Two-part protective roof cell for a vehicle

Abstract

Two-part protective roof cell (10) for a vehicle, comprising: - a substructure (12) comprising a floor section (14) and two substantially vertically extending first column sections (16); and - a roof assembly (20) comprising a roof section (22) and two substantially vertically extending second column sections (24); wherein the substructure (12) and the roof assembly (20) are each self-supporting; characterized in that the substructure (12) and the roof assembly (20) are connected or connectable to each other only by means of two diagonally opposite pairs of connection interfaces (28, 34, 44, 46).

Description

The present invention relates to a two-part protective roof cell for a vehicle, in particular an industrial truck, comprising a substructure structure which comprises a base section and two substantially vertically extending first pillar sections, and a roof assembly which comprises a roof section and two substantially vertically extending pillar sections, wherein the substructure structure and the roof assembly are each formed in a self-supporting manner. The present invention further relates to a vehicle, in particular an industrial truck, comprising such a protective roof cell.It is known to use, for certain types of vehicles, and in particular for industrial trucks, one-piece, completely welded vehicle roofs or roof cells, the roof section of which has a sufficient strength and strength to be undamaged by falling objects and thus to protect a driver of the vehicle located in the roof cell from such risks. In particular in industrial trucks, stringent requirements must be observed here, which must be monitored and verified on the basis of standardized tests, since during operation of such vehicles it may occur that cargo of great height can fall down on it due to incorrect operation or damage and strike the roof of the driver.Such single-part vehicle roofs or roof cells are frequently purchased from suppliers and accordingly have to be transported prior to final assembly of the corresponding vehicle, for example by means of trucks. However, it has been shown here that one-piece vehicle roofs or roof cells only permit a low cargo density and can be transported for example in conventional trucks by a maximum of 16 pieces, which on the one hand increases the costs of the roof cells and on the other hand reduces the flexibility in their purchase.To solve this problem, a multipart industrial truck guard roof has been proposed, for example, in DE 10 2005 015 978 A1, which consists of two frame structures partially overlapping one another in a plan view and an additional roof panel. However, the installation of this protective roof for a driver is relatively complicated, in particular on the background that the strength and strength requirements discussed above must be met by the corresponding roof.Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,228 A has proposed a multi-part frame for a driver's cab of a vehicle, which, however, also requires complex and time-consuming assembly due to the large number of components used there.Reference is also made to CN 2 928 811 Y, which discloses a multipart protective roof cell for a vehicle, which in turn comprises a substructure structure and a roof assembly. For the sake of completeness, reference is also made to JP 2001-207 479 A and CN 2 05 838 464 U, which likewise describe roof protection cells for vehicles.Accordingly, in view of the disadvantages of the aforementioned prior art, it is the object of the present invention to provide an improved protective roof cell for a vehicle, in particular an industrial truck, of the generic type described above, which on the one hand enables an increase in the load density during transport thereof and on the other hand is easy and secure to mount, while at the same time all normative requirements with regard to strength and strength thereof can be complied with without any problems, so that the protective roof cell will protect a driver of the vehicle from falling objects in any conceivable case.To achieve this object, in the two-part protective roof cell according to the invention, the substructure structure and the roof assembly are connected or can be connected to one another merely by means of two pairs of connecting interfaces which are diagonally opposite one another.Accordingly, on the one hand, the two parts of the inventive protective roof cell, i.e. the substructure structure and the roof assembly, can be transported separately from one another and stacked in a substantially more space-saving manner for this purpose, while on the other hand, a very simple and secure mounting thereof is made possible, which, however, will not lead to impaired mechanical properties of the completely mounted protective roof cell. It should be noted at this point that additional attachment of further parts and components to the protective roof cell is of course likewise possible, in particular of front, rear and roof panes and doors and the like. These can then be fitted in particular between the first and second pairs of column sections or be articulated thereto.For example, for the purpose of connecting the two components of the canopy cell, said connection interfaces may be respectively disposed at front lower and rear upper sides of the canopy cell with respect to a connected state thereof, or alternatively, the connection interfaces may be respectively disposed at front upper and rear lower sides of the canopy cell with respect to a connected state thereof. The corresponding selection of one of these two possible embodiments with pairs of connection interfaces diagonally opposite one another can be made on the basis of other considerations within the scope of the design of the vehicle to be equipped therewith, for example as to which of the combinations of connection interfaces is easier to achieve in the specific case or which other components of the finally mounted