Truck Air Guide Element with Movable Cap and Integrated Antenna
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air guiding elements for trucks increase the number of components projecting upwards, violating legal height restrictions and complicating unloading, while also requiring additional space and potentially causing damage during maneuvering.
Innovation Solution
An air guiding element with a cap that is movable relative to the cargo space structure, primarily using air flow to adjust its position and featuring small-area openings for pressure relief, integrated with an antenna that can protrude legally, reducing the overall height and components projecting upwards, and designed to be flexible or dimensionally stable with adjustable side walls to minimize drag and space usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If air deflectors are attached to the rear of the truck, then air resistance is reduced, but the vehicle length is exceeded and unloading becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The air guide element is arranged on the roof wall (vertical dimension) instead of extending behind the truck (horizontal dimension). This redirects airflow from the rear to the roof area, reducing air resistance without increasing vehicle length, thereby resolving the contradiction between energy loss reduction and vehicle length constraints.
2Loss of energy
If a tubular structure is used to channel air away from the rear, then air resistance is reduced, but the truck height increases causing contact damage
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is designed to be movable relative to the cargo space structure, allowing it to adjust its position based on driving conditions. During high-speed travel, the cap extends to channel air flow; during maneuvering, it retracts to minimize height, thus resolving the contradiction between air resistance reduction and avoiding contact damage.
3Volume of moving object
If the cap is made movable to reduce height during maneuvering, then space usage is optimized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable cap utilizes the existing air flow sweeping over the truck to automatically adjust its position, eliminating the need for additional actuators or control devices. This self-adjusting mechanism reduces device complexity while maintaining the ability to optimize space usage based on driving conditions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces air resistance during high-speed travel while maintaining a low profile during slow speeds, adhering to legal height restrictions and minimizing the risk of damage, with adjustable components that reduce lateral pressure losses and allow for efficient unloading.
Implementation Method 1
The lowering or the position of the cap at a distance from the loading space structure is preferably carried out exclusively by means of the air flow sweeping over the truck
Implementation Method 2
an air guide element (4) for reducing the air resistance of a truck (1)
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~6
Figure 7~9
AI summary
An air guide element (4) for reducing the air resistance of a truck (1) with a cargo compartment (2) is described. This element can be attached externally to the rear (3) of the cargo compartment (2) and forms an air channel (5) with a front air inlet opening (6) and a rear air outlet opening (7) in the direction of travel (x). The air guide element (4) has a cap (8) that delimits the air channel (5) and is movably arranged relative to the cargo compartment (2). When the air velocity falls below a predetermined threshold, the cap (8) lowers towards the cargo compartment (2), and when the air velocity exceeds this threshold, it is raised by the airflow relative to the cargo compartment (2). The invention therefore aimed to develop an air guide element (4) that allows the number of parts projecting upwards above the truck (1) to be kept constant or even reduced.The problem is solved according to the invention by providing at least one antenna (36) on or in the air guide element (4).