US 7,478,864 B2Granted

Method and apparatus to improve stability of automobile

OwnerScott A. Blakeinventor

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A system to improve the aerodynamic stability of automobiles, comprising mounting on the roof of an automobile a scaled down replica of an existing racing vehicle including downforce generating component and in which proprietary rights exist concerning the aerodynamic construction of the racing vehicle.

Claims1

Dependent claims

A method to modify the aerodynamic stability of an automobile having an interior, an exterior, and a roof comprising the steps of

(a) selecting a racing vehicle in which proprietary rights exist comprising a group of rights consisting of
at least one trademark or service mark,
wind tunnel testing data,
trade secrets concerning the aerodynamic configuring of said vehicle, and at least one indicium identifying the driver of said vehicle,
said racing vehicle
(i) having an exterior with a front, a rear, a top, and a bottom, said top having an aerodynamic shape that promotes the smooth flow of air over said top,
(ii) including at least one down force component connected to one of a pair comprising
said front, and
said rear
said down force component producing, when the vehicle is moving forwardly through air, a down force that acts to force the vehicle toward the ground, and
(iii) associated with a selected sport in which an organization conducts competitive racing events in which said vehicle competes;
(b) selecting fields on said replica to apply indicia identifying a plurality of different entities associated with conducting competitive events in said selected sport;
(i) one of said entities comprising a driver that drives said racing car in said competitive racing events;
(ii) one of said entities comprising a sponsor of said competitive events;
(iii) one of said entities comprising a sponsor that sells products to consumers;
(c) securing for a fee permission from each of said different entities to apply said indicia in said fields on said replica, said fee for said sponsors varying depending on at least one of a pair comprising the size of the indicia and said field in which said indicia is applied;
(d) constructing a reduced-size replica of said racing vehicle including said exterior of said racing vehicle, said indicia in said selected fields, and said down force component, said replica including a storage compartment comprising a hollow bounded by said exterior;
(e) mounting said replica on the roof of the automobile such that when the automobile moves forwardly
(i) a down force is generated by air flowing over said down force component of said replica to help stabilize the automobile, the magnitude of said down force increasing as the speed of the automobile increases, and
(ii) the magnitude of lift, if any, generated by air flowing over the replica is less than the magnitude of said down force;
(f) storing at least one selected article in said storage compartment;
and,
(g) driving the automobile with said replica mounted thereon to generate said down force.

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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A method to modify the aerodynamic stability of an automobile having an interior, an exterior, and a roof comprising the steps of

(a) selecting a racing vehicle in which proprietary rights exist comprising a group of rights consisting of
at least one trademark or service mark,
wind tunnel testing data,
trade secrets concerning the aerodynamic configuring of said vehicle, and at least one indicium identifying the driver of said vehicle,
said racing vehicle
(i) having an exterior with a front, a rear, a top, and a bottom, said top having an aerodynamic shape that promotes the smooth flow of air over said top,
(ii) including at least one down force component connected to one of a pair comprising
said front, and
said rear
said down force component producing, when the vehicle is moving forwardly through air, a down force that acts to force the vehicle toward the ground, and
(iii) associated with a selected sport in which an organization conducts competitive racing events in which said vehicle competes;
(b) selecting fields on said replica to apply indicia identifying a plurality of different entities associated with conducting competitive events in said selected sport;
(i) one of said entities comprising a driver that drives said racing car in said competitive racing events;
(ii) one of said entities comprising a sponsor of said competitive events;
(iii) one of said entities comprising a sponsor that sells products to consumers;
(c) securing for a fee permission from each of said different entities to apply said indicia in said fields on said replica, said fee for said sponsors varying depending on at least one of a pair comprising the size of the indicia and said field in which said indicia is applied;
(d) constructing a reduced-size replica of said racing vehicle including said exterior of said racing vehicle, said indicia in said selected fields, and said down force component, said replica including a storage compartment comprising a hollow bounded by said exterior;
(e) mounting said replica on the roof of the automobile such that when the automobile moves forwardly
(i) a down force is generated by air flowing over said down force component of said replica to help stabilize the automobile, the magnitude of said down force increasing as the speed of the automobile increases, and
(ii) the magnitude of lift, if any, generated by air flowing over the replica is less than the magnitude of said down force;
(f) storing at least one selected article in said storage compartment;
and,
(g) driving the automobile with said replica mounted thereon to generate said down force.

20 more elements