Wheel fairing reducing vehicle drag
First Claim
1. A combination of an open-wheel terrestrial vehicle that has at least two wheels with a wheel otherwise exposed to an oncoming headwind impinging substantially unimpeded thereon above a midmost level of an axle of the otherwise exposed wheel while the vehicle is in forward motion and a wind-shielding fairing for reducing overall drag on the vehicle, with said oncoming headwind consisting of an upper wind and a lower wind, and with said upper wind consisting of headwinds impinging on said wheel above the midmost level and said lower wind consisting of headwinds impinging on said wheel below the midmost level, wherein:
- the vehicle has not more than four wheels;
the vehicle has either no or not more than a single additional lateral axis centered through any wheeled axle of the vehicle that is positioned wholly forward of the otherwise exposed wheel when the vehicle is arranged for straight forward motion;
the wind-shielding fairing diverts only the upper wind of the oncoming headwind;
the wind-shielding fairing diverts only an uppermost portion of the upper wind;
the uppermost portion of the upper wind is located wholly above a first intermediate elevation above the bottom of the otherwise exposed wheel equal to 60 percent of the diameter of said wheel;
the wind-shielding fairing diverts the uppermost portion of the upper wind from otherwise impinging substantially unimpeded on a mid-level portion of an otherwise exposed major upper drag-inducing surface of the otherwise exposed wheel, with the major upper drag-inducing wheel surface being located wholly above the first intermediate elevation, with the mid-level portion being centered about a critical elevation that is itself centered in elevation about the major upper drag-inducing wheel surface, and with the major upper drag-inducing wheel surface comprising a primary vehicle-drag-inducing portion of the otherwise exposed wheel located forward of the axle above the first intermediate elevation;
the critical elevation is positioned not lower than a second intermediate elevation above the bottom of the otherwise exposed wheel equal to 80 percent of the diameter of said wheel;
the otherwise exposed wheel is disposed on a forwardmost wheel of the vehicle, said forwardmost wheel being any said wheel not preceded immediately ahead by another wheel disposed both in-line therewith and in sufficient proximity thereto wherein said immediately preceding wheel would thereby divert the uppermost portion of the upper wind from otherwise impinging substantially unimpeded on a forward-facing upper circumferential wheel surface positioned at the critical elevation; and
the wind-shielding fairing diverts not more than a minimally sufficient lowermost portion of the uppermost portion of the upper wind otherwise impinging on wheel surfaces located below the second intermediate elevation to thereby reduce overall vehicle drag below a standard amount when the vehicle is operated at a normal highway speed under null wind conditions, with the normal highway speed for the vehicle being the lesser of 75 percent of the maximum operating speed thereof or 65 mph, and with the standard amount being the overall vehicle drag without the fairing in said combination when the vehicle is operated at the normal highway speed under null wind conditions,whereby the wind-shielding fairing otherwise diverting any more of said uppermost portion of the upper wind would instead increase overall vehicle drag above the standard amount when the vehicle is operated at the normal highway speed under null wind conditions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A minimal fairing apparatus minimally shielding the faster-moving drag-sensitive uppermost wheel surfaces from headwinds reduces overall vehicle drag. The apparatus includes various upper wheel fairings of
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Citations
49 Claims
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1. A combination of an open-wheel terrestrial vehicle that has at least two wheels with a wheel otherwise exposed to an oncoming headwind impinging substantially unimpeded thereon above a midmost level of an axle of the otherwise exposed wheel while the vehicle is in forward motion and a wind-shielding fairing for reducing overall drag on the vehicle, with said oncoming headwind consisting of an upper wind and a lower wind, and with said upper wind consisting of headwinds impinging on said wheel above the midmost level and said lower wind consisting of headwinds impinging on said wheel below the midmost level, wherein:
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the vehicle has not more than four wheels; the vehicle has either no or not more than a single additional lateral axis centered through any wheeled axle of the vehicle that is positioned wholly forward of the otherwise exposed wheel when the vehicle is arranged for straight forward motion; the wind-shielding fairing diverts only the upper wind of the oncoming headwind; the wind-shielding fairing diverts only an uppermost portion of the upper wind; the uppermost portion of the upper wind is located wholly above a first intermediate elevation above the bottom of the otherwise exposed wheel equal to 60 percent of the diameter of said wheel; the wind-shielding fairing diverts the uppermost portion of the upper wind from otherwise impinging substantially unimpeded on a mid-level portion of an otherwise exposed major upper drag-inducing surface of the otherwise exposed wheel, with the major upper drag-inducing wheel surface being located wholly above the first intermediate elevation, with the mid-level portion being centered about a critical elevation that is itself centered in elevation about the major upper drag-inducing wheel surface, and with the major upper drag-inducing wheel surface comprising a primary vehicle-drag-inducing portion of the otherwise exposed wheel located forward of the axle above the first intermediate elevation; the critical elevation is positioned not lower than a second intermediate elevation above the bottom of the otherwise exposed wheel equal to 80 percent of the diameter of said wheel; the otherwise exposed wheel is disposed on a forwardmost wheel of the vehicle, said forwardmost wheel being any said wheel not preceded immediately ahead by another wheel disposed both in-line therewith and in sufficient proximity thereto wherein said immediately preceding wheel would thereby divert the uppermost portion of the upper wind from otherwise impinging substantially unimpeded on a forward-facing upper circumferential wheel surface positioned at the critical elevation; and the wind-shielding fairing diverts not more than a minimally sufficient lowermost portion of the uppermost portion of the upper wind otherwise impinging on wheel surfaces located below the second intermediate elevation to thereby reduce overall vehicle drag below a standard amount when the vehicle is operated at a normal highway speed under null wind conditions, with the normal highway speed for the vehicle being the lesser of 75 percent of the maximum operating speed thereof or 65 mph, and with the standard amount being the overall vehicle drag without the fairing in said combination when the vehicle is operated at the normal highway speed under null wind conditions, whereby the wind-shielding fairing otherwise diverting any more of said uppermost portion of the upper wind would instead increase overall vehicle drag above the standard amount when the vehicle is operated at the normal highway speed under null wind conditions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A wind-diverting apparatus reducing drag on a terrestrial vehicle that has a wheel otherwise exposed to a vehicle headwind impinging substantially unimpeded above a midmost level of an axle of the wheel upon a forward-facing upper circumferential surface of a tire of the wheel, said upper circumferential tire surface positioned above the midmost level, and the vehicle having either no or not more than a single additional lateral axis centered through any wheeled axle of the vehicle that is positioned wholly forward of the otherwise exposed wheel when the vehicle is arranged for straight forward motion, wherein said apparatus comprises:
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an upper wheel wind-shielding assembly attached to a nonrotatable structural member of the vehicle; the wind-shielding assembly configured wherein any headwind-exposed portion of the wind-shielding assembly that is arranged to shield a surface of the wheel located no closer to the center of the axle than an intermediate radial distance equal to one-third the diameter of the wheel from headwinds otherwise impinging thereon, said headwind-exposed portion being disposed wholly above a lowermost level located above the midmost level of the axle; a circumferential fendered portion of the wind shielding assembly, wherein said circumferential fendered portion consists of wind-deflecting surfaces of the wind-shielding assembly that are aligned immediately adjacent to respective circumferential surfaces of the tire; the circumferential fendered portion disposed immediately adjacent to a forward-facing upper circumferential tire surface located no higher than an upper level positioned above the bottom of the wheel a distance equal to 85 percent of the diameter of the wheel; the circumferential fendered portion extending forward and downward to not lower than a forwardmost level that is positioned above the midmost level of the axle; the wind-shielding assembly furthermore configured to have a radially outer sidewall-aligned fairing portion consisting of wind-shielding fairing surfaces that are wholly aligned immediately adjacent to respective outer sidewall surfaces of the wheel, wherein said