WO1996034778A1

WO1996034778A1 - A vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO1996034778A1
Application number: PCT/AU1996/000255
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mark Andre; Dennis Barton; Brian Chapple; Arkadi Pikovski; Mervyn Walker
Original assignee: Razorback Vehicles Management Pty. Ltd.
Priority date: 1995-05-01
Filing date: 1996-05-01
Publication date: 1996-11-07
Also published as: AUPN274495A0

Abstract

A front wheel drive vehicle has a cabin (12) to the rear of which is attached the base (55) of a U-shaped frame. Located between the rear-wheel-supported parallel arms of the U-shaped frame is a load receiving bed (19). The bed is raisable with respect to the frame and while maintaining a horizontal attitude, from the ground to a raised transport position by hydraulic rams (25) acting through cranks (26) and linkages (30). Each part of the U-shaped frame has a top rail (17), bottom rail (16) and vertical (18) or diagonal bracing so as to resist bending. The cabin (12), although of monocoque construction, is provided with brackets and a pair of reinforced sockets (into which are inserted mating projections on the base (55)) to join it to the U-frame. The bed (19) is provided with a tailgate (not shown) which has catches to enable it to be either raised and lowered in co-ordination with raising and lowering of the bed or independently of this motion.

Description

A VEHICLE

Technical Field

The present invention relates to vehicles such as motor vehicles and towed vehicles, and more particularly, to motor vehicles having a load receiving tray or bed which is

5 movable from a raised transport position to a lowered position at which the bed is located adjacent ground level, with the bed being maintained in a generally horizontal orientation.

Background of the Invention

Disclosed in US Patent 5,035,462 is a motor vehicle which has a chassis provided with a cab, and a rear assembly including a vertically movable load receiving bed which o is movable between an upper transport position, and a lower position located substantially at ground level. The bed is maintained generally horizontally oriented. The vehicle is front wheel drive and the rear suspension is a "trailing arm" suspension, with each wheel assembly being supported by a leaf spring assembly and shock absorber. The chassis of the vehicle extends the full length of the vehicle and the movable bed is supported 5 between two rearwardly extending frame arms formed by part of the chassis. Extending upwardly from the chassis is a transverse brace (located generally centrally of the vehicle) and a diagonal brace extending downwardly from the transverse brace to each of the rearwardly extending frame arms between which the bed is located. A pair of pivoting arms raise and lower the bed. Attached to the bed is a pivotally mounted tailgate, with a 0 mechanism being provided to raise and lower the tailgate in coordination with the raising and lowering of the load receiving bed.

The vehicle of US Patent 5,035,462 has many disadvantages. Firstly, the vehicle needs to be "specially constructed" and cannot be adapted to currently manufactured motor vehicles. This is particularly prohibitive due to the capital cost of constructing 5 such a vehicle. A further disadvantage is the rear suspension. The rear suspension gave the motor vehicle most undesirable handling characteristics. A further disadvantage is the use of the above mentioned transverse brace and diagonal braces which projected well above the sides of the vehicle. This increased the cost of the vehicle and detracted from its overall appearance. A still further disadvantage is the construction of the tailgate. It could not be opened when the tray was in the raised position.

US Patent 4,673,328 discloses a trailer, again having a load receiving bed which is raised and lowered. This particular trailer is not a self-propelled vehicle, and in particular is not adapted to be formed as an integral part of a vehicle. There is no tailgate and no suspension provided. A further disadvantage is the construction of the generally "U-shaped" frame of the trailer. The two parallel arms supporting the wheels would deflect vertically relative to each other, but more particularly transversely and therefore the trailer would be generally unstable during use. US Patent 4,902,188 describes and shows a vehicle to transport shopping trolleys.

The vehicle has a load receiving bed which is raised and lowered, with the tailgate being arranged so as to be raised and lowered in coordination with the load receiving bed. The vehicle has a unitary chassis and is front wheel driven. It suffers the same disadvantages of the vehicle of US Patent 5,035,462, as well as the disadvantages of the trailer of US Patent 4,673,328.

US Patent 3,707,238 shows a vehicle to transport mobile homes. The vehicle has a pair of elongated load supporting arms between which the mobile home is located. A pair of raised and lowered flanges engage beneath the mobile home to lift the home for transport purposes. The flanges are maintained generally horizontal. Again, the vehicle is constructed with a generally unitary frame and the vehicle would have the same difficulties as the above discussed vehicles and trailer.

