COMMERCIAL VEHICLE WITH SPLASH GUARDS

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a commercial vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, trailer or semi-trailer, with at least one pair of wheels, in particular the front ones in the direction of travel, for moving the commercial vehicle and with at least one pair of spray protection devices assigned to the at least one pair of wheels for reducing spray when driving on a wet roadway, wherein the spray protection devices extend at least partially laterally of the associated wheels and wherein the projections of the sections of the spray protection devices extending laterally of the wheels are arranged at least partially in front of and / or at least partially above the associated tire in a direction parallel to the axes of rotation of the associated wheels on a plane intersecting the respectively associated wheel and oriented parallel to the associated wheel.

[0002] Commercial vehicles, such as trucks, trailers, and semi-trailers, are designed primarily for the transport of goods, preferably general cargo, on public roads. For this purpose, commercial vehicles have various types of bodies designed to accommodate the goods to be transported in a cargo space. For example, box bodies are known with solid side walls and a solid roof enclosing the cargo space. Because box bodies are closed, they are particularly suitable for the transport of moisture-sensitive and / or temperature-sensitive goods, for example, for so-called dry transport and / or refrigerated transport.The box bodies usually comprise side walls and roofs made of panels, which may have a core layer of foamed plastic to provide sufficient thermal insulation for refrigerated transport. A transport refrigeration unit is also usually provided for cooling, particularly on the front wall.

[0003] In addition to box bodies, so-called tarpaulin bodies are also known, in which the side walls and roof are closed by at least one tarpaulin unit. The front wall of tarpaulin bodies, as with box bodies, is usually designed as a solid wall, while the rear wall is usually formed by two hinged doors to allow loading of the cargo space from the rear if necessary. If a tarpaulin unit can be moved along the side wall, it is also referred to as a curtainsider. The roof of tarpaulin bodies typically has laterally arranged spar structures in the form of longitudinal spars, which are connected to one another via bows to form a frame structure running transversely to the commercial vehicle. The frame structure then carries the tarpaulin unit that closes the roof, with the frame structure being supported by stanchions located at least at the corners of the commercial vehicle.

[0004] What box bodies and tarpaulin bodies have in common is that they comprise a chassis and a loading floor structure that closes off the body at the bottom and serves as a base for the cargo. The loading floor structure, in turn, is closed off at the sides and opposite ends by longitudinal profile structures extending the length of the commercial vehicle. The chassis supports a running gear with at least one pair of wheels, which are also arranged on opposite sides of the commercial vehicle. Often, several pairs of wheels are arranged one behind the other on the chassis.

[0005] In order to minimize the spray created when driving on damp or wet road surfaces and thus improve visibility for following traffic, the chassis has splash guards assigned to at least one pair of wheels. These are provided at least across the entire width of the respective wheels and also extend into an outer area laterally next to the wheels. If projections of the sections of the splash guards extending laterally of the wheels are generated in a direction parallel to the axes of rotation of the associated wheels on a plane intersecting the respectively assigned wheel and oriented parallel to the associated wheel, the projections of the sections of the splash guards extending laterally of the wheels are arranged in sections at least partially in front of and / or at least partially above the associated wheel. Corresponding commercial vehicles are known, for example, from US 4 817 976 A.

[0006] There is a fundamental conflict of objectives: achieving the most effective splash guard with the least possible effort, thus achieving maximum efficiency. In principle, the more the wheels are surrounded by the splash guard, the more splashed moisture can be captured and diverted. However, this increases the material consumption, the design effort, and the installation work, which ultimately leads to higher costs for the splash guard.

[0007] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to design and further develop the commercial vehicle mentioned at the outset and explained in more detail above in such a way that more efficient splash protection is possible.

[0008] This object is achieved by a commercial vehicle according to claim 1.

