In a so-called convertible vehicle, i.e., a vehicle including an openable roof on a top portion of a vehicle compartment portion where a passenger is seated, traveling air from the vehicle front side flows rearward of the vehicle along a surface of a vehicle body in a state that the openable roof is closed (a closed state).
On the other hand, in a state (an opened state) that the openable roof is opened, traveling air is less likely to stably flow rearward due to an opening formed in the top portion of the vehicle. Further, the vehicle compartment becomes a negative pressure state, as compared with the outside of the vehicle. Therefore, a flow of traveling air flowing through the top portion of the vehicle is likely to change, as compared with a state that the openable roof is closed.
For example, it is known that in a state that an openable roof is opened, a part of traveling air flowing rearward of a seat over a front window changes its direction in such a manner that air is caused to flow back forward due to a negative pressure of a vehicle compartment (so-called turbulent air).
Further, after the direction of air is changed from rearward of the vehicle to forward of the vehicle, the turbulent air flowing into the vehicle compartment may impinge on the passenger from the rear side. Therefore, in a vehicle including an openable roof, a passenger may feel annoyed with wind due to turbulent air that impinges on the passenger or noise caused by the wind.
In view of the above, various techniques are proposed to avoid wind in a state that an openable roof is opened, or noise caused by the wind.
For example, in Patent Literature 1, there is provided a wind deflector device between a pair of left and right seats and on the vehicle rear side of the seats in order to deflect turbulent air flowing into a vehicle compartment from the rear side of the seats in a state that an openable roof is opened. Further, in Patent Literature 1, a plurality of hole portions are formed in a deflector plate (a deflection plate) of the wind deflector device.
In Patent Literature 1, rear visibility is secured by the plurality of hole portions formed in the deflector plate, and a flow rate of turbulent air flowing forward from the vehicle rear side is restricted by the deflector plate.
For example, when a holeless deflector plate of synthetic resin having transparency is used in order to secure enhanced rear visibility, in place of the aforementioned deflector plate having a plurality of holes, a large amount of turbulent air from the vehicle rear side may impinge on the deflector plate. This makes it possible to block turbulent air from flowing forward, and a large amount of turbulent air may flow outward in the vehicle width direction.
On the other hand, as disclosed in Patent Literature 1, in a convertible vehicle configured such that many of components constituting an upper portion of a vehicle compartment portion are accommodated in a vehicle body, turbulent air deflected outward in the vehicle width direction may join traveling air flowing rearward along a side portion of the vehicle. This makes it easy to allow turbulent air to flow outward of the vehicle.
However, there is a convertible vehicle configured such that a roof portion located above a passenger is opened and closed together with a rear window. In such a convertible vehicle, generally, even when a roof portion and a rear window are accommodated in a vehicle body, a side wall portion (e.g. a pillar member) constituting a rear part of a vehicle compartment portion is not accommodated in the vehicle body.
Therefore, turbulent air deflected outward in the vehicle width direction may further deflect forward along a side wall portion, and may impinge on the passenger through a gap between a seat and the side wall portion. Thus, in a convertible vehicle configured such that a side wall portion is not accommodated in a vehicle body, it is difficult to provide enhanced rear visibility, and comfort for the passenger.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds