Abstract:
An air dam is provided which includes an upper portion, an intermediate portion and a flexible lower portion. The upper portion is affixed to the underside of a vehicle. The intermediate portion is integral to the upper portion. The flexible lower portion is affixed to the upper portion. The intermediate portion of the air dam is operatively configured to structurally support the flexible intermediate portion.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application bearing Ser. No. 61/499,255. The contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates generally to devices for improving vehicle aerodynamics, and more specifically to air dams for motor vehicles. 
     Many conventional motor vehicles, such as the modern-day automobile, include an air dam that is engineered to improve the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle body. A traditional air dam, which is sometimes referred to as an “air deflector,” is mounted on the underside of the front-end structure of the vehicle body, extending downward into proximity with the roadway. Current air dam design is such that the air dam is positioned approximately 15 degrees from the ground wherein the contact point between the front tire and the ground is the vertex. Air dams improve the handling and control of the motor vehicle, increase fuel economy, and also improve the routing of air flow for cooling/heat exchange in the vehicle powertrain and air conditioning systems by managing the flow of turbulent air under and around the vehicle chassis and affecting internal airflows. 
     As a vehicle moves forward at higher speeds, air flow underneath the vehicle is more likely to increase where a vehicle does not have an air dam. Air flow underneath a vehicle is not desirable because a vehicle may experience lift as well as air turbulence under the vehicle thereby reducing fuel efficiency and increasing aerodynamic drag. 
     Traditional air dams are generally fixedly suspended from underneath the front-end structure of the vehicle. Air dams therefore redirect the air flow to the sides of the vehicle so as to minimize turbulence caused by ierregular under carriage surfaces. Such traditional air dams may be damaged upon sporadic unintended impact with a curb, driveway incline, or other roadway obstruction. The damage to the air dam reduces the effectiveness of the air dam and further increases the associated repairs and/or replacement costs. 
     SUMMARY 
     An air dam is provided which includes an upper portion, an intermediate portion and a flexible lower portion. The upper portion is affixed to the underside of a vehicle. The intermediate portion is integral to the upper portion. The flexible lower portion is affixed to the upper portion. The intermediate portion of the air dam is operatively configured to structurally support the flexible intermediate portion. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an air dam of the present disclosure installed on a vehicle. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates the front side of an air dam of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates the back side of an air dam of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a front view of the upper portion and the intermediate portion. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a rear view of the upper portion and the intermediate portion. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a cross sectional view of the air dam in  FIG. 3  along lines B-B. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a cross sectional view of the air dam in  FIG. 3  along lines C-C. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure provides an air dam  10  which reduces air drag under a moving vehicle while maintaining damageability performance. The air dam  10  of the present disclosure serves to reduce lift, increase front end stability, and allows for smoother underbody air flow. 
     Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  illustrates a front view of an embodiment of the present disclosure. The air dam  10  shown in  FIG. 1  is implemented on a vehicle such as an automobile, truck or SUV. The air dam  10  includes an upper portion  14 , a lower portion  16  and an intermediate portion  28 . 
     The upper portion  14  of the air dam  10  includes a substantially horizontal section  20  which lies below the bumper and may optionally further a section which integrally curves to a vertical wall  24 . The lower portion  16  may be attached along to the bottom edge  32  of the upper portion  14 . The lower portion  16  may be attached to the upper portion  14  via a dual shot mold. 
     The upper portion  14  may be formed from a rigid material such as, but not limited to a thermoplastic olefin material having a durometer value in the range of 90-120. The lower portion  16  may be formed from a flexible material having a durometer value in the range of 40-80. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the intermediate portion  28  may be integral to the upper portion  14 . As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the intermediate portion  28  includes a molded-in spine  18  that is integrally attached to the upper portion  14  through a plurality of flexible vertical sections  30 . The molded-in spine  18  of the intermediate portion  28  is disposed along the lowest edge of the intermediate portion  28 . It is to be understood that the molded in spine  18  may run along the entire bottom edge of the intermediate portion  28 . Alternatively, the molded-in spine  18  may run along a portion or a substantial portion of the bottom edge of the intermediate portion  28 . 
     Accordingly, the intermediate portion  28  may be integral to and formed from the same material as the upper portion  14 , such as but not limited to a thermoplastic olefin. Accordingly, the upper portion  14 , intermediate portion  28  and the lower portion  16  may be manufactured using a dual shot mold wherein the upper portion  14  and the intermediate portion  28  are integral to one another and are injected molded using the same material. The lower portion  16  may also be formed using a dual shot injection molding process wherein the lower portion  16  is made from a softer more flexible/resilient material. 
     As indicated, the molded-in spine  18  of the intermediate portion  28  is integral to the upper portion  14  via at least one flexible vertical section  30 . As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the flexible vertical sections  30  are generally perpendicularly disposed between the upper portion  14  and the molded-in spine  18 . The flexible vertical sections  30  and the molded-in spine  18  may be formed from the same material used in the upper portion  14 . As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the upper portion  14  and the intermediate portion  18  (including the flexible vertical sections  30  and the molded in spine  18 ) may be injection molded as one piece. 
     The flexible vertical sections  30  are integrally formed at the bottom edge  22  of the upper portion  14 . The flexible vertical sections  30  and molded-in spine  18  of the intermediate portion  28  provide some structure support for the lower portion  16  which is formed from a softer more flexible material. The lower portion  16 , in conjunction with the intermediate portion  28 , is therefore sufficiently rigid to deflect air to the lateral sides of the vehicle at high speeds, yet flexible enough to reduce damage when the air dam  10  of the present disclosure is sporadically impacted by rough terrain. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , a cross-sectional view along lines C-C is shown. A flexible vertical section  30  is integral to the upper portion  14  as it is injection molded using the same material of the upper portion  14 . As shown, the flexible vertical section(s)  30 , the bottom edge  22  of the upper portion  14  and the top edge of the molded-in spine  18  define a recess wherein the flexible lower portion  16  is disposed. As shown, the flexible lower portion  16  further serves to cover apertures  32  which are defined by the upper portion  14 , spine  18  and flexible vertical sections  30 . 
     It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that, although the invention has been described with reference to one or more preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited to these disclosed embodiments and that various alternative embodiments or modifications to the disclosed embodiments could be made without departing from the scope of the invention.