Splashed water collecting and discharging device for a motor vehicle

• US 5,207,455 A
• Filed: 11/08/1991
• Issued: 05/04/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Muller, Klaus, Gotz, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, BRIAN L
• Application Number:
  US07/789,845
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 280/847, 280/848, 280/849, 280/850, 280/851
• US Class Current: 280/848
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/16 Mud-guards or wings; Wheel cover panels equipped with means for freeing wheels or tyres from foreign matter B60S
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/168 Mud guards for utility vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/188 Mud-guard flaps for utility vehicles

Abstract

A device collects and discharges the splashed water thrown up by a vehicle wheel, and comprises a plurality of collection channels which are disposed side by side and spaced apart. The channels are held on the wheel arch of the vehicle in a position facing a tire tread, and collection channel openings, inclined downwards in their longitudinal direction, are each covered over by a respective recessed rebound wall on which a part of the impinging splashed water is thrown back into the associated collection channel. In order to enable greater efficiency of the device in the collection of splashed water to be achieved, the rebound walls associated with the collection channels are each, as viewed in cross-section, in the form of arcuately curved guide vanes, whereby a major part of the impinging splashed water is deflected by return flushing into the collection channel openings.

Claims

1. A device for collecting and discharging splashed water thrown up by a vehicle wheel, comprising a plurality of recessed rebound walls in the form of curved guide vanes spaced apart side by side and mounted at a vehicle wheel arch in a position such that openings to the guide vanes face a wheel tire tread, and a plurality of collection channels joined to a wall of the guide vanes such that access openings to the channels face an associated concave surface of the guide vanes so that a portion of impinging splashed water is thrown back from the guide vanes into the associated collection channel defined by a freely projecting boundary wall extending at an angle inwardly toward the rebound wall and having at a free end thereof a deflector edge portion extending toward the access opening of the associated collection channel, the collection channels being inclined downwards in a longitudinal direction, wherein the rebound walls are arranged to cover over the access openings of the collection channels and are each, viewed in cross-section transverse to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, in the form of arcuately curved guide vanes whose concave surfaces face the vehicle wheel and the access openings of the associated collection channel such that a major part of the impinging splashed water from the curved guide vanes is deflected by return flushing into the collection channel access openings.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the wall of each of the guide vanes joined to the associated collection channel is joined along an edge side covering an associated collection channel to a lateral boundary wall of the collection channel so as to form a flush surface therewith.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein each guide vane is formed integrally with the associated collection channel.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein the guide vanes have an approximately semi-circular cross-section and are joined together along longitudinal sides thereof to form a constructional unit.

5. The device according to claim 2, wherein the collection channels have a V-shaped cross-section, with the deflector edge connected at an edge of the freely projecting boundary wall of the collection channels and projecting into the access opening of the associated collection channel.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the deflector edge is curved in a hook shape.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein all collection channels extend parallel to a central longitudinal axis of the wheel arch and, viewed over an overall length thereof, are curved approximately concentrically to a rolling periphery of the wheel.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein a water chamber is provided at least at one end of the collection channels and has a lateral outlet opening and is operatively connected in common at lower portions of all the guide vanes and the collection channels to permit collected splashed water to flow off in a desired manner onto the roadway.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein steeply downwardly inclined portions of the guide vanes behind the vehicle wheel have an overflow opening so as to lead into an outlet duct at a bottom portion of the collection channels.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the outlet duct is connected to the guide vanes arranged in a row, and viewed in cross-section, is bounded by a tray-like member extending therearound.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the tray-like member is formed at a bottom end thereof as a water chamber provided with a lateral outlet opening.

12. The device according to claim 10, wherein the collection channels and the tray-like member are joined together to form a unitary constructional unit.