WO1991018780A1

WO1991018780A1 - Vehicle body structure

Info

Publication number: WO1991018780A1
Application number: PCT/SE1991/000405
Authority: WO
Inventors: Aimo Laukka
Original assignee: Aluminiumbuss I Piteå Aktiebolag
Priority date: 1990-06-06
Filing date: 1991-06-06
Publication date: 1991-12-12
Also published as: SE9002022L; AU8065791A; SE9002022D0; SE466798B

Abstract

A vehicle body structure for buses and like vehicles comprises a roof (1) and two side walls (2), which can be joined to each other to form said vehicle body structure (7), which is designed to be mounted on a chassis (4). The roof section includes transverse roof beams (16), positioned along the length of the vehicle body structure at mutual distances therebetween. Vertical side uprights (14) extend substantially from the floor to the roof and are positioned with the same mutual distance and in the same position as the roof beams (16). A number of wall profile elements (18, 19) extend edgeways on top of each other, substantially along the length of the vehicle body structure and are joined to the side uprights in cross-joints, in which the side uprights and the wall profile elements are not positioned in coinciding planes, but the wall profile elements are positioned outside the side uprights. The roof beams and the side uprights are on each side of the mounted vehicle body structure joined to each other by means of bolted joints. The side uprights, the roof beams and the corner profiles form a frame (9) for the vehicle body structure, functioning as a framework with vertical strength.

Description

Vehicle Body Structure

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a vehicle body structure for busses, trams and the like, mainly comprising pre¬ fabricated sections, including a roof and two side walls, which can be attached to each other in order to obtain said vehicle body structure, which is designed to be mounted on a chassis and to which can also be attached a front part and a rear part.

Background art

SE-124 417 relates to a body frame for a bus. The frame is made of longitudinal and transverse horizontal beams and vertical uprights, attached to each other in inter¬ sections by welding joints. The frame subsequently is covered with plates. Despite the fact that this const¬ ruction principle is almost fifty years old and has sub¬ stantial drawbacks, similar construction principles are prevalent also in modern engineering in the field of bus body structure production. The most important draw- back is that the production is very time-consuming and expensive, i.a. due to the welding technique used. Also, the construction is heavy. Thus, in order to guarantee the safety of the passengers in a lateral collision si¬ tuation either 3 mm thick aluminum plates or 1.25 mm thick steel plates are used today as side walls. Anoth¬ er drawback is that repair work often requires substan¬ tial and expensive alignment work.

Also, it has been suggested that the production be ra¬ tionalized by prefabricating the roof and side wall sec¬ tions and then joining these sections to each other. Al¬ so, it has been suggested that a light metal frame be used instead of a steel frame. SE-139 948 describes an embodiment of this technique. However, this patent spe- cifically does not suggest any solution to how these ideas are to be used in practice. Among other things there is no information about how the covering of the frame is to be designed. One can assume that the covering is to be made of plates on the exterior side of the frame according to the state of the art. Also, it is not stated how the elements in the respective sections are to be joined to each other. Thus, one can assume that these elements are joined to each other by means of welding joints, which means, that the frame, in case it is made of aluminum, has to be oversized in order to compensate for the strength reduction, which is caused by the we1- ding. These conditions result in that this construction also will be heavy.

SE-439 912 relates to a vehicle body structure having side walls made of side uprights and side wall profiles on the outer side of the uprights , which side wall por- files may extend along the entire length of the vehicle. These side wall profiles are mutually held together by vertical side uprights. Most of these uprights have por¬ tions, which extend between the lateral windows of the bus. The designer has faced a problem in this respect; partly side uprights must be strong to give the construction the required strength and partly the up¬ rights must be slender, at least along those portions, which extend between the windows, in order to obtain the least possible width between the windows. There has been an effort to meet these requirements, which it is diffi¬ cult to reconcile, in the known construction, by spli¬ cing the uprights, and in this way different portions of the upright has obtained different dimensions. However, the splicing areas result in a complication as well as a weakening of the construction. Only in the front area and in the rear area and at the door openings the side uprights extend without being broken, mainly from floor to roof. These conditions mean that the vehicle body structure along the main part of its length does not have a satisfactory vertical strength. Also, side wall pro¬ files are not mounted outside side uprights but in the same plane as the uprights, which means that the side up¬ rights do not contribute in an efficient way to an rein¬ forcement of the vehicle body structure against lateral collisions.

