Spray-inhibiting means for use on a road vehicle

• US 4,372,570 A
• Filed: 05/19/1980
• Issued: 02/08/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Maurice Goodall Limited
• Original Assignee: Maurice Goodall Limited
• Inventors: Goodall, Maurice
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Underwood, Donald W.
• Application Number:
  US06/151,207
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 280/154.5 R, 280/154.5 A, 280/156, 280/157, 280/154, 280/153 R, 280/152 R, 296/15
• US Class Current: 280/851
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/168 Mud guards for utility vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/18 Parts or details thereof, e.g. mudguard flaps

Abstract

This invention relates to spray-inhibiting means for use on a road vehicle, said means comprising a screen which is arranged to intercept water thrown rearwardly from a vehicle wheel behind which in use the screen would be mounted. The screen (13 or 14) incorporates a hollow portion (15 or 31 or 38 or 44 or 47) together with means (18a or 33 or 34 or 41 or 43 or 54) for intercepting and collecting water which in use will be thrown against and into the hollow portion, together with baffle means (18 or 32 or 40 or 53) which are disposed within the hollow portion, the latter being also provided with an inlet 23 and an outlet 20. The baffle means and the inlet and outlet are so constructed that when in use the associated vehicle is traveling along a road surface in wet conditions spray will be thrown rearwardly from a vehicle wheel so as to enter the interior of said hollow portion which will act to extract water from the spray and discharge it horizontally rearwardly from the outlet so that the water moves forwardly, relative to the road surface, at a velocity less than that of the moving vehicle to thereby reduce spray formed by the discharged water as it engages the road surface.

Claims

1. A spray-inhibiting attachment for mounting behind the wheel of a vehicle, said attachment comprising:

(a) a downwardly extending hollow housing having a forwardly disposed portion and with the latter forming an inlet opening for receiving therethrough water and the like thrown rearwardly from the vehicle wheel,

(b) said housing also having a rearwardly disposed wall portion spaced from and generally parallel to said forwardly disposed portion and with said portions being joined by side members to form a chamber for downward passage of water therein,

(c) said forwardly disposed portion merging at its lower end into a bottom wall member which is adapted to be positioned closely adjacent the road surface,

(d) the lower portion of said rearwardly disposed wall portion and said side members forming, together with said bottom wall member, a generally horizontal rearwardly facing water discharge orifice of substantially lesser cross-sectional area than said inlet opening so that water discharging horizontally rearwardly through said orifice from said chamber moves horizontally forwardly, relative to the road surface, at a velocity less than that of the moving vehicle to thereby reduce spray formed by the discharged water as it engages the road surface,

(e) said attachment also incorporating an upper portion which is disposed above said hollow housing so as to communicate with the interior thereof and which has water-intercepting means arranged to intercept and collect water which in use is thrown against said upper portion by the vehicle wheel so as to direct such water downwardly into the said chamber,

(f) said water intercepting means of said upper portion comprising a plurality of spaced parallel baffles which provide between them a plurality of connected passages forming a generally wave-like sinuous configuration in cross-section.

2. The spray-inhibiting attachment as claimed in claim 1 wherein said baffles have forwardly-directed faces with brush-like water-collecting elements disposed thereon.

3. The spray-inhibiting attachment as claimed in claim 2 wherein said brush-like water-collecting elements are of spiral form.

4. A spray-inhibiting attachment for mounting behind the wheel of a vehicle, said attachment comprising:

(a) a downwardly extending hollow housing having a forwardly disposed portion and with the latter forming an inlet opening for receiving therethrough water and the like thrown rearwardly from the vehicle wheel,

(b) said housing also having a rearwardly disposed wall portion spaced from and generally parallel to said forwardly disposed portion and with said portions being joined by side members to form a chamber for downward passage of water therein,

(c) said forwardly disposed portion merging at its lower end into a bottom wall member which is adapted to be positioned closely adjacent the road surface,

(d) the lower portion of said rearwardly disposed wall portion and said side members forming, together with said bottom wall member, a generally horizontal rearwardly facing water discharge orifice of substantially lesser cross-sectional area than said inlet opening so that water discharging horizontally rearwardly through said orifice from said chamber moves horizontally forwardly, relative to the road surface, at a velocity less than that of the moving vehicle to thereby reduce spray formed by the discharged water as it engages the road surface,

(e) said attachment also incorporating a generally vertical upper portion which is mounted atop said hollow housing so as to communicate with the interior thereof and which has water-intercepting means arranged to intercept and collect water which in use is thrown against said upper portion by the vehicle wheel so as to direct such water downwardly into the said chamber,

(f) said water-intercepting means comprising a plurality of transversely spaced side-by-side baffles within said upper portion and with said baffles providing a plurality of interconnected generally vertical passages between them,

(g) the baffles of said water intercepting means of said upper portion being parallel and the said passages being of generally wave-like sinuous configuration in cross-section.