SPORTS CAR PROVIDED WITH A CONDITIONING SYSTEM

Abstract

A sports car provided with a conditioning system comprising a conditioning device for treating environmental air, an internal channel for delivering conditioned air generated by said conditioning device throughout a vehicle cockpit, wherein said conditioning device is arranged at the rear of said vehicle cockpit.

Claims

1. A sports car provided with a conditioning system comprising a conditioning device (CD) for treating air to be introduced or recirculated in a cockpit of said sports car, an internal channel (Cout) for delivering conditioned air generated by said conditioning device throughout said vehicle cockpit (AB), wherein said conditioning device is arranged at a rear position with respect to said vehicle cockpit (AB).

2. A car according to claim 1, wherein said conditioning device (CD) comprises one or more heat exchangers, where a fluid, such as cooling water of a heat engine and/or a refrigerant fluid suited to carry out a thermodynamic cycle, thus defining an HVAC.

3. The car according to claim 1, wherein said conditioning device is lifted relative to a floor of the sports car.

4. The car according to claim 3, wherein between said floor and said conditioning device there is interposed a component of the car having a greater density than said air conditioning device, such as for example a battery pack or an internal combustion engine.

5. The car according to claim 1, comprising a roof (R) and wherein said internal channel (Cout) is at least partially integrated in said roof (R).

6. The car according to claim 5, wherein said internal channel is arranged longitudinally and preferably centrally to a longitudinal development of the car.

7. The car according to claim 5, wherein said internal channel defines a front central upright (MC), which crosses a windscreen (WS) identifying a right portion (WSA) and a left portion (WSB) of the windscreen, channelling said conditioned air in a vehicle dashboard.

8. The car according to claim 7, wherein said vehicle dashboard comprises aeration openings and/or outlets arranged for delivering said conditioned air towards the chest/torso and the legs of an occupant of the sports car and wherein said dashboard is supplied by said internal channel crossing said windscreen (WS).

9. The car according to claim 5, wherein said internal channel (Cout) consists of a tubular profile made of a high-resistance material, having opposite ends, each being directly or indirectly connected to a vehicle frame (F) so as to define a reinforcement structure in case of a front impact and/or an overturning of the sports car.

10. The car according to claim 9, wherein said internal channel (Cout) is directly connected, at the rear of the vehicle, to said frame (F), thus defining a rear central upright (MPC), or by means of the lateral rear uprights (MPL) that protrude from a tail of the car towards said roof, defining a Y-shaped structure.

11. The car according to claim 6, wherein said internal channel (Cout) identifies a right portion (RA) and a left portion (RB) of the roof above the heads of the respective occupants of the car, wherein said left and right portions can be selectively removed and/or folded.

12. The car according to claim 1, further comprising at least one external channel (Cin) for conveying environmental air to said conditioning device (CD), wherein said external channel preferably comprises a forward and outward facing opening, so that a circulation of environmental air is a result of a forward movement of the sports car itself.

13. The car according to claim 12, wherein said external channel (Cin) comprises a mobile shutter (P), which is electrically operated and is designed to adjust said circulation of environmental air.

14. The car according to claim 13, wherein said conditioning device further comprises an electric fan (VE) for permitting said circulation of environmental air even when the sports car is still or travelling at a low speed.

15. The car according to claim 14, wherein an adjustment of said mobile shutter (P) and an operation of said electric fan (VE) are coordinated with one another.

16. The car according to claim 12, wherein said external channel is arranged on a vehicle roof (R) longitudinally and preferably centrally to a longitudinal development of the car.

17. The car according to claim 16, wherein said external channel (Cin) is made of a high-resistance material, cooperating with said roof (R) for defining a reinforcement structure in case of a front impact and/or an overturning of the sports car.

18. The car according to claim 17, wherein said external channel (Cin) is directly connected to a vehicle frame, thus defining a rear central upright (MPC).

