GB2580702A

GB2580702A - Apparatus for deploying a stowed object

Info

Publication number: GB2580702A
Application number: GB1901119.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Williams Jamie
Original assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
Current assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
Priority date: 2019-01-28
Filing date: 2019-01-28
Publication date: 2020-07-29
Anticipated expiration: 2039-01-28
Also published as: GB2580702B; GB201901119D0

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for triggering the deployment of an object 204 from a storage location within a door 101 of a vehicle, preferably a car, wherein the deployment trigger is controlled by a combination of first and second signals, wherein the first signal is dependent on the condition of an environmental sensor and the second signal is dependent on the position of the vehicle door relative to the door opening. In preferred embodiments the object that is deployed is an umbrella and the environmental sensor is a rain sensor. The second signal may be generated by a sensor that detects whether the vehicle door is open, such as a sensor for an interior light, and the second signal may be dependent on a time delay to ensure that the door is sufficiently open. The object may be in contact with or comprises a biasing means, such as a spring, and the object may be held in position in opposition to the biasing means by a retaining member such as a solenoid.

Description

Apparatus for deploying a stowed object

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for securing and deploying objects that are stowed within the volume of a vehicle door. In particular the invention relates to deployment of the object from the vehicle door in response to the vehicle's environment.

Background to the invention

The primary advantage of a vehicle is the ease of travel which it provides. Pad of the ease and convenience of travel stems from the security, safety and comfort during travel provided by the vehicle cabin.

In particular a weatherproof cabin is considered essential, or at least highly desirable, in the vast majority of modern vehicles. Protection of the occupants of the vehicle from the elements is a major advantage in everyday life.

However, passengers must still face the elements when entering or leaving a vehicle because, in general, protection of a vehicle does not extend beyond the cabin of the vehicle and users of the vehicle are therefore not protected when entering or exiting the vehicle.

Various means of protecting vehicle users from the elements when entering/exiting a vehicle cabin are known. Protective clothing can be used but this can be cumbersome to remove and store within the cabin, especially when the wearer is seated.

One method of protection that is widely used in the context of vehicles is an umbrella (for wet conditions) and/or a parasol or sunshade for hot or high uv (ultraviolet light) 30 conditions.

Umbrellas or parasols are particularly advantageous for use in the context of entering and exiting a vehicle because they can be more easily stowed within the -2 -cabin of the vehicle than protective clothing. Specialised storage positions for an umbrella within a vehicle door have been described previously.

A vehicle door with a recess for an umbrella is described in patent application DE000019705680. This publication describes a door of a private vehicle comprising a tubular housing for an umbrella which is constructed as a side impact protector that extends over the whole width of the door.

Object of the Invention An object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for automatically deploying an object stowed within a vehicle door in response to the environmental conditions prevalent upon opening the vehicle door.

Summary of the Invention

Accordingly, the invention provides an apparatus for triggering the deployment of an object from a storage location that is within a door of a vehicle, wherein the deployment trigger is controlled by a combination of first and second signals, wherein: the first signal is dependent on the condition of an environmental sensor; and the second signal is dependent on the position of the vehicle door relative to the door opening.

The object of the invention is achieved by monitoring the signals generated by environmental sensors and door position sensors for circumstances where it would be appropriate to automatically deploy a stored object. In this way a rain or light sensor can be used to ascertain conditions when it would be appropriate to present the vehicle user with a tool or object, e.g. an umbrella suitable for addressing prevailing environmental conditions, e.g. rain. In this way a vehicle user is presented with an object suitable for the conditions automatically and substantially immediately meaning that accommodating the prevailing conditions is simpler and quicker.

The vehicle door may have a body portion having a volume defined by a first, outer surface, a second, inner surface and a third surface arranged transversely between the outer and inner surfaces to join the first and second surfaces. -3 -

The volume and surfaces of vehicle doors, such as car doors, are commonly used to improve aerodynamics and impact protection. Accordingly, there is commonly a certain amount of empty space within the volume of a door. This volume can be used for storage of items. A storage housing that is located within the volume of a door may also be used as part of a load-bearing or impact-resisting/absorbing structure of the vehicle door.

The size of the object that can be stored is limited by the length of the door and the available volume therein. However, using the full length of a door for storage of an item of comparable length requires a suitable access portal for retrieving the stored item. It is generally impracticable to retrieve items of the length of a door from an access portal within a vehicle cabin because of the restricted movement within the cabin.

