FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to vehicle roof fairings,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Roof fairings are employed on a variety of land vehicles, particularly truck tractors, for purposes of reducing drag. While efficient at reducing drag, the height of roof fairings are often a concern during what is known as "piggy back" shipping of truck tractors from the factory.

As shown in FIG. 1 , during piggy back shipping a towing truck tractor 5' may tow two truck tractors 5" and 5"', which are secured to respective fifth wheels 6' and 6." While piggy backing may be efficient for truck delivery, as shown in FIG I , the stacking of the truck tractors 5" and 5'" may cause roof fairings it'" and 10'" to extend above a height limit L, such as, for example, a bridge height limit

Numerous two-piece roof fairing arrangements have been devised to overcome this problem. U.S. Patent Nos. 4,919,472 to Wiley, jfr, 5,174,626 to Wiley, Jr. et a!. and

5,755,485 to Christie et al. show two piece roof fairing arrangements connected by hinges that allow the height of the roof fairing to be lowered daring shipment and then extended after delivery. During shipping, these arrangements permit an upper fairing body section to fit within a lower fairing body section that is mounted to the cab roof, whereby the overall height of the roof fairing is decreased. Advantageously, after delivery, the hinges in these arrangements allow the upper fairing body section to easily move into an extended operable position, whereby the height of the roof faring is extended.

While such designs allow the height of roof fairings to be decreased during piggy back shipping, the permanent coupling via the hinges make for difficult, time consuming, and awkward factory manufacturing and installation. For example, due to the awkward shape, flexibility of the fairing walls, and combined weight of the hingedly connected upper and lower body sections, at least two workers would be are required to handle and mount the roof fairings in a factor setting. By way of another example, the use of piano hinges increases the manufacturing cost and assembly time. By way of yet another example, the use of a living hinge requires that the two fairing pieces be molded simultaneously with in a relatively large common mold.

The present invention is directed to an improved vehicle roof fairing. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention, a roof fairing body comprises a lower fairing body section, an upper fairing body section, a shipping configuration, and an operable configuration. The lower fairing body section includes a front wail and side walls extending rearward from opposite ends of the from wall. The front wall and side walls cooperate to define an upper roof fairing section receiving space. The upper fairing body section is configured to mate with the lower fairing body section to form at least one hinge. When in the shipping configuration, the upper roof fairing section is positioned at Ieast partially within the upper roof fairing section receiving space of the lower fairing body section, whereby the roof fairing body is provided with a shipping height and the upper roof fairing section and the lower fairing body section mate to form at ieast one hinge. When in an operable configuration the upper roof fairing section pivots about the at least one hinge whereby the upper roof fairing section is situated at least partially above the lower fairing body section and the roof fairing body is provided with an operable height that is greater than the shipping height,

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for installing a roof fairing on a vehicle comprises the steps of providing a roof fairing body that includes a lower fairing body section and an tipper fairing body section, wherein the lower fairing body section includes a front wall and side walls extending rearward from opposite ends of the front wall, the front wall and side walls cooperate to define an upper roof fairing section receiving space, and the upper fairing body section is configured to mate with the lower fairing body section to form at least one hinge, installing the roof fairing on a vehicle in a shipping configuration whereat the lower fairing body section is secured to the roof then the upper roof fairing section is positioned at least partially within the upper roof lairing section receiving space of the lower fairing body section, whereby the roof fairing body is provided with a shipping height and the upper roof fairing section and the lower fairing body section mate to form at least one hinge, and installing the roof fairing on a vehicle in an operable configuration whereat the upper roof fairing section pi vots about the at least one hinge whereby the upper roof fairing section is situated at least partially above the lower fairing body section and the roof fairing body is provided with an operable height that is grea ter than the shipping height.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a plurality of prior art truck tractors during piggy back shipping. FIG. 2 shows a roof fairing according to one embodiment in a shipping configuration. FIG, 3 shows a roof fairing according to one embodiment in an operable configuration.

FIG. 3 shows a roof fairing according to one embodiment in an operable

configuration.

FIG, 4 shows an underside view of a lower fairing body section according to one embodiment.

FIG. 5 shows a rear v iew of a lower fairing body section according to one

embodiment.

FIG. 6 shows a rear underside view of an upper fairing body section according to one embodiment.

FIG . 7 shows a close up view of a pair of tongues on an upper fairing body sec ti on according to one embodiment.

FIG. 8 shows a close up progression view of a joint between the upper and lower body sections during a transition from a shipping configuration to an operable configuration.

FIG, 9 shows a rear perspecti ve view of the upper and iower body sections during a transition from a shipping configuration to an operable configuration.

FIG. 10 shows a side sectional view of the upper and iower body sections during a transition from a shipping configuration to an operable configuration.

DETAILED DBSCRIPTON OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 2-10, depict a roof fairing 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown therein, the roof fairing 10 is provided with a lower fairing body section 30 and an upper fairing body section 50.

Turning now to FIG. 4, an underside view of the lower fairing body section 30 is depicted. As shown therein, the lower fairing body section 30 is provided with a front wail 31 and side walls 32a, 32b that extend rearward from opposite ends of the front wail 31. As shown, the front wall 31 and side walls 32a, 32b cooperate to define an upper roof fairing section recei ving space 35 located between the front wall 31 and the side wails 32a, 32b.

