SHIELDING AND DEFLECTING MEMBER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to a shielding and
deflecting member and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a shielding and deflecting member for use with an automotive vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] An automotive vehicle such as a three wheeled vehicle has an
anterior portion and a posterior portion. The posterior portion of the vehicle has a rear compartment behind and below a passenger's seat. A power unit to drive the vehicle and other supporting vehicular systems including the induction and transmission system are housed within the rear compartment. The rear compartment is closed from all sides and is open towards the ground at its lowermost portion. However, a lockable door is also provided towards the rear portion of the rear compartment to service the power unit and associated systems.
[0003] During the working of the power unit, the temperature of the power
unit increases substantially. Hence it is force cooled to keep the temperature within operating limits. However, the hot air after cooling the power unit escapes within the rear compartment and increases ihe temperature of the compartment: • The hot air may interfere with, and affect, the working of vehicular components housed therein like air filter and may also damage heat sensitive components made of plastic, metal alloy or elastomers like rubber hoses and fuel tank. Hence,

the present construction is unsatisfactory and a room for improvement exists in the prior art
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present subject matter is directed to overcoming all or any of
the problems as set forth above and thereby to obviate a lacunae in the prior art. Therefore, one of the objects of the present subject matter is to shield the heat sensitive vehicular components housed in the rear compartment from the hot air obtained after forced cooling of the power unit. Another object of the present subject matter is to provide a shielding and deflecting member for receiving and diverting such hot air out from the rear compartment. It is another object of the present subject matter to ensure that the shielding and deflecting member so provided is easy to assemble and is readily serviceable.
[0005] The present invention relates to a shielding and deflecting member
for a three wheeled vehicle facing the hot air exiting from a shroud of the power unit and deflecting it toward the ground to shield a plurality of heat sensitive vehicular components in the rear compartment. In an embodiment, the shielding and deflecting member is supported on a portion of an exhaust conduit encountering the hot air exiting from the shroud and maintains a clearance with it.
[0006] The foregoing objectives and summary is provided to introduce a
selection of concepts in a simplified form, and is not limiting. To fufiy appreciate these and other objects of the present subject matter as well as the subject matter itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the ensuing

detailed description of the subject matter and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0007] The above and other features, aspects and advantages of the subject
matter will be better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims and accompanying drawings where:
FIG. 1 shows a side view of a three wheeled vehicle automotive vehicle according to an embodiment of the present subject matter.
FIG. 2 shows a rear view of the vehicle of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 shows a rear illustrative view of a rear compartment of the vehicle according to an embodiment.
FIG. 4 shows an isometric view of the rear compartment of the vehicle of FIG.3.
FIG. 5 shows a shielding and deflecting member according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 shows an exploded view of FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present subject matter as described herein relates to deflecting
hot air from a force air cooled engine to shield heat sensitive components encountering the hot air to ensure their optimum durability. To this end, a shielding and deflecting member is described for an automotive vehicle. The

vehicle may be a three wheeled passenger carrier or load carrier vehicle, which is powered by a power unit.
[0009] According to an aspect of the present invention, the shielding and
deflecting member is disposed in an area receiving hot air exiting from the shrouded engine after forced cooling. The member receives the hot air through one of its portions and deflects it towards the ground through another of its portions. In this way, a substantial volume of the hot air is channelized towards the ground without escaping within the rear compartment. In an implementation, the profile of the shielding and deflecting member is such that it shields the heat sensitive vehicular components in the vicinity of the exiting hot air.
[00010] According to another aspect, the shielding and deflecting member
has a leak preventation wall which prevents the hot air so received from leaking inside the rear compartment of the vehicle.
[00011] In an implementation, the shielding and deflecting member is
supported on an exhaust conduit connecting an exhaust port of the power unit to a muffler. A portion of the exhaust conduit faces the hot air exiting from the shroud on which the shielding and deflecting member is disposed. To enable free flow of the hot air towards the ground, the shielding and deflecting member adjoins the portion of the exhaust conduit and maintains a clearance with it. In another implementation, for better use of the space, an exhaust gas cleaning device is. located on and operatively engaged with said portion of the exhaust conduit. In this implementation, the shielding and deflecting member maintains a clearance with an outer circumferential surface of the exhaust gas cleaning device.