US-4 254 987 relates to a vehicle body structure, made of cells, designed to be joined to each other, the result be¬ ing a vehicle body structure having the desired length. The construction can be made very stiff and vertically strong, but the production is quite complicated and does not exploit the possibilities of a rational production, which extruded aluminum profiles may offer. Also, this construction does not make it possible to manufacture roof and side sections separately.

Brief disclosure of the invention

One object of the present invention is to suggest a vehic¬ le body structure, which is improved as compared to what is known in the art, of the kind which is set forth in the preamble of the claim. More particularly, the object is to suggest a structure, which is designed to facili¬ tate the joining of the elements to each other by bolted joints, which makes it possible to use aluminum profiles without a need to oversize these profiles as when wel- ding is used.

Also, one object of the invention is to suggest a vehic¬ le body structure, which is very strong and offers a sa¬ tisfactory safety for the passengers when they are con- veyed, partly due to a very satisfactory collision pro¬ tection, particularly a satisfactory protection against a lateral collision, and partly due to a satisfactory ver¬ tical strength along the entire length of the vehicle body structure. Another object of the invention is to able to in a simple way join the different sections and the individual ele¬ ments to each other and to the chassis by bolted joints.

An additional object is to suggest a construction, inwhich individual elements or sections easily can be exchanged in order to facilitate repairs of collision damages.

An additional object, according to a special aspect of the invention, is to suggest a construction having side up¬ rights, which are designed in such a way, that the require¬ ments as -to strength and a possibility of an interaction with the side wall profiles of the bus wall and the re¬ quirements as to a slender and aesthetical design in the areas between the side windows are met at the same time.

The vehicle body structure, jointly with a front part and a rear part, the design of which does not constitute any part of the present invention, is to be used mainly for buses, including tourist and line buses as well as city buses, hospital transport buses, library buses, furniture buses and other buses for freight transportion. Also, it must be possible to use the vehicle on any type of chas¬ sis.

Finally, an object of the present invention is to suggest a bolted joint, which is suitable for joining the various elements and sections of the vehicle body structure to each other.

These objects and additional objects can be obtained by the present invention, which is set forth in the follow¬ ing patent claims. Additional objects and characterizing features of the invention will be explained in the fol- lowing description of a preferred embodiment. Brief description of the drawings

In the following description of a preferred embodiment reference will be made to the accompanying darwings, in which: Fig. 1 is a lateral view of a bus with a bus body structure according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view, which show the three main sections of the bus body structure, namely two side walls and a roof, which can be joined to each other by means of a corner profile in each upper corner;

Fig. 3 shows in cross-section the upper part of a side wall, the upper, longitudinal corner of the bus body struc¬ ture and the adjoining part of the roof in a view III-III in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 shows in cross-section the lower part of the wall in a view IV-IV in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of a side upright, including an outer upright and an inner upright; Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the inner upright; Fig. 7 is a perspective view, which shows how a side up¬ right by means of its outer upright is anchored to a base profile via a first assembly device;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section, which shows how the win¬ dow panes are connected to the inner upright in a side upright;

Fig. 9 shows in cross-section a coupling profile for the window panes in the assembly shown in Fig. 8; Fig. 10 shows in a horizontal section how an inner wall panel is fastened to an outer upright in a side upright; Fig. 11 is a cross-section of a bolted joint of a type, which has been developed for and which is used to quite a large extent in the vehicle body structure, in order to hold its various parts together; and

Fig. 12 is a section XII-XII in Fig. 11. Description of a preferred embodiment

The main parts of the vehicle body structure are three sec¬ tions, namely one roof 1 and two side walls 2. The vehicle body structure, generally designated 7, is mounted on a chassis 5, which is a part of a frame 4. The vehicle body structure also comprises a floor (not shown), a front 6, a rear 8, a front door 9 and a rear door 10. Side walls 2 end downwardly with a base profile 13 and are upwardly attached to roof 1 by means of a corner profile 12. Bet- ween base profile 13 and corner profile 12 a number of side uprights extend, having the same design.

The roof section comprises along each side a longitudinal edge profile 15. Edge profiles 15 are united by trans- verse,slightly curved but mainly horizontal roof beams 16, which are mounted along roof section 1 in the same locations as side uprights 14 in the side walls andmoun¬ ted in the same vertical planes as side uprights 14.

