ORIGINAL AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION For an Innovation Patent Invention title: "ROLL OVER PROTECTION DEVICE" Applicant: XPRESS DRILLING SERVICES PTY LTD Divisional of Application No.: 2011226989 The following statement is a full description of the invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 2 "ROLL OVER PROTECTION DEVICE" Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a roll over protection device, and relates particularly, though not exclusively, to such a device for use on a light 5 industrial vehicle. Background to the Invention Roll over protection systems have been used for a number of years on earthmoving equipment, trucks and other heavy industrial vehicles for the 10 mining and construction industry. Xpress has been manufacturing Roll Over Protection Systems (R.O.P.S.) for road trucks and heavy industrial vehicles for a number of years. Xpress has now developed R.O.P.S for light industrial vehicles, typically a Toyota Land Cruiser or Nissan Patrol, or an Isuzu ute (utility vehicle). 15 There are several prior art roll over protection devices that have previously been developed for light industrial vehicles. One prior art R.O.P.S. is a roll bar set inside of the cabin of the vehicle and mounted to the cab. This system protects the driver to some degree, but does not protect the driver's head in the event that the vehicle cabin is crushed, as shown in Figure 1 of the 20 accompanying drawings. This prior art R.O.P.S. is not certifiable under Australian Standard 2294:02-1997. The present invention was developed with a view to providing a roll over protection device for a motor vehicle, which is capable of providing improved protection to the driver of the vehicle from being crushed in the event of an 25 accident. The previous discussion of the background to the invention is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not to be taken as an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to is or was part of the common 3 general knowledge in Australia or elsewhere as at the priority date of this application. Summary of the Invention According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a roll-over 5 protection device for a motor vehicle formed integral to a headboard for the vehicle, the device comprising: a frame formed by a plurality of upright members of elongate configuration having a top end and a bottom end and being adapted to be mounted on the chassis of the motor vehicle, the frame including first and second upright 10 members and two upright reinforcing members, a first transverse member of elongate configuration attached to the top ends of the respective upright members so as to extend between the first and second upright members; first and second arm members of elongate configuration extending forwards from the first and second upright members respectively; and, 15 a second transverse member extending between the first and second arm members wherein, in use, the first and second transverse members and the arm members form a driver protection zone over the head of a driver of the motor vehicle. Preferably each arm member has the back end attached to the top end of the 20 upright member so that the arm member extends forwards at an angle of between 90* and 1200 to the vertical. Preferably the second transverse member is of elongate configuration having the respective ends attached to the front ends of the respective first and second arm members. Preferably the frame further comprises a third transverse member of elongate 25 configuration attached to the bottom ends of the respective upright members so as to extend between the first and second upright members. Advantageously the roll-over protection device is provided integral to a tray comprising a flatbed and the headboard of the vehicle, and is mounted on the vehicle together with the tray.
4 Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. Likewise the word 5 "preferably" or variations such as "preferred", will be understood to imply that a stated integer or group of integers is desirable but not essential to the working of the invention. Brief Description of the Drawings The nature of the invention will be better understood from the following 10 detailed description of a several embodiments of a roll over protection device, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a prior art roll over protection device; Figure 2 is a side elevation of a first embodiment of a roll over 15 protection device according to the present invention fitted to a motor vehicle; Figure 3(a) is a rear elevation view of the roll over protection device of Figure 2; Figure 3(b) is a top plan view of the roll over protection device of 20 Figure 2; Figure 3(c) is side elevation view of the roll over protection device of Figure 2; Figure 4 is top perspective view of the roll over protection device of Figure 2; 25 Figures 5(a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) illustrate the components of the roll over protection device of Figure 2 prior to assembly; 5 Figure 6(a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) illustrate the components of a mounting bracket for the roll over protection device of Figure 2 prior to assembly; Figure 7(a) is a rear elevation view of a second embodiment of a roll 5 over protection device according to the present invention; Figure 7(b) is a top plan view of the roll over protection device of Figure 7(a); Figure 7(c) is a side elevation view of the roll over protection device of Figure 7(a); 10 Figures 8(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) and (g) illustrate some of the key components of the roll over protection device of Figure 7 prior to assembly; Figure 9(a) is a side elevation view of the roll over protection device of Figure 7(a) attached to a truck tray; and, 15 Figure 9(b) is a top plan view of the roll over protection device of Figure 9(a). Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments A first embodiment of a roll over protection device 10 for a motor vehicle 12 20 in accordance with the invention is illustrated in Figures 2 to 4. The device 10 comprises first and second upright members 14a and 14b adapted to be mounted on the chassis 16 of the motor vehicle 12, and first and second arm members 18a and 18b which extend forwards from the first and second upright members 14a and 14b respectively. A first transverse member 19 25 extends between the first and second upright members 14a and 14b. A second transverse member 20 extends substantially horizontally between the first and second arm members 18a and 18b, and forms with the first transverse member 19 and the arm members 18 a driver protection zone. In 6 use the driver protection zone, thus formed over the head of a driver of the motor vehicle, will protect the driver from being crushed in the event of an accident, as shown in Figure 2. The device 10 has been tested in our R.O.P.S. tester for vertical and side 5 impact loads, and has been certified to Australian standard 229:02-1997 and ISO 3471:2008. The device 10 differs from existing roll over devices in that it is mounted directly on the chassis 16 of the vehicle 12 independent of the cab and tray. The driver protection zone extends forwards over the driver's head to give full protection from crush in an accident. 10 In the illustrated embodiment, each upright member 14 is of elongate configuration having a top end and a bottom end, and is adapted to be mounted in a substantially vertical orientation with the bottom end attached to the chassis 16 of the vehicle. The first transverse member 19 is typically of elongate configuration having respective ends welded to the top ends of the 15 respective upright members 14a and 14b. A special mounting bracket 22 for each upright member 14 is provided, and is bolted directly to the vehicle chassis 16. In this embodiment each arm member 18 is also of elongate configuration having a front end and a back end. The back end is attached substantially 20 perpendicular to the top end of the upright member 14 in a generally horizontal orientation. The second transverse member 20 is typically also of elongate configuration having respective ends attached to the front ends of the respective first and second arm members 18a and 18b. Preferably a pair of reinforcing members 24a and 24b is also provided, extending forwards 25 between the first and second transverse members 19 and 20 to provide additional strength and rigidity for the driver protection zone. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the upright members 14, arm members 18, the transverse members 19 and 20 and reinforcing members 24 is substantially straight, and the driver protection zone is of generally 30 rectangular configuration. Each of the upright members, arm members, transverse members and reinforcing members is preferably manufactured 7 from rectangular hollow section (SHS) steel. However it will be understood that the upright members, arm members, the transverse members and reinforcing members may be of any desired shape and configuration, provided that, in use, the transverse members and the arm members form a 5 driver protection zone over the head of a driver of the motor vehicle. The roll over protection device 10 can be manufactured from any suitable materials. In the illustrated embodiment the upright members 14 are manufactured from 75mm square hollow section (SHS) and are about 1245mm in length as shown in Figure 5(b). The first transverse member 19 is also manufactured 10 from 75mm square hollow section (SHS) and is about 1238mm in length as shown in Figure 5(a), whereas the second transverse member 20 is manufactured from 50mmx75mm rectangular hollow section (RHS) and is about 1100mm in length as shown in Figure 5(c). Each of the arm members 18 and reinforcing members 24 is likewise manufactured from 50mmx75mm 15 rectangular hollow section (RHS) as shown in Figures 5(d) and 5(e) respectively. Each of the arm members 18 is about 407mm in length and each of the reinforcing members 24 is about 350mm in length. Preferably first and second gusset members 26 are provided, welded to the respective upright members 14 where they join to the first transverse 20 member 19, to reinforce the joint between the first transverse member 19 and the respective upright members 14. Each gusset member 26 is likewise manufactured from 50mmx75mm rectangular hollow section (RHS) as shown in Figure 5(f) and is about 342mm in length. The mounting brackets 22a and 22b are manufactured from 12mm steel 25 plate as shown in Figures 6(a) and (b). Each mounting bracket 22 comprises a first steel plate 28 provided with a series of apertures 30 for bolting the bracket to the chassis 16 of the vehicle, and second steel plate 32 welded perpendicularly to the first steel plate 28. A pair of gusset plates 33 is provided to reinforce the joint between the first and second steel plates 28 30 and 32. The second steel plate 32 is provided with four apertures 34 for 8 receiving bolts (not shown) for bolting to a matching third steel plate 36 welded to the bottom of each upright member 14. First and second parabolic-shaped reinforcing plates 38 are provided on either side of each upright member 14, to reinforce the weld joint of the third 5 steel plate 36 to the bottom of the upright member 14. The reinforcing plates 38 are manufactured from 10mm steel plate as shown in Figure 6(d). A second embodiment of a roll over protection device 40 for another type of motor vehicle 42 (not illustrated) in accordance with the invention is illustrated in Figures 7 to 9. The device 40 comprises first and second upright 10 members 44a and 44b adapted to be mounted on the chassis 46 of a motor vehicle 42, and first and second arm members 48a and 48b which extend forwards from the first and second upright members 44a and 44b respectively. A first transverse member 49 extends between the first and second upright members 44a and 44b. A second transverse member 50 15 extends substantially horizontally between the first and second arm members 48a and 48b, and forms with the first transverse member 49 and the arm members 48 a driver protection zone. As with the previous embodiment, the driver protection zone, thus formed over the head of a driver of the motor vehicle, will protect the driver from being crushed in the event of an accident. 