GB2100206A - Vehicle spray inhibitor - Google Patents

Abstract

A panel 10 adapted for securement to a mudguard, wing or wheel arch of a motor vehicle comprises a plurality, e.g. three, superimposed inhibiting mesh layers 11, 12, 13 separated from one another by spacers, e.g. spacer mesh layers 14, 15, 16, 17, having larger interstices than said inhibiting layers. The panel 10, when attached adjacent each wheel of a vehicle, provides a reticulate matrix which tends to prevent water thrown up by the vehicle's wheels from rebounding back onto said wheels, thereby reducing the overall amount of spray produced and improving the driver's visibility. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Vehicle spray inhibitor This invention concerns a vehicle spray inhibitor, that is to say a device constructed or adapted to be secured to or form part of the mudguard or wing, or wheel arch of a motor vehicle, so as to face towards the respective wheel and the function of which is to inhibit or eliminate spray which would otherwise be created when the vehicle is driven over wet surfaces, for example at a relatively high speed along a motorway.

Visual observations seem to suggest that for the most part, spray thrown out by vehicles, such as lorries, travelling at relatively fast speeds along wet roads, arises at each wheel, from water thrown up from the wheel at road level to rebound from the facing mudguard, wing or wheel arch surface and back onto the wheel where it is either broken up into very fine particies which disperse as widespread spray or is thrown back against and rebounds again from the facing surface then to be broken up.

An object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement which is operative to inhibit rebounding of water back onto the vehicle wheel and which acts to encourage the water thrown up by the wheel to run down the surface of the mudguard, wing or wheel arch or adjacent thereto and to flow therefrom with the minimum of spray production.

With this object in view the present invention provides a vehicle spray inhibitor which comprises a panel adapted for securement to a mudguard, wing or wheel arch of a motor vehicle, or to serve as or form part of a vehicle mudguard, and comprising a plurality of superimposed inhibiting mesh layers with adjacent said layers separated from one another by spacers so that the panel provides a reticulate matrix which tends to prevent water rebounding back onto the vehicle's wheel.

Preferably the arrangement comprises three said inhibiting mesh layers there being spacer layers therebetween. Each such spacer layer may, in itself, be in the form of a spacer mesh layer in which the interstices are considerably larger than those of the inhibiting mesh layers.

In a preferred embodiment, the inhibiting mesh layers are of progressively decreasing mesh size from that side of the panel which faces the vehicle wheel to the other, and the outermost layer of largest mesh is preferably shaped to provide folded-back margins along two opposite sides, which margins serve to retain the layers of the panel relative to one another.

To minimise the possibility of corrosion or deterioration of the inhibitor of the invention, each of the layers is preferably of a plastics material, such as polypropylene or nylon. However, the layers may be of hardened rubber, artificial rubber, aluminium, plastics-coated metal or any other suitable material so long as they are reasonably light in weight, pliable and substantially noncorrodible.

To facilitate cleaning of the inhibitor (e.g. in the case where it has been used over muddy roads and has become caked with adherent mud and/or other foreign matter) the inhibitor panel preferably has its layers secured together along at least one side by releasable means (such as nuts and bolts) so that the layers may be separated (e.g. in the manner of the leaves of a book).

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a preferred embodiment of the vehicle spray inhibitor of the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same portion of spray inhibitor when the layers are assembled together; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view, to a smaller scale, of the preferred embodiment of the vehicle spray inhibitor of the invention mounted on a vehicle mudguard.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the preferred embodiment of the vehicle spray inhibitor 10 of the invention is made substantially wholly of a suitable plastics material such as polypropylene or nylon and is in the form of a substantially rectangular panel comprising seven layers. These layers are, essentially, three spray inhibiting mesh layers 11, 12, 13 and four spacer layers 14, 1 5, 16, 17 which are arranged in the following sequence: a first spray inhibiting layer 1 1 which is of moulded plastics material with a relatively large mesh size, for instance in the range of 1 Omm to 1 5mm; a first spacer layer 14 which is of very large mesh size with interstices, for example, in the range of 40mm to 1 OOmm; a second spray inhibiting layer 12 which is similar to the first layer 11 but with intermediate mesh size, for instance in the range of 5 to 10mm; second and third spacer layers 1 5, 1 6 which are similar to the first spacer layer 14; a third spray inhibiting layer 13 having a relatively smaller mesh size than the other two inhibiting mesh layers 11, 12, for instance in the range of 2 to 5mm; and a fourth spacer layer 17, similar to the first, second and third spacer layers, 14, 1 5, 1 6 and overlying the third spray inhibiting layer 13.

These layers are all rectangular and substantially of equal dimensions, being, for instance approximately 30 to 35cms in width and 60 to 70cms in height, with the exception of the first inhibiting mesh layer 11 which is of greater width than the rest, being, for instance about 1 Scms wider than the other layers.

