VEHICLE BODY MODULE CONNECTING JOINT

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle body module connecting joint for connecting a first body module to a second body module, which connecting joint comprises elongate profiles arranged along facing edges of the first and second body modules, respectively, wherein the profiles are clamped together by locking wedges arranged parallel to the profiles and connected by fastening means extending between facing profiles on the first and second body modules. The connecting joint further comprises a first profile arranged along a side edge of a first body module along a surface remote from the connecting joint; a second profile arranged parallel to and in form-fitting contact with the first profile along facing side surfaces; wherein the assembled first and second profiles forming a single first dovetail section along a surface facing the connecting joint. At least one third profile arranged along a side edge of a second body module along a surface remote from the connecting joint and having a second dovetail section along a surface facing the first and second profiles; wherein the locking wedges are arranged to engage with the first and second dovetail sections on opposite sides of the first and second body modules.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising a vehicle body module connecting joint for connecting a first body module to a second body module, which connecting joint comprises elongate profiles arranged along facing edges of the first and second body modules, respectively, wherein the profiles are clamped together by locking wedges arranged parallel to the profiles and connected by fastening means extending between facing profiles on the first and second body modules; wherein the vehicle further comprises: a first profile arranged along a side edge of a first body module along a surface remote from the connecting joint; a second profile arranged parallel to and in form-fitting contact with the first profile along facing side surfaces; wherein the assembled first and second profiles forming a single first dovetail section along a surface facing the connecting joint; and at least one third profile arranged along a side edge of a second body module along a surface remote from the connecting joint and having a second dovetail section along a surface facing the first and second profiles; wherein the locking wedges are arranged to engage with the first and second dovetail sections on opposite sides of the first and second body modules, characterized in that end surfaces on the respective profile from which the first and second dovetail sections extend are drawn into contact with respective facing side surfaces on the respective locking wedge.

2. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the first profile comprises a separate dovetail section forming part of the first dovetail section.

3. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the first profile is exchangeable to accommodate at least one alternative first body module.

4. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the second profile comprises one half of the first dovetail section and a projection interlockable with a portion of the separate dovetail section on the first profile.

5. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the second profile is a reinforcing joint member.

6. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the second profile is attachable to structural members at its ends.

7. Vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that the second profile has a longitudinal extension (L2) exceeding the longitudinal extension (L1) of the first profile (at both ends).

8. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the third profile comprises a single profile.

9. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that third profile comprises two assembled profiles.

10. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the profiles are extruded profiles comprising at least one hollow cavity.

11. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that a first locking wedge is arranged to engage with (adjacent) dovetail sections on the first and the third profile and a second locking wedge is arranged to engage with dovetail sections on the second and the third profile.

12. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that a locking wedge on at least one side of the connecting joint is arranged to clamp adjacent profiles together and into contact with opposing longitudinal side surfaces on the locking wedge, in order to provide a flush connection between adjacent body modules.

13. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting joint is held together by multiple pre-loaded fastening means.

14. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that one locking wedge comprises blind holes for the fastening means.

15. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the fastening means are screws.

16. Vehicle according to claim 15, characterized in that the fastening means have a minimum length of 40 mm.

17. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0032] In the following text, the invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. These schematic drawings are used for illustration only and do not in any way limit the scope of the invention. In the drawings:

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a schematically illustrated vehicle comprising multiple body modules with connecting joints according to the invention;

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a schematic enlarged side view of a connecting joint used in a vehicle as indicated in FIG. 1;

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of a vehicle module;

[0036] FIGS. 4A-B show a perspective and a plan view of a cross-section through a connection joint according to the invention;

[0037] FIGS. 5A-C show an assembly process for a connection joint according to the invention; and

[0038] FIG. 6 shows an alternative connecting joint according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a schematically illustrated vehicle 100 to be assembled using connecting joints according to the invention. The vehicle 100 in this example will comprise a front vehicle module 101, such as a driver's cab module 121, a rear vehicle module 102, such as a drive module 123 comprising a propulsion unit, and an intermediate vehicle module 103, such as a passenger module having windows and doors 122, 124, to form a complete vehicle 100.

