ROAD VEHICLE PROVIDED WITH A CENTRAL AERODYNAMIC CHANNEL AND PROPER POWERTRAIN SYSTEM

Road vehicle comprising: four wheels, at least a pair of them being drive wheels; a passenger compartment configured to accommodate at least a driver; a vehicle body comprising a front portion and a rear portion relative to the passenger compartment along a travel direction; a powertrain system; a central aerodynamic channel at least partially arranged under the passenger compartment along a central longitudinal axis of the road vehicle; wherein the central aerodynamic channel seamlessly extends from a first aperture arranged in the area of the front portion to a second aperture arranged in the area of the rear portion of the vehicle body; wherein the powertrain system is at least partially arranged laterally to the central aerodynamic channel.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims priority from Italian patent application no. 102022000016143 filed on Jul. 29, 2022, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a road vehicle provided with a central aerodynamic channel and a proper powertrain system.

In particular, the invention can advantageously, though not exclusively be applied to high-performance vehicles, to which explicit reference will be made in the description below without because of this losing generality.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As it is known, the body of a road vehicle comprises the shell, namely the outermost parts of a motor vehicle, which are therefore visible to users, and the chassis, namely the structural inner part of the body.

Different types of powertrain systems are known for road vehicles, for example by means of electric motors, internal combustion engines or hybrid solutions.

The motors/engines are usually arranged, because of their weight, as centrally as possible and as close as possible to the vehicle floorboard, so as to lower the centre of gravity, optimizing the dynamics of the road vehicle.

Therefore, said one or more motors/engines, together with their reduction systems, if present, are generally arranged along a longitudinal, central axis of the road vehicle.

These configurations have the further advantage of featuring one or more motors/engines whose rotation axis is parallel to the rotation axis of the wheels (of a vehicle which is supposed to travel along a straight line). By so doing, motion is transmitted by the motors/engines in a simple manner.

However, the Applicant found out that these configurations pose limits from an aerodynamic point of view, meaning that the aerodynamics of the vehicle has to be designed starting from the assumption that the longitudinal and central area of the vehicle is at least partly occupied by the powertrain system.

Therefore, prior art solutions do not allow manufacturers to overcome some aerodynamic limits in order to improve consumptions and/or track performances, thus limiting designers' freedom and, consequently, limiting the possibility of optimizing air flow management and aesthetic qualities.

Generally speaking, these limits need to be overcome.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide a road vehicle provided with a central aerodynamic channel and a proper powertrain system, which is at least partially free from the drawbacks described above and, at the same time, is simple and economic to be manufactured.

According to the invention, there is provided a road vehicle provided with a central aerodynamic channel and a proper powertrain system as claimed in the independent claims attached hereto and, preferably, in any one of the dependent claims directly or indirectly depending on the independent claims.

The appended claims describe preferred embodiments of the invention and form an integral part of the description.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

InFIG.1, number1indicates, as a whole, a road vehicle provided with two front wheels2and with two rear wheels2(in particular, drive wheels). The vehicle1is provided with a passenger compartment3, which is designed to accommodate at least one driver and, preferably, one or more passengers.

In the figures, the same numbers and the same reference letters indicate the same elements or components with the same function.

For the purposes of the invention, the term “second” component does not imply the presence of a “first” component. As a matter of fact, these terms are only used as labels to improve clarity and should not be interpreted in a limiting manner.

The elements and features contained in the different preferred embodiments, drawings included, can be combined with one another or be isolated from one another, without for this reason going beyond the scope of protection of this patent application, as described hereinafter.

The road vehicle1comprises a body4, which comprises a chassis (which is known and, therefore, is not disclosed in detail) and a shell5fixed to the chassis, which has both an aesthetic function and an aerodynamic function and is usually visible from the outside of the road vehicle1.

As it usually is the case in the automotive industry, the chassis delimits an inside of the vehicle1relative to an outside thereof, as well as a plurality of typical compartments, namely an engine compartment, the passenger compartment3and a luggage compartment or trunk to store luggage.

The road vehicle1(in particular the body4) is provided with a front portion6and with a rear portion7according to its travel direction D, which is shown inFIG.1along a straight longitudinal axis A. In other words, the front portion6corresponds to the front of the road vehicle1, in particular in the area of a front bumper8, and the rear portion7corresponds to the back of the road vehicle1, in particular in the area of a rear bumper9.

