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US 2008/0036240 A1Published application
Composite body for a vehicle
AssigneeFaroex Ltd.
InventorsKevin Lusk, Kenneth Church, William Stanton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle primarily a mass transit vehicle is formed primarily of composite materials which define a roof section and a floor section of two fiber reinforced sheets connected by an integral core and two rigid side wall sections each formed from welded steel or optionally bolted aluminum defining a series of window openings in a row along the side wall section in a ladder shape. The separate sections are connected to a front end cap and a rear end cap. Mountings for the seats are defined as well as conduits through the floor and roof for electrical and fluid connections. Releasable joints of adhesive are provided between the metal rails and the edges of the composite panels.
Claims23
A vehicle comprising:
- a roof defined by at least one roof section;
- a floor defined by at least one floor section;
- two side wall sections each defining a series of window openings in a row along the side wall section;
- each side wall section comprising an integral substantially rigid metal ladder structure defined by vertical posts and horizontal rails with openings in the ladder structure between at least some of the posts and some of the rails defining the window openings;
- a front end section;
- and a rear end section;
- said at least one roof section comprising a structural member which is generally of inverted channel shape to define a generally horizontal roof portion and two depending cove portions, one on each side of the roof portion;
- said at least one roof section being formed at least primarily from inner and outer fiber reinforced sheets containing a core material therebetween formed into an integral structure by a resin material therein;
- said at least one floor section defining a structural member which is generally channel shaped to define a generally horizontal floor portion and two generally upstanding wall portions, one on each side of the floor portion;
- at least the floor portion of said at least one floor section being formed at least primarily from inner and outer fiber reinforced sheets containing a core material therebetween formed into an integral structure by a resin material therein;
- a top edge of each wall portion being attached by a respective adhesive structural connection to a bottom rail of the respective one of the side wall sections such that structural loads in the vehicle are communicated between said at least one floor section and the side wall sections through said adhesive structural connections;
- a bottom edge of each cove portion being attached by a respective adhesive structural connection to a top rail of the respective one of the side wall sections such that structural loads in the vehicle are communicated between the roof section and the side wall sections through the structural connections.
9 more elements
A vehicle comprising:
- a roof defined by at least one roof section;
- a floor defined by at least one floor section;
- and at least one rail;
- at least one section of the roof sections and the floor sections being formed at least primarily from inner and outer fiber reinforced sheets containing a core material therebetween formed into an integral structure by a resin material therein;
- wherein a first edge of said at least one section is attached to said at least one rail by an adhesive joint including a center web of the rail which is adhesively attached to an end edge of the section and extends across the rail and a flange on the section which is adhesively attached to a side wall of the rail and a flange on the rail which is adhesively attached to a side wall of the section with the flanges parallel and offset to respective sides of the rail and the center web of the rail being arranged at an angle to the flange of the rail at an angle greater than 90 degrees.
2 more elements
A vehicle comprising:
- a roof defined by at least one roof section;
- a floor defined by at least one floor section;
- two side wall sections each defining a series of window openings in a row along the side wall section;
- a front end section;
- and a rear end section;
- said at least one floor section defining a structural member which is generally channel shaped to define a generally horizontal floor portion and two generally upstanding wall portions, one on each side of the floor portion;
- said floor portion being connected at each side edge thereof to a respective one of the wall portions by a respective rail extending longitudinally of said floor section with the floor portion and the wall portion being connected to the respective rail by an adhesive structural connection;
- said floor portion and wall portions each being formed at least primarily from inner and outer fiber reinforced sheets containing a core material therebetween formed into an integral structure by a resin material therein;
- wherein there is provided at least one longitudinal stiffening member along the floor portion;
- the floor portion including as integral elements therewith wheel arches for covering ground wheels of the vehicle so that the wheel arches communicate loads into the floor portion by the integral connection therewith;
- each wheel arch having an arched bottom surface facing the wheel, an upper surface facing into the vehicle, and an end wall having a bottom edge connected to a horizontal portion of the floor portion;
8 more elements
A vehicle comprising:
- a roof defined by at least one roof section;
- a floor defined by at least one floor section;
- two side wall sections each defining a series of window openings in a row along the side wall section;
- a front end section;
- and a rear end section;
- said at least one roof section comprising an integral structural member which is generally of inverted channel shape to define a generally horizontal roof portion and two depending cove portions, one on each side of the roof portion;
- said at least one roof section being formed from inner and outer fiber reinforced sheets containing a core material therebetween formed into an integral structure by a resin material therein;
- and two cove stiffening walls each having a bottom edge adhesively attached along the vehicle at a position adjacent a bottom edge of a respective one of the depending cove portions and having a top edge adhesively attached along the vehicle at a position adjacent a respective outer edge of the horizontal roof portion so as to define a channel between the cove stiffening wall and the respective cove portion.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.