[0009] The invention has therefore recognized that, in the direction of travel, a splash guard can be dispensed with, at least in part, in front of at least one pair of wheels if splash guard device sections are provided to the sides of the wheels, which, projected in a direction parallel to the axes of rotation of the associated wheels onto a plane intersecting the respective associated wheel and oriented parallel to the associated wheel, are arranged in front of and / or above the wheels. In this context, "in front of the wheel" does not necessarily mean "in front of the entire wheel," but merely at the height of the splash guard device section in front of the wheel. Likewise, "above the wheel" does not mean "above the entire wheel," but merely at the location of the splash guard device section above the wheel.

[0010] If the splash guards are provided in these areas to the sides of the corresponding wheels, the escape of splashed moisture to the outside and thus the formation of spray can be prevented to such an extent that at least some of the splash guards provided in front of the wheels in the direction of travel and not to the sides can be dispensed with. In addition, particles stirred up by the road surface, such as dirt, chippings or stones, can be held back by the splash guards. This is the part in front of the inner half of the wheels. It is therefore generally sufficient if the splash guards extend from the outside in front of the wheels only over half the width of the respective associated wheels. The splash guards can therefore extend at least adjacent to the sections of the splash guards extending to the sides of the wheels.In this way, a lateral splashing out of moisture with the formation of spray and / or a lateral discharge of whirled-up particles can be effectively reduced, which applies in particular in the case that the sections of the splash guards arranged in front of the respective associated wheels are connected, in particular without a gap, to the sections of the splash guards arranged to the side of the respective associated wheels.

[0011] Alternatively or additionally, more effective splash protection can be achieved if the projections of the splash guard sections extending laterally from the wheels are arranged at least partially both in front of and above the wheel or the adjacent wheel section in a direction parallel to the rotation axes of the associated wheels on a plane intersecting the respective associated wheel and oriented parallel to the associated wheel. Here, too, "in front of the wheel" does not necessarily mean "in front of the entire wheel," but merely at the height of the splash guard section in front of the wheel, and "above the wheel" does not necessarily mean "above the entire wheel," but merely at the location of the splash guard section above the wheel.As a result, the projection of the sections of the spray protection devices arranged laterally next to the wheels is located at least partially in an area between the front upper quarter of the wheel and the edge of a square whose sides correspond to the diameter of the wheel and whose sides are aligned horizontally and vertically and each rests against the wheel at a point.

[0012] In this context, it should be noted that the alignment of the commercial vehicle depends on the inclination of the ground on which it is parked. For the sake of clarity and to avoid unnecessary repetition, however, it is assumed for the sake of simplicity that the commercial vehicle is parked on a level and horizontal surface and / or that the loading floor structure is aligned parallel to the horizontal.

[0013] In a first particularly preferred embodiment of the commercial vehicle, the splash guards extend from the outside, viewed against the direction of travel, to a maximum of more than a quarter of the width of at least one wheel. In this context, it is more effective to enlarge and / or arrange the sections of the splash guards provided to the sides of the wheels in such a way that further parts of the splash guards can be omitted in front of the wheels. This makes it possible to reduce the material consumption, the design effort, and / or the assembly effort overall. This applies in particular to the case where the splash guards extend at least substantially exclusively to the sides of the associated wheels.The present restriction, at least essentially exclusively, is intended to express that the technical teaching of the invention is also intended to include such splash guard devices which extend only minimally, and not to a significant extent, in front of the associated wheels.

[0014] In this context, to reduce costs and design effort, it is particularly preferred if a larger area in front of the wheels of at least one pair of wheels remains free, in the sense that no other elements such as splash guards are provided in this area in front of the wheels, which serve to protect against splashing, so as not to counteract the actual advantage described above. The corresponding area preferably extends, viewed in the direction of travel, 25 cm, preferably 50 cm, more preferably 75 cm, in particular 100 cm in front of the entire wheel assigned to the splash guard device.

[0015] The term "entire wheel" means that the clearance is to be determined with reference to the front end of the wheel. In general, a larger clearance is preferred. On the other hand, the size of the clearance may limit the equipment of the commercial vehicle, especially with devices that serve a purpose other than splash protection.