In making the inhibitor 10, and before it is installed on a motor vehicle, the layers are assembled together, in face-to-face abutting disposition, in the sequence above described, and the overlapping side margins of the first inhibiting mesh layer 11 are folded over to overlie the corresponding margins of the other layers. The entire inhibitor 10 may be retained in this condition by heat sealing, e.g. spot welding, by removable stitching, or by strapping, such as plastics (e.g. nylon) strapping taken widthwise around the assembly, none of which are shown in the drawings.

A number of holes 1 8 are formed at each side of the inhibiting mesh layers 11, 12, 13 to facilitate subsequent securement of the inhibitor 10 to a vehicle mudguard. The layers of the inhibitor may therefore also be secured together by nut and bolts 23 through said holes 18 as shown in Fig. 2.

For use, as shown in Fig. 3, one such inhibitor 10 is installed on each mudguard 20 of a motor vehicle, such as a lorry, with the fourth spacer mesh layer 1 7 closest to the mudguard surface and with the first inhibitor mesh layer 11 facing the outer surface of a respective wheel 21. The inhibitor 10 is positioned so that its lower edge is approximately level with the lower edge of the mudguard 20 (or any mudflap fixed thereto (not shown) and to extend upwards to at least level with the top of the wheel 21. Securement is preferably effected using non-corrosive (e.g.

copper) rivets 22 through the side margin nearest the vehicles chassis and using releasable nuts and bolts 23 through the side margin away from the chassis. The stitching or strapping can be removed after installation.

Similar spray inhibitors 10 may aiternatively or additionally be fitted to the wing or wheel arch of the vehicle. They may be used on motor cars, coaches and small trucks as well as heavy lorries.

When a vehicle so fitted is driven over wet roads, the amount of spray thrown up by its wheels is significantly less than that produced on an equivalent vehicle not so fitted. As an example, it has been found that in weather conditions where the rear-viewing visibility of the non-fitted vehicie's driver was completely obscured by spray, the driver of the comparable vehicle fitted with the inhibitors enjoys good rear-viewing visibility. The device of the invention accordingly is significantly instrumental in eliminating or reducing the danger hitherto associated with driving on wet roads.

With the arrangement as described, in the event of the inhibitor 10 becoming clogged with mud or other foreign matter, this can be removed efficiently without completely removing the device from the vehicle. Normally, it can be washed off with a high-powered water jet, but in the event that this shouid be insufficient, the bolts and nuts 23 can be removed from the side away from the chassis, and the various layers may be separated from one another, like the pages of a book, for cleaning. Of course, if the layers were originally stitched or spot-welded together, the stitching at that side must be removed or the spot welds at that side cut through to release the layers as aforesaid for cleaning.

Naturally, the invention is not confined to the precise details of the foregoing example, and variations may be made thereto. Thus, the number of layers and the manner in which they are secured in place and separated from one another may differ from what has been described. In its simplest case, the panel will comprise two spray inhibiting mesh layers and these may be of the same or differing mesh sizes. The spacers do not have to be mesh layers themselves, but may be in the form of spacer discs, washers or other suitable plastics elements which hold the inhibiting layers apart so that the whole is a reticulate matrix which will minimize splash-back of water thrown towards the mudguard, with or steel arch by the wheel. The panel itself can, of course, be installed with appropriate spacers so as to be spaced away from the confronting mudguard wing or wheel arch surface.

If desired, all of the layers may be of the same external dimensions, or some of the layers may be of different shapes and/or dimensions than the others.

Instead of being fitted to a conventional mudguard, a spray inhibitor according to the invention may be attached to a backing sheet, e.g.

of rubber or plastics material, to form a mudguard suitable for fitting onto a vehicle.

Other variations are, of course, possible.

Claims (8)

1. A vehicle spray inhibitor comprising a panel adapted for securement to a mudguard, wing or wheel arch of a motor vehicle, or to serve as or form part of a vehicle mudguard, and comprising a plurality of superimposed inhibiting mesh layers with adjacent said layers separated from one another by spacers so that the panel provides a reticulate matrix which tends to prevent water rebounding back onto the vehicle's wheel.

2. A vehicle spray inhibitor as claimed in claim 1 comprising three inhibiting mesh layers with spacer layers therebetween.

3. A vehicle spray inhibitor as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein each spacer layer is, in itself, in the form of a spacer mesh layer in which the interstices are considerably larger than those of the inhibiting mesh layers.

4. A vehicle spray inhibitor as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3 wherein the inhibiting mesh layers are of progressively decreasing mesh size from that side of the panel which faces the vehicle wheel to the other.

5. A vehicle spray inhibitor as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the outermost layer of mesh is shaped to provide folded-back margins along two opposite sides, which margins serve to retain the layers of the panel relative to one another.

6. A vehicle spray inhibitor as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each of the layers are formed of a plastics material.

7. A vehicle spray inhibitor as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the layers are secured together along at least one side by releasable means so that the layers may be separated to facilitate cleaning.

8. A vehicle spray inhibitor substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.