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EP-4230510-B1 - TRACTOR, COMMERCIAL VEHICLE, RANGE OF TRACTORS AND METHOD FOR CONFIGURING A TRACTOR

EP4230510B1EP 4230510 B1EP4230510 B1EP 4230510B1EP-4230510-B1

Inventors

  • SURENDRAN, SANAL
  • A, BHARATH KUMAR

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20220216

Claims (9)

  1. Tractor (2) of a commercial vehicle (1) comprising: - a chassis (5) extending along a longitudinal direction (L), the chassis (5) having front (6) and rear (8) chassis parts adjoining each other along the longitudinal direction (L), the rear chassis part (8) presenting opposite outer lateral surfaces (9), parallel to each other, and a top surface (10) between the outer lateral surfaces (9), - a cab (7) with a driving place for a driver mounted on the front chassis part (6), - at least two wheel trains (12) at a distance from each other along the longitudinal direction (L) and on which the chassis (5) is mounted, - a fifth-wheel coupling (15) arranged on the top surface (10) of the rear chassis part (8) and configured to attach a trailer (3) to the tractor (2), the fifth-wheel coupling (15) protruding from the top surface (10) of the rear chassis part (8) up to a fifth-wheel height (H fw ), resulting in an upper gap (G U ) between the top surface (10) of the rear chassis part (8) and a lower edge of the trailer (3) in a vertical direction (V), - lateral fairings (20) covering respectively the outer lateral surfaces (9) of the rear chassis part (8) and configured to fill at least a part of a lower gap (G L ) between the wheel trains (12) in the vertical direction (V), characterised in that each of the lateral fairings (20) has: - a fixed portion (21) attached to the chassis (5), configured to fill at least a part of the lower gap (G L ), - a movable portion (22) configured to fill at least a part of the upper gap (G U ), wherein the movable portion (22) is conformed as an extension plate (23) presenting an upper free edge (24) almost parallel to the top surface (10) of the rear chassis part (8), and - a mounting arrangement (25) between the fixed portion (21) and the movable portion (22), the mounting arrangement (25) being configured to vary a fairing height (H f ) of the upper free edge (24) of the movable portion (22) with respect to the top surface (10) of the rear chassis part (8) in accordance with the fifth-wheel height (H fw ), wherein the mounting arrangement (25) is a discontinuous mounting arrangement (25) configured to move in a discontinuous manner the movable portion (22) with respect to the fixed portion (21) between different mounting heights, the discontinuous mounting arrangement (25) comprising at least one first mounting member arranged on one of the fixed (21) and movable (22) portions, and at least one series of second mounting members arranged on the other of the fixed (21) and movable (22) portions, the series of second mounting members comprising separate second members aligned at different mounting heights, the first mounting member being configured to cooperate with any of the second mounting members to attach the movable portion (22) to the fixed portion (21).
  2. Tractor (2) according to claim 1, wherein the first and second mounting members of the discontinuous mounting arrangement are conformed as male and female mounting members, the male mounting member being configured to be inserted in the female mounting member to attach the movable portion (22) to the fixed portion (21) of each of the lateral fairings (20).
  3. Tractor (2) according to claim 2, wherein the male mounting member is configured as an elongate fastening member (28) such as a rivet, a screw, a nut-bolt or a clip.
  4. Tractor (2) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the female mounting member is configured as a hole of a series of holes (29) aligned in the vertical direction V on the extension plate (23) of the movable portion (22).
  5. Tractor (2) according to any of claims 1 to 4, comprising assemblies of first mounting members and series of second mounting members being distributed along a length in the longitudinal direction (L) of the lateral fairing (20) to ensure stability of the mounting arrangement (25).
  6. Tractor (2) according to claim 1, wherein the fixed portion (21) of the discontinuous mounting arrangement (25) comprises a support (27) with holes in addition to the base (26), the support (27) being configured so that the extension plate (23) of the movable portion (22) is sandwiched between the base (26) and the support (27).
  7. Commercial vehicle (1) comprising a tractor (2) according to any of claims 1 to 6, and a trailer (3), wherein the upper free edge (24) of the movable portion (22) of each of the lateral fairings (20) is arranged at the fairing height (H f ) with respect to the top surface (10) of the rear chassis part (8) in accordance with the fifth-wheel height (H fw ) through the mounting arrangement (25), so as to fill at least a part of the upper gap (G U ) between the top surface (10) of the rear chassis part (8) and the trailer (3) in a vertical direction (V).
  8. Range of tractors (2) according to any of claims 1 to 6, comprising at least two tractors (2) with respective fifth-wheel couplings (15) protruding from the top surfaces (10) of the respective rear chassis (8) parts up to different fifth-wheel heights (H fw ), and wherein for each of the tractors (2), the upper free edge (24) of the movable portion (22) of each lateral fairing (20) is arranged at the fairing height (H f ) with respect to the top surface (10) of the rear chassis part (8) in accordance with the fifth-wheel height (H fw ) through the mounting arrangement (25).
  9. Method for configuring a tractor (2) according to any of claims 1 to 6, comprising the steps of moving the movable portion (22) of each of the lateral fairings (20) with respect to the fixed portion (21) through the mounting arrangement (25) to arrange the upper free edge (24) of the movable portion (22) at the fairing height (H f ) with respect to the top surface (10) of the rear chassis part (8) in accordance with the fifth-wheel height (H fw ).