There are innumerable vehicles in which the load receiving bed is tiltable to aid loading, particularly of a vehicle to be carried by the primary vehicle. Such vehicles having tiltable beds suffer from the disadvantage that the bed is not retained generally horizontally oriented.

Object of the invention

It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages. Summary of the Inventions

There is firstly disclosed herein a front wheel drive vehicle comprising: a cabin; and a rear load receiving assembly fixed to the cabin, said assembly including a generally horizontally extending, "U-shaped" frame having a transverse base fixed to said cabin and a pair of generally transversely spaced parallel arms extending rearwardly from the base; a wheel assembly on each arm; a load receiving bed supported between the arms and movable between a transport raised position and a lowered position adjacent a surface upon which the vehicle rests, with the bed being maintained in a generally horizontal orientation; each of said arms having a vertical depth to provide a first moment of inertia about a transverse axis to resist bending of the arms about a horizontal transverse axis, and a longitudinally extending rail fixed to the base and having a horizontal width to provide each of the arms with a first moment of inertia about a vertical transverse axis to inhibit deflection of the arms relative to each other transverse of the vehicle.

There is further disclosed herein a front wheel drive vehicle comprising: a cabin having a floor panel providing at least two longitudinally extending sockets, which sockets are transversely spaced, with each socket having a rearwardly open end face, the cabin also having a rear upwardly extending transverse cabin wall; and a rear load receiving assembly fixed to the cabin, said assembly including a generally horizontally extending, "U-shaped" frame having a transverse base adjacent to and fixed to said wall and a pair of generally transversely spaced parallel arms extending rearwardly from the brace; a wheel assembly on each arm; a load receiving bed supported between the arms and movable between a transpor raised position and a lowered position adjacent a surface upon which the vehicle rests; said frame having a pair of forwardly extending projections telescopically receive within said sockets and fixed thereto to aid in securing the frame to said cabin. There is still further disclosed herein a vehicle having a rear load receiving bed, said bed being movable between a raised position and a lowered position adjacent a surface upon which the vehicle rests, with the bed being maintained generally horizontal, a pair of longitudinally extending side walls between which the bed is located, a tailgate pivotally attached to a rear portion of the bed, said tailgate being pivotally movable about a transverse generally horizontal axis between a generally upright position which when

^" the bed is in the raised position, so as to extend between the two side walls, and a lowered position angularly displaced from the upright position to at least a position generally co-planar with the bed and extending rearwardly therefrom, means to raise the tailgate from the lowered position to the upright position as the bed moves from its lowered position to its raised position, and catch means including a first catch assembly to selectively retain said tailgate in said raised position and operable to release the tailgate for pivoting movement, and second catch means operable to disconnect the tailgate from said means to raise said tailgate. There is also disclosed herein a method of manufacturing a front wheel drive vehicle, said method including the steps of: providing a cabin having a rear floor and wall; providing a rear frame of generally "U-shaped" configuration so as to have a pair of generally parallel, co-extensive arms and a base; mounting on said frame a load receiving bed located generally between the arms, the bed being vertically movable between a raised position and a lowered position, with the bed being maintained substantially horizontal; and securing said base to said cab.

There is still further disclosed herein a load receiving assembly of a vehicle, said assembly comprising: a frame of generally "U-shaped" configuration having a transverse base from which there extends rearwardly a pair of generally parallel co-extensive arms; a wheel assembly on each arm; a load receiving bed movably supported between the arms so as to be movable 0 between a raised transport position, and a lowered position; and wherein the arms are a truss construction with each arm including a top and bottom rail.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a front wheel drive vehicle having a load receiving rear bed;

Figure 2 is a further schematic view of a portion of the vehicle of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of the load receiving bed of the vehicle of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a schematic parts exploded perspective view of a tailgate employed in the vehicle of Figure 1 ;

Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of the rear portion of the load receiving bed, and tailgate of Figures 1 and 4, and a catch assembly;

Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view of a portion of the vehicle of Figure 1 ; Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view of a modified form of the rear frame of the vehicle of Figure 1 ;

Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view of a portion of the cabin of the vehicle of Figure 1 ; and

Figure 9 is a schematic perspective view of a portion of the frame of Figure 7.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a front wheel drive vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 has a forward portion 11 providing a cabin 12 which provides a cabin area and an engine bay which receives an engine. A transmission also would be provided to couple the engine with the front wheels 13 so that the wheels 13 are driven by the engine. The cabin 12 is of a "monocoque" (unitized) construction.

