DE10001715A1 - Arrangement for determining the sequence of events in multiple vehicle crashes - Google Patents

Abstract

The arrangement includes a carrier unit (K) for measuring the acceleration or deceleration of a vehicle. The amplitude, direction and temporal sequence of pulses generated on occurrence of an accident are registered based on the causal reaction pulses of the carrier unit and the resulting effect. The carrier unit is preferably arranged in a housing connected to the vehicle such that on impact the housing is caused to move from its rest position to another location in the vehicle where it is held fast.

Description

With increasing motor vehicle traffic, the likelihood of the occurrence of mass collisions increases. This results in considerable insurance problems afterwards, because it is often very difficult, if not impossible, to prove the question of guilt. In the case of mass accidents, vehicles that have driven properly are pushed against the "person in front" by a "rear man" who is driving upwards. In such cases, it is practically impossible for the innocent driver to prove his innocence (see pictures 1a and 1b).

With the invention proposed here it is for every motorist who has such an arrangement installed in his car, easily possible, the order and if necessary even demonstrate the strength and direction of the bumps. The device also has the advantage of being inexpensive and without electronics or electrics susceptible to faults. It is also so robust that it can withstand serious accidents without damage.

description

In principle, the arrangement consists of an inertial body [K] known per se, the is in the vehicle and receives an impulse there in the event of an accident, whereby according to the invention whose permanent effects are recognizable after the accident.

Images 2-6 show various embodiments of the arrangement.

Figure 2 shows the schematic of an embodiment of the arrangement in side view. In a horizontally arranged cavity in a stable housing [G] lies an inertial body (here formed as a sphere [K]) in a state of minimal potential energy (in stable equilibrium), e.g. B. in a trough. The arrangement is firmly connected to the vehicle, with its longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The equilibrium position of the ball must be so stable that it is not disturbed even with the heaviest braking and poor road conditions. This is ensured by pressing the ball [K] into the recess with a spiral spring [F], the spring force being adjustable with an adjusting screw [T]. Only when the vehicle decelerates, as occurs in rear-end collisions, does the ball leave its rest position. According to the invention, the direction in which the ball moves in the groove [R] is clearly dependent on whether the vehicle is approached from behind or whether the vehicle hits another at the front. If the vehicle is first pushed from behind [h], the ball moves backwards [h '] and falls through the check valve [S] into the blind hole [H]. However, if the vehicle first hits the obstacle in front of it, it is pushed from the front [v] and the ball moves in the direction [v ']. Then it falls through the check valve [S] into the blind hole [V]. The first shock in an accident is the one that decides whether the driver is guilty or innocent. It is therefore important to register only the first stroke. Since, according to the invention, the ball remains in the blind hole into which it fell, the chronological order of the two impacts is thus clearly defined and can be determined after the accident and used for questions of insurance law.

Electrical contacts [E] are in the blind holes [H] and [V] for a quick analysis. provided with which the location of the body [K] can be determined.

In a further modification of the arrangement according to the invention, it is possible to determine the direction of the primary joint according to Figure 3 (plan). If you ensure that the inertial body [K], here preferably a ball, is freely movable in all horizontal directions, it will move in the direction S _h 'for example in the event of a lateral impact from behind and fall into the corresponding blind hole H.

With a similar arrangement, one can even estimate the size of the impulse of the impacting vehicle, that is, its speed. An arrangement for this is shown in Figure 4. In a cavity of the stable housing [G], an inertial body [K] (shown here by a cylindrical bolt) that is movable parallel to the direction of travel of the vehicle is pressed against the floor by spring pressure (spring [F]). When hitting the vehicle, the body [K] either moves forward [v '] or backwards [h'] depending on whether it is pushed from the front [v] or from the rear [h]. In a brake chamber [B _v ] or [B _h ], the body [K] is braked and its kinetic energy is converted into another type of energy (e.g. thermal energy, electrical energy, etc.) and measured. The size of the measured energy is a function of the shock pulse and thus the relative speed of the two vehicles colliding. The measurement of the impact energy can, for. Realize an example by the electrical impulse when the permanent magnetic body [K] passes through a wire coil.

