Fender liner structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10633034-B2
Application number	US-201816193489-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2018
Priority date	Dec 11, 2017
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

A fender liner structure is disposed in a wheel house of a front wheel of a vehicle. The vehicle includes a sub radiator disposed on a vehicle front side of a fender liner. The fender liner structure includes a liner body portion curving in an arch shape to cover the front wheel from above and a lower wall portion extending to the front of the vehicle from a lower end of the liner body portion on the vehicle front side. The liner body portion includes a first vent hole penetrating a vehicle front side part of the liner body portion. The lower wall portion includes a second vent hole penetrating a vehicle rear side end portion of the lower wall portion in an upper-lower direction. The lower wall portion includes a negative pressure generation part configured to generate a negative pressure under the second vent hole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fender liner structure disposed in a wheel house of a front wheel of a vehicle including a sub radiator disposed in front of a fender liner, the fender liner structure comprising:
a liner body portion curving in an arch shape to cover the front wheel from above, the liner body portion including a first vent hole penetrating a vehicle front side part of the liner body portion in a front-rear direction, the first vent hole provided with a plurality of fins guiding air, the plurality of fins inclined downwards toward a vehicle rear side, a lower end of the first vent hole extending to a lower end of the vehicle front side part; and
a lower wall portion extending to the front of the vehicle from a lower end of the liner body portion on the vehicle front side, the lower wall portion including a second vent hole penetrating a vehicle rear side end portion of the lower wall portion in an upper-lower direction, a rear end of the second vent hole extending to the lower end of the vehicle front side part, the first vent hole and the second vent hole being continuously formed across the lower wall portion and the vehicle front side part of the liner body portion, and the lower wall portion including a negative pressure generation part configured to generate a negative pressure under the second vent hole.

2. The fender liner structure according to claim 1 , wherein the first vent hole is formed in a lower end portion of the vehicle front side part of the liner body portion such that an upper end of the first vent hole is positioned lower than a center of the front wheel.

3. The fender liner structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
the vehicle is provided with an air intake port taking in cooling air for the sub radiator in front of the sub radiator; and
a size of the air intake port is relatively smaller than in a case where the second vent hole is not formed.

4. The fender liner structure according to claim 1 , wherein the liner body portion includes a third vent hole extending in the upper-lower direction through the liner body portion in an end portion of the vehicle front side part of the liner body portion on a vehicle width direction outer side of the vehicle.

5. The fender liner structure according to claim 1 , wherein the negative pressure generation part includes air spats attached to a vehicle front side of the second vent hole beneath a lower surface of the lower wall portion and having a wind receiving plate extending downwards.

6. The fender liner structure according to claim 1 , wherein the negative pressure generation part includes an inclined member attached to a vehicle front side of the second vent hole beneath a lower surface of the lower wall portion and having an inclined surface inclined downwards from the lower surface of the lower wall portion toward a vehicle rear side.

7. The fender liner structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
the second vent hole includes a plurality of fins guiding air and inclined downwards toward a vehicle rear side; and
a part where the fin extends downwards beyond a lower surface of the lower wall portion constitutes the negative pressure generation part.

8. The fender liner structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
the lower wall portion includes a vertical wall portion extending downwards from a vehicle front side of the second vent hole and an inclined wall portion inclined downwards from a tip portion of the lower wall portion toward a vehicle rear side and connected to a lower end of the vertical wall portion; and
the vertical wall portion and the inclined wall portion constitute the negative pressure generation part.

9. The fender liner structure according to claim 1 , further comprising a duct disposed behind the sub radiator and guiding air to the first vent hole and the second vent hole after passage of the air through the sub radiator.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Miwa Masaki
• Sugiura Masahiro

Classifications

• B62D25/161 Primary

  Mud-guards made of non-conventional material, e.g. rubber, plastics · CPC title

• B60K2001/003

  with means for cooling the electrical propulsion units · CPC title

• B60K6/22

  characterised by apparatus, components or means specially adapted for HEVs · CPC title

• B60K1/00

  Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units (B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00) · CPC title

• B60K11/08

  Air inlets for cooling; Shutters or blinds therefor · CPC title