Attached to the cabin 12 is a rear frame 14 which when viewed from above is of a generally "U-shaped" configuration so as to provide two rearwardly extending arms joined by a base 55.

It should be appreciated that the frame 14 could be the frame of a towed vehicle. 6

Each of the arms 15 includes a bottom rail 16 joined to a top rail 17 by means of vertically extending braces 18. The arms 15 are each of a "truss-beam" construction.

The top rails 17 are of a "box" configuration so as to provide each of the arms 15 with sufficient stiffness to withstand transverse loads. That is, the rails 17 provide each of the arms 15 with a first moment of inertia about a generally vertical axis. The combination of the rails 16 and 17 provide each of the arms 15 with a first moment of inertia about a horizontal axis. The rails 17 are also attached to the base 55 so as to inhibit transverse relative movement between the arms 17.

The base 55 includes the upper rail 24, as well as a lower rail 56. The rail 56 is a "box" section and provides "cross-vehicle" torsional stiffness. Diagonal braces 57 also aid providing the base 55 with the required stiffness.

The arms 15 may be provided with diagonal braces 58 as shown in Figure 7.

Located between the arms 15 is a load receiving bed 19 which is movable between a raised position (as shown in Figure 1) and a lowered position generally adjacent a surface upon which the vehicle 10 rests. The load receiving bed 19 has a floor 20 and two side walls 21 as well as an end wall 22. The side walls 21 are structural members. The end wall 22 has extending from its upper edge a flexible sheet 23 which extends to the upper rail 24 of the base 55.

The bed 19 is raised and lowered by means of a pair of hydraulic rams 25 which have one end pivotally attached to one of the braces 18 and the other end attached to an extremity of an "L-shaped" crank 26. The crank 26 is pivotally mounted by means of a pin 27 so as to be pivotable about an axis extending generally transverse of the vehicle

10. The crank 26 has a first extremity 28 to which the ram 25 is attached, and a second extremity 29 pivotally attached to the bed 19. Each extremity 29 has a pin which is pivotally received within an associated socket 59 in the bed 19. The pivot 27 pivotally attaches the crank 26 to the rail 16. The forward end of the bed 19 is supported by a pair of linkages 30, one linkage 30 being located on each side of the bed 19. Each linkage 30 has one end 31 pivotally attached to the rail 16, and the other end 32 pivotally attached to the bed 19 at a socket 59. In this regard it should be appreciated that there is a pair o cooperating cranks 26 and associated hydraulic rams 25, a crank 26 being located on each side of the bed 19. When the hydraulic rams 25 are actuated, the crank 26 pivots. If one looks at the crank 26 of Figure 1, when the hydraulic ram 25 is retracted, the extremity 29 of the crank 26 is lowered, the bed 19 is also lowered. When the hydraulic ram 25 is extended, the bed 19 is raised. It should be appreciated that the cranks 26 and linkages 30 cooperate to maintain the floor 20 generally horizontal.

The bed 19 is located between the arms 15 and is supported thereby. The rear of the floor 20 is provided with a plurality of eyelets 33, which aid to support the tailgate 34. The tailgate 34 has a plurality of eyelets 35 which are located between the eyelets 33 so that a pin can pass through the aligned apertures of the eyelets 33 and 35 to thereby pivotally support the tailgate 34. The tailgate 34 includes a body 36 which consists of a plurality of aluminium extrusions 37 interlinked by cooperating grooves 38 and male projections 39. End caps 40 are provided adjacent each end of the tailgate 34, which end caps 40 support catches 41 and 42. The caps 40 are also structural members. A "skin" 43 provides the rearward face of the tailgate 34. Mounted centrally of the tailgate 34 would be a handle or lever which would operate the catch 41. It should be appreciated that each side edge of the body 36 would be provided with an end cap 40 and associated catches 41 and 42.

