Patent Publication Number: US-2017361880-A1

Title: Aerodynamic Fairing Assembly for Tractor-Trailers

Description:
This invention relates to an aerodynamic foil and drag reduction apparatus for tractor trailer doors. 
     BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The terms “Semi tractor trailers” or simply “tractor-trailers” commonly refer to the combination of a tractor truck and one or more semi-trailers used for over road transportation of goods and materials. Aerodynamic drag is a major contributor to fuel consumption in tractor-trailer commerce. Aerodynamic improvements can contribute to fuel savings and provide significant cost reduction. 
     A variety of fairing systems have been developed for the rear of trailers to improve trailer aerodynamics. Fixed air foils have been mounted to the rear doors of trailers, as well as, beneath the trailer deck to provide some degree of aerodynamic improvement. Fixed fairing extending from the rear of the trailers are generally impractical because they interfere with the movement of the doors when backed into the limited spaced of a loading dock. Other folding or collapsible fairing have been developed to mount to the trailer&#39;s rear doors. but such fairing systems have met limited success due to their mechanical complexity, functionality, reliability and cost. 
     The aerodynamic fairing assembly of this invention provides a convenient and cost effective manually deployed airfoil structure that improves trailer aerodynamics. The fairing assembly attaches to the existing hardware of the swinging doors of conventional trailers to improve the aerodynamics. The fairing assembly includes left and right folding fairing panels that mount to the existing door hinges and two sets of lock arms that mounts to the existing bar lock mechanism of a conventional box style trailer. The folding fairing panels manually fold between stowed and deployed positions. The folding panels include a rectangular panel frame, a rectangular support frame pivotally connected to the panel frame, and a cover panel affixed to the panel frame. The folding panels are pivotally mounted directly to the existing door hinge plates using separate panel hinges. The lock arms are mounted to the lock shafts of the bar lock mechanism used to hold the trailer doors closed. The lock arms move with the rotation lock bar to capture and hold the folding panels in the deployed position and stowed position. 
     The above described features and advantages, as well as others, will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention may take form in various system and method components and arrangement of system and method components. The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating exemplary embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. The drawings illustrate the present invention, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective of an exemplary embodiment of the aerodynamic fairing assembly of this invention mounted to a conventional box style trailer in the deployed position; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective of the fairing assembly of  FIG. 1  shown in the stowed position; 
         FIG. 3  is a rear facing view of the fairing assembly of  FIG. 1  shown in the deployed position; 
         FIG. 4  is a rear facing view of the fairing assembly of  FIG. 1  shown in the stowed position; 
         FIG. 5  is a rear facing view of the fairing assembly of  FIG. 1  shown in the stowed position with portions cutaway; 
         FIG. 6  is a simplified top view of the of the fairing assembly of  FIG. 1  shown in the stowed position; 
         FIG. 7  is a simplified top view of the fairing assembly of  FIG. 1  shown in the deployed position; 
         FIG. 8  is a simplified side view of the of the fairing assembly of  FIG. 1  shown in the stowed position; 
         FIG. 9  is a simplified top view of the of the fairing assembly of  FIG. 1  shown in the stowed position; 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded view of a panel hinge used in the fairing assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a partial sectional view of a panel hinge used in the fairing assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 12  is an exploded view of a lock arm used in the fairing assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 13  is a partial perspective view of the lock arm used in the fairing assembly of  FIG. 1  in the deployed position; 
         FIG. 14  is a partial perspective view of the lock arm used in the fairing assembly of  FIG. 1  pivoted away from the support frame; and 
         FIG. 15  is a partial sectional view of the lock arm used in the fairing assembly of  FIG. 1  in the deployed position. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific preferred embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical, structural, mechanical, electrical, and chemical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. To avoid detail not necessary to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims. 
