Truck deflector shield

A deflector shield for trucks and other vehicles is releasably connected to upper and side edges of the truck's radiator grille. The deflector comprises a shield mounted on a base and the base has a pair of lateral flexible frames for attachment along the grille's upper edge, each frame extending away from the grille's center toward its side edges. An inclined channel is formed at the juncture of the concave front wall and inclined rear wall of the frame for receiving the elongated transparent shield therein and the entire base portion of the deflector shield can be secured to the radiator grille by means of screws or the like.

This invention relates to automobile insect deflector apparatus, and more 
particularly relates to a novel and improved deflector assembly having 
extruded frame mounting means which is specifically adapted for use on 
trucks and the like. 
BACKGROUND AND FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
Many types of deflector shields have been devised for motor vehicles to 
protect the vehicle windshields and hoods from the impact and accumulation 
of insects, debris and other foreign materials. For the most part, prior 
art shields have been mounted to the vehicle by means of screws or bracket 
arrangements connecting the shield to the front of the radiator grille or 
to the front or underside of the vehicle hood. 
Various prior art approaches are represented in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,778,439 to 
A. F. Pfingsten; 3,831,696, 3,863,728, 3,987,863 and 4,178,034, all to T. 
H. Mittendorf. All generally disclose an insect deflector in combination 
with a screen framework which is mounted in front of the radiator grille 
by some type of bumper mounting means. The Pfingsten shield is angled 
slightly at the center to form opposite rearwardly extending shield 
sections, and is mounted so as to incline at a slight rearward angle with 
respect to the vertical. Mittendorf '034 and '863 illustrate the shields 
mounted in a channel-type bracket arrangement, while '696 teaches a 
rearwardly inclined V-shaped shield which is relatively wider at its outer 
side edge. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,008,756 to W. S. Lindhardt teaches a shield mounted in a 
slotted bracket and mounting block arrangement which includes slots 
whereby to permit adjustment of the angle of the shield. U.S. Pat. Nos. 
3,862,777 to W. P. Schifano and 4,142,758 to R. H. Scaife illustrate 
deflector devices specifically adapted for use with trucks. Schifano 
employs a pair of deflector shields, which are S-shaped in cross-section, 
fastened in side-by-side relation to the front ends of a flat-front cab, 
directly beneath the windshield. Scaife is similar in operation but 
utilizes a generally planar deflector which is angled forwardly with 
respect to the front of a cab. A modified form of shield for conventional 
hooded trucks comprises a planar center portion having rearwardly offset 
side portions. Various devices employing channelled brackets for receiving 
and mounting the shields are represented by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,153,129 to P. 
J. Redmond; 4,236,592 to J. H. Ziegler; and 3,015,517 to A. K. Thornburgh. 
The present invention represents an improvement over the prior art in 
providing a shield of aerodynamically superior configuration which is 
mounted in an extruded "wrap-around" base that conforms to and is 
removably connected to the top and side edges of the radiator. 
SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide for a novel 
and improved deflector shield apparatus which is specifically adapted for 
mounting on the hood of a truck to protect the hood and windshield of the 
vehicle against the impact and accumulation of insects, debris and other 
foreign matter, and which can be easily adapted for manufacture in a range 
of sizes to conform to different models of trucks. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide for a novel and 
improved deflector shield apparatus which employs a somewhat flexible 
extruded base which wraps around and conforms to the top and sides of the 
vehicle hood in order to provide greater stability and security in 
mounting the shield with a minimum number of parts. 
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a deflector 
shield in combination with an extruded base which together present a 
particularly smooth and streamlined configuration offering minimum wind 
resistance while protecting the windshield of the vehicle from being 
obstructed or damaged by wind-carried foreign matter. 
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide deflector 
shield apparatus which is relatively simple and economical to manufacture, 
has a minimum number of parts, and may be fastened to or removed from the 
hood of a truck with relatively little effort and requiring the use of 
only simple tools. 
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a deflector 
shield assembly wherein both the shield and the base portion are somewhat 
flexible for ease in mounting and improved stress resistance. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a means for mounting 
the shield elements in the extruded base so that it is securely retained 
therein against shifting movement without the use of metal fasteners or 
rivets placed in or drilled through the shield. 
