GB1598383A

GB1598383A - Door for a vehicle more particularly an industrial motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB1598383A
Application number: GB2161378A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Fiat Veicoli Industriali SpA
Current assignee: Fiat Veicoli Industriali SpA
Priority date: 1977-07-15
Filing date: 1978-05-23
Publication date: 1981-09-16
Also published as: IT1083669B; DE2830192A1; FR2397300A1; FR2397300B1

Description

(54) A DOOR FOR A VEHICLE, MORE PARTICULARLY AN INDUSTRIAL MOTOR VEHICLE (71) We, FIAT VEICOLI INDUS TRIALI S.p.A., an Italian Joint Stock Company, of Via Puglia 35, Turin, Italy, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to doors for vehicles, more particularly industrial motor vehicles, the doors being hinged to the vehicle body and provided with means for locking them in the closed position.

Conventionally, the back doors of vans or the like have two leaves, each of which is hinged to a vertical edge of the door opening which is to be closed. When a door of this kind is opened or closed, its two leaves move through a position in which they project laterally from the body, thus considerably increasing the space taken up by the vehicle.

Furthermore, when the doors open or close, the operator must hold the two leaves in his hand and move a few steps, to prevent the door slamming dangerously.

The space taken up by the back door of the van during opening or closing is disadvantageous, particularly in town centres with narrow streets and considerable traffic.

Another disadvantage of the known doors is that the operator and the goods loaded or unloaded are exposed to the weather.

An object of the invention is to construct a door of the initially-described kind which takes up less space during opening and closing and can be operated easily, safely and rapidly.

To this end, according to the invention, the door comprises two leaves horizontally hinged together, the top leaf being hinged at the top to the body and connected to at least one lifting device which when the door is in the open position serves to retain the door in that position, whereas the bottom leaf bears the locking means.

In the preferred embodiment the lifting device is an oleodynamic device and, generally, the bottom end of the bottom leaf can run in a pair of lateral guides in the body. To this end, according to an optional feature, the bottom end of the bottom leaf bears two lateral rollers engaging in the guides.

The door according to the invention substantially comprises a single member made up of two leaves hinged together, and is opened vertically by bending back and superposing the two leaves, by means of the oleodynamic lifting devices connected thereto.

Other advantages and features of the invention will be clear from the following detailed description, given by way of nonlimitative example with reference to the accompany drawings in which: Figure 1 is a rear view of a van comprising a door according to the invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the van according to Figure 1, showing the door in the open position; Figure 3 is a larger-scale section along line III-III of Figure 1 illustrating the door according to the invention in the closed position and also in the open position (chain lines); Figure 4 is a larger-scale view of a detail IV in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a larger-scale view of a detail (V) in Figure 3; Figure 6 is a section along line VI-VI in Figure 5, and Figure 7 shows a system of rods along line VII-VII in Figure 6.

Figures 1 and 2 show a van 10 having a back door 12. Door 12 has a top leaf 14 and a bottom leaf 16, the leaves being horizontally connected by a hinge 18.

The top leaf 14 is secured by two top hinges 20 to a cross-member 22 forming part of the body of van 10.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the bottom end of the bottom leaf 16 bears two lateral rollers 24 which slide in a pair of lateral guides 26 in the vehicle body. Guides 26 have a U-cross-section and are secured to the vertical edges of the door opening.

Packing-strips for improved sealing are disposed round the periphery of door 12 and between the two leaves 14 and 16. In addition, the top leaf 14 bears a safety strip 30 at the bottom, in the space between leaves 14 and 16.

As shown in Figure 3, two stirrups 32 are secured to the sides of the top leaf 14. The free end of each stirrup 32 is secured to the piston rod 34 of an oleodynamic lifting device 60 of a known kind (not shown in detail). Device 36 is secured to the interior of the body of van 10.

As illustrated in Figures 5 and 7, the bottom leaf 16 bears locking means, i.e. a pair of outer rods 38 and a pair of inner rods 40. The inner pair 40 are jointed to a plate 42 which is keyed to the polygonal shank 44 of a handle 46 for externally actuating the internal rods 40. The pair of outer rods 38 are secured to a plate 48 having a lateral knob 50 for actuating the outer rods 38 from the interior of van 10.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the lateral ends of rods 38 and 40 fit into slots 52 formed in a plate 54 bearing a bolt 56. Bolt 56 engage in seats 58 in the vertical sides of the van door opening.

In order to open door 12, handle 46 or knob 50 is rotated through 90" so that bolts 56 come out of seats 58. Next, the bottom leaf 16 together with the top leaf 14 are raised, thus rotating the two lateral stirrups 32 around hinge 20 and progressively moving leaves 14 and 16 from the vertical aligned position to the horizontal position in which the leaves are superposed.

When the door 12 is in the resulting open position, the weight of leaves 14 and 16 is compensated by the pair of oleodynamic devices 36. In the open position, as illustrated in Figure 3, the axis of the pivot pin 60 of shank 32 of each device 36 is horizontally further to the exterior of the body than the axis of the corresponding lateral roller 24 (distance n.

Door 12 is closed by the opposite sequence of operations, devices 36 returning from an inclined position to a substantially horizontal position.

It can be seen from Figures 2 and 3 that when door 12 is open it forms a sort of roof, which is particularly useful for shelter from the weather during loading or unloading, not only for the operator but also for the goods conveyed by van 10.

Of course, without altering the principle of the invention, the constructional details and embodiments can be widely varied from those described and illustrated by way of non-limitative example, without thereby departing from the invention.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A door for a vehicle, the door being hinged to the vehicle body and provided with locking means for locking it in the closed position, the door being made up of two leaves horizontally hinged together, the top leaf being hinged at the top to the body and connected to at least one lifting device which when the door is in the open position serves to retain the door in that position, whereas the bottom leaf bears the locking means.

2. A door according to claim 1 in which the lifting device is an oleodynamic device.

3. A door according to claim 1, in which the bottom end of the bottom leaf can run in a pair of lateral guides in the body.

4. A door according to claim 3, in which the bottom end of the bottom leaf bears two lateral rollers engaging in the guides.

5. A door according to any of claims 1 to 4, in which the top leaf has two lateral stirrups joined to the respective lifting devices.

6. A door according to claim 5, in which when the door is in the open position, the axis of the pivot for the stirrup of each lifting device is horizontally further to the exterior of the body than the axis of the lateral roller.

7. A door according to any of the preceding claims, in which the locking means comprise a set of horizontally movable rods, bolts being mounted at the two lateral ends of the rod system and adapted to engage in seats in the vertical edges of the door-opening to be closed.

8. A door for a vehicle, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying draw ings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the bottom end of the bottom leaf 16 bears two lateral rollers 24 which slide in a pair of lateral guides 26 in the vehicle body. Guides 26 have a U-cross-section and are secured to the vertical edges of the door opening. Packing-strips for improved sealing are disposed round the periphery of door 12 and between the two leaves 14 and 16. In addition, the top leaf 14 bears a safety strip 30 at the bottom, in the space between leaves 14 and 16. As shown in Figure 3, two stirrups 32 are secured to the sides of the top leaf 14. The free end of each stirrup 32 is secured to the piston rod 34 of an oleodynamic lifting device 60 of a known kind (not shown in detail). Device 36 is secured to the interior of the body of van 10. As illustrated in Figures 5 and 7, the bottom leaf 16 bears locking means, i.e. a pair of outer rods 38 and a pair of inner rods 40. The inner pair 40 are jointed to a plate 42 which is keyed to the polygonal shank 44 of a handle 46 for externally actuating the internal rods 40. The pair of outer rods 38 are secured to a plate 48 having a lateral knob 50 for actuating the outer rods 38 from the interior of van 10. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the lateral ends of rods 38 and 40 fit into slots 52 formed in a plate 54 bearing a bolt 56. Bolt 56 engage in seats 58 in the vertical sides of the van door opening. In order to open door 12, handle 46 or knob 50 is rotated through 90" so that bolts 56 come out of seats 58. Next, the bottom leaf 16 together with the top leaf 14 are raised, thus rotating the two lateral stirrups 32 around hinge 20 and progressively moving leaves 14 and 16 from the vertical aligned position to the horizontal position in which the leaves are superposed. When the door 12 is in the resulting open position, the weight of leaves 14 and 16 is compensated by the pair of oleodynamic devices 36. In the open position, as illustrated in Figure 3, the axis of the pivot pin 60 of shank 32 of each device 36 is horizontally further to the exterior of the body than the axis of the corresponding lateral roller 24 (distance n. Door 12 is closed by the opposite sequence of operations, devices 36 returning from an inclined position to a substantially horizontal position. It can be seen from Figures 2 and 3 that when door 12 is open it forms a sort of roof, which is particularly useful for shelter from the weather during loading or unloading, not only for the operator but also for the goods conveyed by van 10. Of course, without altering the principle of the invention, the constructional details and embodiments can be widely varied from those described and illustrated by way of non-limitative example, without thereby departing from the invention. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A door for a vehicle, the door being hinged to the vehicle body and provided with locking means for locking it in the closed position, the door being made up of two leaves horizontally hinged together, the top leaf being hinged at the top to the body and connected to at least one lifting device which when the door is in the open position serves to retain the door in that position, whereas the bottom leaf bears the locking means.