GB2379419A

GB2379419A - Vehicle parcel shelf with energy absorbing elements

Info

Publication number: GB2379419A
Application number: GB0121723A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martin Lindstrom; Land Yngve H; Sean Downey
Original assignee: Autoliv Development AB
Current assignee: Autoliv Development AB
Priority date: 2001-09-07
Filing date: 2001-09-07
Publication date: 2003-03-12
Anticipated expiration: 2021-09-07
Also published as: GB2379419B; GB0121723D0

Abstract

A vehicle safety arrangement comprising a vehicle parcel shelf 3 to the rear of the vehicle rear seats 2 and extending above a luggage compartment incorporates at least one energy absorbing element 14,19. The energy absorbing element is associated with a component of the vehicle such that if that component has a force applied to it by the movement of a vehicle occupant during an accident the component may move thus deforming the energy absorbing element. In the event of a rear impact the seat occupant may force the seat 2 backwards thus plastically deforming corrugated metal element 19. In another embodiment in the event of a frontal impact the occupant may move forwards thus pulling on the seat belt retractor 12 which can move forwards slightly as corrugated element 14 plastically deforms. The retractor may also be mounted on a movable parcel shelf element which allows both deformable elements 14,19 to deform at the same time.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO A SAFETY ARRANGEMENT" THE PRESENT INVENTION relates to a safety arrangement and more particularly relates to a safety arrangement mounted in a motor vehicle in the form of a motor car.

It is known that when an occupant is present in a motor vehicle, such as a motor car, and the motor car is involved in an accident in which a substantial acceleration or deceleration is imparted to the occupant of the car, it is desirable to restrain the occupant in such a way that the occupant is accelerated or decelerated gradually. Thus, for example, it is known that it is desirable to mount an anchoring point for a safety belt system to the motor vehicle by means of an energy absorber or force limiter. Thus, in a frontal impact situation, if a very severe load is applied to the safety belt, the energy absorber or force limiter will yield, absorbing energy, and permitting the occupant restrained by the safety belt to be decelerated in a relatively gradual manner.

Also it is known that, in order to minimise the risk of whiplash injury in a rear impact situation, the backrest of a seat should be permitted to tilt rearwardly when subjected to a very large force, with that rearward movement

being effected against a resistive force provided by a force limiter or some other energy absorbing system.

The present invention seeks to provide a novel safety arrangement incorporating such energy absorbers or force limiters.

According to this invention there is provided a safety arrangement provided in a motor vehicle, the safety arrangement comprising a parcel shelf located to the rear of the rear seats of the vehicle and extending above a luggage compartment or boot, the parcel shelf incorporating at least one force

1-1 A + limiting or energy absorbing element which element is associated with a component of the vehicle to which a force will be applied in response to movement an occupant of the vehicle relative to the vehicle if the vehicle is involved in an accident situation with that force tending move the component, the energy absorber or force limiter being adapted to permit movement of the said component whilst absorbing energy.

Preferably the force limiter or energy absorbing element is in the form of a corrugated element formed of a plastically deformable material.

Conveniently the deformable material is metal.

Preferably the said force limiter or energy absorber located adjacent the back-rest is connected to a transverse structural part of the vehicle.

In a preferred embodiment in the parcel shelf comprises a plurality of units, at least some of the units being mounted so as to be movable axially of the vehicle, a safety belt arrangement being anchored to a movable unit, another

unit in front of said movable unit being adapted to collapse, while absorbing energy, of a sufficient force is applied to the said movable unit.

Advantageously a safety belt arrangement is provided, the safety belt arrangement being connected to a said force limiter or energy absorber mounted within the parcel shelf, the safety belt comprising the said component of the vehicle.

Conveniently a retractor mechanism on to which a safety belt forming part of the safety belt arrangement is retracted is connected to the force limiter or energy absorber.