outer sidewall wheel surfaces consist of respective lateral sidewall surfaces of the tire and of an outer circular rim of the wheel that are wholly positioned anywhere between the intermediate radial distance from the center of the axle and an outer radial distance from the center of the axle equal to 47.5 percent of the diameter of the wheel; the wind-shielding assembly furthermore configured wherein any said outer sidewall-aligned fairing portion located rearward of the center of the axle extends no lower than the midmost level; and the wind-shielding assembly furthermore configured wherein any said outer sidewall-aligned fairing portion located rearward of the center of the axle furthermore extends no lower than any wind-shielding fairing surfaces of the wind-shielding assembly wholly located both rearward of the center of the axle and no further rearward from center of the axle than the intermediate radial distance. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method for reducing drag on a terrestrial vehicle that has a wheel otherwise exposed to a vehicle headwind impinging substantially unimpeded above a midmost level of a axle of the wheel upon a forward-facing upper circumferential surface of a tire of the wheel, said upper circumferential tire surface positioned above the midmost level, and the vehicle having either no or not more than a single additional lateral axis centered through any wheeled axle of the vehicle that is positioned wholly forward of the otherwise exposed wheel when the vehicle is arranged for straight forward motion, wherein said method comprises:
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forming an aerodynamic upper wheel wind-shielding assembly attached to a nonrotatable structural member of the vehicle wherein the wind-shielding assembly comprises; the wind-shielding assembly configured wherein any headwind-exposed portion of the wind-shielding assembly that is arranged to shield a surface of the wheel located no closer to the center of the axle than an intermediate radial distance equal to one-third the diameter of the wheel from headwinds otherwise impinging thereon, said headwind-exposed portion being disposed wholly above a lowermost level located above the midmost level of the axle; a circumferential fendered portion of the wind shielding assembly, wherein said circumferential fendered portion consists of wind-deflecting surfaces of the wind-shielding assembly that are aligned immediately adjacent to respective circumferential surfaces of the tire; the circumferential fendered portion disposed immediately adjacent to a forward-facing upper circumferential tire surface located no higher than an upper level positioned above the bottom of the wheel a distance equal to 85 percent of the diameter of the wheel; the circumferential fendered portion extending forward and downward to not lower than a forwardmost level that is positioned above the midmost level of the axle; the wind-shielding assembly furthermore configured to have a radially outer sidewall-aligned fairing portion consisting of wind-shielding fairing surfaces that are aligned immediately adjacent to respective outer sidewall surfaces of the wheel, wherein said outer sidewall wheel surfaces consist of respective lateral sidewall surfaces of the tire and of an outer circular rim of the wheel that are wholly positioned anywhere between the intermediate radial distance from the center of the axle and an outer radial distance from the center of the axle equal to 47.5 percent of the diameter of the wheel; the wind-shielding assembly furthermore configured wherein any said outer sidewall-aligned fairing portion located rearward of the center of the axle extends no lower than the midmost level; and the wind-shielding assembly furthermore configured wherein any said outer sidewall-aligned fairing portion located rearward of the center of the axle furthermore extends no lower than any wind-shielding fairing surfaces of the wind-shielding assembly wholly located both rearward of the center of the axle and no further rearward from center of the axle than the intermediate radial distance; and configuring the wind-shielding assembly to be limited in drag-inducing extended disposition so that when the vehicle is operated at a normal highway speed under null wind conditions any further increase in the extended disposition of the wind-shielding assembly would further increase drag induced thereon to cause overall vehicle drag to increase above a standard amount otherwise induced when the wind-shielding assembly is otherwise absent from the vehicle, said normal highway speed being equal to 75 percent of the maximum operating speed of the vehicle, whereby any reduction in vehicle drag from reduced drag on the wheel is not less than the offsetting respective vehicle drag induced by the wind-shielding assembly itself. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification