Structure of low floor bus

Abstract

To secure rigidity and strength of a coupling part between a side body and a floor and stably fix a vehicle seat in a lower floor bus.SOLUTION: A structure of a lower floor bus includes: a body frame 21 which is a floor structural member; a skirt rail 22 coupled to an edge part 21a in a vehicle width direction of the body frame 21; a pillar 31 coupled to the skirt rail 22 and extending upward; and a gazette 50 in which a bottom surface part 51 is coupled to an upper surface 21b of the body frame 21 and an outward facing surface part 52 is coupled to inward facing surfaces 22a, 31b of the skirt rail 22 and the pillar 31. A leg part 63 of a vehicle seat 60 is coupled to an inclined surface part 53 facing in an inner and upper direction of the gusset 50 to be supported.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a structure of a low-floor bus suitable for use in a route bus.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, from the perspective of barrier-free, low-floor buses with a low-floor structure that eliminate the height difference between the step board at the entrance / exit and the floor of the passage have been applied to route buses. Such low-floor buses have the advantage of being easy for the elderly and disabled to board and alight. However, by lowering the floor of the passage, various problems have occurred, for example, the tire house of the front tire protrudes greatly into the passenger compartment.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a chassis frame of a low-floor bus that can reduce the sense of oppression caused by the protrusion of the tire house of the front tire and also improve the boarding and alighting performance of the seats located around the tire house.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, in a low-floor bus, since the thickness (vertical length) of the structure of the floor part is small, it is difficult to ensure the rigidity and strength of the joint part between the side body and the floor. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of a low-floor bus, showing the left half of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 5(a), in the floor part of the low-floor bus, a wooden floor board 110 is disposed on a body frame 101 extending in the vehicle width direction. The outer end of the body frame 101 on the outer side of the vehicle is coupled to a skirt rail 102 extending in the vehicle length direction, and a pillar 103 extending in the vehicle height direction is coupled above the skirt rail 102.

[0006] However, it is difficult to ensure the rigidity and strength of the joint between the body frame 101 and the pillar 103. As shown in FIG. 5(b), when an external force F is applied to the vehicle body, the pillar 103 is likely to deform and fall in the direction of the external force F. Therefore, such a joint becomes a weak point when the vehicle rolls over, and it is necessary to reinforce the joint.

[0007] Also, as described above, the floor of the low-floor bus has a wooden floor board 110 disposed on the body frame 101. One side of the passenger seat 120 (here, the right side of the vehicle (left side in the drawing)) is fixed to the body frame 101 by long mounting bolts 121 through the seat mounting holes 111 of the floor board 110. Due to the interposition of the floor board 110 in this way, the passenger seat 120 and the body frame 101 are separated from each other, so the fastening force of the passenger seat 120 is likely to become unstable. In addition, there is also a concern about the intrusion of rainwater into the passenger compartment 104 through the seat mounting holes 111 from under the floor. Therefore, sealing around the mounting bolts 121 of the seat mounting holes 111 is necessary, but the workability of this sealing work is poor because it is work from under the floor.

[0008] The present invention was devised by paying attention to such problems, and aims to provide a structure of a low-floor bus that ensures the rigidity and strength of the joint between the side body and the floor in a low-floor bus and enables the passenger seat to be stably fixed.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] The present invention was made to solve at least part of the above problems and can be realized as the following aspects or application examples. The structure of the low-floor bus according to this application example is a structure of a low-floor bus that eliminates the height difference between the tread plate of the entrance / exit and the floor surface of the passageway, and includes a body frame that is a structural member of the floor, a skirt rail coupled to the edge of the body frame in the vehicle width direction, a pillar coupled to the skirt rail and extending upward, and a gusset having its bottom surface coupled to the upper surface of the body frame and its outward-facing surface coupled to the inward-facing surfaces of the skirt rail and the pillar. The legs of the passenger seat are coupled to and supported by the inwardly upwardly inclined surface portion of the gusset.

[0010] According to this application example, since the gusset is coupled to the body frame and the pillar that are coupled to the skirt rail, the rigidity and strength of the joint portion between the body frame (floor) and the pillar are increased, and damage to the vehicle during a rollover of the vehicle can be suppressed. Also, since the legs of the passenger seat are coupled to and supported by the gusset, the passenger seat can be stably fixed.

Advantages of the Invention

[0011] According to this case, the rigidity and strength of the joint portion between the body frame (floor) and the pillar are increased, and damage to the vehicle during a rollover of the vehicle can be suppressed. Also, since the legs of the passenger seat are coupled to and supported by the gusset, the passenger seat can be stably fixed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

[0013] With reference to the drawings, embodiments of this case will be described. The following embodiments are merely examples, and there is no intention to exclude various modifications and applications of technologies not explicitly shown in these embodiments. Each configuration of the following embodiments can be implemented with various modifications without departing from their gist. Also, selection can be made as necessary, or they can be combined as appropriate.

[0014] In FIGS. 1 to 4 referred to below, it is assumed that the vehicle is on a horizontal plane, and the front of the vehicle is "FR", the rear of the vehicle is "RR", the right side of the vehicle (right side in the vehicle width direction) is "RH", the left side of the vehicle (left side in the vehicle width direction) is "LH", vertically upward is "UP", and vertically downward is "DW", which are indicated by arrows.

[0015] [1. Configuration] First, the general body structure of the low-floor bus according to this embodiment will be described. Although not shown, the height difference between the step board of the boarding and alighting opening and the floor surface of the passage of this low-floor bus is eliminated. As shown in FIG. 4, the body 1 of the low-floor bus can be roughly divided into a floor structure part 2, left and right side structure parts 3, a roof structure part 4, a front structure part 5, and a rear structure part 6.

[0016] Among these, the floor structure part 2 is composed of a plurality of body frames 21 that extend in the vehicle width direction and are the main structural members of the floor, and a plurality of longitudinal members that are connected to these body frames 21 and extend in the vehicle length direction. The outer end parts of the body frames 21 are coupled to skirt rails 22 that extend in the vehicle length direction.

[0017] The side structure portion 3 includes a side pillar 31 having a lower end coupled to the skirt rail 22 and extending upward, a side rail 32 connected to the upper portion of the side pillar 31 and extending in the vehicle length direction, a plurality of diagonal members 33 having a lower end coupled to the side rail 32 and extending obliquely forward upward or obliquely rearward upward, a window rail 34 connected to the upper portion of these diagonal members 33 and extending in the vehicle length direction, and a window pillar 35 having a lower end coupled to the window rail 34 and extending upward.

[0018] Also, a reinforcing member 36a extending in the vehicle length direction and coupled to the plurality of diagonal members 33 and a reinforcing member 36b extending in the vertical direction are also provided. Further, a seat rail 38 for supporting a seat is disposed above the skirt rail 22 and below the side rail 32 so as to extend in the vehicle length direction. Also, a reinforcing rail 37 extending in the vehicle length direction is disposed on the back surface (outside of the vehicle) side of the seat rail 38.

[0019] The roof structure portion 4 includes a roof rail 41 to which the upper end of the window pillar 35 is coupled, a plurality of roof bows coupled to the roof rail 41, and a plurality of roof stringers connected to these roof bows and extending in the vehicle length direction.

[0020] The structure according to this embodiment is applied to such a low-floor bus. This structure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. In FIGS. 1 to 3, the structure on the left side of the vehicle is described, but this is an example, and this structure can also be applied to the right side of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1, in this structure, a gasket 50 is provided at the joint portion of the body frame 21, the skirt rail 22, and the side pillar 31.

