Patent Description:
There are known motor vehicles, and in particular motor cars, with two front wheels and two rear wheels and comprising a body shell or chassis, a bodywork, applied to the body shell or integrated with the body shell itself (load-bearing bodywork), and passenger compartment, obtained inside the bodywork between the front wheels and the rear wheels.

The document <CIT> discloses a motor vehicle with a body work and wheel arch trims according to the preamble of claim <NUM>.

In the area of each wheel, the bodywork and the body shell form a respective wheel compartment, bounded above and laterally by a respective wheel arch; in practice, the wheel arch covers the wheel, but so as to allow its vertical movement caused by holes and stones, and, in the case of the front wheels, it must have a width such as to make steering possible.

In motor vehicles of SUV (Sport Utility Vehicles) or Crossover type, or in general suitable to be used as off-road vehicle, wheel arch trims, generally made of plastic material, are fitted externally on the respective wheel arches in order to protect the painted sheet metal parts from damage caused by possible impact with chippings and/o gravel during travel over dirt roads.

An important aspect to be considered in wheel arch trims of known type is their lateral protrusion with respect to the sidewalls of the bodywork on which they are fitted; this protrusion must in fact be minimized to avoid overly penalizing the aerodynamics of the motor vehicle, creating an increase in the aerodynamic drag in an area in which there is already a turbulent slipstream deriving from the presence and rotation of the wheel rim, with its permeability, and from the outer shoulder of the tire mounted on the rim itself.

The object of the present invention is to produce a motor vehicle, which is provided with wheel arch trims that not only allow parts of the adjacent bodywork to be protected from possible damages caused by impacts of gravel and chippings during travel, but also a significant improvement in management of the slipstream of the wheels with reduction or elimination of the turbulences produced thereby.

According to the present invention, there is produced a motor vehicle as claimed in claim <NUM> and in the claims dependent thereon.

The present invention shall now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show an example of non-limiting embodiment thereof, wherein:.

<FIG> and <FIG> indicate as a whole with <NUM> a motor vehicle, in particular a motor car, presenting two front wheels <NUM> and two rear wheels <NUM> and comprising a chassis or body shell <NUM> (partially visible in <FIG>), a bodywork <NUM>, applied to the body shell <NUM> or integrated with the body shell <NUM> itself, and a passenger compartment <NUM>, obtained inside the bodywork <NUM> between the wheels <NUM> and the wheels <NUM> themselves.

As can be seen in <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, each wheel <NUM>, <NUM> comprises a rim C, provided with spokes S, and a tire T surrounding the rim C itself and including a tread T1 and respective opposite sidewalls T2, T3, one of which (T2) facing the inside of respective wheel compartment <NUM>, <NUM> in use and the other (T3) facing outward; with particular reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, the tread T1 of each wheel <NUM>, <NUM> is bounded towards the opposite sidewalls T2, T3 by respective rounded circumferential edges T4, T5, facing the inside of the related wheel compartment <NUM>, <NUM> and outward, respectively.

In the example illustrated (<FIG>), the body shell <NUM> is disposed within the bodywork <NUM> and comprises, in a known manner, a flatbed <NUM> and a series of longitudinal members and uprights to which the bodywork <NUM> itself and the other components of the motor vehicle <NUM> are attached.

In the case of bearing bodywork, the flatbed <NUM> is directly part thereof just as the body shell is integrated in the bodywork itself.

In particular, the bodywork <NUM> defines the external contour of the motor vehicle <NUM> and comprises:.

The motor vehicle <NUM> further comprises a windshield <NUM>, extending between the front hood <NUM> and the roof <NUM>, and a rear window (known per se), facing the windshield <NUM> and not visible in the accompanying figures.

The sidewalls <NUM> are disposed symmetrically on opposite sides of a median longitudinal axis A of the motor vehicle <NUM>, parallel to the straight direction of travel and orthogonal to a median transverse vertical plane P of the motor vehicle <NUM> itself. The sidewalls <NUM> bound the motor vehicle <NUM> laterally outwardly and are, in practice, disposed facing each other and parallel to the axis A.

The passenger compartment <NUM> is bound at the front by the windshield <NUM>, at the rear by the rear window and laterally by the doors <NUM> and in part by the sidewalls <NUM>.

The motor vehicle <NUM> could also comprise, on each sidewall <NUM>, a single door <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, the sidewalls <NUM> define, together with the flatbed <NUM>, a respective front and rear wheel compartment <NUM>, <NUM> for each front and rear wheel <NUM>, <NUM>; the wheel compartments <NUM> are bound by respective front and rear wheel arches <NUM>, <NUM>.

Moreover, as can be seen in the accompanying figures, for each wheel compartment <NUM>, <NUM> a respective front and rear wheel arch trim <NUM>, <NUM>, disposed at the respective wheel arch <NUM>, <NUM>, is present.

