IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0872883
(2015-10-01)
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등록번호 |
US-9688319
(2017-06-27)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Traylor Aerodynamic Systems, LLC
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대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
16 |
초록
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A retractable fairing for reducing aerodynamic drag at a rear end of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) may comprise a streamlining element having a medial plane and an airflow surface for streamlining air flow. A suspension frame may have an element end for hingedly supporting the streamlining elemen
A retractable fairing for reducing aerodynamic drag at a rear end of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) may comprise a streamlining element having a medial plane and an airflow surface for streamlining air flow. A suspension frame may have an element end for hingedly supporting the streamlining element at approximately the medial plane and may have a trailer end for hingedly mounting the suspension frame to approximately an outer vertical corner of the rear end and may include a trailer hinge allowing the streamlining element to move in a horizontal plane into a folded position adjacent to the rear end. A pair of streamlining elements of complementary shape may be each mounted by a suspension frame to respective left and right halves of the rear end and placed in the folded position, the medial planes of each element facing one another and the streamlining elements collectively forming the retractable fairing.
대표청구항
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1. A retractable fairing for reducing aerodynamic drag at a rear end of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV), comprising: a streamlining element having an airflow surface with a medial edge defining an element medial plane, the airflow surface for streamlining air flowing past an aft portion of a vehicl
1. A retractable fairing for reducing aerodynamic drag at a rear end of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV), comprising: a streamlining element having an airflow surface with a medial edge defining an element medial plane, the airflow surface for streamlining air flowing past an aft portion of a vehicle side surface of the CMV;a suspension frame having an element end and a trailer end, the element end configured to hingedly support the streamlining element at approximately the element medial plane, the trailer end configured for hingedly mounting the suspension frame to approximately an outer vertical corner of the rear end and including a trailer hinge allowing the streamlining element to move in a horizontal plane into a folded position adjacent to the rear end of the CMV; andwherein the streamlining element is configured such that when a pair of streamlining elements of complementary shape are each mounted by a suspension frame to a respective left and right half of the rear end and are each placed in the folded position, the element medial plane of the streamlining elements face one another and the streamlining elements collectively form the retractable fairing substantially covering both the respective left and right half of the rear end so as to create a closed structure with the pair of streamlining elements of complementary shape and block the streamlining air from flowing against the rear end. 2. The retractable fairing of claim 1, further comprising: the streamlining element including an element back plane defined by a back edge of the airflow surface; the folded position comprising the element back plane facing the rear end of the CMV. 3. The retractable fairing of claim 1, further comprising: a retracted position in which the streamlining element is positioned adjacent to the vehicle side surface, the trailer hinge allowing the streamlining element to move between the folded position and the retracted position. 4. The retractable fairing of claim 1, wherein: the complementary shape of the pair of streamlining elements comprises the pair of streamlining elements being mirror images of one another. 5. The retractable fairing of claim 1, wherein: the shape of the retractable fairing in the folded position is one of half-spherical, paraboloid, conical, truncated conical, pyramidal, and truncated-pyramidal. 6. The retractable fairing of claim 1, wherein: the streamlining element is solid. 7. The retractable fairing of claim 1, wherein: the streamlining element is hollow. 8. The retractable fairing of claim 1, further comprising: the CMV being a cargo trailer of a cargo-carrying truck, a rear access to the cargo trailer comprising an opposing pair of cargo doors that fold together to close the rear end. 9. The retractable fairing of claim 8, further comprising: the trailer hinge having a trailer hinge pivot axis and being configured such that when the suspension frame is mounted to the rear end, the trailer pivot axis is approximately collinear with or outboard of a door hinge axis of the cargo door. 10. The retractable fairing of claim 1, wherein: the suspension frame comprises a suspension forearm having the element end and the trailer end, the element end hingedly supporting the streamlining element at approximately the intersection of the element medial plane and an element back plane defined by a back edge of the airflow surface, the element back plane facing the rear end when the streamlining element is in the folded position, the streamlining element being adjacent to the vehicle side surface when in a retracted position. 11. The retractable fairing of claim 1, wherein: the trailer hinge is configured for at least approximately 270 degrees of rotation in a horizontal plane when the streamlining element is moved between the folded position and a retracted position adjacent to the vehicle side surface. 12. The retractable fairing of claim 1, further comprising: a retraction spool disposed on the CMV for spooling a retraction cable attached to the streamlining element for pulling the streamlining element from the folded position to a retracted position adjacent to the vehicle side surface. 13. The retractable fairing of claim 1, further comprising: a processor, a retract-fold mechanism connected to the processor, and a controller connected to the processor, the retract-fold mechanism configured for swinging two complementary streamlining elements between a retracted position adjacent to the vehicle side surfaces and the folded position, the controller for communicating with and actuating the retract-fold mechanism, the controller capable of receiving input selections from at least one of a user and a speed-actuated sensor detecting vehicle speed, the processor configured to receive the input selections and configured for controlling the controller to retract or fold the streamlining elements. 14. The retractable fairing of claim 13, further comprising: a position sensor communicating with the processor to augment control of the retract-fold mechanism, where the position sensor is at least one of a retracted sensor for detected the streamlining element being in a retracted position and a folded sensor for detected the streamlining element being in a folded position, the position sensor. 