Truck bed side panels and trucks

Abstract

This invention provides tailgates for wing-type vehicles and other similar vehicles that have an insulated structure, and that can be used without significant design changes from existing structures. [Solution] A tailgate is provided in which a middle rail is fixed in a planar manner between a bottom rail and a top rail, with both ends of each rail in the width direction connected, the middle rail having an insulating panel and a pair of joint members provided at both ends of the insulating panel in the width direction, having a length along the ends of the other rails to be connected, and being connectable to the ends, the joint members comprising a web plate portion formed along the length direction in the middle of the width direction, a connecting portion provided on one side of the web plate portion and being connectable to the ends of the other rails to be connected, and a fitting portion provided on the side of the web plate portion opposite to the connecting portion and having a groove portion that holds the end of the insulating panel in a fitted state.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a swing gate provided on a truck bed and a truck equipped with the swing gate.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] A swing gate provided on a truck bed is generally configured as a single panel by combining a plurality of rails made of hollow extruded aluminum profiles in the width direction, and is rotatably provided on both sides and the like of the truck bed via hinge members.

[0003] As such a swing gate, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure configured as a single panel by connecting a bottom rail rotatably attached to the floor of a cargo bed of a wing vehicle or the like, a middle rail thereon, and a top rail at the uppermost end in a state where both widthwise end portions of each rail are fitted to each other. Each of these rails is formed of an extruded aluminum profile. The tip of an openable and closable wing is superimposed on the top rail.

[0004] By the way, when a truck is equipped with a refrigerator such as a refrigerated vehicle or a freezer vehicle, a swing gate having a heat insulating structure is used. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a structure in which an intermediate heat insulating panel is integrally coupled between an upper swing gate constituent member and a lower swing gate constituent member made of hollow extruded aluminum profiles. As the intermediate heat insulating panel, a panel is used in which a heat insulating material such as foamed polyurethane or foamed phenolic resin is filled between two aluminum surface plates arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval. In this swing gate, a pair of overhanging wall portions arranged on both side surfaces of the intermediate heat insulating panel are integrally formed at the ends of the upper and lower swing gate constituent members, the intermediate heat insulating panel is fitted between the overhanging wall portions, and is fixed to each swing gate constituent member by rivets. Further, connecting bolts are provided which penetrate the upper and lower swing gate constituent members and the intermediate heat insulating panel in the vertical direction, and the three members are integrally connected and fixed by the connecting bolts. Furthermore, lashing rails are attached to the upper tailgate components.

[0005] Furthermore, as a side panel intended for weight reduction rather than heat insulation, Patent Document 3 discloses a side panel in which an intermediate member is provided between an upper and lower molded member, wherein the intermediate member is a composite panel made by integrating a core material of synthetic resin foam between a pair of plates, and this intermediate member is placed between the upper and lower molded members and fixed together by bolts that pass through them vertically. In this type of tailgate, the entire tailgate is constructed from a single integrated component, which consists of both the upper and lower molded parts and an intermediate member. The presence of synthetic resin foam in the intermediate member is assumed to provide thermal insulation.

[0006] Patent Document 4 also discloses a structure in which, although for the purpose of weight reduction, an upper mold member and a lower mold member are fitted to the upper and lower ends of a tailgate body formed by bonding and integrating reinforced plastic plates to the front and back surfaces of a core material made of rigid foamed plastic plate, and these are fixed to a connecting body with bolts that penetrate in the vertical direction. In this case as well, the entire tailgate is constructed from a single integrated tailgate component, which consists of both the upper and lower molded members and the tailgate panel itself. This tailgate is also assumed to have thermal insulation properties due to being made of rigid foamed plastic. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-073553 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-159152 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 56-135369 [Patent Document 4] Publication number 7-14133 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] Trucks with side panels as described in Patent Document 1 are also required to have an insulating structure as described in Patent Documents 2-4 in order to be compatible with refrigerated trucks, but it is difficult to directly apply the insulating structure of the side panels described in Patent Documents 2-4. On the other hand, if the structure of the side panels themselves is changed to the structure of the side panels described in Patent Documents 2-4, the internal dimensions of the cargo bed and the engagement structure with the wings will also have to be changed, forcing a major design change.

