EP1608539A1

EP1608539A1 - Device for protecting persons during a frontal collision with a vehicle

Info

Publication number: EP1608539A1
Application number: EP04720599A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Frank Mika; Martin Rex; Jozsef Lang; Michael Schulte; Stefan RÖHNER; Raphael Hartebrodt
Original assignee: ISE Innomotive Systems Europe GmbH
Current assignee: Ise Automotive GmbH
Priority date: 2003-03-31
Filing date: 2004-03-15
Publication date: 2005-12-28
Also published as: DE10314433A1; JP2006513927A; WO2004087474A1; DE10314433B4

Abstract

According to prior art, said protective device consists of a hinge support for the indirect articulation of the hinge assembly on the bodywork side, said support being mounted on the body of the vehicle front and being controlled by sensors. The aim of the invention is to provide a compact construction of the device, which may have to bear great forces. To achieve this, the device (100) comprises an essentially rectangular housing (1), which can be mounted on the vehicle in a fixed manner and in which at least two telescopic deployment elements are housed one inside the other so that they can be deployed in a linear manner. The first deployment element is fixed in the housing (1) and the second deployment element is fixed in the first deployment element so that it can be guided in a linear manner. At least the second deployment element is pre-stressed by at least one compression spring (8) that is contained in the housing and an essentially rectangular deployment plate (2, 2') for the hinge support is mounted on the second deployment element, which during normal operation forms the upper cover plate of the housing (1).

Description

Device for protecting people in a frontal impact on a motor vehicle

The invention relates to a device according to the preamble of claim 1.

Every year, numerous accidents occur in which pedestrians, skaters or two-wheelers are hit by a motor vehicle, thrown onto the front or bonnet and against the windscreen, and at least experience serious injuries. The head and upper body of an adult accident victim are particularly at risk, since in a collision with the motor vehicle - as crash tests and practical experience have shown - it hits the rear, relatively hard area on the front hood at the transition to the windshield and is seriously injured in the process.

Due to corresponding demands, the vehicle industry is working intensively on the problem of improving personal protection in this regard.

A number of options for solving this problem have become known, such as a net-like collecting element located in front of the windshield or an airbag in the transition region between the windshield and the front window that is sensor-controlled inflatable in the event of an impact.

DE 28 14 107 A in conjunction with DE 2841 315 shows another solution principle for reducing the risk of injury when people collide with the front hood, which is based on the consideration is based on substantially mitigating the relatively hard and unyielding impact area located in the rear area of the front hood facing away from the direction of travel. This is brought about by a device actuated by means of an impact sensor for adjusting the front hood from a rest position into a resilient impact position which is raised in comparison therewith, ie by a so-called “active front hood”. Because the front hood during the collision detected by the impact sensor is resiliently adjusted with a person in a collision position that is raised compared to their rest position, i.e. normal position, there is a distance between the front hood and the rigid substructure of the vehicle (engine, etc.), that is to say one that comes into effect in the event of a person's chest or head impact in the sense of a more favorable energy reduction Deformation path of the vehicle body created, which ensures reduced head and chest delays and thus less risk of injury.

A number of design options with different drive types have become known for the "active" installation of the front hood.

DE 197 12961 A1, for example, shows impact protection by means of an “active front hood” which is hinged on the windshield side by means of a hinge arrangement. This hinge arrangement is attached indirectly to the body of the front end by means of a pivotably or displaceably mounted hinge carrier in such a way that in the event of a collision the front hood is attached an energy-storing device acting on the hinge bracket, preferably a spring energy accumulator, is pivoted or shifted upwards, ie can be raised.

This known construction is based on the idea that the hinge arrangement itself with the hinged hinge bracket in relation to the body, so that it is not necessary to provide a complex decoupling device between the hinge arrangement and the bonnet in the event of an impact.

The invention also proceeds from this construction principle.

In the known case, three embodiments are shown.

In the first embodiment, the hinge support, which virtually forms the base plate for the hinge arrangement, is connected in an articulated manner to the support support for the front fender at its front end section via an axis of rotation on a screw-on plate. At its rear end section, the hinge bracket is locked by means of a sensor-controlled locking device with an eccentrically mounted bolt. At a predetermined distance from the axis of rotation, an energy storage device, preferably a prestressed coil spring, articulates on the hinge bracket. In the event of a collision, the locking device is released and the hinge bracket is released. As a result of the pre-tensioned coil spring, this quickly swivels upward about the axis of rotation and lifts the front cover together with the hinge arrangement by a predetermined angle. In addition, two embodiments are also shown, in which the hinge bracket is set up by a guide in the event of a collision without pivot bearing by a limited stroke. In one embodiment, the hinge support sits on two curved guide arms. In the other embodiment, an obliquely arranged piston-cylinder unit is provided, which is connected to the hinge bracket via a force-deflecting intermediate element.