[0040] Facing side edges 111, 112 on the front vehicle module 101 and the front portion of the intermediate vehicle module 103, respectively, are provided with connection joints according to the invention. Similarly, facing side edges 113, 114 on the rear vehicle module 102 and the rear portion of the intermediate vehicle module 103, respectively, are provided with such connection joints. As will be described below, such connecting joints can also be applied to connect floor sections and roof sections of adjacent vehicle modules.

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a schematic enlarged side view of a connecting joint 211, 212, 231 between a front vehicle module 201 and an intermediate vehicle module 203. The connection joint comprises an elongated profile 211 attached to a side body module 221 of the front vehicle module 201 and an elongated profile assembly 212 attached to a side body module 222 of the intermediate vehicle module 203. The profile 211 and the profile assembly 212 are clamped together by locking wedges 231, 232 (only the outer wedge shown) arranged parallel to the profiles and connected by multiple fastening means 233 extending between the facing profiles 211, 212 on the front and intermediate body modules 221, 222, respectively. In this example, the fastening means 233 are inserted through the outer locking wedge 231 and fastened from the outside of the vehicle modules 201, 203. Alternatively, the fastening means can be inserted through the inner locking wedge 232 and be fastened from the inside. The figure shows an example of a connecting joint after assembly of a vehicle as illustrated in FIG. 1. The connecting joint shown in FIG. 2 will be described in further detail in FIGS. 4-6 below.

[0042] FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of a vehicle module comprising body modules provided with connecting joints according to the invention. The figure shows a schematic first intermediate vehicle module 303 that has been assembled with a second intermediated vehicle module 304. The first and second intermediate vehicle modules 303, 304 have been connected by a connecting joint 305 according to the invention.

[0043] The first vehicle module 303 comprises four body modules, including a first and a second side wall module 321, 322, a roof module 324 and a floor module 325. The body modules 321, 322, 324, 325 are connected to structural members 341, 342, 343, 344 of the vehicle module, in this case longitudinal structural beams extending along the upper and lower corners of the first vehicle module 303, in the longitudinal direction of a subsequently assembled vehicle. The body modules are attached to the beams at least at their respective front and rear corners, preferably by means of the ends of the elongated profiles making up the connecting joints. For instance, the first side wall module 321 is provided with an elongated profile 311 at its free end. This profile 311 is attached to an upper structural member 341 at its upper end and to a lower structural member 342 at its lower end. Similarly, the opposite side wall module 322 comprises an identical profile 312 at its free end. This profile 312 is attached to an upper structural member 344 at its upper end and to a lower structural member 343 at its lower end. In the same way, the roof module 324 is attached between the upper structural members 341, 344, while the floor module 325 is attached between the lower structural members 342, 343. If required, each respective body module can be provided with additional fastening means along their respective longitudinal structural member or beam intermediate the connecting joints.

[0044] The free end of the first vehicle module 303 can be connected to a further intermediate vehicle module, or to a front or rear vehicle module. For this purpose the body modules 321, 322, 324, 325 or first vehicle module 303 are provided with individual profiles 311, 312, 313, 314 arranged to be clamped together with corresponding, facing profiles located on the next vehicle module (not shown), using locking wedges. Examples of cooperating profiles and locking wedges will be given below.

[0045] FIGS. 4A-4B show a perspective and a plan view of a cross-section through a connection joint 411 according to the invention. According to this example, the connecting joint 411 comprises a first profile 451 arranged along a side edge of the first body module 461 along a surface 457 remote from the connecting joint 411 and a second profile 452 arranged parallel to and in form-fitting contact with the first profile 451 along facing side surfaces. The assembled first and second profiles 451, 452 each comprise individual projections 454, 455, respectively, which when assembled form a single, common first dovetail section 454, 455 facing into the connecting joint 411. In order to achieve this, the first and second profiles 451, 452 are assembled side-by-side and have projections 454, 455 with form-fitting sections facing into the connecting joint. Adjacent portions of the projections 454, 454 are interlocking and shaped to form the single dovetail after assembly of the first and second profiles 451, 452.

