Air flow deflector for use at the rear of heavy vehicles

Claim 1

An air flow deflector for reducing air turbulence at the rear of heavy vehicles provided with a box-shaped body having a substantially vertical rectangular rear surface defining upright corner edges, comprising a pair of profiled, rectangular imperforate plates each having a length substantially equal to the height of said rear surface and a width substantially equal to one-third the width of said rear surface, each plate having an inner and an outer surface, means for mounting each plate upright on said body with the inner surface of said plate facing the rear surface of said body, with one longitudinal edge portion of each plate substantially coincident with a corner edge of said rear surface and with said plate extending in spaced substantially parallel relationship with and partially covering said rear surface, each plate, when mounted on said body, having its other longitudinal edge portion substantially parallel to the other longitudinal edge portion of the other plate and spaced from said last named other longitudinal portion transversely of said rear surface, each plate having a transverse cross-section in the shape of a 5 with said one longitudinal edge portion, when said plate is mounted on said body, directed towards but spaced from said rear surface and said other longitudinal edge portion directed away from said rear surface, whereby, when said plates are mounted on said body of a forwardly moving vehicle, air will flow from said corner edges towards the center of said rear surface, some of said air passing between said rear surface and the inner surface of said plates to emerge between said other longitudinal edge portions of said plates and other of said air passing along said outer surface of said plates to be deflected rearwardly of said body by said other longitudinal edge portions of said plates.