EP0030122A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ground effect vehicle
Assignee: TEAM LOTUS INTERNATIONAL Ltd
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Filing: 1980-11-26
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2000-11-26
Abstract
Abstract A wheeled vehicle has an undertray shaped to form a venturi duct with a road or like surface over which the vehicle moves, the undertray being carried in substantially fixed relationship with the wheels, so that the vehicle chassis or body can move relative to the wheels without substantial alteration of the shape of the venturi duct. The undertray can comprise the lower wall of a sheel enclosing the vehicle body or chassis.
Inventors
- 👤 Anthony Bruce Colin Chapman
- 👤 Peter Godfrey Wright
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 17:06
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60G; B60G17/00; B60G99/00; B62; B62D; B62D35/00; B62D35/02; B62D37/00; B62D37/02; B60G2204/00; B60G2204/40; B60G2204/43; B60G2204/4308; B60G2300/00; B60G2300/02; B60G2300/27; Y; Y02; Y02T; Y02T10/00; Y02T10/80; Y02T10/88
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
68 words
A vehicle havinga body, wheels for supporting the vehicle on a support surface, suspension means permitting relative movement between the body and the wheels, and means providing an undersurface for forming a venturi duct with the support surface, characterized in that the means (12, 60) providing the undersurface (30, 66) is carried by the vehicle for movement with the wheels (22, 56) relative to the body (14, 54).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
68 words
A vehicle havinga body, wheels for supporting the vehicle on a support surface, suspension means permitting relative movement between the body and the wheels, and means providing an undersurface for forming a venturi duct with the support surface, characterized in that the means (12, 60) providing the undersurface (30, 66) is carried by the vehicle for movement with the wheels (22, 56) relative to the body (14, 54).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 having axles for the wheels and wherein the means (12) providing the undersurface (30) is suspended from the axles by mounting means (34, `36).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
A vehicle as claimed in claim 2 wherein the suspension means permits movement of at least one of the wheels (20, 22) relative to the remaining wheels, and the mounting means (34, 36) are arranged to accommodate this relative movement.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
A vehicle as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein the suspension means permits movement of at least one of the wheels relative to the remaining wheels and the means (12) is flexible to accommodate this relative movement.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
A vehicle as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4 having flexible sealing means between the means (12) and the vehicle body (14).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the means (12) has a front portion (32) thereof forming a convex rearwardly curved downward extension of the front surface (18) of the vehicle body.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means (60) providing the undersurface (66) is part of a shell (52) substantially enclosing the vehicle body (54).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the means (12, 60) has along each side thereof a downwardly extending side portion (38, 64, 68) having a lower edge spaced from the support surface (44).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
A vehicle as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 7 wherein the means (12, 60) has along each side thereof a downwardly extending skirt portion (70) having a lower edge, the skirt portions being arranged to engage the support surface (44).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
A vehicle as claimed in claim 9 wherein the means (12, 60) has a downwardly open longitudinal slot extending along each side thereof, and the skirt portions (70) are slidable up and down within the slots.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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