This document relates generally to the motor vehicle equipment field and, more particularly, to a hood vent water management system, a hood assembly and to a method of managing water entering through a hood vent.
Some hood assemblies incorporate hood vents to allow air to flow from the hot engine compartment into the ambient environment outside the vehicle. Since these hood vents are designed to provide a path for air flow, there is the potential for water to flow from the outside of the vehicle through the hood vents into the engine compartment. That water may take many forms including, for example, rain, melting ice and snow, car wash water or even condensation. Water entering an engine compartment must be managed or diverted in order to prevent flow onto or into engine compartment components not designed to accept water.
This document relates to a new and improved hood vent water management system as well as to a hood assembly incorporating that hood vent water management system. Further, this document relates to a new and improved method of managing water entering through a hood vent.
In accordance with the purposes and benefits described herein, a hood vent water management system is provided. That hood vent water management system comprises a hood vent and a hood insulator. The hood vent has a mounting bracket including a water collection tray and a first water drain. The hood insulator includes a water channel and a second water drain whereby water entering through the hood vent is directed away from an underlying engine compartment component. More specifically, the water channel may be oriented to receive the water from the first water drain and deliver the water to the second water drain.
The hood vent may also include a cover and an isolator underlying the cover. That isolator may include a water discharge port feeding the water into the water collection tray. The cover may include a grille held in a perimeter flange.
In accordance with an additional aspect, a hood assembly is provided. That hood assembly comprises a hood body and a hood vent water management system including a hood vent and a hood insulator.
The hood vent is held in the hood body. The hood vent includes a mounting bracket securing the hood vent to the hood body. The mounting bracket includes a water collection tray and a first water drain. The hood insulator includes a water channel and a second water drain. Water entering through the hood vent is directed away from an underlying engine compartment component by this hood vent water management system.
More specifically, the water channel may be oriented to underlie the first water drain and deliver water from the first water drain to the second water drain. The hood vent may include a cover and an isolator underlying the cover. The isolator may include a water discharge port feeding the water into the water collection tray. The cover may include a grille held in a perimeter flange.
The hood body may include an inner hood panel and an outer hood panel. The inner hood panel and the outer hood panel may be captured between the hood vent and the mounting bracket.
In accordance with an additional aspect, a method is provided of managing water entering through a hood vent. That method comprises the steps of: (a) collecting the water in a water collection tray of the hood vent, (b) delivering the water, through a first water drain of the hood vent, to a water channel of a hood insulator and (c) discharging the water from a second water drain in the hood insulator.
The method may further include the step of directing the water away from an underlying engine compartment component when discharging the water from the second water drain. Still further, the method may include collecting the water in an isolator of the hood vent before collecting the water in the water collection tray. Still further, the method may include discharging the water from the isolator into the water collection tray.
In the following description, there are shown and described several preferred embodiments of the hood vent water management system, a hood assembly incorporating the hood vent water management system and the related method of managing water entering through a hood vent. As it should be realized, the hood vent water management system, hood assembly and method are capable of other, different embodiments and their several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the hood vent water management system, hood assembly and method as set forth and described in the following claims. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
The accompanying drawing figures incorporated herein and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the hood vent water management system, hood assembly and related method and together with the description serve to explain certain principles thereof.
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the hood vent water management system and hood assembly, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures.
Reference is now made to
The hood assembly 10 includes a hood body comprising an inner hood panel 14 and an outer hood panel 16. The inner hood panel 14 and outer hood panel 16 may be made from any appropriate material including, for example, sheet metal material.
The hood vent water management system 12 includes a hood vent 18 comprising a cover 20 including a grille 22 held in a perimeter flange 24. See also
The hood vent 18 also includes an isolator 26 that underlies the cover 20. See also
Still further, the hood vent 18 includes a mounting bracket 28 that underlies the isolator 26. The mounting bracket 28 includes a water collection tray 30 and a first water drain 32. See also
The hood vent 18 is secured to the inner hood panel 14 and outer hood panel 16 of the hood body by means of capturing the inner hood panel and outer hood panel between (a) the cover 20 and isolator 26 outboard the outer hood panel 16 and (b) the mounting bracket 28 outboard the inner hood panel 14. Fasteners (not shown) connect the cover 20 to the mounting bracket 28 and secure the hood vent 18 in position in the inner hood panel 14 and the outer hood panel 16.
As best illustrated in
The hood insulator 34 may be molded to shape. In the illustrated embodiment the hood insulator 34 includes a water channel 36 and a second water drain 38.
As illustrated in
As best illustrated in
As illustrated in
As should be appreciated from the above description, the hood vent water management system 12 may be characterized by a method of managing water entering through the hood vent 18. That method may be described as comprising the step of collecting water passing through the grille 22 of the hood vent 18 in a cavity of the isolator 26 as illustrated in
The method further includes the step of collecting the water in the water collection tray 30 and then delivering that water through the first water drain 32 of the hood vent 18 to the water channel 36 formed in the hood insulator 34. The method then also includes the step of discharging the water from the second water drain 38 in the hood insulator 34 and directing that water away from the underlying engine compartment component/induction air box 40 when discharging the water from the second water drain.
The foregoing has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.
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English Machine Translation of DE4123947A1. |
English Machine Translation of EP0419313B1. |
English Machine Translation of JP2014205412A. |
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English Machine Translation of JPH10324267A. |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20180251162 A1 | Sep 2018 | US |