AIR INTAKE DUCT

An air intake duct is configured to suitably supply air inside a passenger compartment of a vehicle as a cooling air to a battery unit mounted below a floor carpet in the vehicle. The air intake duct includes an intake grille and a protrusion. The intake grille has a plurality of intake holes. The intake grille is disposed in a horizontal direction at substantially a same height as the floor carpet. The protrusion protrudes from the intake grille toward the passenger compartment.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an air intake duct.

Background Information

In recent years, electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles have been actively developed. A battery unit that is an energy source for driving an electric motor is mounted in an electric vehicle.

Because the battery unit generates heat during charging and discharging, it is necessary to implement cooling for maintaining battery performance.

In the prior art, air in a passenger compartment is taken in through intake holes using a cooling fan, the intake holes being provided at positions adjacent to a battery unit, and the air is supplied to the battery unit as a cooling airflow, thus cooling the battery unit (for example, see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2012-179979, which is refer to as Patent Document 1 below).

SUMMARY

However, in the intake duct disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the intake holes are obstructed by an obstruction such as paper or a magazine, it is impossible to supply a sufficient cooling airflow to the battery unit, the battery unit increases in temperature, and there is a possibility that battery characteristics will decline, service life will decrease, and other problems will occur.

The present invention was contrived in order to solve the aforementioned problem, it being an object of the invention to provide an intake duct with which it is possible to suitably supply a cooling airflow to a battery unit even if an obstruction is disposed on intake holes.

In order to achieve the above object, the intake duct according to the present invention supplies air inside a passenger compartment as a cooling airflow to a battery unit mounted in a vehicle. The intake duct has an intake grille in which a plurality of intake holes are formed, and a protrusion that protrudes from the intake grille towards the passenger compartment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

An embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The description given below does not limit the technical scope set forth in the claims or the meaning of terms therein. Additionally, proportions of dimensions in the drawings are exaggerated for convenience of description and can differ from actual proportions in the invention.

An intake duct1according to the present embodiment is described below with reference toFIGS.1to4.FIG.1is a schematic perspective view of a first row of a passenger compartment when seen from a front of a vehicle, specifically a view for illustrating a location where the intake duct1according to the present embodiment is disposed.FIG.2is a schematic perspective view of the intake duct1according to the present embodiment.FIG.3is a top view of the intake duct1according to the present embodiment.FIG.4is a front cross-sectional view of the intake duct1according to the present embodiment. In the description given below, an X direction indicates a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a Y direction indicates a width direction of the vehicle, and a Z direction indicates a height direction of the vehicle.

The vehicle V in which the intake duct1according to the present embodiment is mounted is an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle. The intake duct1supplies air inside a passenger compartment as a cooling airflow to a battery unit mounted in the vehicle. The battery unit, although not shown, is provided at, e.g., a location below a first row of seats S or below a floor carpet F.

As shown inFIG.1, a pair of intake ducts1according to the present embodiment are provided along the Y direction at a location below the first row of seats S. An intake grille10of each of the intake ducts1is disposed at substantially the same height as the floor carpet F, as shown inFIG.1.

The pair of intake ducts1are configured so as to have lateral symmetry in the Y direction as seen from the front of the vehicle. A description is given below of the configuration of the intake duct1on the right side as seen from the front of the vehicle (i.e., the left side as seen from the driver’s seat), among the pair of intake ducts1.

As shown inFIGS.2to4, the intake duct1has: the intake grille10, in which a plurality of intake holes10A are formed; a hole section20that faces the battery unit and communicates therewith; an inclined wall section30provided between the intake grille10and the hole section20; and a reservoir40that retains water.

The plurality of intake holes10A are formed in the intake grille10, as shown inFIGS.2and3. The intake grille10is disposed in a horizontal direction (XY plane), as shown inFIG.1. Specifically, when air inside the passenger compartment passes through the intake holes10A, the air moves along a substantially vertical direction.

As shown inFIG.3, the intake holes10A formed in the intake grille10are configured in a substantially rectangular shape as seen from above. Because the intake grille10is configured in this manner, it is possible to suitably ensure the area of the intake holes10A and prevent any decrease in pressure loss during intake.

Protrusions11that protrude toward the passenger compartment (upward in the vertical direction) are formed on the intake grille10.

As shown inFIGS.2to4, each of the protrusions11has a vertical wall section12that rises toward the passenger compartment (in the Z direction), a first inclined section13that is continuous with the vertical wall section12and that is provided at an incline such that a height of the first inclined section13decreases in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the vehicle, and a second inclined section14that is continuous with the vertical wall section12and that is provided at an incline such that a height of the second inclined section14decreases in the width direction (Y direction).

The first inclined section13and the second inclined section14are configured integrally with the vertical wall section12. The first inclined section13and the second inclined section14may be configured separately from the vertical wall section12.

As shown inFIG.2, the intake grille10is configured to have a plurality of peaked profiles in which the vertical wall section12and the first inclined section13are continuously repeated along the X direction. Additionally, as shown inFIG.2, the intake grille10is configured to have a plurality of peaked profiles in which the vertical wall section12and the second inclined section14are continuously repeated along the Y direction.

In the protrusions11configured as described above, air that is taken in toward the intake grille10from a direction inclined from the Z direction collides with the first inclined section13and second inclined section14and is redirected in the Z direction (refer to arrows inFIG.4). Therefore, it is possible to suppress intake noise or to suppress intake resistance.

The hole section20is provided near a lower-left location of the intake duct1as seen in cross-section from a front surface, as shown inFIG.4. Air that is taken in from the intake grille10is supplied to the battery unit via the hole section20, thus cooling the battery unit.

The inclined wall section30is formed below the intake grille10and rightward of the hole section20as seen in cross-section from the front surface, as shown inFIG.4. The inclined wall section30is configured linearly so as to extend along the indicated Z direction while also extending along the indicated Y direction. Therefore, air that is taken in from the intake grille10moves toward the hole section20. Because the inclined wall section30is provided in this manner, it is possible for air that is taken in from the intake grille10to be suitably supplied to the battery unit.

The reservoir40is provided below the hole section20and the inclined wall section30as seen in cross-section from the front surface, as shown inFIG.4. The reservoir40is recessed, as shown inFIG.4. The reservoir40is provided in order to remove water and contaminants.

For example, when no reservoir40is provided, there is a concern that intake noise will be generated because a cross-sectional area of a flow path in the hole section20is reduced. However, because the reservoir40is provided in the intake duct1according to the present embodiment, it is possible to absorb pressure fluctuations in the reservoir40and suppress generation of intake noise.

Effects of the intake duct1according to the present embodiment are described next. For example, in the case of an intake duct provided with an intake grille having no protrusions11, it is impossible to supply a sufficient cooling airflow to a battery unit when an obstruction such as paper or a magazine covers the intake grille. As a result, the battery unit increases in temperature, and there is a possibility that battery characteristics will decline, service life will decrease, and other problems will occur.

However, in the intake duct1according to the present embodiment, the protrusions11, which protrude toward the passenger compartment, are provided to the intake grille10. Therefore, even if an obstruction is disposed above the intake grille10, a space is created between the obstruction and the intake holes10A due to the protrusions11, and it is possible to ensure an intake path. Accordingly, it is possible to supply a sufficient cooling airflow to the battery unit even if an obstruction is disposed on the intake grille10, and suitably prevent any increase in the temperature of the battery unit, any decline in battery characteristics, any decrease in service life, and any occurrence of other problems.

As described above, the intake duct1according to the present embodiment supplies air inside the passenger compartment as a cooling airflow to the battery unit mounted in the vehicle. The intake duct1has: the intake grille10, in which a plurality of intake holes10A are formed; and the protrusions11, which are provided to the intake grille10and which protrude toward the passenger compartment. In the intake duct1configured in this manner, it is possible to supply a sufficient cooling airflow to the battery unit even if an obstruction is disposed on the intake grille10, and suitably prevent any increase in the temperature of the battery unit, any decline in battery characteristics, any decrease in service life, and any occurrence of other problems.

The intake grille10is disposed along a horizontal direction, and the protrusions11are formed along the vertical direction. In the intake duct1configured in this manner, although it is easy for obstructions to be disposed above the intake grille10due to gravity, it is possible to supply a sufficient cooling airflow to the battery unit even if an obstruction is disposed on the intake grille10.

Additionally, each of the protrusions11has: the vertical wall section12, which rises toward the passenger compartment; the first inclined section13, which is continuous with the vertical wall section12and which is provided at an incline in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; and the second inclined section14, which is continuous with the vertical wall section12and which is provided at an incline in a lateral direction of the vehicle. In the intake duct1configured in this manner, air that is taken in from a direction inclined from the Z direction collides with the first inclined section13and second inclined section14and is redirected in the Z direction. Therefore, it is possible to suppress intake noise or to suppress intake resistance.

Additionally, the intake duct1, as seen in cross-section from the front surface, has: the hole section20, which faces the battery unit and communicates therewith; and the inclined wall section30, which is provided at an incline between the intake grille10and the hole section20. In the intake duct1configured in this manner, it is possible for air that is taken in from the intake grille10to be suitably supplied to the battery unit.

Moreover, the intake duct1, as seen in cross-section from the front surface, has the reservoir40, which retains water. In the intake duct1configured in this manner, it is possible to absorb pressure fluctuation in the reservoir40and suppress generation of intake noise.

The intake duct1according to the present embodiment was described above by way of an embodiment, but the present invention is not solely limited to the matter described in the aforementioned embodiment, and can be modified, as appropriate, on the basis of the claims.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the intake grille10is disposed along the horizontal direction, and the protrusions are formed along the vertical direction. However, the intake grille10may also be provided at an incline from the vertical direction or from the horizontal direction.

Also, in the embodiment described above, each of the protrusions11has a vertical wall section12, a first inclined section13, and a second inclined section14. However, the shape of the protrusions is not limited, provided that it is possible to create a space between an obstruction and the intake holes10A and ensure an intake path.

Additionally, in the embodiment described above, the intake duct1, as seen in cross-section from the front surface, has the inclined wall section30and the reservoir40. However, the intake duct need not have these sections.