Corner profiles 12 are in the assembled vehicle body structure attached to the respective edge profiles 15 of roof section 1. Thus, base profiles 13, corner profiles 12 and edge profiles 15 are longitudinal elements of the bus body structure, the transverse elements of which are side uprights 14 and roof beams 16. In body 17, formed in this way, side uprights 14 and roof beams 16, attached to each other by means of corner profiles 12 and edge pro¬ files 15, form a number of evenly spaced apart down¬ wardly directed arches.

Above base profile 13 three longitudinal profile elements 18 are mounted on the outside of side uprights 14. Above topmost profile element 18, also on the outside of side uprights 14, there is a lower window lintel profile 19 along the bus body structure, and a small distance below upper edge profile 12 there is on the outside of side uprights 14 an upper window lintel profile 20 along the bus body structure. Between window lintel profiles 19 and 20 there is in each hole between side uprights 14 a double- glass window pane 21.

Each side upright 14, Fig. 5, comprises an inner upright

22, which extends from base profile 13 up to upper corner profile 12, and an outer upright, generally designated

23, which with a lower part 23A extends from base profile 13 up to the same level as the upper edge of lower window lintel profile 19 and with an upper part 23B, which ex¬ tends from upper window lintel profile 20 to upper cor¬ ner profile 12. The exterior outline of inner upright 22 has a parallel trapezoidal form, Fig. 6, and this.upright is mounted telescopicly in outer upright 23, the inner hollow space of which has an outline, which closely cor¬ responds to the outer outline of the inner upright. Ou¬ ter upright 23 also comprises two outer, vertical flanges 24 in the same plane as outer wall 25 of outer upright, i.e. the wall which is turned outwards, as well as two inner, shorter vertical flanges 26, parallel with outer flanges 24 and in the same plane as inner wall 27 of ou¬ ter upright. Side walls 28 of the outer upright converge from outer wall 25 towards inner wall 27. The total width of side uprights 14 corresponds to the extension of ou¬ ter flanges 24 along the length of said uprights 14 ex¬ cept in the area of windows 21, in which the width of the side uprights only corresponds to the width of in¬ ner upright 22.

Outer upright 23 and its flanges 24,26 are designed to reinforce the strength of side uprights 14 along a sub¬ stantial portion of the length of the upright, partly to function as active elements, designed to join various elements of the vehicle body structure and also to mount its interior linings.

Fig. 7 shows how a lower part 23A of the outer upright is used to, by means of a first assembly device 30 and bolted joints which will be described in more detail be¬ low, attach side upright 14 to base profile 13. The first assembly device comprises a cut-off piece of an aluminum profile. The length of this piece corresponds to the to¬ tal width of outer upright 23A, as represented by the outer flanges 24. Assembly device 30 is placed in a hori¬ zontal position (see Fig. 7) and has a back part 31, a web 32 perpendicular to the back part and a breast part 33. Web 32 has a length, which corresponds to the thickness of outer upright 23A and extends roughly from the center line of back part 31. That part of back part 31, which is placed on one side of the base point of web 32 is called first flange part 34, and the other part of back part 31 consequently is called second flange part 35. Outer upright 23A is positioned in assembly device 30 with its (and also inner upright's 22) lower end, sup¬ ported by web 32. Outer wall 25 and the two outer flang¬ es 24 bear on breast part 33, whereas inner wall 27 and the two inner flanges 26 bear on first flange part 34 of back part 31. Web 32 is in its turn supported by a ho¬ rizontal "shelf" 36 and breast part 33 bears on a ver¬ tical wall 37 of base profile 13.

in order to attach the various parts of the vehicle body structure to each other preferably a bolted joint is used, particularly designed for the bus body structure accor¬ ding to the invention. For this bolted joint at least those aluminum profiles, which are mounted in a longitu¬ dinal horizontal direction and which are parts of frame 17 of the bus body structure, are provided with one or several particularly designed nut slots, designated 40A, 40B, 40C etc. The two window lintel profiles 19 and 20 also have such nut slots. Base profile 13 for instance is provided with a first nut slot 40A below the inner edge of shelf 36 and a second nut slot 40B outside the upper edge of vertical wall 37. In order to explain how the bolted joint is designed and functions, reference is now made to Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, which show in more detail how first nut slot 40A is de¬ signed as well as the rest of the elements of the bolted joint. The bolted joint is an expanding bolted joint and the rest of the expanding bolted joints in the bus body structure are designed in a corresponding way. When the expression "expanding bolted joint" is used below, a bol¬ ted joint of the type shown in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12 is used.