By a suitable combination of the properties of the arrangement acc. Figure 3 with those of Figure 4 can be used to determine the vector of the primary impact in terms of size and direction.

Another exemplary embodiment for the registration of the pulse size is shown in Figures 5a and 5b. The inertial body [K] is suspended by a thread on a piston [Ko], which is pressed upwards by means of a spiral spring [F ₃ ]. With an impact [v] from the front, [K] moves in the direction [v '] and pulls the piston [K] down more or less depending on the pulse size. The size of the pulse can be measured with a vacuum manometer [M]. Another possibility is to provide two lamella arrangements [LB _h ] or [LB _v ] in the housing, which the body [K] destroys when passing through. The fins are made of electrically conductive material, so that a short-circuit measurement between the contacts of the contact series [KR] immediately provides information about how large the pulse of [K] has been and in which direction ([v] or [h]) it is directed was.

Another application of the device results from the following consideration (see Figures 1a and b):

Is z. For example, if a vehicle [F ₁ ] collided with the car [F ₀ ] ahead and then the following vehicle [F ₂ ] collided with [F ₁ ] ( Fig. 1a), it would be used to measure the debt share of involved road users interesting to know with what force this happened. Figure 1b shows the case that the vehicle [F ₁ ] has come to a standstill without opening, but that it is pushed by the following vehicle [F ₂ ] onto the vehicle in front of it [F ₀ ].

In order to be able to clearly separate these cases from each other and also measure the pulse sizes, the following arrangement according to Figure 6 is proposed: For example, a cylindrical bolt, which is movable in or against the direction of travel in a tubular cavity in the housing [G], serves as the inertial body is centrally stored (equilibrium position). The cavity in front of and behind the bolt is filled with an inelastic plastic mass [UM]. In the event of an impact, the bolt is pushed more or less far into the plastic mass, so that its deformation can be used as a measure of the direction and strength of the impact impact. In the example of Fig. 6 it was assumed that the middle vehicle [F ₁ ] with the speed [v] first hits the vehicle [F ₀ ] in front of it and only then does the following vehicle [F ₂ ] with the higher speed [h] hits the vehicle [F ₁ ]. In such a case, the piston [K] would first be pushed forward into the plastic mass [UM] by the amount x _v and then backwards by the larger amount x _h , so that the two differently deep impressions as a measure of the Force of the respective impact can serve. If you ensure in this arrangement that the inertial body [K] remains in the end position, the order of the impacts can also be read from this.

There are four cases:

• 1. Assume that the vehicle [F ₁ ] has only collided with the [F ₀ ] driving in front of it. In this case the inertial body [K] would remain in its final position [Kv].
• 2. Suppose, on the other hand, that the vehicle [F ₁ ] first hit the vehicle in front [F ₀ ] and then the following [F ₂ ] crashed into [F ₁ ]. In this case, the inertial body [K] would first leave a lasting impression of the size x _v in the mass [UM] and would then be moved from [F ₂ ] to [F ₁ ] into its final position [K _h ] upon impact
• 3. Suppose the vehicle [F ₁ ] stops without colliding with [F ₀ ], but subsequently [F ₂ ] hits [F ₁ ] and pushes [F ₁ ] against [F ₀ ]. In this case, the inertial body [K] would first leave a lasting impression of the size x _h in the mass [UM]. Then it would be thrown forward upon impact on [F ₀ ] and remain in the end position [Kv].
• 4. Assume that the vehicle [F ₁ ] stops and [F ₂ ] only hits [F ₁ ] without pushing it against [F ₀ ]. In this case the inertial body [K] would leave a lasting impression of the size x _h in the mass [UM] and would remain there in the position [K _h ].

The practical implementation of the arrangement is described in more detail in Figure 5: Since the inertial body [K] cannot compress the mass [UM], it must be provided that it escapes. This can be done, for example, through nozzles [D], through which the mass can escape to the outside. The leaked quantity can be taken directly as a measure of the impulse. A liquid can also be used instead of the plastic mass [UM].