[00012] Such a vehicle is operated intermittently for 12 to 14 hours a day to
enable the driver to maximize his earnings. Operating the vehicle for such long durations keeps the temperature of the rear compartment temperature high. Hence, the shielding and deflecting member as described helps to lower the temperature of the rear compartment of the vehicle by channelising the hot air out and consequently, increase the durability of the heat sensitive vehicular components like a fuel tank, rubber hoses, air filter, air intake pipe etc.
[00013] The shielding and deflecting member is now described by the help
of FIGs 1-6. It is to be noted that "front" and "rear", and "left" and "right" wherever referred-to in the ensuing description and unless otherwise mentioned, refer to front and rear, and left and right directions as seen in a state of being seated on a seat of the vehicle and looking forward. Furthermore, a longitudinal axis, unless otherwise mentioned, refers to a front to rear axis relative to the vehicle, while a lateral axis, unless otherwise mentioned, refers generally to a side to side or left to right axis relative to the vehicle. Various other features of the present subject matter here will be discernible from the following further description thereof, set out hereunder.
[00014] FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of a concerned three wheeled vehicle,
referenced by the numeral 100, driven by a power unit. Such vehicle can be used for passenger carrier and load carrying applications. For the purpose of better illustration, the vehicle is laterally divided into two halves along the axis X-Y, defining an anterior portion A and a posterior portion P. The anterior portion A has a front panel 101 supporting a windscreen 102. The lower portion of the front

panel 101 is connected to a front wheel 104 with a wheel cover 103 disposed in between. A handle bar 109 is present behind the front panel 101 which is used to operate the vehicle 100. In this view, a steering tube assembly 111 connected to the handlebar, which acts as a mechanical link between the handle bar 109 and the front wheel 104, is not visible to an onlooker of the vehicle. Further, the anterior portion A has a driver's seat 107 while the posterior portion P has a long passenger seat 108 with a seating capacity of minimum three passengers. A rear compartment 106 is present in the posterior portion P of the vehicle. The rear compartment 106 along with the rear half of the vehicle containing the passenger seat.108, is supported _on_a_pair,qf rear .wheels 105 located on either side of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle 100.
[00015] FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show a rear view of the said vehicle 100. A
power unit 200 is disposed within the rear compartment of the vehicle 100 and mounted on the vehicle frame. The power unit 200 produces the necessary power which is then transferred to the rear wheels 105 through a transmission system. In an embodiment, the power unit is a diesel propelled power unit. The rear compartment 106 also houses several other vehicular components and systems within itself and these are invisible to an onlooker. A fuel tank 210, generally made of steel, for storing the fuel is mounted on the vehicle frame. An air induction system is also housed within the rear compartment 106 to provide filtered air to the power unit 200. The air induction system comprises of a plastic resin coated air filter 215 supported on a cabin mounting tower 110 through an air

filter mounting bracket 216. The power unit 200 receives filtered air through an air intake pipe 203 lined with rubber.
[00016] The long hours of the operation of power unit in such vehicle make
it very hot. Therefore, effective cooling of the power unit 200 is necessary for better efficiency. In order to keep the power unit's temperature within the operating range, particularly that of a cylinder block 201, it is force cooled with the help of atmospheric air. A substantial portion of the power unit including the cylinder block 201 is covered by a shroud 202. The atmospheric air is sucked in by a fan (not shown) and is directed to move around the shroud 202 thus force cooling the heated power unit 200, and particularly the cylinder block 201. The fan may be of centrifugal type.
[00017] As a consequence of power unit cooling, hot air is discharged
within the rear compartment 106 which may lead to temperature increase inside the rear compartment during vehicle operation. As aforementioned, the hot air exiting the shroud may interfere with the working of, or damage, heat sensitive components in the rear compartment like the air filter 215, air intake pipe 203 or fuel tank 210.
[0001] It is to this cause that a shielding and deflecting member 300 is
provided in the rear compartment 106 as shown in FIG. 4. The shielding and deflecting member 300 shields the heat-prone vehicular components-Jioj.is.ed. inside the rear compartment from the hot air discharged after forced cooling of the cylinder block 201, and also deflects the hot air, so obtained, away from the