The object may be deployed via a portal through the third surface. The portal may be substantially or completely circular.

The advantage of locating a portal in the third surface through which a stowed object can be retrieved is that longer objects can be stored and retrieved than those that might conveniently be accessed from within the vehicle cabin. In addition, objects that might not be suitably stored within the cabin may more suitably be stored within a vehicle door. For example, wet items might not be suitable for storage in a vehicle cabin but might be stored external to the cabin in a storage volume/housing in the door. A substantially circular portal may be used in order to better maintain the strength of the door surface by avoiding sharp corners in the door surface.

The object, when deployed, may project beyond the edge of the vehicle door. Accordingly, the position of the object when deployed may be such that the door is 30 prevented from being closed by the object.

Arranging an object to be stowed such that when the object is deployed from the storage housing for retrieval by the user it projects beyond the edge of the vehicle door has the advantage of maximising the length of object that can be stowed and retrieved conveniently. That is, the length of the volume available for storage can be maximised by minimising the portion of that length used for providing access to retrieve the object.

The apparatus may comprise means to prevent deployment of the object until the path of the object during deployment does not intersect with parts of the vehicle other than the door in which it is stored.

Vehicle body work can be damaged by contact with foreign objects. Deployment of an object from a storage location within the vehicle such that the object exits from storage to impact upon another part of the vehicle is therefore to be avoided. Thus the inclusion of a system to prevent such clashes/impacts is an advantage.

The object may be removed from the storage location and/or re-stowed within the door.

Accordingly, apparatus of the invention may be for mounting on a vehicle. The vehicle may be an automobile. In preferred embodiments the vehicle is a passenger vehicle and in a most preferred embodiment the vehicle is a car.

The first signal may be generated by the environmental sensor The environmental sensor may be a precipitation or rain sensor.

In a preferred embodiment the deployed object is an umbrella. Alternatively the 25 deployed object may be a sunshade or parasol.

Thus the present invention provides for the advantageous storage of an umbrella in a vehicle door and for its automatic deployment in response to inclement/rainy weather.

The first signal may be dependent on the environmental sensor generating a signal indicating the presence of precipitation or rain for a predetermined period of time. -5 -

The predetermined period of time may be greater than or equal to 30 seconds, greater than or equal to 1 minute, or greater than or equal to 2 minutes. In this way 'false positive' signals of rainy or inclement weather can be avoided and deployment of the object in response to rainy or inclement weather can be made more reliable.

The environmental sensor may be a light sensor. Accordingly, the first signal may be dependent on the light sensor generating a signal indicating that the ambient light level has fallen below a predetermined level.

In a preferred embodiment the deployed object is an electric torch or flashlight.

Deployment of the torch may cause it to be lit. Similarly, re-stowing of the torch may cause it to be extinguished. Thus the convenience and speed of igniting and extinguishing the torch on deployment and storage, respectively, is improved for the 15 user.

The second signal may be generated by a sensor that detects whether the vehicle door is open. Accordingly, the sensor that detects whether the door is open may be the sensor for the vehicle interior light.

The second signal may be additionally dependent on a time delay means wherein time the delay period is triggered in response to the vehicle door being opened. The time delay may be selected from 1 second, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4 or 5 seconds. In this way deployment of the object can be suitably delayed until the deployment of the object will not cause unintended and potentially damaging impact of the object on another pad of the vehicle. In addition, automatic deployment with such a time delay means that the user can effectively operate the door release and object deployment trigger with a single action and, furthermore, the deployed object can then be available for easier retrieval and use.

The stowed object may be in contact with or comprise a biasing means whose force is directed to deploy the object, and the object may be held in position whilst stowed in opposition to the biasing means by a retaining member such that the deployment signal causes the retaining member to move and release the biasing force to deploy -6 -the object. By using such a biasing means to conveniently deploy the object the length of object that can be stored and easily retrieved is thus maximised.

In preferred embodiments the biasing means is a spring, preferably a coil spring.

Thus, conveniently the force for deploying the stored object can be stored by the act of compressing the spring during the act of stowing the object.

The retaining member may be moved by a solenoid. A solenoid is a convenient and reliable way of suppling sufficient force for moving a retaining member and is thus suitable for inclusion in the apparatus described herein.

The retaining member may be moved by an electric motor, preferably a stepper motor. An electric motor is a convenient and reliable way of moving a retaining member and is thus suitable for inclusion in the apparatus described herein. In particular a stepper motor offers the advantage of high torque and controllable rotation.

