JPH03213475A - Air box structure for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce a reverse flow rate of water through reduction of the speed of reverse flow air and to prevent entrance of waterdrops by forming an opening in the upper part of a side panel and providing a guide plate part to guide water flowing along the inner surface of an air box to the opening part. CONSTITUTION:When water flows in a space part 5 through an opening part 3a of a cowl top panel 3 together with the open air, the open air is sucked in a car room through an opening air introduction port 4a. Meanwhile, water flows over a bottom part 46 of a dash-up panel 4 and is drained through a communicating opening 8a of a side panel 8 and a draining opening 9a of a feed ridge reinforcement panel 9 to the outside of an automobile. When open air inflow resistance of the opening part 3a is increased owing to snow coverage S, the open air flows through the opening 9a side, and water is about to flow reversely. In this case, the open air is also caused to flow through an upper opening 8e of the side panel 8 to reduce a velocity of flow, resulting in reduction of a reverse flow rate of water. Water flowing along the panel 3 is drained through a guide plate part 14.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] This invention relates to an air box structure for an automobile that introduces outside air into the cabin of an automobile, and particularly an air box that prevents water from entering the cabin from an outside air inlet. It's about structure.

[Prior Art] This type of air box structure is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, for example.
There is something like the one shown in the figure. That is, this air box structure is arranged between the engine hood 1 and the front window glass 2, as shown in FIG. 5, and between the cowl top panel 3 and the dash upper panel 4, as shown in FIG. are joined to form a space 5, and
Above the cowl top panel 3 is a cowl cover 6.
is installed.

The outside air is introduced into the space 5 through the intake port 6a of the cowl cover 6 and the opening 3a of the cowl top panel 3.
The outside air is introduced into the vehicle interior through the outside air inlet 4a of the dash upper panel 3. This outside air inlet 4a is filled with water (
In order to prevent liquid from entering the vehicle interior, a flange wall 7 of a predetermined height is formed upwardly around the outside air inlet 4a. It is installed protrudingly.

As shown in FIG. 6, the water flowing into the space 5 from the cowl top panel 3 flows through the bottom surface of the dash upper panel 3, and flows through the communication opening 8a formed at the lower part of the side panel 8 and the hood ridge. The water is discharged from the vehicle through a drainage opening 9a formed in the reinforcement 9.

In addition, as for this kind of thing, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-23
There is one as described in Publication No. 720.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in such a conventional air box structure, when the outside air is introduced into the vehicle interior from the outside air introduction port 4a by the pro-aperture motor 10, the problem shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. When air flow resistance from the opening 3a increases due to snow accumulation on the cowl cover 6, air is sucked in from the outside air inlet 4a via the drain opening 9a and the communication opening 8a, As a result of the air flow speed becoming faster, water flows backward and is sucked into the vehicle interior through the outside air inlet 4a. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, water droplets flowing on the back side of the cowl top panel 3 may drip into the outside air inlet 4a and enter the vehicle interior.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention has been made by paying attention to such conventional problems, and includes forming an opening for introducing outside air into the upper surface of an air box having a cross-sectional box structure. An outside air inlet that introduces outside air into the passenger compartment is provided at a position offset from the opening on the bottom of the air box, and a drainage port is provided on the side panels provided at both ends of the air box in the vehicle width direction. In the automotive air box structure, the side panel has a water drain opening for draining water from the communication opening in a hood ridge reinforcement provided on the side of the side panel. An automobile is provided with an opening at the upper side of the air box, and a guide plate extending from the lower side of the opening to the upper side of the outside air inlet to guide water traveling along the back surface of the upper surface of the air box to the opening. It is characterized by an air box structure.

[Function] According to this method, if the opening on the top surface of the air box is blocked by snow, etc., outside air can flow through the drainage opening and into the opening at the top of the side panel and the communication opening at the bottom. The air flows into the air box through the outside air inlet, and is drawn into the vehicle interior through the outside air inlet. At this time, in the side panel, air flows in through the opening and the communication opening, so the air flow rate at the communication opening is slowed down, the backflow of water is suppressed, and water intrusion from the outside air inlet is prevented. becomes.

In addition, water that flows in from the opening on the top of the air box, travels along the back side of the top, flows to the outside air inlet, and drips is guided by the guide plate and drains from the opening on the top of the side panel. Water is drained outside the vehicle through the outside air intake, and does not enter the interior of the vehicle through the outside air inlet.

[Example] Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on examples.

1 to 4 are diagrams showing one embodiment of the present invention. Members that are the same as or equivalent to those of the prior art will be described with the same reference numerals.

First, the structure will be described. A dash upper panel 4 is joined to a cowl top panel 3 in which an opening 3a is formed to form a space 5.

An outside air inlet 4a is formed in the bottom surface 4b of the dash upper panel 4 to introduce outside air entering from the opening 3a into the vehicle interior. Further, a flange wall 7 of a predetermined height is provided around the outside air inlet 4a to protrude upward.