Advantageously, each wheel arch trim <NUM>, <NUM> comprises:.

In particular, as illustrated in <FIG>, the distance, in a direction horizontal and orthogonal to the axis A, between the free curvilinear edge of the arch-shaped portion <NUM> of each wheel arch trim <NUM>, <NUM> and the bodywork <NUM> adjacent to the respective wheel arch <NUM>, <NUM> is indicated with X and is always greater than zero. The function of the distance X will be clarified below.

Instead, the distance, in a vertical direction and orthogonal to the axis A and to the distance X, between the free curvilinear end edge of the arch-shaped portion <NUM> of each wheel arch trim <NUM>, <NUM> and the curvilinear lower end edge of the respective wheel arch <NUM>, <NUM> is indicated with Y and is always greater than zero; this means that the aforesaid free curvilinear end edge of the arch-shaped portion <NUM> of each wheel arch trim <NUM>, <NUM> is always placed higher with respect to the lower curvilinear end edge of the respective wheel arch <NUM>, <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, in the case of each front wheel arch trim <NUM>, the channeling <NUM> comprises two through openings <NUM> obtained on a front end portion <NUM> and on a rear end portion <NUM> of the arch-shaped portion <NUM> of the wheel arch trim <NUM> itself.

Both the openings <NUM> have respective passage sections transverse to the axis A.

In more detail, the openings <NUM> have respective bounding edges <NUM> extending around respective axes of the openings <NUM> themselves, transverse to the median plane P and converging frontally towards the axis A.

As can be seen in particular in <FIG> and <FIG>, the openings <NUM> of each front wheel arch trim <NUM> are facing the outer edge T5 of the tread T1 of the tire T of the respective wheel <NUM>, during the straight travel of the motor vehicle <NUM>.

In the example illustrated in <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, the front bumper <NUM> has, at its own opposite lateral end portions 11a, 11b, respective through windows 11c facing the openings <NUM> obtained on the front portions <NUM> of the front wheel arch trims <NUM> to create, during the straight travel of the motor vehicle <NUM>, airflow channeling along the respective sidewalls <NUM>.

Preferably, with reference to <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, each front wheel arch trim <NUM> is attached to a part of the body shell <NUM> by the interposition of a respective skeleton element <NUM>, which is also arch-shaped. In particular, each wheel arch trim <NUM> is coupled and/or glued to the respective skeleton element <NUM> so as to completely cover it outwardly.

<FIG> illustrate the way in which each skeleton element <NUM> is attached to the body shell <NUM>. In particular, centering elements <NUM> are used, such as centering pins obtained in one piece on each skeleton element <NUM>, and releasable restraining elements <NUM>, such as snap-lock pins <NUM> and metric screws <NUM>; the centering elements <NUM> and the restraining elements <NUM> releasably engage respective holes 4a, 4b, 4c obtained on the body shell <NUM>.

The centering elements <NUM> represent the first points in which each wheel arch trim <NUM> interfaces with the body shell <NUM> and this in fact takes place at the holes 4a; the function of the centering elements <NUM> is to guarantee correct positioning of each wheel arch trim <NUM> without an actual visual check by the operator. The snap-lock pins <NUM> are used to locally retain each front wheel arch trim <NUM> on the body shell <NUM> and guarantee correct and sturdy pre-assembly before clamping of the metric screws <NUM>, which guarantee the stability of assembly over time.

During assembly of each skeleton element <NUM>, the centering elements <NUM> are first engaged in the respective holes 4a of the body shell <NUM>; at this point, by pressing firmly, the pins <NUM> are snapped into the holes 4b so as to obtain pre-assembly of the skeleton element <NUM> on the body shell <NUM>; the last operation is clamping of the metric screws <NUM> in the respective threaded holes 4c.

The distances X defined above and illustrated in <FIG> must be such as to allow minimum translation of each skeleton element <NUM> to allow assembly thereof on the body shell <NUM>; the same applies for the subsequent assembly of each wheel arch trim <NUM> on the respective skeleton element <NUM>.

The rear wheel arch trims <NUM>, illustrated essentially in <FIG> and <FIG>, have a structure and shape very similar to those of the front wheel arch trims <NUM> and therefore only the parts that differ therefrom will be described below; the same or equivalent parts of the front and rear wheel arch trims <NUM>, <NUM> will be identified below with the same reference numbers.

In particular, each rear wheel arch trim <NUM> differs with respect to the front wheel arch trims <NUM> essentially in that they do not have the opening <NUM> on the front portion <NUM> and in that they are formed by several components, in the case illustrated two, assembled together and each forming a curvilinear section, in the case illustrated approximately one half, of the total arch profile.

