ES2691303B2 - Automatic evacuation aid system for the occupants of a fallen car - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

Automatic system to help the evaluation of the occupants of a fallen car.

Technical sector

The sector of the technique to which the present invention refers is the automotive industry, specifically the active safety systems for tourism cars. The invention affects cases in which a vehicle falls into the water; The system allows the automatic opening of at least two doors of the vehicle when it is submerged.

State of the art

Accidents in which the vehicle is submerged in deep water are complicated and serious. There are already numerous preventive measures carried out before this fact. Proper road design, barrier construction on road or education curves and the necessary public information can reduce the risks of such accidents.

An active safety element such as electronic stability control (ESC) centralizes the functions of ABS, EBD and traction control systems. It acts by braking the wheels individually in situations of risk to prevent skidding, both oversteer and understeer.

The use of the seat belt is important to reduce the severity of the impact injury, although it can be an obstacle to successfully evacuate the vehicle, as well as central locking systems and electric windows, could cause more difficulties than advantages offer. In these cases, an emergency hammer of easy access can be an essential tool to make possible the exit of the car, an example of this type of utensils is called Resqme®, cutter - belts and glass breaker.

To accelerate the arrival of assistance, and reduce the possible consequences of the accident, there are other safety elements such as eCall. This on-vehicle emergency call system is able to connect to the most appropriate emergency call point, automatically in case of detection of a potential accident or in case of manual activation, through the network of mobile wireless communication

All the preventive measures listed above are correct and helpful but hardly applicable. This happens because the occupants of the vehicle, in case they are not unconscious, will be in a state of anxiety such that in most cases they will cause a late and inefficient reaction.

A compilation has been made according to various sources, of cases of the last 7 years, in which a vehicle has ended up in the water and mostly with fatalities. After the study of these owners, 64% of the cases exposed have produced the same number of fatalities as those involved in the accident. This is due to the strong pressure they must overcome in order to evacuate the vehicle, which in most cases makes it difficult to get to the surface alive, in addition to taking into account that if the individual is unconscious, it is very likely that his death occurs in a few minutes. On the other hand, in 27% of cases, survivors are found among the injured and finally, in only 9%, all the people involved manage to get out alive. These data aggravate and accentuate the current situation, so it is considered necessary a technological advance in terms of car safety, ensuring the safety of the individual in any case, or at least reduce the injuries and consequences that may be caused.

There are some patents in which water safety systems have been developed. In the KR20160058442 patent, the system deploys a bag to protect the engine, but it is planned for a flood, as it provides sensors without detailing its location, which detects the rise in the water level.

In the US5823608A patent, a system for opening automatic or manual windows is reflected in the event that the vehicle is in the water, operated by gas. In the automatic case, the sensor that triggers the system is an impact sensor. In US6281647B1 and US2002024309A1 the window opening system is electric.

US2003197599A1 describes a system for detecting incidents in a vehicle, such as the attempt to start without a key, among which is the detection of water on the sides and on the front and rear of the vehicle, sending a signal to a vehicle control, and deploying four airbags that can allow the buoyancy of the vehicle in the water. However, the detection system does not foresee cases such as the vehicle being turned upside down.

Therefore, it has been proposed the development of a system that allows the opening of the doors of the vehicle automatically, without the need for human intervention, thus facilitating the possibility of saving as much as possible the life of the occupants inside the car.

Explanation of the invention.

The present invention describes an automatic system that allows the evacuation of the occupants of a car when it falls into the water. The system consists of three components. A vehicle fall detection subsystem to the water, a flotation subsystem and an ejection subsystem of the vehicle doors.

The vehicle-to-water fall detection subsystem is composed of an electronic switchboard, a set of humidity sensors placed in boxes designed to prevent their activation in cases where the vehicle does not fall into the water and a support battery placed in a waterproof case.

The flotation subsystem that is activated by order of the electronic switchboard, once the fall to the water has been detected, and keeps the vehicle on the surface of the water, composed of a set of boxes placed under the vehicle, each of the which incorporates a buoyancy bag equipped with a non-return valve, connected by high-pressure hoses to helium bottles, which once inflated are secured to the vehicle's chassis by means of restraint cables.

