Engine bay structure of vehicle and method of assembling capsule cover

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021253178-A1
Application number	US-202117156081-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 22, 2021
Priority date	Feb 18, 2020
Publication date	Aug 19, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

An engine bay structure of a vehicle is provided, which includes a capsule cover surrounding an engine. The capsule cover includes a lid part configured to cover the engine from above and a side wall part configured to cover the engine from outside in a vehicle width direction. The side wall part is divided in a vehicle front-and-rear direction into a plurality of vertical walls extending in an up-and-down direction, and one of the plurality of vertical walls is a specific vertical wall to which an electric component is attached at a side surface part thereof opposite from the engine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An engine bay structure of a vehicle, comprising:
a capsule cover surrounding an engine, the capsule cover including:
a lid part configured to cover the engine from above; and
a side wall part configured to cover the engine from outside in a vehicle width direction,
wherein the side wall part is divided in a vehicle front-and-rear direction into a plurality of vertical walls extending in an up-and-down direction, and wherein one of the plurality of vertical walls is a specific vertical wall to which an electric component is attached at a side surface part thereof opposite from the engine.

2 . The engine bay structure of claim 1 ,
wherein the specific vertical wall is disposed at a position separated from a suspension tower with a gap therebetween in the vehicle width direction, and wherein the electric component is attached to the specific vertical wall so that the electric component is located between the specific vertical wall and the suspension tower.

3 . The engine bay structure of claim 2 , wherein the electric component is also attached to and supported by the suspension tower, in addition to the specific vertical wall.

4 . The engine bay structure of claim 3 ,
wherein additional vertical walls of the plurality of vertical walls are disposed each of forward and rearward of the specific vertical wall, wherein the specific vertical wall is attached to the additional vertical walls, without being attached to a vehicle-body constituting member, and wherein a fitting part of the specific vertical wall to each of the additional vertical walls is located in an upper end part of the specific vertical wall.

5 . A method of disposing a capsule cover in an engine bay of a vehicle, the capsule cover having a side wall part configured to surround an engine disposed in the engine bay and cover side parts of the engine in a vehicle width direction, the side wall part being comprised of a plurality of vertical walls extending in an up-and-down direction, the method comprising:
preparing a subassembly by attaching an electric component to a specific vertical wall that is one of the plurality of vertical walls; disposing the subassembly, after the subassembly is prepared, so that the electric component is located on the opposite side in the vehicle width direction from the engine with respect to the specific vertical wall; and attaching the electric component to a vehicle-body constituting member, after the subassembly is disposed.

6 . The method of claim 5 ,
wherein the disposing the subassembly includes disposing the specific vertical wall so that the electric component is located between the specific vertical wall and a suspension tower in the vehicle width direction, and wherein the attaching the electric component includes attaching the electric component to an upper surface part of the suspension tower.

7 . The engine bay structure of claim 1 ,
wherein additional vertical walls of the plurality of vertical walls are disposed each of forward and rearward of the specific vertical wall, wherein the specific vertical wall is attached to the additional vertical walls, without being attached to a vehicle-body constituting member, and wherein a fitting part of the specific vertical wall to each of the additional vertical walls is located in an upper end part of the specific vertical wall.

8 . The engine bay structure of claim 2 ,
wherein additional vertical walls of the plurality of vertical walls are disposed each of forward and rearward of the specific vertical wall, wherein the specific vertical wall is attached to the additional vertical walls, without being attached to a vehicle-body constituting member, and wherein a fitting part of the specific vertical wall to each of the additional vertical walls is located in an upper end part of the specific vertical wall.

9 . The engine bay structure of claim 1 , further comprising a rear wall part configured to cover the engine from behind,
wherein the side wall part includes:
a first vertical wall extending from a front end part of the side wall part to near a suspension tower disposed on the left side of the vehicle;
a second vertical wall disposed so as to oppose to the left suspension tower with a gap therebetween; and
a third vertical wall extending rearward from a rear end part of the second vertical wall and integrated with the rear wall part, and
wherein the specific vertical wall is the second vertical wall.

10 . The engine bay structure of claim 1 ,
wherein the electric component is a Powertrain Control Module (PCM), the PCM having a plurality of fins extending to the left and the right, wherein the specific vertical wall is provided, at a tip end part of a protrusion thereof, with an engagement part configured to engage with an engagement hole formed in a bracket, and wherein the PCM is attached to the specific vertical wall by the engagement part engaging with the engagement hole of the bracket.

11 . The engine bay structure of claim 9 ,
wherein the electric component is a Powertrain Control Module (PCM), the PCM having a plurality of fins extending to the left and the right, wherein the specific vertical wall is provided, at a tip end part of a protrusion thereof, with an engagement part configured to engage with an engagement hole formed in a bracket, and wherein the PCM is attached to the specific vertical wall by the engagement part engaging with the engagement hole of the bracket.

Assignees

• Mazda Motor

Inventors

• Bouta Daisuke
• Tanaka Yukiya

Classifications

• B62D25/082 Primary

  Engine compartments · CPC title

• B62D25/088

  Details of structures as upper supports for springs or dampers · CPC title

• B60R16/0231

  Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle (monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P) · CPC title