Front guard frame for trucks and truck

Abstract

To provide a front guard frame for trucks and a truck characterized in that a flasher hardly comes into contact with a street tree and that, even when the flasher is observed from behind a vehicle, the light emitting condition of the flasher can be readily recognized.SOLUTION: A flasher 20R is formed in such a manner that a marker lens 21R covers a lamp 22R which is a light source. The lamp 22R is a light source capable of irradiating light within a semi-spherical range on the side on which the lamp itself faces. Only one lamp is incorporated in a protector 13R. The marker lens 21R is located in a center part in a vertical direction and is substantially level with the surfaces of the protector 13R from a left flank to a back surface. More particularly, the marker lens 21R is formed to range from a center position on the left flank to a position of substantially a double of the thickness of the protector 13R when seen in a fore-and-aft direction. The position is a terminal on the back surface of a curved surface including the left flank and back surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a freight truck torii gate provided at the front end of the cargo bed of a freight truck, and a freight truck equipped with a freight truck torii gate. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Freight vehicles such as trucks are provided with a gate-shaped structure generally called a freight vehicle torii gate at the front end of the loading platform. Torii gates on freight vehicles are installed to prevent cargo from coming into direct contact with the rear of the cabin (driver's seat) when the cargo moves on the loading platform.

[0003] Some freight vehicles are equipped with flashers that illuminate on the left and right sides of the freight vehicle torii gate. Such flashers are linked to the turn signals provided on the truck itself, and it is possible to make only one of the left and right flashers flash, or both of them flash. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-1233 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] 1(a) and 1(b) of Patent Document 1 disclose a freight vehicle equipped with a freight vehicle torii gate in which turn signal lamps 17L and 17R (flasher) equipped with conical marker lenses are fixed on the left and right sides. In such a structure, the marker lens is positioned so that it protrudes from the freight truck gate, and there is a possibility that the marker lens may come into contact with the branches of roadside trees while the freight truck is traveling.

[0006] However, if a marker lens such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1 is embedded in the torii gate for freight trucks to solve these problems and a flasher is placed thereon, a circular light-emitting area will be formed on the side of the torii gate for freight trucks, which will significantly reduce the visibility of the flasher, especially from the rear of the vehicle.

[0007] In view of the current situation, the present invention aims to provide a torii gate for freight vehicles and a freight vehicle in which the flashers are less likely to come into contact with street trees, etc., and the light-emitting state of the flashers is easy to see even when observing the flashers from the rear of the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The first invention is a torii gate for freight trucks, which is a structure provided at the front end of the cargo bed of a freight truck, having pillar portions extending upward from the right and left ends of the cargo bed to the vehicle, and beam portions connecting the upper parts of the pillar portions, and which is equipped with a light source device on the upper part of the pillar portion that can be turned on in conjunction with the freight truck's turn signals, wherein the light source device has a protector that covers it, and the protector is equipped with a marker lens that is approximately flush with the surface of the protector or is embedded in the protector, at least from the outside in the vehicle width direction toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0009] The second invention is a torii gate for freight vehicles, characterized in that the protector described in the first invention has a surface on the outer side of the vehicle width that is approximately parallel to the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and a surface on the rear side of the vehicle that is approximately parallel to the vehicle width direction.

[0010] A third invention is a torii gate for freight vehicles, characterized in that the marker lens according to the first invention has a horizontal length longer than a vertical width.

[0011] The fourth invention is a torii gate for freight vehicles, characterized in that the marker lens described in any of the first to third inventions is provided in the vertical center part of the surface on which the marker lens is located in the protector.

[0012] The fifth invention is a torii gate for a freight vehicle, characterized in that it is equipped with one light source device described in the first invention on the right side and one on the left side of the vehicle.

[0013] A sixth invention is a freight vehicle characterized by being equipped with the freight vehicle torii gate described in the first invention.

