Abstract: An aerodynamic windshield to door frame interface on a mobile ground vehicle, such as a medium or heavy duty highway truck. More specifically, the interface including the windshield and front door frame, sometimes referred to as the "A" pillar, contains a third order mathematical ellipse when viewed from the top of the vehicle. The inclusion of the third order ellipse in the "A" pillar and in some cases the outer edge of the windshield moves the rear point of tangency further back along the vehicle cab.

Abstract: An aerodynamic exterior rear view mirror for motor vehicles that has low drag as a result of prevention of laminar boundary layer separation on the mirror head and subsequent turbulent wake size reduction. The vehicle mirror comprises an aerodynamic exterior shell having a continuously smooth surface with inboard and outboard trailing edges. The surfaces of the shell preceding the trailing edges can be either parallel or closing relative to the free stream airflow. A boundary layer control device that consists of a trip strip is formed on the exterior surface of the mirror head just upstream of the transition or separation point where the laminar boundary layer flow would transition to turbulent boundary layer flow with delayed separation or to complete separation absent the boundary layer trip strip. The trip strip, when correctly sized and utilized, will assist the laminar boundary layer to transition to turbulent boundary layer flow which reenergizes the boundary layer.

Abstract: An aerodynamic vehicle side mirror head of the vertically elongated rectangular type commonly used on large vehicles such as trucks includes an aerodynamically shaped mirror housing having a reflecting surface mounted to a rearward facing surface thereof and a set of cambered, airfoil-shaped, turning vanes with an upstream vane located along the leading vertical edge of the mirror housing on the side thereof closest to the vehicle can and having an outlet disposed to direct airflow exiting therefrom laterally onto the mirror surface and a downstream vane located along the trailing vertical edge on the opposite side of the mirror housing and having an outlet disposed to direct air flowing therethrough in a substantially downstream direction.

Abstract: The engine air intake apparatus comprises a planar base plate incorporating a curved duct which lies in the plane of the base member initially and then curves inwardly therethrough. The inwardly curved portion of the duct lies toward a trailing edge of the base plate member and is covered by a cover plate member which seats onto and over the trailing end portion of the base plate member in a parallel plane slightly above the plane of the base plate member. When mounted onto the hood of a vehicle, the leading edge of the base plate member, which is slightly elevated above the level of the hood, provides a leading end splitter plow arrangement to the apparatus for removing hood surface water from the air stream flowing along the hood.

Abstract: A turning vane is mounted on a mirror assembly for capturing, turning and ejecting an airstream across a mirror surface. The resulting air jet creates an air barrier protecting the whole mirror face from deposition of the airborne dirt, fluid, and other matter.