DE10016946A1 - Flexible conversion of a car, VAN or minibus into a robust all-purpose transporter - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a removable lining for the flexible conversion of a passenger vehicle, van or minibus into a robust general-purpose transport vehicle. Vehicles such as hatchbacks, vans and minibuses are usually used for transporting passengers. However, such vehicles have so much interior space that they could be used for transporting all types of goods, if the vehicle interior were sufficiently protected. Commercially available boxes and similar containers do not provide the required protection for such vehicles and can thus only be used in certain cases. The entire vehicle space that is available for carrying the load is hermetically sealed by a lining consisting of a specially designed, abrasion-resistant, particularly light and elastic material. The lining comprises a base with adjoining side sections which extend up to half the height of the vehicle interior, the roof ceiling with adjoining side sections which extend down to half the height of the vehicle interior, in addition to the front and rear flap. The lining can be collapsed by first folding the side sections from the right and left onto the floor. The roof ceiling then lies automatically on top of the side sections. The flaps close the collapsed container from the front and the rear, thus forming a light, compact and portable package.

Description

Almost every type of wagon is on the market or by vehicle manufacturers so-called trunk tubs and similar containers as well as rubber mats offered that are more or less suitable for clean use. But none of such aids allow the vehicle to be used for robust purposes, for example to transport building materials, rubble, earth, wood, coal, wet, pulling dirty and voluminous objects without the big ones Suspending the danger of being very dirty. For such needs, in usually used car trailers; provided that the car has a equipped with the appropriate coupling and a trailer is available.

The invention specified in claim 1 is based on the problem of a Car that is mainly designed for the promotion of people, at short notice and for to use it as a robust transporter for the foreseeable future.

This problem is solved by the features listed in claim 1, namely solved in that the entire space available for carrying the Vehicle hermetically covered with an abrasion-resistant material is encapsulated. This type of encapsulation ensures that not even finer Dust from the cargo area can get into the rest of the car.

The advantages achieved by the invention are in particular that a to Promote people and clean load suitable vehicle as General purpose transporters can be used with almost no restrictions. For a lot equipping a passenger vehicle with a Towing hitch and the purchase of a trailer become unnecessary.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention is in claims 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 indicated. The further training according to patent claims 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 allows for longer vehicles such as buses z. B. Fiat-Ducato, Mercedes- Sprinter, dividing the usable space lengthways into segments, their modules can be flexibly or permanently coupled with each other. The conversion of a Vehicle in a general purpose transporter and the conversion back into the Initial state can be demonstrated on various prototypes could be done by one person, man or woman, in a few easy steps within several 10 seconds.

The implementation of the invention according to claim 3 can be done in many ways respectively. It has the specific mass and rigidity of the material used as well as the size of the vehicle to take into account so that the assembly and Disassembly of the item is easy to handle. An embodiment for a Combi sedan, in which the cargo space cannot be divided into segments is shown in the drawing and is described in more detail below. The subject matter of the invention will become more apparent in the following Called container.  

This version consists of one of several components composite container, the components being permanent with each other be connected so that they are foldable. The connection of the components can be done according to different techniques. At one of the Prototype versions, which are described in more detail below, were Hot melt adhesive tapes used to connect the components.

The components from which a container is assembled are:

• 1st floor assembly
• 2. side panels
• 3. Construction part
• 4. Flaps (front and back)
• 5. wing (side and top)

Each of these components can in turn consist of one or more Subcomponents exist. The components of the described here Execution have the following distribution:

Reference list

image

1-1.1; 1.2 Two-part contiguous floor pan

2.1

;

2.2

Two one-piece side parts for left and right

3.1

;

3.2

Two-part connected construction part

4.1

;

4.2

A two-part flap for the front extended by

5.1

;

5.2

two one-piece side wings for left and right and

5.3

;

5.4

two-piece upper wing

4.3

;

4.4

A two-part flap without wings for the rear

The floor assembly ( Fig. 1-1.1; 1.2) thus consists of two parts that are glued together in the middle in the longitudinal direction of the carriage so that they can be folded together at the interface. This interface, which forms the central axis of the container floor, overlaps exactly with the central axis of the floor of the vehicle hold. All components of the container are symmetrical to each other with respect to the central axis.

