DE102021206913A1 - Emergency unlocking system for a vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an emergency unlocking system for a vehicle and a vehicle comprising at least one such system. Provision is made for an emergency unlocking system (10) to be provided for a vehicle (12), which is designed, in the event of an accident of the vehicle (12), in which it is provided to supply vehicle door closing elements (18) of this vehicle (12) with electrical energy. In this way, the vehicle door closing elements (18) can be converted from at least one state into at least one other state.

Description

The invention relates to an emergency unlocking system for a vehicle and a vehicle comprising at least one such system.

Vehicle doors in today's vehicles are often assisted by locking and unlocking electrical devices. A wide variety of central locking unit systems are widespread, for example, which allow the entire vehicle to be locked and then unlocked again with just one command.

With the increasingly complex integration of such electrically assisted locking systems into the overall architecture of the vehicle, new challenges arise. For example, there is an increased need for emergency unlocking systems for vehicles that have a particularly fast and reliable functionality.

Examples from the prior art are presented below.

That's from the pamphlet U.S. 2005/0240 331 A1 a system of devices for emergency opening of vehicle doors as known. The system is particularly useful for urgently opening vehicle doors from an inside which are blocked or jammed during a traffic accident. The system consists of a pneumatic servomotor or servomotors as the door opening execution element. The servo motor has a pyrotechnic charge/cartridge or pyrotechnic charges or cartridges and an ignition unit which is controlled by a set of sensors for the first ignition stage or by a pressure sensor for the second ignition stage.

In addition, pyrotechnic safety switches are already known from the Pyroswitch company, which increase the safety of the occupants in the event of a vehicle accident. The Autoliv Pyroswitch disconnects a power source from the circuit board in less than a millisecond, so that this source of danger for occupants or even first responders can be switched off accordingly. The pyrotechnic safety switches manufactured and sold by Pyroswitch company safely and reliably disconnect the electrical circuit in the event of an accident occurring in the vehicle, this disconnection being triggered by the airbag control unit or the battery management system before a short circuit in the electrical circuit can occur as a result of vehicle deformation. The entire initiation circuit including the line and the initiator are continuously monitored for functionality by a controller. After the trigger pulse, the disconnection takes place without further external help.

The object of the invention is now to provide an emergency unlocking system for vehicles which has a particularly fast and reliable functionality.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, an emergency unlocking system is provided for a vehicle. Such a system includes supply lines for supplying vehicle door locking elements of the vehicle with electrical energy.

In addition, this system comprises at least one switching element that can be switched by means of at least one accident triggering unit, which is designed to couple the supply lines to at least one energy supply unit in the event of an accident of the vehicle, so that the respective vehicle door closing elements coupled to the supply lines can be switched from at least one state to at least another state can be transferred.
In this way it is possible to provide an emergency unlocking system for vehicles which has a particularly fast and reliable functionality.

The system presented can be used to advantage if a locked vehicle is to be brought into an unlocked state as quickly as possible in the event of an accident or a malfunction that occurs in the locking system of the vehicle doors. It is thus possible to change the vehicle in which the system is provided from a locked state to an unlocked state with an extremely short time. For example, the switching element can be switched by means of the accident triggering unit within a millisecond. This short reaction time closes the circuit. The coupled vehicle door locking elements, which include, for example, corresponding servomotors or the like, can then subsequently be adjusted in approximately twelve milliseconds. It is thus possible by means of the system presented to provide fast unlock hardware (unlock=unlocking), which requires a maximum of fifteen milliseconds for an unlocking process. This time is therefore sufficient to bring the vehicle into an unlocked state even in the event of an accident at high speeds.

In this case, electrical energy is supplied without an interposed control device or an interposed extended communication. The immediate connection ensures that the quickest response time is possible is, so that damage occurring in the course of the course of the accident no longer has a negative impact on the transfer to the unlocked state.

The solution presented is not only particularly robust and reliable, but also particularly inexpensive and, if necessary, can also be retrofitted to an existing vehicle. For this purpose, the system is designed as a modular system, for example, so that the respective components can be adapted to the respective vehicle structures.

