VEHICLE BODY, IN PARTICULAR BOX SEMI-TRAILERS OR TRAILERS, FOR EXAMPLE REFRIGERATED CARGO SEMI-TRAILERS OR TRAILERS, VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH SUCH A VEHICLE BODY, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SUCH A VEHICLE BODY

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle body according to the preamble of claim 1, as well as a vehicle equipped with such a vehicle body and a method for manufacturing such a vehicle body.

[0002] Vehicle bodies, such as box semi-trailers or box trailers, and especially refrigerated semi-trailers and refrigerated trailers, have long been known and are essential in the transport industry for transporting goods and, if necessary, for maintaining temperature control, especially cooling, during transport.

[0003] Refrigerated bodies, in particular, include a refrigerated compartment with a front wall, to which a refrigeration unit is usually attached. Adjoining the front wall are the side walls, extending towards the rear. The rear wall of the refrigerated compartment typically features a hatch or hinged doors for loading and unloading the refrigerated semi-trailer or trailer.

[0004] Due to the desire to equip a truck, consisting of a tractor unit and semi-trailer, especially a articulated trailer, or trailer that does not exceed a prescribed maximum length, with the largest possible loading space, the distance between the tractor unit and the semi-trailer or trailer is kept as small as possible to ensure maneuverability in road traffic, particularly when cornering. For this reason, semi-trailers, and possibly trailers as well, have chamfered edges on the bodywork where the front and side walls meet, in order to guarantee the necessary turning radius when the semi-trailer or trailer articulates relative to the tractor unit while cornering.

[0005] This chamfering of the body edge to ensure the turning radius, however, has the disadvantageous consequence that the thickness of a wall of the vehicle body in this area, i.e. in the connection area of ​​the front wall and side wall, is less than on the front wall and the side wall themselves, which is particularly problematic and extremely disadvantageous for vehicles in which goods are to be temperature-controlled or especially cooled during transport, since this chamfering of the body edge leads to a reduced insulating effect and thus to a thermal bridge on the vehicle body.Since, in vehicles known from the prior art, wooden profiles are typically used as connecting surfaces during the assembly of the front and side walls to fix them relative to each other during assembly, the thermal bridging problem, which is already present at the edge of the vehicle body due to the chamfer there, is further exacerbated. An example is known from GB 2 336 137 A.

[0006] The invention is based on the objective of avoiding the aforementioned problems and providing a vehicle body which has optimized insulation in the area of ​​the body edge required due to the pivot radius compared to vehicle bodies known from the prior art, and furthermore providing a method for manufacturing such a vehicle body and a vehicle equipped with such a vehicle body.

[0007] This problem is solved by a vehicle body according to claim 1, and furthermore by a vehicle according to claim 11 and a method for manufacturing such a vehicle body according to claim 12.

[0008] The problem is solved by a vehicle body, in particular a box semi-trailer or trailer, for example a refrigerated semi-trailer or trailer, with a front wall arranged in the direction of travel forward, at least one side wall extending from the front wall in a rearward direction and at least one spacer extending from the front wall in a rearward direction, in particular in the direction of a cargo space, wherein at least one connecting element defining an interior angle volume between the front wall and the side wall is provided, which has a first connecting section, a second connecting section and a bridge section connecting the first connecting section and the second connecting section, wherein an insulating material is arranged in the area of ​​the interior angle volume, wherein the first connecting section is attached to the front wall and the second connecting section to the side wall.wherein, in the direction of the cargo space, the front wall is connected to the side wall in a corner area, with the front wall and the side wall adjoining each other.

[0009] A key aspect of the invention lies in the fact that, by using a connecting element which is attached to the front wall on one side and to the side wall on the other by means of a respective connecting section, an interior angle volume is defined. This volume forms a space bounded at the front of the vehicle body by the front wall, at the sides of the vehicle body by the side wall, and towards a cargo area of ​​the vehicle body by the bridge section. The interior angle volume thus forms a space suitable for accommodating insulating material, with which the insulating effect of the front wall and the side wall is supplemented and improved according to the invention.

[0010] This insulating material can be in the form of air enclosed in the interior angle volume, wherein the space between the front wall, side wall and bridge section is preferably closed on all sides and, according to one embodiment of the invention, can have space divisions, for example in the form of louvers or another material that hinders free convection.

[0011] According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the insulating material can also be in the form of a foam insert. The foam insert can be created, according to the invention, by filling the space between the front wall, side wall, and bridge section of the connecting element with insulating foam during or after installation of the connecting element, or during or after assembly of the front wall, side wall, and connecting element. In this case, the volume of the internal angle is preferably closed on all sides so that the insulating foam cannot escape from this volume, which can also be referred to as the insulating volume, particularly during the foaming process. For this purpose, the volume can be closed at both the top and bottom ends, for example, with a flap or a cover.