[0016] The projections of the sections of the splash guards extending laterally from the wheels in a direction parallel to the rotational axes of the associated wheels onto a plane intersecting the respective associated wheel and oriented parallel to the associated wheel can extend at least partially down to 95%, preferably down to 90%, more preferably down to 85%, in particular down to 80% of the height of the associated tire. This results in a good compromise between splash protection properties and design effort for the splash guards. The further down the splash guards extend, the more effective the splash protection, but the increase in effectiveness decreases more and more and requires ever greater material and design effort. In particular, it is expedient for splash protection if the splash guard extends at the same time to at least the upper edge of the wheel, in particular significantly beyond it.

[0017] Alternatively or additionally, the projections of the sections of the splash guards extending laterally of the wheels in a direction parallel to the rotation axes of the associated wheels onto a plane intersecting the respective associated wheel and oriented parallel to the associated wheel can also be arranged at least partially above a reference line extending from the wheel center at an angle of 25°, preferably 35°, in particular 45°, upwards and forwards in the direction of travel. Particularly effective splash protection can be achieved in this area. In principle, it is preferred for effective splash protection if the splash guards each extend at least as far as the respective reference line.

[0018] Irrespective of this, the splash guard is also made more effective by the fact that the projections of the sections of the splash guard devices extending laterally from the wheels in a direction parallel to the axes of rotation of the associated wheels onto a plane intersecting the respective associated wheel and aligned parallel to the associated wheel are spaced forward in the direction of travel by less than 10%, in particular less than 5% of the wheel diameter, from a vertical plane through the wheel center.

[0019] To save material and reduce design effort, the splash guards end completely behind a vertical plane in the direction of travel, which is positioned at a distance of 20%, and in particular 10%, of the wheel diameter in front of the entire wheel. It is particularly effective if the splash guards end completely behind the front edge of the entire associated wheel in the direction of travel.

[0020] For the splash protection, it is also fundamentally advantageous if the splash protection devices have a vertical extension of between 30 mm and 50 mm and / or between 45 mm and 65 mm and / or between 60 mm and 80 mm and / or between 75 mm and 100 mm, in particular at least substantially 60 mm, at least in sections above the respective associated wheel.

[0021] Preferably, a loading floor structure is provided that is closed off to the outside by longitudinal profile structures. The longitudinal profile structures can also be effectively integrated into the splash guard if the longitudinal profile structures form a lateral undercut, at least in sections in the area above the wheel, opposite the loading floor structure. This can then intercept and dissipate moisture introduced from the inside. This is possible in a particularly efficient manner if the longitudinal profile structures protrude downwards at least in sections in the area of ​​the lateral undercut by between 20 mm and 70 mm, preferably between 30 mm and 60 mm, in particular between 40 mm and 50 mm.

[0022] Structurally simple and at the same time preferred for splash protection, the splash guards are attached to longitudinal profile structures that terminate outwardly on a loading floor structure and protrude downward relative to the longitudinal profile structures. Alternatively or additionally, it is advisable for the same reason if the splash guards are designed to be at least substantially flat, particularly outside of a mounting section with the longitudinal profile structures.

[0023] A material-saving yet effective way of designing splash guards can be for the splash guards to be at least substantially triangular and / or have a downward-pointing tip. Efficiency is further enhanced if the tips are provided at least substantially at the front ends of the respective splash guards, as seen in the direction of travel.

[0024] If the commercial vehicle has multiple pairs of wheels, it may be sufficient for one pair of wheels to be the front pair in the direction of travel. This applies in particular if the distance between the pairs of wheels in the direction of travel is less than 50 cm, preferably less than 50 cm, more preferably less than 40 cm, in particular less than 30 cm.

[0025] Furthermore, the wheels of at least one pair of wheels can each be equipped with dual tires. The width of the wheels is then not related to the width of one tire of the dual tire setup, but rather to the width of the respective dual tire setup as a whole.