[0009] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a tailgate for wing vehicles and the like that has a heat insulating structure and can be used without significant design changes from existing structures. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The truck bed side panel of the present invention is a side panel in which a middle rail is fixed in a planar manner between the bottom rail and the top rail, with both ends of each rail in the width direction connected. The middle rail comprises an insulating panel and a set of joint members provided at both ends of the insulating panel in the width direction, having a length along the ends of other rails to which it is connected, and capable of being joined to those ends. The joint member comprises a web plate portion formed along the length direction in the middle of the width direction, a connecting portion provided on one side of the web plate portion and connectable to the end of the other rail to be connected, and a fitting portion provided on the side of the web plate portion opposite to the connecting portion and having a groove for holding the end of the heat insulating panel in a fitted state.

[0011] This tailgate has a middle rail constructed by fixing joint members, which have connecting parts that can be connected to the ends of the top rail and bottom rail, to both ends in the width direction of the insulation panel. Therefore, this middle rail can be fixed in a connected state to the bottom rail and top rail by the joint members. Thus, the truck bed can be insulated by having this insulation panel. Furthermore, existing structures (for example, those described in Patent Document 1) can be applied to the bottom rail and top rail while the middle rail has an insulation structure.

[0012] In the truck bed tailgate of the present invention, it is preferable that the connecting portion of the joint member, the bottom rail, and the top rail each have a spring hook portion formed at the tip of an elastic piece extending from one rail, and a fixing hook portion provided on the other rail that can engage with the spring hook portion when the two rails are brought together.

[0013] When connecting each rail, the spring hook portion and the fixing hook portion at the tip of the elastic piece engage, allowing connection without the use of fasteners such as screws. Therefore, even when separate fasteners are used, these hook portions can maintain the connected state, making the connection and fixing work easier.

[0014] In the truck bed side panel of the present invention, it is preferable that the end of the heat insulating panel of the middle rail is fixed to the fitting portion of the joint member with an adhesive.

[0015] By using adhesive for fastening, there is no need to use screws or other fasteners, and the formation of protrusions on the outer surface that would occur with the use of screws is suppressed, making it possible to maximize the use of the cargo bed dimensions.

[0016] In the tailgate for a truck bed of the present invention, the fitting portion has a pair of surface plate portions arranged to face each other via the groove portion, and on the inner surface of the surface plate portion, a protruding portion that abuts against the surface of the heat insulating panel disposed in the groove portion is formed, and the protruding portion separates the surface of the heat insulating panel from the inner surface of the surface plate portion, and an adhesive reservoir portion is preferably formed therebetween.

[0017] The adhesive reservoir portion retains a sufficient amount of adhesive between the heat insulating panel and the surface plate portion, whereby these can be firmly fixed.

[0018] In this case, the protruding portion is preferably formed in a rib shape along the length direction of the joint member. By forming the protruding portion in a rib shape along the length direction, the adhesive does not leak out from the surface plate portion, and a tailgate with good appearance design can be provided.

[0019] In the tailgate for a truck bed of the present invention, the middle rail may have a through bolt that penetrates the heat insulating panel and the web plate portions of the joint members disposed at both ends in the width direction of the heat insulating panel in the width direction of the heat insulating panel to fasten them together.

[0020] Although the heat insulating panel and the joint member are fixed by an adhesive, by fastening them with the through bolt, they will not come off even if a large external force is applied during attachment and detachment of each rail, and the shape as the middle rail can be maintained.

[0021] In the tailgate for a truck bed of the present invention, by bringing the connecting portion of the joint member, the bottom rail and the top rail into a connected state, a space portion is formed along the length direction, and a heat insulating member is preferably provided in the space portion in an inserted state.

[0022] Apart from the heat insulating panel, by utilizing the space portion of the rail and providing the heat insulating member also in the space portion, the heat insulating performance can be further enhanced.

[0023] In the tilt gate for a truck bed of the present invention, the bottom rail and the top rail each have a hollow portion formed along the longitudinal direction, and a heat insulating member is preferably provided in the hollow portion in an inserted state.

[0024] As these bottom rail and top rail, rails formed by ordinary extrusion molding of aluminum material can be applied. By providing the heat insulating member in the hollow portion formed in the longitudinal direction in an inserted state, the heat insulating performance can be further improved.

[0025] In the tilt gate for a truck bed of the present invention, a lashing rail is preferably provided on one surface of the top rail along the longitudinal direction. The lashing rail facilitates fixing of cargo on the truck bed and the like.

