Rear-mounted aerodynamic structure for truck cargo bodies
US8100461B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 16, 2008 |
| Grant date | Jan 24, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 21, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB62D35/001
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
This invention provides an aerodynamic structure attached to the rear face of a truck cargo body, which rear typically contains a door assembly, with a plurality of doors that swing open on hinges, or a single, full-width door, which rolls upwardly. The various embodiments of the invention allow an aerodynamic structure to be permanently attached to the rear of the trailer in a manner that would obscure access to the door(s) in a deployed position, in which the aerodynamic structure generates reduced drag on the trailer body, yet enables ready access to the door(s) in a folded position. The folded position still allows the rear of the trailer to be fully accessible for loading and unloading, and in the case of swinging, hinged doors (among others), allows the doors to be folded through a full 270-degree arc from a closed position to a position flush along the sides of the vehicle, with a minimal sideways projection. The various embodiments also enable relatively rapid and easy transition between the folded position and the deployed position using a variety of actuators and linkages that tie the folding and deployment of various panels of the structure together. This allows an opera…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.