Crash attenuating underride guard

• US 20080303311A1
• Filed: 06/09/2008
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vanguard National Trailer Corporation (CIMC Vehicles Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Vanguard National Trailer Corporation (CIMC Vehicles Company Limited)
• Inventors: Roush, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,780,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/180.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/565 on vehicle sides
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/001 For commercial vehicles or tractor-trailer combinations, e.g. caravans

Abstract

An aerodynamic underride guard comprising an angled front section located ahead of the trailer landing gear, a crash attenuating middle section located between the trailer landing gear and the trailer wheel assembly, and an angled rear section located in proximity to the trailer wheel assembly. The front angled section deflects air away from the non-aerodynamic features of the trailer landing gear. The rear angled section deflects air away from the non-aerodynamic features of the trailer wheel assembly, and the crash attenuating middle section can prevent vehicles from under riding the trailer.

Claims

1. An over-the-road trailer comprising:

a landing gear assembly, a kingpin, an underride impact structure, a fairing structure, and a wheel assembly, each connecting to the bottom of a cargo container;

the landing gear assembly located between the kingpin and the wheel assembly;

the landing gear assembly including a non-retractable portion connecting to retractable landing gear legs; and

the fairing structure cooperating with the bottom of the cargo container and the wheel assembly to substantially enclose both the underride impact structure and the non-retractable portions of the landing gear assembly.

2. The over-the-road trailer of claim 1 further comprising

the underride impact structure having

a first and second elongated, substantially horizontal impact member having a front portion near the landing gear assembly and spanning to the wheel assembly,

a network of energy absorbing structural supports connecting both the first and second horizontal impact members to the bottom of the cargo container;

the fairing structure including

a bottom fairing surface, a front fairing surface, and a first and second sidewall;

each sidewall connecting to the bottom of the cargo container, the bottom fairing surface, and the front fairing surface;

the first sidewall, the second sidewall, the bottom fairing surface, the front fairing surface, the bottom of the cargo container, and the wheel assembly cooperating to substantially enclose both the underride impact structure and the non-retractable portions of the landing gear assembly.

3. The over-the-road trailer of claim 2 further comprising

the first sidewall

extending from the bottom of the cargo container to the first horizontal impact member;

the second sidewall

extending from the bottom of the cargo container to the second horizontal impact member;

the front fairing surface located between the landing gear assembly and kingpin, the front fairing surface

extending from the bottom fairing surface to the bottom of the cargo container; and

the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the bottom fairing surface each extending from the front fairing surface to about the wheel assembly.

4. The over-the-road trailer of claim 3 further comprising

the non-retractable portion of the landing gear assembly including a crank for vertically moving the retractable landing gear legs;

the first sidewall having an opening located near the crank of the landing gear assembly;

a door connected to the first sidewall near the opening, the door capable of substantially securing the opening.

5. The over-the-road trailer of claim 2 further comprising

the non-retractable portion of the landing gear including a first and second fore stabilizer rod,

each stabilizer rod extending towards the bottom of a cargo container at a first angle;

the front fairing surface extending from the bottom fairing surface towards the bottom of the cargo container at substantially the first angle.

6. The over-the-road trailer of claim 2 further comprising

the network of energy absorbing structural supports including a plurality of impact absorbing foam sections;

and

the retractable landing gear legs having a portion that is always located below the bottom fairing surface.

7. An over-the-road trailer comprising:

a frame adapted for carrying cargo;

a wheel assembly and a landing gear assembly, each connecting to the frame;

the landing gear assembly including a non-retractable portion capable of moving a plurality of vertically retractable landing gear legs;

a fairing interconnected with and located below the frame, the fairing having a bottom surface extending from about the wheel assembly to about the landing gear assembly;

the plurality of vertically retractable landing gear legs extending through a plurality of apertures in the bottom surface of the fairing;

the shape of each aperture substantially defined by a single vertically retractable landing gear leg.

8. The over-the-road trailer of claim 7 further comprising

the fairing including a first and second sidewall, the sidewalls separated by a distance substantially similar to the width of the frame;

the bottom surface of the fairing connecting to and extending between the first and second sidewalls.

9. The over-the-road trailer of claim 8 further comprising

the fairing having a front surface connecting to the bottom surface and both of the sidewalls;

wherein substantially all of the non-retractable portion of the non-retractable portion of the landing gear assembly is located directly between the front surface and wheel assembly.

10. The over-the-road trailer of claim 9 wherein the front surface includes

a substantially flat surface portion connected between a first and second concave surface portion.

11. The over-the-road trailer of claim 9 further comprising

an impact-absorbing underride guard connected to the frame of the trailer, wherein substantially all of the underride guard is located directly between the bottom surface and the frame.

12. The over-the-road trailer of claim 9 further comprising an impact absorbing foam lattice extending between and connecting to both the first and second sidewall.

13. The over-the-road trailer of claim 12 further comprising

the first and second sidewalls including a plurality of openings;

the foam lattice having a plurality of voids aligned with the plurality of openings;

wherein at least one of the voids is larger than a spare tire for the wheel assembly.

14. The over-the-road trailer of claim 9 further comprising

the non-retractable portion of the landing gear assembly having a crank for vertically moving the vertically retractable landing gear legs;

the first sidewall having an opening proximal to the crank; and

a door connected to the first sidewall near the opening, the door capable of securing the first opening.

15. An over-the-road trailer comprising:

a landing gear assembly, a kingpin, and a wheel assembly, each connecting to the bottom of a cargo container;

the landing gear assembly located between the kingpin and the wheel assembly;

the landing gear assembly including a first fore stabilizer distant from a second fore stabilizer,

each fore stabilizer connecting to one of a plurality of receivers adapted for vertically moving a landing gear leg, and

each fore stabilizer substantially located between one of the plurality of receivers and the kingpin; and

a trailer fairing with a front structure extending between and connecting to both the first fore stabilizer and the second fore stabilizer,

the fairing having a first and second sidewall, each sidewall connecting to the front structure and extending to about the wheel assembly.

16. The over-the-road trailer of 15 wherein the first sidewall has a cross-section with a first convex section, a second convex section, and a first concave section;

the first concave section connecting between the first and second convex sections.

17. The over-the-road trailer of claim 16 further comprising

an elongated, substantially horizontal impact member having a front portion near the landing gear assembly and spanning to the wheel assembly;

the second concave section of the first sidewall substantially surrounding the horizontal impact member.

18. The over-the-road trailer of 15 further comprising

the fairing having a bottom structure connecting to the front structure and extending to about the wheel assembly,

the landing gear legs extending through a plurality of apertures in the bottom structure of the fairing;

the shape of each aperture substantially defined by a single landing gear leg.

19. The over-the-road trailer of claim 18 further comprising

an impact absorbing foam lattice extending between and connecting to both the first and second sidewall;

the foam lattice including a resilient section with a high density foam and a compression section with a low density foam.

20. The over-the-road trailer of claim 19 further comprising

the first and second sidewalls including a plurality of openings;

the foam lattice having a plurality of voids aligned with the plurality of openings;

wherein at least one on void is larger than a spare tire for the wheel assembly.