[0021] More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, at the joint portion of the garnish 50 of the skirt rail 22, the outer end portion (vehicle-width direction edge portion) 21a of the body frame 21 (see FIG. 3) and the lower end portion 31a of the side pillar 31 are joined. The outer end portion 21a of the body frame 21 is joined to the inward-facing surface (the surface on the vehicle center CL (see FIG. 1(a)) side) 22a of the skirt rail 22, and as shown in FIG. 3, the lower end portion 31a of the side pillar 31 is joined to the upper surface 22b of the skirt rail 22. These joints are made by welding, for example.

[0022] The garnish 50 is formed, for example, by bending sheet metal. When viewed from the front side (the vehicle front side when installed on the vehicle), it has a right-angled triangle shape and is shaped like a triangular prism as a whole. As shown in FIG. 3, the garnish 50 has a rectangular bottom surface portion 51 joined to the upper surface 21b of the body frame 21. The garnish 50 has a rectangular outward-facing surface portion 52 facing the outside of the vehicle when installed on the vehicle joined to the inward-facing surface 22a of the skirt rail 22 and the inward-facing surface 31b of the side pillar 31. Note that the inward-facing surface 22a of the skirt rail 22 and the inward-facing surface 31b of the side pillar 31 are set to be located on the same plane.

[0023] Also, as shown in FIG. 2, a wooden floor board 23 is disposed on the upper surface 21b of the body frame 21. The floor board 23 has a portion where the garnish 50 is disposed cut out, and near the outer end portion in the vehicle-width direction of the floor board 23, a floor panel 70 is disposed over the lower side of the lower surface of the floor board 23 and the inner side of the inward-facing surface 31b of the side pillar 31. In FIG. 2, for the sake of convenience, the portion of the floor panel 70 is shown with a different brightness so that the floor panel 70 can be identified.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the garnish 50 has these bottom surfaces 51 and outer surfaces 52, an inclined surface 53 facing obliquely upward inward (i.e., inward upward), and two triangular side surfaces 54, 54 orthogonal to any of the bottom surface 51, outer surface 52, and inclined surface 53. A bolt insertion hole 55 is formed in the inclined surface 53, and a weld nut 56 is fixedly provided on the back surface of the inclined surface 53 in alignment with the bolt insertion hole 55.

[0025] In this structure, as shown in FIG. 3, one side of the passenger seat 60 (here, the right side of the vehicle (left side in the drawing)) is supported by the vehicle body 1 via a seat leg (leg part) 63, and the other side of the passenger seat 60 (the left side of the vehicle (right side in the drawing)) is supported by the vehicle body 1 via a bracket 64. The seat leg 63 has an upper end 63a coupled to the base 60a of the passenger seat 60 and a lower end 63b coupled to the inclined surface 53 of the garnish 50. Here, a fixing plate 65 is fixed to the lower end 63b of the seat leg 63 by welding or the like, and this fixing plate 65 is fastened and fixed to the weld nut 56 fixedly provided on the inclined surface 53 with a bolt 57.

[0026] Also, the other side (window side) of the passenger seat 60 is fixed and supported via a bracket 64 to a seat rail 38 extending in the vehicle length direction. Note that the seat cushion 61 and seat back 62 are supported by the base 60a.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), the seat leg 63 includes a first leg portion 63A that inclines obliquely rearward and obliquely outward and descends from the front side of one side (right side of the vehicle) of the passenger seat 60, and a second leg portion 63B that inclines obliquely forward and obliquely outward and descends from the rear side of one side (right side of the vehicle) of the passenger seat 60. Both leg portions 63A and 63B are joined to each other at their respective lower ends 63b and are coupled to the inclined surface 53 of the garnish 50. Note that in FIG. 1(b), an example is shown in which a pillar 39 extending linearly in the vertical direction is provided between the seat rail 38 and the window rail 34, but instead, a diagonal member 33 (see FIG. 4) may be arranged between the seat rail 38 and the window rail 34.