Furthermore, the road vehicle1comprises a powertrain system10, which is configured to deliver a torque to at least two wheels2of a same front and/or rear axis11,12.

In some non-limiting cases, which are not shown herein, the powertrain system10comprises an internal combustion engine.

In other non-limiting cases, like the ones shown in the accompanying figures, the powertrain system10comprises one or more electric actuator systems13.

In particular, the powertrain system10comprises at least two electric actuators systems13, each comprising at least one electric motor14and respective motion transmission elements15configured to transmit the motion of each electric motor14to at least one drive wheel2by means of a respective axle shaft16.

Advantageously, though not necessarily, the powertrain system10comprises a respective electric actuator system13for each wheel2of the road vehicle1(in particular, four electric actuator systems13, two for each axle11,12).

Advantageously, the road vehicle1comprises a central aerodynamic channel17at least partially arranged under the passenger compartment3along a central longitudinal axis A of the road vehicle1.

In particular, the central aerodynamic channel17seamlessly extends from a first aperture18arranged in the area of the front portion6(in detail, also obtained on the front bumper8) to a second aperture19arranged in the area of the rear portion7(in detail, also obtained on the rear bumper9) of the vehicle body4.

In detail, the word “seamlessly” means without significant changes for the air flow flowing through the aerodynamic channel17from side to side. In other words, the central aerodynamic channel lacks at least partially obstructing elements, such as filters, fans and obstacles, for the main part of its section.

In this way, both the front impact and the air resistance of the road vehicle1are reduced, thus allowing, thanks to the channel17, for the passage of an air flow F (FIGS.2and3).

In particular, the front portion6is the part of the body4that frontally hits the air ahead of the road vehicle1. More in particular, the first aperture18is arranged, on the front portion6, so as to extend on a substantially front (and vertical) portion of the bumper8.

The space of the vehicle1where the central aerodynamic channel17is located is usually occupied by the respective powertrain systems, whatever they are. In order to overcome this incompatibility, the powertrain system10is at least partially arranged on the side of the central aerodynamic channel17(namely, transversely to the side along a transverse axis T of the road vehicle1).

Therefore, in particular, each electric motor14is arranged on the side of the central aerodynamic channel17, in the area of (preferably, fixed to) a vehicle bottom20. Advantageously, though not in a limiting manner, the electric motors14are arranged at a distance that is equal to or smaller than 500 mm, in particular 200 mm, more in particular 100 mm, preferably smaller than 50 mm, from the central aerodynamic channel17.

By so doing, the dissipation and, hence, the cooling of the electric motors14surprisingly improves.

Therefore, the closeness to the central aerodynamic channel17, where air flows that can be used for cooling purposes, maximizes this dissipation effect.

Advantageously, though not in a limiting manner, in order to keep the centre of gravity of the vehicle1as low as possible, the powertrain system10is at least partially (in particular, totally) arranged at the same height from the ground or the vehicle bottom20as the central aerodynamic channel17. In this way, the powertrain system10does not invade the space reserved for the passenger compartment3.

Therefore, the central aerodynamic channel17is preferably, though not in a limiting manner, arranged under a central tunnel located inside the passenger compartment3(which is known and, hence, is not shown).

In the non-limiting embodiments of the accompanying figures, the electric actuator systems13at least partly, in particular totally, extend parallel to the central aerodynamic channel17.

Hence, advantageously, though not necessarily, each electric motor14is arranged so as to have a respective first rotation axis B parallel to the central longitudinal (symmetry) axis A and, thus, to the central aerodynamic channel17.

In some preferred non-limiting cases, like the ones shown inFIGS.2to5, the motion transmission elements15are configured to transfer the motion of each electric motor14from the first rotation axis B, which is parallel to the central longitudinal axis A, to a second rotation axis C, which is transverse to the first rotation axis B and, in particular, though not in a limiting manner, is parallel to the transverse axis T of the road vehicle1. In particular, the rotation axis B is the axis around which the respective axle shafts16and, hence, the drive wheels2rotate. Therefore, in this way, the motion of the electric motors14is transmitted from an axis B, which is parallel to the travel direction D and, hence, to the central longitudinal axis A of the road vehicle1, to an axis C, which is transverse to the axis A and, in particular, is parallel to the transverse axis T and is concordant with the rotation of the wheels (in detail, of the relative hubs).

