Composite refrigerated truck body and method of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10596950-B2
Application number	US-201615550366-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2016
Priority date	Feb 23, 2015
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle is disclosed having a composite cargo body assembled in a manner that may improve thermal efficiency, fuel efficiency, and costs of manufacturing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cargo body for a vehicle, the vehicle including a chassis having a right chassis rail and a left chassis rail, the cargo body comprising:
a composite floor having:
an upper surface;
a lower surface;
a right longitudinal support beam that extends from the lower surface in vertical alignment with the right chassis rail for placement onto the right chassis rail, wherein the right longitudinal support beam is made from a composite material; and
a left longitudinal support beam that extends from the lower surface in vertical alignment with the left chassis rail for placement onto the left chassis rail, wherein the left longitudinal support beam is made from a composite material; and

a composite roof;
a composite right sidewall coupled to the floor and the roof;
a composite left sidewall coupled to the floor and the roof; and
a composite nose coupled to the floor, the roof, the right sidewall, and the left sidewall.

2. The cargo body of claim 1 , wherein:
the right sidewall is adhesively bonded to the floor and the roof;
the left sidewall is adhesively bonded to the floor and the roof, and
the nose is adhesively bonded to the floor, the roof, the right sidewall, and the left sidewall.

3. The cargo body of claim 1 , wherein each of the floor, the roof, the right sidewall, the left sidewall, and the nose is made from a fiber-reinforced plastic material.

4. The cargo body of claim 1 , wherein:
the floor is a single molded component;
the roof is a single molded component;
the right sidewall is a single molded component;
the left sidewall is a single molded component; and
the nose is a single molded component distinct from the floor.

5. The cargo body of claim 1 , further comprising:
a side door opening in one of the sidewalls; and
a side door frame positioned around the side door opening and configured to receive a side door, the side door frame including an exterior portion adhesively bonded to an exterior surface of the corresponding sidewall and an interior portion adhesively bonded to an interior surface of the corresponding sidewall.

6. The cargo body of claim 5 , wherein the corresponding sidewall includes at least one support beam positioned between the exterior portion and the interior portion of the side door frame.

7. The cargo body of claim 6 , wherein the at least one support beam is positioned between a terminal end of the exterior portion and a terminal end of the interior portion of the side door frame.

8. The cargo body of claim 1 , further comprising:
an opening in the nose configured to receive a thermal control unit; and
a plurality of connectors adhesively bonded to the nose and mechanically fastened to the thermal control unit.

9. The cargo body of claim 8 , wherein the nose includes at least one of:
a left vertical support beam that forms a left vertical edge of the opening;
a right vertical support beam that forms a right vertical edge of the opening;
an upper horizontal support beam that forms an upper horizontal edge of the opening; and
a lower horizontal support beam that forms a lower horizontal edge of the opening.

10. The cargo body of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of connectors includes an L-shaped connector that is adhesively bonded to both the nose and the roof.

11. The cargo body of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle includes:
a motorized truck;
a chassis including a right rail and a left rail; and
a plurality of traction devices coupled to the chassis and powered by the motorized truck.

12. The cargo body of claim 11 , further comprising:
a plurality of right connector assemblies, each adhesively bonded to the right longitudinal support beam of the floor and coupled to the right rail of the chassis; and
a plurality of left connector assemblies, each adhesively bonded to the left longitudinal support beam of the floor and coupled to the left rail of the chassis.

13. The cargo body of claim 12 , wherein each connector assembly comprises:
an upper connector adhesively bonded to the corresponding longitudinal support beam of the floor; and
a lower connector positioned below the corresponding rail of the chassis and mechanically fastened to the upper connector.

14. The cargo body of claim 13 , wherein each connector assembly further comprises a first fastener and a second fastener, the first and second fasteners extending vertically between the upper and lower connectors on either side of the corresponding rail.

15. The cargo body of claim 13 , wherein each connector assembly further comprises an intermediate connector positioned between the corresponding longitudinal support beam of the floor and the corresponding rail of the chassis, the intermediate connector being mechanically fastened to the upper and lower connectors.

16. The cargo body of claim 2 , further comprising:
a rear door assembly including a rear frame;
a rear right connector adhesively bonded to the right sidewall and coupled to the rear frame;
a rear left connector adhesively bonded to the left sidewall and coupled to the rear frame; and
an upper rear connector adhesively bonded to the roof and coupled to the rear frame;
wherein each of the rear right and rear left connectors extends vertically along a height of the cargo body, and the upper rear connector extends horizontally along a width of the cargo body.

17. The cargo body of claim 16 , wherein each of the rear right, rear left, and upper rear connectors is a flat plate.

18. The cargo body of claim 16 , wherein each of the rear right, rear left, and upper rear connectors is mechanically fastened to the rear frame.

19. The cargo body of claim 2 , further comprising:
a lower right connector adhesively bonded to the floor and the right sidewall;
a lower left connector adhesively bonded to the floor and the left sidewall;
an upper right connector adhesively bonded to the roof and the right sidewall; and
an upper left connector adhesively bonded to the roof and the left sidewall;
wherein each of the lower right, lower left, upper right, and upper left connectors extends horizontally along a length of the cargo body.

20. The cargo body of claim 19 , wherein each of the lower right, lower left, upper right, and upper left connectors is an L-bracket.

21. The cargo body of claim 19 , further comprising at least one of:
an upper right conduit at least partially defined by the upper right connector; and
an upper left conduit at least partially defined by the upper left connector.

22. The cargo body of claim 2 , further comprising:
a lower front connector adhesively bonded to the floor and the nose; and
an upper front connector adhesively bonded to the roof and the nose;
wherein each of the lower front and upper front connectors extends horizontally along a width of the cargo body.

23. The cargo body of claim 22 , wherein:
the lower front connector is a flat plate; and
the upper front connector is an L-bracket.

24. The cargo body of claim 2 , further comprising:
a front right connector adhesively bonded to the right sidewall and the nose; and
a front left connector adhesively bonded to the left sidewall and the nose;
wherein each of the front right and front left connectors extends vertically along a height of the cargo body.

25. The cargo body of claim 24 , wherein each of the front right and front left connectors is a rounded L-bracket.

26. The cargo

Assignees

• Wabash National Lp

Inventors

• Bauer Jeffrie Scott
• Storz Scott A
• Wylezinski Andrzej
• Thoma Michael L

Classifications

• B62D29/045

  Van bodies composed of substantially rectangular panels · CPC title

• B62D33/048 Primary

  for refrigerated goods vehicles · CPC title

• B60P3/20 Primary

  Refrigerated goods vehicles (air treatment of goods space B60H; {air-conditioning means for freight cars, isothermic wagons B61D27/0027; superstructures for refrigerated goods vehicles B62D33/048}) · CPC title

• B62D33/046

  built up with flat self-supporting panels; Fixed connections between panels (B62D29/045, B62D33/048 take precedence) · CPC title

• B62D27/026

  Connections by glue bonding (in general F16B11/00; processes C09J5/00) · CPC title