[0014] A seventh aspect of the present invention is a freight vehicle characterized in that the loading platform according to the sixth aspect of the present invention is equipped with a posture changing mechanism. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The present invention makes it possible to provide a torii gate for freight vehicles and a freight vehicle in which the flashers are less likely to come into contact with roadside trees, etc., and the light-emitting state of the flashers is easy to recognize even when observing the flashers from the rear of the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a truck according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of a torii gate for a freight vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 3A is a perspective view of a protector provided in the torii gate for freight vehicles shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 3B is a cutaway view thereof. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the freight vehicle shown in FIG. [Figure 5] The torii gate for freight vehicles shown in Figure 1 is shown in (a) as seen from the left side of the vehicle and (b) as seen from the rear of the vehicle. [Figure 6] 5 is a perspective view of the cargo bed of the truck shown in FIG. 4 when the posture is changed to a ground contact posture. [Figure 7] 2 is a diagram showing the posture change of the bed of the freight vehicle shown in FIG. 1 and the angle change of the flashers during that time. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a torii gate for a freight vehicle according to a modified example of the present invention. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a protector provided in the freight vehicle torii gate shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 9A and 9B are views of a freight truck equipped with a freight truck torii gate shown in FIG. 8, as viewed from the left side of the vehicle and from the rear of the vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Below, a freight truck torii gate and a freight truck equipped with a freight truck torii gate according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with appropriate reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are schematic. Therefore, it should be noted that the relationship and ratio between thickness and planar dimensions may differ from the actual ones, and the drawings may contain parts with different dimensional relationships and ratios. Furthermore, the embodiments shown below are examples of devices and methods for embodying the technical concept of the present invention, and the technical concept of the present invention does not limit the materials, shapes, structures, arrangements, etc. of component parts to the following embodiments.

[0018] In the following explanations and drawings, the direction in which the freight vehicle 1 moves forward (the direction in which it travels with the shift selected in D range, etc.) may be referred to as "forward." Similarly, in the following explanations and drawings, the direction in which the freight vehicle 1 moves backward (the direction in which it travels with the shift selected in R range) may be referred to as "rearward." In the following explanations and drawings, the left-hand side when the driver of the freight vehicle 1 is sitting in the driver's seat will be referred to as the "left side," and the right-hand side when the driver is sitting in the driver's seat will be referred to as the "right side." Therefore, in the following explanations and drawings, expressions such as "front side of the vehicle," "rear side of the vehicle," "right side in the vehicle width direction," and "left side in the vehicle width direction" may be used in accordance with these definitions.

[0019] <Structure of freight vehicles> The structure of a freight vehicle will be outlined with reference to Figure 1. The freight vehicle 1 includes a chassis frame CF that forms the framework of the vehicle, a cabin CB that is fixed to the chassis frame CF and in which the driver sits, and a loading platform 2 that includes a freight vehicle door 10. The cargo bed 2 provided on the freight truck 1 according to this embodiment is for transporting automobiles by loading them onto the floor board 3. For this reason, the cargo bed 2 is equipped with a posture change mechanism, and can be changed between a stored posture in which it is positioned on top of the chassis frame CF and a ground-contact posture in which it projects out to the rear of the vehicle and its rear end is in contact with the ground. When the freight truck 1 is traveling, the cargo bed 2 is in the stored posture, and when an automobile is loaded, the cargo bed 2 is in the ground-contact posture. In the following explanation, only the parts related to the freight truck torii gate 10 will be explained in detail, and explanations of other parts will be omitted or only briefly explained. Also, the dashed lines in the figures indicate the boundary between flat and curved surfaces.

[0020] <Torii gate for freight cars> (Structure of Torii for freight vehicles) The structure of the torii gate 10 for freight vehicles will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the torii gate 10 for a freight vehicle is fixed to the front end of the loading platform 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the torii gate 10 for freight vehicles is a gate-shaped structure including side frames 11L and 11R, an upper frame 12, protectors 13L and 13R, side panels 14L and 14R, and a center panel 15.

