Abstract:
An edge profile for bordering the superstructure of a rescue vehicle is contemplated, specifically an edge profile for bordering the upper walking deck of a firefighting vehicle that provide a modular construction system with enhanced security features. The edge profile is an extruded hollow body having a cross section with a front wall portion and an upper and lower groove for simultaneously illuminating the border of the upper walking deck and the environment around the base of the vehicle. The edge profile modularly engages with the vehicle body via cross-sectional horizontal and vertical mounting grooves, which do not require welding. A lower flange portion is further provided to cover upper parts of storage compartments at the sides of the vehicle, especially roller shutters.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority to European Patent Application No. 13161368.9 filed Mar. 27, 2013. 
     STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an edge profile for bordering the superstructure rescue vehicle, in particular a fire fighting vehicle. 
     Many aerial vehicles, especially fire fighting vehicles that are equipped with a turnable and extractable ladder, comprise a walking deck that can be entered by an operator to access the main operator seat at the turret of the ladder. In a very common construction the deck area is formed by an aluminum metal sheet with an anti-slip surface, which is bended and welded to the top of the vehicle body at its edges. 
     It has been envisaged to form the superstructure of such a vehicle as a modular system of extruded aluminum profiles. Such a system provides many benefits under the aspects of cost reduction and flexibility. However, until now there is no way how to combine the advantages of such a modular superstructure with a deck area formed by bended and welded metal sheets, as explained above. Moreover, it is desired to provide the superstructure of the vehicle with additional security features, especially related to an illumination of the deck, its borders and its environment so that the deck can be entered securely even in situations with poor visibility. Generally there is the desire for a bordering construction of the superstructure, especially for the deck of a rescue vehicle that fulfills all these requirements. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an edge profile for bordering a superstructure of a rescue vehicle, in particular a fire fighting vehicle, that fulfills all requirements of providing a simple and secure connection, especially within a modular construction system, for bordering of the top deck portion of the vehicle and the lateral side wall portion. It is another object to incorporate security features into this profile for visualizing the borders of the deck portion and illuminating the environment of the vehicle. 
     These objects are achieved by an edge profile comprising the features of claim  1 . 
     The edge profile according to the present invention comprises an extruded profile body with a cross section that comprises a central hollow portion and a first groove opening towards the upper side of the profile body in which a first band-shaped lighting device is arranged, a second groove opening laterally towards the bottom side of the profile body in which a second band-shaped lighting device is arranged, a first cross section portion for engaging with a fixing means for fixing the edge profile to the vehicle body, said first cross section portion being arranged at a back portion of the profile body that faces the vehicle body, a flat upper support portion on top of the first cross section portion for supporting a top plate of the superstructure, and a plate-shaped flange portion extending vertically at the bottom of the profile body. 
     This edge profile according to the present invention combines a number of different functions. First of all, the first band-shaped lighting device serves to illuminate the border of the top plate of the superstructure, i. e. the deck at the top of the vehicle. The edge of this deck is supported by the flat upper support portion. Because the top plate is completely enclosed and supported by the edge profile, no welding is necessary at the edges, and it is possible to combine a top plate of a different material with the present edge profile. The environment of the vehicle is illuminated by the second band-shaped lighting device that radiates light in a lateral downward direction to illuminate a ground around the vehicle. The first cross section portion forms an engaging and fixing portion of the profile to engage with a fixing means of the vehicle body that can be inserted into the first cross section portion. Finally the plate shaped flange portion serves to cover the upper part of a storage compartment at the side of the vehicle, especially to cover a roller shutter. Moreover, this flange portion can carry a visual marking that extends around the top of the vehicle. 
     According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the first and second band-shaped lighting devices is a lighting bar that is fixed within the respective first or second groove. Such a lighting bar can be made of a transparent or translucent plastic material housing a number of small light sources, for example, LEDs. Each lighting bar can be fixed in its respective groove by any suitable means, also including the option that the lighting bar is simply fixed into the groove by a snap-fit action. 
     More preferably the first cross section portion for engaging with a fixing means comprises a third groove opening towards the back side of the profile body. This third groove can accommodate a corresponding tongue or other protrusion fixed to the vehicle body. 
