The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 23, 1976
Filed:
Aug. 23, 1974
Ronald A Servais, Dayton, OH (US);
Paul T Bauer, Bellbrook, OH (US);
Alan F Meckstroth, Dayton, OH (US);
Aerospan Corporation, Dayton, OH (US);
Abstract
An air inflated bag of inflexible sheet material includes a front portion which is mounted on the body or cab of a vehicle such as a tractor hitched to a semi-trailer. A rear portion of the inflated bag extends between the cab and the trailer body to provide for a smooth non-turbulent flow of air around the cab and to the side and top walls of the trailer body for significantly reducing the aerodynamic drag on the tractor-trailer vehicle. The front portion of the bag is provided with a generally horizontal inlet which is located directly above the front windshield of the cab to direct a portion of the upward flow of air over the cab into the bag and thereby effect dynamic inflation of the bag at a predetermined road speed. The bag may be collapsed to a folded condition adjacent the cab for when the tractor is being driven without a trailer, and a bottom recess is formed within the rear portion of the bag to provide for extending service lines between the cab and the trailer. A low flow of air may be provided through the bag for supplying air to an air conditioning or refrigeration system, and the bag may be made adjustable for accommodating variations in the space between the cab and the trailer.