WO1994026573A1

WO1994026573A1 - Assistance system for driving a motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO1994026573A1
Application number: PCT/FR1993/000486
Authority: WO
Inventors: Philippe Nobileau
Original assignee: Philippe Nobileau
Priority date: 1993-05-18
Filing date: 1993-05-18
Publication date: 1994-11-24
Also published as: AU7080194A

Abstract

Assistance system for driving a motor vehicle, including at least one track for a pair of side wheels (R), and presenting a rolling surface (9) bordered by at least one side surface on the outside of the side wheels, and a servo-mechanism for the steering units of the vehicle, which comprises a sensor (4) movable between a non-operational state in which it is housed inside the volume of the car-body, and an operation state in which it controls the engagement of its side surface (7) against the sidewall (8) bordering the rolling surface (9).

Description

Assistance system for driving a motor vehicle.

The present invention relates to an assistance system for driving a motor vehicle.

The electric propulsion of conventional motor vehicles, despite the significant improvements it would bring in the fields notably of air pollution and noise, faces an insoluble problem of boarding of energy on board. Indeed, 250 kg of lead accumulator battery are necessary to store the equivalent energy of a liter of petrol. In addition, the much more expensive nickel-cadmium batteries only double the mass capacity, which is still insufficient. It is therefore not realistic to imagine, in the near future, that fully electric cars with on-board energy will competitively replace vehicles fitted with an internal combustion engine.

Electric propulsion can therefore only be conceived for transport over long distances by means of an energy distribution network arranged along the traffic lanes from which each vehicle can be supplied.

The very idea of a network is today considered with great circumspection by the public authorities and the agents who are involved in thinking about the future of individual transport of people and goods. Indeed, a network, such as the rail network for example, is synonymous with heavy, specific infrastructure, costly to set up and operate and generating prohibitive constraints for the field of individual transport. The present invention intends to propose means which make it possible to use the existing infrastructures and vehicles by the installation on the infrastructure and on each vehicle of simple elements which are however adapted to become an integral part of a network of gradually. To do this, these means provide the essential functions for traffic on the network, namely: a guiding structure forming driving assistance, ie intervening on the trajectory of the vehicle and on its braking, in particular its emergency braking in the event of risk of collision.

These elements also form the supports for the electrical energy supply means of the vehicle. The invention is also intended to improve the traffic conditions on the roadways.

These means are finally adapted to be integrated into existing road infrastructures (national, expressways, motorways), without penalizing the usual use of these infrastructures by vehicles with manual driving.

To this end, all of the essential means constituting the invention form a system for assisting the driving of a light motor vehicle which comprises at least one raceway for a pair of side wheels of this vehicle, equipped with a rolling surface which is bordered by at least one lateral surface situated outside the lateral wheels. In addition, this device comprises means for controlling the vehicle's steering members which include a feeler disposed on a deformable support between an out of service state where the feeler is housed inside the volume occupied by the body of the vehicle, and a state in service where the probe is applied against the side wall bordering the running surface. The primary functions of this minimum arrangement lie in the possibility for a vehicle, whatever its mode of propulsion, to have a lateral guide to control its trajectory. In addition, the coopera¬ tion with this guide allows the vehicle to dock laterally therefore at a greater speed than in the case where it would be necessary to enter a network by an entry door transverse to the trajectory of the vehicle. Ultimately, thanks to these basic means of the invention, there is no longer a preferred entry-exit zone for a network that can be left or approached at any location. This track dedicated to guiding a vehicle has a very small footprint on a traditional traffic lane and it can for example be produced in the immediate vicinity of a barrier separating the lanes of a traffic road fast or from a motorway. The surface bordering the running surface can even be carried by the lower part of a low wall separating these traffic lanes in opposite directions.

In view of the fact that the raceway intended for guiding the vehicle has a prepared travel surface, that is to say relatively flat, the probe intended for the control of the vehicle's steering members can be placed in the position of service very close to this prepared rolling surface so that the useful height of the side wall which will cooperate with this probe can be small and in any case sufficiently small for a vehicle to cross it transversely at low speed. It is therefore understood that, even installed in the middle of a roadway, this track dedicated to vehicle guidance retains the infrastructure thus modified, all its characteristics to be used also by vehicles with manual driving.

In a slightly more elaborate embodiment of the invention, the rolling surface is equipped along its other edge with a second lateral surface defining with the first a gutter of width greater than the width of a vehicle wheel . This second lateral surface will be carried by a wall which will have, on the side of the roadway, the shape of a slope helping the crossing of this gutter by a vehicle.

In the case of a gutter raceway, the probe has a heel wheel in contact in its operating state with this second lateral surface.

The gutter has below, under one of the lateral guide surfaces, a drainage channel for rainwater, snow or hail and various wastes. The probe is placed in front of the front side wheel of the vehicle and has on its part facing the center of the vehicle a deflecting surface forcing the materials or waste present in the gutter in the direction of the gutter. This device provides self-maintenance of the roadway, which limits the frequency of interventions by road services.

In a preferred embodiment, the lateral surfaces include electrically conductive surfaces and the vehicle steering servo sensor carries feed friction shoes. This constitutes the means of supplying the vehicle traveling along the running track thus fitted on the road. To carry out the invention in a simple and easily integrated manner into the existing infrastructure, the raceway is constituted by the assembly of a plurality of prefabricated sections of reinforced concrete integrated in a traditional pavement so that the running surface is substantially at the level of this roadway.

The primary role of this rim is to constitute, with a lateral finger integral with the probe, a means of retaining the latter in the gutter preventing its untimely exit in the event of impact with an obstacle in the gutter or its sudden change in the slope of the running surface.