Both in the case of the installation of the hinge bracket with a guide arm and in the case of two guide arms Installation of force redirection necessary. In addition to friction losses, this results in loss of power due to component disassembly, which is particularly disadvantageous when using spring spokes for installation, since they have to be dimensioned accordingly and thus take up considerable space, which is not always available at the location where the installation device must be attached , In addition, increased forces are necessary when manually resetting the hinge carrier, reversing.

Furthermore, in the case of guiding the hinge support with two guide arms, a curved path is necessary, which, in addition to the disadvantage described, requires a curved path for the spring of the spring accumulator, which can be implemented only with great effort, so that it also reliably sets up the hinge support.

The invention is based on the object of designing the device described at the outset for protecting people in the event of a frontal impact on a motor vehicle in such a way that no deflection of force is necessary when the front hood is installed by means of a spring accumulator, and furthermore a very compact structure of the protective device can be achieved, able to absorb the high forces when set up.

This object is achieved in a device for protecting people in the event of a frontal impact on a motor vehicle, which has a front hood covering the front end, which is articulated on the windshield side on both sides of the vehicle via a hinge arrangement in each case rotatably connected to the body of the front end, each consisting of a hinge bracket for the indirect body-side articulation of the hinge arrangement, which can be set up on the body of the front end, and from an energy-storing element that engages the hinge carrier Device in the form of a spring-loaded arrangement as well as a sensor-controlled holding device for an active engagement with the hinge bracket in such a way that the hinge bracket is held down in the normal state and can be released in the event of a collision by a sensor for a limited positioning movement, according to the invention in that the device can be attached to the vehicle , has essentially a rectangular housing in which at least two telescopically nested installation stages are accommodated in a linear manner, of which the first installation stage is held in a linear manner in the housing and the second installation stage at least in the first installation stage, and at least the second installation stage by means of at least a compression spring accommodated in the housing is prestressed, and that an essentially rectangular mounting plate is attached to the second mounting step, which in the normal state forms the upper cover plate of the housing, and to which either the hinge support is articulated or which directly forms the hinge support.

The linear, guided installation of the profile body of the telescopic stand according to the invention ensures a uniform and therefore safe installation of the hinge bracket. The spring forces of the drive pressure springs can only act in the installation direction.

By designing the protective device according to the invention as a telescopic stand, it is advantageously possible to create a system which, with the smallest overall height (the closed overall height is smaller than the positioning stroke to be traversed) and a small width, is nevertheless high in the extended state Can absorb forces in the longitudinal direction. Embodiments of the invention are characterized in the subclaims and also result from the description of the figures.

The invention is described in more detail with reference to two exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings in different views and states.

Show it:

Fig. 1 is a first isometric view

Embodiment of the telescopic erection device according to the invention for a hinge bracket in the triggered, erected state,

2 shows the device according to FIG.

1 also in the extended state,

3 shows the device according to FIG.

1 in the retracted basic state,

Fig. 4 shows a second in a longitudinal section

Embodiment of the telescopic installation device according to the invention in the retracted basic state,

Fig. 5 in three parts A, B, C in a cross-sectional view, the structure of the telescope set-up system according to the second embodiment, consisting of a housing (part A), a first stage guided therein (part B) and a second guided therein , inner step (figure part C),

6 in two longitudinal sectional views the telescope system according to FIGS. 4 and 5 in the erected state, with the first stage extended in part A and at the same time in the end position extended second stage in part B, 7 in two schematic side views (figure parts A,

B) the structure of a rocker-type hinge bracket on the mounting device and its function in the set-up system state,

Fig. 8 in a longitudinal sectional view corresponding to Fig. 4 and Fig. 9 in an isometric cutout view the structure of the telescopic mounting device with pluggable

Stops for the stroke limitation, and Fig. 10 in a longitudinal sectional view of the invention

Telescopic set-up device in the set-up state showing the use of the interior for further functional components.

The inventive device 100 for protecting people in the event of a frontal impact on a motor vehicle, shown in the drawings, is based on the principle that, in the event of a collision with the person, the front hood of the motor vehicle, including its hinge arrangement in the stop area, which is attached by a hinge arrangement in the stop area by a predetermined amount Hub is set up opposite the body of the front end.

The device 100 initially has a housing 1, which contains the sensor-controlled components for the active installation of the front hood, and which is fastened to the body of the front end in the region of the hinge arrangements, preferably to the support bracket of the fender. Such a device is attached to both sides of the front end.

A mounting plate 2 is accommodated in the housing 1, as will be explained in more detail later. On this stand there is a Hinged beam attached, for example articulated off-center in the manner of a seesaw (not shown). The associated hinge arrangement for the front hood is attached to the body in a known manner on the hinge carrier.

