Patent ID: 9669883
Date: 2017-06-06
CPC Classifications: B62D,Y02T

Claim:
1. A modular aerodynamic skirt assembly for reducing the air drag of a trailer, the modular aerodynamic skirt assembly comprising: a skirt panel adapted to be disposed on a lateral lower side of a trailer, the skirt panel including a plurality of substantially planar skirt portions respectively including a forward edge adapted to be disposed toward a forward portion of a trailer and a trailing edge adapted to be disposed toward a trailing edge of a trailer, the skirt panel being adapted to temporarily bend away from an aerodynamic configuration when contacting an external object and self-recovering the aerodynamic configuration when ceasing contacting the external object; and a plurality of supports for securing the plurality of skirt portions to a trailer in the aerodynamic configuration when the modular skirt panels are secured to the trailer, wherein adjacent skirt portions are interconnected together with an interconnecting edge disposed at a non-90° angle from vertical when the plurality of skirt portions are operatively secured on a trailer in the aerodynamic configuration, the interconnecting edge being configured to provide a progressive longitudinal mechanical load transfer along the skirt panel between adjacent skirt portions when one of the skirt portions is contacting the external object and the skirt panel is temporarily bending away from the aerodynamic configuration.