Fender flares and vehicles with fender flares
View Patent ↗Fender flares are disclosed for attachment to a vehicle having a mud flap and a wheel well that generally defines a volume. Vehicles that include fender flares are also disclosed. In some embodiments, a fender flare includes a body having a first surface and a second surface that together define a mud-flap channel that is adapted to receive the mud flap of a corresponding vehicle. In some embodiments, a fender flare includes a body that is configured to support more than one side of the mud flap of a corresponding vehicle. In some embodiments, a fender flare includes an inner portion extending from an outer portion, with the inner portion having a first surface adapted to support a front side of a mud flap, and with the outer portion having a second surface adapted to support a rear side of a mud flap.
1. A fender flare for attachment to a vehicle having a mud flap and a wheel well, wherein the wheel well has an outer lateral edge and generally defines a volume, wherein the mud flap includes a front side that faces the volume of the wheel well and a rear side that faces away from the volume of the wheel well, the fender flare comprising:
a fender flare body including a first surface and a second surface, the first and second surfaces defining a mud-flap channel adapted to receive the mud flap therein, wherein the first surface faces the front side of the mud flap and the second surface faces the rear side of the mud flap when the mud flap is received in the mud-flap channel;
wherein the fender flare body is configured to extend along at least a substantial portion of the lateral edge of the wheel well.
2. The fender flare of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first surface directly faces at least a portion of the second surface.
3. The fender flare of claim 1 , wherein the first surface is offset laterally from the second surface and does not directly face the second surface.
4. The fender flare of claim 1 , wherein the first surface is further configured to engage the front side of the mud flap and wherein the second surface is further configured to engage the rear side of the mud flap.
5. The fender flare of claim 1 , wherein the fender flare body is configured to extend into the wheel well in front of the mud flap, and wherein the fender flare body is further configured to extend under the vehicle and behind the mud flap.
6. A vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle body that defines a wheel well that generally defines a volume;
a mud flap coupled to the vehicle body and including a front side that faces the volume of the wheel well and a rear side that faces away from the volume of the wheel well; and
a fender flare according to claim 1 coupled to the vehicle body and receiving the mud flap within the mud-flap channel.
7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the mud flap defines a portion of the wheel well bounded by the vehicle body.
8. The fender flare of claim 1 , wherein the fender flare body includes an outer portion defined by one or more contoured surfaces that are configured to project outward from the vehicle along at least a substantial portion of the outer lateral edge of the wheel well.
9. A vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle body that defines a wheel well, wherein the wheel well has an outer lateral edge and generally defines a volume;
a mud flap coupled to the vehicle body and including a front side that faces the volume of the wheel well and a rear side that faces away from the volume of the wheel well; and
a fender flare coupled to the vehicle body and supporting opposed sides of the mud flap, wherein the fender flare comprises a fender flare body attached to the vehicle, and further wherein the fender flare body extends proximate and supports opposed sides of the mud flap and extends along at least a substantial portion of the outer lateral edge of the wheel well.
10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the fender flare body is configured to support at least opposite sides of the mud flap.
11. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the fender flare body is configured to extend into the wheel well in front of the mud flap, and wherein the fender flare body is further configured to extend under the vehicle behind the mud flap.
12. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the mud flap defines a portion of the wheel well.
13. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the fender flare body includes a first surface and a second surface, the first and second surfaces defining a mud-flap channel adapted to receive the mud flap, wherein the first surface faces a front side of the mud flap and the second surface faces a rear side of the mud flap when the mud flap is received in the mud-flap channel.
14. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the mud flap defines a portion of the wheel well.
15. A fender flare for attachment to a vehicle having a wheel well, the wheel well generally defining a volume and having an outer lateral edge, wherein the vehicle further has a mud flap extending from the wheel well, the mud flap including a front side generally facing the volume of the wheel well and a rear side generally facing away from the volume of the wheel well, the fender flare comprising:
a generally arcuate fender flare body configured to extend along at least a substantial portion of the outer lateral edge of the wheel well, wherein the fender flare body includes an inner portion and an outer portion, wherein the inner portion extends from the outer portion and is configured to mate with structure of the vehicle that defines the wheel well, wherein the inner portion includes a first surface adapted to support the front side of the mud flap, and wherein the outer portion includes a second surface adapted to support the rear side of the mud flap.
16. The fender flare of claim 15 , wherein the first surface and the second surface define a mud-flap channel adapted to receive the mud flap therein, wherein the first surface faces the front side of the mud flap and the second surface faces the rear side of the mud flap when the mud flap is received in the mud-flap channel.
17. The fender flare of claim 15 , wherein the inner portion includes a flange configured to be coupled to structure of the vehicle that at least partially defines the wheel well, wherein the flange includes an engagement surface configured to face away from the volume of the wheel well and to engage the structure that at least partially defines the wheel well, and wherein the first surface is a portion of the engagement surface.
18. The fender flare of claim 15 , wherein the fender flare body is configured to extend into the wheel well in front of the mud flap, and wherein the fender flare body is further configured to extend under the vehicle behind the mud flap.
19. A vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle body that defines a wheel well, wherein the wheel well has an outer lateral edge and generally defines a volume;
a mud flap coupled to the vehicle body and including a front side that faces the volume of the wheel well and a rear side that faces away from the volume of the wheel well; and
a fender flare according to claim 15 coupled to the vehicle body.
20. The vehicle of claim 19 , wherein the mud flap defines a portion of the wheel well.