According to another aspect of the present embodiment the roof fairing 10 is provided with a shipping configuration 10a and an operable configuration 10b. As shown in FIG. 2, when in the shipping configuration !Oa, the upper roof lairing section 50 is situated at least partially within the upper roof fairing section receiving space 35 defined by the lower fairing body section 30 and the roof fairing 10 is provided with a shipping height S, As shown in FIG. 3, when in the operable configuration 10b, the roof fairing 1.0 is provided with an operable height H that i s greater than the shipping height and the upper roof fairmg section 50 is situated at least partially above the lower fairing body section 30.

According to another aspect of the present embodiment, the upper roof fairing body section 50 is configured to mate with the lower fairing body 30 section to form a hinge 70. According to another aspect of the present embodiment, the upper roof fairmg body section 50 is configured to mate with the lower fairing body section 30 section to form a hinge 70 when the upper roof fairing section 50 is positioned at least partially within the upper roof fairing section receiving space 35 of the lower fairing body section 30,

Turning now FIG. 5, in the present embodiment, the front wall 3 i of the lower fairing body section 30 may be define at least one cutout, as at 36a, 36b. Turning now to FIGS. 6 and 7, a front wall 51 of the upper fairing body section 50 may be provided with at least one tongue, as at 56a, 56b.

Turning now to FIG. 8, when the roof fairing 10 is in a shipping configuration, as the upper roof fairing section 50 is fitted within the upper roof fairing section recei ving space 35, the tongues 56a, 56b mate with respective cutouts 36a, 36b to form a pair of hinges 70, which are preferably releasable in nature. As shown by the progressions in FIGS. 8-10, during a transition from the shipping position 10a to the operable position 10b, the upper roof fairing section 50 pivots about the hinges 70 whereby the upper roof fairing section 50 is situated at least partially above the lower fairing body section 30 and the fairing body 10 is provided with the operable height H that is greater than the shipping height S.

Advantageously, as shown in FIG. 8, when in the shipping configuration 10a upper surface 57 of the tongues 56a, 56b may engage the an upper cutout defining surface 37 of the cutouts 36a, 36b to partially secure the front wall 51 of the upper fairing body section 50 to the lower fairing body section 30. Advantageously, when in the operable configuration 10b, as shown in FIG. 8, the barb 58 on the underside of the tongues 56a, 56b may engage a lower cutout defining surface 38 of the cutouts 36a, 36b to limit the amount of rotation of the upper roof fairing section 50 during a transition from the shipping configuration 10a to the operable configuration 10b.

Advantageously, the present embodiment allows for the upper and lower fairing body sections 30, 50 to be handled and installed separately prior to shipping. Prior to shipment, the lower fairing body section 30 may be handled and mstalled on the roof 7 of the cab of a truck. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the lower foiling body section 30 may be secured to the roof 7 in any appropriate manner, including for example by use of brackets, struts, or threaded fasteners.

Thereafter, the upper fairing body section 50 may be handled and inserted into the upper fairing body section receiving space 35 of the lower fairing body section 30 so that the tongues 56a, 56b mate with the cutouts 36a, 36b to secure the front wall 51 of the upper fairing body section 50 to the lower fairing body section 30 and the roof 7. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that that the rear 54 of the upper fairmg body section 50 may be secured to the roof 7 or the lower fairing body section 30 in any appropriate manner, including, for example, via use of brackets, struts, or threaded fasteners.

Advantageously, after shipping, the present embodiment allows for the upper fairing body section 50 to pivot about hinges 70 to provide the operable configuration. By way of example, the rear 54 of the upper fairing body section 50 can be unsecured from the roof 7 or the lower fairing body section 30, whereby a lifting force applied to the rear 54 will cause the upper fairing body section 50 to ph ot about the hinge 70 to provide the operable

configuration 10b whereat the upper fairing body section 50 may be fully secured to the lower fairing body section 30 in any appropriate manner, including, via use of brackets, struts, or threaded fasteners.

The detailed descriptions of the above embodiments are not exhaustive descriptions of all embodiments contemplated by the inventors to be within the scope of the invention. The present description depicts specific examples to teach those skilled in the art how to make and use the best mode of the invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate variations from these examples that fall within the scope of the invention. By way of example, and not limitation, although the present embodiment depicts at least one joint 70 formed by tongue 56a or 56b and cutout 36a or 36b, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that numerous other types of hinges may be formed by mating the of the lower and tipper fair ing body sections. By way of example, and not limitation, in alternati ve embodiments, a lower fairing body section may include a pair of pins (not shown) thai extend toward each other from the opposing side walls and the upper fairing body section may include cylindrical receiving surfaces (not shown) that receive the pins, whereby the upper fairing body section is pivotable about the pins.

Persons skilled in the art will recognize that certain elements of the above- described embodiments and examples may variously be combined or eliminated to create further embodiments, and such former embodiments fail within the scope and teachings of the invention. It will also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the above-described embodiments may be combined in whole or in part to create additional embodiments within the scope and teachings of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that some conventional aspects have been simplified or omitted. Thus, although specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is determined from the appended claims and equivalents thereof.