Cab extender assembly method and apparatus

A cab extender assembly for selectively manipulating an aerodynamic drag of a vehicle including a tractor coupled to a trailer, the cab extender assembly comprising:

• (a) a fixed cab extender panel adapted to couple to the tractor so to extend longitudinally outward from a back end of the tractor along a side of the vehicle a selected distance in a gap extending substantially between the back end of the tractor and a front end of the trailer;
• (b) a dynamic cab extender coupled to the tractor;
• and
• (c) a control system coupled to the dynamic cab extender and adapted to selectively position the dynamic cab extender between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the dynamic cab extender is disposed in the gap so as to be substantially coplanar with the fixed cab extender.

A cab extender assembly for selectively manipulating an aerodynamic drag of a vehicle including a tractor coupled to a trailer, the cab extender assembly comprising:

• (a) a fixed cab extender adapted to couple to the tractor so as to extend longitudinally outward from a back end of the tractor along a side of the vehicle a selected distance in a gap extending substantially between the back end of the tractor and a front end of the trailer;
• (b) a dynamic cab extender adapted to couple to the tractor;
• and
• (c) a control system coupled to the dynamic cab extender and operable to selectively position the dynamic cab extender between a deployed position in which the dynamic cab extender is disposed in the gap and substantially coplanar with the fixed cab extender and a braking position in which the dynamic cab extender is at least partially disposed into an airstream passing along the side of the vehicle to increase a drag coefficient of the vehicle.

A method of selectively manipulating an aerodynamic drag of a vehicle having a dynamic cab extender disposed in a gap located along a side of the vehicle between a tractor and a trailer of the vehicle, the method comprising:

• (a) determining a speed of the vehicle;
• (b) automatically deploying the dynamic cab extender into a deployed position in the gap when the speed of the vehicle exceeds a selected speed;
• and
• (c) automatically stowing the dynamic cab extender in a stowed position in which the dynamic cab extender is disposed out of an airstream passing along the side of the vehicle and inclined relative to the side of the vehicle when the speed of the vehicle is less than a predetermined speed.

A cab extender assembly for selectively manipulating an aerodynamic drag of a vehicle comprising:

• (a) a dynamic cab extender;
• (b) a control system coupled to the dynamic cab extender and adapted to selectively position the dynamic cab extender between a stowed position, a deployed position in which the dynamic cab extender is substantially aligned with a side of the vehicle, and a braking position in which the dynamic cab extender is at least partially disposed into an airstream passing along the side of the vehicle to increase a drag coefficient of the vehicle;
• (c) a linkage assembly adapted to couple to the vehicle and coupled to the dynamic cab extender, the linkage assembly configurable into a first position in which the dynamic cab extender is actuated into the braking position and a second position in which the dynamic cab extender is actuated into the deployed position;
• and
• (d) a braking actuator coupled to the linkage assembly to selectively actuate the linkage assembly between the first and second positions, wherein when the dynamic cab extender is in the braking position, a load exerted by a slipstream upon the dynamic cab extender is transferred through the linkage assembly to the vehicle, wherein when the dynamic cab extender is in the braking position, the load exerted by the slipstream upon the dynamic cab extender is not born by the braking actuator.

A cab extender assembly for selectively manipulating an aerodynamic drag of a vehicle comprising:

• (a) a dynamic cab extender;
• (b) a control system coupled to the dynamic cab extender and adapted to selectively position the dynamic cab extender between a stowed position, a deployed position in which the dynamic cab extender is substantially aligned with a side of the vehicle, and a braking position in which the dynamic cab extender is at least partially disposed into an airstreani passing along the side of the vehicle to increase a drag coefficient of the vehicle;
• (c) a linkage assembly adapted to couple to the vehicle and coupled to the dynamic cab extender, the linkage assembly configurable into a first position in which the dynamic cab extender is actuated into the braking position and a second position in which the dynamic cab extender is actuated into the deployed position;
• and
• (d) a braking actuator coupled to the linkage assembly to selectively actuate the linkage assembly between the first and second positions, wherein when the dynamic cab extender is in the braking position, a load exerted by a slipstream upon the dynamic cab extender is transferred through the linkage assembly to the vehicle, wherein an axis of movement of the braking actuator is oriented substantially parallel with the side of the vehicle.