In addition, any number of vehicle door locking elements can be connected, in which case the power supply unit provided must then be designed for this purpose. Since the system presented does not require any special software in order to provide the desired functionality reliably and quickly, the software can be implemented immediately, so that a particularly robust and reliable system can be provided. The robustness also results from the fact that only electrics and analogue technology are provided in the system.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention it is provided that a vehicle with at least one emergency unlocking system according to one of claims 1 to 9 is provided. The advantages mentioned above also apply to the vehicle presented, insofar as they can be transferred.

Further preferred configurations of the invention result from the remaining features mentioned in the dependent claims.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the accident triggering unit comprises an airbag control device or can be switched by means of an airbag control device in the event of an accident of the vehicle.

In this way, a correspondingly fast response time of the system can be reliably achieved in the course of an accident. The airbag control unit, which is responsible for triggering the airbag in the event of an accident, has already been designed in such a way that fast reaction times can be achieved. The link with the emergency release system presented thus offers the advantage that already existing quick release mechanisms can be integrated without great effort. The interfaces required for this are to be regarded as disclosed implicitly with the supply lines and their functionality. Since existing components can be integrated in order to ensure the desired functionality of the system presented, this also results in a particularly cost-effective solution.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, it is also provided that the accident triggering unit is selected from: acceleration sensor, crash sensor, pressure sensor, CISS sensor.

The accident triggering units mentioned are to be regarded as sufficient in and of themselves in order to guarantee an advantageous system. A combination of individual accident triggering units is also conceivable, in which case, for example, the fastest accident triggering unit in each case causes the switching process. The solutions presented are, for example, an integral part of the system and then form a functional unit with the other components of the system. However, a connection to existing components in the vehicle is also conceivable here. The system can thus be designed and configured flexibly. In particular, the connecting lines provided are implicitly designed in such a way that the aforementioned accident triggering units can be integrated into the overall system in accordance with their functionality. A CISS sensor (crash impact sound sensing sensor), for example, has the additional advantage that a reliable triggering routine can be provided, particularly in the event of a side crash.

In addition, a further preferred embodiment of the invention provides that at least one safety fuse device is provided in the supply lines, so that depending on this at least one safety fuse device the provided energy supply of the respective vehicle door closing elements can be disconnected after transfer to the at least one further state.

This dependency on the at least one safety fuse device is to be seen with a respective specific application of the provided safety fuse device in connection with the respective rated current. In other words, the system can also be configured flexibly at this point and a suitable safety fuse device must be used or integrated into the system for the respective application.

After unlocking, it is possible in this way to prevent a further supply of electrical energy in order to avoid possible losses. Otherwise, such losses can unnecessarily weaken the energy storage unit, so that further suppliers could no longer be sufficiently supplied by means of this energy storage unit. In other words, there is a subsequent separation of the supply current for the emergency release by an undersized but sufficiently sluggish one Fuse, which is provided accordingly in the fuse device.

This embodiment of the system presented thus enables the electrical current which is switched on for the unlocking process in the respective vehicle door locking elements to be switched off. In this case, the switch-off process is effected by the overloaded fuse device in order, for example, to provide an energy connection (for example 12 V) that is present after the accident for other devices, such as the hazard warning lights. Overheating of other cables or the connecting lines or the vehicle door lock can also be avoided in this way.

Furthermore, in a further preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that a respective diode element is provided between a respective connection element of the supply lines for coupling to a respective vehicle door locking element and the at least one switching element. In this way, it is possible to provide freedom from feedback at respective positions in the system, with a cost-effective and reliable solution thus being able to be provided.

Furthermore, in a further preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the at least one switching element comprises a pyrotechnic closing element.

In this way, the reaction time can be further minimized, so that the system presented has even better functionality in this embodiment. When triggered, pyrotechnic closing elements function particularly quickly and reliably, so that the desired result can be achieved within a very short time. The accident triggering unit activates the pyrotechnic closing element, whereupon the supply lines are coupled to the at least one energy supply unit, so that vehicle door closing elements coupled to the supply lines can be converted from at least one state into at least one other state using the electrical energy provided. The system is intended for emergencies, with the functionality being provided by means of the switchable switching element, which can be activated by the at least one accident triggering unit. The presented emergency unlocking system is therefore only intended for the case that the vehicle in which the system is kept has an accident. In this case, the system is designed to convert respective vehicle door locking elements from at least one state into at least one other state by means of the electrical energy provided due to the rapidly closing backup circuit. For example, it is always possible to convert the vehicle doors into an unlocked state within a very short time.

