FR2553351A1 - DELIVERY VEHICLE - Google Patents

Abstract

THIS DELIVERY VEHICLE WHICH INCLUDES A SUPERSTRUCTURE 2, A DRIVER CAB 5 AND A ELEVATOR PLATFORM 4 ALLOWS TO REDUCE ITS COVERAGE OF THE PAVEMENT DURING LOADING AND UNLOADING OPERATIONS BY THE FACT THAT THE SAID PLATFORM 4 IS NOW ARRANGED IN FRONT OF THE SUPERSTRUCTURE AND JUXTAPOSED TO THE CABIN 5.

Description

The present invention relates to a delivery vehicle comprising a

  superstructure, driver's cabin and loading platform

vertically movable.

  Delivery vehicles of this kind usually include a tailgate or a loading platform which can be moved between the loading area and the roadway. This lifting tailgate is normally placed at the rear of the vehicle, where it replaces the ordinary drop side or the two door leaves of a box; from its vertical position, this tailgate can, by parallelogram connecting rods, be brought into a horizontal position in the plane of the loading area and,

  from this position, be lowered to level 15 of the road.

  The published patent application DE 1 816 304 describes a delivery vehicle provided with a side liftgate In addition, the published patent application DE 2 243 360 describes a lift platform integrated into the expensive loading plan and also movable in the using parallelogram connecting rods and jacks Unlike lifting platforms arranged at the rear of a vehicle, the dimensions of the lifting platforms integrated into the vehicle loading area 25 are, because of the parallelogranime connecting rods arranged below on the vehicle chassis, so small that these platforms can accommodate at most one

  only rolling container To this is added the fact that the side wall must be removed during the loading and unloading operations.

  Delivery vehicles of this kind have in particular the disadvantage of requiring, for loading and unloading operations, a certain additional space which depends on the dimensions of the tail lift or the lifting platform and which, given the density of car traffic and parking conditions, especially in the center of 2 - cities, is rarely available or, while these operations last, is withdrawn from other road users. Added to this is the fact that, when said operations, the driver must descend on the 5th floor, and the visibility conditions when approaching the loading or unloading point

are bad.

  The problem to which the invention provides a solution therefore consisted in eliminating these drawbacks and in particular in creating a delivery vehicle which, in

  optimal visibility conditions and without loss of useful loading area, requires a minimum of floor space during loading and unloading operations and saves the driver the need to descend onto the roadway for these operations.

  The solution according to the invention is based on the consideration that delivery vehicles of the kind defined in the preamble most often have only the driver on board, so that the cabin is too large for him alone. this, the basic idea

  of the invention is to remove the unnecessary cabin part and replace it with an elevating platform.

  In detail, the solution which the invention provides to the problem set out above consists, in a vehicle of the kind mentioned in the preamble, in that the lifting platform is disposed in front of the superstructure or of the loading area and at c 8 tee of a cabin whose dimensions are reduced to those necessary 30 for the only driver In order to allow the platform to be lowered to the level of the sidewalk or even the roadway, this platform is preferably located between the vehicle's bumper and front axle; it can have dimensions allowing it to accommodate two 35 of the usual rolling containers while still leaving

  enough space for the driver to handle them This provision assumes, however, that the

  with the transmission between the axles

of the vehicle.

  The lifting platform is preferably connected to a mechanism with cables or lifting chains which attack the lifting platform at opposite sides thereof and which, by return pulleys on a chassis or on the body, are connected to a jack To double the stroke length and thus allow the use of a small jack, it is advantageous that the cables 10 or lifting chains are, via a pulley of return fixed to the piston rod of the jack,

fixed at a fixed point.

  In order to keep the bulk as small as possible, sliding doors can be arranged between the lifting platform and the superstructure and / or the driver's cabin. In this case, the platform can be completely opened towards the front of the vehicle and to the sidewalk, to ensure accessibility

  maximum at the same time as optimal visibility conditions.

  While the vehicle is running, the platform is behind the front bumper and therefore cannot constitute a danger to other road users. In order to use the loading volume to the maximum

  of a bodywork superstructure, an intermediate floor can be provided at mid-height thereof.

  Finally, the superstructure may include a curtain door at the rear, which makes it possible to dispense, at the rear of the vehicle, with the free space necessary for the

  opening of the two usual door leaves.