15. A retractable fairing for reducing aerodynamic drag at a rear end of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV), comprising: a streamlining element having an airflow surface with a medial edge defining an element medial plane, the airflow surface for streamlining air flowing past an aft portion of a vehicle side surface of the CMV;a suspension frame having an element end and a trailer end, the element end configured to hingedly support the streamlining element at approximately the element medial plane, the trailer end configured for hingedly mounting the suspension frame to approximately an outer vertical corner of the rear end and including a trailer hinge allowing the streamlining element to move in a horizontal plane into a folded position adjacent to the rear end of the CMV;wherein the streamlining element is configured such that when a pair of streamlining elements of complementary shape are each mounted by a suspension frame to a respective left and right half of the rear end and are each placed in the folded position, the element medial plane of the streamlining elements face one another and the streamlining elements collectively form the retractable fairing substantially covering the rear end;the suspension frame comprises a suspension forearm having the element end and the trailer end, the element end hingedly supporting the streamlining element at approximately the intersection of the element medial plane and an element back plane defined by a back edge of the airflow surface, the element back plane facing the rear end when the streamlining element is in the folded position, the streamlining element being adjacent to the vehicle side surface when in a retracted position; anda forwarding track oriented horizontally along the vehicle side surface, one track end being interposed between the outer vertical corner of the CMV and the trailer hinge, the forwarding track for suspending and sliding the retracted streamlining element forward along the vehicle side surface for clearing an open cargo door configured for closing the rear end of the CMV. 16. A retractable fairing for reducing aerodynamic drag at a rear end of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV), comprising: a streamlining element having an airflow surface with a medial edge defining an element medial plane, the airflow surface for streamlining air flowing past an aft portion of a vehicle side surface of the CMV;a suspension frame having an element end and a trailer end, the element end configured to hingedly support the streamlining element at approximately the element medial plane, the trailer end configured for hingedly mounting the suspension frame to approximately an outer vertical corner of the rear end and including a trailer hinge allowing the streamlining element to move in a horizontal plane into a folded position adjacent to the rear end of the CMV;wherein the streamlining element is configured such that when a pair of streamlining elements of complementary shape are each mounted by a suspension frame to a respective left and right half of the rear end and are each placed in the folded position, the element medial plane of the streamlining elements face one another and the streamlining elements collectively form the retractable fairing substantially covering the rear end;the suspension frame comprising a suspension upper arm and a suspension forearm joined with an elbow hinge, the suspension upper arm having the trailer end and the suspension forearm having the element end, the elbow hinge cooperating when moving the streamlining element horizontally between the folded position and a retracted position adjacent to the vehicle side surface. 17. The retractable fairing of claim 16, wherein: the suspension frame is configured to retract the streamlining element forward from the outer vertical corner by approximately a sum of a suspension upper arm length and a suspension forearm length for clearing an open cargo door configured for closing the rear end of the CMV. 18. The retractable fairing of claim 16, wherein: the elbow hinge is configured for at least approximately 90 degrees of rotation in a horizontal plane during movement between the folded and the retracted positions. 19. The retractable fairing of claim 16, further comprising: an elbow actuator attached between the suspension upper arm and the suspension forearm for at least one of retracting the streamlining element and folding the streamlining element. 20. The retractable fairing of claim 16, further comprising: the element end including an element hinge configured to allow the streamlining element to rotate approximately 180 degrees in a horizontal plane during movement between the folded position and the retracted position. 21. A retractable fairing for reducing aerodynamic drag at a rear end of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV), comprising: a streamlining element having an airflow surface with a medial edge defining an element medial plane, the airflow surface for streamlining air flowing past an aft portion of a vehicle side surface of the CMV;a suspension frame having an element end and a trailer end, the element end configured to hingedly support the streamlining element at approximately the element medial plane, the trailer end configured for hingedly mounting the suspension frame to approximately an outer vertical corner of the rear end and including a trailer hinge allowing the streamlining element to move in a horizontal plane into a folded position adjacent to the rear end of the CMV;wherein the streamlining element is configured such that when a pair of streamlining elements of complementary shape are each mounted by a suspension frame to a respective left and right half of the rear end and are each placed in the folded position, the element medial plane of the streamlining elements face one another and the streamlining elements collectively form the retractable fairing substantially covering the rear end;a vertical displacement actuator disposed between an upper element portion and a lower element portion of the streamlining element, the airflow surface being flexibly deformable for extending beyond the vehicle side surface by a reduced side amount, where the vertical displacement actuator is configured for selectably lengthening a vertical distance between the upper element portion and the lower element portion when the streamlining element is in a retracted position adjacent to the vehicle side surface, the lengthened vertical distance thinning the streamlining element to the reduced side amount for maximizing clearance on a loading dock. 22. The retractable fairing of claim 21, wherein: where the vertical displacement actuator comprises a telescoping actuator mounted to each end of the element hinge suspending the streamlining element, the telescoping actuators being pneumatically operated for lengthening the vertical distance between the upper and the lower element portions. 23. The retractable fairing of claim 21, wherein: the flexibly deformable airflow surface is made of an elastic material assuming the reduced side amount in response to the lengthened vertical distance. 24. A retractable fairing for reducing aerodynamic drag at a rear end of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV), comprising: a streamlining element having an airflow surface with a medial edge defining an element medial plane, the airflow surface for streamlining air flowing past an aft portion of a vehicle side surface of the CMV;a suspension frame having an element end and a trailer end, the element end configured to hingedly support the streamlining element at approximately the element medial plane, the trailer end configured for hingedly mounting the suspension frame to approximately an outer vertical corner of the rear end and including a trailer hinge allowing the streamlining element to move in a horizontal plane into a folded position adjacent to the rear end of the CMV;wherein the streamlining element is configured such that when a pair of streamlining elements of complementary shape are each mounted by a suspension frame to a respective left and right half of the rear end and are each placed in the folded position, the element medial plane of the streamlining elements face one another and the streamlining elements collectively form the retractable fairing substantially covering the rear end;one or more latches for at least one of latching the right and left streamlining element together, latching the streamlining element to the rear end when in the folded position, latching the streamlining element to the vehicle side surface in a retracted position.
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