or the vehicle height adjustment by the air suspension 53 can be performed.

  In this embodiment, when the air actuator is positioned at the air rectifying operation position, the high pressure chamber under the air tank is decompressed, and when the air actuator is positioned at the air rectification non-operating position, compressed air is sealed in the high pressure chamber. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in an air tank, a high-pressure chamber is provided at the top and an atmospheric chamber is provided at the bottom. When positioning the air rectification operation position, compressed air is enclosed in the high-pressure chamber and the arm is moved downward. Also good.

  As the air actuator, an air chamber and a high pressure chamber separated by a diaphragm were used, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a cylinder mechanism may be used.

  In addition, the movable rectifier is disposed in front of the front wheels, but may be disposed in front of the rear wheels. As a result, air is prevented from being entrapped in the rear wheel wheel housing and turbulent flow is prevented, and total rectification of the entire vehicle can be achieved and air resistance is further reduced.

  The rectifying member is not limited to the shape in the above embodiment. For example, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a rib 33 protruding downward may be formed outside the rectifying member. The rib 33 can increase the rectifying effect downward and laterally of the vehicle.

Sectional drawing from the side of the movable rectifier for vehicles concerning the present invention. Sectional drawing of the state from which the movable rectifier protruded. The pneumatic circuit diagram of the air actuator and air suspension which drive a movable rectifier. The front view which shows the accommodation state of a movable rectifier. The same side view. The front view which shows the protrusion state of a movable rectifier. The same side view. The front view of a baffle member. The perspective view from the same lower part. The front view of the baffle member in other embodiment. The perspective view from the same lower part.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Movable rectifier, 3 ... Rectifier member, 3a ... Downward control surface, 3b ... Side control surface, 5 ... Air actuator (drive device), 7 ... ECU (control device), 45 ... Compressor (drive source), 53 ... Air suspension.

Claims (4)

In the rectifier that is arranged in front of the wheels of the vehicle and adjusts the flow of air when the vehicle is running,
A rectifying member that is provided in front of the left and right wheels of the vehicle so as to protrude and immerse from the bottom surface of the vehicle body, and covers the front of the wheels independently when protruding,
A movable rectifier for a vehicle, comprising: a driving device that drives the protruding / immersing operation of the rectifying member using high-pressure air of an air suspension as a driving source.   The vehicle movable rectifier according to claim 1, wherein the driving device is a driving device that operates in synchronization with control of the air suspension.   3. The movable rectifier for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the operation is an operation in which the rectifying member protrudes synchronously when the air suspension is operated so that a vehicle height of the vehicle is lowered.   4. The rectifying member according to claim 1, wherein the rectifying member is a rectifying member having a lower control surface that rectifies the air flow when the vehicle is traveling and a side control surface that rectifies the air flow sideways. A movable rectifier for a vehicle.

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