[0026] The truck of the present invention is provided with a refrigerator for cooling the space above the truck bed, and the tilt gate is attached to a side portion of the truck bed. Since the middle rail is provided with the heat insulating panel, a truck such as a refrigerated truck can be configured to have a heat insulating structure. Moreover, only by replacing the conventional middle rail of the tilt gate with the structure of the present invention, the bottom rail and the top rail can be used as they are, and significant design changes and the like for the truck are no longer required. Effects of the Invention

[0027] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a tilt gate which has a heat insulating structure for a tilt gate of a wing vehicle or the like and which can be used without significant design changes from the existing structure. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0028] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the truck of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a front view showing one embodiment of the tilt gate attached to the truck bed of the truck of Fig. 1. [Figure 3] It is a top view of the tilt gate of Fig. 2. [Figure 4]Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section of the tilt panel. [Figure 5] This is an enlarged view of the area enclosed by the dashed line A in Figure 4. [Figure 6] This is an enlarged view of the area enclosed by the dashed line B in Figure 4. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional perspective view of the main part of the tailgate. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional perspective view of the through-bolt section of the tailgate. [Figure 9] Figure 4 is an exploded view of the tailgate. [Figure 10] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the main part showing the state with insulation material inserted into the hollow part of the tailgate. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0029] Hereinafter, embodiments of the truck bed tailgate and a truck equipped with this tailgate according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0030] Figure 1 shows an example of a truck belonging to the wing vehicle category. This truck 1 has a box-shaped upper section to its cargo bed 2, and includes a front wall 3 forming the front end, a rear wall 4 forming the rear end, a ceiling beam 5 connecting these, a fixed side wall panel 6 forming the right half of the ceiling and the right side continuous therewith from the ceiling beam 5 in Figure 1, an openable tailgate 7 forming the lower half of the left side, and an openable L-shaped wing 8 forming the upper half of the left side and the left half of the ceiling from the top of the tailgate 7 to the ceiling beam 5. The rear wall 4 is configured to have a pair of double doors 10 that can be opened and closed like double doors within a rectangular rear frame 9. Furthermore, a refrigerator 20 is installed on the front wall 3 to cool the space above the cargo bed 2. In the example shown in Figure 1, the tailgate 7 is provided in two sections, front and rear, along the entire length of the cargo bed 2, and can be opened and closed independently.

[0031] As shown in Figures 2-4, the tailgate 7 is constructed as a single panel by integrating a bottom rail 11, a middle rail 12, and a top rail 13, each formed in a strip shape with, for example, half the length of the cargo bed 2, into a planar shape by connecting their widthwise ends to each other. Of these rails 11-13, the bottom rail 11 and the top rail 13 are both formed from extruded aluminum profiles.

[0032] Furthermore, a hinge member 15 is attached to the lower end of the bottom rail 11 of the tailgate 7 to rotatably support the tailgate 7 on the floor of the cargo bed 2. The entire tailgate 7 can be opened and closed between a position where it is erected vertically on the side of the cargo bed 2 as shown in Figure 1, and a position where it is tilted from the side, as indicated by the arrows in Figures 1 and 4, with the top rail 13 facing downwards. In addition, in the erected position shown in Figure 1, the lower end of the wing 8 is superimposed on the outside of the upper end of the top rail 13.

[0033] As mentioned above, the bottom rail 11 of this tailgate 7 is formed from an extruded aluminum profile and, as shown in Figures 4 and 7, is formed as a hollow, integrated shape with the outer wall portion 21 and the inner wall portion 22 interconnected by a plurality of connecting plate portions 23. The lower end of this bottom rail 11 is in a state where the outer wall portion 21 and the inner wall portion 22 protrude, and a hinge member 15 is fixed to the lower end by a bolt 16. The bolt 16 is housed in the space between the outer wall portion 21 and the inner wall portion 22.

[0034] The top rail 13, like the bottom rail 11, is formed from an extruded aluminum profile and is a hollow, integrated shape with multiple connecting plates 26 connecting the outer wall portion 24 and the inner wall portion 25. In the case of this top rail 13, since it forms the upper end of the side panel 7, a rectangular tubular portion 27 is integrally formed at the upper end, resulting in a closed upper end structure. Furthermore, the upper end is designed to engage with the tip of the wing 8, and an engaging recess 28 is formed on the outer surface, recessed inward from the outer surface of the other parts. In addition, a groove 29 is formed along the length direction in the center of the width direction on the inner surface, and a lashing rail 30 is provided along the length direction within this groove 29, with a row of holes for hooking and securing lashing belts and the like.

