GB2556334A

GB2556334A - Vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2556334A
Application number: GB1615720.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lee Stephenson Gary
Original assignee: S Cartwright & Sons Coachbuilders Ltd
Current assignee: S Cartwright & Sons Coachbuilders Ltd
Priority date: 2016-09-15
Filing date: 2016-09-15
Publication date: 2018-05-30
Also published as: GB201615720D0

Abstract

A rear body of a vehicle being divided into first 18a-Wardrobe, and second 18b-WC compartments respective the sides 10a and 10b of the vehicle, the compartments 18a&b with vertical doors 20a&b hinged on the vertical rear edges respectively, the first door 20a closes the first compartment 18a; the first door 20a having a first locking assembly 44a, 46a, 44b, movable between a locked position where the locking assembly engages with the second door to prevent the first door from being moved from its closed position, and a release position in which the first door can be moved from its closed position to its open position, the second door 20b is provided with a second locking assembly 40a, 20b, 40b which moves between a locked position locking and preventing the second door from being opened, and a release position in which the second door can opened, characterised in that there is provided an interior handle 50 operable from inside the moving the second locking assembly to its release position, the first locking assembly is configured that if the first door is in its closed position and the first locking assembly in its locked position when the second locking assembly is in its release position, the second door can be disengaged from the first locking assembly and opened.

Description

(54) Title of the Invention: Vehicle

Abstract Title: A vehicle with rear first and second compartment doors giving individual access (57) A rear body of a vehicle being divided into first 18a-Wardrobe, and second 18b-WC compartments respective the sides 10a and 10b of the vehicle, the compartments 18a&b with vertical doors 20a&b hinged on the vertical rear edges respectively, the first door 20a closes the first compartment 18a; the first door 20a having a first locking assembly 44a, 46a, 44b, movable between a locked position where the locking assembly engages with the second door to prevent the first door from being moved from its closed position, and a release position in which the first door can be moved from its closed position to its open position, the second door 20b is provided with a second locking assembly 40a, 20b, 40b which moves between a locked position locking and preventing the second door from being opened, and a release position in which the second door can opened, characterised in that there is provided an interior handle 50 operable from inside the moving the second locking assembly to its release position, the first locking assembly is configured that if the first door is in its closed position and the first locking assembly in its locked position when the second locking assembly is in its release position, the second door can be disengaged from the first locking assembly and opened.

At least one drawing originally filed was informal and the print reproduced here is taken from a later filed formal copy.

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Figure 1

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Figure 2

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Figure 3

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Figure 4

Title: Vehicle

Description of Invention

The present invention relates to a vehicle, in particular the kind of vehicle known as a welfare vehicle.

Welfare vehicles are used to provide rest and sanitary facilities for a transient workforce, for example a highway maintenance crew at a road side location. Such a vehicle typically has a heated canteen with seating around a table and a food preparation area including a sink, water boiler and microwave oven, a toilet and wash basin, and a storage area for hanging work clothes. The welfare vehicle can be used to transport the work force to the worksite, and then parked at the work site, to provide the workforce with a safe, comfortable and warm place to rest in even the most remote location. It is known to convert vehicles such as the Ford Transit® or Mercedes Sprinter® into a welfare vehicle.

The present invention relates to a new configuration of welfare vehicle.

