WO1986004030A1

WO1986004030A1 - A splash apron for a vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO1986004030A1
Application number: PCT/SE1986/000004
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ladislav Kubicka
Original assignee: ELASTOTEKNIK AB
Current assignee: ELASTOTEKNIK AB
Priority date: 1985-01-14
Filing date: 1986-01-08
Publication date: 1986-07-17
Anticipated expiration: 1987-07-14
Also published as: AU5317586A

Abstract

A device for collecting splashes from a vehicle wheel, comprising a board (10) with elements in the form of lamellae (12, 14, 16, 18) protruding therefrom, said lamellae being spaced apart and adjoining the board at one of their side edges, and forming an angle to the plane of the board, said angle being less than 90o, preferably being between 30o and 60o.

Description

A SPLASH APRON FOR A VEHICLE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a device intended to intercept splashes from a vehicle wheel.

BACKGROUND ART

When a vehicle moves on a wet road surface, water and mud is hurled up by the vehicle wheels. This causes the formation of a spray of water droplets and mud mainly behind and laterally of the vehicle. This spray considerably impairs visibility for other travellers and is a direct traffic danger in an overtaking situation. The driver Of the vehicle causing the spray also suffers reduced visibility rearward, which makes it difficult to heed vehicles catching up. Most vehicles are provided with mud guards and splash aprons, but these devices as designed according to prior art are very limited in their ability to prevent the formation of the dangerous spray of water and mud.

In certain cases, conventional mud guards and splash aprons may actually contribute to the spray, by atomizing larger water drops as such drops are hurled at the surfaces of the mud guards and splash aprons.

In order to eliminate or at least diminish the above problem it has lately been suggested that splash aprons for vehicles be designed in such a way that they be able to catch the droplets of water which are hurled at them and to return the water to the road surface in the form of a continuous flow of water from their lower edge, instead of causing the said atomization of the droplets. This problem has been especially focused upon in the UK, where the authorities have laid down the outlines for demands to be made on splash aprons for lorries in order that said aprons be able to collect such droplets as are thrown by the vehicle wheels towards the aprons. From the US Patent Letter 3899 192 a device is known for the collection of splashes from a vehicle wheel. Such a known device comprises mud boards, suspended before and behind the wheel, said boards on their wheel-facing sides being provided with elements extending toward the wheel and intended to collect water splashes and mud, thrown by the wheel toward the boards, and to accomplish the return of the water to the road surface without being atomized into a visibility-reducing spray. According to this US Patent Letter the elements extending toward the wheel are a mat of tightly interwoven bristle-like elements. A mat of this kind may be acceptably effective as long as it is not made dirty, but it will readily be appreciated, that a mat of tightly interwoven elements is quickly silted up by mud, snow, and ice, and then stops functioning as intended.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved device for collecting and returning to the road surface splashes from a vehicle wheel .

To realize this object the device comprises a board, suspended near the wheel of the vehicle, said board being provided on its wheel-facing surface with elements, extending from said surface towards the wheel. Said device accordning to the invention is characterized in that said elements, extending from the board, are in the form of spaced lamellae, each attached to the board along one of its long sides, said lamellae forming an angle less than 90* and preferably between 30* and 60* to the plane of the board.

A device of this kind will collect the splashes from the wheel in the spaces between the lamellae, where larger drops will form, which in turn will flow downwards along the board and will leave the lower edge thereof, returning to the road surface, without forming any visibility-reducing spray. It is preferred, according to the invention, that the lamellae cover those parts of the board which form the bottom of the spaces between the lamellae. In this way, the splashes from the wheel will be prevented from hitting directly the bottom of the spaces between the lamellae. Such direct hits might cause ato ization and assist in the formation of visibility-reducing spray. Instead, all splashes will first hit the oblique sides of the lamellae, and will remain in the spaces between the lamellae and the water will then be collected in said spaces and be released from their lower ends.

It is possible to design the lamellae in a number of different ways wit.hin the scope of the invention, as is prompted by the field of application and the desired properties.