[0046] FIG. 4B also shows a third profile 453 arranged along a side edge of a second body module 462 along a surface 459 of the third profile 453 remote from the connecting joint 411. The third profile 453 has a dovetail section 456 along an opposite side surface of the profile facing into the connecting joint 411. The dovetail section on the third profile 453 forms a second dovetail section 456 along a surface facing the first and second profiles 451, 452 and their common, first dovetail section 454, 455.

[0047] When two vehicle modules are placed end to end, the dovetail sections 454, 455, 456 of the respective profiles 451, 452, 453 on the first and second body modules 461, 462 are placed in close proximity to each other, separated by a predetermined distance D (see FIG. 5A). Locking wedges 431, 432 are then arranged to engage with the first and second dovetail sections 454, 455, 456 on opposite sides of the first and second body modules 461, 462. A first locking wedge 431 is placed in contact with adjacent dovetail sections 454, 456 along the inner surfaces of the first and second body modules 461, 462, while a second locking wedge 432 is placed in contact with adjacent dovetail sections 455, 456 along the outer surfaces of the first and second body modules 461, 462. Multiple fasteners 433 are then used for clamping the first and second locking wedges 431, 432 together, thereby clamping and assembling the first and second body modules 461, 462 into a desired relative position. The predetermined distance D between the facing dovetail sections 454, 455, 456 must be larger than the dimensions d of the fasteners 433 inserted there between (see FIG. 5A).

[0048] In the example shown in FIGS. 4A-4B, the first body module 461 is described as being provided with two assembled profiles 451, 452 comprising a common first dovetail section, and the second body module 462 is described as being provided with a single profile 453 comprising a single, second dovetail section 456. Within the scope of the invention, it is possible to provide both body modules with assembled profiles having a common dovetail section.

[0049] As indicated in FIGS. 4A-4B, the first profile 451 can comprise a separate dovetail section 454 forming part of the first dovetail section 454, 455. In this way, the first profile 451 has a relatively narrower dimension with a separate dovetail section 454 that can be used as a part of a standardized system of interchangeable profiles. Such profiles can be used when assembling modular components that are not part of a connecting joint between vehicle modules.

[0050] This feature makes the first profile exchangeable to accommodate at least one alternative first body module, while the second profile is retained. This arrangement can be made possible by, for instance, providing the second profile with one half of the first dovetail section and a projection that can be interlocked with a portion of the separate dovetail section on the first profile. The separate dovetail section on the first profile and the projection along the second profile are made form-fitting so that the assembled first and second profiles behave as a single profile under load.

[0051] FIG. 5A-5C shows an assembly process for a connection joint according to the invention. In a first step, shown in FIG. 5A, a first profile 551 comprising a first projection 554 and a second profile 552 comprising a second projection 555 are brought into contact with each other, as indicated by the arrows A1 and A2. The first profile 551 is also attached to a first body module (not shown). In this example, the first projection 454 on the first profile forms an individual dovetail. The first and second projections 454, 455 have form-fitting sections 564, 565 facing into the connecting joint. On the first profile 551, the form-fitting section 564 is a recess on one side of the dovetail-shaped first projection 554. On the second profile 552, the form-fitting section 565 is an inverse dovetail-shaped projection 565 having a complementary shape to the recess 564 of the first projection 554. When the first and second profiles 551, 552 have been assembled, the first and second projections 554, 555 form a common first dovetail, as shown in FIG. 5B. At the same time, a third profile 553 comprising a second dovetail 556 and being attached to a second body module (not shown) is clamped into position relative to a plane P at right angles to the profile and a main plane of the associated body module.

[0052] In a second step, shown in FIG. 5B, the first and second profiles 551, 552 have been assembled and moved into position relative to the plane P, as indicated by the arrow A3, prior to assembly with the third profile 553. The first and second profiles 551, 552 can be assembled using suitable fasteners (not shown). In this example, the second profile 552 can also be attached to a first body module using a flange 460 extending away from the connecting joint. The first, second and third profiles 551, 552, 553 are held in a fixed in position relative to the plane P, separated by a predetermined distance D.