Figure 9 shows an embodiment in which the inertial body [K] is equipped with two sliding shoes [GI], which are pressed against the tube wall [W] so strongly by spiral springs [SF] inside [K] that the inertial body [K ] is only set in motion when accelerating, as occurs in an accident. Figure 9a is a cross section through the tube and Figure 9b is a side view. [K] remains where it was after the impact where it was brought by the impact.

To ensure that the respective position of [K] remains clearly marked, at which [K] stopped at the first impact, even if a second impact [K] is used again, additional devices according to Figures 10a and 10b are provided . In Figure 10a, movable marker pins [MSt ₀ ] are inserted in the pipe wall [W], which are pressed outwards by the inertial body [K] [MSt ₁ ]. In this way, the position x _{v of} the inertial body [K] can be read from the outside without having to open the housing. Figure 10b shows another embodiment in which a drive plate [MS] is pushed in front of it by the inertial body [K]. So that the drive plate is not removed from its position during the second impact, it has a snap-in bolt [EB] at each end, which is pressed outwards by a spiral spring [SF] inside the drive plate [MS]. The locking bolts [EB] get stuck in the sawtooth-shaped notches [EK] in the raw wall [W].

Reference list

B _h

Rear brake area
B _v

Front brake area
D nozzles
E Electrical contact
EB locking bolts
EK notches
F coil spring
F ₀

Vehicle in front
F ₁

medium vehicle
F ₂

Subsequent last vehicle
F ₃

Coil spring
G housing
H blind hole at the back
h Rear impact vector
h 'Direction of movement of K when struck from behind
K inertial body
Ko pistons
Kh Final position from K after impact from behind
Kv Final position from K after impact from the front
MS drive plate
MSt marker pens
R gutter
S check valve
SF coil springs
S _h

'' Direction of movement of the ball with an oblique impact
T adjusting screw
UM inelastic plastic mass
V blind hole in front
v Front impact vector
v 'Direction of movement of K when struck from the front
W pipe wall
x _h

Displacement of K in the event of impact from behind
x _v

Shift of K from front in case of impact

Claims (10)

1. Arrangement with an inertial body [K] movable for measuring the acceleration or deceleration of a vehicle, characterized in that the size, direction and chronological sequence of the impulses occurring in an accident by the causally associated reaction impulses of the inertial body [K] and of them effects are registered. 2. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the in one inertial body connected to the vehicle [G] due to the accident Impulse removed from its rest position in a clear manner and at the same time to a different location is moved within the housing where it is held. 3. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the kinetic energy that the Body is communicated through the impact, then into another form of energy is converted, which serve as a measure of the speed of the impacting vehicle can. 4. Arrangement according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the Inertial body is freely movable in many or all horizontal directions. 5. Arrangement according to claims 1-3, characterized in that the inertial body an inelastic resistance when moving with its kinetic energy must overcome and is held in its end position with each impact. 6. Arrangement according to claims 1-4, characterized in that the inertial body [K] cuts a series of electrical lines on its way to the end position, and that the extent of the cuts is a measure of the location and thus of the momentum of the inertial body is ( Figure 5b). 7. Arrangement according to claims 1-3, characterized in that the inertial body [K] penetrates into a plastic mass or liquid during its movement and displaces it, its depth of penetration being a measure of its location and thus of its impulse ( Figure 8 ). 8. Arrangement according to claims 1-5, characterized in that the inertial body is pressed by elastic forces on the pipe wall so that only an acceleration occurring during an accident can remove it from its rest position ( Figure 9). 9. Arrangement according to claims 1-5 and 8, characterized in that the inertial body during its movement pushes marker pins [MSt], which are embedded in the tube wall, during its movement to the outside ( Figure 10a). 10. Arrangement according to claims 1-5 and 8, characterized in that the inertial body [K] pushes a drive plate [MS] in front of it during its movement, which engages in the tube wall in its end position so that it is fixed there Figure 10b ).