A cab extender assembly for selectively manipulating an aerodynamic drag of a vehicle comprising:

• (a) a dynamic cab extender;
• (b) a control system coupled to the dynamic cab extender and adapted to selectively position the dynamic cab extender between a stowed position, a deployed position in which the dynamic cab extender is substantially aligned with a side of the vehicle, and a braking position in which the dynamic cab extender is at least partially disposed into an airstream passing along the side of the vehicle to increase a drag coefficient of the vehicle;
• and
• (c) a fixed cab extender adapted to be coupled to the vehicle so as to span a portion of a gap extending along a side of the vehicle between a back end of a tractor and a front end of a trailer of the vehicle, wherein the fixed cab extender is adapted to substantially align in the gap with the dynamic cab extender when the dynamic cab extender is in the deployed position;
• wherein the fixed cab extender has a selected length chosen to permit the tractor to pivot about the trailer a selected angular range greater than about 90 degrees without the front end of the trailer contacting the fixed cab extender.

A cab extender assembly for selectively manipulating an aerodynamic drag of a vehicle comprising:

• (a) a dynamic cab extender;
• and
• (b) a control system coupled to the dynamic cab extender and adapted to selectively position the dynamic cab extender between a stowed position, a deployed position in which the dynamic cab extender is substantially aligned with a side of the vehicle, and a braking position in which the dynamic cab extender is at least partially disposed into an airstream passing along the side of the vehicle to increase a drag coefficient of the vehicle;
• and wherein when the dynamic cab extender is in the stowed position, the dynamic cab extender is substantially perpendicularly oriented with a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

A cab extender assembly for selectively manipulating an aerodynamic drag of a vehicle including a tractor coupled to a trailer, the cab extender assembly comprising:

• (a) a fixed cab extender adapted to couple to the tractor so to extend longitudinally a selected distance in a gap extending substantially along a side of the vehicle between a back end of the tractor and a front end of the trailer;
• (b) a dynamic cab extender coupled to the tractor;
• and
• (c) a control system coupled to the dynamic cab extender and adapted to selectively position the dynamic cab extender between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the dynamic cab extender is disposed in the gap so as to be substantially coplanar with the fixed cab extender, wherein the selected distance that the fixed cab extender extends in the gap is chosen to permit the tractor to pivot about the trailer a selected angular range greater than about 90 degrees without the front end of the trailer contacting the fixed cab extender.

A cab extender assembly for selectively manipulating an aerodynamic drag of a vehicle including a tractor coupled to a trailer, the cab extender assembly comprising:

• (a) a fixed cab extender adapted to couple to the tractor so as to extend longitudinally a selected distance in a gap extending substantially along a side of the vehicle between a back end of the tractor and a front end of the trailer;
• (b) a dynamic cab extender adapted to couple to the tractor;
• and
• (c) a control system coupled to the dynamic cab extender and operable to selectively position the dynamic cab extender between a deployed position in which the dynamic cab extender is disposed in the gap and substantially coplanar with the fixed cab extender and a braking position in which the dynamic cab extender is at least partially disposed into an airstream passing along the side of the vehicle to increase a drag coefficient of the vehicle;
• wherein the selected distance that the fixed cab extender extends in the gap is chosen to permit the tractor to pivot about the trailer a selected angular range greater than about 90 degrees without the front end of the trailer contacting the fixed cab extender.

A cab extender assembly for selectively manipulating an aerodynamic drag of a vehicle including a tractor coupled to a trailer, the cab extender assembly comprising:

• (a) a fixed cab extender adapted to couple to the tractor so as to extend longitudinally a selected distance in a gap extending substantially along a side of the vehicle between a back end of the tractor and a front end of the trailer;
• (b) a dynamic cab extender adapted to couple to the tractor;
• and
• (c) a control system coupled to the dynamic cab extender and operable to selectively position the dynamic cab extender between a deployed position in which the dynamic cab extender is disposed in the gap and substantially coplanar with the fixed cab extender and a braking position in which the dynamic cab extender is at least partially disposed into an airstream passing along the side of the vehicle to increase a drag coefficient of the vehicle, wherein the control system is adapted to selectively position the dynamic cab extender between a stowed position and the deployed position, and wherein when the dynamic cab extender is in the stowed position, the dynamic cab extender is substantially perpendicularly oriented relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.