GB2580070A

GB2580070A - Improvements relating to motor vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2580070A
Application number: GB1820843.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Smith Andrew
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-12-20
Filing date: 2018-12-20
Publication date: 2020-07-15
Anticipated expiration: 2038-12-20
Also published as: GB201820843D0; GB2580070B

Abstract

A motor vehicle 10 has a vehicle body relative to which a seat is secured. The vehicle body has a floor 20 defining an aperture and the vehicle comprises a floor panel 16 releasably securable within the aperture. Preferably, the seat is supported by releasable floor panel 16 so that the seat is removable from the vehicle while supported by and secured to the panel. The system is particularly suited for allowing egress from an overturned vehicle, for example a racing car without a passenger exit door and with a halo head protection structure around an open cockpit. Panel 16 may be releasable from both inside and outside the vehicle and the internal and external means of release may be different. Lifting rods may be provided to facilitate lifting of panel 16 from the vehicle body.

Description

Improvements Relating To Motor Vehicles This invention relates to a means for providing access to an interior of a motor vehicle or for providing a means of exit from a motor vehicle.

In particular, though not exclusively, the invention seeks to provide a vehicle and a vehicle sub-assembly that facilitates the abstraction of a driver from a vehicle when overturned or fully inverted, and especially in the case of a vehicle which is a racing car.

In the event of an accident a motor vehicle may overturn and settle in an inverted condition. In these circumstances the usual means of access to, or exit from the vehicle may be difficult or impossible to use by rescuers or by an occupant of the vehicle, especially as the occupant may be injured or unconscious.

A particular instance in which the invention is especially advantageous is in relation to racing cars which usually have no doors and are entered and exited by a driver climbing into and out of a cockpit. There is a problem in exiting the vehicle if the vehicle is inverted. Although that has been a long standing problem it has recently been exacerbated by the presence of other safety features in or around the cockpit, for example a so-called 'halo' device which is designed to protect a drivers head in certain crash cicumstances.

In view of the risk of fire it is desirable to remove a driver from an overturned car as rapidly as possible, avoiding unnecessary movement of the driver which may lead to further injury.

The present invention seeks to provide a motor vehicle and a vehicle sub-assembly which provides an improved facility for removal of a driver or other occupant from a vehicle especially when the vehicle is at least partly over turned.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a motor vehicle comprising a vehicle body and a seat secured relative to the vehicle body, said body comprising a floor which defines an aperture and the vehicle comprising a floor panel which is releasably securable within said aperture.

The seat may be supported by the releasable floor panel. The seat may be removable from the vehicle body whilst supported by and secured to the floor panel.

The floor panel preferably is dimensioned to allow removal of the floor panel and attached seat together with a seat occupant. The floor panel preferably has a footprint greater than that of an attached seat. Accordingly the floor panel may have a surface area of at least 0.375 square metres (for example at least 0.5 by 0.75 metres), preferable at least 0.5 square metres (for example at least 0.5 by 1.0 metres).

The floor panel may be secured to the vehicle body by releasable securing means which is operable from at least one and preferably each of a position within the vehicle and a position external of the vehicle.

Preferably the securing means is releasable by at least a two stage operation thereby to minimise the risk of inadvertent release of the floor panel from the vehicle.

The securing means may be hand operable and/or may require use of a release tool for effecting release of the floor panel from the vehicle from one or each of a position within the vehicle and a position external of the vehicle, preferably from at least a position external of the vehicle. The floor panel may be releasable both externally and internally in which case the external means for release may be either the same as or different from that for internal release.

The securing means may comprise a remotely operable means for enabling removal of the floor panel. The securing means may comprise an explodable or fracturable component for enabling release of a floor panel.

The floor panel may be wholly supported and secured relative to the vehicle body by the releasable securing means. Alternatively, at least in part, the floor panel may be supported and secured relative to the vehicle body by resting directly on at least a part of the vehicle body that defines the floor panel aperture. In that construction at least one of the floor panel and the vehicle body aperture may be shaped to allow the panel to be moved transversely, substantially in the plane of the panel to a position at which the panel may then be withdrawn from the vehicle body.