[0026] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to a drawing which merely represents an exemplary embodiment. Fig. 1 shows a commercial vehicle according to the invention in a perspective view, Fig. 2 shows a detail of the commercial vehicle from Fig. 1 in the area of ​​the chassis in a side view, Fig. 3A-B the detail of the Fig. 2 in a sectional view along a vertical cutting plane transverse to the commercial vehicle and in a perspective view from below, Fig. 4 a splash guard device of the commercial vehicle from Fig. 1 in a perspective view and Fig. 5 a projection of a splash guard device onto a cutting plane intersecting the associated wheel and aligned parallel to the associated wheel in a schematic representation.

[0027] In the Fig. 1 1 shows a commercial vehicle 1 according to the invention in the form of a semi-trailer with a tarpaulin structure in the manner of a curtainsider, which is towed by a tractor Z. The commercial vehicle 1 has a chassis 2 as part of the chassis 3 of the commercial vehicle 1, wherein the chassis 2 comprises three pairs of wheels 4, 5, 6 arranged one behind the other and adjacent to one another. As seen in the direction of travel F, wheel covers 7 are provided behind each of the last pair of wheels 6, which serve as splash protection when the commercial vehicle 1 travels over damp or even wet roadways. The splash protection serves to reduce the spray generated by the commercial vehicle 1 and, if necessary, to retain stirred-up particles such as dirt, loose chippings, or stones. A splash protection device 8 is provided in front of each of the front pair of wheels 4, which serves the same purpose.The water sprayed from the chassis 2 should be collected and diverted by the splash guards 8 and the wheel covers 7 without the water splashing too much backwards or to the side.

[0028] In the Fig. 2 The chassis 3 of the commercial vehicle is shown in detail in the area of ​​the chassis 2, with the chassis 3 carrying a loading floor structure 9 on which the load can be placed. For the sake of better clarity, the commercial vehicle 1 is shown in the Fig. 2 Shown without a side tarpaulin. The chassis 3 comprises parallel longitudinal members 10 to which the undercarriage 2 is mounted. The wheel covers 7 are located behind each of the rear wheels 6 in the direction of travel F. The spray guards 8 are located in front of each of the front wheels 4 in the direction of travel F, in each case at the height of the corresponding sections of the spray guards 8. The spray guards as a whole are arranged, in the direction of travel, entirely behind a vertical plane E1 that is at the height of the front edge of the associated wheel 4. In other words, the spray guards 8 do not extend to the sides of the associated wheels 4 in front of the entire associated wheel 4.Also, no further splash guard elements are provided in front of the corresponding wheels 4, in any case at a distance from the front edge of the respective front wheel 4 of at least 50 cm, in particular at least 75 cm, and specifically over the entire height and width B of the respective wheel 4 assigned to the splash guard device 8.

[0029] The wheels 4, 5, 6 are positioned on a flat and horizontal roadway FB, so that the loading floor structure 9 or the loading floor 11 can be considered horizontally aligned. Therefore, the axes of the wheels 4, 5, 6 also lie on a common horizontal plane E2. Furthermore, against this background, a direction perpendicular to the loading floor structure 9 or the loading floor 11 can be considered vertically aligned.

[0030] The chassis 3, the undercarriage 2, and the pairs of wheels 4, 5, 6 are shown here only from one side of the commercial vehicle 1. On the opposite side of the commercial vehicle 1, the chassis 3, the undercarriage 2, and the pairs of wheels 4, 5, 6 are provided in an analogous manner, at least in the western version, in particular as a mirror image. Therefore, the depiction of the commercial vehicle 1 from both sides can be omitted without compromising clarity.

[0031] In the Fig. 3A-B is a detail of the commercial vehicle 1, in particular of the chassis 2, shown in a sectional view from the front and in a perspective view from below. The width B of the wheels 4 is also shown. However, for the sake of clarity, the illustration has been simplified by omitting the wheel suspensions, which are attached to the longitudinal members 10. The longitudinal members 10 support the loading floor structure 9, on which cross members 12 are provided for stiffening the loading floor structure 9, but do not have to be provided. The actual loading floor 11 of the loading floor structure 9 is formed by a cover layer 17, on which the goods to be transported can be placed. The loading floor structure 9 is delimited on the sides by longitudinal profile structures 13, on which the splash guards 8 are mounted.The longitudinal profile structures 13 are designed such that they form a lateral undercut 14 in the area above the wheel 4 opposite the loading floor structure 9. This undercut 14 is designed such that the undercut 14 has a vertical extension of between 30 mm and 60 mm.