According to a first aspect of the invention we provide a vehicle having a vehicle body and driver’s cab located at a front end of the vehicle body, the vehicle body having a first side and a second, opposite, side, both of which extend between the front and rear of the vehicle body, the vehicle body being divided into a first compartment which is adjacent the first side of the vehicle body, and a second compartment which is adjacent the second side of the vehicle body, the vehicle body being further provided with a pair of doors comprising a first door which is pivotally connected to a generally vertical rear edge of the first side of the vehicle body, and a second door which is pivotally connected to a generally vertical rear edge of the second side of the vehicle body, the first door being movable between an open position in which access to the first compartment is permitted, and a closed position in which the first door closes the first compartment, the second door being movable between an open position in which access to the second compartment is permitted, and a closed position in which the second door closes the second compartment, wherein the first door is provided with a first locking assembly which is operable to move between a locked position in which the locking assembly engages with the second door to prevent the first door from being moved from its closed position to its open position, and a release position in which the first door can be moved from its closed position to its open position, the second door is provided with a second locking assembly which is operable to move between a locked position in which the second locking assembly prevents the second door from being moved from its closed position to its open position, and a release position in which the second door can be moved from its closed position to its open position, characterised in that there is provided an interior handle which is operable from inside the second compartment to move the second locking assembly to its release position, the first locking assembly being configured such that, if the first door is in its closed position and the first locking assembly in its locked position, when the second locking assembly is moved to its release position, the second door can be disengaged from the first locking assembly and moved to its open position.

In one embodiment, the first locking assembly comprises a two locking devices - an upper locking device located at the top of the door to engage with a corresponding catch on the vehicle body, and a lower locking device which is located on a generally vertical free edge of the first door (i.e. the generally vertical edge of the first door which is opposite to the edge which is connected to the side of the vehicle body), to engage with a corresponding catch provided on a free generally vertical edge of the second door.

The second locking assembly may comprise a locking device which when in its locked position engages with a corresponding catch provided on the vehicle body.

The second locking assembly may comprise two locking devices - an upper locking device at the top of the second door to engage with a corresponding upper catch on the vehicle body and a lower locking device at the bottom of the second door to engage with a corresponding lower catch on the vehicle body.

An exterior handle may be provided on the outside of the first door when the doors are closed, the exterior handle being operable to move the first locking assembly to its release position, thus allowing the first door to be opened.

A further exterior handle may also be provided on the generally vertical free edge of the second door, the further exterior handle being operable, when the second door is closed, to move the second locking assembly to its release position, thus allowing the second door to be opened. The further exterior handle may be covered by the first door when the first door is in its closed position and not be accessible unless the first door is open.

The interior handle may be mechanically connected to the further exterior handle, so that movement of the interior handle to open the second door causes the operation of the further exterior handle as if a user were operating the further exterior handle from outside the vehicle body.

The vehicle body may be divided into a front compartment adjacent the driver’s cab, and a rear compartment, the first compartment and second compartment being located in the rear compartment of the vehicle body.

A toilet and hand washing basin may be provided in the second compartment.

The first compartment may have walls on which is provided with at least one hanger device.

The floor of the rear compartment may be provided with a drain by means of which liquid collecting on the floor may be drained out of the rear compartment.

The front compartment may be provided with a plurality of seats.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which.

FIGURE 1 illustrates a side view of a vehicle according to the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the interior of the vehicle body of the vehicle illustrated in Figure 1,

FIGURE 3 is a rear view of the vehicle illustrated in Figure 1 with the rear doors opened to show the interior of the rear compartment of the vehicle body, and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the free edge of the second door of the vehicle illustrated in Figure 1.

Referring now to the Figures there is shown a welfare vehicle 10 having a driver’s cab 12, four ground engaging wheels 13, and a vehicle body 14, the vehicle body 14 being divided into a front compartment 16 adjacent the driver’s cab 12, and a rear compartment 18. The vehicle body 10 has a first side 10a and a second, opposite side 10b, both of which extend between the front 10c and rear 10d of the vehicle body 10, and access to the rear compartment 14 is provided by means of a pair of doors 20a, 20b comprising a first door 20a which is pivotally connected, by means of at least one hinge, to a generally vertical rear edge of the first side 10a of the vehicle body 10, and.a second door 20b which is pivotally connected, by means of at least one hinge, to a generally vertical rear edge of the second side 10b of the vehicle body 10.

The front compartment 14 is provided with a plurality of seats 32 arranged around a table 34, and a food preparation area 36 including a sink 38, hot water boiler (not shown) and microwave (not shown).

