Air drag reducing apparatus
AssigneeMaka Innovation Technologique Inc.
InventorsKaric Roberge, Mathieu Boivin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air drag reducing apparatus for use with a vehicle having a rear end closed by a pair of doors consists of a rectangular shaped panel having a leading edge hingedly connected to the vehicle, the panel extending at about 16 degrees relative to the rearward projection of a side of the vehicle in a drag reducing position. As the door is opened, an element allows the panel to be moved between the door and the side of the vehicle to a position adjacent the side of the vehicle. As the door is moved back from the opened position to a closed position, the element causes the panel to return to its drag reducing position. The rear of a vehicle includes two side panels and two top panels.
Claims15
An air drag reducing apparatus for use with a vehicle having a top and opposite lateral sides contiguous with a rear end formed of a pair of hingedly mounted rectangular doors movable between a closed position to a fully open retracted position wherein said doors are retracted adjacent to a corresponding side of the vehicle;
- said apparatus comprising:
- a pair of elongated generally rectangular side panels each having opposite short sides and opposite long sides, said long sides defining a leading edge and a trailing edge;
- hinge means connecting each said side panel allowing for pivotal movement relative to a corresponding door of said vehicle;
- means associated with each said side panel for maintaining said side panel in a drag reducing position rearwardly of a corresponding closed door wherein said side panel defines an angle of about 16° with a rearward projection of a plane of the corresponding side of the vehicle;
- a pair of generally rectangular top panels each having opposite short sides and opposite long sides, said long sides defining a leading edge and a trailing edge;
- said short sides of said top panels including one short side disposed adjacent an inner face of a corresponding one of said side panels when said side panels are in said drag reducing position;
- and
- means associated with said top panels for maintaining said top panels in a drag reducing position rearwardly of a corresponding closed door wherein each said top panel defines an angle of about 16° with a rearward projection of a plane of the top of the vehicle;
- said maintaining means associated with said top panels allowing said top panels to be moved from said drag reducing position to a position lying substantially parallel to a corresponding side of the vehicle between a corresponding side panel and a corresponding door in said fully open position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.