[0021] The side frames 11L and 11R are provided at the right and left ends of the loading platform, respectively, and are members that form pillar portions whose lower ends are fixed to the loading platform 2 and extend upwardly of the vehicle. The upper frame 12 is a member that constitutes a beam portion that is fixed across the upper ends of the left and right side frames 11L and 11R. The protectors 13L, 13R are provided in pairs on the left and right sides and are fixed so as to cover the fixed portion between the left side frame 11L and the upper frame 12 and the fixed portion between the right side frame 11R and the upper frame 12. The protectors 13L, 13R also include flashers 20R, 20L. The side panels 14R, 14L are provided on the left and right sides of the loading platform, respectively, and are fixed so as to cover the fixed portions between the left side frame 11L and the loading platform 2 and the fixed portions between the right side frame 11R and the loading platform 2. The center panel 15 is a plate-like member fixed between the left and right side frames 11L, 11R so that its thickness direction is along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and a work light or the like can be fixed to the upper part.

[0022] (Protector and flasher structure) The structure of the right protector 13R will be described with reference to Figure 3. Since the protectors 13L, 13R and the flashers 20R, 20L have bilaterally symmetrical shapes and structures, the description of the protector provided on the left side will be omitted in the description of the structure of the freight vehicle torii 10. In the following description of the protector 13R, the surface facing the front of the vehicle will be referred to as the "front," the surface facing the rear of the vehicle as the "rear," the surface facing outward in the vehicle width direction as the "left side," and the surface facing the top of the vehicle as the "top."

[0023] The front, back, left side, and top of the protector 13R are covered with rectangular plate members, and the corners between each surface are rounded. Therefore, the right side and bottom surfaces are not formed with surfaces, and spaces are formed inside to accommodate the upper end of the side frame 11R and the right end of the upper frame 12. The front, back, and left side surfaces are approximately vertical surfaces. The left side surface of the protector 13R is a substantially parallelogram-shaped surface that is higher on the vehicle rear side than on the vehicle front side, and the upper surface is inclined along the upper edge of the left side surface so that the vehicle front side is lower.

[0024] The protector 13R is provided with a flasher 20R. The flasher 20R includes a marker lens 21R shown in Fig. 3(a) and a lamp 22R shown in Fig. 3(b), and is configured so that the marker lens 21R covers the lamp 22R, which is a light source. The lamp 22R is a light source device that can irradiate light within a hemispherical range on the side toward which it faces, and only one lamp 22R is provided inside the protector 13R.

[0025] The marker lens 21R is provided so as to be approximately flush with the surface of the protector 13R from the left side surface to the rear surface and to be located in the center in the up-down direction. Specifically, the marker lens 21R is formed from the center position of the left side surface to a position approximately twice the thickness of the protector 13R when viewed from the front-to-rear direction. This position is also the end portion on the rear side of the curved surface between the left side surface and the rear surface.

[0026] The marker lens 21R is formed with a width that is approximately one-fifth of the width of one side along the vertical direction of the side surface of the protector 13R. Since the side surface of the protector 13R is approximately parallelogram-shaped, the marker lens 21R is also inclined so as to be approximately parallel to the upper and lower sides.

[0027] The lamp 22R is fixed to the inside of the left side surface of the protector 13R by a bracket 23R. The bracket 23R is box-shaped with one side open and is fixed to the inside of the left side surface of the protector 13R. The lamp 22R is fixed to the bottom surface of the bracket 23R so that its light-emitting portion faces the marker lens 21R located on the left side surface of the protector 13R.