The rear compartment 18 is, in this example, divided into a first compartment

18a which is adjacent the first side 10a of the vehicle body 10, and a second compartment 18b which is adjacent the second side 10b of the vehicle body

10.

In this example, the first compartment 18a, hereinafter referred to as the wardrobe, has walls on which are provided at least one hanger device 22, whilst a toilet 26 and hand washing basin 28 are provided in the second compartment 18b, hereinafter referred to as the WC.

The floor 24 of the wardrobe 18a is provided with a drain 30 by means of which liquid collecting on the floor 24 may be drained out of the first compartment 18a. The drain may simply comprise a relatively small aperture in the floor 24, but, more preferably the drain is provided which a grating with apertures are small enough to prevent most dropping objects from being washed down the drain 30, but large enough not to impede flow of liquid out of the drain 30. The drain 30 may vent to the atmosphere, or may be connected to a tank or other reservoir via a drain pipe.

The first door 20a is movable between an open position in which access to the wardrobe 18a is permitted, and a closed position in which the first door 20a closes the wardrobe 18a, and the second door 20b is movable between an open position in which access to the WC 18b is permitted, and a closed position in which the second door 20b closes the WC 18b. The movement of the doors 20a, 20b from the closed position to the open position comprises rotational movement so that the free edges of the doors 20a, 20b move externally of the vehicle body away from the rear end 10d of the vehicle body.

In vehicles with such double door arrangements at the rear, it is conventional that, in order to close the rear of the vehicle, one of the doors (the primary door) must be closed before the other (the secondary door), and conversely, the door which was closed first cannot be opened until the door which was closed last is opened. This arrangement is not suitable for a welfare vehicle having the configuration described above, however. In such a vehicle it is desirable for the doors to be openable independently of one another. This will ensure that there is still access to the wardrobe 18a when a user is locked in the WC 18b. It will also ensure that a user in the WC 18b can still open the WC door 20b to get out even if the door 20a of the wardrobe 18a is closed.

In such conventional arrangements, the primary door has two locking assemblies - one at the top of the door and the other at the bottom. The doors are mounted in a frame at the rear of the vehicle body, and when the primary door is closed, the top locking assembly engages with the corresponding catch at the top of the frame whilst the bottom locking assembly engages with a corresponding catch at the bottom of the frame. The secondary door is also provided with two locking assemblies - one at either the top or the bottom of the door to engage with a corresponding catch on the frame, the other being located on the free generally vertical edge of the door (i.e. the generally vertical edge of the door which is opposite to the edge which is connected, by means of the hinge, to the side of the vehicle body). The corresponding catch is provided on the free generally vertical edge of the primary door.

A manually operable handle is provided on the outside of the secondary door, and, when the doors are closed, this is operable to release the two locking assemblies on the secondary door from engagement with their respective catches, thus enabling the secondary door to be opened. A manually operable handle is also provided on the generally vertical free edge of the primary door, and when the primary door is closed this is operable to release the two locking assemblies on the primary door from engagement with their respective catches, thus allowing the primary door to be opened. The handle to open the primary door is covered by the secondary door when the secondary door is closed, and so is not accessible until the secondary door is open.

The rear doors 20a, 20b of the vehicle according to the present invention have the same arrangement of locks. The doors 20a, 20b are mounted in a frame at the rear of the vehicle body, and, as illustrated in Figure 3, the first door 20a is provided with a first locking assembly comprising two locking devices - an upper locking device 44a located at the top of the door to engage with a corresponding catch 46a on the frame, and a lower locking device 44b which is located on the free generally vertical edge of the door 20a (i.e. the generally vertical edge of the door 20a which is opposite to the edge which is connected, by means of the hinge, to the side 10a of the vehicle body 10). A corresponding catch 46b is provided on the free generally vertical edge of the second door 20b.

