WO2008147317A1

WO2008147317A1 - Front fender for truck

Info

Publication number: WO2008147317A1
Application number: PCT/SE2008/050617
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Norman
Original assignee: Nxt Concept
Priority date: 2007-05-28
Filing date: 2008-05-26
Publication date: 2008-12-04
Also published as: SE530177C2; SE0701272L

Abstract

A front fender (1) with a lower weight than prior known front fenders, having a construction that absorbs energy from displaced load at collision in an efficient way. The front fender is especially suitable for trucks adapted for a certain transport purpose, e.g. transportation of timber, without having a subframe arranged on the chassis of the truck.

Description

International application No. PCT/SE2008/050617 National application No: 0701272-7

Title: Front fender for truck

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention refers to front fender constructions designed for load protection for trucks and similar vehicles .

PRIOR ART

To prevent load from penetrating the driver's compartment at collision, trucks and similar vehicles are often equipped with a load protection, a so called front fender. This type of truck may also be used as traction vehicles for heavy trailers. Traditionally a front fender has been constructed with a load-bearing frame, on which a relatively thick sheet metal is mounted. Known front fenders thereby have a relatively heavy weight. A front fender for truck is typically intended to be mounted on a subframe, which in turn is mounted on a truck chassis at a bodybuilding company. Another usually occurring concept is a support frame. As an example, a timber truck is mentioned, where a truck from a vehicle distributor is combined with a subframe, which is arranged on the two longitudinal beams of the truck and its transverse beams . Front fender, timber bank brackets and other equipment are mounted on the truck following the arrangement of the subframe on the truck. Prior known front fenders are generally both produced and assembled at an engineering workshop. At the engineering workshop the truck is adapted for a special transport purpose, e.g. for transport of timber. A problem with the known front fenders is that they have a relatively heavy weight, which reduces the possible payload. Prior known front fenders typically have one single major sheet metal part, which forms the covering surface of the front fender. Such a sheet metal part is mounted on a frame work of beams. Energy absorption of load displaced against the front fender at collision is made of traditionally designed beams on which a covering sheet metal is mounted. Another problem is that known front fenders are adapted to be mounted on a truck on which a subframe is arranged which in itself has a relatively heavy weight, which reduces the possible payload.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An aim with present invention is to solve the above mentioned problems. An object of the invention is to provide a front fender with lower weight than prior known front fenders and which have a construction that absorbs energy for displaced load at collision in an efficient way. The front fender is especially suitable for trucks adapted for a certain transport purpose, e.g. for transport of timber, without having a subframe arranged on the chassis of the truck.

This object is accomplished by a front fender according to claim 1. Such a front fender includes at least two vertical beam resembling sections made of adjacent sheet metal parts, where at least one of the sheet metal parts at each beam resembling section has a bent edge section with the purpose of forming an energy absorbing zone together with an edge section of an adjacent sheet metal part. Accordingly, a front fender according to the invention does not have to be designed by using traditionally designed beams which have a relatively heavy weight. The major part of the sheet metal parts forms part of a covering surface of the front fender. An advantage with the invention is that it makes it possible to arrange the front fender directly on longitudinal beams on the truck chassis, without the need to mount a subframe, and the front fender may thereby be included as a module standing by itself in a system of modules intended to be mounted directly on a truck chassis delivered by a vehicle supplier.

A further advantage with the front fender is that it enables distribution to a relatively simply equipped mounting place, e.g. at a haulier, as it may be produced as a complete module adapted to a certain type of vehicle. Adaptation may be conducted at a production plant for distribution to a large number of varying mounting places, where the front fender may be attached with e.g. screw and nut on the frame of a truck delivered by a truck manufacturer.

The front fender has a lower weight than prior known front fenders, which increases the possible payload. The invention reduces the fuel consumption, and therby also the amount of emitted carbon dioxide, for a truck equipped with the front fender, compared to a truck of the same type equipped with an earlier known front fender. In particular the non-existent subframe contributes to the reduced fuel consumption, but also the lower weight of the front fender compared to prior known front fenders.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

The invention is explained in greater detail with reference to the accompanying figures, where Figure 1 shows an example of a front fender according to the invention arranged on two longitudinal beams on a truck chassis.

Figure 2 depicts a front fender seen from the side that is intended to be mounted facing against a driver's compartment .

Figure 3 is a side view of a front fender mounted on a truck chassis.

Figure 4 shows an example of an attachment element, which has two groups of holes with a hole pattern adjusted to the hole pattern of two groups of holes on one of the longitudinal beams of the truck. The holes in the longitudinal beams are often denominated module holes and are made by the vehicle supplier that produced the truck.

