Trailer skirt panel

• US 7,578,541 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2005
• Issued: 08/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZF Composites North America Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: Laydon Composites Limited (Wabco Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Layfield, Brian, Mancina, Joseph, Haws, James, Prokudin, Andriy
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Kiran B.
• Application Number:
  US11/289,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20070120397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 296/180.2, 296/180.4, 296/180.1, 296/180.5, 296/186.1, 296/191, 280/768
• US Class Current: 296/180.2
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/001 For commercial vehicles or tractor-trailer combinations, e.g. caravans

Abstract

A skirt panel is provided herein for interconnection to another abutted similar skirt panel for attachment beneath a lower, outer longitudinally-extending edge of a trailer including a rear wheel assembly of a tractor-trailer rig, thereby to provide a continuous fairing extending downwardly from the trailer. The skirt panel includes a monolithic, generally-rectangular composite reinforced thermoplastic structure, having vertical lateral side edges configured and arranged for connection to associated vertical lateral side edges of abutting similar skirt panels. This provides a longitudinally-extending fairing for extending contiguously on each side of the trailer, a front face of the thermoplastic structure being provided with a plurality of longitudinally-extending, vertically-spaced-apart arcuate protrusions. The outer face of the thermoplastic panel preferably also is provided with dimples. The reinforcing comprising a panel secured to an inner face of the skirt panel and is provided with laterally-extending means whereby abutting skirt panels are secured to one another; whereby, when said fairing is secured to a lower portion of said trailer, the fairing extends downwardly from the trailer to from 60% to 80% of the distance to the road, so that a portion of any impinging air is directed laterally around the wheels of the rear wheel bogeys to reduce the aerodynamic drag of the trailer and of the wheel assembly.

Claims

1. A skirt panel for interconnection to another similar skirt panel for attachment beneath a lower, outer longitudinally-extending edge of tractor-trailer rig including not only a front wheel bogey and a rear wheel assembly, thereby to provide s continuous fairing extending downwardly from said tractor-trailer rig, each said skirt panel comprising:

a monolithic, generally-rectangular composite reinforced thermoplastic structure;

a first reinforcing structure comprising s reinforcing and connecting truss structure, said first reinforcing structure being operatively associated with an exterior facing edge of said skirt panel, and including outwardly extending connecting points;

a second reinforcing structure comprising lateral edge vertical reinforcing trusses, said reinforcing and connecting trusses having connection points to enable abutting similar skirt panels to be rigidly connected to one another;

a top edge, said top edge including a cap structural members for rigidly securing said skirt panel to said tractor-trailer rig;

a lower edge;

a front face of said monolithic, generally-rectangular composite reinforced thermoplastic structure being provided with a plurality of longitudinally-extending, vertically-spaced-apart arcuate protrusions; and

an exterior face of said skirt panel, which includes said reinforcing and connecting trusses and said connection points, also including a plurality of horizontal arcuate protrusions;

whereby, when said fairing is secured to a lower portion of said trailer said fairing extends downwardly from said tractor-trailer rig to from 60% to 80% of distance to the road, so that a portion of any impinging air is directed laterally around said wheels of said rear wheel bogeys to reduce the aerodynamic drag of said trailer and of said wheel assembly.

2. The skirt panel of claim 1, wherein said top edge of said skirt panel includes structural members for rigidly securing said skirt panel to said tractor-trailer rig.

3. The skirt panel of claim 2, wherein said structural members for rigidly securing said skirt panel to said trailer comprises snap members.

4. The skirt panel of claim 1, wherein said trusses of said first reinforcing structure and of said second reinforcing structure are formed of stamped metal.

5. The skirt panel of claim 4, wherein said stamped metal comprises galvanized steel vertical truss and securement members which are secured to said thermoplastic portion of said skirt panel.

6. The skirt panel of claim 1, wherein said trusses of said first reinforcing structure and of said second reinforcing structure truss are of an open lattice structure.

7. The skirt panel of claim 1 wherein said two lateral vertical side edges extend inwardly from a rear face thereof, and wherein said top and lower edges thereof are integrally connected to said two inwardly extending lateral edges.

8. The skirt panel of claim 1, including a further support strut connected to an interior face thereof at said lower edge and is secured to said interior face adjacent said top edge thereof.

9. The skirt panel of claim 8, wherein said support strut includes an I-beam clamp at an upper edge thereof.

10. The skirt panel of claim 8, wherein said interior face of said strut at an upper edge thereof includes members to connect said strut to said interior face of said skirt panel.

11. The skirt panel of claim 1, wherein said thermoplastic is selected from the group consisting of co-extruded ABS with a cap of a styrene acrylonitrile copolymer which has been impact-modified with acrylic ester rubber, high molecular weight polyethylene, polypropylene and TPO.

12. The skirt panel of claim 1, including a thinner, more flexible synthetic plastic lower panel, said thinner, more flexible synthetic plastic lower panel being attached to said lower edge of said skirt panel, thereby to allow panel flexing over road objects, e.g., curbs, railroad tracks and below grade loading docks.

13. The lower panel of claim 12, wherein said synthetic plastic comprises a thermoplastic elastomer.

14. The lower panel of claim 12, wherein said thermoplastic elastomer comprises flex PVC.

15. The skirt panel of claim 1, which is about 0.187 inches thin.