FR3127163A1 - Bodywork of a road vehicle for transporting goods equipped with a restraint system with at least one rear door - Google Patents

Abstract

The bodywork comprises two sides 12, a roof and a floor 16 partly delimiting an interior cargo space, and at least one rear door 28 for closing rear access to the interior cargo space which can rotate between a closed position and an extreme open position. The bodywork also comprises at least one system for retaining said rear door in the extreme open position which comprises: - a securing device 40 comprising a strap 44, a winder receiving the strap, and a hooking means 48 secured to the strap, and - an anchoring device 42 capable of cooperating with the hooking means 48 of the securing device in a stretched extended position of the strap, - the securing device 40 being fixed to the said rear door 28 and the anchor device 42 being fixed under the floor 16. Figure for the abstract: Fig 6

Description

Bodywork of a road vehicle for transporting goods equipped with a restraint system with at least one rear door

The present invention relates to the field of bodies intended to be mounted, for example, on the chassis of road vehicles for transporting goods such as trucks, semi-trailers, trailers or carriers.

The interior loading space of a bodywork is delimited by two opposite vertical sides, a floor, a ceiling or roof and a front face. The interior load space has a rear access located opposite the front face and the bodywork is fitted with a device for closing this rear access. This closure device may comprise one or more rear doors.

Each rear door is hinged to the bodywork around a vertical hinge axis between a closed position of the rear access to the interior cargo space, and an extreme open position in which it extends forward being spaced transversely from one of the flanks.

To keep each rear door in its extreme open position during loading and unloading operations, the body is equipped with a restraint system.

Conventionally, the restraint system comprises a handle mounted under the floor of the bodywork and which slides against a return spring. To activate the restraint system, the operator pulls on the handle and rotates it a quarter turn to bring it into engagement with the lower bolt of the rear door which has previously been brought into its extreme open position. .

With such a solution, the tensile force to be exerted by the operator to slide the handle against the return spring is significant. Indeed, the stiffness of the return spring is generally chosen so as to be able to drive with the door open at reduced speed without the risk of the latter beating against the side.

In addition, when the operator rotates the handle to bring it into engagement with the lower bolt of the rear door, there may be a risk of pinching and injury to the hands. Moreover, this manipulation generates dirt insofar as the lower bolt of the rear door is covered with grease to lubricate the contact with the striker associated with the bodywork.

The present invention aims to remedy these drawbacks.

The invention relates to a road vehicle body for transporting goods comprising two vertical sides, a roof and a floor assembled together and partly delimiting an interior loading space.

The bodywork also comprises at least one door for closing access to the interior loading space which can rotate between a closed position and an extreme open position in which it extends along one of the sides.

The body further comprises at least one system for retaining said door in the extreme open position.

According to a general characteristic of the invention, said restraint system comprises a securing device comprising a strap, a retractor receiving the strap, and an attachment means integral with the strap. The strap is movable between a rolled up storage position and a stretched deployed position.

According to another general characteristic of the invention, said restraint system also comprises an anchoring device capable of cooperating with the hooking means of the securing device in the stretched deployed position of the strap for retaining said door in the extreme open position.

According to a first design, the securing device of said restraint system is fixed to said door. The anchoring device is fixed under the floor or on said side.

According to a second design, the anchoring device of said restraint system is fixed to said door. The securing device is fixed under the floor or on said side.

With such a restraint system, the locking of the bodywork door is carried out easily by the operator and without risk of injury and/or soiling.

When the hooking means of the securing device cooperates with the anchoring device, the blocking of the door in its extreme open position is obtained by the tension of the strap which is in its stretched deployed position. The length of the strap is determined so as not to allow the door to pivot in this active state of the restraint system.

In one embodiment, the anchoring device of said retention system comprises at least one notch inside which is suitable for locking the attachment means of the securing device for retaining said door in the extreme open position.

Preferably, said notch and the hooking means are capable of cooperating by shape conjugation for locking the hooking means after rotation inside said notch. For example, it is possible to provide a rotation of between 45 degrees and 90 degrees, and preferably equal to 90 degrees, for locking the attachment means.

Alternatively, it could be possible to provide other means to achieve the locking of the securing device on the anchoring device, for example by snap-fastening.

Said door is equipped with a handle for passing from the closed position to the extreme open position and vice versa. The tie-down device, or anchor device, can be attached to said door below the handle.

The tie-down retractor may include a housing within which the strap is mounted. Advantageously, the housing remains set back from the handle.

In one embodiment, the securing device comprises a gripping member secured to the strap and extending at least partly projecting from the housing in the storage position of the strap. The gripping device is separate from the hooking means. Alternatively, it could be possible to provide a securing device in which the hooking means can also be used as a gripping element.

In one embodiment, the securing device may comprise a damping buffer fixed to the casing and bearing against said side in the extreme open position of said door.