     Referring now to the drawings,  FIGS. 1-15  illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the aerodynamic fairing assembly of this invention, which is designated generally as reference numeral  100 . As shown, aerodynamic fairing assembly  100  includes left and right folding fairing panels  110  that mount to the existing hinges and two sets of lock arms  130  that mounts to the bar lock mechanism of a conventional box style trailer. As shown in  FIGS. 1-10 , the folding fairing panels manually fold between a stowed position ( FIGS. 2, 4, 6 and 8 ) where the panels lay flat against the trailer&#39;s swing rear cargo doors and a deployed position ( FIGS. 1, 3, 7 and 9 ) where the panels extend angularly from the swinging doors. Lock arms  130  swing with the rotation of the bar lock mechanism to secure the folding panels  110  in their stowed and deployed positions. 
     For simplicity of illustration and explanation, the exemplary embodiment of the fairing assembles of this invention are illustrated in use on a typical box style semi trailers  10  with swinging rear cargo doors  20 . Each of swinging trailer doors  20  is mounted to rear of trailer  10  by a pair of door hinges  30  and secured in the closed position by a conventional bar lock mechanism  40 . Door hinges  30  includes hinge plates  32  bolted to the swing doors  20  and hinge brackets  34  bolted to the trailer sidewalls  12 . Bar lock mechanism  40  is mounted to the outer face of each door  20  along the medial edge. Each bar lock mechanism  40  includes a long rotatable bar or pipe  42  and a pivoting handle  50  that rotates the bar to lock and unlock doors  20 . Pipes  42  having cammed ends  44  which rotate to engage keepers mounted to the top and bottom edge of the trailer&#39;s rear opening. Handle  50  is captured in its locked position by a seal plate  52  and rotating seal pin  54  affixed to the outer face of doors  20 . 
     As shown best in  FIG. 5 , folding panels  110  include a rectangular panel frame  112 , a rectangular support frame  114  pivotally connected to the panel frame, and a cover panel  118  affixed to the panel frame. Panel and support frames  112  and  114  are typically constructed of metal tubing or other suitable materials. Support frame  114  is pivotally connected to panel frame  112  by a pair of frame hinges  116 . Panel cover  118  is cut, stamped or otherwise formed from a sheet of sturdy, but light-weight material, such as aluminum alloy or composite material. A panel cover  118  is affixed over panel frame  112  using adhesives and screw fasteners. Panel cover  118  mounted to the panel frame provides airfoil surface for the fairing assembly when the panels are deployed. Support frame  114  pivots to supports the panel frame  112  when the folding panels  110  are in the deployed position and to nest within the support frame when the folding panels are in the stowed position. In addition when folding panels  110  are in the deployed position, support frames  114  seat within a keeper brackets  138  mounted to each swinging door  20 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5, 10 and 11 , folding panels  110  are pivotally mounted to door hinge plates  32  by panel hinges  120 . Each panel hinge  120  includes a pair of hinge brackets  122  and  124  connected by a pin bolt  126  and hex nut  127 . Hinge bracket  122  is affixed to door hinge plate  32  using the existing bolts  33  that affix the door hinge plate to swinging door  20 . Panel hinge bracket  124  is affixed to the edge of panel frame  112  by fasteners or bolts  125 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, and 12-15 , a pair of spaced lock arms  130  is mounted to lock shaft  42 . Each lock arm  130  is a length of metal U-channel that extends perpendicularly from lock shaft  42  and is affixed by a pair of U-bolts  132  and hex nuts  133 . Affixing lock arms  130  to lock shaft  42  allows the lock arms to swing with the rotation of the lock shaft. The distal end of each lock arm  130  has a cutout  131 , which is configured to capture support frame  114  in the deployed position and the side edge of panel cover  118  in the stowed position. 
     It should be apparent from the foregoing that an invention having significant advantages has been provided. While the invention is shown in only a few of its forms, it is not just limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof. The embodiment of the present invention herein described and illustrated is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It is presented to explain the invention so that others skilled in the art might utilize its teachings. The embodiment of the present invention may be modified within the scope of the following claims.