19. A car according to claim 18, wherein said internal channel is connected to said frame, at the rear of the vehicle, running parallel to said external channel and cooperating in defining said rear central upright (MPC) and so as to define a reinforcement structure in case of a front impact and/or an overturning of the sports car.

20. The car according to claim 7, further provided with at least a windscreen wiper arm, arranged for wiping said windscreen (WS) and wherein said arm, in a rest position, overlaps or is arranged next to said central upright (MC).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0033] Further objects and advantages of the invention will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof (and of relative variants) with reference to the accompanying drawings merely showing non-limiting examples, wherein:

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a portion of a sports car according to a preferred example of the invention;

[0035] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the portion of FIG. 1;

[0036] FIGS. 3a and 3b show a side view of a portion of a sports car according to a preferred example of the invention in two different operating conditions;

[0037] FIGS. 4a and 4b show a side view of a portion of a sports car according to another preferred embodiment of the invention in two different operating conditions;

[0038] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view from the bottom of a vehicle roof according to one of the examples of FIGS. 3 and 4;

[0039] FIGS. 6a and 6b show two same side views, the first oneFIG. 6ashowing a portion of a sports car with removed parts and the second oneFIG. 6bshowing a corresponding part of an example of a conditioning system of the cockpit of the sports car;

[0040] FIG. 6c shows a perspective view of the portion shown in FIG. 6b.

[0041] In the figures, the same numbers and the same reference letters indicate the same elements or components.

[0042] In the figures, the same numbers and the same reference letters indicate the same elements or components.

[0043] For the purposes of the invention, the term second component does not imply the presence of a first component. These terms, indeed, are merely used as labels to distinguish the components and should not be interpreted in a limiting manner, provided that the description does not expressively indicates otherwise.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0044] FIGS. 1 and 2 show some parts of a sports car, among which there are a cockpit AB, a seat S and a roof R, according to a preferred example of the invention.

[0045] The figures clearly show a lowered seat S, which is typical for sports cars, and a stretched out driving position with the legs and the arms of the driver protruding forward.

[0046] The conditioning device CD of the vehicle is arranged at the back of the driver's seat under the line of sight WL, preferably immediately under it.

[0047] Therefore, it is lifted from the floor of the vehicle.

[0048] Hence, between the floor and the conditioning device there can be installed a battery pack or an internal combustion engine, thus optimizing the distribution of the weights.

[0049] Furthermore, as discussed below, this allows the air inflow and outflow ducts to be very short, thus also ensuring a significant effectiveness of the conditioning device.

[0050] The roof R of the car is very low and is just above the headrest of the vehicle sear, joining, behind the headrest, the tail of car, which is evidently provided with two mere seats.

[0051] However, the basic idea of the invention does not change if the car is provided with two small additional seats, in a 2+2 configuration.

[0052] Since the roof is joined to the tail of the vehicle, the conditioning device CD is in a position which is approximately tangent to the rear part of the roof.

[0053] According to FIG. 1, the line of the front hood CFN is just above the pedals Pd, thanks to the space that was left free by the conditioning device, which was installed at the back of the driver's seat.

[0054] According to another preferred variant of the invention, the conditioning device is arranged behind the headrest, namely interferes with the line of sight of the driver. Therefore, the rear-view mirror RW is preferably replaced by a display, which reproduces images captured, in real time, by a backward facing video camera RC. If necessary, the rear window can also be replaced by a display reproducing the same images captured in real time, so that it can realistically take the place of the rear window of the car.

[0055] Advantageously, the fact of having the conditioning device very close to the roof allows the cooling of the cockpit to be directly carried out through the roof of the vehicle.

[0056] According to a preferred variant of the invention, the conditioned air duct Cout, also called internal channel, longitudinally runs along the roof, preferably at the centre relative to the development of the car, from the conditioning device CD, forward, toward the windscreen WS, not necessarily up to the windscreen.

[0057] In the conditioned air duct Cout there are suitable openings made to spread the conditioned air in the cockpit AB.

