Vehicle water spray control devices

Abstract

A spray control device for controlling the lateral discharge of spray generated by the rotation of a wheel of a wheeled vehicle during its forward movement over a wet surface, comprises a hollow body mountable to a sidewall of the vehicle above and laterally outwardly in relation to the wheel of the vehicle. The hollow body has a vertically elongated forwardly opening inlet at a forward end thereof for intaking air into the hollow body during forward movement of the vehicle, a horizontally elongated laterally inwardly directed outlet at a lower edge of the body, and at least one channel extending from the inlet to the outlet for directing air flow from the inlet to the outlet, which channel decreases in cross-sectional area from the inlet to the outlet whereby air flow speed is increased to create a high velocity air screen directed inwardly above and across the wheel toward the center of the vehicle. According to another embodiment, a spray control device comprises a hollow body mountable to the vehicle for extending over the wheel of the vehicle. The hollow body has a bottom fender wall with a downwardly curved rear end portion for concentric disposition with the wheel of corresponding diameter and at least one channel extending from an inlet to an outlet. The bottom fender includes a plurality of eductor openings communicating with the channel, and the channel decreases in cross-sectional area from the inlet to the outlet whereby air flow speed is increased to create a corresponding pressure drop operative to draw water spray through the eductor openings for discharge through the outlet in a downward and inward direction. A further embodiment combines features of the other embodiments.