housed vehicular components towards the ground so that they can function normally.
[00018] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the shielding and deflecting
member 300. According to this embodiment, the shielding and deflecting member 300 is an obtuse angled plate like structure comprising of at least two portions, a first portion 307 and a second portion 308. The first portion 307 and the second portion 308 are sheet like structures formed integral with each other but not in the same plane. They are at an angle to each other so as to channelize the hot air exiting the shroud. In an embodiment, the angle between the first portion 307 and
the■-second"portion 308~is at least"90 degrees."The first portion 307 lies irra~ -•
horizontal plane whereas the second portion 308 lies in a vertical plane.
[00019] For optimum efficiency, the shielding and deflecting member 300
should face the moving hot air exiting from the shroud to receive it in flow and deflect it. In an embodiment, the shielding and deflecting member 300 is mounted on a portion of an exhaust conduit 204 which passes through an area having hot air exiting from the shroud 202. The exhaust conduit 204 carries the exhaust gas from an exhaust port of the power unit to a muffler 115. The said portion of the exhaust conduit 204 is placed approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle as shown in FIG. 3. The shielding and deflecting member 300 is mounted on the exhaust conduit in a manner that it faces the cylinder block 201 so that the first portion 307 of the shielding and deflecting member 300 receives the hot air. The hot air then follows an inner surface of the shielding and deflecting member 300 and is deflected by the second portion 308 towards a lower portion

of the rear compartment 106, preferably towards ground. The entry and exit of the hot air is indicated by bold arrows. In mounted position, the first portion 307 and the second portion 308 are sufficiently wide to receive a good amount of hot air. The width lies along the vehicle longitudinal direction and length along the vehicle width direction. Moreover, the first portion 307 is extendable to prevent the hot air from leaking out towards an upper direction where the air filter 215 is located.
[00020] A clearance is maintained between an outer circumferential surface
of the exhaust conduit 204 and the shielding and deflecting member 300. The ""clearance helps in free flow of the hot air receivedby theshielding-and deflecting member 300 without being obstructed by the outer surface of the exhaust conduit 204. The clearance should be sufficient so is to allow a large volume of the hot air to pass by for fast deflection towards the ground. Thus, the hot air passes toward the ground through this clearance.
[00021] According to another aspect of the present invention, it is
important that the hot air received by the shielding and deflecting member 300 is substantially deflected toward the ground and does not leak within the rear compartment 106. To this end, the shielding and deflecting member 300 comprises a leak prevention wall 304 extending downwardly from a longitudinal edge of the first portion 307 and the second portion 308. The wall can be a continuous rib or a continuous flange lining the edge of the member 300. In a preferred embodiment, the leak prevention wall 304 has a wave like contour which helps in supporting the member 300 on the exhaust conduit 204. The leak

prevention wall 304 is present along both the longitudinal edges of the member 300.
[00022] According to an aspect, the shielding and deflecting member 300 is
made of a heat enduring material including a plastic resin or metal alloy capable of withstanding heat. The heat enduring material ensures that the shielding and deflecting member itself is not affected by the hot air exiting the shroud.
[00023] FIG. 5 shows another implementation of the present invention. In
another embodiment, an exhaust gas cleaning device 205 is operationally engaged with the exhaust conduit 204 receiving the hazardous exhaust gas from the exhaust port and delivering clean air to the muffler 115. The exhaust gas cleaning device 205 is so located because of its large size and for saving space within the rear compartment 106. Moreover, said portion of the exhaust conduit 204 is straight without any curves thus enabling the operational engagement of the exhaust conduit 204 and the exhaust gas cleaning device 205. The shielding and deflecting member 300 adjoins the exhaust gas cleaning device 205 and maintains a clearance 309 with an outer circumferential surface of the exhaust gas cleaning device 205. The inner surface of the shielding and deflecting member 300 thus doesnot touch the exhaust gas cleaning device 205 to allow the hot air to pass between them.
-u*[iMM)24]..,-.. _.. As-shown hi FIG. 6, the shielding and deflecting member 300. is. ■ fixedly supported on the exhaust conduit 204 through at least two mounting brackets 301, 302, one on each side of the shielding and deflecting member 300 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Each bracket 301, 302 is connected to a nearby