[0032] The splash guards 8 have upper mounting sections 15 for mounting on the longitudinal profile structures 13. Below this, the splash guards 8 are at least substantially triangular and flat. The splash guards 8 are arranged entirely laterally next to the associated wheels 4 of the front pair of wheels 4. The splash guards 8 do not extend in front of the associated wheels 4, but above the respective associated wheel 4 in sections with a vertical extension between 30 mm and 50 mm, between 45 mm and 65 mm and between 60 mm and 80 mm. The downwardly pointing tips 16 of the splash guards 8 are provided at the lower free ends of the splash guards 8. For this purpose, reference is also made to the splash guard 8 separately depicting Fig. 4 referred to.

[0033] In the Fig. 5a projection P of a spray protection device 8 onto a projection plane PE intersecting the associated wheel 4 and aligned parallel to the associated wheel 4 is shown schematically. The projection P of the illustrated and in this respect preferred spray protection device 8 is at least partially drawn down to 90%, preferably to 85%, of the height H of the associated tire 4. In addition, the projection P of the spray protection device 8 is arranged at least partially above a reference line RL extending from the wheel center RM at an angle of 35°, in particular 45°, upwards and forwards in the direction of travel, and at least in sections reaches up to the reference lines RL. Furthermore, the illustrated and in this respect preferred projection P of the spray protection device 8 is spaced forwards in the direction of travel from a vertical plane E3 through the wheel center by less than 5% of the wheel diameter. List of reference symbols

[0034] 1Commercial vehicle 2Chassis 3Chassis 4Front pair of wheels 5Middle pair of wheels 6Rear pair of wheels 7Wheel cover 8Splash guard 9Loading floor structure 10Longitudinal member 11Loading floor 12Cross member 13Longitudinal profile structure 14Undercut 15Mounting section 16Tip 17Deck layer BWidth E1-3Plane FDirection of travel HHeight PProjection PEProjection plane RLReference line RMWheel center

Claims

1. Utility vehicle (1), in particular motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer, with at least one, in particular frontal in the direction of travel (F), pair of wheels (4) for moving the utility vehicle (1) and with at least one pair of spray protection devices (8), associated to the at least one pair of wheels (4), for reducing spray when driving on a moist roadway (FB), wherein the spray protection devices (8) extend at least in sections laterally of the associated wheels (4) and wherein the projections (P) of the sections of the spray protection devices (8) extending laterally of the wheels (4) are arranged in a direction parallel to the axes of rotation of the associated wheels (4) on a plane (PE) intersecting the respectively associated wheel (4) and aligned parallel to the associated wheel (4) at least partially in front of and / or at least partially above the wheel (4), wherein the spray protection devices (8), viewed against the direction of travel (F), extend at most over half the width (B) of the at least one wheel (4) from the outside and wherein the spray protection devices (8) end completely behind a vertical plane (E1) in the direction of travel and that the vertical plane (E1) is arranged at a distance of 20% of the wheel diameter (RM) in front of the entire wheel (4) characterized in that the projections (P) of the sections of the spray protection devices (8) extending laterally from the wheels (4) in a direction parallel to the axes of rotation of the associated wheels (4) onto a plane (PE) intersecting the respective associated wheel (4) and aligned parallel to the associated wheel (4) are offset frontally in the direction of travel (F) from a vertical plane (E3) passing through the wheel center (RM) by less than 10% of the wheel diameter or the height (H) of the wheel (4).

2. Utility vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the spray protection devices (8) extend from the outside at most over a quarter of the width (B) of the at least one wheel (4), as viewed in the direction of travel (F), and that, preferably, the spray protection devices (8) extend exclusively to the side of the associated wheels (4).