[0058] When the car is provided with a rear window LN, see FIG. 5, the air conditioned by the conditioning system CD is channelled in the duct Cout through a rear upright MPL.

[0059] On the other hand, if there is no rear window, the duct Cout directly reaches the conditioning device CD in the way shown in FIG. 2, defining a rear central upright.

[0060] Advantageously, since the roof R of the cockpit of a sports car is closer to the torso of the occupants than the dashboard, an ideal conditioning of the cockpit is obtained, though keeping the air outflow speed low.

[0061] The conditioned air duct Cout is preferably associated with orientable outlets AF, one or more for each one of the two seats of the car.

[0062] According to a preferred variant of the invention, said conditioned air duct Cout is made of a high-resistance material and is connected, at the respective ends, to the bearing structure or frame F of the car. In particular, FIG. 5 shows a preferred variant of the invention, in which the conditioned air duct extends forward dividing the windscreen WS into a right portion WSA and a left portion WSB, until it joins the lower crosspiece TV of the bearing structure F.

[0063] At the back, the internal and/or external channel can be directly connected to the frame of the car, through the aforesaid rear central upright MPC, or by means of the rear uprights MPL, which usually are more robust and stocky than the front side uprights ML Therefore, in this case, a substantially Y-shaped, high-resistance structure is obtained.

[0064] In this way, the portion of internal channel Cout crossing the two windscreen portions defined a central upright MC. The two windscreen portions, the right one and the left one, preferably are mirror-like relative to one another.

[0065] Therefore, a portion of the conditioned air flow can be spread through outlets arranged in the dashboard of the vehicle (not shown), which is supplied with conditioned air by the duct Cout.

[0066] Adventurously, the duct Cout also fulfils a structural function, as it is part of the safety cell of the occupants of the car, especially in case of overturning of the car. Furthermore, it defines a stiffening of the entire frame, even in case of a front impact.

[0067] Hence, said duct Cout fulfils a structural function, since it is integrated in the frame of the vehicle, and a conditioned air conveying and spreading function.

[0068] In order to manufacture said duct Cout, suitable tubular elements can be used, which are made of high-resistance metal alloys or of carbon fibre.

[0069] According to another preferred variant of the invention, which can be combined with any other one of the previous variants, FIG. 6a shows a side portion of a cockpit AB of a sports car. On the sides there are side members LL, which surround, on both sides of the car, the lower edges of the access openings of the cockpit AB.

[0070] Said side members form, within the frame F of the car, a safety cell for the occupants.

[0071] Said side members LL laterally delimit the floor of the cockpit, where the seats S are fixed, and are preferably manufactured with tubular elements made of a high resistance material.

[0072] According to a preferred implementation of the invention, these side members also define a portion of the internal channel Cout2, which allows the conditioned air to be conveyed from said conditioning device CD to the legs and/or the dashboard. The dashboard of the car can be provided with aeration outlets to help spread the conditioned air.

[0073] This solution is particularly convenient when the portion of the internal channel Cout integrated in the roof R does not cross the windscreen WS.

[0074] Nevertheless, this solution can be combined with the one shown in FIG. 5, at least to stiffen the connection of the roof to the lower crosspiece TV.

[0075] According to a further preferred variant of the invention, which can be combined with any one of the previous variants, the fresh air flowing into the conditioning system is channelled through one or more external channels, at least one of them having an outward and forward facing opening, so that the circulation of air is natural for the relative forward movement of the sports car. Therefore, a so-called dynamic air intake is created, whose flow rate depends, in the absence of any control, on the relative speed between the vehicle and the environmental air.

[0076] External channels can be obtained in the body sides of the vehicle immediately behind the access doors SP of the cockpit (indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4).

[0077] According to a preferred variant of the invention, an external channel Cin is obtained in the roof, arranged so as to overlap the internal channel Cout.

