UNDERBOARD PROTECTION AND VEHICLE

Abstract

Underride protection (5), comprehensive: a main body (50) which has a hollow shape and a longitudinal direction along a transverse direction of a vehicle; and two connecting elements (60) which are connected to the vehicle body frame of the vehicle, characterized in that: two brackets (57) are arranged inside the main body (50), wherein the brackets (57) are arranged at both ends longitudinally away from the connecting elements (60), wherein the brackets (57) include: a vertical plate (58) arranged along a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; and a horizontal plate (59) which is connected to a lower end region of the vertical plate (58) and arranged along the longitudinal direction.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an underrun protection device and a vehicle. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] A vehicle, such as a truck, is equipped with an underrun protection device to prevent another vehicle from driving underneath it, e.g., in the event of a collision with another vehicle. The underrun protection device is attached to a vehicle body frame via a connecting element. Vehicles with a generic underrun protection device are also disclosed, for example, in publications 1 to 4. STATE OF THE ART PRINTED DOCUMENTS Publication 1: JP 2008-260448 A Publication 2: JP 2009-090 796 A Publication 3: WO 2021 / 172 302 A1 Publication 4: JP 2012-171390 A SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0003] When a load is applied to the underrun bar, distal sections, which are located longitudinally away from the connecting elements, are deformed backward and downward. To prevent such deformation, one measure is to increase the thickness of the underrun bar, which, however, results in an increase in the weight of the underrun bar.

[0004] The present disclosure has been developed in view of these points, and its objective is to prevent the deformation of an underrun protection device while avoiding an increase in its weight. MEANS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM

[0005] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, an underrun protection device according to claim 1 is provided.

[0006] Furthermore, the main body may be configured such that a first plate member and a second plate member, each having a U-shaped cross section, oppose each other, and the vertical plate and the horizontal plate may be arranged between the first plate member and the second plate member. Furthermore, the vertical plate and the horizontal plate may be in contact with both a bottom surface of the first plate member and a bottom surface of the second plate member.

[0007] Furthermore, the underrun protection may comprise a reinforcement which is provided centrally with respect to the bracket along the longitudinal direction and is U-shaped, wherein the horizontal plate may be arranged below the reinforcement in the vertical direction.

[0008] Furthermore, an upper end of the vertical plate may be arranged above the reinforcement in the vertical direction. Further, the horizontal plate may be arranged below the reinforcement in the vertical direction. Further, the connecting member may be arranged vertically between the main body and the frame of the vehicle body, and the reinforcement may be provided below the connecting member. Further, a length of the vertical plate in the vertical direction may be greater than a length of the reinforcement in the vertical direction, and a length of the horizontal plate in the longitudinal direction may be shorter than the length of the reinforcement in the longitudinal direction. Further, the vertical plate may be arranged in the shape of a flat plate along the vertical direction, and the horizontal plate may be arranged in the shape of a flat plate in the longitudinal direction.Furthermore, the horizontal plate may extend longitudinally from the lower end portion of the vertical plate to its center.

[0009] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle according to claim 10 is provided, comprising the above-described underrun protection device and a wheel, wherein the bracket is provided at a position spaced outwardly from the wheel by a predetermined distance in the transverse direction of the vehicle. Further aspects of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims, the drawings, and the description of exemplary embodiments. TECHNICAL EFFECT OF THE INVENTION

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent deformation of an underrun bar while avoiding an increase in its weight. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view of a vehicle 1 according to an embodiment variant. Fig. 2 shows a schematic view for explaining a configuration of a front underrun protection 5. Fig. 3 is a schematic view for explaining an internal structure of a main body 50. Fig. Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view along line AA of Fig. 2. Fig. Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view along line BB of Fig. 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS<Kurzbeschreibung des Fahrzeugs>

[0011] A vehicle 1 to which an underrun protection device according to a present embodiment of the present disclosure is mounted will be described with reference to Fig. 1 described.

[0012] Fig. Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view of a vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment. Although the vehicle 1 is a truck in this example, the vehicle 1 is not limited to this and may also be another vehicle, such as a bus. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle 1 comprises a vehicle body frame 2, a front underrun protection 5 and a rear underrun protection 6.

[0013] The vehicle body frame 2 is a frame for supporting all essential drive elements of the vehicle 1. The vehicle body frame 2 comprises a pair of side frames (side frames 2a in Fig. 2) extending in the forward-rearward direction of the vehicle 1, and a cross member (a cross member 2b in Fig. 2) extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle to connect the pair of side frames. An engine 3 or the like is mounted on the vehicle body frame 2.

[0014] The front underrun bar 5 is an underrun bar mounted on the lower front part of the vehicle body frame 2. The front underrun bar 5 functions to prevent another vehicle in front of the vehicle 1 from passing under the vehicle 1 when the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle collide.

[0015] The rear underrun bar 6 is an underrun bar mounted on the lower rear part of the vehicle body frame 2. The rear underrun bar 6 functions to prevent another vehicle behind the vehicle 1 from driving under the vehicle 1 when the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle collide. <Detaillierte Konfiguration des Unterfahrschutzes>

[0016] A detailed configuration of the underrun protection is described using the example of the front underrun protection 5.

