Device for reducing vehicle aerodynamic resistance

An aerodynamic resistance reduction system configured to attach to a rear end of a tractor trailer comprising:

• a first vertical panel pivotally attached to a first rear swinging door adjacent to one rear vertical corner of the tractor trailer;
• a second vertical panel pivotally attached to a second rear swinging door adjacent to an opposite rear vertical corner of the tractor trailer;
• and
• a first horizontal panel assembly, wherein an edge of the first vertical panel is rolled and formed into a first hinge having a plurality of cutouts and a first edge of the first horizontal panel assembly is rolled and formed into a second hinge having a plurality of cutouts, the first horizontal panel assembly is pivotally attached to a top end of the first vertical panel via an integrated hinge formed by mating a subset of the cutouts of the first hinge and the second hinge, and an edge of the second vertical panel is formed into a third hinge having a plurality of cutouts and a second edge of the first horizontal panel assembly is formed into a fourth hinge having a plurality of cutouts, the first horizontal panel assembly is pivotally attached to a top end of the second vertical panel via an integrated hinge formed by mating a subset of the cutouts of the third hinge and the fourth hinge, and the first horizontal panel assembly is pivotally attached to the first rear swinging door and the second rear swinging door;
• wherein the first horizontal panel assembly includes a plurality of panels that pivot via integrated hinges with respect to each other to facilitate the folding and unfolding of the system.

A method reducing aerodynamic resistance on a vehicle comprising:

• pivoting a first vertical side panel about an axis such that the first vertical side panel extends vertically outward from a rear end of the vehicle;
• pivoting a second vertical side panel about an axis such that the second vertical side panel extends vertically outward from a rear end of the vehicle;
• pivoting a first upper outside horizontal panel about an axis defined via an integrated pinned hinge, having a plurality of knuckles disposed in a rolled edge, between a top end of the first vertical side panel and an outside edge of the first upper outside horizontal panel such that the first upper outside horizontal panel extends horizontally outward from a rear end of the vehicle, wherein an edge of the first vertical side panel is rolled, cut and formed into a first hinge and an edge of the first upper outside horizontal panel is rolled, cut and formed into a second hinge, the integrated pinned hinge comprises a mating between the first hinge and the second hinge;
• pivoting a second upper outside horizontal panel about an axis defined via an integrated pinned hinge, having a plurality of knuckles disposed in a rolled edge, between a top end of the second vertical side panel and an outside edge of the second upper outside horizontal panel such that the second upper outside horizontal panel extends horizontally outward from the rear end of the vehicle, wherein an edge of the second vertical side panel is rolled, cut and formed into a third hinge and an edge of the second upper outside horizontal panel is rolled, cut and formed into a fourth hinge, the integrated pinned hinge comprises a mating between the third hinge and the fourth hinge;
• pivoting a first upper center horizontal panel about an axis defined via an integrated pinned hinge, having a plurality of knuckles disposed in a rolled edge, between an angled edge on the first upper outside horizontal panel and an angled edge on the first upper center horizontal panel such that the first upper center horizontal panel extends horizontally outward from the rear end of the vehicle, wherein another edge of the first upper outside horizontal side panel is rolled, cut and formed into a fifth hinge and an edge of the first upper center horizontal panel is rolled, cut and formed into a sixth hinge, the integrated pinned hinge comprises a mating between the fifth hinge and the sixth hinge;
• and
• pivoting a second upper center horizontal panel about an axis defined via an integrated pinned hinge, having a plurality of knuckles disposed in a rolled edge, between an angled edge on the second upper outside horizontal panel and an angled edge on the second upper center horizontal panel such that the second upper center horizontal panel extends horizontally outward from the rear end of the vehicle, wherein another edge of the second upper outside horizontal side panel is rolled, cut and formed into a seventh hinge and an edge of the second upper center horizontal panel is rolled, cut and formed into an eighth hinge, the integrated pinned hinge comprises a mating between the seventh hinge and the eighth hinge.