The base plate can also be designed directly as the rocker supporting the hinge (Figures 6 and 7).

If the mounting plate is extended from the housing 1, as shown for example in FIG. 1, the hinge support is set up in the same way and also the hinge arrangement with the rear part of the front hood.

In the retracted state (see Fig. 3), the base plate forms a lid for closing the housing on the head side.

The construction for extending the base plate 2 has two telescopic, formed by profile body set-up elements, which can be set up in the housing 1, which in the case of the first exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 3 is designed as a box profile body with a base plate 1 c are. In the first exemplary embodiment, the first, outer set-up element consists of two profile bodies 3, 4 with a rectangular cross section, which are each guided in a guided manner on the two narrow ends of the housing (FIG. 1, No. 6). Outer shoulders 3 a, 4 a on these profile bodies 3, 4 in connection with stops 1 a, 1 b on the housing 1 limit the set-up stroke of the first set-up element.

Between the two profile bodies 3, 4 of the first, outer mounting element, an inner rectangular profile body 5, to which the mounting plate 2 is fastened, is accommodated so that it can be raised. This inner profile body 5 forms the second, inner set-up element. In principle, it can also be guided in the housing 1.

Inner shoulders 3 b, 4 b on the outer profile bodies 3, 4 in connection with outer shoulders 5 a, 5 b on the inner profile body limit the set-up stroke of the second set-up element.

The arrangement of the profile bodies 3, 4 and 5 creates a telescopic nesting, which makes it possible to move a stroke path that is greater than the overall height when pushed together.

In order to absorb the high longitudinal forces in the extended state of the mounting plate 2, corresponding profiles are provided on all profiles and on the housing 1, which enable a force transmission between the various components and ultimately bring about the introduction of force into the housing 1 and thus into the vehicle structure.

For example, in the first embodiment according to FIGS. 1-3, a type of cleat guide 6 is provided on the housing 1 for the profile bodies 3, 4 of the outer mounting element. For guiding the inner profile body 5 in the profile bodies 3, 4, for example, a dovetail guide 7 is formed.

Other guides such as T-guides or round profile guides ("open keyhole") are possible, and other elements can also be provided for limiting the extension movement of the two telescopic installation elements.

For the installation of the base plate 2 in the event of a collision, three compression springs 8 are introduced in the inner profile, which are located between the The housing base plate 1 c and the base plate 2 extend and are guided in columns 9 which are attached to the base plate 1 c.

It is understood that the variant shown with three compression springs is only one embodiment. Depending on the design of the profile and the compression springs 8, the number can be higher or lower.

In addition, as shown in Fig. 10, the outer profiles 3, 4 can also receive compression spring support, e.g. increase starting power or to avoid noise. Because without compression springs, the outer profiles are in the retracted state without load (in the Z direction) and can therefore cause noise when there is play in the Z direction. Such an external compression spring is not shown in FIGS. 1-3. Without independent compression spring support, the outer profiles 3, 4 are, so to speak, "dragged" by the inner profile 5 when they are set up.

The profiles used are preferably designed as extruded profiles, which allows easy manufacture of the device.

In the normal state of the set-up device, the set-up plate 2 is held down by a holding arrangement (not shown) against the force of the compression springs 8 which are then preloaded. The holding arrangement can be triggered by sensors (and also manually for test or inspection purposes). The set-up device described can be combined with a large number of different triggering methods, for example electromagnetically or pyrotechnically by means of appropriate actuators, or mechanically with a lever or Bowden cable. Accordingly, various designs are possible for the holding arrangement, the application-specific requirements also being important. In principle, those from the Roll bar technology known fixtures such as latches, ball locks, wedge slide, etc. are used.

FIGS. 4 to 10 show a second embodiment of the two-stage telescopic stand according to the invention.

The housing 1 (Fig. 5 A) is also box-shaped in the outer contours, but has a one-piece molded bottom 1 a. It can be mounted on the vehicle via holes 1 d (FIG. 7). In comparison to the first embodiment, however, it does not have any angular, but rather semicircular or shell-shaped inner guide contours 1 e, 1 f for the profiles 3 'or 4' of the first telescopic installation stage provided with complementary curves (FIG. 5 B). These guide contours reduce the risk of possible tilting or jamming of the profiles 3 'or 4'.

The second telescopic installation stage in turn consists of a box-shaped profile 5 ', which is enclosed on the long sides by the wall of the housing and via a T-slot connection 10 in the profiles 3', 4 'of the first. Installation step is guided in a form-fitting manner, which ensures that the inner telescopic step is guided safely and absorbs the necessary forces in the event of an accident involving an accident person in the installed state.