It is also provided in a further preferred embodiment of the invention that the at least one switching element comprises a mechanical and/or an electromechanical closing element. Such solution variants can be provided in addition or as a supplement in the system, for example, in order to provide an even more reliable system. Depending on the area of application of the vehicle, suitable shifting elements are conceivable.

In addition, a further preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the energy supply unit is selected from: vehicle battery, emergency battery of the emergency unlocking system, e-call emergency battery.

If the vehicle battery is used, an inexpensive system can be provided, with respective components having to be adapted accordingly to the vehicle battery and its nature. Accidents are conceivable in which, for example, the vehicle battery as an energy source is still robust enough to provide the required electrical energy for a certain short period of time. This is particularly possible when an accident only causes a degree of destruction of the vehicle in the sense of the standard load cases, so that the on-board network is still intact.

A separate emergency battery for the emergency release system is advantageous, since this results in independence from other systems or devices. Such an emergency battery can also be provided and dimensioned according to the modular principle already mentioned for the respective intended use. The e-call emergency battery can therefore be used advantageously because in this way a smaller unit than, for example, the vehicle battery can be provided for the necessary supply of electrical energy. In the event of an accident at very high speeds, for example, the vehicle battery or its connections can be destroyed within a very short time. The E-Call emergency battery, on the other hand, is usually located in a different place than the vehicle battery, so that the functionality of the system can still be guaranteed in the event of a frontal crash, for example. It is thus conceivable that different switching elements, which are each triggered by means of different or the same accident triggering units, couple respective energy supply units in order to bring about the intended state changes. Such a redundantly constructed sys tem is therefore even more reliable and the intended functionality can therefore be provided even better.

Finally, another preferred embodiment of the invention provides for the emergency battery of the emergency unlocking system to be positioned at least partially in a rear area of the vehicle, in particular between the B pillar and the rear end area of the vehicle.

In the event of a frontal crash of the vehicle in which the presented system is provided, this intended positioning is suitable for ensuring reliable functionality, since in many cases the rear area of the vehicle is only affected during a frontal accident after the front area of the vehicle has been deformed . In other words, the intended positioning is particularly safe in numerous conceivable accident scenarios, so that the emergency unlocking can be effected with a high probability.

In addition to use in any vehicle, in particular in motor vehicles with any type of drive unit, use and application in the aircraft industry or in the technology field of building management is also conceivable.

Unless stated otherwise in the individual case, the various embodiments of the invention mentioned in this application can advantageously be combined with one another.

• 1 eine schematische Darstellung von einem Notentriegelungssystem für ein Fahrzeug;
• 2 eine schematische Darstellung von einem weiteren Notentriegelungssystem für ein Fahrzeug;
• 3 eine schematische Darstellung von einem Fahrzeug mit einem Notentriegelungssystem.

The invention is explained below in exemplary embodiments with reference to the associated drawings. Show it:

• 1 a schematic representation of an emergency release system for a vehicle;
• 2 a schematic representation of another emergency release system for a vehicle;
• 3 a schematic representation of a vehicle with an emergency release system.

1 shows a schematic representation of an emergency release system 10 for a vehicle 12. This schematic top view represents only an outer boundary line 13 of the vehicle 12 and its tires 14. The emergency release system 10 is represented with respective supply lines 16. These supply lines 16 are designed to supply electrical energy to respective coupled vehicle door closure elements 18 of the vehicle 12 . However, the illustrated switching element 20 of the system 10 must be closed for such a supply. In the 1 this switching element 20 shown is provided such that it can be triggered by means of an accident triggering unit 22 shown. In other words, the switching element 20 of the system 10 that can be switched by means of the accident triggering unit 22 is designed to couple the supply lines 16 to a power supply unit 24 shown in the event of an accident of the vehicle 12, so that the respective vehicle door closing elements 18 coupled to the supply lines 16 can be actuated by means of the electrical energy provided by at least one state can be converted into at least one further state. In this case, accident triggering unit 22 is an airbag control device and energy supply unit 24 is a vehicle battery of vehicle 12 in this case. In the present case, this fuse device 26 is shown in its simplest form as a simple fuse. However, it is conceivable that a more complex device can be provided, which then includes such a safety fuse or a similar unit. In this case, the switching element 20 is shown as a pyrotechnic closing element. However, designs are also conceivable which include mechanical and/or electromechanical locking elements or even only have such.

