GB2165508A

GB2165508A - Vehicle spray deflector

Info

Publication number: GB2165508A
Application number: GB08425735A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sean Gray; Robert Hindle; Michael Dziombak
Original assignee: HINDLE AUTO PRODUCTS Ltd
Current assignee: HINDLE AUTO PRODUCTS Ltd
Priority date: 1984-10-11
Filing date: 1984-10-11
Publication date: 1986-04-16
Also published as: GB8425735D0

Abstract

A spray defector for fitting above the wheels of heavy vehicles comprises a sheet of material 14 long enough to overlie the wheels 10 and turn downwardly at at least one end 16, 18. The wheel-facing surface of the sheet 12 carries a series of parallel 'V' grooves 22 aligned with the axis of the vehicle. A channel or gutter 20 is provided inclined downwardly and directed towards the underbody of the vehicle to lead away water from the front of the wheels and prevent it being turned into spray once again. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Spray deflector This invention relates to spray deflectors, in particularto deflectors for reducing road spray thrown up by lorries and wagons in wet conditions.

Spray emitted from heavy vehicles in wet weather is a major safety hazard, causing problems to all motorists, especially on motorways. Vehicle wheels pick up water and, even at moderate speeds, a fine spray or mist is generated to the side and rear of the vehicle. Drivers of overtaking vehicles can lose vision entirely, which is both frightening and potentially dangerous. Furthermore the truck driver's rear vision is impaired.

In Europe the widespread use of tractor-trailer trucks on high speed autobahns has led to regulations concerning the fitting of fenders or mud wings over the wheels or wheel groups of heavy vehicles.

One such type of fender or deflector is the single-tyre fender in which a single arched flap covers the top half of each wheel or side-by-side wheel pair. This is effective to some extent but still allows the production of a great deal of turbulent spray, and is involves more operations to fit. The so-called European-type fender is generally made of rubber and is elongate so as to cover a group of two (or four) wheels in tandem arrangement. Although simpler to fit an unacceptably high level of spray still results. A further type of fender employs inside surfaces covered with an astroturf-like plastics material or grass which collects the spray thrown up. In this it is very effective, but once it becomes saturated, water drips back down into the turbulent airflow around the wheels to be turned into fine spray again.

The invention seeks to provide a simple and inexpensive deflector which will reduce or overcome the above problems.

According to the present invention there is provided a spray deflector for fitting above the wheels of a heavy vehicle which comprises a sheet of material long enough to overlie the wheels and turned downwardly at at least one end, the wheelfacing surface of the sheet having parallel grooves therein.

Preferably, the grooves are 'V'-shaped, although other configurations can be employed provided they are sufficiently deep to retain the water droplets leaving the vehicle wheels. The grooves preferably are aligned parallel to the vehicle axis, but may be inclined to this direction.

Conveniently, the sheet is turned downwardly at both ends, the rearward downturn serving in in place of a conventional mud-flap. In a preferred embodiment the forward downturn carries a'channel or gutter transversely of the vehicle-axis and inclined downwardly toward the centre of the vehicle to direct droplets collected by the deflector away from the front of the wheels.

The sheet maybe fabricated from any suitable material such as a metal or plastics material, but rubber is preferred.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 7 is a diagrammatic side (b) and end (a) view of a pair of vehicle wheels fitted with a deflecto of the invention; Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure 1 of a second embodiment; Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 1 of a third embodiment; Figure 4 is a similar view to Figure 1 of a fourth embodiment; Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 1 of a fifth embodiment; and Figures 6 and 7 illustrate droplet deflection from different surfaces.

Referring the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a grout of four road wheels 10 of a heavy vehicle, two side-by-side and two in tandem. A deflector 12 covers the wheels and has-a generally flat top portion 14 and downwardtyWrned end portions 16, 18. The rear turned-down portion 18 acts as a conventional mud-flap and deposits water collected on the sheet onto the road behind the wheels where no spray is produced. The turning of the vehicle wheels 10 causes water to be forced also to the front of the deflector 12. So that this does not drip back in front of the wheels, a channel or gutter 20 is provided, inclined downwardly and directed toward the underbody of the vehicle, to lead away this water and prevent it being turned into spray once again.

The inner surface of the sheet 12 carries a series of parallel 'V'-grooves 22 aligned with the axis of the vehicle. Figures 6 and 7 illustrate how the grooves 22 trap the impinging droplets of water whereas a plain surface (Figure 6) causes them to bounce off as a finf spray.

Figures 2 to 5 illustrate other embodiments of the invention. Figure 2 shows the-inventio-7Mbp,01ied to single-tyre fenders; no channel 20 is employed in the configuration shown. Figure 3 shows a tandem wheel arrangement without the front downturn 16.

Figure 4 shows the grooves 22 aligned at an angle of 25 to the axis; whereas in Figure 5 the grooves 22a are square in section, and the deflector is filted at 15 to the horizontal. The latter is optionai and may not be necessary.

The deflector of the invention provides a simple and economical means of-reducing road spray from heavy vehicles. For example, tests have shown that the embodiment of Figure 1 can reduce spray in comparison with a conventional flat fender by up to 85%, thereby considerably reducing the driving hazard of poor visibility caused by heavy lorries in wet conditions.