The securing device may include a spring for the automatic return of the strap to the rolled-up storage position.

In one embodiment, said body door is a rear door closing the rear access to the interior cargo space. In the extreme open position, the rear door extends forwards being spaced transversely from said side.

In another embodiment, said door of the bodywork may be a side door making it possible to open or close lateral access to the interior loading space provided at the level of one of the longitudinal sides of the bodywork.

The present invention will be better understood on reading the detailed description of embodiments taken by way of non-limiting examples and illustrated by the appended drawings in which:

is a side view of a body according to an embodiment of the invention equipped with rear doors in the closed position,

is a rear view of the body of the ,

is a detail view of the ,

are respectively side and rear views of the body of the with the rear doors in the open position,

is a detail view of the ,

is a detail view of the ,

are respectively side and rear detail views of the body of the with one of the rear doors in the locked open position,

is a perspective view of the securing device of a retaining system of one of the rear doors of the body of Figures 1 to 9,

is a perspective view of the tie-down device of the on which the case of the device is partially represented,

is an exploded perspective view of the securing device of Figures 10 and 11 in which the strap of the device is not shown,

is an exploded perspective view of the anchoring device of the retaining system of one of the rear doors of the body of Figures 1 to 9,

is a perspective view of the securing device of Figures 10 to 12 cooperating with the anchoring device of the , And

is a perspective view of the securing device of a retaining system of one of the rear bodywork doors according to another embodiment.

On the , there is shown a body, referenced 10 as a whole, intended to be mounted on a road transport vehicle chassis extending longitudinally.

The body 10 comprises two opposite vertical sides 12 extending longitudinally (only one being visible in the figure), a ceiling or roof 14, a floor 16, and a front face 18 which are assembled together to delimit an interior loading space .

As illustrated more visibly in , the body 10 also includes a rear frame 20, also called rear quarter panel, having a function of stiffening the body. The rigid rear frame 20 is fixed to the rear ends of the sidewalls 12, of the roof 14 and of the floor 16.

The rear frame 20 comprises two vertical uprights 22, an upper crosspiece 24 connecting the upper ends of the vertical uprights 22, and a lower crosspiece 26 forming a threshold connecting the lower ends of the vertical uprights 22. The rear frame 20 can for example be made of steel , especially in stainless steel. The upper crosspiece 24 is generally referred to as the lintel.

The body 10 also comprises two rear doors 28, 30 each hinged in rotation on the rear frame 22. The rear doors 28, 30 respectively form right and left rear doors. Each rear door 28, 30 is hinged on one of the vertical uprights 22 of the rear frame around vertical hinge axes (not referenced).

Each rear door 28, 30 is movable between a closed position of an opening or rear access to the interior cargo space illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, and a plurality of open positions.

Each rear door 28, 30 is movable up to an extreme open position in which it extends forwards while being spaced transversely from one of the sides 12 illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 9. In this extreme open position, each door rear 28, 30 is generally folded against the associated sidewall 12 and extends forwards.

In the illustrated embodiment, the body 10 comprises the two rear doors 28, 30 for closing and opening the rear access to the interior loading space. Alternatively, the body 10 may include a single rear door.

As illustrated in the , each rear door 28, 30 is equipped with a handle 32, 34 for maneuvering to allow an operator to manually move from the closed position to one of the open positions, and vice versa. Each handle 32, 34 is located near the lower end of the rear face of the associated rear door 28, 30.

In a manner known per se, each rear door 28, 30 is also equipped with lower and upper bolts (not referenced) which are respectively locked in lower and upper latches (not referenced) provided on the lower 26 and upper 24 crosspieces in the position closing.

The body 10 also includes two retaining systems each associated with one of the rear doors 28, 30 for locking it in the extreme open position.

The restraint systems are identical to each other. The two restraint systems being of identical design, only the restraint system associated with the rear door 28 will be described in more detail below.

As illustrated in particular in Figures 2 and 3, the restraint system comprises a securing device 40 fixed to the rear door 28, and an anchoring device 42 fixed under the floor 16.

The securing device 40 is fixed on the rear face of the rear door 28. In the illustrated embodiment, the securing device 40 is fixed below the handle 32. The securing device 40 is separate from the handle 32 and the rear door lower latch 28. In this example, the securing device 40 remains longitudinally set back from the handle 32.

As illustrated in Figures 10 to 12, the securing device 40 comprises a band or strap 44, a roller 46 fixed to the rear door and receiving the strap, and a hooking means 48 secured to the strap 44.

As will be described in more detail below, the hooking means 48 is able to cooperate with the anchoring device 42 to ensure the retention of the rear door of the bodywork in its extreme open position.