The second door 20b has a second locking assembly also comprising two locking devices - an upper locking device 40a at the top of the door 20b and a lower locking device 40b at the bottom, and when the second door 20b is closed, the top locking device 40a engages with a corresponding catch 42a at the top of the frame whilst the bottom locking device 40b engages with a corresponding catch 42b at the bottom of the frame.

A manually operable exterior handle (not shown) is provided on the outside of the first door 20a, and, when the doors 20a, 20b are closed, this is operable to release the two locking devices 44a, 44b on the first door 20a from engagement with their respective catches 46a, 46b, thus enabling the first door 10a to be opened. A manually operable further exterior handle 48 is also provided on the generally vertical free edge of the second door 20b, and when the second door 20b is closed this is operable to release the two locking devices 40a, 40b on the second door 20b from engagement with their respective catches 42a, 42b, thus allowing the second door 20b to be opened.

As in conventional arrangements, the further exterior handle 48 is covered by the first door 20a when the first door 20a is closed, and so is not accessible until the first door 20a is open.

The arrangement differs from the prior art in two respects, however. First, an interior handle 50 is provided which is accessible from inside the WC when the second door 20b is closed. This is best illustrated in Figure 4. This interior handle 50 is also manually operable to release the two locking devices on the second door 20b from engagement with their respective catches 42a, 42b.

In this embodiment of the invention, the interior handle 50 is mechanically connected to the further exterior handle 48, so that movement of the interior handle 50 to open the second door 20b causes the operation of the further exterior handle 48 as if a user were operating the further exterior handle 48 from outside the vehicle 10. The further exterior handle 48 comprises a handle part shaped to be manually grasped by a user, which is pivotally connected to the free edge of the second door 20b at a first end thereof for pivoting about a pivot axis which extends generally perpendicular to free edge of the second door 20b (so parallel to the plane of the door 20b). The further exterior handle is pivoted clockwise about the pivot axis to release the second locking assembly.

The interior handle 50 comprises a generally flat arm 50a, a first end of which is secured to the further exterior handle 48 at its pivot axis, and which extends, generally perpendicular to the pivot axis, into the interior of the vehicle body 10 when the second door 20b is closed. A generally cylindrical handle part 50b is mounted at the second, opposite end of the arm 50b, and extends generally perpendicular to the arm 50a to lie parallel and directly adjacent to the interior face of the second door 20b. The arm 50a is fixed relative to the further exterior handle 48, so both pivot together. Thus, when a user moves the handle part 50b downwards, this causes the further exterior handle 48 to pivot in a clockwise direction.

If the remainder of the locking system were configured as in a conventional arrangement, operation of the interior handle 50 would only facilitate the opening of the second door 20b if the first door 20a were open. If the first door 20a were closed, the engagement of the lower locking device 44b on the first door 20a with the catch 46b on the free edge of the second door 20b would prevent the second door 20b from opening. This would mean that a user of the WC could be locked in the WC 18b by someone closing the first door 20a.

To prevent this from happening, the catch 46b at the free edge of the second door 20b is configured such that when both doors 20a, 20b are closed, and a person inside the WC 18b operates the interior handle 50 to release the locking assemblies 40a, 40b on the second door 20b, and pushes the second door 20b so that it pivots to open slightly, this causes the first door 20a also to pivot to open slightly, the resulting movement allowing the catch 46b on the second door 20b to slide out of engagement with.the lower locking device 44b of the first door 20a The second door 20b can then be opened fully, whilst the first door 20b remains closed.

For example, where the catch 46b on the free edge of the second door 20b is typically U-shaped, it may, for example be modified so that it comprises a single pin extending generally perpendicular to the free edge of the second door 20b.

In one embodiment of the invention, a manually operable interior locking assembly is provided on the second door 20b, so that a user of the WC can prevent the second door 20b from being opened from the outside of the vehicle. This interior locking assembly may, for example, comprise a conventional slide bolt.

