Pickup truck tailgate mounted aerostabilizer

• US 5,871,254 A
• Filed: 09/19/1997
• Issued: 02/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paulette Renee Burg
• Original Assignee: Paulette Renee Burg
• Inventors: Burg, Donald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): KRAMER, DEAN J
• Application Number:
  US08/933,543
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 296/180.1, 296/180.2, 296/180.5, 296/50, 296/51, 296/57.1, 188/270
• US Class Current: 296/180.1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/0273 Movable tailboards for vehicles comprising non-movable sideboards, e.g. pick-up trucks B62D33/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/007 Rear spoilers B62D35/001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/82 Elements for improving aerodynamics

Abstract

Presented is a pickup truck tailgate mounted aerostabilizer wing that moves with the tailgate and is therefore out of the way when the tailgate is opened for cargo loading. The aerostabilizer wing is mounted distal from the tailgate by use of low drag airfoil shaped stanchions that are attached to forward and upper portions of the tailgate in the preferred embodiment. The nose of the aerostabilizer wing is angled down so that the aerostabilizer wing acts as a turning vane to direct pressurized air from an aerodynamic pressure front that builds up on the forward side of the tailgate at highway speeds up and out over the top of the tailgate thereby reducing drag. Due to its downward angled and at least partially airfoil shaped design, the aerostabilizer wing also places a downward force on the tailgate thus helping to stabilize the pickup truck when traveling forward. Limitations on the downward angle of the nose of the aerostabilizer wing and of the gap distance between the aerostabilizer wing and the tailgate are established. End treatments of the aerostabilizer wing in both spanwise and chordwise directions are also given. The instant invention aerostabilizer wing and its mounting stanchions are all, in their preferred embodiments, at least partially airfoil shaped to insure a simple yet strong and appealing structure that offers minimum aerodynamic resistance. An optional aerostabilizer wing insert that can extend the spanwise length of the aerostabilizer wing and can include a light or reflector is also offered.

Claims

1. In an improved pickup truck including a cargo bed and an opening tailgate positioned proximal an aft end of said cargo bed, the improvement comprising:

an aerostabilizer wing in mechanical communication with said tailgate such that said aerostabilizer wing moves with the tailgate during opening and closing of said tailgate, said aerostabilizer wing positioned, at least in its majority, above and proximal to said tailgate, as seen with the tailgate in its closed or vertical orientation, and also, at least in its majority, aft of a forward portion of said tailgate, as seen with the tailgate in its closed or vertical orientation, whereby there is an air gap between an underside of said aerostabilizer wing and said tailgate over at least a majority of a spanwise width of said aerostabilizer wing, and whereby air from a forward portion of said tailgate, when said tailgate is closed in its vertical position and the pickup truck is moving forward, passes freely through said air gap thereby relieving air pressure from a forward portion of the tailgate, wherein said air gap averages, over the spanwise width of said aerostabilizer wing, at least one half inch, and where at least a part of the mechanical communication of the aerostabilizer wing and the tailgate is accomplished by a stanchion wherein said stanchion is at least in part curvilinear in shape as seen in a cross section taken horizontally through said stanchion when the tailgate is vertical or closed.

2. The improved pickup truck of claim 1 wherein said air gap averages at least one inch.

3. The improved pickup truck of claim 1 wherein said air gap averages at least two inches.

4. The improved pickup truck of claim 1 wherein said aerostabilizer wing is, at least partially, airfoil shaped.

5. The improved pickup truck of claim 4 wherein a chord of said aerostabilizer wing is cambered.

6. The improved pickup truck of claim 1 wherein said aerostabilizer wing is truncated in its chordwise direction.

7. The improved pickup truck of claim 1 wherein the aerostabilizer wing has turned down ends proximal either end of its span.

8. The improved pickup truck of claim 1 wherein the aerostabilizer wing has wing end caps at either end of its span that are oriented more vertically than horizontally.

9. The improved pickup truck of claim 1 wherein said stanchion attaches to the tailgate, when said tailgate is viewed when in a verticle or closed position, with fasteners positioned at forward and upper portions of said tailgate.

10. The improved pickup truck of claim 1 wherein said stanchion is at least in part, as viewed in a horizontal plane through the stanchion when the tailgate is vertical or closed, airfoil shaped.

11. The improved pickup truck of claim 1 wherein said stanchion extends over at least a portion of an upper surface of the aerostabilizer wing.

12. The improved pickup truck of claim 1 wherein said aerostabilizer wing has an outer skin and is, at least partially, hollow inside.

13. The improved pickup truck of claim 1 wherein said aerostabilizer wing has an outer skin and is, at least partially, cored with a structural material.

14. The improved pickup truck of claim 1 wherein a nose of said aerostabilizer wing is, at least over a majority of the aerostabilizer wing'"'"'s spanwise width and when the tailgate is in its vertical position, angled downward from horizontal by at least 65 degrees.

15. The improved pickup truck of claim 1 wherein a nose of said aerostabilizer wing is, at least over a majority of the aerostabilizer wing'"'"'s spanwise width and when the tailgate is in its vertical position, angled downward from horizontal by at least 55 degrees.

