Removable side fairing for a vehicle

• US 5,788,321 A
• Filed: 05/22/1996
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Freightliner Corporation
• Original Assignee: Freightliner Corporation
• Inventors: Leslie, Thomas A., McHorse, James Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): PAPE, JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US08/650,115
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 296/180.1, 296/183, 296/198, 280/163, 280/164.1
• US Class Current: 296/180.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 3/007 Removable steps or ladders, e.g. foldable as access means for vehicle tops B60R3/005

Abstract

A vehicle having a side-mounted fairing for reducing aerodynamic drag in which a portion of the fairing is easily removable to allow access to vehicle components is disclosed. The removable fairing includes a convolute sheet of substantially rigid material in which planar surfaces are formed for providing steps. Support rails are mounted to an inner surface of the fairing just below the steps to connect the fairing to the vehicle and to support weight placed on the steps. The rails include mortise and tenon connections for connecting the removable fairing portion to a fixed portion of the fairing. In addition, support brackets are fixedly attached to the vehicle and extend outward to provide support for the removable fairing. Fasteners are provided for securing the removable fairing to the vehicle and to the fixed portion of the fairing.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

(a) a frame defining an axis that extends between a front and a rear of the vehicle, the frame supported on rotatably mounted wheels;

(b) a plurality of fairing support brackets fixedly mounted to the frame;

(c) a cab body mounted to the frame; and

(d) a side fairing including a fixed portion fixedly attached to at least one support bracket and a removable portion removably attached to at least one support bracket and to the fixed portion, the fixed portion located lower than the cab body and having at least one step for assisting a vehicle operator to access the cab, the step comprising an elongate, substantially horizontal surface longitudinally extending along a direction substantially parallel to the axis, the removable portion located rearwardly of the fixed portion and having at least one step located contiguous with the at least one step of the fixed portion, the removable portion further including at least one latch for coupling the removable portion to the vehicle, whereby the latch can be manually latched and the removable portion separated from the brackets thereby providing access to the frame located behind the cab.

2. A vehicle, comprising:

(a) a frame defining an axis that extends between a front and a rear of the vehicle, the frame supported on rotatably mounted wheels;

(b) a plurality of fairing support brackets fixedly mounted to the frame;

(c) a cab body mounted to the frame; and

(d) a side fairing including a fixed portion fixedly attached to at least one support bracket and a removable portion removably attached to at least one support bracket and to the fixed portion, the fixed portion located lower than the cab body and having at least one step for assisting a vehicle operator to access the cab, the step comprising an elongate, substantially horizontal surface longitudinally extending along a direction substantially parallel to the axis, the removable portion located rearwardly of the fixed portion and having at least one step, the removable portion further including at least one latch for coupling the removable portion to the vehicle, whereby the latch can be manually latched and the removable portion separated from the brackets thereby providing access to the frame located behind the cab; and

wherein the removable portion of the fairing is a convolute sheet having an inner surface and an outer surface and wherein the at least one step is located along the outer surface and further including at least one rail coupled to the sheet and located along the inner surface below the step to support weight placed on the step and at least one mortis and tenon coupling interconnecting the at least one rail to the fixed portion.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the removable fairing includes two support rails located on an inner surface of the fairing and a brace interconnecting the rails, and the latch comprises a first part located on the brace and a second part located on at least one of the support brackets wherein the first part couples to the second part to fasten the removable portion onto the at least one of the support brackets.

4. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the removable portion of the fairing comprises a convolute sheet having an inner surface and an outer surface and two steps located on the outer surface and further comprising at least two support rails mounted to the removable portion of the fairing and located along the inner surface below respective steps to support weight placed on the steps, the support rails being removable with the removable fairing as a unit when the removable fairing is removed.

5. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the removable portion of the fairing comprises a convolute sheet having an inner surface and an outer surface and two steps located on the outer surface and defined by the outer surface itself and further comprising an upper rail and a lower rail mounted to the fairing and located along the inner surface below the portions of the outer surface defining the respective steps to support weight placed on the steps and further comprising a brace fixedly coupled to both rails for supporting the lower rail when the upper rail is supported by at least one of the plurality of support brackets.

6. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the plurality of brackets comprises a bracket located proximate a rear margin of the fixed portion and a bracket located proximate a rear margin of the removable portion.

7. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the at least one latch comprises first and second resilient latches, the first latch located near a trailing edge of the removable portion proximate a wheel and the second latch located proximate the junction of the fixed portion and the removable portion.

