Air guide arrangement for the underside of a vehicle

• US 4,772,060 A
• Filed: 05/20/1987
• Issued: 09/20/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Kretschmer, Helmut
• Primary Examiner(s): SONG, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US07/051,692
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 296/1 S
• US Class Current: 296/180.1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/02 Streamlining the undersurfaces B62D35/005, B62D35/007, B62D35/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/82 Elements for improving aerodynamics
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses

Abstract

A motor vehicle, particularly a passenger car, having an aerodynamically developed underside extending adjacent to the road has wheel houses for the front and rear wheels. In order to, with a good drag coefficient, generate an output that improves the driving behavior of the motor vehicle, inlet ducts are provided at the underside of the motor vehicle, seen in driving direction, in front of the wheel houses of the front and/or rear wheel. The inlet ducts extending upwardly and being open in downward direction and extending at the wheel houses between the wheels. An upper peripheral surface of the inlet ducts is formed by convexly extending shaped sections that lead into the wheel houses.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, particularly a passenger car, the underside of which extending adjacent to the road, at least in areas, has an aerodynamically developed shape and wheel houses for the front wheels and the rear wheels wherein, at the underside of the motor vehicle--seen in driving direction--in front of the wheel houses of the front and/or rear wheels, upwardly inclined air inlet ducts that are open in downward direction are provided that extend into the wheel houses between the wheels, upper peripheral areas of the inlet ducts being formed by convexly extending shaped sections.

2. A motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the shaped section of the inlet duct is formed to be radius-shaped.

3. A motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the radius-shaped section is tangentially connected to the smooth-surface section of the vehicle underside that is located in front of it.

4. A motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the radius of the shaped section is approximately equally large or larger than the distance between the vehicle underside and the road in the area of a vertical auxiliary plane intersecting the center point of the radius.

5. A motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the inlet duct for the front wheel house extends at least over a partial area of the width between the interior side of the wheel and the interior wall of the wheel house.

6. A motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a cornered transition is provided between the underside and the wheel house as seen in driving direction, directly in front of the wheels.

7. A motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the front wheel house is equipped with an outlet duct, behind the wheel.

8. A motor vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the outlet duct extends only over a partial area of the underside.

9. A motor vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the outlet duct is formed by a depression of the vehicle underside that is directed upward.

10. A motor vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the outlet duct has at least the width of the inlet duct and forms an extension of the inlet duct.

11. A motor vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the cross-section of the outlet duct is reduced continuously against the driving direction.

12. A motor vehicle according to claim 7, characterized in that the outlet ducts are formed by a convex transition between the wheel house and an adjacent section of the vehicle underside.

13. A motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the inlet duct for the rear wheel house extends over a length that is longer than the length of the inlet duct for the front wheel house.

14. A motor vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the upper peripheral surface of the rear inlet duct is formed by a radius-shaped or curved shaped section, said shaped section being provided with a flatter curvature than the shaped section of the front inlet duct.

15. A motor vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the width of the inlet duct is reduced in the direction toward the wheel house.

16. A motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the rear wheel house is provided with an outlet duct, behind the wheel.

17. A motor vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the inlet duct ends in an area of the rear wheel house.

18. A motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the rear wheel house laterally next to the wheel has a lower height than in the area of the wheel.

19. A motor vehicle exterior body arrangement for the underside of a motor vehicle of the type comprising wheel housings, comprising air inlet duct means opening into at least one of the wheel housings, the first end of said air inlet duct means being open in the downward direction and being configured to generate negative lift on a motor vehicle in response to air flow under the vehicle during driving operations.

20. A body arrangement according to claim 19, wherein said air inlet duct means open into the at least one wheel housing at a position spaced laterally inside of a wheel housed by said wheel housing during normal driving operations.

21. A body arrangement according to claim 20, wherein said air inlet duct means exhibit a convexly shaped section having a radius corresponding to the distance between a rod surface and the adjacent underside of a motor vehicle.

22. A body arrangement according to claim 20, wherein separate ones of said air inlet duct means are provided for each front wheel housing of the vehicle.

23. A body arrangement according to claim 22, wherein separate ones of said air inlet duct means are provided for each rear wheel housing of the vehicle.