[0053] Locking wedges 531, 532 are then moved into contact with the first and second dovetail sections 554, 555, 556 on opposite sides thereof, as indicated by the arrows A4 and A5.

[0054] A first locking wedge 531 is placed in contact with adjacent dovetail sections 554, 556 along one side of the first and second body modules, while a second locking wedge 532 is placed in contact with adjacent dovetail sections 554, 556 along the opposite side of the first and second body modules (see FIG. 4B). When brought into contact with the profiles, diverging contact surfaces 536 on the first locking wedge 531 cooperate with converging contact surfaces 535 formed on the first and second dovetail sections 555, 556. The second locking wedge 532 is arranged to cooperate with the first and second dovetail sections 555, 556 in the same manner.

[0055] The diverging contact surfaces 536 on the locking wedges 531, 532 and the converging contact surfaces 535 on the respective dovetail sections 554, 555, 556, serve to position the locking wedges exactly and to ensure that the dovetail sections 554, 555 on the first and second profiles 551, 552 are maintained at the predetermined distance D from the facing dovetail section 556 on the third profile 553. As the facing locking wedges 531, 532 are displaced into contact with the profiles, the cooperating diverging contact surfaces 536 and converging contact surfaces 535 will attempt to draw the body modules and their respective profiles together and displace them towards the central plane P through the connecting joint. However, this displacement is prevented by the locking wedges in order to maintain the predetermined separation distance D. With reference to the second locking wedge 532, opposing side surfaces 538 on the locking wedge 532 parallel to the plane P will come into contact with corresponding facing side surfaces 537 on either side of the dovetail sections 554, 555, 556, as shown in FIG. 5C. The second locking wedge 532 in FIG. 5C is provided with a central raised ridge 539 that can be inserted into the gap between the facing dovetail sections. The ridge 539 is provided with threaded blind holes 540 (see FIG. 5B) for cooperation with threaded fasteners 533. The threaded fasteners have a diameter that is less than the separation distance D between the dovetail sections.

[0056] FIG. 5D shows an assembled connecting joint where the first, second and third profiles 551, 552, 553 are clamped together by the locking wedges 531, 532 and the fastener 533. The fastener 533 is pre-loaded by applying a predetermined torque, indicated by the arrow T. A feature of this connecting joint is that the locking wedges 531, 532 are not arranged to draw the first and second dovetail sections 554, 555, 556 of the respective body module into contact with each other. Instead, end surfaces 537 (see FIG. 5B) on the respective profile 551, 552, 553 from which the dovetail sections 554, 555, 556 extend are drawn into contact with respective facing side surfaces 538 on the respective locking wedge 531, 532. When clamped together, compressive and tensile forces in the plane of the body modules at right angles to the plane P through the connecting joint are transferred through the locking wedges 531, 532, instead of the dovetail sections 554, 555, 556. Bending moments through the connecting joint parallel to the profiles is taken up by the locking wedges and the multiple fasteners clamping them together. The connecting joint is preferably, but not necessarily, clamped together by multiple pre-loaded fastening means. As stated above, the respective body module attached to the respective profile/profiles is not shown in FIGS. 5A-5C.

[0057] FIG. 6 shows an alternative connection joint according to the invention. In FIG. 6, a first profile 751 and a second profile 752 attached to a first body module 761 is attached to a third profile 753 connected to a second body module 762. The connecting joint is assembled using a first and a second locking wedge 731, 732 clamped together by means of multiple pre-loaded fasteners 733 extending at right angles to the extension of the profiles and to the main plane of the first and second body modules, respectively. FIG. 6 indicates that the connecting joint can be used with different exchangeable profiles and body modules.

[0058] The invention should not be deemed to be limited to the embodiments described above, but rather a number of further variants and modifications are conceivable within the scope of the following patent claims.