8. A vehicle, comprising:

(a) a frame defining an axis that extends between a front and a rear of the vehicle, the frame supported on rotatably mounted wheels;

(b) a plurality of fairing support brackets fixedly mounted to the frame;

(c) a cab body mounted to the frame;

(d) a side fairing including a fixed portion fixedly attached to at least one support bracket and a removable portion removably attached to at least one support bracket and to the fixed portion, the fixed portion located lower than the cab body and having at least one step for assisting a vehicle operator to access the cab, the step comprising an elongate, substantially horizontal surface longitudinally extending along a direction substantially parallel to the axis, the removable portion located rearwardly of the fixed portion and having at least one step located contiguous with the at least one step of the fixed portion, the removable portion further including at least one latch for coupling the removable portion to the vehicle, whereby the latch can be manually latched and the removable portion separated from the brackets thereby providing access to the frame located behind the cab; and

wherein the at least one latch comprises an elastic strap and a hook wherein the elastic strap includes an aperture for receiving the hook.

9. A side mounted removable fairing for reducing aerodynamic drag on a vehicle, comprising a convolute sheet having top and bottom margins, and front and rear margins, the sheet also defining an outer surface and an inner surface, on the outer surface is at least one substantially planar surface for providing a step when the fairing is mounted onto a vehicle to assist a vehicle operator to access portions of the vehicle, the outer surface also including a recess sized to accommodate a hand to facilitate gripping and holding the fairing, the fairing further comprising at least one support rail coupled to the sheet along the inner surface and opposed to the substantially planar surface to provide support for the planar surface when the planar surface is used as said step, the at least one rail having a tongue at one end thereof to couple the rail to a contiguously located fixed fairing, the removable fairing further comprising at least one fastener for fastening the removable fairing onto the vehicle.

10. The removable fairing of claim 9 wherein the rear margin is arcuate.

11. The removable fairing of claim 9 including two substantially planar surfaces to provide two steps when the fairing is mounted on a vehicle, one step being below the other step, the lower step extending from the front margin toward the rear margin and the upper step located between the front margin and the rear margin.

12. The removable fairing of claim 9 further comprising a step plate having a slip resistant surface located on the at least one substantially planar surface.

13. The removable fairing of claim 9 including two substantial planar surfaces and two rails located on the inner surface opposed to the substantially planar surfaces and further comprising a brace located proximate the rear margin and fixedly coupled to the two rails for supporting the lower rail.

14. The removable fairing of claim 9 wherein the at least one fastener is a latch comprising an elastic strap and a hook, the elastic strap having an aperture therein for receiving the hook.

15. The removable fairing of claim 9 wherein the at least one fastener comprises an elastic strap, a hook, a pin, and a clip, the elastic strap having a hook aperture for receiving the hook and a pin aperture for receiving the pin wherein the elastic strap engages the hook at the hook aperture and the pin passes through the pin aperture and the clip engages the pin to retain the strap on the hook.

16. The removable fairing of claim 9 wherein the sheet defines four substantially planar surfaces, two of which are located along the outer surface and two of which are located along the inner surface, further comprising two rails fixedly attached to respective substantially planar surfaces on the inner surface to support weight placed on the substantially planar surfaces located on the outer surface.

17. The removable fairing of claim 9 wherein the sheet defines four substantially planar surfaces, two of which are located along the outer surface and two of which are located along the inner surface, further comprising two rails fixedly attached to respective substantially planar surfaces on the inner surface to support weight placed on the substantially planar surfaces located on the outer surface, and a brace fixedly attached to the two rails proximate the rear margin.

18. The fairing of claim 9 wherein the sheet defines four substantially planar surfaces, two of which are located along the outer surface and two of which are located along the inner surface, further comprising two rails fixedly attached to respective substantially planar surfaces on the inner surface to support weight placed on the substantially planar surfaces located on the outer surface, and a brace fixedly attached to the two rails proximate the rear margin, and wherein one fastener is located on the bracket and one fastener is located on one rail proximate the front margin of the fairing.

19. A vehicle comprising:

(a) an elongated vehicle frame having at least one frame rail extending between a front and a rear of the vehicle;

(b) a cab supported by the frame;

(c) wheels rotatably coupled to the frame including wheels supported by a first axle spaced rearwardly of the vehicle cab with no axles between said first axle and a rear of the vehicle cab;

(d) a side fairing located substantially between the rear of the cab and the first axle;

(e) spaced apart side fairing supports projecting outwardly from the frame rail and defining a frame rail access space therebetween;

(f) the side fairing being removably coupled to at least one of the side fairing supports such that when in a first position the side fairing is supported by at least one side fairing support and when in a second position the side fairing does not block access to the access space; and

(g) and at least one manually actuated resilient latch operable when latched to retain the side fairing in the first position and when released to permit movement of the side fairing to the second position.