Preferably the parcel shelf incorporates a said force limiter or energy absorber located adjacent the backrest of a rear seat of a vehicle, the force limiter or energy absorber being positioned to be deformed to permit rearward movement of the backrest of the seat whilst absorbing energy.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a rear part of a motor vehicle, illustrating a parcel shelf that forms part of a preferred embodiment of the invention, with parts thereof cut away for the sake of clarity of illustration, and FIGURE 2 is a schematic sectional view through a parcel shelf similar to that as shown in Figure 1.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a safety arrangement in a motor vehicle incorporates a parcel shelf located behind the rear seats of the vehicle and covering a luggage compartment or boot, the parcel shelf incorporating force limiter or energy absorbing elements which are associated with or located immediately adjacent components within the motor car which tend to move, due to a force applied to them by an occupant of the motor vehicle, in the event that an accident should arise, so that energy may be absorbed as the components move. In a most preferred embodiment, a force limiter or energy absorber is located adjacent the upper part of a rear seat backrest, so that the back-rest may pivot rearwardly with energy being absorbed.

This is especially important in a rear impact situation.

Referring initially to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, part of a vehicle 1 is illustrated, the vehicle being provided with rear seats 2 and, immediately to the rear of the rear seats 2, a parcel shelf 3. A parcel shelf is a component that is commonly found in motor vehicles, being located behind the rear seats of the vehicle and above the luggage compartment or"boot"of the vehicle. The parcel shelf typically functions to prevent the contents of the luggage compartment or boot being visible from the exterior of the car, and also enables some objects to be carried within the main cabin of the car with those objects resting on the parcel shelf. A typical prior proposed parcel shelf is relatively weak.

In the presently described embodiment of the invention the parcel shelf 3 is formed from a plurality of interconnected units. The units each extend transversely across the motor vehicle and the units each have a substantially identical vertical thickness. In this embodiment the units are interconnected by

means of an inter engaging tongue-and-groove sliding connection formed on the appropriate side faces of the units.

The rearmost unit 4 is simply a structural unit, which may be hollow.

The unit 4 is connected by means of a tongue-and-groove connection 5 to an adjacent unit 6 which is a ventilation unit. The unit 6 is provided with upper and lower apertures 7, thus providing some degree of ventilation of the luggage compartment or trunk. The unit 6 is connected by means of a tongue and groove connection 7 to the next adjacent unit 8 which is a unit incorporating a sun shade 9. The sun shade 9 is present on a roller contained within the unit, and the sun shade may be extended to cover the rear window of the motor vehicle. The unit 8 is connected by means of a tongue-and-groove connection 10 to the next adjacent unit 11 which supports a retractor reel 12. The retractor reel 12 receives one end of a belt 13 that forms part of a safety belt system intended for use by an occupant of a rear seat 2. The unit 11 is in the form of an open-topped tray. Received within the tray is a corrugated element 14 formed of a metal which is selected so that the element 14 will yield and deform plastically when subjected to a predetermined force, so that the element 14 absorbs energy. The retractor 12 is mounted on two horizontally extending mounting strips 15 which overlie the corrugated element 14 and which are connected to the corrugated element 14.

The unit 11 is connected by means of a tongue and groove connection 16 to a spacer unit 17 which may, for example, incorporate a loud speaker and which, in turn, is connected by means of a tongue and groove connection 18 to a front most unit 19. The front most element 19 is simply an element which is of corrugated form, having a forward edge 20 located immediately adjacent the rear face of the rear seats 2. The unit 19 is formed of an appropriate metal

which is selected to deform plastically when subjected to a predetermined force, to absorb energy.

A transverse structural element in the form of a transverse beam 21, which forms part of the structure of the vehicle, is shown underlying the spacer unit 17. The front most element 19 has its rear edge connected to the beam 21.

Thus the beam transmits force applied to the front most unit 19, and which is not absorbed by that unit, to the chassis of the vehicle.

If the rear seat 2 of the vehicle is occupied, and the occupant is wearing the safety belt system that incorporates the belt 13, should the vehicle be involved in a sever frontal impact, the occupant of the seat will be thrown forwardly relative to the vehicle and the retractor 12 will lock, thus preventing the withdrawal of safety belt from the retractor. A very substantial force will then be applied to the safety belt 13 and thus the retractor 12 as the safety belt 13 tends to decelerate the occupant of the vehicle. If the force applied to the safety belt 13 exceeds a predetermined limit at which the corrugated element 14 to which the retractor 12 is connected starts to yield, the corrugated element will deform plastically providing a load limiting or force limiting effect. Thus the occupant of the seat will be decelerated in a more gradual manner than would be the case if the retractor 12 were mounted directly to an immovable anchoring point.