The retractor 46 comprises a casing 50 fixed to the rear door and inside which the strap 44 is wound. The casing 50 remains longitudinally set back from the handle 32 ( ). In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 50 is made in three parts to facilitate the assembly of the reel 46.

The retractor 46 also comprises a fixed pin 52 and a sleeve 54 integral in rotation with the pin 52 and on which the strap 44 is wound. In the fixed position of the retractor 46 on the rear door of the bodywork, the shaft 52 and sleeve 54 extend horizontally. Shaft 52 and sleeve 54 are located inside housing 50. Winder 46 further comprises two side guides 56 mounted inside housing 50 and on which shaft 52 is mounted. Shaft 52 can rotate freely about its axis relative to the guides 56. The guides 56 are here in the form of plates. The sleeve 54 extends transversely between the guides 56.

A first end of the strap 44 is wrapped around the sleeve and fixed on itself. A second opposite end of the strap 44 is integral with the attachment means 48. The strap 44 can for example be made of textile material, such as nylon.

The reel 46 further includes a spring (not shown) which is mounted inside a cup 58 of the reel. The cup 58 is fixed on one of the guides 56 on the outside. One end of the spring is fixed in a groove 58a of the cup and the opposite end of the spring is fixed in a groove (not visible) made at the end of the shaft 52 which is located on the side of the cup 58. The spring is for example a ribbon spring wound on itself.

The securing device 40 also comprises a gripping loop 60 which is integral with the attachment means 48. For this purpose, the securing device 40 further comprises a tube 62 inside which extends the securing means. attachment 48, and two side flanges 64 each fixed to one of the projecting ends of the attachment means 48. The tube 62 extends transversely between the flanges 64. The attachment means 48 extends transversely projecting towards the outside with respect to each flange 64. The attachment means 48 is here in the form of a plate.

The gripping loop 60 is fixed on the flanges 64. The gripping loop 60 extends transversely between the flanges 64. The gripping loop 60 extends projecting from the flanges 64 in the longitudinal direction.

The second end of the strap 44 is wrapped around the tube 62 and fixed on itself. The second end of the strap 44 is thus secured to the hooking means 48. The strap 44 is movable between a storage position wound inside the retractor 46 and a stretched deployed position in which it extends in major part outside the retractor 46. In its rolled-up storage position, the strap 44 is wound mainly around the sleeve 54. In the illustrated embodiment, the gripping loop 60 extends partly projecting out of the retractor 46 in the rolled-up storage position of the strap 44. This makes it easier for the operator to grip the loop 60. In this storage position, each projecting end of the hooking means 48 is housed inside a groove 66 provided on the associated guide 56. The spring makes it possible to ensure the automatic return of the strap 44 to the rolled-up storage position after being pressed by the operator. When the operator pulls on the loop 60 of the securing device, the sleeve 54 and the pin 52 are rotated, which has the effect of relaxing the spring. After stopping the operator's request, the spring tends to return to its initial position, which causes the rotation of the sleeve 54 and of the axis 52 in the opposite direction, and automatically returns the strap 44 to its rolled up storage position. .

In the illustrated embodiment, the retractor 46 comprises a guide plate 68 provided with a through opening (not referenced) of oblong shape inside which the strap 44 slides during its unwinding and during its winding. . The guide plate 68 is fixed on the guides 56 and extends transversely between them inside the housing 50.

As illustrated in the , the anchoring device 42 comprises a stowage plate 70 intended to be fixed under the floor of the bodywork, and two retaining means 72 fixed to the stowage plate 70. In the illustrated embodiment, the plate stowage 70 is made in two parts. Alternatively, the securing plate 70 could be made in one piece.

The retaining means 72 are spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction considering the length of the bodywork. The retaining means 72 are identical to one another. Each retaining means 72 comprises a notch 74 open transversely outwards. Each notch 74 has an oblong shape which extends in the vertical direction. Each notch 74 is here through in the longitudinal direction.

As will be described in more detail below, the hooking means 48 of the securing device is able to be housed inside the notches 74 of the anchoring device to ensure the retention of the rear door in its extreme open position.

In the illustrated embodiment, the anchoring device 42 further comprises two guide plates 76 which are each mounted longitudinally against one of the retaining means 72. The guide plates 76 are located outside the longitudinal space delimited between the retaining means 72. Alternatively, the anchoring device 42 could be devoid of the guide plates 76, for example if the notches 74 do not pass through in the longitudinal direction.

To ensure the retention and blocking of the rear door after having brought it to its extreme open position, the operator proceeds as follows.

The operator grasps the loop 60 of the securing device and exerts a tensile force to deploy the strap 44 out of the box 50 and bring the attachment means 48 inside the notches 74 of the anchoring device.