7 shows in particular, the mounting plate 2 'by an eccentric articulation about the axis 11 on the inner profile 5', the z. B. has a front slope 5 'c, designed as a rotatable rocker, which favors the inclination of the front hood during the installation movement, and thus avoids jamming of the profiles with each other. The rocker also forms the lid of the installation system (Fig. 4) and serves to hold the hinge. The required set-up force is also achieved in the second embodiment via preloaded spring brackets 8, which are located within the profiles.

Spring accumulators are ideally used in all stages. For this purpose, the inner profile 5 'of the second telescopic installation stage, as shown in particular in FIGS. 4, 6 and 7, has two receptacles for receiving two compression springs 8, which are guided by spring guide bolts 9 fastened at the bottom 1c, and furthermore have the two Profiles 3 ', 4' of the first telescopic installation stage each have a receptacle for a further compression spring 8, which is also guided by a spring guide pin 9 fastened on the bottom. There are therefore two compression springs 8 available for each telescopic installation stage. As a result of the measure that a spring-loaded arrangement is assigned to both installation stages, the stages are extended simultaneously and the front hood experiences maximum acceleration to achieve the required installation times. The advantage of this arrangement also lies in the fact that the extension behavior initially behaves in one step (FIG. 6 A) and the front hood, which is thereby sufficiently accelerated, supports the setting up of the second step into the end position (FIG. 6 B).

To limit the set-up strokes of the two telescopic stages, as in the first embodiment, corresponding shoulders / stops are provided on the housing 1 and on the profiles (1 a with 3 'a and 1 b with 4' a for the first set-up stage and 3 'b with 5 'a and 4' b with 5 'b for the second set-up stage).

For a good coverage within the steps, the desired installation height is appropriately distributed evenly among the steps. For this purpose, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, plug-in stops 1 a, 1 b; 5'a, 5'b used to put on simple

Claims

In the same way, in the second embodiment, as described in the first embodiment, different holding systems can be used to hold the telescopic installation system down in the basic position, ie in the retracted position, against the force of the compression springs 8 The same applies to the trigger systems for sensor-controlled triggering of the holding arrangement. For example, the central opening 12 of the telescope system according to FIGS. 4 to 10 gives sufficient space for accommodating the holding and triggering systems. A wide variety of systems can also be used for reversing the set-up system into its basic position. claims

1.Device (100) for protecting people in the event of a frontal impact on a motor vehicle, which has a front hood covering the front end, which is pivotably articulated on both sides of the windshield on each side of the vehicle via a hinge arrangement on the body of the front end, each consisting of a hinge support for the Indirect body-side articulation of the hinge arrangement, which can be set up attached to the body of the front end, and from an energy-storing device in the form of a spring-loaded arrangement acting on the hinge support, and from a sensor-controlled holding device for active engagement with the hinge support, such that, in the normal state, the hinge support is held down and, in the event of a collision, can be released by a sensor for a limited set-up movement, characterized in that the device (100) has an essentially rectangular housing (1) which can be attached to the vehicle is in which at least two telescopically nested setup stages are accommodated in a linear manner, of which the first setup stage is held in a linear manner in the housing (1) and the second setup stage at least in the first setup stage, and at least the second setup stage by means of at least one in Housing biased compression spring (8) is biased, and that a substantially rectangular mounting plate (2, 2 ')) is attached to the second installation stage, which in the normal state is the upper Forms cover plate of the housing (1), and to which either the hinge support is articulated or which directly forms the hinge support.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first set-up stage is additionally biased by means of at least one compression spring (8) accommodated in the housing (1).

3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that only the second set-up stage is biased by means of three compression springs (8).

4. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the second installation stage and the first installation stage are each biased by means of two compression springs (8).

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the erection stages are formed by profile body (3, 4; 5), the guide elements (6, 7; 1 e, 1 f, 10) for a positive guidance of the profile body the first stage in the housing (1) and the profile body (5) the second installation stage in the profile bodies (3, 4) of the first installation stage, and that on the housing (1) and on the profile bodies (3, 4; 5) stops ( 1 a, 3 a; 1 b, 4 a; 5 a, 3 b; 5 b, 4 b) are provided for limiting the set-up stroke of the set-up stages.

6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that the stops are attachable at least partially adjustable in the stroke direction.

7. The device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the first set-up stage consists of two identical, column-like profile bodies (3, 4) which are guided at the narrow ends of the rectangular housing (1), and that the second set-up stage there is a block-like profile body (5) which is accommodated between the two column-like profile bodies (3, 4) of the first set-up stage, guided therein.

8. Device according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that at least the profile body (5) of the second installation stage has a recess for receiving at least one compression spring (8).

9. The device according to claim 7 and 8, characterized in that a recess for receiving a compression spring (8) is additionally formed in each of the columnar profile bodies (3, 4) of the first installation stage.

10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the mounting plate (2 ') is articulated to the second set-up stage.