Mud flaps are commonly located behind the rear wheels of trucks or other large vehicles. They are utilized to prevent the spraying out of mud, sand, and other road debris which may be located behind or along the side of a moving vehicle. Standard mud flaps simply extend straight down from the back of a vehicle. They are likely to wear, tear, rot, and generally sustain damage over time.
Mud flap damage is an especially serious problem for dump trucks, during their unloading operations. As the body of a dump truck is raised into dumping position, the mud flaps at the rear of the vehicle are extended further downward, into contact with the rear wheels of the truck. This often results in bending or breakage of the mud flaps, rendering them ineffective. Failure to operate such vehicles without having the required, in tact mud flaps could subject the vehicle owner to legal penalties.
There have been a number of proposed solutions to these problems, most of which involve the use of retractable mud flap systems, designed to retract or lift the mud flaps during unloading operations and then extend them down when the vehicle is in transit. Such systems, while sometimes effective, often breakdown due to the number of components involved and the rough and grimy nature of the work being done. Moreover, these mud flap retraction systems are not only an expensive add-on to vehicles, but also expensive to maintain. As a result, in many cases, broken, inoperable systems are left unrepaired, thus defeating their necessary and important purpose.
An example of one of many such systems is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,864,176. Here, an elaborate system of components is utilized to retract a hinged mud flap by partially folding and maintaining the flap in this retracted partially folded position. The system includes all the inherent problems of similar flap retraction systems, previously discussed.