[0035] The middle rail 12 is composed of an insulating panel 41 and a pair of joint members 42 and 43 that can engage with the bottom rail 11 and the top rail 13. The insulation panel 41 has a sandwich structure in which a surface plate 45 made of aluminum or the like is fixed to both sides of an insulation board 44 made of foamed resin such as expanded polystyrene or expanded urethane. Joint members 42 and 43 are fixed to both ends of the insulation panel 41 in the width direction. Furthermore, a protective plate (or decorative plate) 46 is attached to the surface of the insulation panel 41, which forms the outer surface of the tailgate 7.

[0036] The joint members 42 and 43 are formed from extruded aluminum profiles and include a web plate portion 47 along the length direction, connecting portions 48A and 48B provided on one side of the web plate portion 47 and connectable to the ends of the other rails 11 and 13 to be connected, and fitting portions 50A and 50B provided on the side of the web plate portion 47 opposite to the connecting portions 48A and 48B and having grooves 49 that hold the ends of the heat insulating panel 41 in a fitted state.

[0037] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the detailed structure of the joint members 42 and 43 is provided, with the web plate portion 47 extending in the longitudinal and thickness directions of the joint members 42 and 43. The fitting portions 50A and 50B are constructed by integrally providing a pair of substantially plate-shaped surface plate portions 61 on one side of the web plate portion 47, along a direction perpendicular to the plane direction of the web plate portion 47.

[0038] In these surface plate portions 61, the tip on the inner surface (opposing surface of both surface plate portions 61) is formed thicker than the other parts, thereby forming an inwardly protruding projection 62. In this case, since the joint members 42 and 43 are formed from extruded aluminum profiles, the projection 62 is formed in a rib shape along the length direction of the joint members 42 and 43. As this projection 62 is formed on the inner surface of the tip, when the insulation panel 41 is fitted between the surface plate portions 61, the inner surface of the surface plate portion 61 and the outer surface of the insulation panel 41 are separated, and a gap 63, which will become an adhesive reservoir as described later, is formed between them. Because the projection 62 is formed in a rib shape along the length direction, this gap (adhesive reservoir) 63 is a gap that communicates only in the length direction.

[0039] Each connecting section 48A and 48B is integrally provided with a pair of abutting sections 65 and 66 that abut against the other rails (bottom rail 11 and top rail 13) to be connected, and a pair of hook sections 67 and 68 that engage with the other rails when they abut against each other. Each pair of abutment portions 65 and 66 consists of an abutment portion 65 formed in the shape of a V groove at the tip of a side plate portion 69 that protrudes in the connecting direction (the width direction of the rail), and a wedge-shaped abutment portion 66 that does not protrude as much as the side plate portion 69 but faces the connecting direction near the web plate portion 47, and is arranged on each side of the web plate portion 47.

[0040] The hook portions 67 and 68 consist of a spring hook portion 67 formed at the tip of an elastic piece 70 that protrudes in the connecting direction (the width direction of the rail), and a fixed hook portion 68 provided near the web plate portion 47, and are provided on the web plate portion 47 inside the abutment portions 65 and 66. In the example shown in Figures 5 and 6, the spring hook portion 67 is positioned inside the wedge-shaped abutment portion 66, and the fixed hook portion 68 is positioned inside the side plate portion 69.

[0041] Furthermore, the wedge-shaped abutment portion 66 and the spring hook portion 67 are positioned close to one side of the web plate portion 47, while the side plate portion 69 and the fixing hook portion 68 are positioned close to the other side of the web plate portion 47. As a result, a groove-shaped space 71 is formed between the inwardly positioned spring hook portion 67 and the fixing hook portion 68, along the longitudinal direction of the joint members 42 and 43.

