Resilient aerodynamic trailer skirts

• US 7,748,772 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2009
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Transtex LLC (Southwestern Energy Company)
• Original Assignee: Transtex Composite Incorporated
• Inventors: Desjardins, Philippe, Desjardins, Mathieu, Boivin, Mathieu
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan; Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chenevert; Paul A
• Application Number:
  US12/436,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20090218848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 105/1.1, 105/1.2, 105/1.3, 180/903, 248/628, 248/632, 296/180.1, 296/180.4
• US Class Current: 296/180.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/00 Elements for body-finishing, identifying, or decorating; Arrangements or adaptations for advertising purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0861 for covering undersurfaces of vehicles, e.g. wheel houses
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/565 on vehicle sides
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/001 For commercial vehicles or tractor-trailer combinations, e.g. caravans
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 180/903 Airstream reactive vehicle or vehicle structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A resilient aerodynamic skirt assembly is provided, the aerodynamic skirt assembly comprising a skirt panel adapted to connect to a trailer to route airflow along the trailer, skirt supports adapted to connect the skirt to a trailer are also provided with a plurality of resilient struts providing lateral support to the skirt panel, the resilient struts allowing substantial lateral deflection of the skirt panel away from an aerodynamic configuration. A method of assembling an aerodynamic skirt assembly and an aerodynamic skirt kit are also provided.

Claims

1. A resilient aerodynamic skirt adapted to be substantially longitudinally mounted to a trailer, the resilient aerodynamic skirt comprising a skirt panel defining a front portion and a rear portion, the front portion being adapted to be laterally proximally mounted toward a forward portion of the trailer and the rear portion being adapted to be laterally distally mounted in respect with the forward portion toward a rear portion of the trailer, the skirt panel defining a curved portion between the front portion and the rear portion when mounted on the trailer in an aerodynamic configuration, the skirt panel being adapted to bend away from the aerodynamic configuration when contacting a foreign object and to recover its aerodynamic configuration thereafter, wherein the resilient aerodynamic skirt comprises a resilient strut securing the skirt panel to the trailer, the resilient strut being adapted to bend when the skirt panel bends away from the aerodynamic configuration.

2. The resilient aerodynamic skirt of claim 1, wherein the skirt panel is made of composite materials.

3. The resilient aerodynamic skirt of claim 1, wherein the skirt panel is planar when not installed on the trailer and longitudinally progressively curved when installed on the trailer in the aerodynamic configuration.

4. The resilient aerodynamic skirt of claim 1, wherein the skirt panel progressively bends from a top portion thereof to a bottom portion thereof such that the skirt panel is stressed when bent away from the aerodynamic configuration.

5. The resilient aerodynamic skirt of claim 1, wherein the resilient strut is made of composite materials.

6. The resilient aerodynamic skirt of claim 1, wherein the resilient strut bends in an arcuate shape.

7. The resilient aerodynamic skirt of claim 1, wherein the resilient strut has a constant section.

8. The resilient aerodynamic skirt of claim 1, wherein the resilient strut is a plurality of resilient struts.

9. The resilient aerodynamic skirt of claim 1, wherein the resilient strut is in the aerodynamic configuration when the load applied thereon is provided by air pressure routed by the skirt panel and is adapted to bend away from the aerodynamic configuration when the load applied thereon is provided by a physical contact with a foreign object.

10. The resilient aerodynamic skirt of claim 1, wherein the skirt panel is planar when not installed on the trailer and longitudinally progressively defining two opposite curves therein when installed on the trailer in the aerodynamic configuration.

11. The resilient aerodynamic skirt of claim 1, wherein the resilient strut is disposed at an acute angle between a floor of the trailer and the skirt panel.

12. The resilient aerodynamic skirt of claim 11, wherein the angle of the resilient strut forms an angle of between 10 degrees and 70 degrees with the skirt panel.

13. A method of installing a resilient skirt assembly on a trailer, the method comprising:

securing a skirt panel to the trailer, the skirt panel defining a front portion and a rear portion, the front portion being adapted to be laterally proximally mounted toward a forward portion of the trailer and the rear portion being adapted to be laterally distally mounted in respect with the forward portion toward a rear portion of the trailer, the skirt panel defining a curved portion between the front portion and the rear portion when mounted on the trailer in an aerodynamic configuration; and

securing at least one resilient strut between the trailer and the skirt panel, the at least one resilient strut maintaining the skirt panel in an aerodynamic configuration, the at least one resilient strut allowing the skirt panel to bend away from the aerodynamic configuration when contacting a foreign object and to recover its aerodynamic configuration thereafter.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one resilient strut is secured at an acute angle between the trailer and the skirt panel.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising stressing the skirt panel to bend the at least one resilient strut and bend the skirt panel.

16. A resilient skirt assembly kit comprising:

a skirt panel adapted to be disposed on a trailer to aerodynamically route air along the trailer, the skirt panel defining a front portion and a rear portion, the front portion being adapted to be laterally proximally mounted toward a forward portion of the trailer and the rear portion being adapted to be laterally distally mounted in respect with the forward portion toward a rear portion of the trailer, the skirt panel defining a curved portion between the front portion and the rear portion when mounted on the trailer in an aerodynamic configuration; and

a plurality of resilient struts adapted to secure the skirt panel to the trailer.

17. The kit of claim 16, wherein at least some of the resilient struts are made of composite materials.

18. The kit of claim 16, wherein the skirt panel is adapted to be installed on the trailer in an aerodynamic configuration and is adapted to resiliently bend away from the aerodynamic configuration.