Trailer keel

• US 7,789,453 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Transtex LLC (Southwestern Energy Company)
• Original Assignee: Vanguard National Trailer Corporation (CIMC Vehicles Company Limited)
• Inventors: Wallace, Keith, Roush, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Engle; Patricia L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Romain; Pinel E
• Application Number:
  US12/128,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20080296930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 296/180.1, 296/180.2, 296/180.4, 296/181.3, 296/181.5, 280/6.153, 280/407.1, 280/763.1
• US Class Current: 296/180.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 9/02 for only lifting or supporting
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/001 For commercial vehicles or tractor-trailer combinations, e.g. caravans

Abstract

A trailer fairing for reducing aerodynamic drag from trailer landing gear and/or wheel assembly is disclosed. The fairing may be directly connected to the forward facing structural supports of the landing gear, and an air tank may be located between the fairing and the cargo storage area. A single fairing may be used to reduce the drag from both the trailer landing gear and wheel assembly. The fairing may include a tapered front section and/or a rear section. The fairing may have rounded, oval, angled, and/or tapered sections. A plurality of fairings may also be used.

Claims

1. An over-the-road trailer comprising:

a landing gear assembly, a kingpin, and a wheel assembly, each connecting to the bottom of a cargo container;

the landing gear assembly located between the kingpin and the wheel assembly;

the landing gear assembly including a first fore stabilizer distant from a second fore stabilizer,

each fore stabilizer connecting to one of a plurality of receivers adapted for vertically moving a landing gear leg, and

each fore stabilizer substantially located between one of the plurality of receivers and the kingpin; and

a fairing connecting to the plurality of receivers;

wherein each fore stabilizer is located between the fairing and one of the plurality of receivers.

2. The over-the-road trailer of claim 1 further comprising

the fairing having a side edge, a top edge, and a bottom edge;

the side edge connecting to both a top edge and a bottom edge;

the side edge having a segment oriented at a 20 to 70 degree angle relative to the vertical movements of the landing gear legs; and

the side edge having a height similar to a height of one of the plurality of receivers.

3. The over-the-road trailer of claim 1 further comprising

the fairing having a width substantially equal to the width of the landing gear assembly.

4. The over-the-road trailer of claim 3 further comprising

the fairing directly connecting to the first fore stabilizer and the second fore stabilizer,

the landing gear assembly including a rotatable crank connecting to one of the plurality of receivers,

wherein rotation of the crank extends or retracts the landing gear legs;

and

the crank is not substantially located between the fairing and any of the receivers.

5. The over-the-road trailer of claim 1 further comprising the fairing spaced at least an inch from the bottom of the cargo container.

6. The over-the-road trailer of claim 1 wherein the fairing provides only a negligible amount of support and rigidity to the over-the-road trailer.

7. The over-the-road trailer of claim 1 wherein

the first fore stabilizer is separated from the second fore stabilizer by a first distance, the fairing includes a first concave surface and a second concave surface.

8. The over-the-road trailer of claim 7 further comprising the fairing including

a first convex surface proximal to the first concave surface, the first concave surface located between the first convex surface and the kingpin, and

a second convex surface proximal to the second concave surface, the second concave surface located between the second convex surface and the kingpin.

9. The over-the-road trailer of claim 7 further comprising the fairing including

a first convex surface proximal to the first concave surface, the first convex surface located between the first concave surface and the kingpin, and

a second convex surface proximal to the second concave surface, the second concave surface located between the second concave surface and the kingpin.

10. The over-the-road trailer of claim 1 further comprising

the first fore stabilizer including a first section secured to a first landing gear gusset plate, and

the second fore stabilizer including a second section secured to a second landing gear gusset plate.

15. The over-the-road trailer of claim 1 further comprising

the fairing including

a front surface having both a curved first portion and a curved second portion the front surface of the fairing having a substantially flat third portion, the third portion connecting to and extending between the first portion and the second portion.

16. The over-the-road trailer of claim 15 further comprising

the fairing further including

a first curved surface connecting to the front surface near the first portion, and

a second curved surface connecting to the front surface near the second portion.

17. The over-the road trailer of claim 16 wherein

the first curved surface is substantially concave, and

the second curved surface is substantially concave.

19. The over-the-road trailer of claim 1 further comprising

the fairing having a first side edge, a first side surface, a second side edge, a second side surface, a top edge, and a bottom edge;

each side edge connecting to both the top edge and the bottom edge,

the first side surface extending from the first side edge towards the bottom of the cargo container;

the second side surface extending from the second side edge towards the bottom of the cargo container; and

each fore stabilizer is located between the first side surface and the second side surface.

20. The over-the-road-trailer of claim 19 further comprising

the fairing including a front surface bounded by the first side edge, the second side edge, the top edge, and the bottom edge;

the front surface having a concave portion and a convex portion, the concave portion located between the convex portion and the top edge.

11. An over-the-road trailer comprising:

a frame adapted for carrying cargo;

a wheel assembly and a landing gear assembly, each connecting to the frame;

a fairing interconnected with and located below the frame, the fairing including

a bottom edge having a bottom portion located a first distance from the wheel assembly,

a top edge having a top portion located a second distance from the wheel assembly, the second distance being greater than the first distance, and

a fairing surface connecting the top edge to the bottom edge.

12. The over-the-road trailer of claim 11 further comprising

the fairing surface having a concavely curved surface and a convexly curved surface, the concavely curved surface located between the convexly curved surface and the top edge.

13. The over-the-road trailer of claim 12 further comprising

the fairing surface having a substantially planar surface extending between the wheel assembly and the landing gear assembly.

14. The over-the-road trailer of claim 12 further comprising

the fairing having a first side surface connecting to both the concavely curved surface and the convexly curved surface

a second side surface connecting to both the concavely curved surface and the convexly curved surface.

18. The over-the-road trailer of claim 11 further comprising:

the landing gear assembly including

a first gusset plate having a first fore end, a first aft end, and a first middle region, the first middle region located between the first fore end and the first aft end;

a first vertical receiver having both a first gusset end and a first leg end,

a first movable landing gear leg exiting from the first leg end of the first vertical receiver,

the first gusset end connecting to the first middle region of the first gusset plate;

a second gusset plate having a second fore end, a second aft end, and a second middle region, the second middle region located between the second fore end and the second aft end;

a second vertical receiver having both a second gusset end and a second leg end,

a second movable landing gear leg exiting from the second leg end of the second vertical receiver,

the second gusset end connecting to the second middle region of the second gusset plate; and

a bar connecting between the first vertical receiver and the second vertical receiver.

21. The over-the-road trailer of claim 14 wherein

the length of the top edge is shorter than the length of the bottom edge.

22. The over-the-road trailer of claim 14 further comprising

a lower edge located a third distance from the wheel assembly,

an upper edge located a fourth distance from the wheel assembly, the fourth distance being less than the third distance, the third distance being less than the second distance;

and

the fairing surface connecting the upper edge to the lower edge.

23. The over-the-road trailer of claim 22 wherein

the length of the top edge is shorter than the length of the bottom edge, and

the length of the upper edge is shorter than the length of the lower edge.