System for reducing the air resistance of a truck

• US 8,651,547 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jost-Werke GmbH
• Original Assignee: Jost-Werke GmbH
• Inventors: Algera Gallego, Jos Manuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Morrow, Jason S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hicks, E Turner
• Application Number:
  US13/260,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20120019021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• Field of Search: 296/26.04, 296/26.05, 296/181.5, 296/181.7, 296/185.1, 296/100.5
• US Class Current: 296/26.05
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/1614 with a vertical lifting movement maintaining the inclination of the roof or panel
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/001 For commercial vehicles or tractor-trailer combinations, e.g. caravans

Abstract

A system for reducing the air resistance of a truck, particularly an articulated vehicle, wherein the vehicle comprises a cargo space that is limited downward by a loading floor and in the height thereof by a roof wall spaced apart therefrom. The aim is to provide a system that minimizes the face area of the truck and thus the fuel consumption in dependence on the actual cargo space used. According to one embodiment, the roof wall is height-adjustable opposite the loading floor.

Claims

1. A system for reducing the air resistance of a truck, comprising:

the truck comprising a cargo space that is bounded at a bottom by a loading floor and in height by a roof wall spaced apart from the loading floor, wherein the roof wall is adjustable in height relative to the loading floor, wherein a cargo height recognition module is provided, which recognizes and determines an actual height of loading and wherein the cargo height recognition module automatically performs the height adjustment of the roof wall, wherein the height of the roof wall is adapted to be reduced by the cargo height recognition module to a lower level corresponding to a height of loaded freight units.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the distance between roof wall and loading floor can be changed by height-adjustable pillars.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the pillars are telescoping.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the pillars have a motorized drive unit.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the motorized drive unit comprises one or more of a spindle, a pneumatic cylinder, a rack, a scissors linkage and a cable control.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the cargo space is bounded at the sides by height-adjustable side walls.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein at least one height-adjustable side wall is configured as a height-adjustable rear door.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the height-adjustable side was are each formed from a tarpaulin rolled up about a horizontal axis.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the height-adjustable side walls are formed from sliding or folding wall panels.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the cargo height recognition module determines the height of loading by one or more of at least one laser, an ultrasound sensor, and an infrared sensor.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the one or more of the laser, ultrasound sensor, and infrared sensor are at the same time a transmitter and receiver and interact with reflectors arranged on an opposite side of the cargo space.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the ultrasound sensor is configured as an ultrasound unit for 3D scanning of the cargo space.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the height adjustment of the roof wall is done in dependence on the driving speed.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein a spoiler is arranged on a roof of the truck, whose inclination can be adapted to the height setting of the roof wall.

15. A system for reducing the air resistance of a truck, comprising:

the truck comprising a cargo space that is bounded at a bottom by a loading floor and in height by a roof wall spaced apart from the loading floor, wherein the roof wall is adjustable in height relative to the loading floor, wherein a cargo height recognition module is provided, which comprises a transmitter/receiver as well as a reflector and recognizes an actual height of loading, wherein the cargo height recognition module automatically performs the height adjustment of the roof wall, wherein the transmitter/receiver and the reflector are arranged stationary in relation to the roof wall.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein after completion of a loading operation, the transmitter/receiver emits a beam path in the direction of the reflector and the roof wall is lowered until the beam path is interrupted by at least one freight unit.

17. A system for reducing the air resistance of a truck, comprising:

the truck comprising a cargo space that is bounded at a front by a front side wall, at a bottom by a loading floor and in height by a roof wall spaced apart from the loading floor, wherein the roof wall is adjustable in height relative to the loading floor, wherein a cargo height recognition module is provided, which recognizes and determines an actual height of loading, automatically performs the height adjustment of the roof wall and has a single 3D ultrasound unit, which is located on the front side wall, scanning the cargo space and thereby determining the loading height of freight units.

18. A system for reducing the air resistance of a truck, comprising:

the truck comprising a cargo space that is bounded at a bottom by a loading floor and in height by a roof wall spaced apart from the loading floor, wherein the roof wall is adjustable in height relative to the loading floor, wherein a spoiler is arranged on a roof of the truck, whose inclination can be adapted to the height setting of the roof wall, the spoiler is driven by an adjustment motor and the adjustment motor is connected to a control unit which is also connected to pillars of the roof wall obtaining a corresponding signal in dependence on its state of extension.

19. A system for reducing the aft resistance of a truck, comprising:

the truck comprising a cargo space that is bounded at a bottom by a loading floor and in height by a roof wall spaced apart from the loading floor, wherein the roof wall is adjustable in height relative to the loading floor, wherein a cargo height recognition module is provided, which recognizes an actual height of loading and wherein the cargo height recognition module automatically performs the height adjustment of the roof wall, and wherein a lowering of the roof wall is possible until a beam path is interrupted by at least one freight unit in the manner of a light barrier.