Devices and methods for reducing vehicle drag
View Patent ↗A vehicle trailer is provided. The vehicle trailer includes a pair of side wall fairings having a leading edge and trailing edge. Each side wall fairing is positioned on a different wall from the other adjacent to the rear edges of each of the walls such that the leading edge of each side wall fairing contacts the wall and the trailing edge of each side wall fairing does not contact the wall. Each side wall fairing has an upward incline and downward incline. The side wall fairings can be utilized with one or more other components that are described herein.
1. A vehicle trailer comprising a roof and a floor separated from each other by a pair of opposing walls that extend along the length of the floor, the roof, floor, and walls defining a space accessible by a trailer door, each of the walls having a front edge and a rear edge, the walls having a height that extends from the floor to the roof, the height being substantially the same along at least a portion of the length of the walls, the vehicle trailer further comprising a pair of side wall fairings having a leading edge joined to a trailing edge by a sloped surface, each side wall fairing being positioned on a different wall from the other adjacent to the rear edges of each of the walls such that the leading edge of each side wall fairing contacts the wall and the trailing edge of each side wall fairing does not contact the wall, each side wall fairing sloped surface being inclined outwardly away from the leading edge and away from the trailer wall and transitioning to being inclined inwardly toward the trailing edge.
2. The vehicle trailer of claim 1 , wherein each side wall fairing is inclined downwardly at an angle from about 10 degrees to about 20 degrees.
3. The vehicle trailer of claim 1 , wherein each side wall fairing is inclined downwardly at an angle from about 12 degrees to about 16 degrees.
4. The vehicle trailer of claim 2 , wherein each side wall fairing defines one or more slots configured to permit the trailer door to open and close.
5. The vehicle trailer of claim 1 , wherein each side wall fairing has a length from about 10 inches to about 40 inches and a height from about 36 inches to about 117 inches and a depth from about 1 inch to about 3 inches.
6. A kit for retrofitting an existing vehicle trailer, the existing vehicle trailer including a roof and a floor separated from each other by a pair of opposing walls that extend along the length of the floor, the roof, floor, and walls defining a space accessible by a trailer door, each of the walls having a front edge and a rear edge, the walls having a height that extends from the floor to the roof, the height being substantially the same along at least a portion of the length of the walls, the kit comprising a pair of side wall fairings having a leading edge joined to a trailing edge by a sloped surface with each side wall fairing configured to be positioned on a different wall from the other adjacent to the rear edges of each of the walls such that the leading edge of each side wall fairing contacts the wall and the trailing edge of each side wall fairing does not contact the wall, each side wall fairing sloped surface being configured to incline outwardly away from the leading edge and away from the trailer wall and transition to incline inwardly toward the trailing edge.
7. A method of retrofitting a vehicle trailer, a roof and a floor separated from each other by a pair of opposing walls that extend along the length of the floor, the roof, floor, and walls defining a space accessible by a trailer door, each of the walls having a front edge and a rear edge, the walls having a height that extends from the floor to the roof, the height being substantially the same along at least a portion of the length of the walls, the method comprising installing a pair of side wall fairings having a leading edge joined to a trailing edge by a sloped surface, each side wall fairing being positioned on a different wall from the other adjacent to the rear edges of each of the walls such that the leading edge of each side wall fairing contacts the wall and the trailing edge of each side wall fairing does not contact the wall, each side wall fairing sloped surface being inclined outwardly away from the leading edge and away from the trailer wall and transitioning to being inclined inwardly toward the trailing edge.
8. A vehicle trailer comprising a roof and a floor separated from each other by a pair of opposing walls that extend along the length of the floor, the roof, floor, and walls defining a space accessible by a trailer door, the walls and the roof each having a front edge and a rear edge, the walls having a height that extends from the floor to the roof, the height being substantially the same along at least a portion of the length of the walls, the vehicle trailer further comprising a pair of side wall fairings having a leading edge joined to a trailing edge by a sloped surface, each side wall fairing being positioned on a different wall from the other adjacent to the rear edges of each of the walls such that the leading edge of each side wall fairing contacts the wall and the trailing edge of each side wall fairing does not contact the wall, each side wall fairing sloped surface being inclined outwardly away from the leading edge and away from the trailer wall and transitioning to being inclined inwardly toward the trailing edge, the vehicle trailer further comprising a rain gutter component having a leading edge and trailing edge, the rain gutter component being positioned on the roof adjacent to the rear edge of the roof such that the leading edge of the rain gutter component contacts the roof and the trailing edge of the rain gutter component does not contact the roof, the rain gutter component having an upward incline and downward incline such that the distance between the trailing edge of the rain gutter component and the floor is less than the average height of the walls.
9. The vehicle trailer of claim 8 , wherein the pair of side wall fairings and the rain gutter component are inclined downwardly at an angle from about 10 degrees to about 20 degrees.
10. The vehicle trailer of claim 8 , wherein the pair of side wall fairings and the rain gutter component are inclined downwardly at an angle from about 12 degrees to about 16 degrees.
11. The vehicle trailer of claim 8 , wherein each side wall fairing defines one or more slots configured to permit the trailer door to open and close.
12. The vehicle trailer of claim 8 , wherein each side wall fairing has a length from about 10 inches to about 40 inches and a height from about 36 inches to about 117 inches.
13. The vehicle trailer of claim 8 , wherein the rain gutter component has a length from about 10 inches to about 40 inches and a width from about 36 inches to about 111 inches.
14. The vehicle trailer of claim 8 further comprising wheels and an apparatus for reducing the drag of a trailer, the apparatus comprising a pair of fairings positioned on opposite sides of the trailer in front of the wheels on the bottom of the trailer, each fairing comprising a generally parabolic shaped cross-section that is generally parallel to the bottom surface of the trailer, each fairing further comprising a surface that is curved towards the center of a trailer to direct fluid flow between the wheels of the trailer.
15. The vehicle trailer of claim 14 , further comprising a sloped component configured to be positioned in front of the trailer wheels, wherein the sloped component is at least partially positioned between the pair of fairings.
16. The vehicle trailer of claim 14 , further comprising one or more axle wing components positioned over one or more axles of the wheels, respectively, wherein the one or more axle wing components are positioned between the pair of fairings.
17. The vehicle trailer of claim 14 , further comprising a pair of rear fairings configured to be positioned on opposite sides of the trailer behind the wheels on the bottom of the trailer, each fairing comprising a generally wedge shaped cross-section that is configured to be generally parallel to the bottom surface of the trailer.
18. The vehicle trailer of claim 14 , further comprising a diffuser configured to be positioned at the rear of the trailer, wherein the diffuser includes at least one sloped surface configured to direct airflow away from the center of the trailer.