Open-top automobile
AssigneeFerrari S.P. A.
InventorMatteo Biancalana
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An open-top automobile includes an outer body, a passenger compartment in the outer body, and a driver area open at the front with respect to a travelling direction of the automobile. The outer body includes a flow surface that when the automobile is travelling is touched by a main air flow directed towards the driver area. The outer body includes a flow channel in front of the driver area having an inlet opening fed by the outside air when the automobile is travelling, and an outlet opening facing upwards. The flow channel is configured to generate, when travelling, a secondary air flow directed at the outlet opening transversely to the main flow and incident on this latter to divert it upwards and avoid a direct impact of the main air flow on the face of a driver in the driver area.
Claims12
An open-top automobile (1) comprising an outer body (4) and a passenger compartment (5), obtained in said outer body (4) and including a driver area (6) open at the front with respect to a travelling direction (A) of the automobile (1), wherein said outer body (4) has, at least at the front of said driver area (6), a flow surface (15) that, while said automobile (1) is travelling, is touched by a main air flow (F1) directed towards the driver area (6) in a direction opposite to the travelling direction (A);
- wherein said outer body (4) comprises at least a flow channel (16), obtained in front of said driver area (6) and having an inlet opening (18) that is fed by the outside air while the automobile (1) is travelling, and an outlet opening (19) facing upwards, said flow channel (16) extending, at least in part, at the bottom of said flow surface (15) for generating while travelling a secondary air flow (F2) directed, at said outlet opening (19) transversely to said main air flow (F1) and incident on this latter for diverting it upwards and avoiding a direct impact of said main air flow (F1) on the face of the driver in the driver area (6);
- characterized in that said outer body (4) comprises a recess (20) in a position in front of said driver area (6) and a bridge element (13) extending above said recess (20) at a distance not null from the recess (20) itself;
- and in that said bridge element (13) has opposite side ends (22) joined to respective portions of the outer body (4) and is delimited at the top by said flow surface (15), wherein said flow surface (15) has an upwards convex conformation and extends in an arc shape between its own opposite side ends;
- and wherein said flow channel (16) is confined between said recess (20) and said bridge element (13).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.