Active front wheel deflector assembly

A front wheel deflector assembly adapted for a vehicle, comprising:

• at least one deflector panel moveable between a stowed position and at least one deployed position, wherein the deployment of the deflector panel improves aerodynamics;
• at least one deflector pivot joint, said at least one deflector panel rotatable about said at least one deflector pivot joint;
• at least one mounting member frame adapted to operably connect underneath said vehicle;
• at least one actuator operably mounted within said frame and operably coupled to said at least one deflector panel, wherein actuation of said actuator combined with rotational motion of said at least one deflector panel selectively moves said at least one deflector panel between said stowed position and said at least one deployed position into an air flow at a predetermined position operable to direct said air flow;
• and
• wherein said at least one actuator includes a shaft that is threaded operably coupled to said at least one deflector panel, said shaft operably translates within a static inner tube formed in a fixed housing of said at least one mounting member at a predetermined angle from vertical to selectively increase/decrease the height of said at least one actuator to extend/retract said at least one deflector panel.

A front wheel deflector assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

• at least one fixed mounting member frame adapted to operably couple to underneath said vehicle forward of a front wheel of said vehicle;
• at least one first panel that is fixed operably connected to said frame;
• at least one pivot joint location provided on said at least one first panel;
• at least one second panel rotatably connected to said at least one pivot joint by a pivot pin;
• at least one linear actuator operably connected to said frame and operably connected to said at least one second panel, wherein said at least one linear actuator includes a threaded shaft operably coupled to said at least one second panel, said shaft operably translates within a static inner tube formed in a fixed housing of said at least one fixed mounting member frame, disposed at a predetermined angle from vertical, to selectively increase/decrease the height of said at least one linear actuator to extend/retract said at least one second panel,
• wherein operably increasing the height of said linear actuator under power drives said at least one second panel downward as said at least one second panel rotates about said pivot joint in a first direction to move said at least one second panel into at least one deployed position within an air flow, and wherein operably decreasing the height of said linear actuator under power pulls said at least one second panel upward as said at least one second panel rotates about said pivot joint in a second direction to move said at least one second panel into a stowed when predetermined conditions requiring improved aerodynamics are no longer present.