The object may comprise a detent for contacting the retaining member. In addition, the detent surface may circumscribe the object. Circumscribing the object with a detent means that the object can be inserted into the storage housing and secured in position in any rotational orientation substantially co-axial with the circumscribing member.

The stowed object may be in contact with or releasably attached to a carriage section such that the deployment signal causes the carriage to move and thus to deploy the object. The carriage may run on a rail or follow the path of a guide member. The guide member may be substantially tubular. The rail or guide member may be mounted within the door.

Use of such a moveable carriage system offers the advantage that the object can be automatically deployed but can also be re-stowed by reversing the deployment process. Furthermore, the process of re-stowing can be automatic upon a period of non-use of the object or attempting to close the door in which the object has deployed from.

The carriage may be moved by an electric motor during deployment of the object, preferably a stepper motor. An electric motor is a convenient and reliable way of moving a retaining member and is thus suitable for inclusion in the apparatus described herein. In particular a stepper motor offers the advantage of high torque and controllable rotation.

Movement of the carriage may be driven by the rotational movement of a threaded screw and/or co-operating rotating collar wherein one or both of the screw and collar are linked to the electric motor.

Examples and Description of the Drawings

The invention is now illustrated in the following specific embodiments with reference 15 to the accompanying drawings showing:-Fig. 1 An external view of a closed car door 101 showing a user's hand 110 operating the handle 102 of the car door 101 in order to open the door.

Fig. 2 An external view of an open car door 101 showing an umbrella 204 in deployed position at the proximal end of the car door, i.e. protruding from the storage tube within the car door 101. The exit of the storage tube is through the proximal transverse surface of the car door 203. Manual release/deployment button 205 is also shown.

Fig. 3 An internal view of a car door 101 showing the umbrella storage tube and parts of the deployment mechanism. The grey arrow indicates the point at which the solenoid (not shown) acts to move the leaf spring 307 retaining the stowed umbrella (not visible) in the storage tube 306.

Example 1

An umbrella with proximal ('handle') and distal ('spike') ends is housed in a storage 30 tube 306 within the door volume of vehicle, in this case a car. The storage tube is mounted within the volume of the door 101 and is sized to contain a closed, preferably furled, umbrella 204. -8 -

The vehicle door has proximal and distal ends. The distal end of the door is attached to the body of the car via hinges and the proximal end can thus be rotated away from the vehicle body. The proximal end of the storage tube 306 opens to and is joined with an aperture 206 in the proximal surface of the car door 203 which is transverse to the inner and outer surfaces of the door. The closed umbrella 204 is stored and deployed via this aperture 206.

The storage tube 306 also contains a spring located at the distal end of the storage tube with a cup mounted thereon with the open end of the cup pointing towards the exit aperture of the tube 206.

The umbrella comprises a collar on the handle whose proximal surface acts as a detent in concert with a retaining member that is movably mounted in proximity to an aperture in the wall near the proximal end of the storage tube. Thus the movable retaining member can be set to protrude within the volume of the storage tube 306 in the region of the tube where the collar/detent is located when the umbrella is in its stored position. In addition the retaining member is attached to a spring 307 such that the default position of the retaining member is protruding into the storage tube 306.

The umbrella 204 is stowed in the tube 306 by inserting the closed umbrella into the tube such that the distal end of the umbrella contacts the cup in the distal end of the tube. Then, pushing the handle of the umbrella compresses the spring and moves the umbrella and collar/detent on the handle to engage with, move past and be held against with the movable retaining member. Thus engagement of the retaining member with the collar on the umbrella thus holds the umbrella in its stowed position against the force of the deploying spring.

The collar/detent of the umbrella is circular and shaped to have a proximally directed detent surface that engages with the retaining member no matter how the umbrella is axially located or rotated. In addition the collar of the umbrella is contoured to have a distally directed cam surface. The cam surface engages with and temporarily moves aside the movable retaining member during the process of stowing the umbrella so that the retaining member can then engage with the detent. -9 -

The release member is attached to a solenoid (not shown) and the umbrella is thus released by a signal to the solenoid that causes the release member to move out of contact with the detent surface on the collar of the umbrella such that the biasing 5 force of the spring causes the umbrella to be deployed from the storage tube.

In its deployed position the umbrella 204 protrudes from the proximal end of the car door 203 such that the car door cannot be closed unless the umbrella is removed or re-stowed.

