Cargo box with aerodynamic textured surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10118564-B2
Application number	US-201314426932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2013
Priority date	Sep 11, 2012
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

A cargo box attachable to a vehicle that includes a cover shell having a textured portion that lessens aerodynamic drag on the combination of the vehicle and cargo box.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cargo box mountable to a carrying vehicle, comprising:
a base configured to be mounted to the carrying vehicle; and
a cover shell with an inner surface and an outer surface,
wherein the cover shell is attachable to the base with the inner surface of the cover shell and the base forming an interior cargo space,
wherein a front portion of the outer surface of the cover shell includes an aerodynamic-potentiated textured portion having a plurality of elliptically shaped recessed dimples formed into the outer surface of the cover shell,
wherein a first end of each elliptically shaped recessed dimple is curved and a second end opposite the first end is curved,
wherein the dimples have a depth extending into the cover shell and are arranged in a pattern having a plurality of rows extending from the front portion of the outer surface of the cover shell toward a rear portion of the outer surface of the cover shell,
wherein each elliptically shaped recessed dimple is symmetrical about two axes, and
wherein at least one row of dimples progressively decreases in diameter and depth as the row extends from the front portion to the rear portion of the cover shell.

2. The cargo box of claim 1 , wherein the dimples are arranged in a symmetrical pattern.

3. The cargo box of claim 1 , wherein the cover shell has a rear portion and is substantially scaphoid shaped, with the substantially scaphoid shaped cover shell having a top, a first side wall, a second side wall, and a rear wall, with the first side wall and the second side wall extending downward from the top and extending outward from the rear wall at the rear portion of the cover shell so as to converge at the front portion of the cover shell, the first side wall and the second side wall being substantially parallel in the rear portion of the cover shell.

4. The cargo box of claim 3 , wherein the textured portion of the outer surface of the cover shell is on the top of the cover shell.

5. The cargo box of claim 1 , further comprising a drag-reducing, peaked nose at a front end of the cargo box.

6. The cargo box of claim 1 , further comprising a drag-reducing, substantially flat bottom surface.

7. The cargo box of claim 6 , further comprising a drag-reducing, peaked nose at a front end of the cargo box thereby establishing a synergistically aerodynamically potentiated cargo box having a reduction in drag greater than the individual reductions in drag produced separately by the three features of surface texturing, peaked nose and a substantially flat bottom surface.

8. A cargo box mountable to a vehicle comprising:
a base having a substantially flat bottom surface, wherein the base is configured to be mounted to the vehicle; and
a cover shell comprising:
an outer surface having a top surface, a front portion, a rear portion, a first sidewall, and a second sidewall;
an inner surface; and
a plurality of recessed dimples having a long-axis and a depth formed in the front portion of the outer surface of the cover shell,
wherein the recessed dimples are arranged in a pattern having a first longitudinal row and a second longitudinal row,
wherein the first longitudinal row comprises dimples having the same length long-axis and the same depth,
wherein the second longitudinal row comprises a first dimple and a second dimple disposed rearward of the first dimple, wherein a long-axis and a depth of the second dimple are shorter than the first dimple, and

wherein the cover shell is configured to attach to the base such that the inner surface of the cover shell and the base define an interior cargo space.

9. The cargo box of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of the dimples are elliptically shaped and arranged on the top surface of the cover shell.

10. The cargo box of claim 8 , wherein the first sidewall and the second sidewall extend downward from the top surface of the cover shell and taper toward one another in the front portion of the cover shell.

11. The cargo box of claim 10 , wherein the dimples are formed in the top surface, the first sidewall, and the second sidewall of the front portion of the cover shell.

12. The cargo box of claim 8 , wherein the long-axis of the first row of dimples is about 1.7 inches and the depth is about 0.19 inches, and wherein the long-axis of the second row of dimples is about 1.67 inches to about 1.17 inches and the depth is about 0.18 inches to about 0.081 inches.

13. The cargo box of claim 8 , wherein the dimples reduce a drag force on the cargo box by approximately 20 percent in comparison to an untextured cargo box.

14. The cargo box of claim 8 , wherein the second longitudinal row comprises a third dimple disposed rearward of the second dimple, wherein a long-axis and a depth of the third dimple are shorter than the second dimple.

15. A cargo box mountable to a carrying vehicle, comprising:
a base configured to be mounted to the carrying vehicle; and
a cover shell with an inner surface and an outer surface,
wherein the cover shell is attachable to the base with the inner surface of the cover shell and the base forming an interior cargo space,
wherein a front portion of the outer surface of the cover shell includes an aerodynamic-potentiated textured portion having a plurality of elliptically shaped recessed dimples formed into the outer surface of the cover shell,
wherein the dimples have a depth extending into the cover shell and are arranged in a pattern having a plurality of rows extending from the front portion of the outer surface of the cover shell toward a rear portion of the outer surface of the cover shell, and
wherein at least one row of dimples progressively decreases in diameter and depth as the row extends from the front portion to the rear portion of the cover shell.

16. The cargo box of claim 15 , wherein each elliptically shaped recessed dimple forms a plane curve with a locus of points for which the sum of the distances from each point to two fixed points is equal.

17. The cargo box of claim 15 , wherein a first end of each elliptically shaped recessed dimple is curved and a second end opposite the first end is curved.

Assignees

• Thule Sweden Ab

Inventors

• Clark Frederic
• Makris Timothy
• Settelmayer Joe
• Laverack John
• Weaver Gregor
• Bogoslofski Kevin
• Mcleran Ian

Classifications

• B60R9/05 Primary

  Carriers characterised by wind deflecting means (wind deflectors for open roofs B60J7/22) · CPC title

• B60R9/055

  Enclosure-type carriers, e.g. containers, boxes (B60R9/048 takes precedence) · CPC title