Located adjacent each rear corner of the bed 19 is a crank 44 to raise and lower the tailgate 34. Each crank 44 is pivotally attached by means of a pin 45 to the bed 19. One extremity 46 of the crank 45 receives a catch pin 47 to engage the catch 42. The othe extremity 48 receives a bearing 49 which acts as a cam follower in respect of the ca surface 50. The cam surface 50 is attached to the bottom rail 16 of the frame 14. I operation, as the bed 19 is lowered, the crank 44 is allowed to pivot thereby permittin the tailgate 34 to move from a generally upright position, to a position generally co-plana with respect to the floor 19, or extending slightly downwardly rearwardly therefrom. A the bed 19 is raised, the bearing 49 engages the cam surface 50 and causes the tailgate 3 to move from its lowered position to its generally upright position, extending between th two arms 15. The catches 42 are operable to engage the catch pins 47 and are operable t release the catch pin 47. The catches 41 engage catch pins attached to the rear braces 18. The catches 41 are operable by means of a handle or lever 51 so as to release their associated catch pins. When the catch pins are released, the tailgate 34 can move to a partly opened position. A key operable lock 52 is provided to operate the catches 42.

5 A spring 53 is associated with each one of the cranks 44. The spring 53 extends between the tailgate 34 and the crank 44 to bias the catch pin 47 into engagement with the catch 42.

Each catch 41 includes a pivotally movable catch member 54 having a catch aperture 55 within which the associated catch pin is captively located when the catch 41 is o in the closed position. The catch member 45 is released for pivoting movement to release the associated catch pin.

Each catch 41 is provided with a movable catch member, to selectively engage the associated catch pin 47.

In operation of the above described catches 41 and 42, a user would in operating the 5 tailgate 43, manipulate the handle 51 to release the catches 41. The tailgate 34 opens marginally. If the tailgate is to be opened without lowering the bed 19 then the key 52 is manipulated to release the catches 42. The catches 42 retain the tailgate in the partly opened position, until released thereby. The tailgate 43 can then move to a fully opened position. If the bed 19 is to be lower, the key 52 is not used to operate the catches 42. 0 The key 52 is removed and inserted in a key operated switch on the side of one of the arms 15. The switch would control the rams 25 to lower the bed 19. Lowering of the bed 19, via the cam surface 50 and bearing 49, will move the tailgate 43 to the fully open position. When the bed 19 is raised, the tailgate 19 will automatically move to its partly open position, requiring the operator to close it manually. 5 Attention is now specifically drawn to Figures 7 to 9.

The cabin 12 has a rear wall 70 together with a pair of longitudinally extending sockets 71. The sockets 71 are generally parallel, co-extensive and transversely spaced with respect to the normal direction of travel of the vehicle 10. There is also provided a first pair of brackets 72 fixed beneath the floor panel 73 of the cabin 12. There are two

30 brackets 72, which are spaced transversely of the vehicle and have flanges 74 facing 9 rearwardly. A second pair of brackets 75 are located internally of the cab. The bracket

75 are transversely spaced and are arranged adjacent the sockets 71. Extending upwardl from the sockets 71 is a reinforcing plate 76 having apertures 77. The apertures 77 are aligned with the apertures 78 of the brackets 75 and fasteners passed therethrough. Th brackets 75 also have a pair of lower apertures 79 which are aligned with apertures 80 i the floor, with the apertures 80 extending into the sockets 71.

The frame 14, and more particularly the base 55 thereof, has a pair of forwardly projecting members 81 which are spaced transversely of the frame 14, and ar telescopically received within the sockets 71. The members 81 have apertures 82, eac associated with a nut. Bolts 83 pass through apertures 84 in the sides of the socket 71, and engage the nuts associated with the apertures 82. Threaded fasteners 84 pass throug apertures 79 and engage nuts associated with apertures 86. The threaded fasteners 85 pass through the apertures 78 to engage nuts associated with apertures 87. Still further, the corner reinforcing 95 has apertures 88 each associated with a nut, which nuts engag threaded fasteners 89 which pass through apertures 90 of the brackets 72. The abov discussed telescopic association of the sockets 71 and members 81, together with th associated brackets and fasteners securely connect the frame 14 to the cabin 12. Thi construction permits the cabin 12 (of a front wheel drive vehicle) to be used i conjunction with the frame 14, to provide a completed vehicle. Further to the above, brackets 91 are connected to the rear wall 70 via threade fasteners 92 and nuts 93, together with reinforcing member 94.

