Patent ID: 6092861
Filing Date: 2000-07-25
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
An air drag reducing apparatus for mounting on the rearward surface of a vehicle, wherein said rearward surface of said vehicle on which said air drag reducing apparatus is to be mounted is substantially rectangular with opposed vertically disposed side edges and opposed horizontally disposed upper and lower edges;said air drag reducing apparatus comprising:a first pair of identical panels each having at least three sides, wherein each of said first pair of identical panels has a base edge, and each of said first pair of identical panels has first and second side edges extending from the respective base edge, wherein each respective base edge is adapted to be hingedly mounted to one of said opposed vertical side edges of said rearward surface of said vehicle; and wherein each respective base edge spans the full vertical height of said side edges of said rearward surface to which said panel is mounted;a second pair of identical panels each having at least three sides, wherein each of said second pair of identical panels has a base edge, and each of said second pair of identical panels has first and second side edges extending from the respective base edge, wherein each respective base edge is parallel to one of said upper and lower horizontal edges of said rearward surface of said vehicle; and wherein each respective base edge spans the full horizontal width of said upper and lower edges of said rearward surface to which said panel is parallel; andhinge means comprising two mating hinge plates and a hinge pin;wherein each of said first pair of identical panels and each of said second pair of identical panels is symmetric about a respective axis of symmetry;wherein said second side edge of each of said first pair of identical panels is hingedly connected to said first side edge of a respective one of said second pair of identical panels so as to form one of two fold-away portions of said air drag reducing apparatus; and wherein said first and second side edges of each of said panels are designated such that said first side edge of either of said first pair of identical panels is adjacent to said second side edge of either of said second pair of identical panels; and said second side edge of either of said first pair of identical panels is adjacent to said first side edge of either of said second pair of identical panels;wherein each of said base edges of said first pair of identical panels is hingedly connected to a respective one of said opposed vertical side edges of said rearward surface of said vehicle;wherein said first pair of identical panels has first and second ends; wherein said first end of each of said first pair of identical panels is defined by the base edge and the second end is remote from the first end of each of said first pair of identical panels along its respective axis of symmetry;wherein said second pair of identical panels has first and second ends; wherein said first end of each of said second pair of identical panels is defined by the base edge and the second end is remote from the first end of each of said second pair of identical panels along its respective axis of symmetry;wherein said first and second sides edges of each of said first pair of identical panels form a first angle with said upper and lower horizontal side edges of said rearward surface of said vehicle;wherein said first and second side edges of each of said second pair of identical panels form a second angle with said opposed vertical side edges of said rearward surface of said vehicle; andwherein at least one of said first and second angles is between 18 and 30 degrees.