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Aerodynamic skirt resilient member

DC CAFC
  • US 8,449,017 B2
  • Filed: 09/11/2012
  • Issued: 05/28/2013
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2008
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A resilient strut adapted to secure an aerodynamic skirt to a trailer, the aerodynamic skirt being adapted to be substantially longitudinally mounted to the trailer,the aerodynamic skirt comprising a skirt panel including a front portion and a rear portion, the front portion being adapted to be mounted toward a forward portion of the trailer and the rear portion being adapted to be mounted toward a rear portion of the trailer in a configuration reducing air drag about the trailer, the skirt panel being adapted to move away from the configuration reducing air drag about the trailer when contacting a foreign object and to recover the configuration reducing air drag about the trailer thereafter,the resilient strut being adapted to sustain an elastic deformation when a load is applied to the resilient strut when the skirt panel moves away from the configuration reducing air drag about the trailer and to self-recover the resilient strut original shape when the load is removed, the resilient strut including a longitudinal shape variation adapted to change a mechanical strength of the resilient strut and influence a stiffness of the resilient strut.

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