[0012] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the insulating material can also be in the form of pre-formed insulating elements, which are, for example, made of and / or comprise foam. These pre-formed insulating elements can then be arranged and attached or fixed in the space of the inner angle volume before or during the assembly of the front wall, side wall, and connecting element. Alternatively, according to the invention, it is also possible to fill, insert, and / or slide such pre-formed insulating elements into the profile space formed by the assembly of the front wall, side wall, and connecting element. In this case as well, the insulating volume can be completely or partially closed at the top and / or bottom so that the insulating element(s) cannot fall out of the insulating volume.

[0013] In the case of the use of prefabricated and preferably one-piece insulating elements, it is not necessary according to the invention that the insulating volume is completely closed; rather, in this case, it is sufficient according to the invention if the insulating element(s) used is / are held in this insulating volume, i.e. in the area of ​​the inner angle volume, by one or more connecting elements.

[0014] It should also be noted that, in the case of the use of one or more foam inserts as insulation material, regardless of whether the insulation material is foamed in or used in the form of prefabricated insulation elements, it is provided and advantageous according to the invention to insert or fill the insulation material into the inner angle volume as precisely as possible in order to obtain the most uniform possible insulating effect of the insulation material according to the invention.

[0015] In an advantageous manner according to the invention, despite the chamfering of the superstructure edge necessary to ensure a pivoting radius, it is possible to ensure optimized insulation of the cargo space, in particular in the corner area between the front wall and the side wall, by using a connecting element according to the invention and an insulating material arranged in the area of ​​the inner angle volume as described above.

[0016] Since, particularly in the case of a refrigerated semi-trailer or trailer, a dead space is already present in the area of ​​the connection between the front wall and the side wall due to the necessity of air return spacer elements located on the front wall, this space can be used for the additional corner insulation according to the invention in order to significantly improve the inadequate corner insulation of conventional vehicle bodies compared to the prior art, which is associated with the external chamfering of the body edge that is absolutely necessary due to the turning radius.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the connecting element and / or the insulating material extends at least over a part of the loading interior height, preferably over the entire loading interior height.

[0018] According to this embodiment, it is possible, according to the invention, to adapt the insulation of the cargo space, particularly in terms of height, to the desired requirements. Especially when using pre-formed insulating elements, this embodiment also allows for the material-saving use of one or more connecting elements, since the respective connecting elements are only necessary in this case to hold the pre-formed insulating elements in place after their installation.

[0019] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the first connecting section is designed as a first connecting strip which extends along the front wall in the direction of a corner space or insulation space, and / or in the direction of a spacer.

[0020] Similarly, the second connecting section can be designed as a second connecting strip that extends along the side wall towards the corner space, also known as the insulation space, and / or in a rearward direction.

[0021] According to the invention, designing the first and / or second connecting section as a connecting strip offers the advantage that the respective first and second connecting sections have a widened contact zone for attachment to the respective front or side wall. This widened contact zone can extend, starting from a projection of the bridge section, both towards a corner space, i.e., towards the insulation space, or towards the meeting point of the front and side walls, and, in the case of the front wall, towards a spacer, or, in the case of the side wall, in a rearward direction. According to the invention, the respective first and second connecting strips serve to fasten the connecting element to and / or with the front and side walls. Such fastening can be achieved, for example, by welding, riveting, screwing, and / or gluing.A connecting element according to the invention thus also serves to connect, for example by gluing, the side wall and the front wall, thereby simplifying the assembly of the front wall and the side wall and structurally stabilizing their respective connection.

[0022] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the first and second connecting strips can extend so far towards the corner space that the connecting strips come into contact with each other and, according to a further embodiment of the invention, are also connected to each other. In this way, the connecting element can be structurally reinforced according to the invention. In this case, the connecting element forms, for example, a triangular profile in cross-section, from which, as desired, the respective connecting strips extend laterally towards the spacer on the one hand and in the rearward direction on the other.

[0023] The connecting element's profile, which is triangular in cross-section, for example, can be filled with insulating material. It should be noted here that, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the connecting strips of the connecting element advantageously run essentially parallel to the respective associated front or side wall. Such an embodiment is particularly advantageous when the connecting element is also used for mounting the front and side walls, since the contact surface of the respective connecting strips with the front and side walls then offers maximum clearance for connecting the respective front and side walls to the connecting element.

[0024] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the connecting element can be designed as an angle profile, in particular as an angle profile with a cross-section that is essentially trough-shaped, wherein the bottom of the trough in this case forms the bridge section and the respective side walls of the trough form the respective connecting sections, in particular connecting strips.

