IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0237956
(2008-09-25)
|
등록번호 |
US-8641127
(2014-02-04)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
2 인용 특허 :
7 |
초록
▼
A plasma spoiler is mounted in a rear portion of a vehicle for exerting a force on a passing air flow. The plasma spoiler has a dielectric substrate formed of a dielectric material, a first electrode mounted on a bottom surface of the dielectric substrate and insulated by the dielectric substrate, a
A plasma spoiler is mounted in a rear portion of a vehicle for exerting a force on a passing air flow. The plasma spoiler has a dielectric substrate formed of a dielectric material, a first electrode mounted on a bottom surface of the dielectric substrate and insulated by the dielectric substrate, a second electrode mounted on an upper, exposed surface of the dielectric substrate, and a power source connected to the first and second electrodes. The first electrode is disposed in a rearward direction relative to the second electrode. A switch is disposed between the power source and one of the first electrode and the second electrode. The switch is controlled by a controller that is in communication with a speed sensor, so as to activate the plasma spoiler only when the vehicle exceeds a trigger speed.
대표청구항
▼
1. A plasma spoiler mounted on a rear portion of a vehicle, comprising: a dielectric substrate formed of a dielectric material;a first electrode mounted on the dielectric substrate so as to be insulated from outside air;a second electrode mounted on the dielectric substrate so as to be exposed to ou
1. A plasma spoiler mounted on a rear portion of a vehicle, comprising: a dielectric substrate formed of a dielectric material;a first electrode mounted on the dielectric substrate so as to be insulated from outside air;a second electrode mounted on the dielectric substrate so as to be exposed to outside air and disposed in a longitudinal position toward a front of the vehicle relative to the first electrode;a power source connected to the first and second electrodes, the power source supplying a voltage to the electrodes;a switch disposed between at least one of a connection between the power source and the first electrode and the power source and the second electrode; anda controller connected to the switch and a vehicle speed sensor,wherein said switch is selectively operable in an on position and an off position, wherein when said switch is in the on position, the voltage passes from the power source to the electrodes, and when the switch is in the off position, the voltage does not pass from the power source to the electrodes,the controller actuates the switch to the on position when a vehicle speed exceeds a trigger speed, and actuates the switch to the off position when the vehicle speed is below the trigger speed, andthe on position of the switch allows a variable amount of voltage to pass to the electrodes, and wherein the controller actuates the switch to increase the amount of voltage passing through the switch to the electrodes as the speed increases over the trigger speed. 2. The plasma spoiler according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric substrate is a Kapton film. 3. The plasma spoiler according to claim 1, wherein the plasma spoiler has a length dimension substantially equal to a width of the rear portion of the vehicle. 4. The plasma spoiler according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode comprises a top surface, a bottom surface, and two side surfaces, and the second electrode is mounted on the dielectric substrate so that the bottom surface and the two side surfaces are insulated by the dielectric substrate, and said top surface is flush with a top surface of the dielectric substrate. 5. A vehicle, comprising: a body having a front portion and a rear end, said rear end having a substantially planar surface which tapers into a vertical surface defining a back side of the vehicle, said substantially planar surface of the rear end having a space defined therein adjacent the vertical surface defining the back side of the vehicle;a plasma spoiler received in the space defined in the rear end such that a top surface of the plasma spoiler is level with a top surface of the rear end surrounding the space defined in the rear end;a switch provided between a power source and the plasma spoiler; anda controller connected to and controlling the switch,wherein the controller is configured to actuate the switch to an on position where the power source is connected to the plasma spoiler when a sensed vehicle speed sensed by a speed sensor is greater than a trigger speed, and the controller actuates the switch to an off position where the power source is disconnected from the plasma spoiler when the sensed vehicle speed is less than the trigger speed, and the plasma spoiler is configured to deflect an airflow passing over the rear end of the vehicle in an upward direction away from the vehicle body when connected to the power source. 6. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the plasma spoiler comprises: a dielectric substrate formed of a dielectric material;a first electrode mounted on a bottom surface of the dielectric substrate and insulated by the dielectric substrate;a second electrode mounted on a top surface of the dielectric substrate and exposed to outside air; andthe power source connected to the first and second electrodes, the power source supplying a voltage to the electrodes,wherein the first and second electrodes are mounted with the first electrode disposed in a longitudinal position toward the rear of the vehicle relative to the second electrode. 7. A method for altering a vehicle aerodynamic profile based upon a sensed vehicle speed, comprising the steps of: detecting the sensed vehicle speed exceeding a predetermined trigger speed;actuating a switch to an on position, wherein a voltage is allowed to pass from a power source to two electrodes mounted in a plasma spoiler;generating a plasma region that exerts a force acting in a direction away from the vehicle;detecting an increase in the sensed vehicle speed; andincreasing the voltage allowed to pass from the power source to the two electrodes mounted in the plasma spoiler so as to increase the force acting in a direction away from the vehicle. 