Such a system 10 can be arranged, for example, predominantly in an underbody unit of the vehicle. At least partial localization within and/or on a vehicle body of vehicle 12 (not shown in detail) is also conceivable. An at least partial use of radio-controlled solution concepts is also conceivable, which at least partially supplement or even replace the connecting line. The vehicle door locking elements 18 of the vehicle 12 are not an integral part of the system 10 presented. However, it is conceivable that specially manufactured locking electric motors are provided as part of the system 10 in an embodiment variant that is not shown in detail, in order to achieve a particularly targeted adjustment of the components of the system 10 to ensure the intended functionality. In addition, respective diode elements 28 are shown between the vehicle door closing elements 18 shown in each case and the switching element 20 . In this way it is possible to provide freedom from feedback at respective positions in the system 10, with a cost-effective and reliable solution thus being able to be provided.

2 shows a schematic representation of another emergency release system 10 for a vehicle 12. Since this is merely an alternative embodiment of the presented emergency release system 10, the same reference numerals are used, which are not introduced separately at this point. In this case, the energy supply unit 24 is an emergency battery of the emergency release system 10. The positioning of the energy supply unit 24 is shown at least partially in a rear vehicle area of the vehicle 12, in particular between the B-pillar and the rear end area of the vehicle 12.

3 shows a schematic representation of a vehicle 12 with an emergency release system 10.

Reference List

10

emergency release system

12

vehicle

13

boundary line

14

tires

16

connection lines

18

vehicle door locking elements

20

switching element

22

accident triggering unit

24

power supply unit

26

fuse device

28

diode element

QUOTES INCLUDED IN DESCRIPTION

This list of documents cited by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent Literature Cited

• US20050240331A1 [0005]

Claims (10)

Emergency unlocking system (10) for a vehicle (12) comprising supply lines (16) for supplying vehicle door locking elements (18) of the vehicle (12) with electrical energy, characterized in that at least one switching element (20) of the System (10) couples the supply lines (16) to at least one energy supply unit (24) in the event of an accident of the vehicle (12), so that the respective vehicle door locking elements (18) coupled to the supply lines (16) can be switched from at least one state to at least one further state can be transferred. Emergency release system (10) after claim 1 , wherein the accident triggering unit (22) comprises an airbag control device or can be switched by means of an airbag control device in the event of an accident of the vehicle (12). Emergency release system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the accident triggering unit (22) is selected from: acceleration sensor, crash sensor, pressure sensor, CISS sensor. Emergency release system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one safety fuse device (26) is provided in the supply lines (16), so that depending on this at least one safety fuse device (26) the provided energy supply of the respective vehicle door closing elements (18) after transfer to the at least another state is separable. Emergency release system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a diode element (28) is provided between a respective connection element of the supply lines (16) for coupling to a respective vehicle door locking element (18) and the at least one switching element (20). Emergency release system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one switching element (20) comprises a pyrotechnic closing element. Emergency release system (10) according to one of Claims 1 until 5 , wherein the at least one switching element (20) comprises a mechanical and/or an electromechanical closing element. Emergency release system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the energy supply unit (24) is selected from: vehicle battery, emergency battery of the emergency release system, e-call emergency battery. Emergency release system (10) after claim 8 , wherein the emergency battery of the emergency release system (10) is positioned at least partially in a rear area of the vehicle, in particular between the B-pillar and the rear end area of the vehicle (12). Vehicle (12) with at least one emergency release system (10) according to one of Claims 1 until 9 .

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