3. Utility vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that a region extending in the direction of travel (F) over 25 cm, preferably 50 cm, further preferably 75 cm, in particular 100 cm, in front of the entire wheel (4) associated to the respective spray protection device (8) and extending over the height (H) and the width (B) of the wheel (4) associated to the respective spray protection device (8) is at least substantially free of spray protection devices.

4. Utility vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the projections (P) of the portions of the spray protection devices (8) extending laterally of the wheels (4) in a direction parallel to the axes of rotation of the associated wheels (4) onto a plane (PE) intersecting the respectively associated wheel (4) and aligned parallel to the associated wheel (4) extend at least partially down to 95%, preferably down to 90%, further preferably down to 85%, in particular down to 80% of the height (H) of the associated wheel (4).

5. Utility vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the projections (P) of the sections of the spray protection devices (8) extending laterally of the wheels (4) are arranged in a direction parallel to the axes of rotation of the associated wheels (4) on a plane (PE) intersecting the respectively associated wheel (4) and aligned parallel to the associated wheel (4) at least partially above a reference line (RL) extending from the wheel center (RM) at an angle of 25°, preferably of 35°, in particular of 45° in the direction of travel (F) and that, preferably, the spray protection devices (8) extend at least up to the reference lines (RL).

6. Utility vehicle according to one of the claims 1, characterized in that the projections (P) of the portions of the spray protection devices (8) extending laterally of the wheels (4) in a direction parallel to the axes of rotation of the associated wheels (4) onto a plane (PM) intersecting the respectively associated wheel (4) and aligned parallel to the associated wheel (4) are spaced forwardly from a vertical plane (E3) through the wheel center (RM) by less than 5% of the wheel diameter or the height (H) of the wheel (4) in the direction of travel (F).

7. Utility vehicle according to one of the claims 1, characterized in that the spray protection devices (8) end entirely behind a vertical plane (E3) in the direction of travel and that the vertical plane (E3) is arranged at a distance of 10% of the wheel diameter (RM) in front of the entire wheel (4) and that, preferably, the spray protection devices (8) end entirely behind the front edge (4) of the respectively associated wheel (4) in the direction of travel (F).

8. Utility vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the spray protection devices (8) have a vertical extension of between 30 mm and 50 mm and / or between 45 mm and 65 mm and / or between 60 mm and 80 mm and / or between 75 mm and 100 mm at least in sections above the respective associated wheel (4), in particular at least substantially 60 mm.

9. Utility vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a loading floor structure (9) closed off to the outside by longitudinal profile structures (13) is provided, that the longitudinal profile structures (13) form lateral undercuts (14) at least in sections in the region above the wheel (4) with respect to the loading floor structure (9) and that, preferably, the undercuts (14) have a vertical extent of between 20 mm and 70 mm, preferably between 30 mm and 60 mm, in particular between 40 mm and 50 mm.

10. Utility vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that a loading floor structure (9) closed off to the outside by longitudinal profile structures (13) is provided, that the spray protection devices (8) are fixed to the associated longitudinal profile structures (13) and project downwards with respect to the longitudinal profile structures (13) and / or that the spray protection devices (8), in particular outside a mounting section (15) with the longitudinal profile structures (13), are at least substantially flat.

11. Utility vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the spray protection devices (8) are at least substantially triangular and / or have a downwardly pointing tip (16) and that, preferably, the tip (16) is provided at least substantially at the front end, in the direction of travel (F), of the respective spray protection devices (8).

12. Utility vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the one pair of wheels (4) is a front pair of wheels (4) in the direction of travel of several pairs of wheels (4, 5, 6) arranged one behind the other and that, preferably, the distance between the pairs of wheels (4, 5, 6) in the direction of travel (F) is less than 50 cm, preferably less than 35 cm, more preferably less than 25 cm, in particular less than 15 cm.

13. Utility vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the wheels of the at least one pair of wheels respectively have twin tires.