Claims

The claims

1. A front wheel drive vehicle comprising: a cabin; and a rear load receiving assembly fixed to the cabin, said assembly including a generally horizontally extending, "U-shaped" frame having a transverse base fixed to said cabin and a pair of generally transversely spaced parallel arms extending rearwardly from the base; a wheel assembly on each arm; a load receiving bed supported between the arms and movable between a transport raised position and a lowered position adjacent a surface upon which the vehicle rests, with the bed being maintained in a generally horizontal orientation; each of said arms having a vertical depth to provide a first moment of inertia about a transverse axis to resist bending of the arms about a horizontal transverse axis, and a longitudinally extending rail fixed to the base and having a horizontal width to provide each of the arms with a first moment of inertia about a vertical transverse axis to inhibit deflection of the arms relative to each other transverse of the vehicle.

2. The front wheel drive vehicle of claim 1, wherein each rail is located adjacent the top of its respective arm.

3. The front wheel drive vehicle of claim 2, wherein said rail is an upper rail, and each arm is provided with a lower rail adjacent the bottom of each arm, which lower rail is fixed to the base and extends generally horizontal therefrom.

4. The front wheel drive vehicle of claim 3, wherein said upper and lower rails are joined by braces.

5. The front wheel drive vehicle of claim 4, wherein said base also includes upper and lower rails which are generally aligned with the upper and lower rails of the arms, with said base further including a diagonal brace.

6. A front wheel drive vehicle comprising: a cabin having a floor panel providing at least two longitudinally extending sockets, which sockets are transversely spaced, with each socket having a rearwardly open end face, the cabin also having a rear upwardly extending transverse cabin wall; and a rear load receiving assembly fixed to the cabin, said assembly including a generally horizontally extending, "U-shaped" frame having a transverse base adjacent to and fixed to said wall and a pair of generally transversely spaced parallel arms extending rearwardly from the brace; a wheel assembly on each arm; a load receiving bed supported between the arms and movable between a transport raised position and a lowered position adjacent a surface upon which the vehicle rests; said frame having a pair of forwardly extending projections telescopically received within said sockets and fixed thereto to aid in securing the frame to said cabin.

7. The front wheel drive vehicle of claim 6, wherein said base consists of both upper and lower rails, with said projections extending from said lower rail, and wherein said vehicle further includes means attaching the upper rail to said cabin wall at a position spaced above the projections.

8. A vehicle having a rear load receiving bed, said bed being movable between a raised position and a lowered position adjacent a surface upon which the vehicle rests, with the bed being maintained generally horizontal, a pair of longitudinally extending side walls between which the bed is located, a tailgate pivotally attached to a rear portion of the bed, said tailgate being pivotally movable about a transverse generally horizontal axis between a generally upright position which when the bed is in the raised position, so as to extend between the two side walls, and a lowered position angularly displaced from the upright position to at least a position generally co-planar with the bed and extending rearwardly therefrom, means to raise the tailgate from the lowered position to the upright position as the bed moves from its lowered position to its raised position, and catch means including a first catch assembly to selectively retain said tailgate in said raised position and operable to release the tailgate for pivoting movement, and second catch means operable to disconnect the tailgate from said means to raise said tailgate.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein said first catch means is operable to release said tailgate to move to a partly open position, and said second catch means is operable to omit said tailgate to move from said partly open position to said lowered position.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said second catch co-operates with said means to raise the tailgate to retain the tailgate in partly open position.

11. The vehicle of claim 9 or 10, wherein the means to raise the tailgate, when engaged by said second catch means, raises said tailgate to said partly opened position

5 when the load receiving bed is moved from the lowered position to the raised position.

12. The vehicle of any one of claims 8 to 11 wherein said means to raise the tailgate includes a crank pivotally attached to said tray and having one end to be engaged by said second catch and a second end operatively associated with one of said walls so that movement of said bed causes pivoting movement of said crank to thereby cause o movement of said tailgate when said second catch means is engaged with said one end of said crank.

13. A method of manufacturing a front wheel drive vehicle, said method including the steps of: providing a cabin having a rear floor and wall; 5 providing a rear frame of generally "U-shaped" configuration so as to have a pair of generally parallel, co-extensive arms and a base; mounting on said frame a load receiving bed located generally between the arms, the bed being vertically movable between a raised position and a lowered position, with the bed being maintained substantially horizontal; and 0 securing said base to said cab.

14. A front wheel drive vehicle, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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