Truck with a shower

Abstract

Title: Road truck including a shower. The invention relates to a road truck (1) comprising a cab (11), the cab (11) comprising: - a floor (111); - a driver's seat (112) located on one side of the cab (11); - a passenger seat (113) located on another side of the cab (11) relative to the driver's seat (112), the floor (111) having original attachment points (2) for a passenger seat at the level of the passenger seat (113); - a shower (3), the shower (3) comprising a shower tray (31). Figure for the abstract: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: Road truck including a shower technical field

[0001] The field of the invention is that of the design and manufacture of road truck equipment.

[0002] The invention relates more particularly to a solution aimed at enabling the user of a road truck to shower inside the cab of his truck. State of the art

[0003] Road truck drivers may have to make journeys over several consecutive days.

[0004] Heavy goods vehicle drivers must drive, work, rest, and sleep in the cab of their vehicle.

[0005] It is therefore sought to improve the comfort available in these cabins.

[0006] The possibility of freely taking a shower is a type of comfort that is sought after. Indeed, it is not always possible, or desirable, for a driver to find a place with public showers.

[0007] Some road trucks, with particularly large cabs, are designed with integrated showers. However, these trucks are not common and involve significant modifications.

[0008] It is also sought that the implementation of such a comfort function should not be to the detriment of another function, or at the very least that this integration should limit its impact on other functions. Technical problem

[0009] The invention aims in particular to overcome these drawbacks of the prior art.

[0010] More specifically, the invention aims to provide a solution enabling a driver to easily take a shower in his road truck.

[0011] The invention also aims to provide such a solution which can be implemented in a road truck whose cab has more modest dimensions than those of the road trucks mentioned previously.

[0012] The invention also aims to provide such a solution which avoids encumbering other functions of the road truck or at least limits its impact on these other functions. Summary of the invention

[0013] These objectives, as well as others that will appear subsequently, are achieved through the invention, which relates to a road truck comprising a cab, the cab comprising: - a floor; - a driver's seat located on one side of the cabin; - a passenger location situated on the other side of the cabin relative to the driver's seat, the floor having original fixing points for a passenger seat at the level of the passenger location; - a shower, the shower including a shower tray; characterized in that the shower tray is positioned in the passenger area, the shower comprising: - a fixing interface coupled to at least some of the original fixing points, the shower tray being fixed to the fixing interface; - an intermediate support coupled to the shower tray, the intermediate support having on its upper face secondary fixing points having a distribution and spacing relative to each other identical to those of at least some of the original fixing points, the secondary fixing points of the intermediate support being intended to allow the coupling of a removable jump seat.

[0014] Thanks to this solution, a road truck without a large cab can be equipped with a shower for the driver's comfort.

[0015] This design of the road truck also makes it possible to limit the effort required to integrate the shower into the cab. Indeed, the cab is attached to the original location and mounting points of a passenger seat.

[0016] In the event that a passenger needs to be transported, a jump seat can be fixed in the shower tray using the intermediate support. Thanks to the arrangement of the second fixing points of the intermediate support, the jump seat used can, in particular, be the original one from the road truck if it had one in the passenger position.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment, the shower includes a rear wall extending vertically from a rear edge of the shower tray, the rear wall being level with or set back from a driver's seat back along a front / rear longitudinal axis of the cabin, the shower being open at the front and laterally.

[0018] Thanks to this embodiment, the integration of the shower in the passenger compartment does not obstruct the driver's field of vision when driving the truck. Indeed, the shower then has no fixed walls that could prevent the driver from looking at the side mirror located behind the shower relative to the driver's seat.

[0019] According to a preferred feature, the shower includes a rod and a shower curtain movablely mounted on the rod, and intended to close the shower laterally and forward.

[0020] The shower can then be closed when in use, limiting the risk of water splashing outside the shower, and opened when the road truck is being driven.

[0021] According to an advantageous feature, the shower includes a removable grating above the shower tray and covering the intermediate support, the shower water being intended to flow through the removable grating in an installed position of the removable grating on the shower tray.

[0022] The grating forms a high-quality surface on which a person wishing to use the shower can stand. When the use of the folding seat is necessary, the grating is simply removed to access the intermediate support, and the folding seat is then attached to the second set of fixing points on the intermediate support.

[0023] According to an advantageous embodiment, the cabin is mounted tilting on a road truck chassis between a tilted position and a non-tilted position, the chassis incorporating a water reservoir, the shower comprising spraying means fluidly connected to the water reservoir at least in the non-tilted position of the cabin.