Further, a side panel 8 and a hood ridge reinforcement 9 are provided at both ends in the vehicle width direction, and a communication opening 8a is provided in the side panel 8.
A drain opening 9a is formed in each of the drain openings 9a. Specifically, the side panel 8 has a cross section that is approximately inverted, and a vertical flange 8C formed on the top surface portion 8b side is joined to a vertical flange 9C on the top surface portion 9b of the hood reinforcement 9. A lower flange formed at the lower end of the hood ridge reinforcement 9 and a lower flange 8d of the side panel 8 are each joined to the bottom surface 4b of the dash upper panel 4. Furthermore, both ends of the cowl top panel 3 are joined to this hood ridge reinforcement upper surface portion 9b.

This side panel 8 has an opening 8e formed on the upper side, and a wiper motor reinforcement 12 is disposed in a predetermined positional relationship with the opening 8e. Specifically, this wiper motor reinforcement 12 includes a vertical plate portion 13 fixed to a vertical wall portion 3C of the cowl top panel 3 on the engine room side, and a vertical plate portion 13 fixed to the engine room side vertical wall portion 3C of the cowl top panel 3, and a rear surface side of the cowl top panel upper surface portion 3b above the outside air inlet 4a. The guide plate 14 is arranged substantially horizontally along the guide plate 14. As shown in FIG. 4, this vertical plate portion 13 is configured to have a wiper link 15 rotatably attached thereto, and also to support a wiper motor 16. A drive shaft lea protruding from the wiper link 15 is fitted into the wiper link 15 to transmit driving force. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the guide plate 14 has a flange portion 14a on the lower edge side of the opening 8e of the side panel 8.
is fixed and extends from here to a position covering the upper side of the outside air inlet 4a. Moreover, the guide plate 14 is inclined so that the leading end side is positioned slightly upward.

Note that a one-way valve may also be provided in this communication opening 8a.

Next, the operation of the automobile air box structure having such a configuration will be explained.

First, when water enters the space 5 together with the outside air through the opening 3a of the cowl top panel 3, the outside air is drawn into the vehicle interior through the air inlet 4a, and the water flows over the bottom 4b of the dash upper panel 4 toward the side of the vehicle. The water flows toward the outside of the vehicle through the communication opening 8a of the side panel 8 and the drainage opening 9a of the tool ridge reinforcement 9.

On the other hand, when the air inflow resistance at the opening 3a increases due to snow accumulation as shown by the dashed line in FIG. The outside air is drawn into the vehicle interior from the outside air inlet 4a through the opening 8e on the upper side of the side panel 8 and the communication opening 8a on the lower side. In this way, the outside air is taken in not only through the communication opening 8a of the side panel 8 but also through the opening 3a, so the air flow velocity at the communication opening 8a is lower than before, so the backflow of water is suppressed and the outside air is introduced. Water can be prevented from entering through the opening 4a.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, even if water flowing along the back side of the upper surface of the cowl top panel 3 drips from above the outside air inlet 4a, it is guided by the inclined guide plate section 14, and is guided to the side panel 8. Water is drained out of the vehicle from the opening 8e through the water drain opening 9a of the hood ridge reinforcement 9, and does not enter the vehicle interior through the outside air introduction port 4a.

Furthermore, the guide plate 1 is attached to the wiper motor reinforcement 12.
4 is integrally molded and the flange portion 14a of the guide plate 14 is joined to the side panel, the rigidity of the wiper-motor 16 mounting portion is improved and the humming noise of the wiper motor 16 is reduced.

In the above embodiment, the guide plate 14 is integrally formed with the wiper motor reinforcement 12, but the guide plate 14 is not limited to this, and of course may be formed separately.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, an opening is provided at the upper side of the side panel, and the cowl top panel is extended from the lower side of the opening to the upper side of the outside air inlet. By providing a guide plate that guides water traveling along the back surface to the opening, it is possible to prevent water from flowing backwards through the communication opening, and also prevent water droplets traveling along the back surface of the cowl top panel from entering the passenger compartment through the air inlet. It has a practically beneficial effect of being able to prevent this.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 4 are views showing one embodiment of the automobile air box structure of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken along line I-I in FIG. 10-2, and FIG. 2 is a main part. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the IV-IV line in FIG. 2, and FIGS.
The figures show a conventional example; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an automobile; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an automobile;
The figure is a sectional view taken along the line Vl-VI in FIG. 5. 3 Cowl top panel 3a Opening 3b Upper surface 4 Dash upper panel 4a Outside air inlet 4b Bottom 8 Side panel 8a Communication Opening 8e... Opening 9... Hood ridge reinforcement 9a... Drain opening 14... Guide plate 1-

Claims (1)

[Claims] An opening for introducing outside air is formed in the upper surface of an air box having a cross-sectional box structure, and an outside air inlet for introducing outside air into the vehicle interior from the opening is formed in the bottom surface of the air box. is opened at a position offset from the opening of the
A communication opening for drainage is formed in the side panels provided at both ends of the air box in the vehicle width direction, and water from the communication opening is drained to the hood ridge reinforcement provided on the side of the side panel. In an automobile air box structure having a water drainage opening, an opening is provided at the upper side of the side panel, and the opening is extended from the lower side of the opening to the upper side of the outside air inlet, and the air box is connected to the upper surface of the air box. An air box structure for an automobile, characterized in that a guide plate is provided to guide water traveling along the back surface to the opening.