Patent ID: 7604284

Claim:
A fairing structure for a vehicle having a front vehicular component and a rear vehicular component in tandem and separated by a gap, comprising: a top fairing surface adapted to be attached to the rear vehicular component; a first side surface adapted to be attached to a first side of the rear vehicular component, the first side surface being approximately equidistant in length to the first side of the rear vehicle component, and joining a first end of the top surface and generally perpendicular to the top surface; a second side surface adapted to be attached to a second side of the rear vehicular component, the second side surface being approximately equidistant in length to the second side of the rear vehicle component, and joining a second end of the top surface opposite the first end and generally perpendicular to the top surface; each of the top and first and second side surfaces having a proximal edge adapted to be positioned adjacent a vehicle; each of the top and first and second side surfaces having a distal edge adapted to be positioned away from the vehicle with respect to the respective proximal edge; wherein the proximal edges of the top and side surfaces attach to the leading top and side edges, respectively, of the front surface of the rear vehicle component so that an uninterrupted surface is formed from the fairing structure to top and sides of the rear vehicular component; wherein an area bounded by the distal edges of the surfaces is smaller than an area bounded by the proximal edges; and wherein the distal and proximal edges of the surfaces are positioned relative to each other such that the fairing structure, when positioned adjacent the rear vehicular component of the vehicle in the gap between said rear vehicular component and the front vehicular component of the vehicle impedes outward transverse and vertical flow in the gap, thus creating a region of increased pressure which effectively fills and thereby closes the gap.