Systems, methods, and devices for an automobile door or window

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10981609-B2
Application number	US-201916412748-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2019
Priority date	Dec 30, 2015
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

A trailer truck is the combination of a truck and one or more trailers used to haul freight. A trailer attaches to the truck via a trailer coupling (hitch), with much of its weight borne by the truck. The result is that both the truck and the trailer will have a distinctly different design than a rigid truck and trailer. Exemplary vehicles are provided, such as heavy duty trucks having truck bodies with improved aerodynamic characteristics, including improved drag coefficients.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A truck comprising:
an outer body including a nose section, the nose section having an upper portion and a lower portion; and
a bisecting plane that bisects a width of the truck,
wherein the lower portion defines a first slope angle taken from vertical and that lies in the bisecting plane,
wherein the first slope angle is between a range of about 0° and about 6°,
wherein the upper portion defines a second slope angle taken from vertical and that lies in the bisecting plane,
wherein the second slope angle is between about 20° and about 30°, and
wherein the truck has a drag coefficient that is between about 0.36 and about 0.40.

2. The truck of claim 1 , wherein the drag coefficient, C d , is determined by

C
d

=

2
×

F
x

rho
×

v
2

×

A
ref

where F x is a force acting on the tractor unit, rho is a fluid density, v is a free stream velocity, and A ref is a frontal projected area of the tractor unit.

3. The truck of claim 2 , wherein the frontal projected area, A ref , is between about 9.6 m 2 and about 10.6 m 2 .

4. The truck of claim 1 , wherein the outer body further comprises a windshield defining a third slope angle taken from vertical and that lies in the bisecting plane, and wherein the third slope angle is between about 31° and about 41°.

5. The truck of claim 4 , wherein the outer body further comprises a roof section, wherein the roof section defines a fourth slope angle taken from vertical and that lies in the bisecting plane, and wherein the fourth slope angle is between about 42° and about 52°.

6. The truck of claim 5 , wherein:
the first slope angle is between about 2° and about 4°;
the second slope angle is between about 23° and about 27°;
a third slope angle is between about 34° and about 38°; and
the fourth slope angle is between about 45° and about 49°.

7. The truck of claim 4 , wherein a ratio of the first slope angle to the third slope angle is between about 0.7 and about 0.9.

8. The truck of claim 1 , wherein the outer body further comprises a roof section having an air scoop integrally formed therein.

9. The truck of claim 6 , wherein the windshield comprises a wrap-around windshield.

10. A truck comprising:
an outer body including a nose section, the nose section having an upper portion and a lower portion; and
a bisecting plane that bisects a width of the truck,
wherein the lower portion defines a first slope angle taken from vertical and that lies in the bisecting plane,
wherein the first slope angle is between a range of about 0° and about 6°,
wherein the upper portion defines a second slope angle taken from vertical and that lies in the bisecting plane,
wherein the second slope angle is between about 24° and about 34°, and
wherein the tractor unit has a drag coefficient that is between about 0.42 and about 0.48.

11. The truck of claim 10 , wherein the drag coefficient, C d , is determined by

C
d

=

2
×

F
x

rho
×

v
2

×

A
ref

where F x is a force acting on the tractor unit, rho is a fluid density, v is a free stream velocity, and A ref is a frontal projected area of the tractor unit.

12. The truck of claim 11 , wherein the frontal projected area, A ref , is between about 9.97 m 2 and about 11.0 m 2 .

13. The truck of claim 10 , wherein the outer body further comprises a windshield defining a third slope angle taken from vertical and that lies in the bisecting plane, and wherein the third slope angle is between about 32° and about 42°.

14. The truck of claim 13 , wherein the outer body further comprises a roof section, wherein the roof section defines a fourth slope angle taken from vertical and that lies in the bisecting plane, and wherein the fourth slope angle is between about 71° and about 81°.

15. The truck of claim 14 , wherein:
the first slope angle is between about 2° and about 4°;
the second slope angle is between about 27° and about 31°;
a third slope angle is between about 35° and about 39°; and
the fourth slope angle is between about 74° and about 78°.

16. The truck of claim 13 , wherein a ratio of the first slope angle to the third slope angle is between about 0.7 and about 0.9.

17. The truck of claim 10 , wherein the outer body further comprises a roof section having an air scoop integrally formed therein.

18. The tractor unit of claim 15 , wherein the windshield comprises a wrap-around windshield.

19. The tractor unit of claim 10 , wherein the outer body further comprises a driver side section and a passenger side section, wherein at least one of the driver side section and the passenger side section comprises a tapered surface, and wherein the tapered surface defines a taper angle, and wherein the taper angle is between about 1° and about 6°.

20. A truck comprising:
an outer body including a nose section, the nose section having an upper portion and a lower portion; and
a bisecting plane that bisects a width of the truck,
wherein the lower portion defines a first slope angle taken from vertical and that lies in the bisecting plane,
wherein the first slope angle is between a range of about 2° and about 4°,
wherein the upper portion defines a second slope angle taken from vertical and that lies in the bisecting plane,
wherein the second slope angle is between about 25° and about 29°, and
wherein the truck has a drag coefficient that is between about 0.36 and about 0.48, wherein the drag coefficient, C d , is determined by

C
d

=

2
×

F
x

rho
×

v
2

×

A
ref

where F x is a force acting on the tractor unit, rho is a fluid density, v is a free stream velocity, and A ref is a frontal projected area of the tractor unit, and
wherein the outer

Assignees

• Nikola Corp

Inventors

• Milton Trevor R
• Jennes Stephen
• Scholten Markus

Classifications

• B60K6/26

  characterised by the motors or the generators · CPC title

• E05F15/632

  for horizontally-sliding wings · CPC title

• B60N3/16

  of cooking or boiling devices · CPC title

• B62D35/005

  Front spoilers (B62D35/001 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60L2220/46

  Wheel motors, i.e. motor connected to only one wheel · CPC title