     According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cross section of the extruded profile body further comprises a second cross section portion for engaging with a fixing means for fixing the edge profile to the vehicle body, said second cross section portion comprising a fourth groove opening towards the bottom side of the profile body and being arranged below the first cross section portion at the back portion of the profile body. This second cross section portion provides other options to fix the edge profile to the vehicle body. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiment described hereinafter. 
         FIG. 1  is a cross section through one embodiment of an edge profile body according to the present invention; and 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the edge profile comprising the edge profile body from  FIG. 1  in its mounted position fixed to the superstructure of a vehicle body. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The profile body  10  in  FIG. 1  is the main structure component of the edge profile  100  in  FIG. 2  for bordering the superstructure of a rescue vehicle, in particular a fire fighting vehicle. The profile body  10  is an extruded profile formed of a metal like aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The cross section of this extruded profile body  10  comprises a central hollow channel  12  that is open only to the longitudinal ends of the profile body  10 . In  FIG. 1 , the back side of the edge profile  100  (or the profile body  10 ) is located at the right side of the cross section in the figure, which is the side of the edge profile to be fixed at the vehicle body. In the following description the term “back” refers to the mounting position of the edge profile as such, its back side facing the vehicle, while the term “lateral” refers to one side of the cross section of the profile body  10 , as seen in  FIG. 1 . This means that the back side and front side of the edge profile are each one of the lateral sides of the cross section in the perspective of  FIG. 1 . 
     On the top side of the profile body  10 , its cross section comprises a first groove  14  opening towards the upper side of the profile body  10 . This first groove  14  has a rectangular cross section, and the horizontal flat bottom  16  of this first groove  14  is defined by a horizontal wall portion that separates the space within the first groove  14  from the central hollow channel  12  inside the profile body  10 . The walls of this groove  14  are slightly inclined towards each other so as to constrict the free cross section of the groove  14  towards its bottom  16 . Directly above the bottom  16  of the groove  14 , an undercut  17  is formed. 
     At a lateral bottom portion of the cross section of the profile body  10 , a second groove  18  is located that has also a mainly rectangular cross section with a flat bottom  20  delimiting the space within the second groove  18  from the hollow channel  12 . While the cross section and shape of both first and second grooves  14 , 18  is approximately the same, including the restricting free cross section of the second groove  18  and the undercut at its bottom  20 , the bottom  20  of the second groove  18  is inclined about an angle of about 45 degrees with respect to the vertical axis. By this arrangement the cross section of the second groove  18  opens laterally downwards towards the bottom side of the profile body  10 . 
     At the front side of the profile body  10 , the hollow central channel  12  is closed by a front wall  22  connecting the front edge  24  of the second groove  18  with the front edge  26  of the first groove  14 , this front wall  22  being slightly bended and having an approximately vertical cross section at its bottom portion. 
     Both first and second grooves  14 , 18  are provided to receive a band-shaped lighting device, like it is shown in  FIG. 2 . In the embodiment described here, this band-shaped lighting device is a lighting bar  28 , 30  that is fixed within the respective first or second groove  14 , 18 . This lighting bar can be made of a transparent or translucent plastic material, with a number of light sources arranged within the lighting bar. Any electric supply means like a cable, can also be housed within the lighting bar  28 , 30  or within a space below the respective lighting bar  28 , 30  and the bottom  16 , 20  of the respective first or second groove  14 , 18 . In the case of the first groove  14 , the lighting bar  28  serves to illuminate the space above the edge profile  100  and to mark a borderline encircling the superstructure of the vehicle, especially a top plate  32  that forms a deck of the vehicle. A person standing on this deck  32  can easily identify the borders of the top plate, that are visualized by the first band-shaped lighting device in form of a lighting bar  28  received within the first groove  14 . 
     A second lighting bar  30  forms a second band-shaped lighting device that is comprised within the second groove  18 . The shape and cross section of this second lighting bar  30  may be the same as the first lighting bar  28 , also comprising a number of light sources housed within the hollow second lighting bar  30 . Because of the inclination of the second lighting bar  30  that is arranged within the second groove  18  opening laterally towards the bottom side of the profile body  10 , the main radiation direction of the second lighting bar  30  is inclined downwardly in a direction away from the vehicle body for illuminating the ground area around the vehicle. 
