Multicomponent improved vehicle fuel economy system
AssigneeEkoStinger, Inc.
InventorJ. Parr Wiegel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A semitrailer comprising a main frame having a hitch, an axle assembly connected to the main frame, the axle assembly including at least two wheels for rotation relative to the main frame, a fairing connected to an underside of the semitrailer intermediate the hitch and the axle assembly, the fairing including a pair of lateral surfaces, a bottom surface spaced from the underside of the semitrailer, and a leading surface, wherein the leading surface includes an intake opening, and wherein at least one of the bottom surface or the lateral surfaces includes an exit opening, and a flow path fluidly connects the intake opening and the exit opening.
Claims20
A drag force reduction system comprising:
- (a) a semitrailer having a main frame extending along a longitudinal axis and a subframe movably connected to the main frame between a first position along the longitudinal axis and a second position along the longitudinal axis;
- (b) an axle assembly attached to the subframe, the axle assembly including an axle, a plurality of wheels and a suspension;
- and
- (c) a fairing located under the main frame and separated from the axle assembly along the longitudinal axis by a given spacing, the fairing movable relative to the main frame to maintain the given spacing between the axle assembly and the fairing independent of the subframe being in the first position or the second position.
A method comprising:
- (a) providing a semitrailer having a main frame extending along a longitudinal axis and a subframe movably connected to the main frame between a first position along the longitudinal axis and a second position along the longitudinal axis;
- (b) providing an axle assembly attached to the subframe, the axle assembly including an axle, a plurality of wheels and a suspension;
- (c) providing a fairing located under the main frame and separated from the axle assembly along the longitudinal axis by a given spacing;
- and
- (d) moving the fairing relative to the main frame to maintain the given spacing between the axle assembly and the fairing independent of the subframe being in the first position or the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.