vehicle would still be in each case in the region of the potential positions of the connection interfaces.In a particularly simple and preferred embodiment, in a protective roof cell according to the invention, the individual connection interfaces can be designed as flanges which each extend over a predetermined width range of the substructure and of the roof assembly, preferably substantially over the entire width thereof. Here, the width direction of the canopy cell refers to a width direction of the vehicle finally equipped therewith, and will be oriented parallel to the directions of the axes of the vehicle, accordingly. This measure makes it possible to achieve a large-area and secure connection of the two components in the ultimately assembled canopy cell according to the invention.Furthermore, at least one of the aforementioned flanges can be formed as a hollow profile, in particular as a hollow profile with a slot running on its upper side in sections in the width direction, whereby on the one hand weight and material can be saved with still sufficient strength thereof, while on the other hand, for example, a laying of cables through the slot within the hollow profile is also made possible or an assembly of the two components in the region of the correspondingly formed flange is simplified.Furthermore, at least one of the respective flanges of the pairs of flanges can be formed as a sheet metal construction, in particular as a sheet metal bent part. Such a configuration of at least one of the flanges is distinguished by simple and cost-effective production with likewise sufficient strength.In order to be able to ensure optimum introduction of forces and in particular of vertically acting forces, for example in the event of a load impacting the canopy cell from above, at least one of the pairs of flanges can furthermore be aligned substantially horizontally. This consequently results in a direct introduction of force or transmission of force without overloading the connecting elements or welding points used in the region of the connecting interfaces. On the other hand, however, it is also conceivable, in particular for a pair of flanges which are arranged at the front and at the bottom and serve as connection interfaces, for these to be arranged, for example, in each case horizontally in order to allow easier access thereto.In order to be able to ensure the strength of the protective roof cell also with respect to other load directions and, for example, also torsions, at least one of the flanges can extend substantially between the first and second pillar sections at the end thereof, so that an additional transverse connection is created here.Although different techniques for actually connecting the substructure and the roof assembly can be used in the area of the connection interfaces, it is particularly appropriate to set up the connection interfaces for riveting, clinching, screwing or spot welding for connecting the substructure and the roof assembly. All of these connection techniques can ensure sufficient strength and strength of the corresponding connection, wherein, however, in particular in the case of screwing, the connection would also be releasable again in a simple manner, while the severing of a rivet or welded connection would be significantly more complicated.In order, furthermore, to be able to ensure their respective correct alignment with respect to one another during the mounting of the substructure structure and of the roof assembly, the connection interfaces can furthermore comprise interacting centring elements which can engage with one another in a positive-locking manner, for example, during the mounting process.It should also be noted that in particularly cost-effective embodiments, but nevertheless mechanically loadable, the substructure structure and / or the roof assembly can be formed as welding assemblies.Furthermore, it would be conceivable that, within the scope of the present invention, the substructure can also be formed overall as a vehicle frame which is additionally configured to support the axles of the vehicle and optionally further components thereof.Furthermore, according to a second aspect, the present invention relates to a vehicle, in particular an industrial truck, comprising a shelter cell according to the invention of the type just described, which is connected to a vehicle body of the vehicle or forms part thereof.Further advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments thereof when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. These show in detail: FIG. 1 shows a roof cell according to the invention for a vehicle during its assembly; FIG. 2 shows the canopy cell from FIG. 1 in a fully assembled state; FIG. 3 is a detailed sectional view of one of the pairs of connection interfaces of the canopy cell of FIGS. 1 and 2 ; FIG. 4 shows an alternative variant of a pair of connection interfaces; FIG. 5 is a view of the other pair of connection interfaces of the canopy cell of FIGS. 1 and 2 ; and FIG. 6 shows a comparison of the space requirement of prior art shelter cells with shelter cells according to the invention during transport.FIG. 1 first shows a two-part protective roof cell according to the invention for a vehicle and in particular an industrial truck in an isometric view, in which the two parts are already brought close to one another during an assembly process, but are not yet connected to one another.The canopy cell is here generally denoted by the reference sign 10 and comprises, as its two parts, firstly a substructure 12 having a base section 14 and two substantially vertically extending first pillar sections 16.On the other hand, the roof assembly 20 comprises, as a second part of the protective roof cell 10, a roof section 22 and two substantially vertically extending second pillar sections 24, which are likewise connected at their vertically lower end by a transverse element 26. The mounting of the two components of the