[0028] [2. Function and Effect] Since the structure of the low-floor bus according to this embodiment is configured as described above, the following functions and effects can be obtained. For example, when the vehicle rolls over, there is a risk of deformation or damage, such as distortion occurring at the joint between the body frame 21 and the side pillar 31 due to an external force (see Fig. 5(b)). However, since the gasket 50 is fixedly installed inside the joint between the body frame 21 and the side pillar 31, the rigidity and strength of the joint are improved, and deformation and damage at this location during vehicle rollover can be suppressed.

[0029] Also, on one side of the passenger seat 60, since the passenger seat 60 is connected to and supported by the seat leg (leg part) 63 to the gasket 50, the passenger seat 60 can be stably fixed. On the other side of the passenger seat 60, the passenger seat 60 is fixed and supported to the seat rail 38 via the bracket 64.

[0030] That is, unlike the conventional example shown in Fig. 5, there is no need to form a seat mounting hole 111 in the floor board 110 and fix the seat leg to the body frame 101 with a long mounting bolt 121 through this seat mounting hole 111. Therefore, the passenger seat 60 can be stably fixed, and since the seat mounting hole 111 (see Fig. 5) is unnecessary, the risk of rainwater entering the passenger compartment 7 is eliminated. Sealing around the mounting bolt 121 of the seat mounting hole 111 is also unnecessary.

[0031] [3. Others] The configuration of the above embodiment is an example, and it can be appropriately modified and implemented without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, two seat legs 63A and 63B are provided as the seat leg 63, but these may be integrated into one member.

[0032] Also, in the above embodiment, an example of a single-person passenger seat 60 is shown, but this case is also applicable to a two-person seat. In addition, for the present case, in the case of an existing structure of a low-floor bus, it may be applied to applicable parts. When creating a new overall structure, the applicable passenger seats can be increased.

Explanation of Signs

[0033] 1 Vehicle body 2 Floor structure part 3 Side structure part 4 Roof structure part 5 Front structure part 6 Rear structure part 7 Passenger compartment 21 Body frame 21a Outer end part (vehicle width direction edge part) of body frame 21 21b Upper surface of body frame 21 22 Skirt rail 22a Inner-facing surface of skirt rail 22 22b Upper surface of skirt rail 22 23 Floor board 31 Side pillar 31a Lower end part of side pillar 31 31b Inner-facing surface of side pillar 31 32 Side rail 33 Diagonal member 34 Window rail 35 Window pillar 36a, 36b Reinforcing material 37 Reinforcing rail 38 Seat rail 39 Pillar 41 Roof rail 50 Garnish 51 Bottom surface part of garnish 50 52 Outer-facing surface part of garnish 50 53 Inclined surface part of garnish 50 54 Side surface part of garnish 50 55 Bolt insertion hole 56 Weld nut 57 Bolt 60 Passenger seat Base of the passenger seat 60a Seat cushion 61 Seat back 62 Seat leg (leg part) 63 First leg part 63A Second leg part 63B Upper end of the seat leg 63 Lower end of the seat leg 63 Bracket 64 Fixing plate 65 Floor panel 70 Body frame 101 Skirt rail 102 Skirt rail 102 Pillar 103 Passenger compartment 104 Floor board 110 Seat mounting hole 111 Mounting bolt 121 Passenger seat 120

Claims

【Claim 1】 A structure of a low-floor bus in which the height difference between the tread of the entrance / exit and the floor surface of the passage is eliminated, a body frame which is a structural member of the floor, a skirt rail coupled to the edge portion in the vehicle width direction of the body frame, a pillar coupled to the skirt rail and extending upward, a garnish having a bottom surface portion coupled to the upper surface of the body frame and an outward-facing surface portion coupled to the inward-facing surfaces of the skirt rail and the pillar, and the legs of the passenger seat are coupled to and supported by the inwardly upwardly inclined surface portion of the garnish A structure of a low-floor bus, characterized by the above.

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