All nut slots, e.g. nut slot 40A, include a front wall 41, a lower wall 42, an upper wall 43 and a rear wall 44. In front wall 41 there is a longitudinal opening 45, which extends along the entire length of the profile element. Opening 45 has walls 46, which slope inwards. The object to be attached to the profile element in question by means of the bolted joint, in this case first assembly device 30, is designed with a longitudinal male part 47, projecting from said second flange part 35. Male part 47 projects into opening 45. In a similar way breast part 33 is in its upper portion designed with a male part 48, which projects into a corresponding opening in second nut slot 40B. The inner side of inner wall 41 slopes in- wards towards longitudinal opening 45. These inwardly sloping side walls are designated 48.

In the nut slots, e.g. in nut slot 40A, locking casings, e.g. locking casing 50, have been inserted, the number of which corresponding to the objects to be fastened by means of the bolted joints, designed for the respective nut slots. Locking casings 50 have the same length as said objects. Locking casing 50 for instance, shown in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, has the same length as first as- sembly device 30 in the longitudinal direction of the bus body structure. Locking casing 50 mainly has the same rectangular cross-sectional shape as nut slot 40A, but it is somewhat smaller than nut slot 40A and consequently it can be displaced freely in the slot, before the joint has be tightened. Wall 51, which faces inner side 48 of the nut slot, has the same sloping shape as inner side 48 and matches it. In wall 51 there are two holes 52 for screws 53. In that wall on locking casing 50, which faces rear wall 44 of the nut slot, there is a longitudinal ope- ning 54, the width of which is somewhat smaller than the thickness of screws 53. Also, screws 53 preferably have a bevelled point, and longitudinal opening 54 is defined by corresponding bevelled surfaces 55, interacting with bevelled point portion 56 of the screws. Those edge por- tions of locking casing 50, which define opening 54, end with an inwardly outwardly extending lip 57.

In locking casing 50 two nuts 59 are inserted, according to the embodiment shown in Fig. 12, interacting with screws 53. Alternatively, for two nuts 59 a longitudinal bar can be used instead, provided with two screw holes, the bar functioning as a nut for two screws. The length of screws 53 is adjusted in such a way, that the screws, when the bolted joint is almost fully tightened, with their bevel- led point portion 56 abut the bevelled surfaces 55 on locking casing 50. When the joint is tightened further, opening 54 is widened and locking casing 50 expands, and in this way side walls 59 are pressed against side walls 42,43 of nut slot 40A. When screw 53 is tightened even more, lips 57 in the area of screws 53 are pressed against rear wall 44 and simultaneously the material of locking casing 50 is deformed in the area, which faces screws 53. At the same time also a keying on-effect between bevel¬ led surfaces 46 of opening 45 and the corresponding sur¬ faces on male part 47 is obtained. This wedging effect as well as the pressing of sides 59 of the locking casing against rear wall 44 of the nut slot provide a most sa¬ tisfactory fastening of locking casing 50 in nut slot 40 A. In this way locking casing 50 and also screws 53 and consequently also first assembly device 30 cannotbe moved in relation to base profile 30. Due to a spring ac¬ tion in the deformed portions of locking casing 50 a gra¬ dual undoing of screws 53 because of vibrations will also be counteracted. In order to prevent this from happening screws 53 can also be fastened according to what is known in the art, e.g. using a glue, using a welding spark, using a locking pin or other means.

Breast part 33 is in the same way as said second flange portion 35 provided with a male portion 61 on the outer ^• side, Fig. 7, which interacts with second nut slot 40B with its longitudinal opening 62. Screws 53 in the ex¬ panding bolted joint extend in this case also through outer flanges 24 on outer upright 23, which in. this way will be fastened in first assembly device 30. Outer up- right 23 can be additionally fastened in the assembly de¬ vice by attaching inner flanges 26 to first flange part 34 by means of conventional bolted joints 63. Also, a glue can be applied between outer upright 23 and breast part 33 and first flange part 34 respectively.

In Figs. 3 and 4 nut slots 40A,40B_f40C etc. are shown as being "empty" and also no screw holes, screws etc. are shown. Of course, these elements have been left out in order to avoid making the figures difficult to grasp, but in all the cases such elements are to be assembled according to the principles discussed above with refe¬ rence to Figs. 11 and 12.

