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This invention provides an aerodynamic structure attached to the rear face of a truck cargo body, which rear typically contains a door assembly, with a plurality of doors that swing open on hinges, or a single, full-width door, which rolls upwardly. The various embodiments of the invention allow an

This invention provides an aerodynamic structure attached to the rear face of a truck cargo body, which rear typically contains a door assembly, with a plurality of doors that swing open on hinges, or a single, full-width door, which rolls upwardly. The various embodiments of the invention allow an aerodynamic structure to be permanently attached to the rear of the trailer in a manner that would obscure access to the door(s) in a deployed position, in which the aerodynamic structure generates reduced drag on the trailer body, yet enables ready access to the door(s) in a folded position. The folded position still allows the rear of the trailer to be fully accessible for loading and unloading, and in the case of swinging, hinged doors (among others), allows the doors to be folded through a full 270-degree arc from a closed position to a position flush along the sides of the vehicle, with a minimal sideways projection. The various embodiments also enable relatively rapid and easy transition between the folded position and the deployed position using a variety of actuators and linkages that tie the folding and deployment of various panels of the structure together. This allows an operator to selectively fold and deploy the structure without undue effort or strength.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An aerodynamic structure for the rear of a truck body comprising: hingedly mounted on each of a pair of doors, a side panel, an upper panel and a lower panel that hinge between a folded position on the door to a deployed position in which the side panel, the upper panel and the lower panel togeth

1. An aerodynamic structure for the rear of a truck body comprising: hingedly mounted on each of a pair of doors, a side panel, an upper panel and a lower panel that hinge between a folded position on the door to a deployed position in which the side panel, the upper panel and the lower panel together define an aerodynamic structure with an internal cavity, wherein the upper panel includes a pair of upper foldable sections joined along an upper hinge line that extends across the upper panel from a corner of the upper panel to a diagonally opposed corner of the upper panel such that the upper foldable sections confront each other when the upper panel is in the folded position, and the lower panel includes a pair of lower foldable sections joined along a lower hinge line that extends across the lower panel from a corner of the lower panel to a diagonally opposed corner of the lower panel such that the lower foldable sections confront each other when the lower panel is in the folded position, and wherein the upper panel, the side panel and the lower panel are fully interconnected to move together between the deployed position and the folded position such that the side panel overlies both the upper panel and the lower panel when in the folded position to thereby reduce interference between the aerodynamic structure and locking rod handles; anda recessed well in each of the pair of doors facing into a cargo compartment of the truck body, the recessed well receiving each of the side panel, the upper panel and the lower panel therein so that each of the pair of doors can be opened to the position substantially flush against the side of the truck body with the side panel, the upper panel and the lower panel in the folded position. 2. An aerodynamic structure for the rear of a truck body comprising: hingedly mounted on each of a pair of doors having locking rods and locking rod handles, a side panel, an upper panel and a lower panel that hinge between a folded position on the door to a deployed position in which the side panel, the upper panel and the lower panel together define an aerodynamic structure with an internal cavity, wherein the upper panel includes a pair of upper foldable sections joined along an upper hinge line that extends across the upper panel from a corner of the upper panel to a diagonally opposed corner of the upper panel such that the upper foldable sections confront each other when the upper panel is in the folded position, and the lower panel includes a pair of lower foldable sections joined along a lower hinge line that extends across the lower panel from a corner of the lower panel to a diagonally opposed corner of the lower panel such that the lower foldable sections confront each other when the lower panel is in the folded position, and wherein the upper panel, the side panel and the lower panel are fully interconnected to move together between the deployed position and the folded position such that the side panel overlies the upper panel, the lower panel and the locking rods when in the folded position; andat least one actuator that selectively moves at least one of the side panel, the upper panel and the lower panel between a folded position and a deployed position in response to an operator input. 