Undercover structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11964618-B2
Application number	US-202117383917-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2021
Priority date	Jul 28, 2020
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

In an undercover structure according to the present invention, a first cover part that is a lowermost part of an undercover has a first rear end positioned ahead of a front wheel axle. Further, a curved part with a predetermined curvature is formed at the first rear end of the first cover part in a side view. This generates a strong negative pressure in a region ahead of the front wheel axle 21 . Accordingly, the flow rate of air flowing to each wheelhouse 23 decreases (the flow rate of the airflow between a road and a vehicle generated along the bottom surface of the first cover part 15 a of the undercover 15 increases). This causes an attraction force that attracts the vehicle to a road surface to act on a vehicle body of the vehicle, thereby making traveling stability more excellent.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An undercover structure comprising an undercover provided on a vehicle body of a vehicle to cover a lower part of the vehicle body, wherein
the undercover has a lowermost part positioned ahead of a front wheel axle,
a curved part with a predetermined curvature is formed at the lowermost part of the undercover in a side view,
a front end of the undercover in a front-rear direction of the undercover is positioned higher than a rear end of the undercover in the front-rear direction of the undercover, and
the undercover structure further comprises a deployment suppression part formed around the curved part located near a center of the undercover in a vehicle width direction, wherein the deployment suppression part suppresses deployment of a part of the undercover in such a manner that the undercover is deployed into a substantially inverted V shape in a front view when the undercover is deployed.

2. The undercover structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the undercover includes a first cover part disposed at a front side of the lower part of the vehicle body of the vehicle and a second cover part disposed at a rear side of the first cover part to extend rearward,
the first cover part of the undercover has a first front end provided on the vehicle body and positioned higher than a first rear end of the first cover part, and
the curved part is formed on the first cover part and the second cover part in such a manner that the curved part bestrides the first cover part and the second cover part.

3. The undercover structure according to claim 2 , wherein
the second cover part of the undercover has a second rear end provided on the vehicle body.

4. The undercover structure according to claim 2 , wherein
the first cover part extends for a width nearly equal to a vehicle width of the vehicle.

5. The undercover structure according to claim 2 , wherein
the undercover has the lowermost part positioned near a front end of a wheelhouse.

6. The undercover structure according to claim 5 , wherein
the first cover part has a side air guide part provided ahead of the front end of the wheelhouse, the side air guide part extending to a vicinity of an outer edge of the vehicle in a vehicle width direction.

7. The undercover structure according to claim 6 , wherein
a curved part with a predetermined curvature is formed at a lowermost part of the side air guide part in the side view.

8. The undercover structure according to claim 6 , wherein
the side air guide part is provided integrally with the first cover part of the undercover.

9. The undercover structure according to claim 2 , wherein
the first cover part of the undercover has the first front end supported in contact with a vicinity of a front lower end of a front bumper.

10. The undercover structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the undercover is supported movable in an up-down direction relative to the vehicle body of the vehicle.

11. The undercover structure according to claim 10 , wherein
the undercover is movably supported by an actuator.

12. The undercover structure according to claim 1 , wherein
a restraining member configured to restrain and suppress the deployment of the undercover is provided at a part of the curved part located at the center of the undercover in the vehicle width direction, and
the restraining member has one end fixed to a member of a vehicle body and has the other end fixed to the part of the curved part located at the center of the undercover in the vehicle width direction.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ambo Kei
• Ando Kenichi
• Hoshida Yoshiteru
• Nakamura Yuki
• Suwa Yoji
• Sobue Takumi

Classifications

• B60R13/04 Primary

  External} Ornamental or guard strips; Ornamental inscriptive devices {thereon (fastening strips or bars to sheets or plates by means of clips F16B5/12) · CPC title

• B60R19/00

  Wheel guards; Radiator guards, {e.g. grilles}; Obstruction removers; Fittings damping bouncing force in collisions ({reinforcement elements for side doors B60J5/0412; } mudguards B62D) · CPC title

• B60R2019/002

  Wheel guards · CPC title

• B62D37/02 Primary

  by aerodynamic means · CPC title

• B60R13/0861 Primary

  for covering undersurfaces of vehicles, e.g. wheel houses · CPC title