Resilient aerodynamic trailer skirts
AssigneeTranstex Composites Inc.
InventorsMathieu Boivin, Philippe Desjardins, Mathieu Desjardins
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A resilient aerodynamic skirt assembly is provided, the aerodynamic skirt assembly comprising a skirt panel adapted to connect to a trailer to route airflow along the trailer, skirt supports adapted to connect the skirt to a trailer are also provided with a plurality of resilient struts providing lateral support to the skirt panel, the resilient struts allowing substantial lateral deflection of the skirt panel away from an aerodynamic configuration. A method of assembling an aerodynamic skirt assembly and an aerodynamic skirt kit are also provided.
Claims18
A resilient aerodynamic skirt adapted to be substantially longitudinally mounted to a trailer, the resilient aerodynamic skirt comprising a skirt panel defining a front portion and a rear portion, the front portion being adapted to be laterally proximally mounted toward a forward portion of the trailer and the rear portion being adapted to be laterally distally mounted in respect with the forward portion toward a rear portion of the trailer, the skirt panel defining a curved portion between the front portion and the rear portion when mounted on the trailer in an aerodynamic configuration, the skirt panel being adapted to bend away from the aerodynamic configuration when contacting a foreign object and to recover its aerodynamic configuration thereafter, wherein the resilient aerodynamic skirt comprises a resilient strut securing the skirt panel to the trailer, the resilient strut being adapted to bend when the skirt panel bends away from the aerodynamic configuration.
A method of installing a resilient skirt assembly on a trailer, the method comprising:
- securing a skirt panel to the trailer, the skirt panel defining a front portion and a rear portion, the front portion being adapted to be laterally proximally mounted toward a forward portion of the trailer and the rear portion being adapted to be laterally distally mounted in respect with the forward portion toward a rear portion of the trailer, the skirt panel defining a curved portion between the front portion and the rear portion when mounted on the trailer in an aerodynamic configuration;
- and
- securing at least one resilient strut between the trailer and the skirt panel, the at least one resilient strut maintaining the skirt panel in an aerodynamic configuration, the at least one resilient strut allowing the skirt panel to bend away from the aerodynamic configuration when contacting a foreign object and to recover its aerodynamic configuration thereafter.
A resilient skirt assembly kit comprising:
- a skirt panel adapted to be disposed on a trailer to aerodynamically route air along the trailer, the skirt panel defining a front portion and a rear portion, the front portion being adapted to be laterally proximally mounted toward a forward portion of the trailer and the rear portion being adapted to be laterally distally mounted in respect with the forward portion toward a rear portion of the trailer, the skirt panel defining a curved portion between the front portion and the rear portion when mounted on the trailer in an aerodynamic configuration;
- and
- a plurality of resilient struts adapted to secure the skirt panel to the trailer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.