IPC분류정보
| 국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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| 국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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| 출원번호 |
US-0161583
(2016-05-23)
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| 등록번호 |
US-10099729
(2018-10-16)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Baker, Leonard W.
- Haan, Brian
- Sweet, James A.
- Courtney, Michael J.
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| 출원인 / 주소 |
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| 대리인 / 주소 |
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| 인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
71 |
초록
A nose gap reducer for reducing drag on a vehicle is disclosed. The nose gap reducer may be coupled to a vehicle such as a trailer of a semi-trailer truck for example. The trailer may be positioned between a tractor unit or between another trailer.
대표청구항
▼
1. An aerodynamic nose gap reducer for reducing drag on a trailer, the nose gap reducer comprising: a rigid support backer that extends along a width of the nose gap reducer,a compressible fin insert that extends outwardly away from the rigid support backer, the compressible fin insert being configu
1. An aerodynamic nose gap reducer for reducing drag on a trailer, the nose gap reducer comprising: a rigid support backer that extends along a width of the nose gap reducer,a compressible fin insert that extends outwardly away from the rigid support backer, the compressible fin insert being configured to compress to reduce a length of the nose gap reducer in response to a compression force being applied to the compressible fin insert and to return to a pre-compressed shape in response to the compression force being removed from the compressible fin insert, anda deformable housing arranged around the compressible fin insert and the rigid support backer, the deformable housing being configured to change shape with the compressible fin insert;wherein the deformable housing and the rigid support backer encase the compressible fin. 2. The nose gap reducer of claim 1, further comprising a first surface and a second surface connected to the first surface, the first surface is angled relative to the second surface by an angle alpha, and the angle alpha is between about 15 degrees and about 40 degrees. 3. The nose gap reducer of claim 2, wherein the angle alpha is about 33 degrees. 4. The nose gap reducer of claim 2, further comprising a third surface that extends between the first and second surfaces along the width of the nose gap reducer and a fourth surface that interconnects the first, second, and third surfaces, the fourth surface is angled relative to the third surface by an angle beta, and the angle beta is between about 15 degrees and about 40 degrees. 5. The nose gap reducer claim 4, wherein the angle beta is between about 30 degrees and about 35 degrees. 6. The nose gap reducer of claim 1, wherein the compressible fin insert includes a compressible body comprising foam material and an inner layer arranged around the compressible body, the compressible body has a triangular cross-section when viewed along the width of the nose gap reducer, the compressible fin insert is configured to be compressed to between about 80 percent and about 30 percent of a pre-compressed length of the compressible fin insert and to return to about 100 percent of the pre-compressed length in response to the compression force being removed. 7. The nose gap reducer of claim 6, wherein the inner layer is formed to define a plurality of evacuation apertures that extend through the inner layer and the evacuation apertures are located at an upper end of the compressible fin insert relative to ground. 8. The nose gap reducer of claim 7, wherein the deformable housing is formed to include a plurality of purge holes extending through the deformable housing and the purge holes are located at a lower end of the nose gap reducer relative to ground. 9. The nose gap reducer of claim 1, wherein the rigid support backer includes an outer wall and a plurality of ribs coupled to the outer wall and the housing includes a plurality of brackets coupled to the outer wall of the rigid support backer. 10. A method of making and using a compressible nose gap reducer for a trailer, the method comprising: providing a compressible upper fin assembly, a compressible first side fin assembly, and a compressible second side fin assembly, each of the compressible fin assemblies being configured to compress and reduce in length in response to a compression force being applied to the corresponding upper fin assembly, first side fin assembly, and second side fin assembly and to return to a pre-compressed shape in response to the compression force being removed from the corresponding upper fin assembly, first side fin assembly, and second side fin assembly, andcoupling together the upper fin assembly, the first side fin assembly, and the second side fin assembly to form the nose gap reducer,wherein when a structure is moved into engagement with the nose gap reducer, a length of the nose gap reducer is reduced by between about 30 percent and about 80 percent of a pre-compressed length of the nose gap reducer and when the structure is moved out of engagement with the nose gap reducer, the nose gap reducer returns to about the pre-compressed length of the nose gap reducer. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising applying the compression force to the nose gap reducer to compress at least one of the upper fin assembly, the first side fin assembly, and the second side fin assembly to reduce a length of the nose gap reducer by between about 30 percent and about 80 percent of a pre-compressed length of the corresponding upper fin assembly, first side fin assembly, and second side fin assembly. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising removing the compression force to cause the corresponding upper fin assembly, first side fin assembly, and second side fin assembly to return to the pre-compressed length when the compression force is removed. 13. The method of claim 10, further comprising coupling the nose gap reducer to a first trailer to form a vent gap between the first trailer and the nose gap reducer. 14. An aerodynamic nose gap reducer for reducing drag on a trailer, the nose gap reducer comprising: a rigid support backer that extends along a width of the nose gap reducer,a compressible fin insert that extends outwardly away from the rigid support backer, the compressible fin insert being configured to compress to reduce a length of the nose gap reducer in response to a compression force being applied to the compressible fin insert and to return to a pre-compressed shape in response to the compression force being removed from the compressible fin insert, the compressible fin insert including a compressible body comprising foam material, anda deformable housing arranged around the compressible fin insert and the rigid support backer, the deformable housing being configured to change shape with the compressible fin insert. 15. The nose gap reducer of claim 14, further comprising a first surface and a second surface connected to the first surface, the first surface is angled relative to the second surface by an angle alpha, and the angle alpha is between about 15 degrees and about 40 degrees. 16. The nose gap reducer of claim 15, further comprising a third surface that extends between the first and second surfaces along the width of the nose gap reducer and a fourth surface that interconnects the first, second, and third surfaces, the fourth surface is angled relative to the third surface by an angle beta, and the angle beta is between about 15 degrees and about 40 degrees. 17. The nose gap reducer claim 16, wherein the angle beta is between about 30 degrees and about 35 degrees. 18. The nose gap reducer of claim 14, wherein compressible body further includes an inner layer arranged around the compressible body and the inner layer is formed to define a plurality of evacuation apertures that extend through the inner layer and the evacuation apertures are located at an upper end of the compressible fin insert relative to ground. 19. The nose gap reducer of claim 14, wherein the deformable housing is formed to include a plurality of purge holes extending through the deformable housing and the purge holes are located at a lower end of the nose gap reducer relative to ground.
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