canopy cell 10 with one another takes place here merely by means of two diagonally opposite pairs of connection interfaces 28, 34, 44 and 46, which are explained and described in detail further below and are arranged at the bottom and at the top front and at the top and over substantially the entire width of the canopy cell 10 with respect to the longitudinal direction L, width direction B and height direction H illustrated in FIG. 1.The protective roof cell 10 from FIG. 1 is now illustrated in FIG. 2 in a slightly different view in a completely assembled state, and it is evident that the additional assembly of front and rear windows, a roof pane and doors in this state would be possible in order to completely close the protective roof cell 10 around the driver's seat still to be accommodated therein and operating elements for the driver. It can also be seen that the protective roof cell 10 can be mounted on a vehicle body of a vehicle, wherein the corresponding interfaces for attaching the protective roof cell 10 to the vehicle, which is not shown in any more detail, could accordingly be arranged in particular in the region of the floor section 14 of the substructure 12.FIG. 3 now shows, in a detailed sectional view with respect to the plane spanned by the longitudinal direction L and height direction H, the rear and upper pair of connection interfaces 28, 34 of the canopy cell 10 from FIGS. 1 and 2. In this case, the connection interface 28 assigned to the substructure 12 is designed as a hollow profile which extends over the entire width thereof in the region of the strut 18 and has on its upper side firstly apertures 30 and secondly a slot 32 running in the width direction B of the protective roof cell 10.On the other hand, the connecting interface 34 assigned to the roof assembly 20 is designed as a flange in the form of a sheet metal bent part which is likewise provided with corresponding apertures 36. It can also be seen in FIG. 3 that screw-nut pairs 38 for connecting the two components are inserted in the respective pairs of apertures 30 and 36 as connecting elements between the substructure 12 and the roof assembly 20.It should be pointed out here that, due to the substantially horizontal alignment of the two connection interfaces 28 and 34, in the case of a force acting perpendicularly on the roof assembly 20, for example in the event of an impact of a load from above, optimum force transmission can take place between the roof assembly 20 and the substructure 12, in the case of which the screw-nut pairs 38 are only loaded under pressure. It should also be pointed out that laying of cables through the slot 32 into the flange formed as a hollow profile is possible and furthermore the assembly of the screw-nut pairs 38 is also facilitated. Furthermore, since no further through hole is provided in the area of the assembly formed by the two connection interfaces 28 and 34, moisture or other foreign objects are prevented from entering the area between the connection interfaces 28 and 34, so that no excessive corrosion or the like is to be expected at this location.Figure 4 now shows in a similar view an alternative variant of a flange connection which can be used in a similar manner to that of Figure 3. However, both connection interfaces 128 and 134 are each designed as hollow profiles and a pair of cooperating centering elements 140 and 142 in the form of a recess and a pin projecting into the recess is also provided, which ensure the correct alignment of the substructure 12 and the roof assembly 20 with respect to one another. Such centering elements 140 and 142 would of course also be able to be combined with the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, so that the two variants shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are variable with regard to the provision of the slot 32 and the centering elements 140 and 142.FIG. 5 now shows the front lower pair of corresponding connection interfaces 44, 46 opposite the pair of connection interfaces 28, 34 from FIGS. 3 and 4, wherein the corresponding flanges are each configured merely as plate-shaped or strut-shaped elements, which are likewise aligned horizontally and rest on one another.These two connection interfaces 44 and 46 can be connected to one another again by a screw connection by means of pairs of apertures 48. However, it should be pointed out at this point that, in an alternative variant, the two cooperating flanges of the substructure 12 and of the roof assembly 20 could also be in contact with one another vertically in the front lower region, for example, provided this would enable simplified assembly of the two components, for example. It should also be noted that both in the pairs of connection interfaces 28, 34 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and in the pair of connection interfaces 44, 46 shown in FIG. 5, sealing and / or adhesive compound could be applied in each case between the corresponding flange surfaces in order to prevent the penetration of moisture or dirt even more reliably at this point.Finally, reference is also made to FIG. 6, which illustrates that considerable savings can be achieved during transport by the two-part configuration of the protective roof cell 10 according to the invention. In the top illustration, completely welded one-piece driver roofs from the prior art are namely shown, which can be transported only side by side on a load surface of a truck, so that in the view shown only eight such driver roofs can be transported.On the other hand, in the second and third illustrations, a plurality of substructure structures 12 or roof assemblies 20 of the type shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are respectively illustrated and it becomes apparent that approximately 60 substructure structures 12 or 100 roof assemblies 20 could be transported in the same volume, which means a considerable increase in efficiency in the transport of such protective roof cells 10.