In accordance with the present invention, there has been devised a 
deflector shield apparatus for trucks and the like which is adapted to be 
releasably connected to the upper and side edges of the radiator grille of 
a truck. The deflector apparatus comprises a shield mounted on a base 
portion, the base comprising a pair of lateral frame members of an 
extruded material of limited flexibility adapted to be affixed along the 
upper edge of a radiator grille, each extending away from the center of 
the grille toward the side edges thereof. Each frame member is defined by 
a rearwardly and upwardly sloped front wall, a planar inclined rear wall, 
and a planar bottom surface disposed in facing relation to the upper edge 
of the radiator grille. At the juncture of the concave front wall and 
inclined rear wall, a common horizontal upper edge portion has an inclined 
channel formed along the length thereof. Each frame member terminates at 
the side edge of the radiator grille in an end cap or fairing which 
extends downwardly and rearwardly so as to surround the side edge of the 
radiator grille. An elongated shield of transparent material is provided 
with a lower edge portion which is received and retained within the 
inclined channels along the upper edges of the frame members. Opposite 
ends of the shields are angled in a rearward direction at an angle of 
approximately 90.degree. with respect to the main portion of the shield; 
the lower edges of these end portions are similarly retained along the 
upper edges of the end caps or fairings. The entire base portion of the 
deflector apparatus can be secured to the radiator grille by means of 
screws or other suitable fastening means. 
The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present 
invention will become more readily appreciated and understood from a 
consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred 
embodiment of the present invention when taken together with the 
accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, 
in which:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring in more detail to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 the 
deflector shield apparatus 10 of the present invention mounted on a 
conventional truck T directly above the radiator grille R. Such grilles 
are typically provided with a shell or peripheral molding M comprising 
side and upper edge surfaces 11 and 12, respectively. Further, the molding 
M may include a central ornament 13 at the midpoint of the upper molding 
12. The upper molding may extend parallel to the ground between the side 
moldings 11, but more frequently is "peaked" slightly in the center so 
that the upper molding is in fact in pair of upwardly converging right and 
left molding portions 12'. 
The deflector shield apparatus 10 is removably connected to the radiator 
molding M, or in the absence of such molding may be connected in a similar 
location on the forward end of the hood itself, adjacent the radiator 
grille. The apparatus 10 comprises an inverted, generally U-shaped 
mounting base 15 which overlies and conforms to the side and upper edge 
surfaces 11, 12 of the molding in a collar-like fashion. The base is 
preferably composed of extruded metallic material which is slightly 
bendable, for example, aluminum. The base 15 comprises a pair of right and 
left lateral frame members 17 which are positioned along the upper surface 
12 of the molding M such that ends 18 are in spaced relation to each other 
on either side of the center of the hood or hood ornament 13. Opposite 
ends 19 of the frame members 17 adjacent the juncture of the upper molding 
edge 12 and side edges 11 are provided with end caps or fairings 21 which 
curve downwardly and rearwardly away from the front of the truck, as will 
be described in greater detail below. 
Shield 30 is mounted to base 15 and comprises an elongated unitary glazing 
member which is preferably composed of a transparent durable material, 
such as, acrylic plastic or Lexan.RTM.. The shield member 30 is defined by 
upper and lower edges 31 and 32, and is angled at its midpoint 34 to form 
generally rectangular right and left rearwardly angled shield sections 35, 
the shield 30 thus assuming a wide V configuration when viewed from above. 
Alternately, the center bend could be eliminated and a straight shield 
employed, if required by the particular hood configuration to be 
outfitted. The diverging shield sections 35 terminate in wings 37, which 
are formed by bending a portion of the opposite ends of the shield 
sections rearwardly and toward the sides of the truck hood. The formation 
of the rearwardly curved wings 37 results in a more streamlined contour of 
the shield and improves aerodynamic characteristics thereof. 
