Utility vehicle

A utility vehicle includes: a vehicle body; an occupant section disposed in the vehicle body and configured to accommodate an occupant; a door that is disposed at a portion of the vehicle body which portion is lateral to the occupant section and which is openable and closable; a trim that is attached to at least a portion of a first one of an edge portion of the door or a portion of the vehicle body which portion corresponds to the edge portion of the door, and that is configured to be in contact with a second one of the edge portion or the corresponding portion of the vehicle body when the door is in a closed state; and a cover covering the trim.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-156918 filed Sep. 27, 2021, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a utility vehicle that includes: an occupant section in which an occupant is to be situated; and a door that is disposed at a lateral side portion of the occupant section and that is openable and closable.

Description of Related Art

Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication, Tokukai, No. 2018/177058) discloses a utility vehicle that includes an openable-closable door disposed at a lateral side portion of an occupant section of the utility vehicle. Some of such utility vehicles include a trim disposed at an edge portion of the door to close a gap between the door in closed state and the vehicle body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In typical cleaning operations of cleaning utility vehicles, high-pressure water discharge is used. When the conventional utility vehicle is cleaned, however, discharged high-pressure water may hit and damage the trim. Also, while the conventional utility vehicle is travelling, the trim may be damaged by contact with pebbles, tree branches, and/or like matter.

In view of the above-described circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a utility vehicle capable of preventing its trim from being damaged due to contact with pebbles, tree branches, and/or like matter while the utility vehicle is undergoing a cleaning operation by discharging high-pressure water to the utility vehicle or while the utility vehicle is traveling.

A utility vehicle according to the present invention includes: a vehicle body; an occupant section disposed in the vehicle body and configured to accommodate an occupant; a door that is disposed at a portion of the vehicle body which portion is lateral to the occupant section and that is openable and closable; a trim that is attached to at least a portion of a first one of: an edge portion of the door; or a portion of the vehicle body which portion corresponds to the edge portion of the door and that is configured to be in contact with a second one of the edge portion of the door or the corresponding portion of the vehicle body when the door is in a closed state; and a cover covering the trim.

According to this feature configuration, even if the vehicle undergoes a cleaning operation by discharging high-pressure water to the vehicle, the cover prevents the high-pressure water discharge from hitting the trim. The cover also prevents pebbles and/or like matter from coming into contact with the trim while the vehicle is traveling. Thus, the trim is protected from damage caused by contact with pebbles and/or like matter during cleaning work using high-pressure water discharge or while the utility vehicle is traveling.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the cover covers the trim in a side view of the utility vehicle.

Generally, when a vehicle is cleaned by discharging high-pressure water to a lateral side surface of the vehicle, high-pressure water is discharged from a laterally outer side of the vehicle body toward the vehicle. Also, a side wall portion of the vehicle body and the door are aligned in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and there is a gap between the vehicle body and the door in many cases in the left-right direction of the vehicle body. If pebbles and/or like matter fly toward the trim from a lateral outer side of the vehicle body, the pebbles and/or like matter come into contact with the trim. In view of these situations, in the above-described feature configuration, the trim and the cover each other in a side view of the vehicle. This ensures that without increasing the size of the cover, the trim is protected from water discharged from a lateral outer side of the vehicle body and from flying objects such as pebbles.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the cover is provided for the door.

According to this feature configuration, a large opening for boarding is secured when the door is in an open state as compared with a case where the cover is attached to the vehicle body.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the cover is integral with the door.

According to this feature configuration, it is not necessary to perform a step of attaching the cover at the time of vehicle assembly work. Also, if the cover and the door are separate bodies, there is generated a joint or a seam between the cover and the door. The above-described feature configuration, however, prevents generation of a joint or a seam, resulting in improved design properties.

In the present invention, it is preferable that: the vehicle body includes a ROPS frame disposed around the occupant section, at least a portion of the ROPS frame extending along the edge portion of the door; the ROPS frame includes a depression that is disposed in at least a portion of the ROPS frame which portion faces the edge portion of the door, that is depressed toward inside the ROPS frame, and that extends in a direction in which the ROPS frame extends; the trim is attached to at least a portion of one of the edge portion of the door or the depression; and the cover is disposed across the edge portion of the door and a first edge portion of the depression, the first edge portion being opposite to a second edge portion of the depression with respect to the trim, the second edge portion being located at a side at which the edge portion of the door is located.

According to this configuration, the trim is disposed in the depression or the trim is configured to come into contact with the depression. This ensures that the main body of the vehicle body need not be provided with a dedicated member for providing the trim or a dedicated configuration with which the trim comes into contact. Further, the cover is disposed across the edge portion of the door and a first edge portion of the depression, the first edge portion being opposite to a second edge portion of the depression with respect to the trim, the second edge portion being located at a side at which the edge portion of the door is located. This prevents pebbles and/or like matter from entering the depression. As a result, the trim is protected from damage caused by pebbles and/or like matter that have entered the depression.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the embodiments of the present invention, “front-rear direction” and “up-down direction” are described as follows unless otherwise specified. The direction of an arrow F will be referred to as “front” (seeFIG.1), the direction of an arrow B will be referred to as “rear” (seeFIG.1), the direction of an arrow U will be referred to as “upper” (seeFIG.1), and the direction of an arrow D will be referred to as “lower” (seeFIG.1).

When the utility vehicle takes a forward-facing posture in the front-rear direction, the direction corresponding to the right side with respect to the forward-facing posture is “right”, and the direction corresponding to the left side with respect to the forward-facing posture is “left”.

FIG.1illustrates a utility vehicle. The utility vehicle includes a vehicle body having a body frame3. The body frame3supports right and left front wheels1at a front portion of the body frame3, and supports right and left rear wheels2at a rear portion of the body frame3. The vehicle body includes an occupant section4, in which an occupant is to be situated. The occupant section4is disposed between the front wheels1and the rear wheels2. A cargo bed6is disposed behind the occupant section4.

As illustrated inFIG.1, a front seat11is disposed at a front position in the occupant section4, and a rear seat12is disposed at a rear position in the occupant section4. A steering handle14, which is for steering the front wheels1, is disposed at an operation panel13, which is disposed in front of the front seat11.

Front and rear doors20, which are openable-closable doors, are disposed at a lateral side portion of the occupant section4. The front door20is disposed at a lateral side portion of the front seat11in the left-right direction of the vehicle body, and the rear door20is disposed at a lateral side portion of the rear seat12in the left-right direction of the vehicle body.

A ROPS frame22is disposed around the occupant section4. The ROPS frame22is connected to the body frame3and surrounds the front seat11and the rear seat12.

The ROPS frame22includes: right and left front support columns23, which are disposed at front portions of the occupant section4; right and left middle support columns24, which are disposed at rear portions of the front seat11of the occupant section4; and right and left rear support columns25, which are disposed at rear portions of the occupant section4.

One front support column23is formed along a front portion, an upper portion, and a lower portion of an edge portion20aof the front door20. One middle support column24is formed along a rear portion of the edge portion20aof the front door20. That is, the front support column23and the middle support column24define a front boarding gate, and the front door20is capable of opening and closing the front boarding gate.

One middle support column24is formed along a front portion of an edge portion20aof the rear door20, and one rear support column25is formed along an upper portion, a lower portion, and a rear portion of the edge portion20aof the rear door20. That is, the middle support column24and the rear support column25define a rear boarding gate, and the rear door20is capable of opening and closing the rear boarding gate.

As illustrated inFIGS.2and3, the ROPS frame22has a first depression26(corresponding to the “depression”). The first depression26is depressed toward the inside of the ROPS frame22and has a length along the extension direction in which the ROPS frame22extends. The first depression26has a first surface26aand a second surface26b. The first surface26afaces the edge portion20aof the door20when the door20is closed. The second surface26bis orthogonal to the first surface26b. The ROPS frame22also has a second depression27. The second depression27is disposed at a side opposite to the first depression26in the radial direction of the ROPS frame22. The second depression27has substantially the same shape as the first depression26.

The front door20is disposed at a lateral side of the front seat11in the left-right direction of the vehicle body, and the rear door20is disposed at a lateral side of the rear seat12in the left-right direction of the vehicle body. As illustrated inFIGS.1and2, each door20is supported by a hinge21, which is connected to the rear portion of the door20, in such a manner that the door20is pivotable open and closed on the rear portion of the door20serving as a fulcrum. The hinge21of the front door20, which is disposed at a laterally outer side of the front seat11in the left-right direction of the vehicle body, is openably and closably supported by the middle support column24. The hinge21of the rear door20, which is disposed at a laterally outer side of the rear seat12in the left-right direction of the vehicle body, is openably and closably supported by the rear support column25.

As illustrated inFIGS.2and3, a trim31is attached to the edge portion20aof each door20. The trim31is made of rubber or like material, and has flexibility. The trim31is attached to an outer end portion of the edge portion20aof the door20. When the door20is closed, the trim31mainly comes into contact with the first surface26aof the first depression26. The contact between the trim31and the first surface26aprevents rainwater or like matter from entering the occupant section4from between the door20and the ROPS frame22.

A cover32is attached to the edge portion20aof the door20. The cover32extends along the entire circumferential length of the edge portion20aof the door20, and protrudes outward from the edge portion20aof the door20.

The cover32is disposed across the edge portion20aof the door20and an edge portion of the second surface26b. This edge portion of the second surface26bis a first edge portion of the first depression26. The first edge portion of the first depression26is opposite to a second edge portion of the first depression26with respect to the trim31. The second edge portion of the first depression26is located in a side area in which the edge portion20aof the door20is located. In this configuration, the cover32covers the trim31in a side view of the utility vehicle, enabling the cover32to protect the trim31from water and/or flying objects such as pebbles from a laterally outer side of the vehicle body.

Other Embodiments

Description will be made with regard to embodiments in which the above-described embodiment is modified. A combination of the following other embodiments may be applied to the above-described embodiment insofar as no contradiction occurs. It is to be noted that the scope of the present invention will not be limited to the following other embodiments.

(1) In the above-described embodiment, the trim31is attached to the door20. This configuration, however, is not intended in a limiting sense. For example, the trim31may be attached to the vehicle body, that is, to the first depression26of the ROPS frame22, which first depression26corresponds to the edge portion20aof the door20. Another possible example is that the trim31is attached to both the door20and the first depression26of the ROPS frame22.

(2) In the above-described embodiment, the cover32is attached to the door20. This configuration, however, is not intended in a limiting sense. For example, the trim31may be attached to the vehicle body, that is, to the ROPS frame22.

(3) In the above-described embodiment, the cover32is a body separate from the door20. This configuration, however, is not intended in a limiting sense. For example, the door20may be integral with the cover32.

(4) In the above-described embodiment, the ROPS frame22extends along the edge portion20athroughout the circumferential length of the door20. This configuration, however, is not intended in a limiting sense. For example, the ROPS frame22may extend along a portion of the edge portion20aof the door20.

(5) In the above-described embodiment, the cover32extends along the edge portion20athroughout the circumferential length of the door20. This configuration, however, is not intended in a limiting sense. For example, the cover32may extend along a portion of the edge portion20aof the door20.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention is applicable to utility vehicles used for personnel transportation, luggage transportation, recreation, and other purposes.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST