STREAMLINED VEHICLE CONFIGURATION

• US 3,711,146 A
• Filed: 07/29/1970
• Issued: 01/16/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Volvo White Truck Corporation
• Original Assignee: George C. Madzsar, Otto Kozma
• Inventors: Madzsar, George C., Kozma, Otto
• Primary Examiner(s): Hersh, Benjamin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Paperner, Leslie J.
• Application Number:
  US05/059,238
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 296/1S 280/403 105/17,20
• US Class Current: 296/180.2
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/001 For commercial vehicles or tractor-trailer combinations, e.g. caravans

Abstract

A tractor-trailer combination is streamlined by a tunnel-like air shield between the tractor cab and trailer to effect a smooth continuous body configuration. The air shield is a telescoping self-supporting structure, the length of which can be easily adjusted for the various spacings of different trailers from the tractor. The portion of the shield engaging the forward end of the trailer is flexible to permit normal articulation between the tractor and trailer. The air shield may be temporarily retracted manually or by drive-controlled power means to prevent distortion of the shield during negotiation of abnormally sharp turns.

Claims

1. An extensible streamlining air shield for streamlining an articulated connection between forward and rearward over-thehighway vehicle units coupled together in tandem towing relationship, comprising:

(a) mounting means for mounting the air shield on one of the vehicle units;

b. a telescopic arrangement of interconnected panel means supported by said mounting means for retraction to a position spaced from the other unit and for extension so as to streamline the space between said units;

c. power means to extend and retract said panel means; and

, d. sensor means for sensing vehicle articulation and coupled to said power means so aS to effect extension and retraction of said panel means to at least assist in the accommodation of articulation movement between the vehicle units.

2. An extensible streamlining air shield for streamlining an articulated connection between forward and rearward over-the-highway vehicle units coupled together in tandem towing relationship, comprising:

a. an extensible, retractible streamlining air shield structure;

b. mounting means for mounting the air shield on one of the vehicle units;

c. power means for extending and retracting the air shield; and

, d. sensing means for sensing articulation between the units and for actuating the power means so as to extend and retract the air shield to accommodate for vehicle articulation between the units.

3. A tractor for a tractor-trailer combination comprising:

a. a tractor having a cab and means for connecting a trailer to the tractor;

b. an extensible tunnel-like air shield structure supported on said tractor with a forward end thereof adjacent the rear wall of said cab and a rearward end spaced from the cab;

c. said air shield structure having two opposite side walls and a top wall adapted to substantially bridge the space between the sides and tops of the tractor and a trailer connected to the tractor;

d. means for extending and retracting said structure from and towards said rear wall of said cab and generally parallel the centerline of said tractor so as to move the rearward end of said structure to a position adjacent an attached trailer;

e. said walls each comprising a plurality of relatively rigid plates arranged generally side by side and extending in a generally common plane, and means to support said plates in each wall for sliding movement along a surface of an adjacent plate whereby said air shield structure is extended and retracted by telescoping action of said walls; and

, f. said walls each including a relatively flexible plate forming the end portion of said air shield structure remote from said cab.

4. A tractor for a tractor-trailer combination comprising:

a. a tractor having a cab and means for connecting a trailer to the tractor;

b. an extensible tunnel-like air shield structure supported on said tractor with a forward end thereof adjacent the rear wall of said cab and a rearward end spaced from the cab;

c. said air shield structure having two opposite side walls and a top wall adapted to substantially bridge the space between the sides and tops of the tractor and a trailer connected to the tractor;

d. means for extending and retracting said structure from and towards said rear wall of said cab and generally parallel the centerline of said tractor so as to move the rearward end of said structure to a position adjacent an attached trailer;

e. said walls each comprising a plurality of relatively rigid plates arranged generally side by side and extending in a generally common plane, and means to support said plates in each wall for sliding movement along a surface of an adjacent plate whereby said air shield structure is extended and retracted by telescoping action of said walls; and

, f. said power means being adapted for connection to an articulation sensing mechanism.

5. In combination:

a. a trailer assembly b. a tractor assembly having a cab and articulation means for connecting the assemblies together;

c. an extensible tunnel-like air shield structure supported on one of said assemblies with one end thereof adjacent the rear wall of said cab and the other end adjacent the trailer assembly;

d. said air shield structure having two opposite side walls and a top wall adapted to substantially bridge the space between the sides and tops of the assemblies;

e. said walls each comprising a plurality of relatively rigid plates arranged generally side by side and extending in a generally common plane;

f. means to support said plates in each wall for sliding movement along a surface of an adjacent plate Whereby said air shield structure is extended and retracted by telescoping action of said walls; and

, g. said means to support said plates including a rectangular frame to which the side walls and top wall of said air shield structure are attached, and a parallelo-gramming mechanism attached at one end to said one assembly and attached at the other end to said rectangular frame.

6. In combination:

a. a trailer assembly;

b. a tractor assembly having a cab and articulation means for connecting the assemblies together;

c. an extensible tunnel-like air shield structure supported on one of said assemblies with one end thereof adjacent the rear wall of said cab and the other end adjacent the trailer assembly;

d. said air shield structure having two opposite side walls and a top wall adapted to substantially bridge the space between the sides and tops of the assemblies;

e. said walls each comprising a plurality of relatively rigid plates arranged generally side by side and extending in a generally common plane;

f. means to support said plates in each wall for sliding movement along a surface of an adjacent plate whereby said air shield structure is extended and retracted by telescoping action of said walls; and

, g. said walls each including a flexible plate forming the end portion of said air shield structure at said one end of the shield remote from said cab.

7. In an articulated, over-the-highway vehicle, the combination of:

a. first and second wheeled assemblies adapted for over-the-highway travel;

b. articulation means connecting the assemblies together for relative turning movement and to permit one assembly to pull the other;

c. said assemblies having substantially aligned tops and sides when the assemblies are aligned longitudinally for travel along a straight section of highway;

d. an extensible tunnel-like air shield structure supported on said first assembly with one end thereof adjacent the rear wall of said one assembly and the other end adjacent the said other assembly;

e. said air shield structure having two opposite side walls and a top wall adapted to substantially bridge the space between the sides and tops of the assemblies and to be substantially aligned therewith when the assemblies are longitudinally aligned;

f. said walls of said air shield structure each comprising a plurality of relatively rigid plates arranged generally side by side and extending in a generally common plane;

g. means to support said plates in each wall for sliding movement along a surface of an adjacent plate whereby said air shield structure is extended and retracted by telescoping action of said walls; and

, h. said means to support said plates including a rectangular frame to which the sides and top of said air shield structure are attached, and a parallelogramming mechanism attached at one end to said one assembly and attached at the other end to said rectangular frame.

8. In an articulated, over-the-highway vehicle, the combination of:

a. first and second wheeled assemblies adapted for over-the-highway travel;

b. articulation means connecting the assemblies together for relative turning movement and to permit one assembly to pull the other;

c. said assemblies having substantially aligned tops and sides when the assemblies are aligned longitudinally for travel along a straight section of highway;

d. an extensible tunnel-like air shield structure supported on said first assembly with one end thereof adjacent the rear wall of said one assembly and the other end adjacent the said other assembly;

e. said air shield structure having two opposite side walls and a top wall adapted to substantially bridge the space between the sides and tops of the assemblies and to be substantially aligned therewith when the assemblies are longitudinally aligned;

f. said walls of said air shield structure each comprising a plurality of relatively rigid plates arranged generally side by side and extending in a generally common plane;

g. means to support said plates in each wall for sliding movement along a surface of an adjacent plate whereby said air shield structure is extended and retracted by telescoping action of said walls; and

, h. said walls each including a flexible plate forming the end portion of said air shield structure at said one end of the shield remote from said second assembly.

9. An extensible streamlining air shield for streamlining an articulated connection between first and second over-the-highway vehicle units coupled together in tandem towing relationship, comprising:

a. mounting means for mounting the air shield on said first vehicle unit;

b. a telescopic arrangement of interconnected panel means supported by said mounting means for retraction to a position spaced from the second unit and for extension so as to streamline the space between said units;

c. said panel means including at least one relatively flexible panel structure disposed near one of said units to accommodate normal articulation movement between the units.