Figure 5 shows an example of a furthest away lying sheet metal part.

Figure 6 shows an example of a sheet metal part adapted to form part of a beamlike vertical element.

Figure 7 shows an example on a truck where a timber frame according to the invention is arranged directly on the chassis of the truck.

DESCRIPTION OF WORKING EXAMPLE

The front fender 1 is intended as load protection and includes a covering part 2 against which displaced load intends to be catched up. Front fender 1 is intended to be located on a truck chassis 3 behind the driver' s compartment. A front fender 1 according to the invention includes at least two sheet metal parts 4a, 4b, which are bent to form energy absorbing zones . The sheet metal parts typically have a length of 2600 - 2800 mm. The width is dependent on the number of sheet metal parts that forms the covering part 2 of the front fender 1. The energy absorbing zones may be compared to beam resembling construction elements 4a' , 4b' in a vertical direction compared to the ground level, when the front fender 1 is mounted on a truck. The beam resembling elements 4a', 4b' also have a stabilizing function of the front fender 1. An alternative term of the beam resembling elements 4a', 4b' is column profiles. The sheet metal parts 4a, 4b, in which at least part of the beam resembling elements are bent 4a' , 4b' also form a covering surface of the front fender 1. At least one sheet metal part at each beam resembling section has a bent edge, which forms part of the element. Example of profile of the first element 4a' is evident from figure 6. Other profiles are also possible. The profile of the second element 4b' is advantageously mirrored in relation to the first. In one embodiment, the beam resembling elements are extended along, to a great extent, the whole height of the side of the front fender that is intended to be mounted against the driver's compartment. At manufacturing of the front fender 1 the adjacent sheet metal parts are joined, typically with the aid of a known welding method.

To make the front fender 1 with a lower weight than prior known front fenders, the sheet metal parts 4a, 4b which form the beam resembling 4a', 4b', and part of the covering part of the front fender, are cut out of a relatively thin sheet metal in high-tensile steel. High- tensile steel is a term known to the person skilled in the art. By that it is made possible to have a relatively thin sheet metal. A suitable sheet metal thickness is 1.5 mm. But sheet metal of another thickness 1 - 2 mm is also suitable. A suitable sheet metal has the classification S1500. Sheet metal with similar material properties is also possible to use.

As the sheet metal thickness is relatively thin, it is an advantage if the covering part is formed from at least 4 sheet metal parts, including the sheet metal parts which form the beam resembling elements 4a' , 4b' , this to reduce oscillation tendencies of the sheet metal under operation of the truck. Oscillations may otherwise cause weakening of the material .

The edges of the two outer sheet metal parts 5a, 5b are according to one embodiment bent and shaped as two stiffening elements 5a' , 5b' . In figure 5 an example is shown of such a bent sheet metal part. An alternative term is side profiles. The two outer sheet metal parts 5a, 5b also form a covering part of the left and right side of the front fender 1, respectively, which is evident from figure 2. The thickness of the sheet metal and material in the outer sheet metal parts 4a, 4b is preferably of the same thickness as the sheet metal parts that forms the beam resembling elements .

According to one embodiment, the covering part of the front fender is made up of six sheet metal parts. The further sheet metal parts 7a, 7b may include bent edges to facilitate joining with adjacent sheet metal parts.

Front fender 1 includes in accordance with one embodiment an upper arm element 8 formed of bent sheet metal. The thicknesses of the sheet metal and material in the outer sheet metal parts are preferably the same as the thickness of the metal parts which form the beam resembling elements. An advantage with using the same sheet metal for, to a great extent, the whole front fender is that purchase, stock-keeping and handling of material are facilitated at manufacturing of the front fender.

