Nissan Motor Company Limited

Masatoshi Aoki

Manabu Sato

Moritsune Nakata

Yuji Sinpo

Kenshi Funase

In a motor vehicle having an engine mounted in an engine room, an exhaust tube system extending from the engine toward a rear end of the vehicle and a fuel tank positioned near the rear end of the vehicle, there is proposed an improved under body structure of the vehicle, by which the fuel tank is effectively cooled during running of the vehicle. The under body structure comprises an under cover positioned below the engine room. The under cover is formed with a longitudinally extending groove whose opening faces downward to contact a relatively low temperature air. A floor panel is formed with a longitudinally extending tunnel whose opening faces downward. The tunnel receives therein the exhaust tube system without contacting the same. A heat insulating plate extends in and along the tunnel in a manner to define in the tunnel an air flow passage which is insulated from the exhaust tube system. The air flow passage has a rear open end directed toward the fuel tank. A connecting duct is provided for connecting the groove of the under cover with the air flow passage defined in the tunnel of the floor panel.

Under body structure of motor vehicle

An underfloor structure for automobile capable of reducing aerial resistance under a floor of the automobile and improving its cooling capability against heat-radiant parts such as break units, a transmission etc. The underfloor structure includes an undercover for closing an underside of a high-pressure section. The undercover consists of a pair of ducts which communicates with the high-pressure section to thereby discharge heated air contained therein toward rear wheels of the automobile and a narrow part which is arranged between the discharging parts to narrow an air flow flowing from a front of the automobile along an underside of the undercover. In one form of the ducts, they are formed so as to face lateral sides of the automobile, respectively.

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Yokasuka, Japan

Masatoshi Aoki