20. A vehicle comprising:

(a) an elongated vehicle frame having at least one frame rail extending between a front and a rear of the vehicle;

(b) a cab supported by the frame;

(c) wheels rotatably coupled to the frame including wheels supported by a first axle spaced rearwardly of the vehicle cab with no axles between said first axle and a rear of the vehicle cab;

(d) a side fairing located substantially between the rear of the cab and the first axle;

(e) spaced apart side fairing supports projecting outwardly from the frame rail and defining a frame rail access space therebetween;

(f) the side fairing being movably coupled to at least one of the side fairing supports such that when in a first position the side fairing is supported by at least one side fairing support and when in a second position the side fairing does not block access to the access space;

(g) and at least one manually actuated latch operable when latched to retain the side fairing in the first position and when released to permit movement of the side fairing to the second position;

the vehicle of claim 19 wherein the side fairing is entirely detached from the vehicle when in the second position; and

wherein the side fairing is entirely detached from the vehicle when in the second position.

21. A vehicle comprising:

(a) an elongated vehicle frame having at least one frame rail extending between a front and a rear of the vehicle;

(b) a cab supported by the frame;

(c) wheels rotatably coupled to the frame including wheels supported by a first axle spaced rearwardly of the vehicle cab with no axles between said first axle and a rear of the vehicle cab;

(d) a side fairing located substantially between the rear of the cab and the first axle;

(e) spaced apart side fairing supports projecting outwardly from the frame rail and defining a frame rail access space therebetween;

(f) the side fairing being removably coupled to at least one of the side fairing supports such that when in a first position the side fairing is supported by at least one side fairing support and when in a second position the side fairing does not block access to the access space;

(g) and at least one manually actuated latch operable when latched to retain the side fairing in the first position and when released to permit movement of the side fairing to the second position; and

in which the side fairing includes first and second elongated reinforcing members extending longitudinally from front to rear of the side fairing, end portions of said first and second reinforcing members being supported by said at least one side fairing support.

22. The vehicle according to claim 21 in which the side fairing includes first and second longitudinally extending steps and in which each of said first and second elongated reinforcing members underlies and reinforces a respective step.

23. A vehicle comprising:

(a) an elongated vehicle frame having at least one frame rail extending between a front and a rear of the vehicle;

(b) a cab supported by the frame;

(c) wheels rotatably coupled to the frame including wheels supported by a first axle spaced rearwardly of the vehicle cab with no axles between said first axle and a rear of the vehicle cab;

(d) a side fairing located substantially between the rear of the cab and the first axle;

(e) spaced apart side fairing supports protecting outwardly from the frame rail and defining a frame rail access space therebetween;

(f) the side fairing being movably coupled to at least one of the side fairing supports such that when in a first position the side fairing is supported by at least one side fairing support and when in a second position the side fairing does not block access to the access space; and

(g) and at least one manually actuated latch operable when latched to retain the side fairing in the first position and when released to permit movement of the side fairing to the second position;

the side fairing includes first and second reinforcing members extending longitudinally from front to rear of the side fairing, end portions of said first and second reinforcing members being supported by said at least one side fairing support; and

in which a first of said side fairing supports is positioned adjacent to one end of the side fairing and a second of said side fairing supports is positioned adjacent to an end of a contiguous fixedly mounted side fairing, the access space being bracing free and extending between the first and second side fairing supports.

24. A vehicle comprising:

(a) an elongated vehicle frame having at least one frame rail extending between a front and a rear of the vehicle;

(b) a cab supported by the frame;

(c) wheels rotatably coupled to the frame including wheels supported by a first axle spaced rearwardly of the vehicle cab with no axles between said first axle and the rear of the vehicle cab;

(d) a side fairing located substantially between the rear of the cab and the first axle, elongated structural rails mounted to the side fairing such that the side fairing and elongated structural rails form a removable unit; and

(e) first and second spaced apart fairing supports projecting outwardly from the frame rail and defining an access space between the first and second supports, the access space having no structural members or fuel tanks positioned therein;

(f) the side fairing and elongated structural rails being detachably coupled to the frame rail and detachably supported by the fairing supports, wherein removal of the fairing and elongated structural rails as a unit provides access to the access space by a vehicle operator located beside the vehicle.