GB2443546A

GB2443546A - Water spray reduction

Info

Publication number: GB2443546A
Application number: GB0721440A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bill Jones
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-11-06
Filing date: 2007-11-01
Publication date: 2008-05-07
Also published as: GB0721440D0; GB0622030D0

Abstract

A mudguard 12 for a heavy goods vehicle, being of a shape to shroud a wheel 10, or closely spaced wheels of the vehicle, so that the water spray thrown up into an adjacent carriageway will be reduced. The mudguard 12 has a plurality of channels 14 extending transversely of the direction of travel of the vehicle but inclined so that water spray is deflected inwardly and beneath the vehicle.

Description

-1-2443546 Water spray reduction The invention relates to the reduction

of water spray thrown up by vehicle tyres, in particular the tyres of heavy goods vehicles.

Water spray on motorways in particular is a serious problem and often results in accidents and loss of life, More often, excessive amounts of water spray, usually thrown up by heavy goods vehicles, causes following vehicles to be prevented from overtaking in reasonable safety, this resulting in traffic flow being impeded.

Various attempts have been made to alleviate this problem but none have been entirely successful.

According to the invention, water spray reduction apparatus for heavy goods vehicles includes the litment of mudguards which have a plurality of channels extending transversely of the direction of travel of the vehicle but inclined so that water spray being thrown tangentially outwards from the vehicle tyres is deflected inwardly and beneath the vehicle. The plurality of channels may be formed on the inside surface or on both the inside and outside surfaces of the mudguard.

The channels may be formed by being pressed into the relatively thin walls of a metal mudguard, or by being pressed into flexible metal panels bolted or welded within an existing mudguard. Alternatively, the channels may have been formed in plastics mouldings which have subsequently been secured within an existing metal mudguard.

In order that the invention may be filly understood and readily carried into effect, preferred embodiments will now be described, by way of example only,with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:-Figure 1 is a side view of a rear part of a heavy goods vehicle embodying the invention, Figure 2 is a plan view, Figure 3 is a view on the rear of the vehicle, in the direction of arrow 3 in Figure 1, and Figures 4 and 5 are views similar to Figures 1 and 2 which will be referred to when describing a further embodiment.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, a driving wheel 10 of a heavy goods vehicle is shown to be shrouded by a mudguard 12. However, instead of the interior surface of the mudguard being smooth surfaced as mudguards generally are, the mudguard in this case has a series of channels 14 formed across it, these being angled, as shown, so that when the vehicle is travelling forwardly (as shown by the indicated direction of rotation of the wheel) any rainwater being thrown tangentially from the tyre will tend to be inwardly deflected to be largely dumped beneath the vehicle body (this being illustrated diagrammatically by the series of arrows in Figures 1 and 2).

It will be understood that trial and experiment will be required to determine the most effective angle and the most effective shape for the channels 14. It will also be understood that mudguards embodying the invention cannot be expected to eliminate water spray completely but can be expected to make a substantial difference to the amount of spray thrown up to either side of the vehicle to which they are fitted. Any reduction of the amount of spray thrown up into the path of other vehicles will reduce the hazards of overtaking and improve road safety.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, these illustrate the invention having been applied to a twin wheeled vehicle. A mudguard 16 is shown to extend over the twin wheels at one side of the vehicle and to be provided with channels 14 similar to those of the first described embodiment. In this case, however, as best seen in Figure 5, the basic shape of the mudguard is shown to have been altered by having been made somewhat funnel shaped at its opposite ends. In thiiway it is thought thatgt the opposite ends (where the channel formations of the first decnbe.?embodiment tend to turn the water spray upwards or downwards rather than inwards) the basic shape of the mudguard will tend to direct the spray inwards. As shown, the modification to the basic shape of the mudguard has been carried across from one end to the other but it will be understood that it could have been caused to run out where the curvature runs out into the straight run between the two wheels; in other words the top surface of the mudguard could still be horizontal.

As in the case of the first described embodiment, trial and experiment will be required to determine the most effective shape for the channel formations, the most effective angle at which the channels should extend and also the best angle by which the basic shape of the mudguard may be varied. The manner in which the channel sections are provided are various. For example they could be pressed into the relatively thin walls of a metal mudguard. Alternatively, they could be pressed into flexible metal panels bolted or welded within an existing mudguard, or they could be made of moulded plastics (in which case a plurality of plastics mouldings could be secured side by side within an existing metal mudguard or a Continuous and flexible moulding could be used).

Claims

Claims I. Water spray reduction apparatus for heavy goods vehicles, the

apparatus including mudguards which have a plurality of channels extending transversely of the direction of travel of the vehicle but inclined so that water spray being thrown tangentially outwards from the vehicle tyres is deflected inwardly and beneath the vehicle.
2. Water spray reduction apparatus according to claim I, in which the plurality of channels are formed on the inside surface or on both the inside and outside surfaces of each mudguard.
3. Water spray reduction apparatus according to either one of the preceding claims, in which the the channels have been formed by being pressed into the relatively thin walls of a metal mudguard.
4. Water spray reduction apparatus according to either one of claims I and 2, in which the channels have been formed by being pressed into flexible metal panels bolted or welded within an existing mudguard.
5. Water spray reduction apparatus according to either one of claims I and 2, in which the channels have been formed in plastics mouldings which have subsequently been secured within an existing metal mudguard.
6. Water spray reduction apparatus for heavy goods vehicles, constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 1 to 3 or Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.