[0042] Furthermore, in the connecting portions 48A and 48B of the two joint members 42 and 43, the abutting portions 65 and 66 and the hook portions 67 and 68 are arranged so that the left and right sides are reversed on both joint members 42 and 43. Specifically, at the connecting portion 48A of one joint member (a joint member connected to the bottom rail 11: referred to as the lower joint member) 42, a wedge-shaped abutment portion 66 is positioned on the outer surface side of the tailgate 7, and an abutment portion 65 having a side plate portion 69 is positioned on the inner surface side of the tailgate 7. At the connecting portion 48B of the other joint member (a joint member connected to the top rail 13: referred to as the upper joint member) 43, an abutment portion 65 having a side plate portion 69 is positioned on the outer surface side of the tailgate 7, and a wedge-shaped abutment portion 66 is positioned on the inner surface side of the tailgate 7. In both the hook portions 67 and 68, a fixed hook portion 68 is positioned inside the abutment portion 65 having a side plate portion 69, and a spring hook portion 67 having an elastic piece 70 is positioned inside the wedge-shaped abutment portion 66. In other words, the two joint members 42 and 43 are formed in a shape and positional relationship that allows them to engage with each other by connecting their connecting portions 48A and 48B.

[0043] Furthermore, in both joint members 42 and 43, the portion located on the outer surface side of the tailgate 7, that is, in the lower joint member 42, the surface on the side where the wedge-shaped abutment portion 66 is located is formed such that the abutment portion 66 and the surface of the surface plate portion 61 are almost flush, and in the upper joint member 43, the surface of the side plate portion 69 and the surface of the surface plate portion 61 are formed to be almost flush.

[0044] Then, these joint members 42, 43 and the insulation panel 41 are fixed together by fitting the end of the insulation panel 41 between the two surface plate portions 61 of the fitting portions 50A, 50B, and by injecting adhesive into the aforementioned gap portion (adhesive reservoir portion) 63, thereby assembling them as a middle rail 12. Therefore, each joint member 42, 43 and the insulation panel 41 can be assembled together without using fasteners such as screws.

[0045] When fasteners such as screws are used, protrusions may be formed on the outer surface, but since there are no fasteners such as screws, the formation of such protrusions is suppressed, and the dimensions of the loading platform can be utilized to the fullest extent. Moreover, the void (adhesive reservoir) 63 holds a sufficient amount of adhesive between the insulation panel 41 and the surface plate 61, allowing them to be firmly bonded together. The protrusions 62 for forming this void (adhesive reservoir) 63 are formed in a rib shape and are formed along the longitudinal direction of the joint members 42 and 43, so that the adhesive does not leak from the surface plate 61, and a tailgate with a good appearance can be provided.

[0046] In this embodiment, bolts 72 are provided at multiple locations along the length of the middle rail 12, as shown by the dashed lines in Figure 1 and in Figure 8, passing through the web plate portion 47 of the joint members 42 and 43 and the heat insulation panel 41 in the width direction. Nut members 73 are attached to the ends of the bolts, thereby fastening the joint members 42 and 43 and the heat insulation panel 41, which are fixed together with adhesive, by the bolts 72. In addition to being fixed with adhesive, it is also fastened with through bolts 72, so it will not come off even if a large external force is applied, and the shape of the middle rail 12 can be maintained.

[0047] On the other hand, the ends of the other rails 11 and 13 connected to the connecting portions 48A and 48B of the joint members 42 and 43 also have connecting portions 48A and 48B formed thereon, similar to the joint members 42 and 43, with abutment portions 65 and 66 and hook portions 67 and 68. The specific shapes of these connecting portions 48 and 48B are the same as those of the joint members 42 and 43, with the bottom rail 11 having a connecting portion 48B that corresponds to the connecting portion 48A of the lower joint member 42, and the top rail 13 having a connecting portion 48A that corresponds to the connecting portion 48B of the upper joint member 43. Therefore, in the figure, the connecting portions of the joint members 42 and 43 are indicated by reference numerals 48A(42) and 38B(43), the connecting portion of the bottom rail 11 is indicated by reference numeral 48B(11), and the connecting portion of the top rail 13 is indicated by reference numeral 48A(13).

[0048] The bottom rail 11's connecting portion 48B is positioned such that the abutment portion 65 with a side plate portion 69 faces the outer surface of the tailgate 7, and the wedge-shaped abutment portion 66 faces the inner surface of the tailgate 7. The top rail 13's connecting portion 48A is positioned such that the wedge-shaped abutment portion 66 faces the outer surface of the tailgate 7, and the abutment portion 65 with a side plate portion 69 faces the inner surface of the tailgate 7. The hook portions 67 and 68 both have a fixed hook portion 68 positioned inside the abutment portion 65 with a side plate portion 69, and a spring hook portion 67 positioned inside the wedge-shaped abutment portion 66.