On top of base profile 13 and the base parts of side up¬ rights 14 a base cover 64 is placed, consisting of a longitudinal profile element. This cover comprises aweb 65, the outer side of which forms a part of the exterior of the bus, a lower side flange 66 and an upper more nar¬ row flange 67. Doors 140 to luggage spaces in the area of frame 4 are fastened to base cover 64 by means of a rub¬ ber joint 141. Lower flange 66 is screwed and glued to base profile 13 and upper flange 67 is by means of the male portion of a hinge connected to the lower one of the three profile elements 18. These also have a web 68, which is flat och forms a portion of the exterior of the bus, a lower flange 69 and an upper flange 70. These flanges have female and male parts respectively for hinges, which con¬ nect the profile elements to each other. Lower flanges 69 are screwed to outer flanges 24 on lower outer uprights 23A and are consequently pressed with their flanges 69 against the outer sides of side uprights 14. Jointly with lower window lintel profile 19 they cover the main portion of the seating space in the bus and they consti¬ tute jointly with side uprights 14, positioned behind said flanges, a protection for the passengers against col¬ lisions in a lateral direction. This protection will be ^• particularly strong, since side uprights 14 within this area are reinforced by lower outer uprights 23A.

Lower window lintel profile 19 has somewhat larger di¬ mensions than profile elements 18 and is by means of a second assembly device 73 fastened more strongly to lower outer uprights 23A than profile elements 18. Second as¬ sembly device 73 comprises an extruded aluminum profile, shaped to a plate having two male parts 74,75 designed to be inserted into the longitudinal openings of nut slots 40C,40B in window lintel profile 19. In this system ex¬ panding bolted joints of the kind described above are used, and in this way window lintel profiles 19 aremoun¬ ted on outer flanges 24 on lower outer uprights 23A in the same way as is described in connection with Fig. 7. Second assembly device 73 then has the same length as the total width of outer uprights 23, Fig. 5. Along its upper edge lower window lintel profile 19 is provided with a system of flanges, generally designated 76, for plastic or rubber lists for a mounting of window panes 21.

Upper window lintel profile 20 has a nut slot 40E for an expanding bolted joint according to the invention, de¬ signed to fasten the window lintel profile to upper outer uprights 23B, namely via outer flanges 24 via a third as¬ sembly device 77. A male part in this bolted joint on assembly device 77 is designated 78. Upper window lintel profile 20 has also a flange system for rubber or plas¬ tic lists 80,81, designed to hold and seal window panes 21. On its upper side the upper window lintel profile also has a fresh air intake.

Fig. 8 shows how window panes 21 are mounted in vertical direction. Outside the side upright, which in the window area comprises inner upright 22, a coupling profile 85 is mounted. Fig. 9, which has four central legs 86 and two outer legs 87 with rounded feet 88 and is supported by the outer wall of upright 22 and by the two outer corners of the upright respectively, which corners for this rea¬ son have recesses 89, which match feet 88. From the web of coupling profile 85 two parallel flanges 90 project and between these flanges two rubber or plastic lists 91 are mounted, designed to hold and seal window panes 21. Lists 92 seal against the inner side of window panes 21 and are fastened in grooves 93 in coupling profile 85. Upright 22, coupling profile 85 and lists 92 are covered by a plastic cap 94, which is fastened by means of snap- in connections, including on each side a bead 95, which interacts with recess 96 in the area of feets 88 on coupling profile 85.

The lateral wall ends with corner profile 12, which is attached to side uprights 14 via said third assembly de¬ vice 77. Each one of the assembly devices consists of an extruded aluminumprofile having the same length as the above-mentioned first and second assembly devices. Its shape is an angle piece having a vertical breast part 99, a web 100 and a vertical flange part 101, which extends downwards from web 100 parallel with breast part 99. The distance between breast part 99 and flange part 101 corresponds to the thickness of upper outer uprights 23B, which with their upper end contact web 100 and their outer and inner sides 25,27 and their outer and inner flanges contact breast part 99 and flange part 101 re- spectively according to the same principles which have been described for lower outer upright 23A and first as¬ sembly device 30 in connection with the description of Fig. 7. Third assembly device 77 also includes a hori¬ zontal flange portion 102, which is an extension ofweb 100. On the upper side of web 100 and of horizontal flange portion 102 there are two male portions, 103 and 104 re¬ spectively.