[0024] Thanks to this embodiment, the additional weight of a water reservoir is not borne by the cabin, which could be detrimental to certain characteristics and / or functionalities of the cabin.

[0025] Preferably, the road truck includes a shower drain pipe to the water reservoir, the drain pipe including a push-fit fitting having a female part and a male part separated from each other in the tilted position of the cab, a passage of the cab from its tilted position to its non-tilted position resulting in the fitting of the male part into the female part.

[0026] This allows the shape of the drain pipe to be optimized in order to limit its length and to respect a downward slope for this pipe towards the water reservoir, when the cabin is in its non-tilted position. Brief description of the drawings

[0027] Other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon reading the following description of various preferred embodiments of the invention, given by way of illustrative and non-limiting examples, and the accompanying drawings, among which: • [Fig.1] [Fig.1] is a schematic representation of a road truck according to the invention seen from above; • [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a schematic side view representation of a cab of a road truck according to the invention; • [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a schematic perspective representation of a road truck shower according to the invention; • [Fig.4] [Fig.4] is a schematic representation of a passenger location on the floor of the cab of the road truck; • [Fig.5] [Fig.5] is a schematic representation of a shower tray fixing interface; • [Fig.6] [Fig.6] is a schematic perspective representation of the receiving tank; • [Fig.7] [Fig.7] is a schematic representation of the underside of a jump seat in a road vehicle; • [Fig.8] [Fig.8] is a schematic representation illustrating the tilting of the cabin. Detailed description

[0028] As can be seen in [Fig.1], a road truck 1 according to the invention is represented.

[0029] The road truck 1 comprises: - a cabin 11; - a chassis 12; - rearview mirrors 13 located on either side of the cabin 11.

[0030] The road truck 1 extends longitudinally along a front / rear longitudinal axis 100 with a rear AR / front AV orientation, the cab 11 being located towards the front AV of the road truck 1.

[0031] The cabin includes a driver's seat 112 located on one side of the cabin 11, and a passenger seat 113 located on the other side of the cabin 11.

[0032] According to the present embodiment, the driver's seat 112 is located on the left in the cab 11 while the passenger position 113 is located on the right.

[0033] The cabin 11 also includes a dashboard 114, a steering wheel 115 located in front of the driver's seat 112, and a bunk 116 extending transversely to the front / rear longitudinal axis 100, behind the driver's seat 112 and the passenger position 113.

[0034] With reference to Figures 1, 2 and 4, the passenger location 113 corresponds to a portion of the floor 111 on which a passenger seat is usually located, or a jump seat. As detailed below, the road truck 1 includes, in particular, a removable jump seat 5.

[0035] The floor 111 has original fixing points 2 for a passenger seat at the level of this passenger location 113.

[0036] These original attachment points 2 include: - a main set 21 comprising four aligned holes, and two adjacent holes; - a secondary assembly 22 comprising two holes spaced apart from the main assembly 21.

[0037] These original fixing points 2 can, for example, be tapped holes, or holes behind which nuts are fixed. In this way, equipment can be fixed to these holes using bolts.

[0038] With reference to figures 1 to 3, the road truck 1 also includes a shower 3.

[0039] This shower 3 includes a shower tray 31.

[0040] The shower water 3 is intended to be collected by this receiving tray 31 for disposal.

[0041] This shower tray 31 is positioned on the passenger location 113.

[0042] As illustrated by [Fig.6], the receiving tray 31 has a base 311, and a peripheral rim 312 extending vertically from the periphery of the base 311. The receiving tray 31 also has a drainage orifice 313 in which a drain plug is placed.

[0043] With reference to [Fig.5], the shower 3 also includes a fixing interface 32.

[0044] The shower tray 31 is fixed to the fixing interface 32.

[0045] This fixing interface 32, shown from below in [Fig.5], is designed to be coupled to at least some of the original fixing points 2. And more specifically to the original fixing points 2 of the main assembly 21 and the secondary assembly 22.

[0046] The fixing interface 32 has, according to the present embodiment, a plate 321, and fixing profiles 322 coupled on the underside of the plate 321.

[0047] The fixing profiles 322 extend perpendicularly to the plate 321 and then present a flat oriented parallel to the plate 321. These flats are intended to rest on the floor 111.

[0048] The plates have through holes 323 allowing the bolting of the fixing profiles, and thus of the fixing interface 32 on the original fixing points 2.

[0049] Indeed, the through holes 323 in the plates of the fixing interface 32 have a distribution and spacing relative to each other identical to those of the original fixing points 2, and in particular the holes of the main assembly 21 and of the secondary assembly 22.