10. The air shield of claim 9 wherein said panel means further includes at least one rigid panel structure disposed near said first unit to facilitate the provision of a relatively rigid air shield structure.

11. A tractor for a tractor-trailer combination comprising:

a. a tractor having a cab and means for connecting a trailer to the tractor;

b. an extensible tunnel-like air shield structure supported on said tractor with a forward end thereof adjacent the rear wall of said cab and a rearward end spaced from the cab;

c. said air shield structure having two opposite side walls and a top wall adapted to substantially bridge the space between the sides and tops of the tractor and a trailer connected to the tractor;

d. means for extending and retracting said structure from and towards said rear wall of said cab and generally parallel the centerline of said tractor so as to move the rearward end of said structure to a position adjacent an attached trailer;

e. said walls each comprising a plurality of relatively rigid plates arranged generally side by side and extending in a generally common plane, and means to support said plates in each wall for sliding movement along a surface of an adjacent plate whereby said air shield structure is extended and retracted by telescoping action of said walls; and

, f. said means to support said plates including a rectangular frame to which the side walls and top wall of said air shield structure are attached, and a parallelogramming mechanism attached at one end to said tractor and attached at the other end to said rectangular frame.

12. A tractor for a tractor-trailer combination as defined in claim 11 further characterized by said parallelo-gramming mechanism comprising two scissors arranged bars at opposite sides of said air shield structure and a scissors-type bar device at the top of said shield structure.

13. An extensible streamlining air shield for streamlining an articulated connection between forward and rearward over-the-highway vehicle units coupled together in tandem towing relationship, comprising:

a. mounting means for mounting the air shield on the forward vehicle unit;

b. a telescopic arrangement of interconnected plates supported by said mounting means for retraction to a position spaced from the rearward unit and for extension so as to streamline the space between said units;

c. said plates including a combination of rigid and flexible plates, said rigid plates being disposed adjacent said forward unit and said flexible plates being disposed adjacent said rearward unit such that said rigid plates facilitate the provision of a relatively rigid air shield structure while said flexible plates accommodate normal articulation movement between the units.

14. The air shield of claim 13 additionally including frame means interconnecting said plates for sliding movement and linkage means for concuRrently extending or contracting said plates in a telescopic fashion.

15. The air shield of claim 14 further including means to lock the air shield structure in a plurality of extended positions.

16. The air shield of claim 14 wherein said plates are arranged so as to form a pair of side walls and a top wall, which walls are interconnected by said frame means so as to move concurrently as a unit during retraction and extension.

17. The air shield of claim 16 wherein said plates are further arranged so as to form a bottom wall.

18. The air shield of claim 16 additionally including power means to extend and retract said air shield structure.

19. An extensible streamlining air shield for streamlining an articulated connection between first and second over-the-highway vehicle units coupled together in tandem towing relationship, comprising:

a. mounting means for mounting the air shield on said first vehicle unit;

b. a telescopic arrangement of interconnected panel means supported by said mounting means for retraction to a position spaced from said second unit and for extension so as to streamline the space between said units;

c. said panel means including a combination of relatively rigid and relatively flexible panel structures, said rigid panel structures being disposed near one of said units and said flexible panel structures being disposed near the other of said units such that said rigid panel structures facilitate the provision of a relatively rigid air shield structure while said flexible panel structures accommodate normal articulation movement between the units.

20. The air shield of claim 19 additionally including frame means interconnecting said panel structures for telescopic movement and linkage means for concurrently extending or contracting said panel structures in a telescopic fashion.

21. The air shield of claim 20 further including means to lock the air shield structure in a plurality of extended positions.

22. The air shield of claim 19 wherein said panel structures are arranged so as to form a pair of side walls and a top wall, which walls are interconnected by said frame means so as to move concurrently as a unit during retraction and extension.

23. The air shield of claim 22 wherein said panel structures are further arranged so as to form a bottom wall.

24. The air shield of claim 22 additionally including power means to extend and retract said air shield structure.