As can be seen in <FIG>, also the rear wheel arch trims <NUM> are attached to a part of the body shell <NUM> by the interposition of respective skeleton elements <NUM> also arched shaped and identical to the skeleton elements <NUM>.

In particular, also in this case, each wheel arch trim <NUM> is coupled and/or glued to the respective skeleton element <NUM> so as to completely cover it outwardly.

The manner in which each skeleton element <NUM> is attached to the body shell <NUM> is identical to that used for the skeleton elements <NUM>, i.e., through centering elements <NUM> and restraining elements <NUM> identical to those described above, i.e., snap-lock pins <NUM> and metric screws <NUM>. This method is therefore not further described and the description above should be referred to.

In use, during the straight forward travel of the motor vehicle <NUM>, the air is channeled at the two sides of the front bumper <NUM> from the windows 11c toward the two sidewalls <NUM>.

The windows 11c act in synergy with the openings <NUM> of the two front wheel arch trims <NUM> to create a powerful air blade that aerodynamically seals the front wheels <NUM> preventing the release of turbulence in transverse direction to the axis A (<FIG> and <FIG>).

In the rear part of the front wheel arch trims <NUM>, the further openings <NUM> allow the extraction of air from inside the wheel compartments <NUM> to be maximized so as to ensure the correct direction of the flow coming from the front area along the respective sidewalls <NUM>, to which it adheres (<FIG>).

The particular solution of the rear wheel arch trims <NUM> allows a powerful extraction of air from the rear wheel compartments <NUM> through the openings <NUM>; moreover, the surfaces of the arch-shaped portions <NUM> of the aforesaid wheel arch trims <NUM> are elongated and contoured so as to be able to manage the rear points of separation of the airflows that flow around the sidewalls <NUM> and the wheels <NUM>, <NUM>.

By examining the features of the motor vehicle <NUM> produced according to the present invention the advantages that can be obtained therewith are evident.

In particular, the solution described of the wheel arch trims <NUM>, <NUM> makes it possible to obtain a significant improvement in management of the slipstream of the wheels <NUM>, <NUM> and consequently elimination of the turbulences produced by the presence and by the rotation of the rims C, and, ultimately, a clean and uniform air flow along the sides of the wheels <NUM>, <NUM> themselves.

In practice, this type of result was obtained by positioning the wheel arch trims <NUM>, <NUM> partly under the bodywork <NUM>, so as to minimize the protrusion of the wheel arch trims <NUM>, <NUM> themselves with respect to the bodywork <NUM>, at the same time minimizing aerodynamic drag; positioning of the wheel arch trims <NUM>, <NUM> under bodywork <NUM> produces a "floating" effect, i.e., it gives the impression of a vehicle body "resting" on the wheel arch trims <NUM>, <NUM> themselves (details of <FIG>).

Moreover, by entrusting attachment on the body shell <NUM> to the skeleton elements <NUM>, <NUM>, the wheel arch trims <NUM>, <NUM> can perform solely the aerodynamic function described above and also an aesthetic function; consequently this allows greater flexibility with regard to the material used, for example plastic or composite materials, and/or the surface coating applied to the wheel arch trims <NUM>, <NUM>, for example embossed or painted finishes.

Claim 1:
Motor vehicle (<NUM>) presenting a median longitudinal axis (A), parallel to the straight direction of travel, and comprising:
- a plurality of wheels (<NUM>, <NUM>);
- a bodywork (<NUM>) defining the external contour of the motor vehicle (<NUM>) and having two opposite sidewalls (<NUM>) defining a respective wheel compartment (<NUM>, <NUM>) for each wheel (<NUM>, <NUM>), bounded by a respective wheel arch (<NUM>, <NUM>); and
- for each wheel compartment (<NUM>, <NUM>), a wheel arch trim (<NUM>, <NUM>) disposed at the respective wheel arch (<NUM>, <NUM>);
characterized in that each wheel arch trim (<NUM>, <NUM>) comprises:
- a first arch-shaped portion (<NUM>) disposed within the volume defined by said bodywork (<NUM>), facing, at least in part and from inside the bodywork (<NUM>) itself, the respective wheel arch (<NUM>, <NUM>) and attached to a structural part (<NUM>) of said motor vehicle (<NUM>), internal with respect to said bodywork (<NUM>);
- a second arch-shaped portion (<NUM>) protruding externally from said bodywork (<NUM>) relative to said wheel arch (<NUM>, <NUM>); and
- an airflow channeling (<NUM>) formed at least partially on said second arch-shaped portion (<NUM>) to create an air blade tangent to the outer sidewall of the respective wheel (<NUM>, <NUM>) and to the area of the respective sidewall (<NUM>) adjacent to the respective wheel arch (<NUM>, <NUM>).