The floor panel may comprise attachment means which facilitates lifting of the sub assembly from the vehicle body. The attachment means may, for example, be shaped to provide location for one or more lifting rods such as may be used by race marshals to lift a sub assembly including a seated driver from an upturned vehicle body.

The vehicle body may comprise or incorporate one of the following features or a combination of two or more of the following features: The body may be of a monocoque construction; The body may be a carbon fibre body; The body and floor panel may be of the same material; The body may be of a vehicle having an open top cockpit; The body may comprise or be adapted to have secured thereto a roll over protective structure; The body may be that of a racing car; The body may be that of a racing car and may comprise or be adapted to have secured thereto a Halo cockpit head protection structure; The body may be devoid of a driver entry door.

The invention provides also a vehicle sub assembly comprising a floor panel which is releasably securable within an aperture in the floor of a motor vehicle and a vehicle seat secured to the floor panel. The sub assembly may comprise also an occupant safety restraint device such as a seat belt or harness. The sub assembly may comprise a restraint device that comprises anchor points secured to the floor panel and/or to the seat. The sub assembly may comprise and provide support for additional safety equipment such as an air bag or fire extinguisher.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-Figure 1 is s side view of a fully inverted racing car; Figure 2 shows the car of Figure 1 with a sub-assembly being removed; Figure 3 is a sectional view of part of a vehicle in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 shows in detail an example of a securing means for the vehicle of Figures 1 to 3; Figure 5 is a sectional view of part of a floor pan and vehicle body in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 6 is a plan view of the floor pan and part of the vehicle body of Figure 5.

A racing car 10 comprises a vehicle body 11 of a monocoque construction and having an open top cockpit 12 and sidewall sections 13 bereft of the doors of a conventional road vehicle. The car additionally comprises a roll over structure for protection of the driver 19, in this embodiment that protection being in the form of a Halo cockpit head protection structure14.

The floor 15 of the body 11 defines an aperture 18 in which a floor pan 16 is releasably securable to the vehicle body. The floor pan has a driver's seat 17 secured thereto and the footprint of the floor panel is greater than that of the seat, in this example at least 30 percent greater than the footprint of the seat.

The floor pan 16 is secured to the vehicle body by means of a plurality of securing means 20 each of a type operable by hand or, optionally, by use of a release tool. Each securing means, as shown in Figure 4, comprises a shaft section 21 rotatably mounted on the vehicle body floor 15 close to the floor aperture and comprising a pair of retention arms 22. In a first rotational position the arms have the floor pan sandwiched therebetween, as shows in Figure 4, and the arms are a paced apart so as respectively to firmly engage with oppositely facing surfaces of the floor pan. The securing means 20 may be rotated to a second position at which the arms are free from contact with the floor pan which is thereby freed for removal from the vehicle body.

In the embodiment described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 the weight of the driver and other loads associated with the floor pan are transferred to the vehicle body solely by the securing means. In an alternative construction as now described with reference to Figures 5 and 6, the floor pan 16 is supported relative to the vehicle body by resting on one of more regions 25 of the vehicle body surrounding the aperture 18. Releasable securing means 26 are provided to hold the floor pan 16 firmly in a position at which it is supported by the vehicle body floor regions 21, and with said securing means being operable to allow a sliding movement of the floor pan, typically in a direction substantially in a plane of the vehicle floor, and thus to enable the floor pan to be re-positioned for removal in a direction substantially at right angles to that direction of sliding movement, for example the direction of the arrow X of Figure 2.

To assist removal in the direction of the arrow X the external surface of the floor pan is provided with attachment points, such as hooks (not shown), to each of which a lifting rod 28 may be secured (see Figure 2) to facilitate lifting of the floor pan sub assembly from the vehicle body.

