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US 12,623,730 B2Granted
Vehicle aerodynamic altering system and method
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsSriram Pakkam, Michael John Harmon, Andrew Brand, Marius Curea, Jack Marchlewski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle system includes a plurality of fins engaged with a bed wall of a cargo bed. The plurality of fins are configured to move telescopically back-and-forth between a stowed position and a deployed position. The fins can be disposed along a vertical top of the bed wall. The fins can slidably engage the bed wall.
Claims19
A vehicle system, comprising:
- a plurality of fins engaged with a bed wall of a cargo bed, the plurality of fins configured to move telescopically back-and-forth between a stowed position and a deployed position, the plurality of fins including at least a first fin and a second fin, when the plurality of fins are in the stowed position, the first fin is held within a second fin aperture of the second fin, the second fin defining an inboard side of the second fin aperture at a position between the cargo bed and the second fin aperture.
A vehicle system, comprising:
- a plurality of fins engaged with a bed wall of a cargo bed, the plurality of fins configured to move telescopically back-and-forth between a stowed position and a deployed position, the plurality of fins are a plurality of driver side fins, and the bed wall is a driver side cargo bed wall, and further comprising a plurality of passenger side fins engaged with a passenger side cargo bed wall, the plurality of passenger side fins configured to move telescopically back-and-forth between a stowed position and a deployed position;
- a diffuser interfacing directly with a passenger compartment of a vehicle, the diffuser including a horizontally extending portion, a vertically extending portion on a driver side, and a vertically extending portion on a passenger side, the plurality of driver side fins at least partially received within the vertically extending portion on the driver side when the plurality of driver side fins are in the stowed position, the plurality of passenger side fins at least partially received within the vertically extending portion on the passenger side when the plurality of passenger side fins are in the stowed position;
- and
- a tonneau cover that moves with the plurality of passenger side fins and the plurality of driver side fins, the tonneau cover is a rollable tonneau cover that unrolls when the plurality of passenger side fins and the plurality of driver side fins are moved to the deployed position, and that rolls when the plurality of passenger side fins and the plurality of driver side fins are moved to the stowed position.
1 more element
An aerodynamic adjustment method, comprising:
- transitioning a plurality of fins from a stowed position to a deployed position, the plurality of fins including an aftmost fin that pulls the other fins within the plurality of fins during the transitioning;
- and
- providing a buttress with the plurality of fins in the deployed position to reduce a drag coefficient of a vehicle, wherein the aftmost fin is received within an aperture of another of the fins when the plurality of fins are in the stowed position, the other of the fins defining opposing inboard and outboard sides of the aperture at a position between the cargo bed and the aperture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.