Vehicle drag reduction system

An air deflecting subsystem for attachment to a rear surface of a vehicle having a large forward aspect and a substantially planar rear transverse surface equipped with rear loading doors pivoting about vertical axes respectively disposed proximate to left and right vertical rear corners of said vehicle, sid pivoting rear doors having a fully closed position enclosing said rear transverse vertical surface of said vehicle and a fully open position whereat left and right doors are respectively pivoted, first rearwardly, then outwardly relative to said vehicle, and lastly forwardly, through substantially 270 degrees of angle to positions disposed to be forwardly extending from sid pivoting axes and adjacent to corresponding exterior left and right side surfaces of said vehicle, comprising:

• an even plurality of first arms, half of said plurality affixed, in a vertically spaced apart manner, to an external surface of said left rear door proximate to its vertical pivot axis, and the other half of said plurality affixed, in a like vertically spaced apart manner to an external surface of said right rear door proximate to its vertical pivot axis;
• a like plurality of second arms, each respectively pivotably coupled, at a first end thereof, to an end of a corresponding one of said first arms most proximate to the pivot axis of the corresponding door to which said first arm is attached, said axis of pivoting of said second arm being substantially vertical so that said second arm may pivot thereabout between a use position, when said doors are fully closed, whereat said second arm extends substantially horizontally to a distal end thereof in a direction longitudinally rearwardly from said rear surface of said vehicle, and a vehicle loading position, whereat said second arm is pivoted about its axis to be substantially parallel with said first arm and between said first arm and the corresponding proximate external vertical side surface of the vehicle, in said fully open position of said door;
• a like plurality of first spring biasing means, each respectively acting between a corresponding one of said first arms and a corresponding one of said second arms, for maintaining, in said use position, said second arm in a horizontally orthogonal relationship with said first arm, and for reestablishing said orthogonal relationship as the door to which the corresponding first arm is attached is closed from its fully open position;
• a like plurality of pivot means, each correspondingly affixed to said distal end of a corresponding one of said second arms and providing a substantially vertical pivot axis thereat, for coupling to corresponding left and right means for deflecting a portion of air passing along the corresponding vertical side surface of said forwardly moving vehicle, said pivoting allowing said deflecting means to be pivoted from an air deflecting position thereof, when said corresponding door is fully closed, to a loading position thereof between said corresponding vertical side surface of said vehicle and said pivoted second arm when said door is fully open;
• and
• a like plurality of second spring biasing means, each respectively acting between a corresponding one of said second arms and said corresponding deflecting means, for maintaining said deflecting means at an angularly pivoted orientation relative to said second arm for proper air deflection when said door is fully closed, and for reestablishing said angularly pivoted orientation as said door is closed from its fully open position.

An air deflecting subsystem for attachment proximate to an upper rear vertical transverse surface of a vehicle, for deflecting a portion of air passing longitudinally over a top surface of a forwardly moving vehicle comprises:

• a transversely spaced apart plurality of substantially planar vertical support members respectively attached to said top surface of said vehicle at an upper rear corner thereof such that the vertical plane of each such vertical support member is generally longitudinally aligned with respect to said vehicle, each of said vertical support members being configured to have a vertical extent above said top surface of said vehicle limited to be less than three inches, with a rearwardly trailing edge having a downwardly arcuate shape, a lowermost edge of each of said vertical support members extending rearward from said rear vertical transverse surface of said vehicle by substantially approximately three inches, each support member being limited to be entirely not lower than said top surface of said vehicle;
• and
• an arcuate scoop member, having an extent parallel to an axis of curvature thereof less than said width of said vehicle, said scoop member being attached to uppermost and rearmost arcuate edges of respective members of said plurality of vertical support members, said axis of curvature being disposed to be transversely orthogonal to a vertical longitudinal plane of said vehicle.

An air deflecting subsystem for attachment at the rear of a vehicle, for deflecting a portion of air passing longitudinally beneath said forwardly moving vehicle so as to cause said portion of air to flow substantially vertically upward across, and external with respect to, a rear transverse vertical surface of said vehicle, which subsystem comprises:

• a transversely spaced apart plurality of substantially planar vertical support members respectively attached, at uppermost edges thereof, to said lower surface of said vehicle, spaced apart along a lower rear corner thereof such that the vertical plane of each such vertical support member is generally longitudinally aligned with respect to said vehicle, each of said vertical support members being configured to have a vertical extent below said lower surface of said vehicle, with a rearwardly trailing edge having an upwardly arcuate shape, an uppermost edge of each of said vertical support members extending longitudinally rearward from said rear vertical transverse surface of said vehicle by approximately three inches, said uppermost edge of each support member being limited to be entirely below said lower surface of said vehicle;
• and
• an arcuate scoop member, having an extent transverse to said vehicle which is less than said width of said vehicle, said scoop member being attached to lowermost and rearmost arcuate edges of respective members of said plurality of vertical support members.

A deflecting subsystem for attachment to a vehicle having a longitudinal side surface, a rear transverse surface and a rear corner therebetween, the rear side air deflecting subsystem comprising:

• an arm pivotably attached to the rear transverse surface of the vehicle, and having an arm operating position with respect to the rear transverse surface;
• a vane pivotably mounted to the arm, the vane having a vane operating position with respect to the arm, the vane being curved to deflect a flow of air passing along the longitudinal side surface of the vehicle across the rear transverse surface when the arm is in the arm operating position and the vane is in the vane operating position;
• an arm biasing means for rotatably biasing the arm about its pivot attachment into the arm operating position;
• and
• a vane biasing means for rotatably biasing the vane about its pivot attachment into the vane operating position.

A deflecting subsystem for use on a vehicle having a longitudinal side surface, a rear transverse surface, a rear corner therebetween, and at least one rear door forming the rear surface, the door being substantially vertically oriented and pivotable about a vertical axis adjacent the rear corner of the vehicle, the door having a closed position wherein the door at least partially forms the rear transverse surface, and the door being pivotable through more than 180 degrees to an open position, the deflecting subsystem comprising:

• an arm pivotably attached to the door, and having an arm operating position with respect to the door;
• a vane pivotably mounted to the arm, the vane having a vane operating position with respect to the arm, the vane being curved to deflect a flow of air passing along the longitudinal side surface of the vehicle across the rear transverse surface when the arm is in the arm's operating position and the vane is in the vane operating position;
• and
• the arm being sufficiently pivotable, and the vane being sufficiently pivotable, to allow the door to pivot from its closed position to its open position.

A vehicle and drag reduction system, the vehicle comprising a forward surface, a substantially vertically oriented left side surface, a substantially vertically oriented right side surface, a substantially vertically oriented rear transverse surface, and left and right rear corners between rear transverse surface and the left and right side surfaces respectively, the rear side air deflecting subsystem comprising:

• an arm pivotably attached to the rear transverse surface of the vehicle, and having an arm operating position with respect to the rear transverse surface;
• a vane pivotably mounted to the arm, the vane having a vane operating position with respect to the arm, the vane being curved to deflect a flow of air passing along one of the side surfaces of the vehicle across the rear transverse surface when the arm is in the arm operating position and the vane is in the vane operating position;
• an arm biasing means for rotatably biasing the arm about its pivot attachment into the arm operating position;
• and
• a vane biasing means for rotatably biasing the vane about its pivot attachment into the vane operating position.