WO2014171916A1

WO2014171916A1 - Inner skirt for drive wheels

Info

Publication number: WO2014171916A1
Application number: PCT/US2013/036603
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kevin Anthony GOLSCH
Original assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Company, Llc
Priority date: 2013-04-15
Filing date: 2013-04-15
Publication date: 2014-10-23

Abstract

An inner skirt for a vehicle having a frame with at least one frame rail and at least one axle includes a generally elongate planar body configured to be attached to the frame rail and to extend downwardly from the frame rail towards the driving surface. The body has a top edge, a bottom edge generally parallel to the top edge, a leading edge and a trailing edge generally opposite from the leading edge. At least one slot is disposed through the body and is configured to receive the axle therethrough.

Description

INNER SKIRT FOR DRIVE WHEELS

BACKGROUND

[0001] Embodiments described herein relate generally to redirecting airflow to improve the aerodynamics of vehicles, and more particularly, to redirecting the airflow underneath the vehicle and away from the drive wheels for reducing aerodynamic drag.

[0002] Typically, vehicles include a frame, also referred to as a chassis, which provides the primary structural support for the vehicle. The frame typically includes a pair of frame rails that run parallel to each other. The frame supports the body of the vehicle. Contemporary styling and good aerodynamic practice in heavy truck design make use of streamlined body elements to reduce drag on the vehicle.

[0003] One example of a streamlined element on a vehicle is a chassis skirt, which covers the lower portion of the truck chassis. Chassis skirts are located to the exterior of the frame rails and define the exterior sides of a vehicle body. The chassis skirt may extend between wheels on the same longitudinal side of the vehicle, for example between a wheel on the steering axle on the driver side to a wheel on the drive axle on the driver side. Another example of a streamlining element is a wheel cover, which is attached to wheels of vehicles. Within the rim of a wheel, a vacuum can be formed which results in aerodynamic drag on the vehicle. The wheel cover reduces drag within the rim of the wheel.

[0004] Both chassis skirts and wheel covers are located exterior to the frame and at the exterior surface of the vehicle body and its wheels, respectively. Further, both chassis skirts and wheel covers manipulate the path of air as it travels around the exterior sides of the vehicle body. However, neither chassis skirts nor wheel covers address drag acting on the underbody of the vehicle.

SUMMARY

[0005] An inner skirt assembly for a vehicle having a frame with generally parallel first and second frame rails, at least one cross member therebetween, and at least one drive axle with at least one wheel, includes a first inner skirt and a second inner skirt. The first inner skirt extends downward from and generally parallel to the first frame rail. The first inner skirt is disposed interior to the first wheel. The second inner skirt extends downward from and generally parallel to the second frame rail. The second inner skirt is disposed interior to the second wheel. Each of the first inner skirt and the second inner skirt have a generally elongate planar body.

[0006] Another inner skirt assembly for a vehicle having a frame with generally parallel first and second frame rails, at least one cross member therebetween, and at least one drive axle with at least one wheel, includes a first inner skirt and a second inner skirt. The first inner skirt extends downward from an interior surface of the first frame rail. The second inner skirt extends downward from an interior surface of the second frame rail. Each of the first inner skirt and the second inner skirt have a generally elongate planar body.

[0007] An inner skirt for a vehicle having a frame with at least one frame rail and at least one axle includes a generally elongate planar body configured to be attached to the frame rail and to extend downwardly from the frame rail towards the driving surface. The body has a top edge, a bottom edge generally parallel to the top edge, a leading edge and a trailing edge generally opposite from the leading edge. At least one slot is disposed through the body and is configured to receive the axle therethrough.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an inner skirt.

[0009] FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a frame of a vehicle having an inner skirt assembly with two inner skirts attached to a first frame rail and a second frame rail of the frame.

[0010] FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the frame of the vehicle having the inner skirt assembly with two inner skirts attached to the first frame rail and the second frame rail of the frame.

[0011] FIG. 4 is an exterior side view of the frame of the vehicle having the inner skirt attached to the frame rail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] Referring to FIGs. 1-4, an inner skirt assembly is indicated generally at

10, and comprises a first inner skirt 12 and a second inner skirt 14 that are configured for attachment to a first frame rail 16 and a second frame rail 18, respectively, of a frame 20 of a vehicle 22. The first inner skirt 12 and the second inner skirt 14 may be substantially identical components that are attached to the frame 20 in a substantially similar configuration. In the inner skirt assembly 10, the first inner skirt 12 and the second inner skirt 14 are substantially identical components that can be interchangeably assembled onto the frame 20. [0013] The vehicle 22 receiving the inner skirts 12, 14 may be a heavy truck having a tractor 24 and a trailer (not shown), with the first frame rail 16 and the second frame rail 18 extending parallel to each other, and having at least one cross-member 26 extending between the first frame rail and the second frame rail. The tractor 24 may have one or more driving axles 28 having a plurality of wheels 30. While the inner skirt assembly 10 will be explained with reference to use with an underbody 32 of a heavy vehicle 22, and in particular to use in the region of the vehicle's driving axles 28, it should be appreciated that the inner skirt assembly 10 can be used in any application for attachment to the underbody of any vehicle, for example a railcar.

[0014] The tractor 22 may have a plurality of cross-members 26 spaced along the length of the first frame rail 16 and the second frame rail 18 from a forward portion 24 of the frame 20 to a rearward portion 36 of the frame, and two driving axles 28 attached to the frame rails 16, 18 as conventionally known. The driving axles 28 extend from the exterior side of the first frame rail 16, between the first frame rail and the second frame rail 18, to the exterior side of the second frame rail. Each driving axle 28 may have two or more wheels 30. In the tractor 24 of FIGs. 2-4, there are two wheels 30 on each driving axle 28 located on the exterior side of the first frame rail 16, and two wheels on each driving axle located on the exterior side of the second frame rail 18.

[0015] For purposes of this specification, "interior side" of the frame rails refers to the area located between the two frame rails, while "exterior side" of the frame rails refers to the area on the wheel side of the frame. Further, "interior side" of the wheels refers to the side of the wheels facing the frame rails, while "exterior side" of the wheels refers to the side on the exterior of the vehicle. Generally, "interior" refers to the direction towards the longitudinal center of the frame, while "exterior" refers to the direction away from the longitudinal center of the frame.

[0016] Each inner skirt 12, 14 may have a generally elongate, rectangular planar body 42, with a top edge 44, a bottom edge 46 generally parallel to the top edge, a leading edge 48 that is non-perpendicular to the top edge and the bottom edge, and a trailing edge 50 that is generally perpendicular to the top edge and the bottom edge. When assembled on the frame 20, the leading edge 48 may be non-perpendicular and inclined rearwardly in the direction from the forward portion 34 of the frame to the rearward portion 36 of the frame, which may create less aerodynamic drag than a perpendicular edge.

[0017] The body 42 may be about 70-90 inches in length, about 25-35 inches in height, and may have a thickness of about ¼-2 inches. In the height direction, the inner skirt 12, 14 may be configured to extend a distance that leaves a clearance of about 4-12 inches between the driving surface and the bottom edge 46 of the inner skirt 12, 14. However, it should be understood that the particular shape and dimensions of the body 42 are variable to suit the particular application. Further, it is possible that the inner skirts 12, 14 are configured to have specific shapes or openings to allow access to components on the underbody 32.

[0018] When mounted on the frame 20, the body 42 has a generally planar interior-facing surface 52 and a generally planar exterior-facing surface 54, where the exterior surface of the inner skirt 12, 14 is configured to be attached to an interior surface 56 of the frame rail 16, 18. It is also possible that the interior-facing surface 52 of the inner skirt 12, 14 is configured to be attached to an exterior surface 58 of the frame rail 16, 18, or that the inner skirt otherwise extends downwardly from the frame rail. [0019] In each body 42 of the inner skirts 12, 14, there are multiple slots 60 that extend from the top edge 44 generally perpendicularly towards the bottom edge 46. In the direction from the leading edge 48 to the trailing edge 50 of the body 42 of the inner skirt 12, 14, there is a first slot 60A that is generally sized and shaped to permit a first cross-member 26 to extend through the first slot. A second slot 60B is generally sized and shaped to permit a first drive axle 28 to extend through the slot. A third slot 60C is generally sized and shaped to permit an air bag 62 to protrude therethrough. A fourth slot 60D is generally sized and shaped to permit a second cross-member 26 to extend therethrough. The second and the third slots 60B, 60C may extend further towards the bottom edge 46 and may have a larger width than the first and the fourth slots 60A, 60D.

[0020] When the inner skirts 12, 14 are assembled to the frame rails 16, 18, the first slot 60A on the first inner skirt and the first slot on the second inner skirt may be aligned to accommodate a cross-member 26 that extends generally perpendicularly between the frame rails. Likewise, the second, third and fourth slots 60B, 60C, 60D on the first inner skirt 12 and the second inner skirt 14 may also be aligned. The body 42 may have any number and configuration of slots 60 to accommodate various vehicle components. The slots 60 may be generally rectangular-shaped and spaced from each other, however other shapes and configurations are contemplated to suit the particular application.

[0021] As opposed to chassis skirts that are located to the exterior of the frame

20 and on the exterior body of the vehicle 22, the inner skirts 12, 14 are located to the interior of the wheels 30, and may be located interior to the frame 20 between the two frame rails 16, 18. The inner skirts 12, 14 extend downwardly (in the direction toward the driving surface) from the frame rails 16, 18. The inner skirts 12, 14 may have a plurality of mounting holes 64 for receiving a fastener (not shown) to mount the body 42 to the frame rails 16, 18, for example at the interior surface 56 of the frame rails. A first mounting hole 64A may be located adjacent the leading edge 48 and the top edge 44, while a second mounting hole 64B may be located adjacent the trailing edge 50 and the top edge 44.

[0022] Each inner skirt 12, 14 may be formed in one or more components. It is also possible that the inner skirts 12, 14 are coupled together or integrally formed. The inner skirts 12, 14 may be formed of plastic, but other materials are contemplated.

[0023] The inner skirt assembly 10 having at least one inner skirt 12, 14 may reduce drag and improve fuel economy by manipulating the airflow that interacts with the underbody components 32 of the wheels 30 on the driving axle 28. The inner skirts 12, 14 redirect the air coming from underneath the tractor cab 24 away from the wheels 30 on the driving axle 28, which may be most influential in the presence of cross-winds, and particularly at highway speeds.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1) An inner skirt assembly for a vehicle having a frame with generally parallel first and second frame rails, at least one cross member therebetween, and at least one drive axle with at least one wheel, the inner skirt assembly comprising: a first inner skirt extending downward from and generally parallel to the first frame rail, wherein the first inner skirt is disposed interior to the first wheel; a second inner skirt extending downward from and generally parallel to the second frame rail, wherein the second inner skirt is disposed interior to the second wheel; and each of the first inner skirt and the second inner skirt having a generally elongate planar body.

2) The inner skirt assembly of claim 1 wherein the first inner skirt and the second inner skirt are located to the interior of the frame and between the two frame rails.

3) The inner skirt assembly of claim 1 wherein the first inner skirt is attached to the interior surface of the first frame rail and the second inner skirt is attached to the interior surface of the second frame rail.

4) The inner skirt assembly of claim 1 wherein the first inner skirt and the second inner skirt each have a first slot configured for receiving the at least one cross-member through the first slot. 5) The inner skirt assembly of claim 1 wherein the first inner skirt and the second inner skirt each have a second slot configured for receiving the at least one drive axle through the second slot.

6) The inner skirt assembly of claim 4 wherein when the first inner skirt and the second inner skirt are attached to the first frame rail and the second frame rail respectively, the first slot on the first inner skirt is aligned with the first slot on the second inner skirt.

7) An inner skirt assembly for a vehicle having a frame with generally parallel first and second frame rails, at least one cross member therebetween, and at least one drive axle with at least one wheel, the inner skirt assembly comprising: a first inner skirt extending downward from an interior surface of the first frame rail;

a second inner skirt extending downward from an interior surface of the second frame rail; and each of the first inner skirt and the second inner skirt having a generally elongate planar body.

8) The inner skirt assembly of claim 7 wherein the first inner skirt is fastened to the interior surface of the first frame rail and the second inner skirt is fastened to the interior surface of the second frame rail. 9) The inner skirt assembly of claim 7 wherein the first inner skirt and the second inner skirt each have a plurality of slots configured for receiving the at least one cross-member, wherein at least one of the plurality of slots on the first inner skirt and at least one of the plurality of slots on the second inner skirt are aligned.

10) The inner skirt assembly of claim 7 wherein the body of the first inner skirt has a leading edge that is non-perpendicular to a top edge and to a bottom edge of the body.

11) An inner skirt for a vehicle having a frame with at least one frame rail and at least one axle, the inner skirt comprising: a generally elongate planar body configured to be attached to the frame rail and to extend downwardly from the frame rail towards the driving surface, the body having a top edge, a bottom edge generally parallel to the top edge, a leading edge and a trailing edge generally opposite from the leading edge; and at least one slot disposed through the body and configured to receive the axle therethrough.

12) The inner skirt of claim 11 wherein the at least one slot extends from the top edge generally perpendicularly towards the bottom edge of the body.

13) The inner skirt of claim 11 wherein the at least one slot comprises multiple slots spaced along the top edge of the body. 14) The inner skirt of claim 13 wherein the multiple slots comprises four slots extending from the top edge towards the bottom edge of the body, wherein two slots are longer than the other two slots.

15) The inner skirt of claim 11 wherein the leading edge is non- perpendicular to a top edge and to a bottom edge of the body.