When used in this specification and claims, the terms comprises and comprising and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

1. A vehicle having a vehicle body and driver’s cab located at a front end of the vehicle body, the vehicle body having a first side and a second, opposite, side, both of which extend between the front and rear of the vehicle body, the vehicle body being divided into a first compartment which is adjacent the first side of the vehicle body, and a second compartment which is adjacent the second side of the vehicle body, the vehicle body being further provided with a pair of doors comprising a first door which is pivotally connected to a generally vertical rear edge of the first side of the vehicle body, and a second door which is pivotally connected to a generally vertical rear edge of the second side of the vehicle body, the first door being movable between an open position in which access to the first compartment is permitted, and a closed position in which the first door closes the first compartment, the second door being movable between an open position in which access to the second compartment is permitted, and a closed position in which the second door closes the second compartment, wherein the first door is provided with a first locking assembly which is operable to move between a locked position in which the locking assembly engages with the second door to prevent the first door from being moved from its closed position to its open position, and a release position in which the first door can be moved from its closed position to its open position, the second door is provided with a second locking assembly which is operable to move between a locked position in which the locking assembly prevents the second door from being moved from its closed position to its open position, and a release position in which the second door can be moved from its closed position to its open position, characterised in that there is provided an interior handle which is operable from inside the second compartment to move the second locking assembly to its release position, the first locking assembly being configured such that, if the first door is in its closed position and the first locking assembly in its locked position when the second locking assembly is moved to its release position, the second door can be disengaged from the first locking assembly and moved to its open

5 position.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the first locking assembly comprises a locking device which is located on a generally vertical free edge of the first door to engage with a corresponding catch provided on a free generally vertical edge of the second door

10

3. A vehicle according to claim 2 wherein the first locking assembly comprises two locking devices - an upper locking device located at the top of the door to engage with a corresponding catch on the vehicle body, and a lower locking device which is located on a generally vertical free edge of the first door to engage with a corresponding catch

15 provided on a free generally vertical edge of the second door.

4. A vehicle according to any preceding claim wherein the second locking assembly comprises a locking device which when in its locked position engages with a corresponding catch provided on the vehicle body.

5. A vehicle according to claim 4 wherein the second locking assembly

20 comprise two locking devices - an upper locking device at the top of the second door to engage with a corresponding upper catch on the vehicle body and a lower locking device at the bottom of the second door to engage with a corresponding lower catch on the vehicle body.

6. A vehicle according to any preceding claim wherein an exterior handle

25 is provided on the outside of the first door when the doors are closed.

the exterior handle being operable to move the first locking assembly to its release position, thus allowing the first door to be opened.

7. A vehicle according to claim 6 wherein a further exterior handle is be provided on the generally vertical free edge of the second door, the further exterior handle being operable, when the second door is closed, to move the second locking assembly to its release position, thus allowing the second door to be opened.

8. A vehicle according to claim 7 wherein the further exterior handle is covered by the first door when the first door is in its closed position, and is not accessible unless the first door is open.

9. A vehicle according to claim 7 or 8 wherein the interior handle is mechanically connected to the further exterior handle, so that movement of the interior handle to open the second door causes the movement of the further exterior handle as if a user were operating the further exterior handle from outside the vehicle body.

10. A vehicle according to any preceding claim wherein the vehicle body is divided into a front compartment adjacent the driver’s cab, and a rear compartment, the first compartment and second compartment being located in the rear compartment of the vehicle body.

11. A vehicle according to any preceding claim wherein a toilet and hand washing basin are provided in the second compartment.

12. A vehicle according to any preceding claim wherein the first compartment has walls on which is provided with at least one hanger device.

13. A vehicle according to any preceding claim wherein the floor of the rear compartment may be provided with a drain by means of which liquid collecting on the floor may be drained out of the rear compartment.

Intellectual

Property

Office

Application No: GB1615720.8 Examiner: Mr Charles Ellwood