[0017] Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram to explain a configuration of the front underrun protection 5. Fig. 3 is a schematic view for explaining an internal structure of a main body 50. Fig. Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view along line AA of Fig. 2. Fig. Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view along line BB of Fig. 2. In Fig. 3, a second plate element 52 is not shown for reasons of clarity.

[0018] The front underrun protection 5 is arranged below the side frames 2a. As shown in Fig. 2, the front underrun protection 5 comprises the main body 50 and two connecting elements 60.

[0019] The main body 50 serves as a frame of the front underrun protection 5, with its longitudinal direction running along the transverse direction of the vehicle. The main body 50 has a hollow shape. In particular, the main body 50, as shown in Fig. 4, is configured such that a first plate member 51 and a second plate member 52, each having a U-shaped cross section, oppose each other. The first plate member 51 is positioned at the rear in the front-rear direction, and the second plate member 52 is positioned at the front in the front-rear direction.

[0020] The connecting member 60 is a portion connected to the frame of the vehicle body 2. The connecting member 60 is arranged between the main body 50 and the vehicle body frame 2 in the vertical direction. The connecting member 60 is located below the pair of side frames 2a and is fixed to the side frames 2a by a fixing member. The connecting member 60 is connected to the first plate member 51 of the main body 50.

[0021] Next, the internal structure of the main body 50 will be described. As shown in Fig. 3, the main body 50 comprises two reinforcements 55 and two brackets 57.

[0022] The reinforcement 55 has the function of reinforcing the main body 50. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 3, the reinforcement 55 is provided at two locations on the main body 50. The two reinforcements 55 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the main body 50 (the front underrun protection 5).

[0023] The reinforcement 55 is provided at a location corresponding to the connecting element 60 (more precisely, below the connecting element 60). As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the reinforcement 55 is U-shaped. The reinforcement 55 is attached to a bottom surface 51a of the first plate element 51. Furthermore, the reinforcement 55 is in contact with a bottom surface 52a of the second plate element 52.

[0024] The bracket 57 is arranged inside the main body 50 in the longitudinal direction further toward a distal end than the connecting member 60. For example, the bracket 57 is arranged at a position of the cross section along the line BB of Fig. 2. The position of the cross section along the line BB is a position which is offset in the transverse direction of the vehicle 1 by a predetermined distance from a front wheel 4 (see Fig. 1) is spaced outwards.

[0025] In the present embodiment, brackets 57 are provided at a first end and a second end in the longitudinal direction, respectively. The brackets 57 serve as reinforcement plates at both end portions in the longitudinal direction. It should be noted that, instead of the brackets 57, extending the reinforcement 55 to the end portions in the longitudinal direction may also be considered. However, in this case, the extension of the reinforcement 55 increases the weight of the front underrun protection 5.

[0026] Since the bracket 57 provided at the first end in the longitudinal direction and the bracket 57 provided at the second end in the longitudinal direction have the same shape, the bracket 57 provided at the first end in the longitudinal direction will be described below as an example.

[0027] Here, the bracket 57 is an L-shaped bracket. The bracket 57 is welded to the bottom surface 51a of the first plate member 51. The bracket 57 is positioned longitudinally further toward the distal end than the reinforcement 55 inside the main body 50. As shown in Fig. 3, the bracket 57 comprises a vertical plate 58 and a horizontal plate 59. The vertical plate 58 and the horizontal plate 59 have the same thickness.

[0028] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 3, the vertical plate 58 is arranged along the vertical direction. Specifically, the vertical plate 58 is arranged in the form of a flat plate along the vertical direction. The length of the vertical plate 58 in the vertical direction is greater than the length of the reinforcement 55 in the vertical direction. By providing the vertical plate 58, it is possible to prevent deformation of the end portions of the main body 50 in the vertical direction when a load is applied to the end portions of the main body 50.

[0029] The horizontal plate 59 is connected to the lower end portion of the vertical plate 58. That is, the horizontal plate 59 is arranged in the lower end portion of the main body 50. As a result, the lower end of the end portion of the main body 50 is not deformed even when a load is applied to the end portion of the main body 50. Therefore, the end portion of the main body 50 may be bent backward due to the load applied thereto, but it is possible to prevent the end portion of the main body 50 from being bent downward. In other words, it is possible to prevent the end portion of the main body 50 from being deformed so that it rotates with respect to the connecting member 60. As a result, it is possible to reduce deformation of the end portion due to the load.

[0030] As in Fig. 3, the horizontal plate 59 is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the main body 50. Specifically, the horizontal plate 59 is arranged in the shape of a flat plate along the longitudinal direction. The length of the horizontal plate 59 in the longitudinal direction is smaller than the length of the reinforcement 55 in the longitudinal direction. The horizontal plate 59 extends longitudinally from the lower end portion of the vertical plate 58 toward the center. However, the present description is not limited to this, and the horizontal plate 59 may extend longitudinally from the lower end portion of the vertical plate 58 toward the end.