[0028] <Flasher operation> The operation of the flashers 20L and 20R will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7. In the following description, the left flasher 20L and the right flasher 20R will be collectively referred to as 20, and the left marker lens 21L and the right marker lens 21R will be collectively referred to as 21. The flashers 20 operate in conjunction with turn signals (not shown) that the truck 1 is equipped with. That is, when only the left turn signal flashes, only the left flasher 20L flashes, and similarly for the right flasher. When the blinkers on both sides are flashing (hereinafter referred to as hazard), the left and right flashers 20 are flashing. The flashers 20 may be made to flash or emit light independently of the turn signals, and the left and right flashers 20 may be made to light up at independent cycles when loading or unloading onto the cargo bed 2, etc.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4, when the bed is in the stowed position, the cargo vehicle door 10 is located at the rear of the cabin CB. 5(a) and 5(b), the flashers 20 face the sides and rear of the truck 1. Therefore, an observer can observe the lit state of the flashers 20 from the sides and rear of the truck 1. 6, even when the loading platform 2 is in a grounded state, the freight truck gate 10 simply moves to a lower position, and there is no significant change in the visibility of the flashers 20. By adjusting the length of the side frames 11L, 11R so that the flashers 20 are about 160 cm above the ground when in a grounded state, the flashers 20 can be positioned at eye level when in a grounded state, making it easier to recognize whether the flashers 20 are on or off.

[0030] As shown in Figure 7, when the cargo bed 2 changes from the storage position to the grounded position, the cargo bed 2 moves toward the rear of the vehicle while changing its angle, and the flashers 20 also change their angle to follow the cargo bed 2. 7 indicates the path of movement of the flashers 20 during a change in the posture of the loading platform 2. When the posture of the loading platform 2 changes from the stored posture to the ground-contact posture, the loading platform 2 moves rearward and simultaneously the front end portion moves to a position higher than the rear end portion, and the rear end portion of the loading platform 2 hits the ground first. Thereafter, the front end of the loading platform is lowered, so that the entire loading platform 2 is positioned behind the truck 1, and the floor board 3 assumes a substantially horizontal position.

[0031] When in the stored position, the flashers 20 are inclined (20a) so that they rise toward the rear of the vehicle, and when the inclination of the loading platform 2 is at its maximum, they reach a substantially horizontal angle (20c). Thereafter, as the floor panel 3 of the loading platform 2 approaches horizontal, the angle of the flashers 20 also approaches the angle in the stored position (20d). When the bed 2 is in the ground contact position, the flashers 20 move to a lower position than when in the stored position.

[0032] <Actions and Effects> The flashers 20 are fixed so as to be embedded in the protectors 13L, 13R, and do not have any protruding parts from the sides or rear surfaces of the protectors 13L, 13R. This reduces the risk of the flashers 20 coming into contact with roadside tree branches or the like while the freight truck 1 is traveling. In addition, the risk of the flashers 20 coming into contact with tools used by workers working on the loading platform 2 is also reduced.

[0033] The torii gate 10 for freight vehicles according to the present invention is formed so that the side and back surfaces of the protectors 13L and 13R are flat. Therefore, the marker lens 21 can be formed with a wider surface facing outward in the vehicle width direction and toward the rear of the vehicle than when the entire surface is formed as a curved surface, and visibility can be easily ensured even when the marker lens 21 is provided so as to be substantially flush with or embedded in the surfaces of the protectors 13L and 13R.

[0034] In the freight vehicle torii 10 according to the present invention, the marker lens 21 is formed long in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, so that changes in the angle of the loading platform 2 can be easily recognized. Furthermore, since the loading platform 2 moves while the angle of the marker lens 21 changes during the course of the change in posture of the loading platform, it is easy to recognize that the loading platform is moving based on the lighting state of the flashers.

[0035] When loading or unloading vehicles, the cargo truck 1 changes the position of the cargo bed 2 to a grounded position, but when in the grounded position, the tail lamps (not shown) are covered by the cargo bed 2 and the cargo truck shrine gate 10, reducing the visibility of the tail lamps from behind the vehicle. During such work, even if the flashers 20 are flashed with hazard lights, the tail lamps cannot be seen from behind the vehicle, making it difficult to confirm the lighting status. Therefore, by providing the freight truck torii 10 according to the present invention, it becomes possible to check the hazard lights from behind even if the tail lamps are covered by the loading platform 2.

[0036] Furthermore, due to the above-described structure, the flasher 20 is surrounded by the protectors 13L and 13R. Therefore, even if the flasher 20 appears to overlap with another light source, i.e., if the flasher 20 is backlit, the protectors 13L and 13R separate the flasher 20 from the backlit light source, making it easy to check the light emission state of the flasher 20.

