US 12,304,572 B2
Drag reducing device for a motor vehicle
Udayesh Chevar, Kerala (IN); and Anumodh Rajan, Karnataka (IN)
Assigned to Volvo Truck Corporation, Gothenburg (SE)
Appl. No. 17/913,200
Filed by Volvo Truck Corporation, Gothenburg (SE)
PCT Filed Feb. 22, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/054351
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 21, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/197712, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 7, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 202041013739 (IN), filed on Mar. 28, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0109675 A1, Apr. 13, 2023
Int. Cl. B62D 35/02 (2006.01); B62D 25/16 (2006.01); B62D 25/18 (2006.01); B62D 35/00 (2006.01)
CPC B62D 35/02 (2013.01) [B62D 25/16 (2013.01); B62D 25/186 (2013.01); B62D 35/001 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A drag reducing device for a motor vehicle comprising a vehicle body and at least one substantially semi-circular wheel-well for receiving a wheel capable of vertical and rotational movements with regards to the vehicle body, the vehicle comprising unsprung masses associated with the at least one wheel:
the drag reducing device comprising: a wheel-well cover configured to cover at least a portion of the wheel and of the wheel-well, a pivotal linkage pivotally connecting the wheel-well cover to the vehicle body, and a sliding linkage slidingly connecting the wheel-well cover to an element of the unsprung masses with one degree of freedom oriented in the vertical movement of the at least one wheel;
the sliding linkage comprising a steering bracket configured to be mounted on the element of the unsprung masses perpendicular to a steering axis of the wheel, and two members attached to the wheel-well cover and configured to cooperate with the steering bracket; and
the steering bracket comprising two longitudinal slots, each longitudinal slot being provided with a pin slidably mounted therein along a longitudinal direction of the longitudinal slot, wherein each pin is configured to cooperate with one member attached to the wheel-well cover allowing transfer of a steering input to the wheel-well cover.