3. An aerodynamic structure for a rear of a truck body comprising: a side panel, an upper panel and a lower panel, each hingedly mounted on a door of the truck body, that hinge between a folded position on the door to a deployed position in which the side panel, the upper panel and the lower panel together define an aerodynamic structure with an internal cavity, wherein the upper panel includes a pair of upper foldable sections joined along an upper hinge line such that the upper foldable sections confront each other when the upper panel is in the folded position, and the lower panel includes a pair of lower foldable sections joined along a lower hinge line such that the lower foldable sections confront each other when the lower panel is in the folded position; andan actuator connected between the door and a portion of the side panel to respectively move the side panel, the upper panel and the lower panel between the folded position and the deployed position in response to an operator input;wherein the lower panel is disposed above the locking rod handles when the lower panel is in the folded position to enable access to the locking rod handles. 4. The aerodynamic structure as set forth in claim 2 wherein the lower panel is disposed above the locking rod handles when the lower panel is in the folded position to enable access to the locking rod handles. 5. The aerodynamic structure as set forth in claim 2 wherein a bottom edge of the side panels for each of the pair of doors are substantially adjacent to each other when in the folded position. 6. The aerodynamic structure as set forth in claim 3 wherein a bottom edge of the side panels for each of the pair of doors are substantially adjacent to each other when in the folded position. 7. An aerodynamic structure for a rear of a truck body comprising: a side panel, an upper panel and a lower panel, each hingedly mounted on each of a pair of doors having locking rods and locking rod handles, that hinge between a folded position on the door to a deployed position in which the side panel, the upper panel and the lower panel together define an aerodynamic structure with an internal cavity, wherein the upper panel includes a pair of upper foldable sections joined along an upper hinge line that extends diagonally across the upper panel such that the upper foldable sections confront each other when the upper panel is in the folded position, and the lower panel includes a pair of lower foldable sections joined along a lower hinge line that extends diagonally across the lower panel such that the lower foldable sections confront each other when the lower panel is in the folded position, and wherein the side panel, the upper panel and the lower panel are fully interconnected to move together between the deployed position and the folded position such that the side panel overlies the upper panel, the lower panel and the locking rods when in the folded position, so as to allow access to the locking rod handles and maintain visibility of trailer lighting when the side panel is in the folded position; andan actuator that selectively moves at least one of the side panel, the upper panel and the lower panel between the folded position and the deployed position in response to an operator input. 8. The aerodynamic structure as set forth in claim 7 wherein a bottom edge of the side panel is adjacent a bottom edge of the door to thereby provide clearance for access the locking rod handles and maintain visibility of the trailer lighting. 9. An aerodynamic structure for the rear of a truck body comprising: a side panel and an upper panel, each hingedly mounted on each of a pair of doors having locking rods and locking rod handles, that hinge between a folded position on the door to a deployed position in which the side panel and upper panel together define an aerodynamic structure with an internal cavity, wherein the upper panel includes a pair of upper foldable sections joined along an upper hinge line that extends diagonally across the upper panel such that the upper foldable sections confront each other when the upper panel is in the folded position, wherein the side panel overlies the upper panel and the locking rods when in the folded position, and wherein a bottom edge of the side panel is disposed above a bottom side of the truck body so as to enable access to the locking rod handles; andan actuator that selectively moves at least one of the side panel and the upper panel between the folded position and the deployed position in response to an operator input. 10. The aerodynamic structure as set forth in claim 9 wherein the bottom edge of the side panel is adjacent a bottom edge of the door so as to fully overlie the door and the locking rods. 11. The aerodynamic structure as set forth in claim 9 wherein the bottom edge of the side panel is sufficiently above the bottom side of the truck body so as to maintain visibility of trailer lighting. 12. The aerodynamic structure as set forth in claim 9 further comprising a bottom member having a diagonal hinge line constructed and arranged to fold the bottom member upwardly when transitioned toward the folded position so that the side panel overlies the bottom member when the side panel is in the folded position. 13. The aerodynamic structure as set forth in claim 12 wherein the bottom edge of the side panel and a bottom edge of the bottom member, when in the folded position, are disposed above the locking rod handles to enable access to the locking rod handles and to maintain visibility of trailer lighting.