초록 ▼

An air foil structure attachable to a semi-trailer of a tractor-trailer rig is herein disclosed, intended to produce various aerodynamic affects such as reducing turbulence, creating lift, and creating down force. The air foil apparatus is mounted to a trailer chassis and extends upwardly to a heigh

An air foil structure attachable to a semi-trailer of a tractor-trailer rig is herein disclosed, intended to produce various aerodynamic affects such as reducing turbulence, creating lift, and creating down force. The air foil apparatus is mounted to a trailer chassis and extends upwardly to a height approximately that of the cab portion of the tractor. The air foil apparatus comprises a stationary pedestal structure having a pair of attached vertical hydraulic cylinders which connect to the air foil wing portion. The hydraulic cylinders enable height adjustment of the air foil wing by an operator during transit via a remote controller within the cab area. The angle of the wing may be manually adjusted and secured in position via pivoting trunnion mounts. The current height of the air foil wing is displayed upon the remote controller allowing an operator to effectively lower the air foil wing during transit when approaching height-restricting objects.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An air foil system mountable to a trailer portion of a vehicle; comprising: a mounting assembly attachable to a forward lower edge of said trailer portion;a height adjustment assembly having a lower portion affixed to said mounting assembly;an air foil body, further comprising an airplane wing-ty

1. An air foil system mountable to a trailer portion of a vehicle; comprising: a mounting assembly attachable to a forward lower edge of said trailer portion;a height adjustment assembly having a lower portion affixed to said mounting assembly;an air foil body, further comprising an airplane wing-type airfoil structure providing a tapered trailing-edge design and having a width approximately equal to a width of said trailer portion;a pair of trunnion mounts protruding downwardly from a bottom surface of said air foil body and affixed to an upper portion of said height adjustment assembly;wherein said air foil body, when attached, is adapted to aerodynamically effect a flow of air over said vehicle;wherein said air foil body further comprises a corrosion-resistant and lightweight material;wherein said height adjustment assembly provides a selectable height adjustment to said air foil body; and,wherein said pair of trunnion mounts enables said air foil body to pivot, thereby providing a selectable angular adjustment in relation to a longitudinal axis. 2. The air foil system of claim 1, wherein said air foil body further comprises a spoiler-type structure having a flat surface. 3. The air foil system of claim 1, wherein said mounting assembly further comprises a resilient unitary rectangular structure further comprising: a horizontal rectangular bottom mounting bar;a pair of opposing vertical pedestal legs each affixed to an upper surface of said bottom mounting bar with a pedestal foot; and,an upper pedestal cross-member which is affixed to and horizontally spans said pair of pedestal legs;wherein said bottom mounting bar is mounted to said trailer portion of said vehicle; and,wherein said height adjustment assembly is mounted to an upper surface of said upper pedestal cross-member. 4. The air foil system of claim 1, wherein said height adjustment assembly further comprises: a pair of hydraulic cylinders, each comprising a lower cylinder body affixed to said mounting assembly with a mounting flange and an upwardly extending cylinder shaft telescopically traveling within said lower cylinder body;a hydraulic pump system mounted within said vehicle and in fluid communication with said pair of hydraulic cylinders, further comprising: a reservoir of a hydraulic fluid;a pump for transferring said hydraulic fluid to said pair of hydraulic cylinders, said pump in electrical communication with an external power source;a valve located at an outlet of said pump;a pressurized supply and return hose at an outlet of said valve for transferring said hydraulic fluid; and,a detachable connector for each of said supply and return hose to each of said pair of hydraulic cylinders; and,a control assembly in electrical communication with said hydraulic pump system for selectably adjusting a height of said air foil body;wherein control assembly provides a synchronous raising and lowering of said pair of hydraulic cylinders. 5. The air foil system of claim 4, wherein said control assembly further comprises: a protective controller housing comprising internal electronic circuitry;an “UP” button and a “DOWN” button for selectably raising and lowering said height adjustment assembly; and,an electrical connection to said height adjustment assembly. 6. The air foil system of claim 5, further comprising a linear encoder connected to one of said pair of hydraulic cylinders and in electrical communication with said control assembly; wherein said linear encoder electrically communicates an extended height of said one of said pair of hydraulic cylinders and said extended height is displayed on said control assembly. 7. The air foil system of claim 6, wherein said electrical connection further comprises an electrical cord with a detachable connection. 8. The air foil system of claim 6, wherein said control assembly further comprises a wireless connection. 9. The air foil system of claim 6, wherein said pair of hydraulic cylinders provide approximately two feet of vertical telescoping motion. 