Claims

A two-part shelter cell (10) for a vehicle, comprising: - a substructure (12) comprising a floor portion (14) and two substantially vertically extending first pillar portions (16); and - a roof assembly (20) comprising a roof portion (22) and two substantially vertically extending second pillar portions (24); wherein the substructure (12) and the roof assembly (20) are each formed self-supportingly; characterised in thatthe substructure (12) and the roof assembly (20) are connected or connectable to each other only by means of two diagonally opposite pairs of connection interfaces (28, 34, 44, 46).The canopy cell (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection interfaces (28, 34, 44, 46) are respectively disposed at front lower and rear upper sides of the canopy cell (10) with respect to a connected state thereof.The canopy cell (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection interfaces (28, 34, 44, 46) are respectively disposed at front upper and rear lower sides of the canopy cell (10) with respect to a connected state thereof.Protective roof cell (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connection interfaces (28, 34, 44, 46) are designed as flanges which each extend over a predetermined width range of the substructure (12) and of the roof assembly (20), preferably substantially over the entire width thereof.Protective roof cell (10) according to claim 4, characterised in that at least one of the flanges is formed as a hollow profile, in particular as a hollow profile with a slot (32) running on its upper side in sections in the width direction (B).Protective roof cell (10) according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that at least one of the flanges is formed as a sheet metal construction, in particular as a sheet metal bent part.Shelter cell (10) according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterised in that at least one of the pairs of flanges is oriented substantially horizontally.A canopy cell (10) according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that at least one of the flanges extends substantially between the first and second pillar portions (16, 24) at the end thereof.The shelter cell (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connection interfaces (28, 34, 44, 46) are adapted for riveting, clinching, screwing or spot welding for connecting the understructure (12) and the roof assembly (20).The shelter cell (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the quick-connect joints (128, 134) further comprise cooperating centering elements (140, 142) for ensuring a correct alignment of the substructure (12) and the roof assembly (20).Protective roof cell (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the substructure structure (12) and / or the roof assembly (20) are formed as welding assemblies.Protective roof cell (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the substructure (12) is formed as a vehicle frame which is configured to support the axles of the vehicle.A vehicle comprising a canopy cell (10) according to any preceding claim, connected to or forming part of a vehicle body of the vehicle.

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