The construction of the base 15 and the manner in which the shield 30 is 
mounted therein is best illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5. As will be seen from 
FIG. 4, the frame members 17 of base 15 are broadly triangular in 
cross-section and each comprise a somewhat concave front wall 40 extending 
between the lower and upper edges 41, 42, spaced, generally planar front 
and rear walls 43 and 44 which are inclined rearwardly with respect to the 
vertical at, an angle of approximately 30.degree., and extend between 
upper and lower edges 42', 45. A planar horizontal bottom surface 46 
extends between the edges 41 and 45. As illustrated, the frame members are 
preferably formed with a hollow central portion 47 to provide a lighter, 
more flexible assembly, or may be solid if desired. A narrow, rearwardly 
inclined channel 50 is bounded by the front and rear walls 43 and 44; the 
channel extends the length of the frame member 17 and is adapted to 
receive the lower edge 32 of the shield 30 therein. The channel 50 is 
defined by front and rear surfaces 51, 52 and bottom edge 53, and extends 
to a depth sufficient to assure adequate support and stability for the 
shield mounted therein. 
As shown in detail in FIG. 5, the rear surface 52 of the channel is 
provided with horizontal rows of vertically spaced teeth 55, several of 
such rows of teeth being provided at horizontally spaced intervals along 
the length of the channel 50 within the frame member 17. In order to 
secure and retain the shield 30 in the channel 50, a suitable bonding 
agent, such as, an epoxy resin is first deposited along the length of the 
channel, following which the shield 30 is inserted into pressfit relation 
within the channel. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the shield 30 is fully 
inserted through the bottom of the channel thereby to cause the bonding 
agent to flow between the mating surfaces of the shield and channel. By 
virtue of the formation of the channel 50 between the front and rear walls 
such that the spacing between the front wall and teeth 52 is slightly less 
than the thickness of the shield 30, the shield will cause the channels to 
expand slightly when inserted therein. Also, it will be apparent that the 
rear wall will have greater flexibility and be free to yield more or 
expand as the shield is inserted into the channel; and in this way will 
tend to spring back against the rear surface of the shield so as to cause 
the teeth 55 to dig into and grip the shield surface so as to cooperate in 
immovably retaining the shield in place within the channel. In this 
relation, the mounting base is preferably composed of a material 
possessing some limited resiliency, especially along the rear wall section 
which will be capable of expanding slightly as the shield is inserted into 
the channel but exerts some inward pressure against the shield once 
inserted into the channel. 
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, fairings or end caps 21 are provided at 
opposite ends 19 of the frame member 17. Fairings 21 comprise lateral 
portions 23 which extend outwardly in coplanar alignment with the lateral 
frame member 17; the upper portion 26 of the fairing then curves in a 
rearward direction toward the cab of the truck at an angle corresponding 
to the angle of the wings 37 at opposite ends of the shield 30. The lower 
portion 25 of the fairing 21 curves downwardly to conform to the curvature 
of the radiator molding so that the fairing extends parallel to the side 
molding 11 and is secured thereto by means of a screw 27 or other suitable 
fastening means. The upper edge 24 of each fairing 21 extends to the 
outermost edges of each wing 37 and the lower edge 32 of the shield 30 and 
wing 37 is retained by a suitable fastener 29 to the inner surface of each 
end cap 21. 
The base 15 is connected to the side and upper surfaces of the molding 11, 
12 by means of screws 58 inserted through aligned apertures 59 drilled in 
the base 15 and the molding, the latter aperture not shown. As illustrated 
in FIG. 4, the screws are preferably countersunk to provide a streamlined 
surface, particularly on the concave forward surface 40 of the base 15. 
It will be appreciated that the wrap-around or collar-like configuration of 
the inverted generally U-shaped base provides improved stability and 
security in mounting the shield on the truck. The shield and base have a 
certain degree of flexibility for greater ease in positioning and 
adjusting the deflector assembly to the truck upon which it is to be 
mounted. The deflector assembly can be made in a wide variety of sizes and 
configurations to conform with virtually any type of vehicle hood. The 
further advantage of the invention is that the base 15 supports the shield 
30 at an optimal rearward inclination of approximately 33.degree. from the 
vertical so as to provide the best possible deflection of air flow up and 
over the roof of the truck. The angle may vary depending upon the design 
of the vehicle, height of the cab and the like. Moreover, it will be 
appreciated that the wings 37 and wrap-around fairings or end caps 21 
provide additional protection from wind carried debris by deflecting 
oncoming air currents both upwardly and laterally away from the sides of 
the truck. 
It is therefore to be understood that various modifications and changes may 
be made in the specific construction and arrangement of parts comprising 
the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof 
as defined by the appended claims.