10. The air foil system of claim 1, wherein said pair of trunnion mounts each further comprises: a semi-circular parallel protruding member having an intermediate gap for receiving an upper portion of said height adjustment assembly;a horizontal trunnion shaft extending through aligned trunnion shaft aperture portions of said protruding member and through a cylinder shaft aperture of said upper portion of said height adjustment assembly;a plurality of angular adjustment securing apertures equally spaced along an angular centerline on opposing outer surfaces of said protruding member; and,a pair of angular adjustment securing fasteners correspondingly inserted into a desired one of said plurality of angular adjustment securing apertures and aligned cylinder securing apertures on opposing outer surfaces of said upper portion of said height adjustment assembly;wherein said pair of trunnion mounts is manually incrementally adjusted to a desired angular adjustment. 11. The air foil system of claim 10, wherein said desired angular adjustment is limited to approximately twenty degrees downward and twenty degrees upward relative to a horizontal plane. 12. An air foil system mountable to a trailer portion of a vehicle; comprising: a mounting assembly, further comprising: a horizontal rectangular bottom mounting bar attachable to a forward lower edge of said trailer portion;a pair of opposing vertical pedestal legs each affixed to an upper surface of said bottom mounting bar with a pedestal foot; and,an upper pedestal cross-member which is affixed to and horizontally spans said pair of pedestal legs;a height adjustment assembly, further comprising: a pair of hydraulic cylinders, each comprising: a lower cylinder body affixed to said mounting assembly with a mounting flange; and,an upwardly extending cylinder shaft telescopically traveling within said lower cylinder body, further comprising a cylinder shaft aperture routed through an upper portion thereof and a pair of aligned cylinder securing apertures on opposing outer surfaces of an upper portion thereof subjacent to said cylinder shaft aperture;a hydraulic pump system mounted within said vehicle and in fluid communication with said pair of hydraulic cylinders, further comprising: a reservoir of a hydraulic fluid;a pump for transferring said hydraulic fluid to said pair of hydraulic cylinders, said pump in electrical communication with an external power source;a valve located at an outlet of said pump;a pressurized supply and return hose at an outlet of said valve for transferring said hydraulic fluid; and,a detachable connector for each of said supply and return hose to each of said pair of hydraulic cylinders;a control assembly in electrical communication with said hydraulic pump system for selectably adjusting a height of said air foil body; and,a linear encoder connected to one of said pair of hydraulic cylinders and in electrical communication with said control assembly;a resilient and lightweight air foil body;a pair of trunnion mounts protruding downwardly from a bottom surface of said air foil body, each further comprising: a semi-circular parallel protruding member having an intermediate gap for receiving an upper portion of each of said pair of hydraulic cylinders;a horizontal trunnion shaft extending through aligned trunnion shaft aperture portions of said protruding member and said cylinder shaft aperture of each of said pair of hydraulic cylinders;a plurality of angular adjustment securing apertures equally spaced along an angular centerline on opposing outer surfaces of said protruding member; and,a pair of angular adjustment securing fasteners correspondingly inserted into a desired one of said plurality of angular adjustment securing apertures and aligned said cylinder securing apertures of each of said pair of hydraulic cylinders;wherein said air foil body, when attached, is adapted to aerodynamically effect a flow of air over said vehicle;wherein said height adjustment assembly provides a selectable height adjustment to said air foil body;wherein control assembly provides a synchronous raising and lowering of said pair of hydraulic cylinders;wherein said linear encoder electrically communicates an extended height of said one of said pair of hydraulic cylinders and said extended height is displayed on said control assembly;wherein said pair of trunnion mounts enables said air foil body to pivot, thereby providing a selectable angular adjustment in relation to a longitudinal axis; and,wherein said pair of trunnion mounts is manually incrementally adjusted to a desired angular adjustment. 13. The air foil system of claim 12, wherein said air foil body further comprises an airplane wing-type airfoil structure providing a tapered trailing-edge design and having a width approximately equal to a width of said trailer portion. 14. The air foil system of claim 12, wherein said air foil body further comprises a spoiler-type structure having a flat surface. 15. The air foil system of claim 12, wherein said control assembly further comprises: a protective controller housing comprising internal electronic circuitry;an “UP” button and a “DOWN” button for selectably raising and lowering said height adjustment assembly; and,an electrical connection to said height adjustment assembly. 16. The air foil system of claim 15, wherein said electrical connection further comprises an electrical cord with a detachable connection. 17. The air foil system of claim 15, wherein said control assembly further comprises a wireless connection. 18. The air foil system of claim 15, wherein said pair of hydraulic cylinders provide approximately two feet of vertical telescoping motion.