TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a roof configuration for a vehicle. The invention also relates to a vehicle.

BACKGROUND ART

Passenger vehicles such as buses are provided with a roof configuration. The roof configuration is configured to be part of the vehicle body of the vehicle. The roof configuration is configured to be attached to opposite side parts of said vehicle body. Said side parts comprise side cover panels and windows.

The roof configuration comprises an elongated roof plate configured to run along said vehicle. The side cover panels are configured to protrude upwardly from said roof plate so as to cover for example an air conditioning unit arranged on the elongated roof plate, batteries, a cooling system or the like.

The vehicle further comprises air ducts configured to run in connection to said side parts in the respective upper inner corner of the vehicle. The air ducts are arranged to be supported by means of a support structure in said corners. Air is configured to be provided to said air ducts via said air-conditioning unit. The assembly time for mounting such a roof configuration is relatively time consuming due to e.g. many components, which in turn may result in high costs. OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a roof configuration for a vehicle which is easy to construct and thus requires relatively short assembly time.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a roof configuration for a vehicle which is cost efficient.

An object of the present invention is to provide a roof configuration for a vehicle which provides a robust construction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These and other objects, apparent from the following description, are achieved by a roof configuration for a vehicle and a vehicle, as set out in the appended independent claims. Preferred embodiments of the roof configuration for a vehicle and the vehicle are defined in appended dependent claims.

Specifically an object of the invention is achieved by a roof configuration for a vehicle. Said roof configuration is arranged to be part of a vehicle body of said vehicle. Said roof configuration is configured to be attached to opposite side parts of said vehicle body, said side parts comprising windows. Said roof configuration comprises an elongated roof plate configured to run along said vehicle, and ducts configured to run in connection to said side parts. Said ducts are arranged externally in said roof configuration, said ducts being arranged to protrude upwardly from said roof plate.

Such a roof configuration facilitates short assembly time in that it may be provided with fewer components. Hereby a roof configuration which is cost efficient may be obtained. Hereby separate side cover panels are not required since said ducts provide the cover function of said side cover panels so that said ducts prevents e.g. an air conditioning unit arranged on the elongated roof of said vehicle to be viewed from the side. Further, no extra reinforcement is required in said ducts since ducts being arranged to protrude upwardly from said roof plate may be arranged to be supported by said roof plate. Hereby a clean inner ceiling is facilitated in that said ducts are protruding upwardly from the roof plate and are thus externally arranged in connection to said roof plate. With this solution an increased insulation in said air ducts is provided in that no separate isolation is required as is the case with ducts arranged in the upper inner corner of the vehicle. Further, no cold bridge between external and internal side is required when arranging said ducts externally, further improving insulation. Further, an increased window line height is facilitated due to the external arrangement of the ducts. Said ducts may be used for any suitable purpose. Said ducts may advantageously be used for fresh air supply to the interior of the vehicle. Said ducts may, in addition to or as an alternative to being used as air ducts, be used for housing cable, wires and the like for e.g. electric supply to the vehicle. According to an embodiment of the roof configuration said ducts and said roof plate constitute an integrated part of said roof configuration. Hereby less components are required facilitating shorter assembly time and cost efficient roof configuration.

According to an embodiment of the roof configuration said ducts are configured to be attached to said roof plate. Hereby it is facilitated to have different materials of said roof plate and said ducts which may be cost efficient in that the total material cost may be reduced and still facilitating maintaining a robust construction of the roof configuration.

According to an embodiment of the roof configuration said ducts are configured to operate as air ducts for providing air internally of said vehicle. By thus operating said ducts as air ducts an efficient use of said ducts is provided in that no air ducts are required inside the vehicle

According to an embodiment of the roof configuration said ducts are configured to act as support portions of said roof configuration, supporting said side parts. Hereby a robust construction of said roof configuration is obtained which is easy to assemble.

According to an embodiment said roof configuration comprises one or more composite materials. Composite materials provides a robust and efficient construction of said roof configuration. Said one or more composite materials may comprise fibreglass and/or carbon fibre.

According to an embodiment said roof configuration has a sandwich structure. Hereby a robust construction of said roof configuration is obtained. Herby a homogenous isolation with no gaps is obtained, thus providing increased insulation in said air ducts.

Specifically an object of the invention is achieved by a vehicle comprising roof configuration as set out herein.

According to an embodiment said vehicle is a passenger vehicle such as a bus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention reference is made to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Fig. 1 a schematically illustrates a plan view of a vehicle according to the present invention;

Fig. 1 b schematically illustrates a side view of the vehicle in fig. 1 a;

Fig. 2a schematically illustrates front view of a portion of a roof configuration for a vehicle and opposite side parts attached to said roof configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 2b schematically illustrates a perspective view of the roof configuration and opposite side parts in fig. 2a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Fig. 1 a schematically illustrates a plan view of a vehicle V according to the present invention and fig. 1 b schematically illustrates a side view of the vehicle V in fig. 1 a. The exemplified vehicle V is a passenger vehicle in the shape of a bus.

The vehicle V comprises a vehicle body B. The vehicle V comprises a roof configuration 10 according to the present invention. The roof configuration 10 is configured to be part of said vehicle body B.

The vehicle body B comprises opposite side parts 20, 30, a right said part 20 and a left side part 30. Said roof configuration 10 comprises an elongated roof plate 12 configured to run along said vehicle V. Said elongated roof plate has an external side 12a configured to face upwardly from said vehicle V.

Said elongated roof plate 12 has an internal side 12b facing downwardly towards the inner side of the vehicle V. The internal side 12b of the roof plate 12 of said roof configuration 10, according to an embodiment, constitutes the ceiling or part of the inner ceiling of the vehicle V.

Said roof configuration 10 comprises air ducts 14, 16 configured to run in connection to said side parts 20, 30. Said roof configuration 10 comprises a right air duct 14 configured to run in connection to said right side part 20 and a left air duct 14 configured to run in connection to said left side part 30. Said air ducts 14, 16 are arranged externally in said roof configuration 10. Said air ducts 14, 16 are arranged to protrude upwardly from said roof plate 12.

The vehicle V is according to this embodiment provided with an air conditioning unit U.

Said ducts 14, 16 are here described as air ducts and are configured to be used for fresh air supply to the interior of the vehicle. Said ducts 14, 16 operating as air ducts are provided with openings, not shown, for allowing fresh air into the internal of the vehicle. Said ducts 14, 16 are arranged to be operably connected to said air conditioning unit U.

Said air ducts 14, 16 and said air conditioning unit U are according to an embodiment comprised in or comprises the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system of the vehicle V.

Said ducts may be used for any suitable purpose. Said ducts may, in addition to or as an alternative to being used as air ducts, be used for housing cable, or other media routing, hydraulics, lines for compressed air, cooling water pipes, wires and the like for e.g. electric supply to the vehicle, for example for an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. The vehicle may comprise a battery unit as an alternative or in addition to said unit U described above. Such a battery unit may according to a variant be operably connected to said ducts, i.e. links such as cable in the ducts.

Said roof configuration 10 is arranged to be attached to said side parts 20, 30.

Said side parts 20, 30 comprises windows 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, 32e, windows 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, 32e for the left side part 30 being schematically illustrated in fig. 1 b. The vehicle V has corresponding windows on the right side.

Said side parts 20, 30 comprises support pillars 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, 34e for supporting said roof configuration 10, support pillars for the left side part 30 being schematically illustrated in fig. 1 b. The vehicle V has corresponding support pillars on the right side. Said roof configuration 10 is arranged to be attached to said support pillars of said side parts 20, 30. Said air ducts 14, 16 of said roof configuration 10 are arranged to be attached to said support pillars of said side parts 20, 30. Said right air duct 14 is configured to be attached to the support pillars on the right side and said left air duct 16 is configured to be attached to the support pillars 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, 34e on the left side.

Said support pillars 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, 34e are according to an embodiment arranged to support said windows 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, 32e, this being schematically illustrated in fig. 1 b showing the left side of the vehicle V. The windows 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, 32e may be window portions of a window 32 running along the side of the vehicle V as one window element being attached by means of said support pillars.

A portion of the roof configuration 10 and the side parts 20, 30 of the vehicle body B are illustrated in more detail in fig. 2a and 2b below.

The windows are configured to run from a certain position of the side of the vehicle V and upwardly essentially to the inner ceiling, e.g. the inner side 12b of the roof plate 12, of the vehicle V.

The vehicle V according to the present invention could be any vehicle suitable for a roof configuration according to the present invention. The vehicle V according to the present invention could be any vehicle having a vehicle body suitable for a roof configuration according to the present invention.

Fig. 2a schematically illustrates front view of a portion of a roof configuration 10 for a vehicle and opposite side parts 20, 30 attached to said roof configuration 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 2b schematically illustrates a perspective view of the roof configuration 10 and opposite side parts 20, 30 in fig. 2a.

The roof configuration 10 is configured to be part of a vehicle body.

Said opposite side parts 20, 30, a right said part 20 and a left side part 30 are also configured to be part of the vehicle body. Thus, fig. 2a and 2b schematically illustrates a part of the vehicle body B of a vehicle, e.g. a passenger vehicle such as a bus. The vehicle body B comprises said roof configuration 10 and said side parts 20, 30.

Said roof configuration 10 comprises an elongated roof plate 12 configured to run along said vehicle V. Said elongated roof plate has an external side 12a configured to face upwardly from said vehicle V.

Said elongated roof plate 12 has an internal side 12b facing downwardly towards the inner side of the vehicle V. The internal side 12b of the roof plate 12 of said roof configuration 10 constitutes according to an embodiment the ceiling or part of the inner ceiling of the vehicle V.

Said roof configuration 10 comprises air ducts 14, 16 configured to run in connection to said side parts 20, 30. Said roof configuration 10 comprises a right air duct 14 configured to run in connection to said right side part 20 and a left air duct 14 configured to run in connection to said left side part 30. Said air ducts 14, 16 are arranged externally in said roof configuration 10. Said air ducts 14, 16 are arranged to protrude upwardly from said roof plate 12.

According to the embodiment of the roof configuration 10 illustrated in fig. 2a and 2b said ducts 14, 16 and said roof plate 12 constitute an integrated part of said roof configuration 10. Said right air duct 14 comprises a duct roof portion 14a, an inner duct wall portion 14b and an outer duct wall portion 14c. Said duct roof portion 14a, inner duct wall portion 14b and an outer duct wall portion 14c together with a right portion of the roof plate 12 are arranged as an integrated part forming said duct 14. Thus, said inner duct wall portion 14b and outer duct wall portion 14c are arranged at a distance from each other and are attached/integrated with said duct roof portion 14a at the top and said right portion of the roof plate 12 at the bottom to form said right duct 14. Said left air duct 16 comprises a duct roof portion 16a, an inner duct wall portion 16b and an outer duct wall portion 16c. Said duct roof portion 16a, inner duct wall portion 16b and an outer duct wall portion 16c together with a left portion of the roof plate 12 are arranged as an integrated part forming said duct 16. Thus, said inner duct wall portion 16b and outer duct wall portion 16c are arranged at a distance from each other and are attached/integrated with said duct roof portion 16a at the top and said left portion of the roof plate 12 at the bottom to form said left duct 16.

Said ducts 14, 16 are here described as air ducts and are configured to be used for fresh air supply to the interior of the vehicle. Said ducts 14, 16 operating as air ducts are provided with openings, not shown, for allowing fresh air into the internal of the vehicle, and are arranged to be operably connected to one or more air conditioning units, not shown.

Said ducts may be used for any suitable purpose. Said ducts may, in addition to or as an alternative to being used as air ducts, be used for housing cable, or other media routing, hydraulics, lines for compressed air, cooling water pipes, wires and the like for e.g. electric supply to the vehicle, for example for an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle.

According to an embodiment said roof configuration 10 comprises one or more composite materials. Said one or more composite materials may comprise fibreglass and/or carbon fibre. Said roof configuration 10 may be made of any other suitable material such as e.g. aluminium.

According to an embodiment said roof configuration 10 has a sandwich structure. Said roof configuration 10 is arranged to be attached to said side parts 20, 30.

Said side parts 20, 30 comprise windows 22, 32. Thus said right side part 20 comprises right window 22 and said left side part 30 comprises window 32 for the left side. Said side parts 20, 30 comprises support pillars 24a, 24b, 34a, 34b for supporting said roof configuration 10, two support pillars 24a, 24b for the right side part 20 and two support pillars 34a, 34b for the left side part 30 being schematically illustrated in the portion of the vehicle body illustrated in fig. 2b. Said roof configuration 10 is arranged to be attached to said support pillars of said side parts 20, 30. Said air ducts 14, 16 of said roof configuration 10 are arranged to be attached to said support pillars 24a, 24b, 34a, 34b of said side parts 20, 30.

Said right air duct 14 is configured to be attached to the support pillars 24a, 24b on the right side and said left air duct 16 is configured to be attached to the support pillars 34a, 34b on the left side.

Said support pillars 24a, 24b, 34a, 34b are according to an embodiment arranged to support said windows 32, 34, this being schematically illustrated in fig. 2b. The windows are configured to run upwardly essentially to the inner ceiling, e.g. the inner side 12b of the roof plate 12, of the vehicle V.

According to an embodiment of the roof configuration 10 said ducts 14, 16 are configured to act as support portions of said roof configuration 10, supporting said side parts 20, 30. The outer duct wall portion 14c, 16c of said air ducts 14, 16 of said roof configuration 10 are arranged to be attached to said support pillars 24a, 24b, 34a, 34b of said side parts 20, 30.

Said support pillars 24a, 24b of the right side part 20 are arranged to be attached to the outer side of the outer duct wall portion 14c of the right duct 14 of the roof configuration 10. A cover plate 26 is arranged to be attached externally to said support pillars 24a, 24b above said window 22. Said right side part 20 thus according to an embodiment comprises said cover plate 26. Said cover plate 26 is according to an embodiment a separate cover plate. Said cover plate 26 is according to an embodiment constituted by a portion of the window 22, said cover plate 26 then being of the same material as the window 22, e.g. glass, said cover plate according to an embodiment being coloured glass, e.g. black glass. Said support pillars 34a, 34b of the left side part 30 are arranged to be attached to the outer side of the outer duct wall portion 16c of the left duct 16 of the roof configuration 10. A cover plate 36 is arranged to be attached externally to said support pillars 34a, 34b above said window 32. Said left side part 30 thus according to an embodiment comprises said cover plate 36. Said cover plate 36 is according to an embodiment a separate cover plate. Said cover plate 36 is according to an embodiment constituted by a portion of the window 32, said cover plate 36 then being of the same material as the window 32, e.g. glass, said cover plate according to an embodiment being coloured glass, e.g. black glass. The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.