RU2244640C2 - Method of and device for increasing safety of people inside vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: transport engineering; passive safety devices.

SUBSTANCE: invention is designed to decrease injuries of people inside vehicle at its turning over, collision with obstacle or other vehicle. Air bags, curtains, headrest, safety jackets and other devices should be activated in emergency and filled with working medium, for instance, gas, coming out from zone of shock and deformation of vehicle from gas generator arranged under vehicle outer skin subjected to deformation on load carrying frame of vehicle. Its shock-and-pressure mechanism is installed for setting into action directly from outer skin of vehicle subjected to deformation.

EFFECT: improved reliability of protection of people in case of accident.

6 cl, 7 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of passive safety and is intended to reduce damage to people inside the vehicle when it collides with an obstacle, another vehicle or capsize.

A known method of damping impact on the ground, which involves the use of an air bag to weaken the force of impact upon landing [1].

The disadvantage of this method is its limited functionality.

A known method of improving the safety of people inside a car, which involves the use of an inflatable pillow filled with gas using a gas generator and an electric control system that drives the gas generator at the time of a collision [2].

The disadvantage of this method is the low reliability, toxicity of gases emitted into the cabin, the high probability of false alarms and excessive action, which leads to death of people [3].

A known method of increasing the safety of people inside the vehicle [4] involves the use of a small amount of hot gas (about 30 liters) to fill a narrow bag, which is folded under normal conditions and used as a seat belt.

The disadvantage of this method is its limited functionality. The method does not provide for energy absorption and reduction of impact force in the contact zone of the vehicle with an obstacle.

The closest in technical essence is the method [5], which provides for the placement of an air bag and a hydraulic device in front of the train to reduce the impact force and absorption of impact energy in a collision with an obstacle.

The disadvantage of this method is its limited functionality. In the event of a train collapse and rollover of cars, this method does not provide protection to people inside the cars.

The aim of the invention is to increase reliability and expand functionality.

This goal is achieved by the fact that inside the parts that are potentially susceptible to shock and deformation: bumpers, wings, doors, sides, bottom, roof, window openings and (or) outside the vehicle, containers are filled with a working fluid, for example a harmless gas or liquid, which upon impact, it turns into gas, or (and) autonomous gas generators, which are activated at the time of the accident by means of shock-triggering triggers. When a vehicle collides with an obstacle, gas from the contact and deformation zone will enter the airbags, bags, curtains, head restraints, belts and other devices designed to protect people inside the vehicle.

The proposed solutions are characterized by high reliability, low operating costs and action, adequate to the direction and strength of the impact.

Figure 1 shows a functional diagram of one of the variants of the device that implements the method.

Figure 2 shows an example of the action of the method in a head-on collision of a car with an obstacle. Two phases are shown: before and during a collision.

Figure 3 shows a functional diagram of a device that implements a method using a gas generator.

Figure 4 shows an example of the action of the method when capsizing a car.

Figure 5 shows an example of the action of the method upon impact from the rear. Two phases are shown: before and during the collision of two cars.

Figure 6 shows an example of the action of the method upon impact of the vehicle from the side. Two phases are shown: before and during a collision.

7 shows an example of the action of the method in the collision of a speedboat with a reef or a light aircraft with the ground.

In the drawings, the following notation:

1 - sealed, potentially crushable container made of a material with high tensile strength, filled with harmless gas under a pressure of more than 0.05 bar;

2 - destructible diaphragm;

3 - pipe, which can be integrated into the supporting structure of the vehicle or combined with one of its elements. As the pipe 3 can be used a flexible sealed sleeve, which is laid so that in case of an accident to eliminate crushing or twisting;

4 - gas flow splitter;

5a, 5i, 5m, 5n — soft sealed sleeves providing compressed gas to the safety devices inside the vehicle;

6a, 6c, 6i, 6m - inflatable safety devices (pillow, upholstery, bag, curtain);

6n - pneumatic belt tensioner;

6v - seat belt;

7, 7a, 7i, 7m - bypass valves;

8 - gas valve;

9 - support shield attached to the supporting structure, body, fencing of the passenger compartment or door of the vehicle;

10 - the body of the gas generator;

11 - trigger the gas generator;

12 - gas generator (for example, based on low-energy explosive);

13 - gas filter (for example, a metal mesh);

14 - element of the supporting structure, body, fencing of the passenger compartment or vehicle door;

15 - element of the outer lining (decoration) of the vehicle.