[0078] In addition or alternatively to the internal channel Cout, the external channel Cin arranged on the roof of the car can be made of a high-resistance material so as to fulfil a structural function, becoming part of the frame of the vehicle, and an external air channelling and conveying function. Between the external channel and the conditioning device CD there can be arranged a separation device to separate the air from the water possibly collected while the vehicle travels in the rain.

[0079] The fact of moving the conditioning air through the movement of the car in the environment turns out to be extremely advantageous when the car is an electric car. Indeed, a reduction in the aerodynamic efficiency of the vehicle in favour of a natural circulation of the conditioning air of the cockpit is more advantageous than operating an electric fan, especially when the available energy is limited, which is the case in an electric car.

[0080] The air flow captured from the outside can preferably be chocked by means of an electrically operated mobile shutter P, which evidently absorbs energy only when it is operated in order to carry out an adjustment. Nevertheless, an electric fan VE is provided in order to ensure a ventilation even when the vehicle is still or travels at a very low speed.

[0081] Therefore, according to this preferred variant of the invention, the adjustment of the shutter and the operation of the electric fan VE are coordinated with one another. The fan preferably supplements the dynamic air intake when the latter is approximately completely open.

[0082] When the car is stuck in traffic and drives at a very variable speed, the shutter is open in a predetermined intermediate opening position and the electric fan VE is activated in order to keep the air flow spread in the cockpit approximately constant at a predetermined flow value.

[0083] Furthermore, the mobile shutter P can be manufactured so as to optimize the aerodynamic efficiency of the vehicle when the dynamic intake is completely closed. In particular, it can be hinged in a position close to the windscreen WS, mildly joining the windscreen to the outward facing opening of the external channel Cin. FIGS. 3a and 3b show a mobile shutter P or an example of a mobile shutter P in two opposite operating conditions, a completely closed condition and completely open condition, respectively.

[0084] Alternatively, the mobile shutter can be housed inside the external channel Cin, in the way shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b, which show operating conditions corresponding to the ones of FIGS. 3a and 3b.

[0085] The air flow EAF determined by the travelling motion of the car, in the first operating condition, slides on the roof R of the car, whereas, in the second operating condition, it is channelled until it reaches the conditioning device CD.

[0086] The right portion RA and the left portion RB of the roof R above the heads of the occupants, shown in FIG. 5, can be removed or be folded in the roof in a known manner, preferably independently of one another.

[0087] When the internal channel Cout is connected to the lower crosspiece TV, the front central upright MC is internally masked by means of a display, which covers it and reproduces images shot by one or more video cameras FC externally associated with the front central upright, so that the presence of the front central upright is not perceived by the driver.

[0088] The video camera/s FC applied to the front central upright MC is/are preferably arranged so as to be perpendicular to the surface of the display internally covering the front central upright.

[0089] The front side uprights ML, which delimit the windscreen on the side, also are preferably internally covered with displays connected to as many video camera arranged on the outside of the front side uprights, so that the relative displays reproduce real-time images of what they shoot, masking the existence of the front uprights.

[0090] According to a further preferred variant of the invention, at least one windscreen wiper arm (not shown) is arranged so as to wipe the windscreen of the car and is associated with the latter in such a way that, in a rest condition, it is aligned on or beside the central upright MC, so as to have an extremely limited aerodynamic impact.

[0091] The non-limiting example described above can be subjected to variations, without for this reason going beyond the scope of protection of the invention, comprising all equivalent embodiments for a person skilled in the art.

[0092] When reading the description above, a skilled person can carry out the subject-matter of the invention without introducing further manufacturing details. The elements and features contained in the different preferred embodiments, drawings included, can be combined with one another, without for this reason going beyond the scope of protection of this patent application. The information contained in the part concerning the state of art only serves the purpose of better understanding the invention and does not represent a declaration of existence of the items described. Furthermore, if not specifically excluded by the detailed description, the information contained in the part concerning the state of art should be considered as an integral part of the invention.