The ejection subsystem of the doors with sufficient force to overcome the water pressure and facilitate the exit of the occupants, is also activated by order of the electronic control unit, once the flotation subsystem has been activated, and is composed of a of compressed nitrogen springs that are released by means of a pin, located along the stirrup, the pillar on which articulates and fits part of the door and the pillar on which the door lock is located, as well as a set of electromagnets for the release of the hinges and the door lock.

Brief description of the figures

Figure 1. Case detail with humidity sensor

1. Sensor box

2. Humidity sensor

Figure 2. Location of sensors in vehicle

2. Humidity sensor

Figure 3. Location of control unit in vehicle

3. Electronic switchboard

Figure 4. Detail of electronic control unit

3. Waterproof record box

4. Electronic board for signal processing

Figure 5. Device detail of the flotation subsystem

5. Box buoyancy bags

6. Buoyancy bag

7. High pressure hose

9. Clamping Cable

Figure 6. Device location of the flotation subsystem in vehicle 5. Buoyancy bag box

7. High pressure hose

8. Bottles of helium

Figure 7. Flotation subsystem deployed in vehicle

6. Buoyancy bags

7. Helium bottles

Figure 8. Location of door ejection subsystem

10. Door frame

11. Nitrogen spring

12. Electromagnet

Figure 9. Ejector detail

11. Nitrogen spring

13. Pin

Figure 10. Electromagnets detail

12. Electromagnet

Figure 11. Door ejection development

Embodiment of the invention

The detection subsystem is formed (figure 1) by a set of at least 5 analog contact sensors (2) of analog type, distributed in the vehicle in key positions (figure 2) so that its position allows the activation of the At least 2 humidity sensors regardless of the way the car falls into the water and begins to flood. After the activation of at least 2 of them, the safety system developed in the present invention will be activated in a switchboard (4). To guarantee the effectiveness of the detection system, and to avoid possible false activations of the system due to splashes, rain, etc., the sensors are housed (figure 1) in boxes (1), designed to protect the sensor, guaranteeing the exclusive activation by flood , and not by hydrodynamic pressure, since, otherwise, they would be exposed to its operation by mistake and automatically cause the vehicle to become useless.

Once the system is activated in the control unit, the two active parts thereof, the door ejection subsystem and the flotation subsystem are operated. Before starting the door ejection system, in order to keep the vehicle at the specified buoyancy level, inflation is triggered by means of compressed helium cylinders (8), of four buoyancy bags (6) located at the bottom of the vehicle ( figure 6), one at each corner thereof, to allow greater stability in the water (figure 7).

At each end, on the transverse axis of the car, 2 bottles of helium are placed in compressed gas connected to 2 buoyancy bags each, allowing them to be filled in a minimum time. The bags, which will be included in boxes (5) with a specific design to favor their deployment (figure 5), are attached to the compressed gas bottles through a hose (7) and a non-return valve. In turn, the bags will be attached to the chassis of the vehicle through a steel cable (9) strong enough to maintain the joint.

The bags made of thermoplastic polyurethane (6), material that presents optimal properties to favor its durability and resistance to adverse situations, will prevent the vehicle from falling to greater depths and will be orange to keep it located in the water and facilitate rescue to the emergency services will also be provided with handles of the same material that will allow a possible grip of the injured to stay afloat (figure 7).

In order to successfully carry out the movement of the doors sufficiently so that they are free of their original insertion, it is necessary to overcome the force produced by the external pressure coming from the water. They will be placed (figure 8) along the stirrup, the pillar on which part of the door articulates and fits and the pillar on which the door lock is located, 9 compressed nitrogen springs (11), which are released by means of a pin (13) and that provide a force towards the outside of the vehicle such that it more than doubles the force required in the worst case scenario so that the system is in equilibrium, so that the correct expulsion of the door is guaranteed.

The described development is the most efficient way to cause an immediate exit mechanically (Figure 11). In addition, it would only cause deformations in the ejected door, leaving the vehicle chassis intact.

On the other hand, the release of the hinges and release of the lock (figure 10) will be carried out with an electromechanical system, in particular with electromagnets (12).