The attaching elements 9a, 9b are advantageously formed as consoles and cut out from one sheet metal part. In figure 3 is illustrated a side view of such an element arranged on the covering part of the front fender. The contact surface of the attaching elements 9a, 9b against the lower part of the head body of the front fender 1 is advantageously L-shaped. Example of the profile of the attaching elements is evident from figure 4. Vehicle manufacturers deliver brand new trucks with module pattern tapped on the longitudinal beams of the chassis . From figure 4 it is evident that the lower part of the attaching element 9b includes two groups of holes 9b' , 9b' ' with a hole pattern that corresponds to a hole pattern of a group of holes on the side of one of the two longitudinal beams 10a, 10b of the truck. The second attaching element 9a includes corresponding groups of holes 9a' , 9b' ' . By those means the front fender 1 may be mounted with e.g. screws and nuts directly on the load bearing frame 3 of the truck. Any subframe or support frame is thereby not necessary. The two beam resembling elements 4a' , 4b' are each adapted to be positioned opposite the upper part of each attaching element. Accordingly, the beam resembling elements are intended to be positioned in a position directly above the longitudinal beams 10a, 10b on the truck chassis 3. The attaching elements may be delivered separately for mounting to the front fender. In one embodiment at least the lower part of the beam resembling elements 4a' , 4b' is arranged on an attaching element 12a, 12b that is positioned between each of the beam resembling elements 4a' , 4b' and the inner upper part of the attaching elements 9a, 9b. The attaching elements 9a, 9b are typically shaped of sheet metal, of other type than high- tensile sheet metal with good extension properties. This as high-tensile steel has material properties which makes yield point and flexural strength relatively close to each other. The upper part of the attaching elements 9a, 9b can be extended and bend when load strikes the covering part 2 of the front fender and energy is absorbed by the front fender 1.

The lower part of the covering part of the front fender may involve a longitudinal bend sheet metal element 11. Such a sheet bent metal element 11 extends from an outer edge to the second outer edge of the covering part of the front fender. The bent element 11 forms a stabilizing element intended to prevent the lower part of the covering part of the front fender to twist when displaced load strikes the front fender 1. The longitudinal bent sheet metal element 11 encloses, on that side that is intended to be turned against the driver's compartment, the beam resembling elements 4a' , 4b' . The sheet metal element is advantageously cut out of, or cut off, a sheet metal with a thickness of about 3 mm. The longitudinal sheet metal element is in this embodiment welded together with the lower part of the sheet metals in the covering part 2 of the front fender. The covering part 2 of the front fender 1 is advantageously shaped such that the side, that is intended to be turned against the load, is mainly plain, with exception for joints between the metal parts. The front fender 1 is advantageously shaped such that the beam resembling elements 4a' , 4b' are provided on that side that is intended to be turned against the driver's compartment .

A front fender 1 according to the invention is intended to be mounted on a heavy truck. Variants of the front fender in the shape of size and height, and variants of the attaching elements may occur where a variant is adapted to a certain model of truck.

Figure 7 shows an example of a truck where a front fender 1 is arranged directly on the chassis 3 of the truck. The truck in figure 7 is adapted for transport of timber. Two timber bank brackets 14, 15 are arranged on the two longitudinal beams 10a, 10b. A unit for rotational equipment is arranged on the back part of the two longitudinal beams 10a, 10b. A front fender 1 according to the invention may be used on trucks for other purposes than timber transports, the truck in figure 7 is therefore only an example of adaptation to a certain transport purpose.

The invention is not limited to the above described embodiments, but may be varied in many ways within the scope of the accompanying claims.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Front fender (1) for a truck, where the front fender functions as a load protection, characterized in that the front fender (1) includes at least two vertical beam resembling element (4a' , 4b' ), shaped of adjacent sheet metal parts, which mainly form part of a covering surface of the front fender (1) , where at least one sheet metal part (4a, 4b) at each beam resembling element (4a' , 4b' ) has a bent edge in the vertical direction of the front fender, and together with an edge section of an adjacent sheet metal part, the bent edge constitute of one of the vertical beam resembling elements (4a' , 4b' ) with the purpose of forming an energy absorbing zone.

2. Front fender (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the sheet metal parts are produced of high-tensile steel.

3. Front fender (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the front fender includes two attaching elements (9a, 9b) shaped for attachment to the two longitudinal beams (10a, 10b) of the traction vehicle, the attaching elements (9a, 9b) are each cut out in one piece, and the upper part of the attaching elements (9a, 9b) is provided with a welded joint on the lower part of the covering part (2) of the front fender (1) .

4. Front fender (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the lower part (9a, 9b) of each attaching element includes a front group (9b') and a rear group of holes (9b'') with a hole pattern that corresponds to a hole pattern of corresponding groups of holes on the side of the two longitudinal beams (10a, 10b) of the truck.

5. Front fender (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the attaching elements (9a, 9b) are made in one piece of a sheet metal thicker than the earlier mentioned sheet metal parts .

6. Front fender according to claim 3 or 5, characterized in that it includes a longitudinal bent sheet metal part (11) , which encloses the lower part of the covering part (2) of the front fender, and encloses the lower part of the beam resembling elements (4a' , 4b' ), whereby the longitudinal bent sheet metal part (11) forms a stabilizing element intended to prevent the lower part of the covering part (2) of the front fender to twist, when displaced load strikes the front fender.