It is to be appreciated that if the described motor vehicle were to be involved in a rear impact situation, the occupant of the rear seat 2, due to inertia, would tend to move rearwardly relative to the vehicle and thus apply a rearwardly directed force to the backrest and headrest of the seat. In such a case the backrest would be able to move rearwardly, with a pivotal action, compressing the corrugated element of the unit 19, which provides a force

limiting and energy absorbing effect. It has been proposed to provide seats with energy absorbers which absorb energy as the back-rest tilts, but those devices have been provided in the hinge region. An energy absorber located at a higher level, such as the level of a parcel shelf, will operate in a more predictable manner, and may be provided at a lower cost.

The entire parcel shelf 3 may be provided with an appropriate covering or"carpet"22 so that the individual components of the parcel shelf are not, in day to day use, visible.

In a modified embodiment of the invention some or all of the units of the parcel shelf may be mounted to the motor vehicle by means of rails which permit forward movement of the units. The rails may permit the units located towards the rear of the parcel shelf to move forwardly, compressing the front most unit 19 against the backs of the seat rests. Thus, in a front impact situation, the load limiting or force limiting effect applied to the safety belt would be a combination of the load limiting or energy absorbing effect provided by the corrugated element 14 on which the retractor 12 is mounted and also a compression of the front most unit 19 against the rear faces of the backs of the seats 2. Thus the front most unit 19 would collapse, while absorbing energy if a sufficient force is applied to the unit to which the safety belt arrangement is connected.

It is to be appreciated, of course, that each of the force limiting energy absorbing elements may be divided, along the length of the element which extends transversely across the vehicle, into separate sections, with each section being aligned with a respective seat.

In the present Specification"comprise"means"includes or consists of' and"comprising"means"including or consisting of.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following Claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A safety arrangement provided in a the motor vehicle, the safety arrangement comprising a parcel shelf located to the rear of the rear seats of the vehicle and extending above a luggage compartment or boot, the parcel shelf incorporating at least one force limiting or energy absorbing element which element is associated with a component of the vehicle to which a force will be applied in response to movement an occupant of the vehicle relative to the vehicle if the vehicle is involved in an accident situation with that force tending move the component, the energy absorber or force limiter being adapted to permit movement of the said component whilst absorbing energy.
2. A safety device according to Claim 1 wherein the force limiter or energy absorbing element is in the form of a corrugated element formed of a plastically deformable material.
3. A safety arrangement according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the deformable material is metal.
4. A safety arrangement according to any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein the parcel shelf incorporates a said force limiter or energy absorber located adjacent the backrest of a rear seat of a vehicle, the force limiter or energy absorber being positioned to be deformed to permit rearward movement of the backrest of the seat whilst absorbing energy.

<Desc/Clms Page number 10>
5. A safety arrangement according to Claim 4 wherein the said force limiter or energy absorber located adjacent the back-rest is connected to a transverse structural part of the vehicle.
6. A safety device according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein a safety belt arrangement is provided, the safety belt arrangement being connected to a said force limiter or energy absorber mounted within the parcel shelf, the safety belt comprising the said component of the vehicle.
7. A safety arrangement according to Claim 6 wherein a retractor

mechanism on to which a safety belt forming part of the safety belt arrangement 111t ; ; "-'1UU11Mll Vll LV W 111"-'11 a alt ; ; LY Ut ; ; U IV1111111t ; pal L Vi Ule- ai""L'y U\ ; 1L U U5\ ; U1\,,, lH is retracted is connected to the force limiter or energy absorber.
8. A safety arrangement according to any one of Claims I to 3 wherein the parcel shelf comprises a plurality of units, at least some of the units being mounted so as to be movable axially of the vehicle, a safety belt arrangement being anchored to a movable unit, another unit in front of said movable unit being adapted to collapse, while absorbing energy, of a sufficient force is applied to the said movable unit.
9. A safety arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
10. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.