Accordingly race marshals or emergency service personnel may use the tools to unfasten the floor panel from the vehicle floor and/or to assist in application to the floor panel of a lifting force so as to lift the sub assembly of the floor panel, the seat supported thereon and the occupant fastened to the seat by a harness for removal from the vehicle.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A motor vehicle comprising a vehicle body and a seat secured relative to the vehicle body, said body comprising a floor which defines an aperture and the vehicle comprising a floor panel which is releasably securable within said aperture.
2. A motor vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the seat is supported by the releasable floor panel.
3. A motor vehicle according to claim 2 wherein the seat is removable from the vehicle body whilst supported by and secured to the floor panel.
4. A motor vehicle according to of the preceding claims wherein the floor panel is dimensioned to allow removal of the floor panel and an attached seat together with a seat occupant.
5. A motor vehicle according to of the preceding claims wherein the floor panel has a footprint greater than that of an attached seat.
6. A motor vehicle according to of the preceding claims wherein the floor panel has a surface area of at least 0.375 square metres (for example at least 0.5 by 0.75 metres),
7. A motor vehicle according to claim 6 wherein the floor panel has a surface area of at least 0.5 square metres (for example at least 0.5 by 1.0 metres).
8. A motor vehicle according to of the preceding claims wherein the floor panel is secured to the vehicle body by releasable securing means that is operable from at least one of a position within the vehicle and a position external of the vehicle.
9. A motor vehicle according to claim 8 wherein the releasable securing means is operable from each of a position within the vehicle and a position external of the vehicle.
10. A motor vehicle according to claim 8 or claim 9 wherein the securing means is releasable by at least a two stage operation thereby to minimise the risk of inadvertent release of the floor panel from the vehicle.
11. A motor vehicle according to any one claims 8 to 10 wherein the securing means is hand operable for effecting release of the floor panel from the vehicle from one or each of a position within the vehicle and a position external of the vehicle.
12. A motor vehicle according to any one claims 8 to 11 wherein the securing means requires use of a release tool for effecting release of the floor panel from the vehicle from one or each of a position within the vehicle and a position external of the vehicle.
13. A motor vehicle according to any one claims 8 to 12 wherein the floor panel is releasable both externally and internally of the vehicle and the external means for release is different from that for internal release.
14. A motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the floor panel is secured to the vehicle body by releasable securing means that is remotely operable for enabling removal of the floor panel.S
15. A motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the floor panel is secured to the vehicle body by releasable securing means that comprises an explodable or fracturable component for enabling release of a floor panel.
16. A motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the floor panel is wholly supported and secured relative to the vehicle body by the releasable securing means.
17. A motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein, at least in part, the floor panel is supported and secured relative to the vehicle body by resting directly on at least a part of the vehicle body that defines the floor panel aperture.
18. A motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one of the floor panel and the vehicle body aperture is shaped and dimensioned to allow the panel to be moved transversely, substantially in the plane of the panel to a position at which the panel may then be withdrawn from the vehicle body.
19. A motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the floor panel comprises attachment means which facilitates lifting of the floor panel from the vehicle body.
20. A motor vehicle according to claim 19 wherein the attachment means provides location for one or more lifting rods for lifting an assembly of a floor panel and seat from the vehicle body.
21. A motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the vehicle body comprises or incorporates one of the following features or a combination of two or more of the following features: the body is of a monocoque construction; the body is a carbon fibre body; the body and floor panel is of the same material; the body is of a vehicle having an open top cockpit; the body comprises or is adapted to have secured thereto a roll over protective structure; the body is that of a racing car; the body is that of a racing car and comprises or is adapted to have secured thereto a Halo cockpit head protection structure; the body is devoid of a driver entry door.
22. A vehicle sub assembly comprising a floor panel which is releasably securable within an aperture in the floor of a motor vehicle and a vehicle seat secured to the floor panel.
23. A vehicle sub assembly according to claim 22 and adapted for use with a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 21.
24. A vehicle sub assembly according to claim 22 or claim 23 wherein the sub assembly comprises an occupant safety restraint device secured to the floor panel and/or to the seat.