[0025] It should also be mentioned at this point that, according to the invention, it is also possible for the respective first and / or second connecting strip to extend, for example for reasons of space, exclusively in the direction of the corner space or, in the case of the first connecting strip, exclusively in the direction of the spacer, i.e. transversely to the forward direction of the vehicle body, or, in the case of the second connecting strip, exclusively in the rearward direction.

[0026] As mentioned above, the insulation material is arranged in a corner space defined by the bridge section, the front wall and the side wall and / or in a profile space defined by the bridge section, the first connecting strip and the second connecting strip.

[0027] Furthermore, according to the invention, the bridge section is designed as a concave or convex surface, or as a flat surface, so that the bridge section either curves outwards towards the cargo space or inwards towards the corner space. Both a concave and a convex design of the bridge section can improve its structural stability. In this context, it should be noted that the terms "concave" and "convex" within the scope of this invention can also include angular and optionally polygonal indentations and protrusions. Furthermore, it is possible for the bridge section to have fastening elements, such as hooks or tabs, which can serve as supports.

[0028] According to a further embodiment of the invention, several connecting elements can also be arranged at a contact point between the front wall and the side wall, which can be directly adjacent to one another or, according to an alternative embodiment of the invention, spaced apart from one another vertically. In this way, the insulation of the corner area of ​​a vehicle body, where its front wall and side wall meet, optimized according to the invention, can be designed in a segmented and thus flexible manner.

[0029] Advantageously, according to the invention, one or more connecting elements are thus designed as insulating, holding and / or reinforcing elements.

[0030] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the problem according to the invention is also solved by a vehicle with a vehicle body according to the above descriptions, wherein such a vehicle has, due to its improved insulation, properties with regard to air conditioning and / or temperature control during the transport of goods that are optimized compared to the prior art.

[0031] Furthermore, the problem according to the invention is also solved by a method for manufacturing a vehicle body with a front wall arranged in the direction of forward travel, at least one side wall extending from the front wall in a rearward direction and at least one spacer extending from the front wall in a rearward direction, in particular in the direction of a cargo space, using a connecting element which has a first connecting section, a second connecting section and a bridge section connecting the first connecting section and the second connecting section, wherein in the direction of the cargo space the front wall is connected to the side wall in a corner area, wherein the front wall and the side wall adjoin each other, and the first connecting section is connected to the front wall forming the vehicle body and the second connecting section is connected to the side wall forming the vehicle body.

[0032] Advantageously, the connecting element can be used to assemble the front and side walls of a vehicle body by connecting each wall of the vehicle body to the connecting element, or to the connecting sections, in particular the connecting strips of the connecting element, for their respective fixation. For optimized assembly, elongated holes can be provided in the connecting strips, for example, to allow for adjustment of the front and side walls relative to each other and to the connecting element.

[0033] Further embodiments of the invention are set out in the dependent claims.

[0034] The invention is described below with reference to exemplary embodiments, which are explained in more detail with reference to the figures. These show: Fig. 1 a perspective sectional view of a vehicle body according to an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 a perspective top view of a vehicle body according to an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 3 a perspective top view of a vehicle body according to a further embodiment of the invention; and Fig. 4 an enlarged perspective view of the vehicle body according to Fig. 2 .

[0035] In the following description, the same reference numbers are used for identical and equivalent parts.

[0036] Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows a perspective sectional view of a vehicle body 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. The vehicle body 10 comprises a front wall 20, a side wall 30, and spacers 50. The front wall 20 and the respective side walls 30, together with a rear wall designed as a flap or door (not shown), form the cargo space 40. In a corner area where the front wall 20 is connected to the side wall 30, a connecting element 70 with a bridge section 100 pointing towards the cargo space 40 is arranged in the direction of the cargo space 40.

[0037] Fig. 2 shows a perspective view from above of the vehicle body 10 according to an embodiment of the invention, for example according to Fig. 1 .

[0038] Fig. 4 shows a corresponding enlarged detail view of the vehicle structure 10 according to Fig. 2 As particularly evident from Fig. 4 As can be seen, the vehicle body 10 comprises a front wall 20 and a side wall 30, which are connected to each other via a connecting element 70. The connecting element 70 in turn comprises a first connecting section 80, which is designed as a first connecting strip 85, and a second connecting section 90, which is designed as a second connecting strip 95. Both connecting sections 80 and 90 of the connecting element 70 are connected to each other via a bridge section 100. The two connecting strips 85 and 95 extend both towards a corner space 120 and, in the case of the first connecting strip 85, parallel to the front wall 20 towards the spacer 50, and, in the case of the second connecting strip 95, in a rearward direction. The bridge section 100 delimits the interior angle volume 60, which is formed by a front wall section, a side wall section, and the bridge section 100 of the connecting element 70.Within this volume, i.e., within the area of ​​the interior corner volume, an insulating material 110 is arranged, which ensures optimized insulation of the corner area where the front wall 20 and side wall 30 abut each other. In this way, according to the invention, it is possible to significantly improve the insulation in this corner area, where the front wall 20 and side wall 30 abut each other, which is inadequate according to the prior art due to a chamfer 140 of the assembly edge to ensure a pivoting radius.