[0031] Since the horizontal plate 59 is not provided at the upper end of the vertical plate 58, the weight of the bracket 57 can be prevented from increasing. It should be noted that when the horizontal plate 59 is not provided at the upper end of the vertical plate 58, when a load is applied to the end portion of the main body 50, a deformation amount of the upper end portion of the end portion becomes larger than a deformation amount of the lower end portion of the end portion, but the deformation such that the end portion rotates is not affected.

[0032] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 5, the vertical plate 58 and the horizontal plate 59 are disposed between the first plate member 51 and the second plate member 52. Specifically, the vertical plate 58 and the horizontal plate 59 are in contact with the lower surface 51a of the first plate member 51 and the lower surface 52a of the second plate member 52.

[0033] As in Fig. 3, the bracket 57 is arranged in a larger area in the vertical direction than the reinforcement 55. Specifically, the upper end of the vertical plate 58 is arranged vertically above the reinforcement 55. Furthermore, the horizontal plate 59 is arranged vertically below the reinforcement 55. Therefore, the lower surface 51a of the first plate member 51 and the lower surface 52a of the second plate member 52 of the main body 50 can smoothly remain parallel to each other even when a load is applied. As a result, the end portion of the main body 50 can be prevented from being deformed to be bent downward. <Technischer Effekt der vorliegenden Ausführungsform>

[0034] The front underrun bar 5 of the above-described embodiment includes the bracket 57 provided at one longitudinal end inside the main body 50. The bracket 57 includes the vertical plate 58 arranged along the vertical direction and the horizontal plate 59 connected to the lower end portion of the vertical plate 58 and arranged along the longitudinal direction. By virtue of the above-described L-shaped bracket 57, it is possible to reinforce the longitudinal end portions of the front underrun bar 5. Thus, even when a load is applied to the longitudinal end portions, it is possible to prevent deformation that would cause the end portion to twist (i.e., that would cause the end portion to deform rearward and downward). This makes it possible to reduce deformation of the end portion of the front underrun bar 5 caused by the load.

[0035] Although the configuration of the front underrun bar 5 with the L-shaped bracket 57 inside has been described above, the rear underrun bar 6 may have a similar configuration. That is, the rear underrun bar 6 may also have the L-shaped bracket 57 at the end portion in the longitudinal direction inside. This makes it possible to prevent deformation of the end portion of the rear underrun bar 6.

[0036] The present disclosure will be explained based on exemplary embodiments. The technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the scope explained in the present embodiments, and various changes and modifications are possible within the scope of the disclosure within the scope of the claims. Description of reference symbols 1 vehicle 4 front wheel 5 front underrun protection 50 main bodies 55 reinforcements 57 Bracket 58 vertical plate 59 horizontal plate

Claims

[1] Underrun protection (5), comprising: a main body (50) having a hollow shape and a longitudinal direction along a transverse direction of a vehicle; and two connecting elements (60) connected to the vehicle body frame of the vehicle, characterized by , that: two brackets (57) are arranged inside the main body (50), the brackets (57) being arranged at both ends in the longitudinal direction away from the connecting elements (60), wherein the brackets (57) include: a vertical plate (58) arranged along a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; and a horizontal plate (59) connected to a lower end portion of the vertical plate (58) and arranged along the longitudinal direction. [2] Underrun protection (5) according to claim 1, wherein the main body (50) is formed such that a first plate element and a second plate element, each having a U-shaped cross section, are opposed to each other, and the vertical plate (58) and the horizontal plate (59) are arranged between the first plate element and the second plate element. [3] Underrun protection (5) according to claim 2, wherein the vertical plate (58) and the horizontal plate (59) are in contact with both a bottom surface of the first plate member and a bottom surface of the second plate member. [4] Underrun protection (5) according to one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: two reinforcements (55) which are arranged centrally along the longitudinal direction with respect to the brackets (57) and are U-shaped, wherein the horizontal plate (59) is arranged in the vertical direction below the reinforcements (55). [5] Underrun protection (5) according to claim 4, wherein an upper end of the vertical plate (58) is arranged vertically above the reinforcements (55). [6] Underrun protection (5) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the connecting elements (60) are arranged in the vertical direction between the main body (50) and the frame of the vehicle body, and the reinforcements (55) are arranged below the connecting elements (60). [7] Underrun protection (5) according to one of claims 4 to 6, wherein a length of the vertical plate (58) in the vertical direction is greater than a length of the reinforcements (55) in the vertical direction, and a length of the horizontal plate (59) in the longitudinal direction is smaller than the length of the reinforcements (55) in the longitudinal direction. [8] Underrun protection (5) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the vertical plate (58) is arranged in the form of a flat plate along the vertical direction, and the horizontal plate (59) is arranged in the form of a flat plate in the longitudinal direction. [9] Underrun protection (5) according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the horizontal plate (59) extends from the lower end portion of the vertical plate (58) to the center of the main body (50). [10] Vehicle (1), comprising: the underrun protection (5) according to one of claims 1 to 9; and a wheel (4), where the brackets (57) are arranged at a position which is a predetermined distance outwards from the wheel (4) in the transverse direction of the vehicle.

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