US 12,240,535 B2
Headwind/crosswind air jet shield
Charles Magee, Cairo, GA (US)
Assigned to FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY, Tallahassee, FL (US)
Filed by Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL (US)
Filed on Oct. 26, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/049,792.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/295,583, filed on Dec. 31, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0211834 A1, Jul. 6, 2023
Int. Cl. B62D 35/00 (2006.01)
CPC B62D 35/005 (2013.01) [B62D 35/008 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An air jet shield, comprising:
a support frame comprising a generally curved body configured to match a front end of a passenger vehicle;
a plurality of security straps coupled to the support frame, wherein the security straps are configured to attach the support frame to the passenger vehicle; and
a plurality of air ducts coupled to the support frame, the plurality of air ducts comprising a set of V-shaped air ducts horizontally coupled to the support frame and a set of concave air ducts vertically attached to the support frame, each of the air ducts having a decreasing cross-sectional area, wherein each of the air ducts comprises:
an inlet that receives air from a surrounding environment during a travel of the passenger vehicle into at least one of a headwind and a crosswind; and
an outlet forming a rectangular shape that dispenses the air received from the inlet as a free air jet, wherein the outlet projects the free air jet into the at least one of the headwind and the crosswind, wherein upon the free air jet entering the at least one of the headwind and the crosswind, a wind shear is created causing the free air jet to rotate at an increased velocity relative to a velocity of the air received from the inlet, wherein a static air pressure and a wind velocity in a region of space within the rotating free air jet and surrounding the passenger vehicle is decreased relative to a static pressure of the air received from the inlet and the wind velocity causing a reduction in aerodynamic drag.