The side parts ( 2.1 , 2.2 ), which are perpendicular to the floor assembly ( 1.1 ; 1.2 ) when the container is in use, are glued together with the floor assembly in the longitudinal direction of the wagon so that they are folded from both sides when the container is folded onto the floor assembly.

The two components of the body part ( 3.1 ; 3.2 ), which are placed on the side parts ( 2.1 ; 2.2 ), are glued together on the central axis of the ceiling of the cargo area and below with the two side parts in the longitudinal direction of the car. They can be folded along the central axis of the ceiling. When in use, the body part covers the inner walls that remain above the side parts and the entire ceiling of the vehicle loading space. When the container is folded up, the body part, folded at the central axis of the ceiling, falls with its components onto one of the side parts, which are already symmetrical on the base group, whereby the common edges between the body part and the side parts ( 2.1 / 3.1 ; 2.2 / 3.2 ) coming from the left and right on the central axis of the floor pan, while the center axis of the body part tends to the outside, where the two common edges come together between the floor pan and the side parts ( 1.1 / 2.1 ; 1.2 / 2.2 ).

In order to avoid touching the common edges - side parts, body parts ( 2.1 / 3.1 ; 2.2 / 3.2 ) - on the central axis of the floor assembly and to create space for a comfortable folding of the container around the central axis of the floor assembly, the side parts have a height that is a few cm shorter than the width of the components of the floor assemblies.

Because all parts, including the components of the body part ( 3.1 ; 3.2 ), are glued together in the longitudinal direction of the wagon, a container is created based on the previous versions, which takes the form of a tunnel when it is assembled. A flap that closes the front opening of the tunnel on the driver's side consists of two components ( 4.1 ; 4.2 ). The flap parts ( 4.1 ; 4.2 ) have the same width as the two parts of the base group ( 1.1 ; 1.2 ) and are glued together in the middle so that they can be folded. This flap is glued together with the floor assembly transversely to the longitudinal direction of the car, so that it can be folded down onto the floor assembly. The flap parts ( 4.1 ; 4.2 ) are also connected laterally to the side wings ( 5.1 ; 5.2 ) and at the top to the upper wings ( 5.3 ; 5.4 ). The wings can be folded onto the flap. The wings are flexibly connected to the tunnel using Velcro or comparable techniques.

The opening of the tunnel for loading the vehicle is closed with a similar two-part flap ( 4.3 ; 4.4 ) as the flap on the front of the tunnel, with the difference that it does not need to have wings. The connection of this flap to the tunnel, depending on the requirements, can be designed to be fixed or flexible, so that the flap can be removed if necessary and fastened again after loading the vehicle.

Put the container into the operational state

The folded container is placed with the central axis of the floor assembly on the central axis of the floor of the cargo hold ( Figure 2) and opened. From the inside, the right and left side and body parts are pressed out on the common edge so that they press onto the inside walls or ceilings. After performing this operation, a tunnel is created inside the car ( Fig. 3). The two-part front flap with the side and upper wings, which is still on the floor assembly, is folded up. The side and upper wings are opened and fastened with the tunnel ( picture 4). Now the container is set up and the car is ready to be loaded. After the loading process has been completed, the rear flap is folded up and the container closed.

Remove container

The dismantling takes place in the reverse order to that Construction.

Claims (6)

1. A flexible retrofitting of a passenger car, in particular a station wagon, a VAN or minibus in a robust general-purpose transporter, is characterized in that the entire space available for carrying the vehicle is hermetically encapsulated by the covering with an abrasion-resistant material. 2. conversion according to 1 is characterized in that the cladding material by using its spring force and rigidity on the inner walls, the floor and the ceiling of the vehicle is pressed. The spring force is generated that the lining material is attached under tension or for the Period of use is kept under tension. 3. conversion according to claim 1 and 2 is characterized in that the Item of disassembly from removable or permanent composite components 4. conversion according to claim 1, 2 and 3 is characterized in that the Covering object for hermetic encapsulation of the cargo space, in the case the permanent composition of its components, from one foldable and foldable part. 5. Retrofitting according to claim 2 is characterized in that to achieve of particularly light material with the required rigidity, elasticity and the high abrasion resistance foams such as polyethylene, polypropylene with foils such as polyester, hard PVC, polycarbonate can be laminated or laminated. 6. conversion according to claim 2 is characterized in that the To keep spring force low, certain preforms for some materials be performed.