[0049] As described above, in the connecting portions 48A and 48B, the abutting portions 65 and 66 and the hook portions 67 and 68 are arranged so that the left and right sides are reversed on both joint members 42 and 43, and by connecting the connecting portions 48A and 48B of the joint members 42 and 43, they are formed in a shape and positional relationship that allows them to engage with each other. Therefore, the connecting portion 48B of the bottom rail 11 can be connected to the connecting portion 48A of the lower joint member 42, and the connecting portion 48A of the top rail 13 can be connected to the connecting portion 48B of the upper joint member 43.

[0050] In this connected state, the wedge-shaped abutment portion 66 abuts against the V-groove-shaped abutment portion 65, and the spring hook portion 67 is locked into the fixed hook portion 68. In this connected state, the portion positioned on the outer surface side of the tailgate 7 is formed to be a flat surface. Specifically, the abutment portion 65 of the side plate portion 69 of the bottom rail 11 and the wedge-shaped abutment portion 66 of the lower joint member 42 abut against each other, so that their outer surfaces are almost flush, and the wedge-shaped abutment portion 66 of the top rail 13 abuts against the abutment portion 65 of the side plate portion 69 of the upper joint member 43 abuts against each other, so that their outer surfaces are almost flush. Therefore, the surfaces positioned on the outer surface of these tailgates 7, namely the outer surface of the bottom rail 11 and the outer surface of the lower joint member 42, the outer surface of the upper joint member 43 and the outer surface of the top rail 13, are formed as substantially flat surfaces, except for slight irregularities that are formed for aesthetic purposes.

[0051] Furthermore, frame members 75 are provided at both ends of the tailgate 7 in the longitudinal direction to integrally hold each rail 11 to 13. In addition, in the example shown in the figure, fasteners 77 that can engage with locking pieces (not shown) provided on the support columns 76 of the cargo bed 2 of the truck 1 are fixed to both ends of the integrally structured tailgate 7. The dimensions of each rail 11-13 are not particularly limited, but each rail 11-13 is said to be 4m-10m in length, 60cm-100cm in width, and 30mm-35mm in thickness.

[0052] The tailgate 7 configured in this way is assembled by separately manufacturing the bottom rail 11, middle rail 12, and top rail 13, and then connecting them in the width direction as shown by the arrows in Figure 9 and integrating them with the frame member 75. During this connection operation, as the rails 11 to 13 are brought closer together, the abutting portions 65 and 66 come into contact, and the elastic piece 70 of the spring hook portion 67 elastically deforms and engages with the other fixing hook portion 68, thereby connecting each of the rails 11 to 13.

[0053] In this way, when connecting each rail 11 to 13, the spring hook portion 67 and the fixing hook portion 68 at the tip of the elastic piece 70 engage with each other, so they can be connected without using fasteners such as screws, making the connection work easy, and there are no protruding parts on the outer surface due to screws, etc., and the outer surfaces of the joint members 42, 43 and the bottom rail 11 and top rail 13 are formed into a nearly flush flat surface, exhibiting an aesthetically superior appearance. Then, after integrating these rails 11 to 13 with the frame member 75, the hinge member 15 of the bottom rail 11 is fixed to the cargo bed 2 of the truck 1, thereby attaching it to the truck 1 as shown in Figure 1.

[0054] This tailgate 7 has an insulating panel 41 on the middle rail 12, which provides excellent insulation for the truck 1 equipped with the refrigeration unit 20. Since the middle rail 12 is constructed by fixing joint members 42 and 43, which have connecting parts that can be connected to the ends of the bottom rail 11 and top rail 13, to both ends in the width direction of the heat insulating panel 41, it is possible to apply existing structures such as those described in Patent Document 1 to the middle rail 12 of this heat insulating structure.

