US 4,045,074 AGranted

Airstream deflector for trailer-tow vehicle combinations

AssigneeLeisure Manufacturing Co., Inc.

InventorGeorge W. Howard

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Abstract

A collapsible airstream deflector is secured to the roof of a towing vehicle to deflect air over a towed vehicle when the vehicles are in motion to reduce the air resistance or drag and fuel consumption of the vehicles. The airstream deflector has pivotal arms secured to the rear surface of a sheetlike airstream deflecting member. The arms respectively are swung to planes, each of which is generally perpendicular to the plane of the deflecting member, the arms being locked in place by means of a single removable locking bar applied to the ends of the arms before the deflector is secured to the roof. When the deflector is removed from the vehicle roof, the locking bar is removed; then the arms are swung against the rear surface of the deflecting member so that the deflector can be easily stored. Notwithstanding the fact that the arms are easily pivotable, the deflector is self-stabilizing when the arms are locked in their operative positions by the removable locking bar. This enables the airstream deflector to withstand the substantial wind forces created by vehicle motion.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A collapsible airstream deflector device adapted to be mounted on the roof of a towing vehicle to deflect air over a towed vehicle when said vehicles are in motion, comprising:

A. a generally planar, rigid, rectangular deflecting member of sheetlike material adapted to be mounted transversely of the towing vehicle roof;
B. support means for enabling the deflecting member to be secured to said roof, said support means comprising:
1. a pair of stabilizing members, each stabilizing member having first and second arms rigidly connected to one another at an angle relative to one another;
the first arms being arranged generally parallel to one another and each being pivotally connected on an axis substantially parallel to the rear surface of said deflecting member at locations adjacent opposite ends of the member, and able to rotate on said axis parallel to the deflecting member when disassociated from the towing vehicle to enable each second arm to be swung between a first operative position where said first and second arms define a plane generally perpendicular to that of the deflecting member and a second position in which each second arm overlies the rear surface close thereto;
C. locking means for removably locking said deflecting member and support means with the stabilizing members in said first operative position;
and
D. means for connecting the deflector device to the towing vehicle.

4 more elements

In combination, a vehicle having a rooftop and an airstrem deflector mounted of said rooftop, transversely of said rooftop and towards the rear of said vehicle, said deflector comprising:

A. a generally plannar, rigid, rectangular deflecting member of sheetlike material mounted at an angle to said rooftop;
B. support means supporting the deflecting member including:
1. three stabilizing members, each stabilizing member having first and second arms rigidly connected to one another at an angle relative to one another;
2. the first arms being arranged generally parallel to one another, two arms being pivotally connected on an axis substantially parallel to the rear surface of said deflecting member at locations adjacent opposite ends of the member and the third arm at a location intermediate said end two arms, and able to rotate on said axis parallel to the deflecting member when disassociated from the towing vehicle to enable each second arm to be swung between a first operative position where said first and second arms define a plane generally perpendicular to that of the deflecting member and a second position in which each second arm overlies the rear surface close thereto;
c. locking means removably locking said deflecting member and support means with the stabilizing members in said first operative position;
and
D. means connecting the deflector device to the towing vehicle.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.