Refuse collection vehicle provided with footboards

Abstract

 A refuse collection vehicle with a body (3) and a rear loader (4) which is disposed at the rear side of the body and has fitted thereon a container lift comprises at least one footboard (5) disposed at the rear side of the rear loader, between the plane defined by a side of the body and the container lift, on which footboard a person can stand while the vehicle is travelling, and also two handgrips (7, 8) which a person can hold on to while standing on the footboard. The footboard (5) is disposed directly beside the plane defined by the side of the body (3), and the two handgrips (7, 8) are disposed in the immediate vicinity of this plane, at the vehicle side thereof, and on either side of the footboard (5), viewed in the lengthwise direction of the vehicle.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a refuse collection vehicle with a body, a rear loader which is disposed at the rear side of the body and has fitted thereon a container lift, and at least one footboard disposed at the rear side of the rear loader, between the plane defined by a side of the body and the container lift, on which footboard a person can stand while the vehicle is travelling, and also two handgrips which a person can bold on to while standing on the footboard.

[0002] Such a refuse collection vehicle is known.

[0003] In the case of this known vehicle the footboard and the handgrips are placed in such a way that a person has to stand on the footboard facing the direction of travel of the vehicle. However, this has the disadvantage that the container lift can be only of limited width, since safety regulations do not allow the footboard and/or the handgrips to project beyond the contour of the vehicle. When the container lift is of limited width, large refuse containers cannot be handled by it.

[0004] The object of the invention is to provide such an arrangement of the footboard and the handgrips that, on the one hand, a person can stand safely and comfortably on the footboard while the vehicle is travelling and, on the other, the container lift can be made so wide that large refuse containers can also be handled.

[0005] This object is achieved according to the invention in the case of a refuse collection vehicle of the type mentioned in the preamble, through the fact that the footboard is disposed directly beside the plane defined by the side of the body, and that the two handgrips are disposed in the immediate vicinity of this plane, at the vehicle side thereof, and on either side of the footboard, viewed in the lengthwise direction of the vehicle.

[0006] The arrangement of the footboard and the handgrips according to the invention ensures that a person is forced to stand on the footboard facing away from the vehicle. The handgrips are situated as near as possible to the outside of the vehicle, but in such a way that the hands holding on to the handgrips cannot project beyond the contour of the vehicle. The upper part of the body of a person standing on the footboard will be moved away from the handgrips, in the direction of the vehicle, i.e. to a safe position.

[0007] Preferred embodiments of the refuse collection vehicle according to the invention are described in the sub-claims.

[0008] The invention will be explained in greater detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a refuse collection vehicle according to the invention;

Fig. 2 shows the rear part of the vehicle of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the vehicle according to the invention; and

Fig. 4 shows in top view, and on an enlarged scale, how a person stands on the footboard and holds on to the handgrips.

[0009] The refuse collection vehicle shown in the drawing comprises a chassis 1 having mounted thereon a body 2, on which a rear loader 3 is disposed at the rear side. A container lift 4 is mounted on the rear loader 3. Disposed at the rear side of the rear loader 3 are two footboards 5, each of which is situated between the plane defined by a side of the body 2 and the container lift 4, as can be seen in particular in Fig. 3. A person can stand on such a footboard while the vehicle is travelling. That person can hold on to two handgrips 7 and 8 in this case.

[0010] In order to ensure that, on the one hand, a person standing on a footboard can stand safely and comfortably on the footboard and cannot protrude beyond the contour of the vehicle and, on the other, that the container lift 4 can be made as wide as possible, each footboard 5 is disposed directly beside the plane defined by a side of the body 2, and the two handgrips 7 and 8 are disposed in the immediate vicinity of this plane, at the vehicle side thereof, and on either side of the footboard 5, viewed in the lengthwise direction of the vehicle.

[0011] In the embodiment shown an essentially vertical guard 9 is disposed between each footboard 5 and the container lift 4. The handgrip 8 disposed behind the footboard 5, viewed in the lengthwise direction of the vehicle, (the rear handgrip), is fixed by means of a bracket to the rear edge of the guard 9. The handgrip 7 disposed in front of the footboard 5, viewed in the lengthwise direction of the vehicle, (the front handgrip), is fixed to the rear loader 3. In the region of this front handgrip 7 a handgrip guard 6 is disposed on the outside of the rear loader, i.e. on the outside of the vehicle.

[0012] Fig. 4 shows how a person stands on the footboard 5 and holds on to the handgrips 7 and 8. The person stands facing the outside of the vehicle. The handgrips are situated as close as possible to the outside of the vehicle, but within the contour of the vehicle, so that the hands holding on to the handgrips cannot protrude beyond the contour of the vehicle. The person can rest his back against the guard 9, which provides additional comfort. Since the person is naturally going to adopt the most steady and comfortable posture, the safest position is therefore taken up automatically.

[0013] The handgrip guard 6 prevents a person from adopting a hanging posture on the footboard, facing the vehicle, and thus protruding beyond the contour of the vehicle. The handgrip guard 6 ensures that it is virtually impossible to adopt such a posture. In fact, the handgrip 7 can be held on to by a person standing on the footboard only if the person is in the position shown in Fig. 4, i.e. when he is in a safe position. An additional advantage of the handgrip guard 6 is that the hand holding on to the handgrip 7 is protected, for example from branches brushing against the vehicle as it travels along.

[0014] Partly due to the arrangement of the footboards 5 and the handgrips 7 and 8, the refuse collection vehicle according to the invention meets the current strict safety regulations.

Claims

1. Refuse collection vehicle with a body (2), a rear loader (3) which is disposed at the rear side of the body and has fitted thereon a container lift (4), and at least one footboard (5) disposed at the rear side of the rear loader, between the plane defined by a side of the body and the container lift, on which footboard a person can stand while the vehicle is travelling, and also two handgrips (7, 8) which a person can hold on to while standing on the footboard, characterized in that the footboard (5) is disposed directly beside the plane defined by the side of the body (3), and in that the two handgrips (7, 8) are disposed in the immediate vicinity of this plane, at the vehicle side thereof, and on either side of the footboard (5), viewed in the lengthwise direction of the vehicle.

2. Refuse collection vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that an essentially vertical guard (9) is disposed between the footboard (5) and the container lift (4).

3. Refuse collection vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the handgrip (8) disposed behind the footboard (5), viewed in the lengthwise direction of the vehicle, is fixed by means of a bracket to the rear edge of the guard (9).

4. Refuse collection vehicle according to one of claims 1 - 3, characterized in that a handgrip guard (6) is disposed on the outside of the vehicle, in the region of the handgrip (7) which is disposed in front of the footboard (5), viewed in the lengthwise direction of the vehicle.

Drawing