[0037] <Modification> A modified example will be described with reference to FIGS. In the embodiment, the shape of the marker lens 21 is formed so that the side is long and the rear is short, but the shape of the marker lens is not limited to this in the application of the present invention. For example, the side and rear sides may be formed longer than in the embodiment, as in the marker lens 24R shown in Figures 8 and 9. In this case, the lamp 22R can illuminate the entire area of ​​the marker lens by directing the center of the area that can be irradiated with light diagonally rearward of the truck 1. Furthermore, two or more lamps 22L and 22R may be provided on one side, and in such a case, it is possible to suppress the change in brightness depending on the direction, and further improve visibility. The use of the marker lens 24R, which has a longer rear portion, improves the visibility of the illuminated flashers 20 from behind the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 10(b), the marker lens 24L provided on the left side has a shape symmetrical to the marker lens 24R shown in FIG.

[0038] (Other variations) In the embodiment, the freight vehicle 1 is provided with a loading platform 2 for transporting the vehicle, but the application of the present invention is not limited to such a freight vehicle 1. In other words, the same effect can be achieved even if the torii gate 10 for freight vehicles according to the present invention is applied to freight vehicles with non-movable beds 2, dump trucks in which only the angle of the bed 2 is variable, etc.

[0039] In the embodiment, the marker lens 21 of the flasher 20 has a shape in which the side is long in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and the rear is long in the lateral direction, but the shape of the marker lens 21 can be changed in application of the present invention. For example, the side may be triangular in shape, narrowing toward the rear of the vehicle, and the back may be triangular in shape, narrowing toward the outside in the vehicle width direction, with the narrowed portions of the side and back connected to each other. Even with this shape, by providing the marker lens 21 so that it is substantially flush with or embedded in the protectors 13L and 13R, it is possible to reduce the risk of the flasher 20 coming into contact with roadside trees while maintaining visibility. In addition, even with this shape, changes in the position of the loading platform 2 can be easily recognized.

[0040] In the embodiment, the marker lens 21 was arranged so as to be approximately flush with the surfaces of the protectors 13L and 13R, but in the application of the present invention, the marker lens 21 may be arranged so as to be embedded to the extent that a step is formed between the marker lens 21 and the surfaces of the protectors 13L and 13R. In this case, the protectors 13L and 13R can more easily protect the marker lens 21, and the flasher 20 is less likely to come into contact with the branches of roadside trees or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1...Freight vehicle, 10...Signal gate for freight vehicle, 11L, 11R...Side frame, 12...Upper frame, 13L, 13R...Protector, 20L, 20R...Flasher, 21L, 21R, 24L, 24R...Marker lens, 22L, 22R...Lamp

Claims

1. A torii gate for a freight vehicle is a structure provided at the front end of the loading platform of the freight vehicle, having pillar portions extending upward from the right and left ends of the loading platform and beam portions connecting the upper portions of the pillar portions, and is provided at the upper portions of the pillar portions with a light source device that can be turned on in conjunction with the turn signals of the freight vehicle, The light source device includes a protector that covers the light source device itself, A torii gate for freight vehicles is characterized in that the protector is provided with a marker lens that is approximately flush with the surface of the protector or embedded in the protector, at least from the outside in the vehicle width direction to a position facing the rear of the vehicle.

2. The torii gate for a freight vehicle as described in claim 1, characterized in that the protector has a surface on the outer side of the vehicle width that is approximately parallel to the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and a surface on the rear side of the vehicle that is approximately parallel to the vehicle width direction.

3. 2. The torii gate for a freight vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the marker lens has a horizontal length longer than a vertical width.

4. 4. The torii gate for a freight vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the marker lens is provided in the vertical center portion of the surface of the protector on which the marker lens is located.

5. 2. The torii gate for a freight vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the light source device is provided on the right side and the left side of the vehicle.

6. A freight vehicle comprising the torii gate for freight vehicles according to claim 1.

7. 7. The truck according to claim 6, wherein the platform is provided with a posture change mechanism.

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