GB2348174A - Vehicle having a roof comprising inner and outer moulded skins - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle has a body comprising a base 1 and a roof 2, connected to but spaced from the base, which define a load accommodating cavity between them, in which the roof has moulded inner 2b and outer 2a skins connected to and spaced from each other. There may be curved and convex front 3 and rear 4 bulkheads provided between the base and roof, formed by the same double skinned construction. The outer skin of the roof may have a raised portion 2c intermediate its longitudinal ends which tapers down to said ends. The skins may be formed from glass reinforced plastic with a honeycomb reinforcement 13 provided between the skins. The vehicle may have a rear door (21 and 22, Fig 4), lockable by means of a pneumatic or hydraulic piston and cylinder device (29, Fig 4) disposed within the door.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO VEHICLES The present invention relates to a vehicle and particularly, but not exclusively, to commercial vehicles of the articulated or non-articulated type.

A common known form of commercial vehicle is that having a curtain sided trailer pivotally connected to a tractor unit. Generally, the roof, floor, front and rear walls of the trailer are fabricated from metal and then painted in the desired colour. Whilst this results in a satisfactory product the fabrication is quite complicated and expensive and the painting requirement adds a still further process step. The use of moulding techniques in vehicle body construction is already known. However, with certain vehicles, such as commercial vehicles, moulded body parts would not provide the necessary structural strength.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle having a body comprising a base and a roof connected to but spaced from the roof and defining therebetween a load accommodating cavity in which the roof has moulded first and second skins connected to and spaced from each other, the skins being formed to give rigidity to the roof.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a front and a rear are connected between the base and the roof. The front forms the bulkhead and the rear forms the rear doors. The front and rear also advantageously have a double skinned construction comprising moulded inner and outer skins. The skins may be moulded from glass reinforced plastics (GRP) or other suitable material. A reinforcement, preferably of honeycomb construction, may be connected between the inner and outer skins. The reinforcement may be made of paper card or other suitable material. The vehicle may form the trailer of an articulated commercial vehicle or the load carrying part of a non-articulated commercial vehicle. These commercial vehicles may be curtain sided. The outer skins of the front and rear may be curved and convex to present an aerodynamic shape and aesthetically pleasing appearance. The roof outer skin has a raised portion intermediate its longitudinal ends and tapers downwardly from this raised portion to the two ends to provide an aerodynamically shaped surface.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a vehicle having a rear door, and means for locking the rear door, the means comprising a pressure fluid operable piston and cylinder device and a locking member, the device being operable to move the member between locked and unlocked positions.

The piston and cylinder device may be pneumatic or hydraulic. The device may be biassed to the locked position preferably by a compression spring. The piston and cylinder device is disposed within the rear door. The device may be operatively connected to a cam which in turn engages the locking member. The device is connected to the cam via an apertured plate into the aperture of which a projection on the cam extends.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, one embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to, the accompanying drawings in which, FIGURE I is a diagrammatic side elevational view of a vehicle trailer, FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic plan view in cross-section of the vehicle trailer, taken along the section line 11-11 of FIGURE 1, FIGURE 3 is a partial view in cross-section taken along the section line I-I in FIGURE 1, FIGURE 4 is a perspective diagrammatic read view of a vehicle trailer incorporating a pneumatically operable door locking management, FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view of part of the locking arrangement of FIGURE 4 and FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a locking cam forming part of the locking arrangement of FIGURE 4.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, the vehicle trailer is generally cuboid in shape. It comprises a load bearing base 1, a roof 2 connected to and spaced from the base, a front 3 connected between the base 1 and roof 2 and a rear 4 connected between the base 1 and roof 2. The base 1, roof 2, front 3 and rear 4, define between them a load accommodating cavity. The trailer is of the curtain sided type having curtains extending down and forming the longitudinal sides 5 and 6 of the vehicle. The trailer may have solid sides, as opposed to curtain sides, if desired.

Each of the roof 2, front 3 and rear 4 comprises a moulded composite structural sub-assembly. The preferred material of these moulded subassemblies is glass reinforced plastics, but other suitable moulding materials may equally well be used. The use of such moulding materials permits a precoloured high gloss internal and external finish to be achieved. This finish removes the need for painting leading to reduction in cost and maintenance.

The use of moulded sub-assemblies also leads to a reduction in components and to a consequential increase in assembly through put. The assemblies are light in weight and may be moulded as defined above to give improved aerodynamic shapes.

As can be seen from FIGURE 2, both the front 3, which forms the front bulkhead of the vehicle trailer and the rear 4, which provides the rear doors, have an externally curved convex construction. These curved constructions contribute to the overall aerodynamic shape of the vehicle trailer mentioned earlier. They are also of aesthetically, pleasing appearance. The front 3 and rear 4 have a double skin construction the inner skins 3a and 4a presenting a substantially, flat surface to the interior of the trailer. This double skinned construction comprising inner and outer skins bonded together provides for greater strength and rigidity. If desired, a honeycomb interior may be interposed between the two skins to increase strength and rigidity still further.

Alternatively, a single skin construction may be used, added strength being provided, for example, by increased material thickness and/or by the use of suitably placed and dimensioned ribs.

The doors forming the rear 4 may be of any suitable type. In this embodiment, there are two rear doors substantially equal in height and width and provided with means enabling them to be locked in the closed position.

Each door is connected by hinges to respective members 7 and 8 extending between the base 1 and the roof 2.