     The back side of the hollow central channel  12  is formed by a back wall  34  that emerges into a vertical plate-shaped flange portion  36  protruding downwardly at the bottom of the extruded profile body  10 . The flat front side  38  of this flange portion extends from the lower (inner) edge  40  of the second groove  18  towards the bottom end  42  of the profile body  10 . This flat front surface  38  can serve as an area for applying a contour marking to improve the visibility of the superstructure of the vehicle. As an additional function, the flange portion  36  can cover the upper portion of a vehicle compartment for storing devices that are needed in a rescue situation. In particular the flange portion  36  may cover the top portion of an integrated roller shutter of such a compartment. 
     The top deck portion of the extruded profile body  10  further comprises a first cross section portion  44  that faces the vehicle body. This first cross section portion  44  comprises a mainly rectangular groove (also referred to as third groove) that opens towards the back of the profile body  10 , wherein the bottom  46  of this third groove is formed by a vertical upper back wall portion of the central hollow channel  12 . The walls  48  of this groove further comprise ridges  50  of a dovetail shape that protrude from these sidewalls  48 . These ridges  50  extend in the longitudinal direction of the profile body  10  so that an undercut portion  52  is formed between the ridges  50  and bottom  46  of the groove of the first cross section portion  44 . The shape of the first cross section portion  44  is such that it can engage with a corresponding fixing means at the vehicle body (not shown) for fixing the edge profile  10  to the vehicle body. For example, corresponding protrusions may extend in the longitudinal direction into the opposing open ends of the first cross section portion  44  to engage with the dovetail shaped ridges  50  or into the undercut portion  52  so as to prevent the edge profile  10  from being drawn off the vehicle body. The shape of the first cross section portion  44  can be such that it matches with fixing means of a modular system for constructing the superstructure of the rescue vehicle. 
     The top side of the upper sidewall portion  48  of the first cross section portion  44  forms a flat upper support portion  54  on top of the first cross section portion  44  for supporting the top plate  32  forming the deck of the superstructure, as shown in  FIG. 2 . This means that this wall portion  48  has the functions to delimit the first cross section portion  44  towards the top side of the profile body  10 , on one hand, and to support the edge of the top plate  32  on the other hand. Towards the front side of the profile body  10 , the flat upper support portion  54  is delimited by a ridge  56  separating the flat upper support portion  54  from the first groove  14 . 
     Below the first cross section portion  44 , a second cross section portion  58  is provided that has generally the same shape in cross section as the first cross section portion  44 . This means that a second cross section portion  58  comprises a groove (also referred to as fourth groove) with a mainly rectangular shape, with a flat bottom  47  (which is arranged here at the top side of the second cross section portion  58 ) and vertical side wall portions  48  with ridges  50  that have a dovetail shape, forming an undercut  52  between the ridges  50  and the bottom  47  of the second cross section portion  58 . The second cross section portion  58  is turned around 90° with respect to the first cross section portion  44  so that the fourth groove opens towards the bottom side of the profile body  10 . The second cross section portion  58  is also provided for engaging with a fixing means (not shown) for fixing the edge profile  100  to the vehicle body, for example, a protrusion with a complementary shape engaging into the opposing open ends of the second cross section portion  48  so that it is possible to lift the edge profile  100  from its mounted position. 
     In the present embodiment the edge profile  100  according to the present invention combines different advantages, namely the integration of a lighting system for visualizing the borders of the top plate  32  forming the deck of the superstructure, the integration of a lighting system for illuminating the ground area around the vehicle, an area for applying a visual marking, and a closing structure for closing the top portion of a vehicle compartment below and behind the edge profile  100 . Moreover, this edge profile  100  can easily be mounted as part of a modular system by means of a first and second cross section  44  and  58  for engaging with a corresponding fixing means of this system. Furthermore it is noted that the central hollow channel  12  can be used for guiding supply means like electrical cables or hydraulic hoses. The number of parts that is necessary for mounting the edge profile  100  is reduced, which also applies to the mounting costs.