IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0308707
(2014-06-18)
|
등록번호 |
US-9180919
(2015-11-10)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Breidenbach, Thomas Scott
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Breidenbach, Thomas Scott
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Breidenbach, Thomas Scott
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
11 인용 특허 :
14 |
초록
▼
An aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus is adapted for mounting behind a vehicle. The aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus includes a side panel, an actuator arrangement, a top panel, and an interconnecting member. The side panel is adapted to move between a deployed position and a stowed position. Th
An aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus is adapted for mounting behind a vehicle. The aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus includes a side panel, an actuator arrangement, a top panel, and an interconnecting member. The side panel is adapted to move between a deployed position and a stowed position. The actuator is mounted between the side panel and the vehicle. The top panel is adapted to move between a deployed position and a stowed position. The interconnecting member is connected between the side panel and the top panel. The interconnecting member coordinates movement between the side and top panels such that they each move together between the deployed positions and the stowed positions, respectively. One or more of the panels may be mounted to a door of the vehicle via deformable hinges and/or deformably mounted hinges and thereby allow the door to open compactly against a side of the vehicle by deforming the panels, the hinges, and/or the mounts of the hinges.
대표청구항
▼
1. An aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus adapted for mounting behind a vehicle, the aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus comprising: a side panel adapted to move between a deployed position and a stowed position;an actuator arrangement connected between a first connection to the side panel and a sec
1. An aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus adapted for mounting behind a vehicle, the aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus comprising: a side panel adapted to move between a deployed position and a stowed position;an actuator arrangement connected between a first connection to the side panel and a second connection to the vehicle, the actuator arrangement defining an actuator extension axis between the first connection and the second connection;a top panel adapted to move between a deployed position and a stowed position;an interconnecting member connected between the side panel and the top panel;a bottom member adapted to move between a deployed position and a stowed position; anda bottom interconnecting member connected between the side panel and the bottom member;wherein the interconnecting member coordinates movement between the side and top panels such that they each move together between the deployed positions and the stowed positions, respectively;wherein the bottom interconnecting member coordinates movement between the side panel and the bottom member such that they each move together between the deployed positions and the stowed positions, respectively; andwherein the top panel overlaps the bottom interconnecting member when the side panel and the bottom member are at the stowed positions. 2. The aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the side panel includes a frame and a panel and wherein the panel of the side panel mounts to the vehicle via a set of hinges and the actuator arrangement mounts to the frame of the side panel. 3. The aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the frame is a partial frame. 4. The aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the top panel at least helps retain the bottom member in the respective stowed position by overlapping the bottom interconnecting member when the top panel is at the respective stowed position. 5. The aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interconnecting member includes an interconnecting panel. 6. The aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bottom member includes a bottom panel. 7. The aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator arrangement includes an actuator that extends and retracts along the actuator extension axis. 8. An aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus adapted for mounting behind a vehicle, the aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus comprising: a side panel adapted to move between a deployed position and a stowed position;an actuator arrangement connected between a first connection to the side panel and a second connection to the vehicle, the actuator arrangement defining an actuator extension axis between the first connection and the second connection;a top panel adapted to move between a deployed position and a stowed position;an interconnecting member connected between the side panel and the top panel;a bottom panel adapted to move between a deployed position and a stowed position; anda bottom interconnecting member connected between the side panel and the bottom panel;wherein the interconnecting member coordinates movement between the side and top panels such that they each move together between the deployed positions and the stowed positions, respectively;wherein the bottom interconnecting member coordinates movement between the side and bottom panels such that they each move together between the deployed positions and the stowed positions, respectively; andwherein the actuator arrangement includes an actuation rod that extends below the bottom panel. 9. The aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the actuation rod applies a first spring torsion load that urges the side panel to the deployed position when the actuation rod is configured to deploy the aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus, wherein the actuation rod applies a second spring torsion load that urges the side panel to the stowed position when the actuation rod is configured to stow the aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus. 10. An aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus adapted for use adjacent a rear door of a vehicle, the aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus comprising: a panel mounting arrangement including a vehicle attachment and a panel attachment, the panel mounting arrangement attached to the vehicle at the vehicle attachment, and the panel mounting arrangement configurable at a first configuration and a second configuration; andan aerodynamic panel attached to the panel mounting arrangement at the panel attachment and moveable between a deployed position substantially behind a rear of the vehicle and a compact stowed position substantially alongside a side of the vehicle, the panel mounting arrangement configured at the first configuration when the aerodynamic panel is at the deployed position and the panel mounting arrangement configured at the second configuration when the aerodynamic panel is at the compact stowed position;wherein a distance between the vehicle attachment and the panel attachment of the panel mounting arrangement is reduced when the panel mounting arrangement is reconfigured from the first configuration to the second configuration. 11. The aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the distance is substantially perpendicular to a rear surface of the rear door. 12. The aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the panel mounting arrangement includes a leaf spring between the vehicle attachment and the panel attachment. 13. The aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the panel attachment includes a hinge joint. 14. The aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the distance is substantially perpendicular to a surface of the aerodynamic panel. 15. The aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the panel mounting arrangement includes a flexure between the vehicle attachment and the panel attachment. 16. The aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the panel mounting arrangement includes a collapsing linkage between the vehicle attachment and the panel attachment. 17. The aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the vehicle attachment includes a hinge joint. 18. The aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the panel mounting arrangement is adapted to be compressed when the rear door is opened against the side of the vehicle thereby configuring the panel mounting arrangement at the second configuration. 19. The aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the aerodynamic panel is a side aerodynamic panel, and wherein the vehicle attachment of the panel mounting arrangement is attached to a door frame of the vehicle. 20. The aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the aerodynamic panel is a top aerodynamic panel, and wherein the vehicle attachment of the panel mounting arrangement is attached to the rear door of the vehicle. 21. The aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the panel mounting arrangement is adapted to expand when the rear door is moved away from against the side of the vehicle thereby configuring the panel mounting arrangement at the first configuration.
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