Referring additionally to FIGURE 3, the roof 2 extends the entire length of the vehicle trailer and its construction is corresponding important. The construction is double skinned comprising an upper skin 2a and a lower skin 2b bonded together at their longitudinal and lateral edges. As can be seen from FIGURE 1, the upper and outer skin 2b, when considered in the longitudinal dimension of the vehicle, tapers from a high point 2c to both the front and the rear of the vehicle trailer to give the roof a desired aerodynamic shape. The position of the high point 2c is closer to the rear than to the front of the trailer.

As can be seen from FIGURE 3, which shows a cross-section through the roof along the line I-I of FIGURE 1 from one longitudinal edge 9 of the roof to the centre line 10 of the roof, the shape of both skins 2a and 2b is also complex when viewed laterally and gives the roof 2 both externally and intemally a ribbed or ridged appearance with the ribs or ridges 11 externally longitudinally of the vehicle. Local spreader plates are moulded in side the inner skin to provide a support for fixing metal tie straps 12 extending to the interior of the trailer. Supports 14 for the curtains are connected to both longitudinal edges of the roof. A honeycomb reinforcing structures 13 is connected between the two skins 2a and 2b.

Referring to Figures 4,5 and 6, a solid sided vehicle trailer 20 is partially shown. The rear of the trailer is closed off by two doors 21 and 22, pivotally connected by hinges 23 and 24 to respective rear corner posts 25 and 26 of the vehicle. The doors 21 and 22 exhibit a convex curved exterior and have a double skinned construction of the form already discussed with reference to Figures 1 to 3. One of the doors 22 overlaps the other door 21 at their inner lateral edges and the overlapping door is provided with a single locking bar 27. This contrasts with known locking arrangements which normally have a locking bar in each door and two or four manual action locking cams.

The locking bar 27 extends the entire height of the door 22 and is housed and concealed within that door 22. The bar 27 connects with an apertured bracket 28 at its upper end with an operating mechanism 29 at its lower end.

This mechanism is also housed and concealed within the door 22. These concealed parts are shown in dashed outline in Figure 4 of the drawings.

Referring to Figure 5 specifically, the operating mechanism 29 comprises a pneumatically operable piston and cylinder device 30. This is connected to a rod 31 and plate 32. A compression spring 33 surrounds the rod 31. The plate 32 defines apertures 35 and 36 into which extend projections 37 and 38 of a locking cam 39.

In order to lock the doors, the doors are closed to with door 22 overlapping door 21 as previously described. A locking button 40 on the piston and cylinder device 30 is pushed enabling the piston to push the rod 31 in turn causing the plate 32 to rotate the cam 39 through the projection 37 to lift the locking bar 27 into locking engagement with the apertured bracket 28 at the top of the doors. Air may be supplied from the normal compressed air circuit of the vehicle. To release the lock, unlocking switch button 41 is pressed reversing the piston against the action of the spring 3 and causing the cam 39 to rotate in the unlocking direction withdrawing the bar 27 from the apertured bracket 27 thus enabling the doors to be opened.

The above described arrangement facilitates locking and unlocking of the doors. The arrangement may be almost wholly concealed within the doors themselves, thus enabling a smooth aesthetically pleasing external appearance for the doors to be achieved. As the compression spring 33 biasses the rod 31 plate 32 and locking cam 39 to the locked position, if the air supply is depleted the spring will keep the locking mechanism and therefore the doors locked.

It will be appreciated that the above embodiments have been described by way of example only and that many variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (19)

1. CLAIMS 1. A vehicle having a body comprising a base and a roof connected to but spaced from the base and defining therebetween a load accommodating cavity in which the roof has moulded inner and outer skins connected to and spaced from each other, the skins being formed to give rigidity to the roof.
2. 2. A vehicle according to Claim 1 wherein a front bulkhead and/or a rear are connected between the base and the roof.
3. 3. A vehicle according to Claim 2 wherein the front bulkhead and/or the rear are of double skinned construction comprising moulded inner and outer skins.
4. 4. A vehicle according to Claim 3 wherein the outer skins of the front bulkhead and/or the rear are curved and convex.
5. 5. A vehicle according to any one of Claims 2 to 4 wherein the rear comprises a door.
6. 6. A vehicle according to Claim 5 having means for locking the door, the means comprising a pressure fluid operable piston and cylinder device and a locking member, the device being operable to move the member between locked and unlocked positions.
7. 7. A vehicle according to Claim 6 wherein the piston and cylinder device is disposed within the rear door.
8. 8. A vehicle according to Claim 6 or Claim 7 wherein the piston and cylinder device is pneumatic or hydraulic.
9. 9. A vehicle according to Claim 6,7 or 8 wherein the device is biased to the locked position by a compression spring.
10. 10. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the roof outer skin has a raised portion intermediate its longitudinal ends and tapers downwardly from its raised portion to the two ends to provide an aerodynamically shaped surface.
11. 11. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the skins are moulded from glass reinforced plastics.
12. 12. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a honeycomb reinforcement is connected between the inner and outer skins.
13. 13. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims which is curtain sided.
14. 14. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims which is the trailer of an articulated commercial vehicle.
15. 15. A vehicle having a rear door and means for locking the rear door, the means comprising a pressure fluid operable piston and cylinder device and a locking member, the device being operable to move the member between locked and unlocked positions.
16. 16. A vehicle according to Claim 15 wherein the piston and cylinder device is disposed within the rear door.
17. 17. A vehicle according to Claim 15 or 16 wherein the piston and cylinder device is pneumatic or hydraulic.
18. 18. A vehicle according to Claim 15,16 or 17 wherein the device is biased to the locked position by a compression spring.
19. 19. A vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 or to Figures 4 to 6.