Devices and Methods for Reducing Vehicle Drag

• US 20130062908A1
• Filed: 08/27/2012
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Transtex LLC (Southwestern Energy Company)
• Original Assignee: Henderson Industries, LLC
• Inventors: Henderson, Michael Lorenzo, Wulff, Stephen Alfred
• Granted Patent: US 8,491,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/180.4
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/001 For commercial vehicles or tractor-trailer combinations, e.g. caravans
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/007 Rear spoilers B62D35/001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/02 Streamlining the undersurfaces B62D35/005, B62D35/007, B62D35/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/82 Elements for improving aerodynamics
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses

Abstract

A vehicle trailer is provided. The vehicle trailer includes one or more side wall fairings having a a front edge and a rear edge and having a height that extends from the floor to the roof. leading edge and trailing edge. Each side wall fairing has an upward incline and downward incline. The side wall fairings can be utilized with one or more other components that are described herein.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A vehicle trailer comprising a roof and a floor separated from each other by a pair of opposing walls that extend at least partially along the length of the floor, the roof, floor, and walls defining a space accessible by a trailer door, each of the walls having a front edge and a rear edge, the vehicle trailer further comprising a side wall fairing defining a sloped surface extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge, the side wall fairing being positioned adjacent to one of the walls such that the trailing edge of the side wall fairing extends beyond the rear edge of the wall, the side wall faring configured such that a distance of the sloped surface from the wall increases as the side wall fairing extends from the leading edge.

19. The vehicle trailer of claim 18, further comprising a rain gutter component, the rain gutter component having a leading edge joined to a trailing edge, the rain gutter component being positioned at the roof adjacent to the rear edge of the roof such that the leading edge of the rain gutter component is positioned over the roof and the trailing edge of the rain gutter component extends beyond the rear edge of the roof, the rain gutter component having an upward incline and downward incline.

20. A vehicle trailer, the vehicle trailer comprising a top portion and a bottom portion separated from each other by a pair of opposing walls that extend at least partially along the length of the bottom portion, the top portion, bottom portion, and walls defining a space accessible by a trailer door, the walls, top portion, and bottom portion each having a front edge and a rear edge, the vehicle trailer further comprising:

wheels positioned on the bottom portion of the vehicle trailer;

a side wall fairing defining a sloped surface extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge, the side wall fairing being positioned adjacent to one of the walls such that the trailing edge of the side wall fairing extends beyond the rear edge of the wall, the side wall faring configured such that a distance of the sloped surface from the wall increases as the side wall fairing extends from the leading edge;

a rain gutter component having a leading edge joined to a trailing edge, the rain gutter component being positioned at the top portion adjacent to the rear edge of the top portion such that the leading edge of the rain gutter component is positioned over the top portion and the trailing edge of the rain gutter component extends beyond the rear edge of the top portion, the rain gutter component having an upward incline and downward incline; and

a bottom fairing positioned at the bottom portion of the vehicle trailer, the bottom fairing being positioned forward of the rear edge of the bottom portion of the vehicle trailer.

21. The vehicle trailer of claim 20, wherein the bottom fairing is positioned forward of the wheels.

22. The vehicle trailer of claim 20, wherein the bottom fairing comprises a sloped surface having an angle of slope of from about 15 degrees to about 33 degrees.

23. The vehicle trailer of claim 20, further comprising a rear diffuser, the rear diffuser being positioned adjacent to the rear edge of the bottom portion, the rear diffuser comprising at least one sloped surface.

24. The vehicle trailer of claim 23, wherein the rear diffuser is positioned behind the wheels.

25. A kit for retrofitting an existing vehicle trailer, the vehicle trailer comprising a top portion and a bottom portion separated from each other by a pair of opposing walls that extend at least partially along the length of the bottom portion, the top portion, bottom portion, and walls defining a space accessible by a trailer door, the walls, top portion, and bottom portion each having a front edge and a rear edge, the kit comprising:

a side wall fairing defining a sloped surface extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge, the side wall fairing configured to be positioned adjacent to one of the walls such that the trailing edge of the side wall fairing extends beyond the rear edge of the wall, the side wall faring configured such that a distance of the sloped surface from the wall increases as the side wall fairing extends from the leading edge; and

a rain gutter component having a leading edge joined to a trailing edge, the rain gutter component configured to be positioned at the top portion adjacent to the rear edge of the top portion such that the leading edge of the rain gutter component is positioned over the top portion and the trailing edge of the rain gutter component extends beyond the rear edge of the top portion, the rain gutter component having an upward incline and downward incline.

26. The kit of claim 25, further comprising a bottom fairing configured to be positioned at the bottom portion of the vehicle trailer.

27. A method of retrofitting a vehicle trailer, the vehicle trailer comprising a top portion and a bottom portion separated from each other by a pair of opposing walls that extend at least partially along the length of the bottom portion, the top portion, bottom portion, and walls defining a space accessible by a trailer door, the walls, top portion, and bottom portion each having a front edge and a rear edge, the method comprising:

installing a side wall fairing defining a sloped surface extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge, the side wall fairing being positioned adjacent to one of the walls such that the trailing edge of the side wall fairing extends beyond the rear edge of the wall, the side wall faring configured such that a distance of the sloped surface from the wall increases as the side wall fairing extends from the leading edge;

installing a rain gutter component having a leading edge joined to a trailing edge, the rain gutter component being positioned at the top portion adjacent to the rear edge of the top portion such that the leading edge of the rain gutter component is positioned over the top portion and the trailing edge of the rain gutter component extends beyond the rear edge of the top portion, the rain gutter component having an upward incline and downward incline; and

installing a bottom fairing positioned at the bottom portion of the vehicle trailer, the bottom fairing being positioned forward of the rear edge of the bottom portion of the vehicle trailer.

28. A vehicle trailer, the vehicle trailer comprising a top portion and a bottom portion separated from each other by a pair of opposing walls that extend at least partially along the length of the bottom portion, the top portion, bottom portion, and walls defining a space accessible by a trailer door, the walls, top portion, and bottom portion each having a front edge and a rear edge, the vehicle trailer further comprising:

wheels positioned on the bottom portion of the vehicle trailer;

a pair of side wall fairings each defining a sloped surface extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge, each side wall fairing being positioned adjacent to a different wall from the other such that the trailing edge of each side wall fairing extends o beyond the rear edge of the wall to which the side wall fairing is adjacent, the side wall faring configured such that a distance of the sloped surface from the wall increases as the side wall fairing extends from the leading edge;

a rain gutter component having a leading edge joined to a trailing edge, the rain gutter component being positioned at the top portion adjacent to the rear edge of the top portion such that the leading edge of the rain gutter component is positioned over the top portion and the trailing edge of the rain gutter component extends beyond the rear edge of the top portion, the rain gutter component having an upward incline and downward incline;

a bottom fairing positioned at the bottom portion of the vehicle trailer, the bottom fairing being positioned forward of the rear edge of the bottom portion of the vehicle trailer; and

a rear diffuser, the rear diffuser being positioned adjacent to the rear edge of the bottom portion, the rear diffuser comprising at least two sloped surfaces.

29. The vehicle trailer of claim 28, wherein the pair of side wall fairings and the rain gutter component each comprise a surface inclined at an angle from about 10 degrees to about 20 degrees.

30. The vehicle trailer of claim 28, wherein the pair of side wall fairings and the rain gutter component each comprise a surface inclined at an angle from about 12 degrees to about 16 degrees.

31. The vehicle trailer of claim 28, wherein each side wall fairing defines one or more slots configured to permit the trailer door to open and close.

32. The vehicle trailer of claim 28, wherein each side wall fairing has a height from about 36 inches to about 117 inches.

33. The vehicle trailer of claim 28, wherein the rain gutter component has a length from about 10 inches to about 40 inches.

34. The vehicle trailer of claim 28, wherein the bottom fairing is positioned forward of the wheels.

35. The vehicle trailer of claim 28, wherein the bottom fairing comprises a sloped surface having an angle of slope of from about 15 degrees to about 33 degrees.

36. The vehicle trailer of claim 28, wherein the rear diffuser is positioned behind the wheels.