20 Each upright member 44 is of elongate configuration having a top end and a bottom end, and is adapted to be mounted in a substantially vertical orientation with the bottom end attached to the chassis 46 of the vehicle. The first transverse member 49 is typically of elongate configuration having respective ends welded to the top ends of the respective upright members 25 44a and 44b. Special mounting brackets 52 for the upright members 44 are provided, and are bolted directly to the vehicle chassis 46. As with the previous embodiment, each arm member 48 is also of elongate configuration having a front end and a back end. The back end is attached to the top end of the upright member 44 so that the arm member extends 30 forwards at an angle of between 90* and 120*. More typically each arm member 48 extends forwards at an angle of between 1100 and 1150. In the 9 illustrated embodiment each arm member 48 extends forwards at an angle of 1120 relative to the respective upright member 44. The second transverse member 50 is typically also of elongate configuration having respective ends attached to the front ends of the respective first and 5 second arm members 48a and 48b. Preferably a pair of reinforcing members 54a and 54b is also provided, extending forwards between the first and second transverse members 49 and 50 to provide additional strength and rigidity for the driver protection zone. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the upright members 44, arm members 10 48, the transverse members 49 and 50 and reinforcing members 54 is substantially straight, and the driver protection zone is of generally rectangular configuration. Each of the upright members, arm members, transverse members and reinforcing members is preferably manufactured from rectangular hollow section (SHS) steel. 15 In the illustrated embodiment the upright members 44 are manufactured from 100mm square hollow section (SHS) and are about 1780mm in length as shown in Figure 7(a). The first transverse member 49 is also manufactured from 100mm square hollow section (SHS) and is about 2495mm in length as also shown in Figure 7(a), and the second transverse member 50 is 20 manufactured from 100mm square hollow section (SHS) and is about 1800mm in length as shown in Figure 7(b). Each of the arm members 48 and reinforcing members 54 is likewise manufactured from 100mm square hollow section (SHS) as shown in Figures 5(d) and 5(e) respectively. Each of the arm members 48 is about 1000mm in length and each of the reinforcing 25 members 54 is about 900mm in length. Preferably first and second pairs of gusset members 56 are provided welded to the respective upright members 44 where they join to the arm members 48, to reinforce the joint between the arm members 48 and the respective upright members 44. Each gusset member 56 is manufactured from 10mm 30 steel plate as shown in Figures 7(c) and 8(f) and is about 223mm in length and 329mm in height. The gusset members 56 define the angle (112*) at 10 which the arm members 48 are welded to the tops of the respective upright members 44a and 44b. The mounting brackets 52a and 52b are manufactured from 25mm steel plate as shown in Figures 7(c) and 8(d). Each mounting bracket 52 5 comprises a first steel plate 58 provided with a series of apertures 60 for bolting or welding the bracket to the chassis 46 of the vehicle, and second steel plate 62 welded perpendicularly to the first steel plate 58. Three gusset plates 63 (see Figure 8 (e)) are provided to reinforce the joint between the first and second steel plates 58 and 62. The second steel plate 62 is provided 10 with four apertures 64 for receiving bolts (not shown) for bolting to a matching third steel plate 66. In this embodiment the upright members 44 are not themselves bolted directly to the mounting brackets 52 on chassis 46 of the vehicle. Rather, the upright members 44 are attached to a tray 70 of the vehicle, as can be seen 15 more clearly in Figure 9. The tray 70 comprises a flatbed 72 and headboard 74. The headboard 74 comprises a frame formed by the two upright members 44 and the first transverse member 49, together with a third transverse member 68 and two upright reinforcing members 69. The third transverse member 68 and reinforcing upright members 69 are likewise 20 manufactured from 100mm SHS. The frame of the headboard 74 further comprises a series of nine horizontally extending bars 76 (see also Figures 8 (a) and (b)) made from 32mm NB steel pipe. The headboard 74 also includes a steel plate 80 which extends the full width of the tray 70 and to a height of about 543mm. In this way, the roll-over protection device 40 is formed 25 integral to the headboard 74 for the vehicle. As can be seen most clearly in Figures 7(a) and 9(b) the mounting brackets 52 are located directly below the respective upright reinforcing members 69 of the headboard 74, and extend a short distance beneath the flatbed 72 of the tray 70. The third steel plates 66 are welded to the underside of the third 30 transverse member 68, directly the upright reinforcing members 69. The roll 11 over protection device 40 is typically provided integral to the tray 70, and is mounted on the truck together with the tray 70. Now that several embodiments of the roll over protection device have been described in detail, it will be apparent that the embodiments provide a 5 number of advantages over the prior art, including the following: (i) The driver protection zone extending over the head of the vehicle driver is more effective in protecting the driver from being crushed in the event of an accident. (ii) The roll over protection device 10 or 40 is of simple design and can 10 be manufactured and retrofitted relatively inexpensively. (iii) The roll over protection device 10 or 40 can also be readily integrated into new motor vehicle designs. It will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the relevant arts that various modifications and improvements may be made to the foregoing 15 embodiments, in addition to those already described, without departing from the basic inventive concepts of the present invention. For example, additional reinforcing brackets may be provided between the upright members 44 and the flatbed 72 of tray 70 to improve the strength of the driver protection zone. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the scope of 20 the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described.