In detail, though not in a limiting manner, the motion transmission elements15each comprise bevel elements21for an angular transmission of the motion of the motor14. For instance, the bevel elements21are gears22, whose teeth were not drawn in accompanying figures in order to make the drawing more easily understandable.

Advantageously, though not necessarily, the transmission elements15of each electric actuator system13comprise a reduction element23, in particular an epicyclic element, configured to reduce the output rotation speed of the electric motor14, though maintaining the motion along the first rotation axis B. By so doing, the wheels2receive a rotation speed that is smaller than the one of the electric motors14, thus simplifying the control thereof and reducing their delivered torque.

In the non-limiting embodiments of the accompanying figures, the electric actuator systems13are L-shaped, the part of the L parallel to the axis A corresponding to the electric motor14and to part of the transmission elements15(namely, to the reduction element23and to one of the bevel gears22).

In the non-limiting embodiment ofFIG.5, the transmission elements15further comprise a splined shaft25configured to spline a ring gear26of the bevel gear22rotating around the second rotation axis C. In other non-limiting cases, which are not shown herein, the ring gear25is welded to the bevel gear22, which rotate around the second rotation axis C.

According to the non-limiting embodiment ofFIG.2, the powertrain system10comprises four different electric actuator systems13, each comprising at least one electric motor14and respective motion transmission elements15, wherein the electric motors14are arranged two on the right and two on the left of the central aerodynamic channel17.

Advantageously, though not in a limiting manner, for reasons concerning the centre of gravity, the electric motors14are arranged closer to the longitudinal centerline of the body4(namely closer to the centre of gravity of the vehicle1), whereas the motion transmission elements15are arranged, relative to the electric motors14, closer to the front portion6and closer to the rear portion7, respectively.

According to further non-limiting embodiments, which are not shown herein, the powertrain system10comprises one single electric motor14(or, if necessary, one single heat engine) arranged on the side, in an asymmetrical manner, relative to the central aerodynamic channel17and connected to a suitable differential.

According to other non-limiting embodiments, which are not shown herein, the powertrain system10comprises one or more motors14arranged above the central aerodynamic channel17, wherein the transmission elements15deliver anyway the motion to the respective drive wheels2going around the central aerodynamic channel17.

According to some non-limiting embodiments, as shown inFIG.1, the central aerodynamic channel17comprises a downforce element24to allow the vehicle1to maximize track performances.

In particular, the downforce element24is an at least partial lower closure (which does not necessarily have to be integral and continuous) of the aerodynamic channel17, which would otherwise be open downwards. In this way, by changing the conformation of the downforce element23, the road vehicle1is pressed down to the ground while driving on a track above given speeds (which cannot usually be reached on public roads).

In use, the electric motors14rotate around the first axes B and their motion goes through the reduction elements23, the bevel elements21and the axle shafts16in order to reach the drive wheels2.

Even though the invention described above specifically relates to a precise embodiment, it should not be considered as limited to said embodiment, for its scope of protection also includes all those variants, changes or simplifications covered by the appended claims, such as for example a different type of road vehicle (for instance, a front-drive vehicle or a rear-drive vehicle), a different shape of the transmission elements, a different conformation of the central aerodynamic channel, etcetera.

The vehicle described above has numerous advantages.

First of all, the central channel improves consumptions by reducing the front impact area of the vehicle and maximizes performances by increasing downforce.

Furthermore, the vehicle described above indicates how to free the central area along the longitudinal axis in order to make room for the aerodynamic channel. In particular, though not in a limiting manner, by dividing the powertrain system into several electric motors arranged on the sides of the channel.

A further advantage of the invention lies in the fact that unsprung masses are not increased (which, on the contrary, is the case with solution involving electric motors inside the wheels).

Finally, the vehicle described above does not change the steering system, which remains substantially identical to known models.

LIST OF THE REFERENCE NUMBERS OF THE FIGURES