[0050] As illustrated in [Fig.6], the shower 3 also includes an intermediate support 4 coupled to the shower tray 31.

[0051] This intermediate support 4 is more specifically coupled to the bottom 311 of the receiving tray 31. The intermediate support 4 is notably formed by two plates, for example made of stainless steel.

[0052] The intermediate support 4 has on an upper face second fixing points 41 intended to allow the fixing of the removable jump seat 5 mentioned previously.

[0053] The second fixing points 41 are designed so as to have a distribution and spacings with respect to each other identical to those of at least a part of the original fixing points 2. More specifically, the second fixing points 41 have a distribution and spacings with respect to each other identical to the distribution and spacings of the holes of the main assembly 21 of the original fixing points 2.

[0054] The removable jump seat 5 can thus be fixed on these second fixing points 41 of the intermediate support 4.

[0055] Indeed, as illustrated in [Fig.7] which represents the lower face 51 of the jump seat 5, the jump seat 5 has couplings 52 designed to couple to the main assembly 21 of the original fixing points 2.

[0056] Consequently, the couplings 52 of the removable jump seat 5 can also be used to allow the attachment of the removable jump seat 5 to the second attachment points 41 of the intermediate support 4.

[0057] With reference to [Fig.3], the shower 3 also includes a rear wall 33 which extends vertically from a rear edge of the shower tray 31.

[0058] The rear wall 33 extends transversely, and more specifically orthogonally, with respect to the bottom 311 of the receiving tray 31.

[0059] With reference to figures 1 and 2, the rear wall 33 extends at or behind a backrest of the driver's seat 112 along the front / rear longitudinal axis 100 of the cab.

[0060] Again with reference to [Fig.3], the rear wall 33 extends to a ceiling 36 which has reduced dimensions compared to the dimensions of the receiving tray 31.

[0061] The shower 3 also includes two side panels 37 of restricted width which extend on either side of the rear wall 33. These side panels 37 form a U transversely with the rear wall 33.

[0062] The cheeks 37 also extend at or behind the backrest of the driver's seat 112 along the front / rear longitudinal axis 100 of the cab.

[0063] In this way, shower 3 is open at the front and laterally.

[0064] In other words, from the level of the driver's seat backrest 112, along the front / rear longitudinal axis 100 of the cabin, the shower 3 does not have any other side and / or front walls that could be located in the field of vision of a driver who would be positioned on his driver's seat 112.

[0065] This configuration allows a driver to control his rearview mirror 13 located behind the shower 3.

[0066] The shower also includes a rod 34 and a shower curtain movablely mounted on the rod 34, intended to close laterally and forward the shower 3. This rod 34 is in the shape of a U and extends from the ceiling 36 of the shower 3. The rod 34 extends forward until it overhangs a front part of the shower tray 31.

[0067] When the road truck 1 is stopped, the shower 3 can thus be closed using the shower curtain to prevent water from splashing outside the shower 3.

[0068] As can be seen in [Fig.3], the shower 3 also includes a control interface 38 through which a user can check parameters of the shower 3, for example water pressure and water temperature, and control the shower 3, for example to trigger the spraying and the triggering of mechanical ventilation of the cabin 11.

[0069] The shower 3 finally includes a removable grating 35, through which the shower water is intended to flow to reach the bottom 311 of the shower tray and be collected there.

[0070] This removable grating 35 surmounts the bottom 311 of the shower tray 31. The removable grating 35 more specifically has a shape that matches the outline of the peripheral rim 312 of the shower tray 31. The removable grating 35 can thus be inserted into the shower tray 31 and held in place by the peripheral rim 32, when using the shower 3.

[0071] When the removable grating 35 is installed in the shower tray 31, it then covers the intermediate support 4, and allows the use of the shower 3 without the user risking injury on the intermediate support 4.

[0072] When the use of the removable jump seat 5 is necessary, the removable grating 35 must be removed to allow the jump seat 5 to be fixed to the intermediate support 4.

[0073] With reference to [Fig.1], the chassis 12 of the road truck 1 incorporates a water reservoir 6.

[0074] This water reservoir 6 comprises two parts, the first part for water intended to supply the shower 3, and the second part for grey water collected by the receiving tray 31. For this purpose, the shower 3 includes spraying means intended to be supplied by the water from the first part of the water reservoir 6. A flexible supply 8 runs through the chassis 12 from the water reservoir 6 and up into the cabin 1 to the shower 3, as illustrated in [Fig.8].