It is suitable to produce the device in such a way that the lamellae are integral with the board itself. The board and the lamellae are preferably made of some elastomeric material. ^{* •}

The invention will be described below in more detail, making references to the attached drawings, wherein

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a pair of wheels of a lorry, equipped with the splash-collecting devices;

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of an embodiment of the device according to the invention, as viewed from the side facing the wheels;

Fig. 3 shows a vertical section of a different embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 4 shows a vertical section corresponding to Fig. 3 of yet another embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 1 a rear part of a lorry is depicted, with a pair of rear wheels 4. Behind each of the wheels 4 a device 6 according to the invention is suspended. The purpose of this device is to collect splashes of water and mud, thrown by the wheels up at the device, and to return the water and the mud to the road surface via its lower edge 8.

To collect said splashes and prevent them from forming a visibiliy-impairing and hence dangerous spray each of the devices 6 according to the invention comprises a board and lamellae, extending from the board toward the respective wheel.

In Fig 2 an embodiment of the invention is depicted, the board being designated by numeral 10, and the lamellae by numerals 12, 14, 16, and 18. Thus, each set of lamellae with the same designating numeral form a group of mutually parallel lamellae. The board 10 is somewhat wider than its respective wheel. Fig. 2 only depicts part of the device, the lower part being omitted. Obviously, the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2 of the device according to the invention may comprise any number of groups of lamellae, the best number of course being dependant upon the width of the device.

The inner edge 20 of each lamella adjoins the board, either as a result of making the lamellae integral with the board, or because they are attached thereto in some suitable way.

All lamellae slant in such a way in relation to the board 10 that the outer, free edge 22 of any lamella is below the inner edge 20 thereof, attached to the board, In the embodiment illustrated, the angle of the lamellae relative to the plane of the board is 45*, and is preferably between 30* and 60*. Said u,,₃ιti should be such in relation to the width of each lamella, i.e. to the distance between the edges 20 and 22, and in relation to the distance between the lamellae, that the bottom area 24 of the space 26 between the lamellae, as viewed perpendicularly to the board 10, is covered by the lamellae. This ensures that splashes of water and mud, thrown at the device by the wheels and entering the spaces 26 between the lamellae, are prevented from bouncing back out of the spaces 26 but will hit more than one of the walls thereof, thus losing their moment and being collected in the spaces 26.

By letting the lamellae slant longitudinally as well, within the respective groups 12, 14, 16, and 18, on other words letting their board-adjoining edge 20 form an angle A to the horizontal plane, such water and mud as is collected in the spaces 26 will flow towards and fall at the plane separating the groups of lamellae 12 and 14 and the plane separating the groups of lamellae 16 and 18, and thence downward along said separating plane to be delivered to the road surface from the lower edge of the device, thus not contributing to any visibility-impairing spray.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 2 could be said to comprise a zigzag pattern, the lamellae 12 and 18 at the side edges of the board 10 sloping downwards-inwards.

The lamellae of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2 are further displaced vertically relative to each other in such a way that the end edges 28 of the lamellae of each group are located in the middle between the end edges 28 of the lamellae of the neighbouring groups. This provides for an unobstructed downward flow of water and mud in spite of the fact that the end edges 28 extend up to the same separating plane, perpendicular to the board, and thus entirely cover the board as viewed perpendic- ularly to the board. The board of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3 is designated 30 and the lamellae 32. The board 30 is provided with side edges 34 directed inwards, and is slightly wider than the vehicle wheel, the splash from which is to be collected by the device. The lamellae 32 and the side edges 34 extend vertically across essentially the full height of the board 30, and the lamellae form an angle less than 90*, preferably between 30* and 60*, to the plane of the board 30. In the embodiment illustrated, this angle is about 45*. The lamellae 32 at the one edge of the boar.d 30 are directed contrary to the lamellae at the opposite edge thereof.

The width of the lamellae, their angle to the plane of the board 30, and their spacing are such that the bottoms 36 of the spaces 38 between the lamellae 32 are everywhere covered by the adjoining lamella, as viewed perpendicularly to the board 30.