[0039] Fig. 3 shows a perspective view from above of a vehicle body 10 according to a further embodiment of the invention.

[0040] The in Fig. 3 The embodiment shown according to the invention differs from the one in Fig. 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the first connecting strip 85 and the second connecting strip 95 are extended towards the corner space 120 to such an extent that the first connecting strip 85 and the second connecting strip 95 abut and are connected to each other, thus forming a triangular profile together with the bridge section 100. In the case of the Fig. 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the insulating material 110 is arranged in the profile space 130 defined by the first connecting strip 85, the second connecting strip 95, and the bridge section 100. The respective connecting sections 80 and 90, or connecting strips 85 and 95, are firmly connected to the respective front wall 20 and side wall 30 and can be used for mounting the front wall 20, side wall 30, and connecting element 70.

[0041] It should be noted here that all the parts described above, considered individually and in any combination, especially the details shown in the drawings, are claimed to be essential to the invention. Modifications to this are familiar to those skilled in the art. Reference symbol list

[0042] 10 Vehicle body 20 Front wall 30 Side wall 40 Cargo space 50 Spacer 60 Internal corner volume 70 Connecting element 80 First connecting section 85 First connecting strip 90 Second connecting section 95 Second connecting strip 100 Bridge section 110 Insulation material 120 Corner space 130 Profile space 140 Bevel

Claims

1. A vehicle body (10), in particular a box semi-trailer or box trailer, for example a refrigerated semi-trailer or refrigerated trailer, having a front wall (20) arranged in the forward driving direction, at least one side wall (30) extending from the front wall (20) in the rearward direction, and at least one spacer (50) extending from the front wall (20) in the rearward direction, in particular in the direction of a load space (40), wherein at least one connecting element (70) is provided, which defines an inner angle volume (60) between the front wall (20) and the side wall (30) and has a first connecting portion (80), a second connecting portion (90), and a bridge portion (100) that connects the first connecting portion (80) and the second connecting portion (90), wherein an insulating material (110) is arranged in the region of the inner angle volume (60), characterised in that the first connecting portion (80) is fastened to the front wall (20), and the second connecting portion (90) is fastened to the side wall (30), wherein the front wall (20) is connected to the side wall (30) in a corner region in the direction of the load space (40), wherein the front wall (20) and the side wall (30) are adjacent to one another.

2. The vehicle body according to Claim 1, characterised in that the connecting element (70) and / or the insulating material (110) extends at least over a part of an inner load space height, preferably over the entire inner load space height.

3. The vehicle body according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first connecting portion (80) is designed as a first connecting strip (85), which extends along the front wall (20) in the direction of a corner space (120) and / or in the direction of the spacer (50).

4. The vehicle body according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the second connecting portion (90) is designed as a second connecting strip (95), which extends along the side wall (30) in the direction of the corner space (120) and / or in the rearward direction.

5. The vehicle body according to one of the preceding Claims 3 and 4, characterised in that the first connecting strip (85) and the second connecting strip (95) are connected to one another.

6. The vehicle body according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the connecting element (70) is designed as an angled profile.

7. The vehicle body according to one of the preceding claims and / or according to Claims 3 and 4, characterised in that the insulating material (110) is arranged in a corner space (120) defined by the bridge portion (100), the front wall (20) and the side wall (30) and / or in a profile space (130) defined by the bridge portion (100), the first connecting strip (85) and the second connecting strip (95).

8. The vehicle body according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the bridge portion (100) is designed as a concave or convex face or as a flat surface.

9. The vehicle body according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that multiple connecting elements (70) are arranged at a distance from one another in terms of height.

10. The vehicle body according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the connecting element(s) (70) is / are designed as (an) insulating, retaining and / or reinforcing element(s).

11. A vehicle having a vehicle body (10) according to one of the preceding claims.

12. A method for producing a vehicle body (10) having a front wall (20) arranged in the forward driving direction, at least one side wall (30) extending from the front wall (20) in the rearward direction, and at least one spacer (50) extending from the front wall (20) in the rearward direction, in particular in the direction of a load space (40), using a connecting element (70), which has a first connecting portion (80), a second connecting portion (90), and a bridge portion (100) that connects the first connecting portion (80) and the second connecting portion (90), wherein the front wall (20) is connected to the side wall (30) in a corner region in the direction of the load space (40), wherein the front wall (20) and the side wall (30) are adjacent to one another, and the first connecting portion (80) is connected to the front wall (20) that forms the vehicle body (10), and the second connecting portion (90) is connected to the side wall (30) that forms the vehicle body (10).