[0075] These two parts can for example be formed by flexible bags to minimize the volume occupied by the water reserve 6, the second part being empty when the first part is full, and vice versa.

[0076] With reference to [Fig.4], connection passages 8 for electricity, water and control supply are shown passing through the floor 111. The flexible supply 8 passes in particular through at least one of the connection passages 8.

[0077] As illustrated in Figures 1 and 8, the road truck 1 also includes a drain pipe 61 from the shower 3 to the water tank. This drain pipe 61 extends from a siphon 7 (visible in [Fig. 5]), which passes through a hole 71 in the floor 111 (visible in [Fig. 4]), to the water tank 6 in the chassis 12.

[0078] According to the present embodiment, and as shown in [Fig.8], the cab 11 is mounted tilting on the chassis 12 of the road truck 1 between a tilted position (shown at the bottom of [Fig.8]) and a non-tilted position (shown at the top of [Fig.8]).

[0079] The flexible supply 8 is formed by a flexible tube that allows for twisting. In this way, the flexible supply can run along the chassis and up into the cabin 11 at the tilting axis of the cabin 11 on the chassis 12. The spraying means are thus fluidly connected to the water reservoir 6 in all positions of the cabin 11.

[0080] However, for the drain pipe 61, it is desirable to avoid maintaining a water seal in the drain pipe 61 after the collected water has been discharged. Consequently, the drain pipe 61 tends to always have a slope towards the water reservoir 6.

[0081] According to the present embodiment, the evacuation pipe 61 includes a push-fit fitting having a female part 611 and a male part 612 separated from each other in the tilted position of the cabin 11, a passage of the cabin 11 from its tilted position to its non-tilted position resulting in the fitting of the male part 612 into the female part 611.

[0082] The female part 611 assumes, for example, a funnel shape oriented to present an upwardly flared opening, and the male part 612 has a flexible tip, for example made of silicone, adapted to be guided by the flared opening of the female part 611, during the final approach of the cabin 11 to the chassis 12, and to fit into the female part 611 when the cab is completely folded down onto the chassis 12.

[0083] The road vehicle 1 described above provides a solution that allows its driver to easily take a shower inside the truck. This solution can be easily implemented in a pre-existing truck with a cab of modest dimensions. The shower replaces the passenger seat, while still allowing for a passenger to be carried using the jump seat. The integration of the shower 3 is simplified by using the truck's existing mounting points, thus avoiding the need to create new mounting points in the truck's floor 111.

Claims

Demands

1. Road truck (1) comprising a cab (11), the cab (11) comprising: - a floor (111); - a driver's seat (112) located on one side of the cab (11); - a passenger position (113) located on another side of the cab (11) relative to the driver's seat (112), the floor (111) having original attachment points (2) for a passenger seat at the passenger position (113); - a shower (3), the shower (3) comprising a shower tray (31); characterized in that the shower tray (31) is positioned on the passenger position (113), the shower (3) comprising: - a mounting interface (32) coupled to at least a portion of the original attachment points (2), the shower tray (31) being fixed to the mounting interface (32);- an intermediate support (4) coupled to the shower tray (31), the intermediate support (4) having on an upper face second fixing points (41) having a distribution and spacings with respect to each other identical to those of at least a part of the original fixing points (2), the second fixing points (41) of the intermediate support (4) being intended to allow the coupling of a removable folding seat (5).

2. Road truck (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the shower (3) comprises a rear wall (33) extending vertically from a rear edge of the shower tray (31), the rear wall (33) being level with or set back from a backrest of the driver's seat (112) along a front / rear longitudinal axis (100) of the cabin, the shower (3) being open forward and laterally.

3. Road truck (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the shower (3) comprises a rod (34) and a shower curtain movablely mounted on the rod, and intended to close the shower laterally and forward.

4. Road truck (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shower (3) comprises a removable grating (35) surmounting the shower tray (31) and covering the intermediate support (4), the shower water being intended to flow through the removable grating (35) in an installed position of the removable grating (35) on the receiving tray (31).

5. Road truck (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cab (11) is mounted tilting on a chassis (12) of the road truck (1) between a tilted position and a non-tilted position, the chassis (12) incorporating a water reservoir, the shower (3) comprising spraying means fluidly connected to the water reservoir at least in the non-tilted position of the cab (11).

6. Road truck (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it comprises a shower drain pipe (3) to the water reservoir, the drain pipe comprising a push-fit fitting having a female part and a male part separated from each other in the tilted position of the cab (11), a passage of the cab (11) from its tilted position to its non-tilted position resulting in the fitting of the male part into the female part.

Images