[0055] Furthermore, between the connecting portions 48A and 48B of each rail 11 to 13, the inner space 71 of the aforementioned hook portions 67 and 68 is closed at the top or bottom. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, it is possible to insert and hold a rectangular prism-shaped heat insulating member 81 in this space 71, thereby improving heat insulation. Furthermore, since the bottom rail 11 and top rail 13 are formed from extruded aluminum profiles, the bottom rail 11 has a hollow section 82 partitioned by a connecting plate 23 between the outer wall section 21 and the inner wall section 22, and the top rail 13 also has a hollow section 83 partitioned by a connecting plate 26 between the outer wall section 24 and the inner wall section 25. These hollow sections 82 and 83 are connected only in the longitudinal direction of each rail 11 and 13, and as shown in Figure 10, the thermal insulation can be further improved by inserting columnar thermal insulation members 84 into these hollow sections 82 and 83.

[0056] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in this embodiment, the tailgate of the present invention was applied to a wing vehicle that opens one side of the truck bed, but it can also be applied to both sides of a double-wing type vehicle that opens both sides of the truck bed. Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied to trucks other than wing-body trucks when tailgates are provided. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 1 Track 2. Cargo bed 6. Side wall panels 7 Aori 8 Wing 11 Bottom Rail 12 Middle Rail 13 Top Rail 15. Hinge component 20 Refrigeration units 21,24 Exterior wall 22,25 Interior wall section 23,26 Connecting plate part 27 Square tubular part 28 Engagement recess 29 Groove 30 Lashing Rails 41 Insulation Panel 42 Lower joint member 43 Upper joint member 44 Insulation board 45 Surface plate 46 Protective plate 47 Web Board Section 48,48A,48B connection part 49 Groove 50A,50B mating part 61 Surface plate section 62 Protrusion 63. Void area (adhesive accumulation area) 65, 66 Buttocks 67 Spring hook section 68 Fixing hook section 69 Side plate part 70 Elastic pieces 71 Space section 73 Nut component 75 Frame members 81,84 Insulation material 82,83 Hollow part

Claims

1. A tailgate is formed in which a middle rail is fixed in a planar manner between the bottom rail and the top rail, with both ends of each rail in the width direction connected. The middle rail comprises an insulating panel and a set of joint members provided at both ends of the insulating panel in the width direction, having a length along the ends of other rails to which it is connected, and capable of being joined to those ends. The joint member is characterized by comprising: a web plate portion formed along the length direction in the middle of the width direction; a connecting portion provided on one side of the web plate portion and connectable to the end of the other rail to be connected; and a fitting portion provided on the side of the web plate portion opposite to the connecting portion and having a groove for holding the end of the heat insulating panel in a fitted state.

2. The truck bed tailgate according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting portion of the joint member, the bottom rail, and the top rail are provided with a spring hook portion formed at the tip of an elastic piece extending from one rail, and a fixing hook portion provided on the other rail that can engage with the spring hook portion when the two rails are brought together.

3. The truck bed tailgate according to claim 1, characterized in that the middle rail has an end of the heat insulating panel fixed to the fitting portion of the joint member with adhesive.

4. The truck bed tailgate according to claim 1, wherein the fitting portion has a pair of surface plate portions arranged opposite to each other via the groove portion, and a projection is formed on the inner surface of the surface plate portions that abuts against the surface of the heat insulating panel placed in the groove portion, and the projection separates the surface of the heat insulating panel from the inner surface of the surface plate portion, and an adhesive reservoir is formed between them.

5. The truck bed tailgate according to claim 4, characterized in that the projection is formed in a rib shape along the length direction of the joint member.

6. The truck bed tailgate according to claim 1, characterized in that the middle rail has through bolts that fasten the heat insulating panel and the web plate portion of the joint member arranged at both ends in the width direction of the heat insulating panel by inserting them through the width direction of the heat insulating panel.

7. The truck bed tailgate according to claim 1, characterized in that a space is formed along the longitudinal direction between the connecting portion of the joint member and the bottom rail and the top rail by connecting them, and a heat insulating member is provided in an inserted state in the space.

8. The truck bed tailgate according to claim 1, characterized in that the bottom rail and the top rail have hollow portions formed along their length, and a heat insulating member is provided inserted into the hollow portion.

9. The truck bed tailgate according to claim 1, characterized in that a lashing rail is provided along the length direction on one side of the top rail.

10. A truck equipped with a tailgate for a truck bed as described in claim 1, characterized in that it is equipped with a refrigeration unit for cooling the space on the cargo bed, and the tailgate is attached to the side of the cargo bed.

Images