Roof fairing with distributed flow channels
AssigneeSabic Global Technologies B.V.
InventorsCarlos Pereira, Max Ulysses Morton, Matthew Douglas Marks
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a roof fairing for a vehicle, such as a truck hauling a trailer. The roof fairing includes a body defining a flow directing exterior surface. The body including at least one flow directing channel that is sunk into the body toward an inner space defined by an interior surface of the body. The flow directing channel comprises a venturi construction terminating at the trailing edge. The venturi construction is configured to direct flow toward an exterior surface of the trailer when coupled to the truck.
Claims20
A roof fairing for a heavy truck hauling a cargo trailer, the roof fairing comprising:
- a. a body defining a flow directing exterior surface, with the body including:
- an upper surface that is generally planar and horizontal;
- a front surface continuous with the upper surface and extending away therefrom in a forward direction along a longitudinal axis, wherein the front surface slopes gradually to a front edge that is shaped to conform to a roof of the heavy truck;
- a left side surface continuous with the upper surface and the front surface, the left side surface being generally planar and vertical and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis;
- a right side surface continuous with to the upper surface and the front surface, the right side surface being generally planar and vertical and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis opposite the left side surface with respect to the longitudinal axis;
- and
- an interior surface opposite the flow direction exterior surface, the left side surface, and the right side surface;
- wherein the upper surface, the left side surface and the right side surface terminate along a trailing end of the body towards a rear end of the heavy truck when the roof fairing is on the roof of the heavy truck, and
- wherein at least one of the upper surface, left side surface, and right side surface defines a flow directing channel that is sunk into the body toward an inner space defined by the interior surface, the flow directing channel comprising a venturi construction terminating at the trailing end, the venturi construction configured to direct flow toward an exterior surface of the cargo trailer when coupled to the heavy truck.
A roof fairing for a vehicle, the roof fairing comprising:
- a flow directing body defining an exterior surface, the exterior surface having:
- a forward end;
- a trailing end opposite the forward end along a forward-rearward axis;
- a top that extends from the forward end to the trailing end and is coupled between the forward end and the trailing end;
- a lower edge that extends from the forward end to the trailing end and configured to be disposed along the roof of the vehicle;
- a first side extending from the top toward the lower edge;
- a second side opposite to the first side and extending from the top toward the lower edge;
- and
- wherein an exterior surface of the flow-directing body defines a plurality of flow channels sunk into the flow directing body and that extend generally along the forward-rearward axis, with each flow-channel of the plurality of flow-channels spaced apart from the forward end and terminating at the trailing end, the flow channels comprising a venturi construction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.