Finally, to optimize the buoyancy capacity of the doors and guarantee the non-return to their original insertion, the use of expanded polystyrene in the gaps inside the door is determined, which has favorable physical properties for the intended use, in terms of density and buoyancy, in addition to assuming an additional minimum weight to the door.

This automatic system helps evacuate occupants of a submerged car, necessarily involves electrical support, and therefore, the integration of an electromechanical system. Therefore, the electrical connection points will require watertight equipment.

For the sensor data control and processing system, an independent system will be included (Figure 4) formed by a sealed register box (3), where the electronic control unit (4) that processes the information will be found, issues the signal to the actuators and perform the action.

Since this system must be operational and guarantee operation in the circumstances described, and taking into account the shortcomings in the current market of aquatic protection for electronic components, the proposed control system is separated from the general vehicle control system In addition to adding an additional emergency support battery, both protected in sealed boxes, to ensure the operation of the system in the water.

Finally, the modification of the general control system of the vehicle is included as an option, including in the same control unit the electronic board that allows the development of the described system. In that case, the general switchboard must be inserted in a sealed box.

In either case, the backup battery will be connected to the control system and in an insulated waterproof case.

Claims (8)

1. Automatic assistance system for the evacuation of the occupants of a fallen car that includes: a) A subsystem for detecting the fall of the vehicle into the water, consisting of an electronic control unit, a set consisting of at least five humidity sensors, placed in boxes designed to prevent their activation in cases where it does not occur the fall of the vehicle into the water and a support battery placed in a waterproof case. b) A flotation subsystem that is activated by order of the electronic control unit, once the water has been detected, and keeps the vehicle on the surface of the water, consisting of a set of boxes placed under the vehicle, each of which incorporates a buoyancy bag equipped with a non-return valve, connected by high pressure hoses to helium bottles, which once inflated are attached to the vehicle's chassis by means of clamping cables. c) A subsystem of ejection of the doors with sufficient force to overcome the water pressure and facilitate the exit of the occupants, composed of a set of compressed nitrogen springs that are released by pin, located along the stirrup, the pillar on which articulates and fits part of the door and the pillar on which is the door lock and a set of electromagnets for the release of the hinges and the door lock. 2. Automatic assistance system for the evacuation of the occupants of a car dropped into the water, according to claim 1, characterized in that the detection subsystem consists of at least 5 analog humidity sensors per contact strategically distributed inside the vehicle according to Figure 2 so that they detect the fall into the water in any position of the vehicle. 3. Automatic assistance system for the evacuation of the occupants of a fallen car, according to claim 2, characterized in that the detection subsystem is responsible for activating the flotation subsystem and then the ejection subsystem by means of an electronic switchboard when activated at least two of the humidity sensors distributed by the vehicle. 4. Automatic system for the evacuation of the occupants of a car that has fallen into the water, according to claim 1, characterized in that the boxes containing the humidity sensors of the detection subsystem are designed to avoid possible false activations of the system by splashing guaranteeing the activation of humidity sensors exclusively by flooding and not by hydrodynamic pressure. 5. Automatic assistance system for the evacuation of the occupants of a fallen car, according to claim 1, characterized in that once the flotation subsystem is activated, inflation is triggered by means of compressed helium cylinders (8), the expulsion of four bags of buoyancy, favoring the stability of the vehicle in the water and preventing it from falling to greater depths. 6. An automatic evacuation aid system for the occupants of a car dropped into the water, according to claim 1, characterized in that the flotation subsystem consists of two compressed helium cylinders, each of which is connected to two bags of buoyancy. 7. Automatic evacuation aid system for the occupants of a fallen car, according to claim 1, characterized in that the buoyancy bags of the buoyancy subsystem are constructed of thermoplastic polyurethane to favor their durability and will be orange to favor its visibility under water and will be provided with handles of the same material, which will allow a possible grip of the injured to stay afloat. 8. Automatic evacuation aid system for the occupants of a car that has fallen into the water according to claim 1, characterized in that to improve the correct expulsion of the door and its buoyancy, the empty gaps thereof will be filled with expanded polystyrene. .