The invention relates to a vehicle, in particular a heavy goods vehicle, having a longitudinal direction and a carrier frame, the carrier frame comprising two longitudinal members extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the vehicle comprising a frame head assembly attached to front ends of the longitudinal members, the frame head assembly comprising a front cross member mounted to the front ends of the longitudinal members by means of frame connecting pieces and a front underrun protection beam arranged at a distance below the front cross member and attached to the longitudinal members by means of brackets, the frame head assembly further comprising a separate tow coupling body with a tow coupling mouth for removably receiving a tow coupling bolt, wherein said tow coupling body is arranged in the center of the vehicle.

Such a vehicle is for example known from EP0696535B1. In this known vehicle the front cross member is constructed as an open metal profile to which the separate coupling mouth-body comprising the tow coupling mouth recess is joined as a separate component to the center of the front cross member. The open metal profile is provided with an orifice in which the coupling mouth-body is positioned. The open metal profile is of a U-shaped design, wherein the two legs of the U of the metal profile flank the top and bottom of the coupling mouth -body across its entire depth. The coupling mouth-body is joined to the edge regions of the orifice and to the two legs of the U of the metal profile by means of welded joints. It is an object of the invention to provide a vehicle with an alternative construction of the frame head assembly in particular with regard to the coupling mouth- body.

According to the invention this object is obtained by providing a vehicle, in particular a heavy goods vehicle, having a longitudinal direction and a carrier frame, the carrier frame comprising two longitudinal members extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the vehicle comprising a frame head assembly attached to front ends of the longitudinal members, the frame head assembly comprising a front cross member mounted to the front ends of the longitudinal members by means of frame connecting pieces, such as casting brackets, and a front underrun protection beam arranged at a distance below the front cross member and attached to the longitudinal members by means of brackets, the frame head assembly further comprising a separate tow coupling body with a tow coupling mouth for removably receiving a tow coupling bolt, wherein said tow coupling body is arranged in the center of the vehicle, characterized in that the separate tow coupling body is connected to the center of the front underrun protection beam. Since according to the invention the separate tow coupling body is connected to the center of the front underrun protection beam and thus at a distance below the front cross member, moments/torque generated by the pulling forces occurring during towing can be compensated for. In addition, the front underrun protection beam can take over a significant amount of load as a result of which the tow coupling body can be constructed with a relatively low mass, thereby improving fuel efficiency of the vehicle.

Further, the inventive construction provides good results with respect to fatigue and strength of the construction. Furthermore, the connection of the tow coupling body to front underrun protection beam increases the bearing strength of the complete construction.

In an embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention, wherein a front underrun protection beam connection block is arranged at the center of the front underrun protection beam, the front underrun protection beam connection block comprising front underrun protection beam connection block holes, wherein the tow coupling body comprises at its lower end a tow coupling body connection block, the tow coupling body connection block comprising tow coupling body connection block holes, wherein the front underrun protection beam connection block holes are in line with the tow coupling body connection block holes and connecting bolts extend through the front underrun protection beam connection block holes and the tow coupling body connection block holes for connecting the tow coupling body to the front underrun protection beam. In this manner the construction of a known front underrun protection only requires little adaptation for being able to secure the tow coupling body while still meeting the legal requirements for the front underrun protection beam.

In a further embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention the tow coupling body further comprises a tow coupling body connection element extending upwardly from the tow coupling mouth recess, the tow coupling body connection element comprising a tow coupling body connection element hole, wherein the front cross member comprises a front cross member hole in line with the tow coupling body connection element hole, wherein a further connection bolt extends through the tow coupling body connection element hole and the front cross member hole for connecting the tow coupling body to the front cross member. In this manner the tow coupling is in a relatively simple mechanical manner attached to both the front underrun protection beam and the front cross member, thereby further increasing the bearing strength of the complete construction.

In a still further embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention the tow coupling body comprises a first rib extending in a first lateral direction from an upper side of the tow coupling mouth recess towards a first lateral end of the front cross member and a second rib extending in a second lateral direction opposite the first lateral direction from the upper side of the tow coupling mouth recess towards a second lateral end of the front cross member, the first rib comprising at its free end a first rib connection hole, preferably extending in longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the second rib comprising at its free end a second rib connection hole, preferably extending in longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein the lateral ends of the front cross member comprises lateral front cross member holes in line with the first and second rib connection holes, wherein a first rib connection bolt extends through the first rib connection hole and the corresponding lateral front cross member hole and a second rib connection bolt extends through the second rib connection hole and the corresponding lateral front cross member hole for connecting the tow coupling body to the front cross member. By using such first and second ribs the bearing strength of the complete construction is increased even further. Since the strength of the front underrun protection beam and the front cross member is used the first and second rib can be relative thin while still providing sufficient strength to the construction as a whole.

The invention will be further explained with reference to the Figures, in which a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention is shown:

Fig. 1 schematically in perspective shows a frame head assembly of a vehicle without a tow coupling body;

Fig. 2 schematically in perspective shows a part of a frame head assembly of a vehicle according to a first embodiment of the invention with a tow coupling body (detailed in Fig. 2A) only attached to the front underrun protection beam; and

Figs. 3 to 7 schematically show a second embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention with a tow coupling body attached both to the front underrun protection beam and the front cross member, of which Fig. 3 shows the tow coupling body, Fig. 4 shows the front cross member, Fig. 5 shows the front underrun protection beam, Fig.6 shows the assembled construction in a front view and Fig. 7 in a perspective view.

In Fig. l a frame head assembly 1 of a vehicle is shown in perspective without a tow coupling body to clarify the part of a vehicle, in particular a heavy goods vehicle, to which the present invention relates. The vehicle has a longitudinal direction L and a carrier frame C comprising two longitudinal members 2, 3 extending in the longitudinal direction L of the vehicle. The frame head assembly 1 is attached to front ends 2A, 3A of the longitudinal members 2, 3. The frame head assembly 1 comprises a front cross member 4 mounted to the front ends 2A, 3A of the longitudinal members 2, 3 by means of frame connecting pieces, such as casting brackets 5, 6.

The frame head assembly 1 further comprises a front underrun protection beam 7 arranged at a distance below the front cross member 4. The front underrun protection beam 7 is attached to the longitudinal members 2, 3 by means of brackets 8, 9.

According to the present invention as illustrated in a first embodiment shown in Figure 2 and a second embodiment as shown in Figs. 3-7, the frame head assembly 1 further comprises a separate tow coupling body 10 (Fig. 2) or 11 (Fig. 3) connected to the center of the front underrun protection beam 7. The tow coupling body 10, 11 comprises a tow coupling mouth 12, 13 for removably receiving a tow coupling boltl4 through a tow coupling bolt opening 12A, 13A.

As shown in the first embodiment of Fig. 2 and in the second embodiment shown in Fig. 5 a front underrun protection beam connection block 16, 17 is arranged at the center of the front underrun protection beam 7.

With reference to the first embodiment as very schematically shown in Figures 2 and 2A the front underrun protection beam connection block 16 comprises a front underrun protection beam connection block holes 18 which in the shown embodiment extend in longitudinal direction L of the vehicle. The tow couphng body 10 comprises at its lower end a tow coupling body connection block 20. The tow coupling body connection block 20 comprises tow coupling body connection block holes 22 (Figure 2A) which extend in longitudinal direction L of the vehicle and which are in line with front underrun protection beam connection block holes 18. Connecting bolts (not shown) extend through the front underrun protection beam connection block holes 18 and the tow coupling body connection block holes 22 for connecting the tow coupling body 10 to the front underrun protection beam 7.

With reference to the second embodiment as shown in Figures 3 to 7 the tow coupling body 11 comprises a central part 10’ comprising a tow coupling body connection block 20’ and tow coupling body connection block holes 22’ and further comprises a tow coupling body connection element 21. In the second embodiment the tow coupling body connection block 20’ extends backwards as seen in the longitudinal direction L. The tow coupling body connection block 20‘ comprises tow coupling body connection block holes 22’ (Figure 3) which extend in vertical direction and which are in line with front underrun protection beam connection block holes 19 provided in the front underrun protection beam connection block 17. Connecting bolts 40 (Fig. 7) extend through the front underrun protection beam connection block holes 19 and the tow coupling body connection block holes 22’ for connecting the tow coupling body 11 to the front underrun protection beam 7. The tow coupling body connection element 21 extends upwardly from the tow coupling mouth recess 13 and comprises tow coupling body connection element holes 23, which in the shown embodiment extend in longitudinal direction L of the vehicle. The front cross member 4 (see Fig. 4) comprises front cross member holes 25 in line with the tow coupling body connection element holes 23 so that further connection bolts (not shown) can extend through the tow coupling body connection element holes 23 and the front cross member holes 25 for connecting the tow coupling body 11 also to the front cross member 4. As shown in Figs. 3, 6 and 7 the tow coupling body 11 according to the second embodiment comprises a first rib 27 and a second rib 29 laterally extending in opposite directions from an upper side of the tow coupling mouth recess 13 towards respective lateral ends 4A, 4B of the front cross member 4. Since the strength of the front underrun protection beam 7 and the front cross member 4 is used the first and second rib 27, 29 can be relative thin while still providing sufficient strength to the construction as a whole. The first rib 27 comprises at its free end first rib connection holes 31, which in the shown embodiment extend in longitudinal direction L of the vehicle and analogously the second rib 29 comprises at its free end second rib connection holes 35 extending in longitudinal direction L of the vehicle. As shown in Figure 4 the lateral ends 4A, 4B of the front cross member 4 comprises lateral front cross member holes 35, 37 in line with the first rib connection holes 31 and the second rib connection holes 33, respectively. For connecting the tow coupling body 11 to the lateral ends 4A, 4B of the front cross member 4 first rib connection bolts (not shown) extends through the first rib connection holes 31 and the corresponding lateral front cross member holes 35 and second rib connection bolts (not shown) extend through the second rib connection hole 33 and the corresponding lateral front cross member holes 37.