Corner profile 12 has on its outer side a rounded corner part 106 and on its inner side a 90 corner, which corre¬ sponds to the angle of third assembly device 77. The flat surfaces in the corner are a vertical side part 107 and a horizontal base part 108. Outside vertical side part 107 there is a nut slot 40F.

However, breast part 99 of assembly device 77 does not have any male portion, designed to interact with longitu¬ dinal groove 113 in wall part 107. However, on the upper side of web 100 said male portion 103 is designed to in- teract with a longitudinal opening 114 in base part 108 in connection with a nut slot 40G. The corner profile al¬ so has a vertical side wall 116, which faces roof 1. From side wall 116 a hook 117 projects and right at the top there is a similar upper hook 118 as well as a longi- tudinal lip portion 119, which is an extension of curved corner part 106. Corner profile 12 is attached to side uprights 14 via third assembly device 77 by means of ex- panding bolted joints according to the invention in con¬ nection with nut slots 40F and 40G. The screws in connec¬ tion with nut slots 4OF and the elements mounted in these slots (see the description above) also lock upper outer 5 outer uprights 23B, because the screws extend through outer flanges 24 according to the principles described above.

Side walls 3 also can be provided with additional elements, 0 e.g. devices for mounting curtains, racks, heat radiators etc., which will no be described in detail here. However, as to Fig. 10 it can be mentioned that inner flanges 26 on outer uprights 23 are used to mount inner wall pa¬ nels 121. These wall panels 121 can, as is shown in Fig. 5 10, be either flat or profiled. Panels 121 are not shown in Fig. 3 or Fig. 4. On the outer side of outer uprights 23,surrounding outer flanges 26, there is a plastic rail 122. Also, a double terminal strip 123 is mounted about each flange 26. The way in which such a terminal strip 0 23 is designed to hold a wall panel 121 is shown in Fig. 10. The space outside wall panels 121 can be fitted with insulating materials and also be used for cabling.

In roof 1 roof beams 16 are made of aluminum profiles -5 having the same cross-section as outer uprights 23 of the side uprights. Said outer flanges 24 are in this case projecting downwards, whereas inner flanges 26 are pro¬ jecting upwards. Roof beams 16 have been bent somewhat, and consequently the roof is slightly curved. On the lo¬ 0 wer side of roof beams 16 there in a thin veneer layer, which extends over the entire width of the inner roof. An upper layer of 10 mm thick glass fiber reinforced po¬ lystyrene is designated 122 and on the outside there is a 2 mm thick glass fiber reinforced polyester layer 123, ⁵ which covers the entire outer side of roof 1 and the longitudinal edge portions of which are covered with ob- liquely upwardly directed lip 119 on each corner profile 12. The inner space in roof 1 between beams 16 is filled with foamed polystyrene. The above-mentioned layers in roof 1 are glued to each other and to beams 16, and thus a structural sandwich structure is obtained.

Roof beams 16 are at their ends attached to fourth assemb¬ ly device 125, which is identical with first assembly de¬ vice 30. The principal design of this coupling and its details have already been described with reference to Figs. 7, 11 and 12 and thus, this part of the descrip¬ tion will not be repeated here, but reference is instead made to the description above. The connection between roof beams 16 and edge profile 15 is also made according to the same principles as have been described with reference to the connection between side uprights 14 and base pro¬ file 13 via first assembly device 30, and thus also no detailed description of this coupling seems to be re¬ quired. However, it can be mentioned that edge profile 15 is provided with nut slots 40H and 401, which corre¬ spond to nut slots 40A and 40B in base profile 13 as well a third nut slot 40K, provided inside a horizontal base portion 126 in edge profile 15. Fourth assembly devices 125 contact with their web 32 an obliquely directed stop wall 127 and with their breast part 33 a slightly upward- ly-inwardly inclined portion 128 on edge profile 15. From the corner between wall parts 127 and 128 a vertical wall part 129 extends. Inside wall parts 128 and 129 there is a cable canal 130.

A vertical end wall on edge profile 15 is designated 134. This element has at its bottom a hook 135, and at its top a hook 136, which hooks are designed to be able to interact with hooks 117 and 118 respectively on corner profile 12.