To do this, after pulling on the loop 60 of the securing device, the operator rotates it so that this loop and the hooking means 48 extend horizontally as shown in particular in . The operator then continues to pull on the strap 44 to introduce the attachment means 48 inside the notches 74 of the anchoring device while maintaining the horizontal orientation of the attachment means 48. Each projecting end of the means hooking 48 is housed inside one of the notches 74. The tensile force to be exerted by the operator is particularly limited since it suffices to exert a force greater than the return force of the spring.

Then, the operator rotates the loop 60 by 90° clockwise so that this loop and the attachment means 48 extend vertically as shown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 14. In this position, the means hooking 48 is locked inside the notches 74 of the anchoring device. This locking is carried out by conjugating the shape of the hooking means 48 and the notches 74.

The strap 44 of the securing device is dimensioned so as to be in its stretched deployed position when the attachment means 48 is locked inside the notches 74 of the anchoring device. The rear door of the body is thus retained and locked in its extreme open position.

When the operator wishes to unlock the rear door from its extreme open position, the operator grasps the loop 60 of the securing device, rotates it 90° anti-clockwise then removes the attachment means 48 from the notches. 74 of the anchor device. The operator can then release the buckle 60, which causes the automatic return of the strap 44 to its storage position inside the retractor 46 under the effect of the spring.

The embodiment illustrated in , on which the identical elements bear the same references, differs from the previous example in that the casing 50 of the retractor 46 of the securing device further comprises a buffer 80 damper fixed to the casing and intended to bear against the side of the body in the extreme open position of the rear door.

In the fixed position of the box 50, the buffer 80 extends projecting behind the rear door operating handle. The buffer 80 is made of flexible synthetic material, for example rubber.

In the embodiments illustrated, the securing device 40 is fixed to the associated rear door and the anchoring device 42 is fixed under the floor 16 of the bodywork. Alternatively, it could be possible to provide an inverted arrangement with the anchoring device 42 fixed to the associated rear door and the securing device 40 fixed under the floor 16. In another variant, it could still be possible to fix the anchor device 42, or the securing device 40, on the sidewall 12 in place of the fixing under the floor 16.

In the embodiments illustrated, the closing doors of the bodywork make it possible to open or close rear access to the interior loading space. Alternatively, the bodywork could be fitted with a closing side door making it possible to open or close side access to the interior loading space provided at the level of one of the longitudinal sides.

The invention has been illustrated by way of example on the basis of a road transport vehicle body of the semi-trailer type. The invention is also applicable to a road transport vehicle body of the carrier, truck or trailer type.

Claims (10)

Goods transport road vehicle body comprising:
- two vertical sides (12), a roof (14) and a floor (16) assembled together and partly delimiting an interior loading space,
- at least one door (28) for closing access to the interior loading space which can rotate between a closed position and an extreme open position in which it extends along one of the flanks (12), And
- at least one retaining system for said door in the extreme open position, characterized in that said retaining system comprises:
- a securing device (40) comprising a strap (44), a retractor (46) receiving the strap, and a hooking means (48) secured to the strap, the strap (44) being movable between a rolled up position stowage and a stretched deployed position, and
- an anchoring device (42) capable of cooperating with the hooking means (48) of the securing device in the stretched deployed position of the strap for retaining said door in the extreme open position,
- the securing device (40) being fixed on said door (28) and the anchoring device (42) being fixed under the floor (16) or on said sidewall (12), or vice versa. Bodywork according to Claim 1, in which the anchoring device (42) of the said retaining system comprises at least one notch (74) inside which the hooking means (48) of the device are capable of being locked. stowage for retaining said door in the extreme open position. Body according to Claim 2, in which the said notch (74) of the anchoring device and the attachment means (48) of the securing device are capable of cooperating by form conjugation for the locking of the attachment means after rotation hooking means inside said notch. Bodywork according to Claim 3, in which the said notch (74) of the anchoring device and the attachment means (48) of the securing device are capable of cooperating by form conjugation after a rotation of the attachment means comprised between 45 degrees and 90 degrees, and preferably equal to 90 degrees. Bodywork according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said door (28) is equipped with a handle (32) for passage from the closed position to the extreme open position and vice versa, the securing device (40) or the anchoring device (42) being fixed to said door below the handle. A body according to any preceding claim, wherein the reel (46) of the securing device comprises a housing (50) within which the strap (44) is mounted. Body according to claim 6 dependent on claim 5, in which the housing (50) remains set back from the handle (32). Bodywork according to Claim 6 or 7, in which the securing device (40) comprises a gripping member (60) integral with the strap (44) and extending at least in part projecting from the casing (50) in the strap storage position. Bodywork according to any one of Claims 6 to 8, in which the securing device (40) comprises a damping pad (80) fixed to the casing (50) and coming to rest against the said sidewall in the extreme open position of the said door. Body according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the securing device (40) comprises a spring for the automatic return of the strap (44) to the rolled-up storage position.