In normal use, movement of the solenoid and release member and consequent deployment of the furled umbrella is controlled by a combination of signals from sensors or switches in the vehicle.

The combination of signals are sent to a control unit (not shown) which sends an actuation signal to the solenoid when a predefined combination of signals are received.

Thus the solenoid will move to release the umbrella in response to a combination of signals indicating that: 1a The windscreen wipers are active and have been active for at least the previous 30 seconds. This signal is thus generated by the state of the windscreen wiper motor or the windscreen wiper switchgear, and a timer. or

1b The rain sensor on the vehicle has detected precipitation and/or rainfall for at least the previous 30 seconds. This signal is thus generated by the signal from the rain sensor and a timer. and

2 The door containing the umbrella is open and has been for the previous 2 seconds. This signal is thus generated from the door position sensor that triggers the internal light of the car and from a timer.

-10 -Thus the umbrella will be automatically deployed from the vehicle door by an actuation signal being sent to the solenoid if it is raining and the door has been open for 2 seconds. The delay in umbrella deployment upon opening the door ensures that the door is opened far enough such that the umbrella handle is not deployed into contact with the bodywork.

The signals may be received by the control unit and coordinated together with reference to an internal timer in order to produce the actuation signal according to the conditions set out above. Preferably the control unit is a microprocessor programmed to carry out these logical processes.

The release member may also be moved manually by way of a push button 205 in order to deploy the umbrella; in this way the action of the control unit and solenoid may be bypassed.

In this way the umbrella is conveniently and automatically deployed when environmental conditions warrant it in order to minimise the user's exposure to the elements.

The invention thus provides apparatus and methods for the automatic deployment of objects stowed within vehicle doors in response to predetermined environmental conditions.

Claims

Claims: 1. An apparatus for triggering the deployment of an object from a storage location that is within a door of a vehicle, wherein the deployment trigger is controlled by a combination of first and second signals, wherein: the first signal is dependent on the condition of an environmental sensor; and the second signal is dependent on the position of the vehicle door relative to the door opening.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle door has a body portion having a volume defined by a first, outer surface, a second, inner surface and a third surface arranged transversely between the outer and inner surfaces to join the first and second surfaces.
3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the object is deployed via a portal through the third surface.
4. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the object, when deployed, projects beyond the edge of the vehicle door.
5. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the position of the object when deployed is such that the door is prevented from being closed by the object.
6. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus comprises means to prevent deployment of the object until the path is of the object during deployment does not intersect with parts of the vehicle other than the door in which it is stored.
7. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the object can be removed from the storage location and/or re-stowed within the door.
8. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the vehicle is an automobile, preferably a car.
9. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the first signal is generated by the environmental sensor.
10.An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the environmental sensor is a precipitation or rain sensor.
11.An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first signal is dependent on the sensor generating a signal indicating the presence of precipitation or rain for a predetermined period of time.
12.An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined period of time is greater than or equal to 30 seconds, greater than or equal to 1 minute, or greater than or equal to 2 minutes.
13.An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the deployed object is an umbrella.
14.An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the second signal is generated by a sensor that detects whether the vehicle door is open.
15.An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the sensor that detects whether the door is open is the sensor for the vehicle interior light.
16. An apparatus according to either of claims 14 or 15, wherein the second signal is additionally dependent on a time delay means wherein time the delay period is triggered in response to the vehicle door being opened.
17.An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the time delay is selected from 1 second, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4 or 5 seconds.
18.An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the stowed object is in contact with or comprises a biasing means whose force is directed to deploy the object, and the object is held in position whilst stowed in opposition to the biasing means by a retaining member such that the deployment signal causes the retaining member to move and release the biasing force to deploy the object.
19.An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the biasing means is a spring, preferably a coil spring.
20.An apparatus according to either of claims 18 or 19, wherein the retaining member is moved by a solenoid.
21.An apparatus according to any of claims 18 to 20, wherein the retaining member is moved by an electric motor, preferably a stepper motor.
22.An apparatus according to any of claims 18 to 21, wherein the object comprises a detent for contacting the retaining member wherein the detent surface circumscribes the object.
23,An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the stowed object is in contact with or releasably attached to a carriage section such that the deployment signal causes the carriage to move and thus to deploy the object.
24.A vehicle comprising an apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 23.
25. Use of an apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 23 in automatically deploying an object stowed within a vehicle door in response to the environmental conditions prevalent upon opening the vehicle door.