  The invention is described in detail below and with reference to the accompanying drawing which illustrates an exemplary embodiment thereof; in this drawing, FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a conventional delivery vehicle,

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  FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vehicle according to FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a plan view, corresponding to FIG. 2, of a delivery vehicle according to the invention, FIG. 4 is an elevation view front view of the vehicle fitted with an elevating platform according to the invention, FIG. 5 is a plan view of the loading area, the elevating platform and the single seat of a delivery vehicle according to the invention, FIG. 6 shows a delivery vehicle according to the invention during loading and unloading near a ramp, and FIG. 7 shows the vehicle according to FIG. 6 when loading and unloading near a ledge

sidewalk.

  The conventional delivery vehicle represented in FIG. 1 comprises a driver's cabin 1 which extends over the entire width of the vehicle, a bodywork superstructure 2 and, at the rear, a tail lift 3

  which can rotate 90 and be raised and lowered.

  This tail lift requires, during loading and unloading operations, an additional floor area of approximately 5 m 2, while cabin 1 occupies an area which exceeds approximately 3.3 m 2

  the driver's needs In total, therefore, more than 8 m 2 which, thanks to the invention, are no longer necessary.

  Instead of this superfluous surface, an elevating platform 4 is now provided, delimited on the driver's side by a single-seat cabin 5,

  front side by a bumper 6 and, on the side opposite the latter by a loading area 7 and the body 2.

  This lifting platform 4 makes it possible to eliminate the lifting tailgate 3 of the conventional vehicle according to FIG. 1, -

  this tailgate being replaced by a curtain door 8.

  The lifting platform 4 is disposed in front of the front axle 9 and can be moved between the roadway 10, a rolling position 11, the loading area 7 and an intermediate floor 12 This movement takes place at the using a cable mechanism, the two lifting cables 13 of which attack opposite sides of the platform and are led to a fixed point 19 passing around the deflection pulleys 14 on a chassis 15 and a return pulley 16 on the rod

  piston 17 of a hydraulic cylinder 18.

  Between the cabin 5 and the lifting platform 4 is a side wall 20 of this cabin, equipped with a sliding door 21, while access 15 to the body 2 is possible from the platform 4 by a double sliding door 22 The dimensions of the platform 4 allow it to receive two rolling containers 23, 24 Thus, it is possible to load and unload a loading area 7 provided, in the usual way, with rails 25 for the rolling containers. Using the lifting cable mechanism, the platform 4 can be placed up to the height of a loading ramp 26 or even of a curb 27 25 or even at the level of the roadway 10. loading and unloading are made possible with on-board means without requiring additional floor space and without the driver having to get off

on the road.

  In the case of a refrigerated box a refrigeration unit is located above the cabin 1 The side of this group where the controls are located faces towards the platform 4 and is thus easily

accessible from it.

  Compared to conventional delivery vehicles of the kind shown in FIG. 1, that according to the invention requires, at equal loading area, approximately -b 6% less footprint on the ground during loading and unloading operations. unloading In addition, the lifting platform and the superstructure are accessible directly from the cab of the heater, so that it is no longer endangered by cars in circulation To these advantages is added that constituted by the makes loading and unloading points directly

  in the driver's field of vision in his cabin.

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Claims (8)

  1 delivery vehicle having a superstructure, a driver's cabin and a vertically movable lifting platform, this vehicle being remarkable in that the lifting platform (4) is disposed at the front of the superstructure (2) and next to the cabin driver (5).   2 Vehicle according to claim 1, remarkable   in that the lifting platform (4) is arranged between the bumper (6) and the front axle (9).   3 Vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, remarkable in that the dimensions of the lifting platform (4) correspond at least to the base surface   two rolling containers (23, 24).   4 Vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, remarkable in that the platform   lift is connected to a cable or chain mechanism lifting (13, 14, 16, 17, 18).   Vehicle according to claim 4, remarkable in that it comprises a cable or chain mechanism having two cables or lifting chains (13) which attack the lifting platform (4) in opposite positions and   are connected to a jack (18) by means of deflection pulleys (14) fixed to a frame (15) or to the superstructure (2).   6 Vehicle according to claim 5, remarkable   in that the lifting cables or chains (13) pass around a deflection pulley (16) fixed to the piston rod (17) of a jack (18) and are fixed at a fixed point (19) .   7 Vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, remarkable in that it comprises a sliding door (21; 22) between the lifting platform (4) and the superstructure (2) and / or the cabin (5) 35 of the driver.   8 Vehicle according to claim 7, remarkable   in that it has a sliding door in two parts   ties (22) between the lifting platform (4) and the superstructure (2).   9 Vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, remarkable in that its lifting platform (4) is open towards the front and towards the side pavement.   Vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, remarkable in that it comprises an intermediate floor (12) in its superstructure (2).