1. Aspraydeflectorforfitting above the wheels of a heavy vehicle which comprises a sheet of material long enough to overlie the wheels and turned downwardly at at least one end, the wheelfacing surface of the sheet having parallel grooves therein.

2. A deflector as claimed in claim 1 in which the grooves are 'V'-shaped.

3. A deflector as claimed in either of claims 1 or 2

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Spray deflector This invention relates to spray deflectors, in particularto deflectors for reducing road spray thrown up by lorries and wagons in wet conditions. Spray emitted from heavy vehicles in wet weather is a major safety hazard, causing problems to all motorists, especially on motorways. Vehicle wheels pick up water and, even at moderate speeds, a fine spray or mist is generated to the side and rear of the vehicle. Drivers of overtaking vehicles can lose vision entirely, which is both frightening and potentially dangerous. Furthermore the truck driver's rear vision is impaired. In Europe the widespread use of tractor-trailer trucks on high speed autobahns has led to regulations concerning the fitting of fenders or mud wings over the wheels or wheel groups of heavy vehicles. One such type of fender or deflector is the single-tyre fender in which a single arched flap covers the top half of each wheel or side-by-side wheel pair. This is effective to some extent but still allows the production of a great deal of turbulent spray, and is involves more operations to fit. The so-called European-type fender is generally made of rubber and is elongate so as to cover a group of two (or four) wheels in tandem arrangement. Although simpler to fit an unacceptably high level of spray still results. A further type of fender employs inside surfaces covered with an astroturf-like plastics material or grass which collects the spray thrown up. In this it is very effective, but once it becomes saturated, water drips back down into the turbulent airflow around the wheels to be turned into fine spray again. The invention seeks to provide a simple and inexpensive deflector which will reduce or overcome the above problems. According to the present invention there is provided a spray deflector for fitting above the wheels of a heavy vehicle which comprises a sheet of material long enough to overlie the wheels and turned downwardly at at least one end, the wheelfacing surface of the sheet having parallel grooves therein. Preferably, the grooves are 'V'-shaped, although other configurations can be employed provided they are sufficiently deep to retain the water droplets leaving the vehicle wheels. The grooves preferably are aligned parallel to the vehicle axis, but may be inclined to this direction. Conveniently, the sheet is turned downwardly at both ends, the rearward downturn serving in in place of a conventional mud-flap. In a preferred embodiment the forward downturn carries a'channel or gutter transversely of the vehicle-axis and inclined downwardly toward the centre of the vehicle to direct droplets collected by the deflector away from the front of the wheels. The sheet maybe fabricated from any suitable material such as a metal or plastics material, but rubber is preferred. The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 7 is a diagrammatic side (b) and end (a) view of a pair of vehicle wheels fitted with a deflecto of the invention; Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure 1 of a second embodiment; Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 1 of a third embodiment; Figure 4 is a similar view to Figure 1 of a fourth embodiment; Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 1 of a fifth embodiment; and Figures 6 and 7 illustrate droplet deflection from different surfaces. Referring the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a grout of four road wheels 10 of a heavy vehicle, two side-by-side and two in tandem. A deflector 12 covers the wheels and has-a generally flat top portion 14 and downwardtyWrned end portions 16, 18. The rear turned-down portion 18 acts as a conventional mud-flap and deposits water collected on the sheet onto the road behind the wheels where no spray is produced. The turning of the vehicle wheels 10 causes water to be forced also to the front of the deflector 12. So that this does not drip back in front of the wheels, a channel or gutter 20 is provided, inclined downwardly and directed toward the underbody of the vehicle, to lead away this water and prevent it being turned into spray once again. The inner surface of the sheet 12 carries a series of parallel 'V'-grooves 22 aligned with the axis of the vehicle. Figures 6 and 7 illustrate how the grooves 22 trap the impinging droplets of water whereas a plain surface (Figure 6) causes them to bounce off as a finf spray. Figures 2 to 5 illustrate other embodiments of the invention. Figure 2 shows the-inventio-7Mbp,01ied to single-tyre fenders; no channel 20 is employed in the configuration shown. Figure 3 shows a tandem wheel arrangement without the front downturn 16. Figure 4 shows the grooves 22 aligned at an angle of 25 to the axis; whereas in Figure 5 the grooves 22a are square in section, and the deflector is filted at 15 to the horizontal. The latter is optionai and may not be necessary. The deflector of the invention provides a simple and economical means of-reducing road spray from heavy vehicles. For example, tests have shown that the embodiment of Figure 1 can reduce spray in comparison with a conventional flat fender by up to 85%, thereby considerably reducing the driving hazard of poor visibility caused by heavy lorries in wet conditions. CLAIMS

2. A deflector as claimed in claim 1 in which the grooves are 'V'-shaped.

3. A deflector as claimed in either of claims 1 or 2 in which the grooves are aligned parallel to the vehicle axis.

4. A deflector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the sheet is turned downwardly at both ends, the rearward downturn serving in place of a conventional mud-flap.

5. A deflector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 in which there is forward downturn which carries a channel or gutter transversely of the vehicle axis and inclined downwardly toward the centre of the vehicle to direct droplets collected by the deflector away from the front of the vehicle.

6. A deflector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 made of metal, plastics material or rubber.

7. A spray deflector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in any of the accompanying drawings.