Roof l_f described now , can also be provided with roof doors and other additional features. Walls 2 are al¬ so supplemented with electric cables, radiators, curtain mounting etc., and one wall also has doors 9,10. During assembly work roof 1 and side walls 2 are assembled se- parately. Each wall 2 is positioned with its base pro¬ file 13 on chassis 5 and is fastened by means of bolted joints (not shown). Corner profile 12, Fig. 2, is hitched to roof 1 by means of hooks 117,118 and hooks 135,136. Subsequently roof 1 and corner profiles 12, attached to the roof, are lowered onto side walls 2, and in this way base part 108 and base part 126 of each corner profile 12 and edge profile 15 respectively will contact web 100 and flange portion 192 of third assembly device 77, male portions 103 and 104 meshing with grooves 114 and 137 respectively. At the same time lip 119 on each corner profile will cover the edge portions of glass fiber re¬ inforcing polyester layer 123, which covers the roof. Finally, the assembly is fastened by means of expanding bolted joints according to the invention in connection with nut slots 40G,40K.

All the elements, which have been described above, are made of extruded aluminum profiles, provided nothing else is stated in the text.

Claims

Claims :

1. Vehicle body structure for buses, trams and like vehicles, including a roof (1) and two side walls (2), which can be joined to each other in order to form said vehicle body structure (7), which is designed to bemoun- ted on a chassis (4) and to which also a front part (5) and a rear part (6) can be connected, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that:

- the roof and side wall units extend along the entire length of the vehicle body superstructure; - the roof section includes transverse roof beams (16) , placed along the length of the vehicle body structure with certain mutual distances therebetween;

- each side wall comprises vertical side uprights (14) , which extend substantially from the floor to the roof and are placed with the same mutual distance and in the same plane as the roof beams (16) ;

- a number of wall profile elements (18,19) extend, edge¬ ways on top of each other, substantially along the length of the vehicle body structure in the area between a frame and the windows (21) of the side walls, which wall pro¬ file elements are joined to said side uprights in cross- joints, in which the side uprights and the wall profile elements are not positioned in coinciding planes, but the wall profile elements are positioned outside the side uprights; and

- the roof beams and the side uprights on each side of the mounted vehicle body structure are joined to each other by means of bolted joints via at least one corner profile element (12) , which extends along the entire length of the vehicle body structure, the roof beams, the side uprights and the corner profile elements form¬ ing a frame (9) for the vehicle body structure, functio¬ ning as a framework with a large vertical strength.

2. Vehicle body structure according to claim 1, c h a - 13 r a c t e r i z e d in that the side uprights have larg¬ er dimensions in the area for said wall profile elements, placed outside the side uprights, below the windows, than in the area for the windows.

3. Vehicle body structure according to claim 2, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that said uprights include an in¬ ner upright (22) , which extends substantially from the floor to the roof, and an outer beam, which surrounds the inner upright and which extends at least substantially from the floor level and up to the side windows butwhich does not extend in the area for the side windows.

4. Vehicle body structure according to any of claims 1-3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that each side wall also in¬ cludes a base profile and in that the side uprights are not broken and spliced and extend between the base pro¬ file and the corner profile.

5. Vehicle body structure according to claim 4, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that the corner uprights with their ends are supported by substantially horizontal surfaces on the base profile and on the corner profile respective¬ ly-

6. Vehicle body structure according to any of claims 3-5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the outer profile has flanges, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the bus body structure and which are used to join the side uprights to the longitudinal elements of the wall.

7. Vehicle body structure according to claim 1, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that the roof beams extend between two longitudinal edge profiles (15) and in that these edge profiles are joined to the respective corner profile.

8. Vehicle body structure according to any of the prece- ding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by nut slots (40A,40B,40C ...) in at least some of the longitudinal elements of the vehicle body structure, which nut slots extend along the entire length of these elements, which nut slots house nut elements.

9. Vehicle body structure according to claim 8, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d by coupling devices (73,77) , which at least partly are positioned between the side uprights and at least some of the longitudinal wall elements (19, 20) of the side walls, in order to join the outer up¬ rights of said side uprights to said wall elements by means of screws, which extend through said flanges on said outer uprights, through said coupling devices and into nut elements in nut slots in said wall elements.

10. Vehicle body structure according to claim 9, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that coupling devices, mounted in connection with the end portions of the side uprights, have portions, which extend beyond the ends of the side uprights and which by means of bolted joints are joined to nut elements in nut slots in the base profile and in the corner profile respectively.

li. Vehicle body structure according to any of the pre¬ ceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the inner upright of the side uprights extends along thewin¬ dows at a distance inside the same, and in that coupling elements (85) for the window panes are positioned bet- ween the window panes and extend outwards from said inner upright.