Air deflection system

An air deflector system for aerodynamically reducing the drag on a vehicle having a tractor and trailer coupled together in a tandem towing relationship, said tractor having a frame and a cab portion mounted there upon and said trailer spaced a predetermined distance from said cab, forming a space therebetween, said air deflector system comprising:

• a support means attached to the tractor frame;
• a top fairing attached to said support means and capable of movement from a closed position to an extended position, said fairing in said closed position extending from a top portion of the cab to overlap at a trailing edge with a top portion of the trailer to enclose the top of said space and in said extended position the trailing edge is spaced from the top of the trailer a predetermined distance;
• two side fairings movably attached to said mounting means for movement from a closed position to an extended position with one on each side of the tractor and each in said closed position extending from the tractor to overlap at a trailing edge a side portion of the trailer, each side fairing having a top portion which mates with the top fairing when said top and side fairings are all in said closed position and in an extended position the side fairing is pivoted to position the trailing edge of the side fairing away from the side of the trailer a predetermined distance;
• and
• whereas with each fairing in the closed position the space between said tractor and trailer is substantially enclosed.

The method of aerodynamically reducing the drag on a vehicle having a tractor having a frame and a cab mounted thereupon, and trailer coupled together in a towing relationship comprising the steps of

• (a) deflecting oncoming air by means of a top and a first and second side fairing;
• said top and side fairings, when in a closed position, enclosing a space between the cab and the trailer, each said fairing movably attached to a support means which is attached to the frame of the tractor;
• (b) determining when the tractor-trailer is turning;
• and
• (c) actuating the top air fairing to an open position and actuating the first side fairing to a first open position at a predetermined point or degree in said turn.

The method of aerodynamically reducing the drag on a vehicle having a tractor and a trailer coupled together in a towing relationship comprising the steps of

• (a) deflecting oncoming air from the tractor by an air deflecting means;
• (b) sensing the relative position of the trailer to the tractor by a sensing means;
• (c) transmitting signals from the sensing means to a control means;
• (d) determining when a difference in alignment between said tractor-trailer exists by said control means;
• (e) actuating the air deflecting means from one position to another position when said difference in alignment reaches a predetermined value.