Description

Technical Field This disclosure pertains to the field of tractors of commercial vehicles and more specifically to aerodynamic performance of such tractors. Background Art WO2014163555A1, WO2018136826A1 and DE9115125U1 disclose vehicles with mobile lateral fairings. There is both a market and regulatory push to improve fuel efficiency of the commercial vehicles, such as trucks. One of the direct contributors to improve fuel efficiency is by enhancing aerodynamic performance. Commercial vehicles generally comprise a tractor to which a trailer may be removably attached through a fifth-wheel coupling. One classification of the fifth-wheel couplings is their overall fifth-wheel height from a top surface of a rear chassis part of a chassis on which they are arranged. With increasing fifth-wheel height of the fifth-wheel couplings, an upper gap between the top surface of the rear chassis part and the trailer in a vertical direction increases as well, resulting in a loss of aerodynamic performance. To cover this upper gap, it is known to mount extensions on lateral fairings covering respectively outer lateral surfaces of the rear chassis part and configured to fill at least a part of a lower gap between wheel trains in the vertical direction. Currently, the extensions are offered with only one fairing height chosen with respect to aerodynamic performance of the highest fifth-wheel coupling. This creates an imbalance in aerodynamic performance when these common extensions are implemented in commercial vehicles presenting other fifth-wheel heights and hence other dimensions of the upper gap. In addition, there exists a possibility of damages of the extensions and/or the trailer for lower fifth-wheel heights. Summary This disclosure improves the situation. According to an aspect, it is proposed a tractor of a commercial vehicle comprising: a chassis extending along a longitudinal direction, the chassis having front and rear chassis parts adjoining each other along the longitudinal direction, the rear chassis part presenting opposite outer lateral surfaces, parallel to each other, and a top surface between the outer lateral surfaces,a cab with a driving place for a driver mounted on the front chassis part,at least two wheel trains at a distance from each other along the longitudinal direction and on which the chassis is mounted,a fifth-wheel coupling arranged on the top surface of the rear chassis part and configured to attach a trailer to the tractor, the fifth-wheel coupling protruding from the top surface of the rear chassis part up to a fifth-wheel height, resulting in an upper gap between the top surface of the rear chassis part and a lower edge of the trailer in a vertical direction,lateral fairings covering respectively the outer lateral surfaces of the rear chassis part and configured to fill at least a part of a lower gap between the wheel trains in the vertical direction, wherein each of the lateral fairings has: a fixed portion attached to the chassis, configured to fill at least a part of the lower gap,a movable portion configured to fill at least a part of the upper gap, wherein the movable portion is conformed as an extension plate presenting an upper free edge almost parallel to the top surface of the rear chassis part, anda mounting arrangement between the fixed portion and the movable portion, the mounting arrangement being configured to vary a fairing height of the upper free edge of the movable portion with respect to the top surface of the rear chassis part in accordance with the fifth-wheel height, wherein the mounting arrangement is : a discontinuous mounting arrangement configured to move in a discontinuous manner the movable portion with respect to the fixed portion between different mounting heights, the discontinuous mounting arrangement comprising at least one first mounting member arranged on one of the fixed and movable portions, and at least one series of second mounting members arranged on the other of the fixed and movable portions, the series of second mounting members comprising separate second members aligned at different mounting heights, the first mounting member being configured to cooperate with any of the second mounting members to attach the movable portion to the fixed portion. Thanks to the invention, the mounting height of the movable portion and hence the fairing height of its upper free edge can be adjusted depending on the fifth-wheel height of the tractor. Such provisions improve the aerodynamic performance of each commercial vehicle by enabling the upper gap between the tractor and the trailer to be appropriately filled. The first and second mounting members of the discontinuous mounting arrangement may be conformed as male and female mounting members, the male mounting member being configured to be inserted in the female mounting member to attach the movable portion to the fixed portion of each of the lateral fairings. The blocking arrangement of the continuous mounting