The proposed embodiment of the device depicted in figure 1, operates as follows. When colliding with an obstacle, the tank 1 located in the deformation zone of the vehicle (between the obstacle and the support shield 9) is compressed. Gas subjected to additional compression breaks through the diaphragm 2, which, before the collision, prevented the deployment of inflatable devices from minor impacts. Next, the compressed gas through the pipe 3, the splitter 4, the sleeves 5a, 5i, 5m, 5n fills and deploys the pillow 6a, the bag 6i, the curtain 6m and, using the device 6n, tightens the seat belt 6v (Fig. 2), which will help to keep the driver ( pilot, passenger) in a chair. The gas-filled inflatable devices 6a, 6i and 6m will create a soft fence to protect the person inside the vehicle. The bypass valve 7 opens if the pressure inside the tank 1 approaches the tensile strength, followed by a rupture of the tank 1. The bypass valves 7a, 7i, and 7m open when the pressure inside the inflatable devices exceeds the optimum level established on the basis of peer review for each device. The valve 8 serves to pre-fill the tank 1 with a harmless gas and then control its tightness.

The second version of the device that implements the method is shown in Fig.3. The sealed housing 10 includes a trigger mechanism 11 shock-pressure action, a gas generator 12, a gas filter 13 and a bypass valve 7, which protects the housing 10 from breaking. An airbag 6a, an inflatable curtain 6m, an inflatable upholstery 6c and a pneumatic belt tensioner 6n are connected to the housing 10. The housing 10 is attached to the element 14 of the supporting structure or enclosure of the cabin (passenger compartment) of the vehicle. Element 15 of the outer skin (finish) disguises and protects the starting device 11 from premature action.

The device operates as follows. Upon impact or pressing the trigger 11 due to overturning (FIG. 4), the element 15 (FIG. 3) bends or collapses, the trigger 11 includes a gas generator 12, which through the filter 13 fills the pillow 6a, the inflatable curtain 6m, sections of the inflatable ceiling upholstery 6c activates the seat belt tensioner 6n. Gas-filled inflatable devices 6a, 6m and 6c will create a soft fence to protect against shock and shrapnel. The valve 7 opens if the pressure inside the housing 10 approaches the tensile strength and protects the housing 10 from rupture. The gas filter 13 protects the devices 6a, 6c, 6m, 6n from the incandescent solid particles created by the gas generator 12.

The action of the method is presented in the following additional examples.

When the car is struck from the rear (Fig. 5), gas from the airtight rear bumper or tank 1 located behind it will be displaced and fill the headrests and curtains that will protect rear passengers from shock and fragments.

In case of a side impact of the car (Fig. 6), gas from the container 1 located in the side door and (or) the side of the car will be displaced and fill the inflatable curtain 6m, sections of the inflatable upholstery 6c and bag 6i, designed to prevent damage characteristic of a side impact .

When a vehicle is hit from the front from below (Fig. 7), for example, a speed boat against a reef, the gas from the tank 1 will fill the safety devices 6a and 6i, which will prevent damage to the pilot and passengers from impact, and then will help maintain buoyancy.

An additional advantage of this method is that it involves the use of a working fluid to absorb impact energy and the activation of devices that increase the safety of people inside the vehicle. In this case, inflatable bags, pillows, curtains, life jackets and other devices that are supposed to be used in an accident, at other times can serve as the inner upholstery of the passenger compartment and (or) the vehicle cabin.

Sources of information

1. Airbag payload landing system for damping landing impact forces on a flying payload. US Patent # 6,237,875.

2. How the airbag works / http://www.autocitychannel.com/news/s2753.html.

3. Science and technology, 07.19.99 / http://www.dwelle.de/russian/archiv_2/w190799.html.

4. Impact-absorbing device for occupants of a motor vehicle and use of this device. US Patent # 5, 160, 163.

5. Collision attenuator. US Patent Application # 20030024894.

Claims (6)

1. The way to increase the safety of people inside the vehicle, which consists in bringing the safety enhancement devices inside the vehicle into working position by filling them with a working fluid, characterized in that the actuation of the safety enhancement devices inside the vehicle is carried out from a gas generator placed under the outer skin, subject to deformation, on the supporting structure of the vehicle by means of shock-push second mechanism, actuated directly by the outer skin of the vehicle, subjected deformation. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the safety improvement devices inside the vehicle are safety belt tensioners. 3. The vehicle for implementing the method according to claim 1, comprising safety enhancing devices located inside the vehicle, brought into working position by means of a working fluid, characterized in that the driving safety enhancing devices inside the vehicle are driven from the gas generator, which is placed under the outer skin of the vehicle, subject to deformation, on the supporting structure of the vehicle, and its shock-push mechanism is placed with ozhnostyu actuate directly on the outer skin of the vehicle, subjected deformation. 4. The vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that the safety-enhancing devices inside the vehicle are an airbag and / or sections of an inflatable skin forming a soft protective cover when the vehicle is deformed and / or capsized. 5. The vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that the safety-enhancing devices inside the vehicle are safety-belt tensioning devices. 6. The vehicle according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the safety-enhancing devices located inside the vehicle are an airbag and / or sections of an inflatable casing, and / or lifejackets that increase the buoyancy of the vehicle.

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