flange through which the exhaust gas cleaning device 205 connects with the exhaust conduit 204. The shielding and deflecting member 300 is secured to the respective mounting brackets through a 'two point connection' with the help of rivets 303. The rivets secure the mounting bracket to at least two openings provided along the leak prevention wall 304 of the member 300.
[00025] According to an aspect, the length of the shielding and deflecting
member 300 is proportionate to the diameter of the exhaust conduit or that of exhaust gas cleaning device so as to prevent an overhang on the first portion or the second portion. Otherwise, the overhang might rattle during vehicle operation. The 'two point connection'-secures the member 300 on each side to-the respective -mounting bracket 301 (or 302) due to which there is no rattling. It is to be noted that the exhaust gas cleaning device includes a catalytic converter.
[00026] The present subject matter and its equivalent thereof offer many
advantages, including those which have been described henceforth. The shielding and deflecting member thermally insulates the heat prone vehicular components from hot air obtained from the forced cooling of power unit. The deflection of such air prevents the spread of hot air to these components to prevent heat damage to sensitive components made of plastics, elastomers etc. Thus, the invention has the advantages of good insulating effect for heat prone vehicular components and channelization of the hot air directly out of the rear compartment without affecting other vehicle components. Further, since the shielding and deflecting member is supported on the exhaust conduit through the mounting brackets, it can be fast detached enabling faster serviceability in case of any service issues.

[00027] The present subject matter is thus described. The description is not
intended to be exhaustive nor is it intended to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the disclosed embodiments may be modified in light of the above description. The embodiments described are chosen to provide an illustration of principles of the invention and its practical application to enable thereby one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Therefore the forgoing description is to be considered exemplary, rather than limiting, and the true scope, of the invention js that described in the appended claims,.

We claim:
1. An automotive vehicle (100) comprising a rear compaitment (106)
including:
a power unit (200) partially covered by a shroud (202) and force cooled through a fan,
an exhaust conduit (204) carrying the exhaust gas from the power unit (200) to a muffler (115),
characterised in that,
a portion of the exhaust conduit (204) encounters hot air exiting from the shroud (202) in the rear compartment (106) and supports a shielding and deflecting member (300) facing the hot air exiting from the shroud (202) and deflecting it toward the ground to shield a plurality of heat sensitive vehicular components in the rear compartment (106).
2. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shielding and deflecting member (300) further comprises of at least two portions, a first portion (307) receiving the hot air and a second portion (308) directing the hot air towards the ground.
3. The vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first portion (307) and the second portion (308) are integrally:formed and not in the same plane
4. The vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the shielding and deflecting member (300) further comprises a leak prevention wall (304) extending

downwardly from a longitudinal edge of the first portion (307) and the second portion (308).
5. The vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the leak prevention wall (304) has a wave like contour.
6. The vehicle as Claimed in claim 1, wherein the shielding and deflecting member (300) is made of a heat enduring material including a plastic resin or metal alloy.
7. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shielding and deflecting
. member (300) maintains.a clearance-with an outer circumferential surface
of the exhaust conduit (204).
8. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein an exhaust gas cleaning device (205) is operationally engaged with the exhaust conduit (204), and wherein the shielding and deflecting member (300) maintains a clearance (309) with an outer circumferential surface of the exhaust gas cleaning device (205).
9. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or claim 8, wherein the shielding and deflecting member (300) is fixedly supported on the exhaust conduit (204) through at least two mounting brackets (301, 302), one on each side of the shieldine and~deflectin2 men'rberiirthevehicle longitudinal direction.