Undercarriage airstream deflector assembly for truck trailers and the like
First Claim
1. An airstream deflector assembly comprising an essentially flat airstream deflector panel having an upper side facing and substantially spanning the undercarriage of a wheeled vehicle and having affixed thereto means for attaching said panel to said undercarriage, the lower side of said panel facing the ground and directing the airstream downwardly and primarily below the following axle and centers of the following tires of the vehicle, the panel having affixed thereto a plurality of airstream deflectors concentrating the airstream laterally toward the following tires of the vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Airstream deflector assembly (D) on the underside (16) of a large vehicle such as a semi-trailer (T) or the like, to reduce drag, improve fuel economy, and reduce turbulence of rain or snow on a roadway (R) traveled by the vehicle, such assembly comprising a main panel (30) which is essentially flat and situated well forward of the following tires (14) of the vehicle and deflecting the airstream downwardly primarily below the following axle (15) and centers of such following tires (14), such main deflection panel (D) having mounted thereon four lateral airstream deflectors, two (80) outboardly and two (90) inboardly of the panel (30) which serve to concentrate the deflected airstream laterally toward the following tires (14) of the vehicle and away from the "tunnel" between the tires (14). Both the main deflection panel (30) and lateral deflectors (80, 90) are preferably angularly adjustable, either manually or remotely, with the preferred angularity of the main panel being with it lying in a plane which intersects the following tires (14) slightly below their axis of rotation, e.g. at an angle of 10°-15°, and with the preferred angularity of the lateral deflectors (80, 90) being with them lying in planes substantially intersecting the inner faces of the following tires of the vehicle, e.g. at angles of 4°-15° relative to the direction of movement of the vehicle.
100 Citations
14 Claims
- 1. An airstream deflector assembly comprising an essentially flat airstream deflector panel having an upper side facing and substantially spanning the undercarriage of a wheeled vehicle and having affixed thereto means for attaching said panel to said undercarriage, the lower side of said panel facing the ground and directing the airstream downwardly and primarily below the following axle and centers of the following tires of the vehicle, the panel having affixed thereto a plurality of airstream deflectors concentrating the airstream laterally toward the following tires of the vehicle.
- 13. In combination with a tractor drawn semi-trailer of the type having the rear of the trailer supported by tandem axle dual wheel assemblies with the forward portion thereof supported by the tractor, an airstream deflector assembly depending from the undercarriage of the trailer well forward of the following tires of the trailer, said airstream deflector assembly comprising an essentially flat panel substantially spanning the underside of the trailer and arranged to deflect the airstream passing beneath the trailer downwardly at a shallow angle so that it passes primarily into the area generally below the following axle and centers of the following tires, such deflector assembly also including lateral airstream deflectors situated near the ends of said panel and deflecting the airstream primarily inwardly toward the following tires of the wheel assemblies, such airstream deflections resulting in the deflected airstream passing primarily below the axle(s) of the following wheel assemblies and into engagement with the receding surfaces of the following tires so that a relatively high velocity blanket of air is formed adjacent to the roadway with substantially reduced airstream contact with non-receding surfaces of the trailer including the following axles and forwardly moving upper portions of the following tires, such blanket of air thereby tending to suppress kickups of water, mud or snow from the roadway and also to keep the rear end of the trailer clear of accumulated water, mud or snow.
Specification