16. The improved pickup truck of claim 1 wherein a nose of said aerostabilizer wing is, at least over a majority of the aerostabilizer wing'"'"'s spanwise width and when the tailgate is in its vertical position, angled downward from horizontal by at least 40 degrees.

17. The improved pickup truck of claim 16 wherein said aerostabilizer wing insert further comprises a light.

18. The improved pickup truck of claim 1 which further comprises an aerostabilizer wing insert that lengthens the span of the aerostabilizer wing.

19. The improved pickup truck of claim 1 wherein the aerostabilizer wing further comprises a light.

20. The improved pickup truck of claim 1 wherein said aerostabilizer is in mechanical communication with the tailgate, as seen with the tailgate in its upper position, at an upper forward surface of the tailgate.

21. In an improved pickup truck including a cargo bed and an opening tailgate positioned proximal an aft end of said cargo bed, the improvement comprising:

an aerostabilizer wing in mechanical communication with and positioned, at least in its majority, proximal to and above the tailgate such that said aerostabilizer wing moves with the tailgate during opening and closing of the tailgate, a majority of a spanwise of said aerostabilizer wing'"'"'s nose lower than a majority of its aft portions when the tailgate is in its vertical position, and a majority of a spanwise width of an underside of said aerostabilizer wing separated from the tailgate by an air gap, whereby air from a forward portion of said tailgate, when said tailgate is closed in its vertical position and the pickup truck is moving forward, passes freely through said air gap thereby relieving air pressure from a forward portion of the tailgate, and wherein the nose of said aerostabilizer wing is, at least over a majority of the aerostabilizer wing'"'"'s spanwise width and when the tailgate is in its vertical position, angled downward from horizontal by at least 40 degrees.

22. The improved pickup truck of claim 21 wherein the nose of said aerostabilizer wing is angled downward from horizontal by at least 55 degrees.

23. The improved pickup truck of claim 21 wherein the nose of said aerostabilizer wing is angled downward from horizontal by at least 65 degrees.

24. The improved pickup truck of claim 22 wherein the aerostabilizer wing has turned down ends at either end of its span.

25. The improved pickup truck of claim 21 wherein said aerostabilizer wing is, at least partially airfoil shaped.

26. The improved pickup truck of claim 25 wherein said a chord of said aerostabilizer wing is cambered.

27. The improved pickup truck of claim 21 wherein said aerostabilizer wing has an outer skin and is, at least in part, hollow inside.

28. The improved pickup truck of claim 21 wherein at least part of the mechanical communication of the aerostabilizer wing and the tailgate is accomplished by a stanchion and said stanchion is at least in part, as viewed in a horizontal plane through the stanchion when the tailgate is vertical, airfoil shaped.

29. The improved pickup truck of claim 21 wherein said air gap averages, over the spanwise width of said aerostabilizer wing, at least on inch.

30. In an improved pickup truck including a cargo bed and an opening tailgate positioned proximal an aft end of said cargo bed, the improvement comprising:

an aerostabilizer wing in mechanical communication with and positioned, at least in its majority, proximal to and above the tailgate such that said aerostabilizer wing moves with the tailgate during opening and closing of the tailgate, a majority of a spanwise width of said aerostabilizer wing'"'"'s nose lower than a majority of its aft portions when the tailgate is in its vertical position, and a majority of a spanwise width of an underside of said aerostabilizer wing separated from the tailgate by an air gap, whereby air from a forward portion of said tailgate, when said tailgate is closed in its vertical position and the pickup truck is moving forward, passes freely through said air gap thereby relieving air pressure from a forward portion of the tailgate, wherein the aerostabilizer wing is, at least partially, airfoil shaped, and where at least a part of the mechanical communication of the aerostabilizer wing and the tailgate is accomplished by a stanchion wherein said stanchion is at least in part curvilinear in shape as seen in a cross section taken horizontally through said stanchion when the tailgate is vertical or closed.

31. The improved pickup truck of claim 30 wherein said stanchion attaches to the tailgate, when said tailgate is viewed when in a vertical or closed position, with fasteners positioned at forward and upper portions of said tailgate.

32. The improved pickup truck of claim 30 wherein the aerostabilizer wing has turned down ends at either end of its span.

33. The improved pickup truck of claim 30 wherein a chord of said aerostabilizer wing is cambered.

34. The improved pickup truck of claim 30 wherein at least part of the mechanical communications of the aerostabilizer wing and the tailgate is accomplished by a stanchion and said stanchion is at least in part, as viewed in a horizontal plane through the stanchion when the tailgate is vertical, airfoil shaped.

35. The improved pickup truck of claim 30 wherein a nose of said aerostabilizer wing is, at least over a majority of the aerostabilizer wing'"'"'s spanwise width and when the tailgate is in its vertical position, angled downward from horizontal by at least 40 degrees.

36. The improved pickup truck of claim 30 wherein said air gap averages, over the spanwise width of said aerostabilizer wing, at least one inch.

37. The improved pickup truck of claim 30 wherein said aerostabilizer wing has an outer skin and is, at least partially, hollow inside.

38. The improved pickup truck of claim 30 wherein said aerostabilizer wing has an outer skin and is, at least partially, cored with a structural material.