8. The method for altering a vehicle aerodynamic profile according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of: detecting a decrease in the sensed vehicle speed;decreasing the voltage allowed to pass from the power source to the two electrodes as the sensed vehicle speed decreases and is greater than the predetermined trigger speed; andactuating the switch to an off position, wherein the voltage is not allowed to pass from the power source to the two electrodes in the plasma spoiler when the sensed vehicle speed drops below the predetermined trigger speed. 9. The method for altering a vehicle aerodynamic profile according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of: providing a dielectric substrate;providing a first electrode mounted on the dielectric substrate so as to be insulated from outside air by the dielectric substrate;providing a second electrode mounted on the dielectric substrate so as to be exposed to the outside air, wherein the first electrode is mounted relatively nearer a rear end of the vehicle than the second electrode. 10. A vehicle, comprising: a body having a rear end with a substantially planar horizontal surface which tapers into a vertical surface defining a back side of the vehicle;a plasma spoiler provided directly on the substantially planar horizontal surface of the body rear end;a switch provided between a power source and the plasma spoiler;a controller connected to and controlling the switch; anda speed sensor for sensing a vehicle speed,wherein the controller is configured to actuate the switch to an on position where the power source is connected to the plasma spoiler when the sensed vehicle speed is greater than a trigger speed, and the controller actuates the switch to an off position where the power source is disconnected from the plasma spoiler when the sensed vehicle speed is less than the trigger speed, and said plasma spoiler is configured to generate a plasma region exerting a force in a substantially upward direction away from the substantially planar horizontal surface of the body rear portion when connected to the power source. 11. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the plasma spoiler comprises: a dielectric substrate formed of a dielectric material;a first electrode mounted on a bottom surface of the dielectric substrate and insulated by the dielectric substrate; anda second electrode mounted on a top surface of the dielectric substrate and exposed to outside air,wherein the power source is selectively connected to the first and second electrodes to supply a voltage to the electrodes, and the first and second electrodes are mounted with the first electrode disposed in a longitudinal position toward the rear of the vehicle relative to the second electrode. 12. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the power source is connected to both first and second electrodes when the switch is in the on position, and the power source is disconnected from the at least one of the first and second electrodes when the switch is in the off position. 13. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to control an amount of voltage supplied by the power source to the plasma spoiler such that the supplied voltage is increased as a vehicle speed increases and the supplied voltage is decreased as the vehicle speed decreases. 14. The plasma spoiler according to claim 1, wherein a rear edge of the second electrode is disposed in a longitudinal position toward the front of the vehicle relative to a front edge of the first electrode. 15. The plasma spoiler according to claim 6, wherein a rear edge of the second electrode is disposed in a longitudinal position toward a front of the vehicle relative to a front edge of the first electrode. 16. The plasma spoiler according to claim 11, wherein a rear edge of the second electrode is disposed in a longitudinal position toward a front of the vehicle relative to a front edge of the first electrode. 17. The plasma spoiler according to claim 1, wherein the trigger speed is set at a lower limit for high speed vehicle travel. 18. The plasma spoiler according to claim 1, wherein the trigger speed is set at approximately 50 miles per hour. 19. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the trigger speed is set at approximately 50 miles per hour. 20. The method for altering a vehicle aerodynamic profile according to claim 7, wherein the trigger speed is set at approximately 50 miles per hour. 21. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the trigger speed is set at approximately 50 miles per hour. 22. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to increase an amount of voltage supplied to the plasma spoiler as the sensed vehicle speed increases and to decrease the amount of voltage supplied to the plasma spoiler as the sensed vehicle speed decreases. 23. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to increase an amount of voltage supplied to the plasma spoiler as the sensed vehicle speed increases and to decrease the amount of voltage supplied to the plasma spoiler as the sensed vehicle speed decreases. 24. A control system for a plasma spoiler configured to be mounted on a rear portion of a ground vehicle, the control system comprising: a speed sensor configured to sense a vehicle speed; anda controller in communication with the speed sensor and configured to increase the amplitude of voltage supplied to the plasma spoiler from an associated power source as the sensed vehicle speed increases and to decrease the amplitude of voltage supplied to the plasma spoiler from an associated power source as the sensed vehicle speed decreases.
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