Splashes of water and mud, thrown by.a vehicle wheel at the device, will everywhere hit a slanted wall of a lamella 32, thence being thrown into one of the spaces 38 and being collected at the bottom 36 thereof. Liquid and dirt thus collected will flow and fall downwards along the spaces 38 between the lamellae 32 and at the lower edge of the device 6 they will be returned to the road surface- This obstructs the formation of such visibility-impairing spray as would have formed, had the splashes bounced back off the device and been atomized thereby.

Fig. 4 depicts a somewhat varied embodiment compared to that of Fig. 3 of the device according to the invention, the lamellae 32a being oriented differently. It will readily be seen that the function of this embodiment is basically identical to that of the embodiment of Fig. 3. The device according to the invention, and especially the design of the lamellae, may be varied in a plurality of ways within the scope of the invention. Thus, it may be suitable in certain applications of the embodiments according to Figs. 3 and 4 to let the width of the lamellae increase gradually towards the side edges of the board so as to improve further their ability to enclose and collect the splashes from the vehicle wheel. It may also be suitable to let the lamellae diverge slightly downwards so that the spaces 38 between the lamellae receive a certain relief. This may prevent ice, mud, and snow from becoming caught in the spaces. It may also be suitable to close the upper end of the spaces 38 by letting the angle between the lamellae and the board decrease towards the upper edge of the board, so that the lamellae 32 essentially fold down on each other at the upper edge of the board 30.

The embodiments illustrated of the device according to the ^• invention are preferably produced from elastomeric material, the board and the lamellae being injection moulded or extruded in one piece. The embodiment^*according to Fig. 2 is best produced by injection moulding and the embodiments of Figs. 3 and 4 by extruding. The embodiment according to Fig. 2 may also be produced by extrusion, however, one or two profiles being extruded, the profiles cut to groups of lamellae, and the lamella groups put together to a continuous device.

Claims

CLAIMS: 8

1. A device for collecting splashes from a vehicle wheel (4), comprising a continuous board (10; 30), suspended near the wheel, said board being provided at its wheel-adjoining surface with elements (12, 14, 16, 18; 32) protruding therefrom in the direction of the wheel, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that said elements (12, 14, 16, 18, 32) are attached to and extend from the plane of said board, forming an angle to the plane of the board, said angle being less than 90°, preferably between 30* and 60* , so that spaces (26, 38) are formed, which^' are open downwards and forwards, said spaces being bounded by the sides of the slanting elements and by that side of the board which faces the wheel, splashes of water and mud being able to be collected in said spaces before flowing downwards and being returned to the road surface.

2. A device according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the bottom (24, 36) of the spaces (26, 38) between the elements (12, 14, 16, 18, 32) is covered by the elements, as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the board.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that said elements are in the form of lamellae (12, 14, 16, 18, 32), the board-adjoining side edge (20) of which forms an angle to the horizontal plane.

4. A device according to any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the lamellae are parallel, to each other, at least group-wise.

5. A device according to any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the free side edge (22) of each of the lamellae (12, 14, 16, 18) is lower than the side edge (20) adjoining the board.

6. A device according to any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the lamellae (12, 14, 16, 18) are arranged in groups of lamellae, the lamellae of each group being spaced vertically below one another and being parallel to each other.

7. A device according to claim 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the lamellae (12, 14, 16, 18) of each of said groups form an angle to the lamellae of the adjacent groups.

8. A device according to claim 7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the lamellae (12, 14, 16, 18) run in a zigzag pattern across the board.

9. A device according to claim 7 or 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the end edges (28) of the lamellae (12, 14, 16, 18) of each group are located essentially midway between the end edges of the lamellae of the adjacent groups of parallel lamellae.

10. A. device according to any of the claims 1 - 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that that side edge of each lamella (32) which adjoins the board (30) runs essentially vertically.

11. A device according to claim 10, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the lamellae (32) diverge slightly from each other towards the lower edge of the board

(30) so that the spaces (38) between the lamellae (32) receive a relief angle.