In one embodiment of the invention, it allows not only assistance in guiding a vehicle but also high-speed circulation and automatic circulation with high-performance braking in an emergency, at least one of the surfaces lateral bordering the running surface has a step so as to provide a ledge overhanging one side of the track.

In a first embodiment of the on-board emergency braking device, the probe comprises a member braking system with at least one friction lining, movable transversely to, in its active position, exert friction on the lateral faces of the gutter and a telescopic reaction pole which, when blocked, transmit the significant force to the body braking caused by friction of the lining (s). In order to avoid lifting the rear of the vehicle in the event of a strong deceleration exceeding lg, the braking member placed on the probe will be associated with a retractable hook placed in the vertical plane of the side wheels circulating in the gutter, and on the rear of the vehicle. In its active position, this hook enters between the two lateral surfaces of the gutter and is housed under the edge of one of them under the effect of the yaw torque which the vehicle undergoes due to the front lateral braking. The rear wheel is thus kept in contact with the running surface. This hook also constitutes with the feeler the means of reaction of this yaw torque that the vehicle undergoes.

In another embodiment, the on-board emergency braking device consists of a chock retained in the inactive state in a housing under the body of the vehicle at the front of one of the rear wheel cooperating with the gutter and placed in service under the wheel that it precedes while being moored to the vehicle by an inextensible link, this shim constituting the casing of a braking member comprising at least one friction pad movable transversely from a waiting position inside from the casing where it is locked against the effect of an elastic compressed return member, to a service position where it is pressed by the elastic member unlocked against one of the side walls of the gutter. In addition, the wedge comprises one or more transverse telescopic means movable between an armed state out of service in which they are housed in the casing and a state in service in which they protrude at the transverse ends of the casing to be housed under the edge of at least one lateral surface.

Thus, when the vehicle is traveling at high speed on a network produced in accordance with the invention, it is possible to obtain a deceleration of the vehicle much greater than that which conventional braking means could apply to it. Indeed, the braking member associated with the feeler and the hook or the shim loaded by the rear wheel of the vehicle located in the gutter constitutes an extremely effective braking pad by rubbing on the two side walls of this gutter, without being able to be ejected of this gutter thanks to the elements of the feeler or the wedge housed under a flange of at least one lateral surface. Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description given below of an example of its implementation.

Reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B show a top view of the front of a vehicle equipped with a device for controlling its steering members,

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of a vehicle equipped with the device shown in FIG. 1 cooperating with a raceway according to the invention,

- Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 2, the raceway being shaped into a gutter, Figures 4 to 15 are illustrations of layout of existing pavements by means of the vehicle guidance assistance system according to the invention,

FIG. 16 is a top view of a vehicle comprising an annexed guide device,

FIG. 17 illustrates an exchanger implemented in a specific track network constructed in accordance with the invention,

- Figure 18 is a diagram to illustrate the behavior of a vehicle according to Figure 16 inside laughing at this exchanger,

- Figure 19 illustrates the devices of the invention allowing the movement of vehicles in convoy.

FIG. 20 schematically illustrates the implementation of an emergency braking means for a vehicle,

- Figure 21 is a detail view of this disposi¬ tif cooperating with the gutter of the invention.

The vehicle shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B and in FIG. 2 comprises, in front of the left front wheel if it is a left-hand drive vehicle, an arm 1 pivoting around a longitudinal axis to which two links 2 and 3 are articulated forming the connection of a feeler 4 with the arm 1. A jack 5 is coupled between the feeler 4 and the arm 1. When the arm 1 is raised by means of an operating member not shown, the feeler 4 is placed in high position, that is to say distant from the ground by a distance at least equal to the ground clearance of the vehicle. In this position, the retraction of the jack 5 as illustrated in FIG. 1A and in dotted lines in FIG. 2, has brought the probe 4 back inside the bodywork. Thus, the passage of the probe 4 from its inactive position shown in FIG. 1A to its active position shown in FIG. 1B requires the lowering of the arm 1 and the control in extension of the jack 5. The probe is therefore in its active position near the ground in front of the front wheel R of the vehicle and projecting laterally from the outside plane of the vehicle wheel. A lower roller 6 carried by the probe 4 and with a horizontal axis defines, while rolling on the ground, the vertical position of the probe in the active position. A determined force can be applied vertically to the probe to avoid bouncing it on the surface of the ground on which it rolls.

The probe 4 has a lateral surface 7 which, thanks to the jack 5, is applied in contact with the vertical wall 8 belonging to the raceway of the invention. This raceway has a horizontal surface of bearing 9 bordered by a side wall 10 and which carries the surface 8 in contact with which the probe 4 is brought by the jack 5.

The probe 4, with its surface 7 and the actuator 5, forms a detector which, with the horizontal rolling surface 9 and the surface 8 which borders it on one side, constitutes the minimum means for ensuring servo-control in guiding the vehicle relative to the raceway formed by surface 9 and surface 8, raceway taken by the two left side wheels of a vehicle intended for left-hand drive. Indeed, when the probe 4 is in its active position, it is entirely possible to detect the force with which it bears on the surface 8 for example by means of a pressure sensor prevailing inside the jack 5 , and to control the control of the steering members in particular by means of the assistance means, to the value of this pressure so that the vehicle strictly follows the path defined by the surface 8. The raceway may include in an alternative embodiment a second side wall 11 carrying opposite the surface 8 a side surface 12 so that the raceway is then defined by a gutter limited by a lower surface 9 and two side surfaces 8 and 12 spaced apart on the other by a distance greater than the width of a vehicle wheel. The probe 4 is equipped in this embodiment with a heel 13 carrying a roller 14 which can cooperate with the lateral surface 12. The probe 4 is equipped on its front part with a curved blade 15 which forms a deflector so that , when the probe is in the active position, that is to say rolling on the surface 9 by its roller 6, the various materials and waste which may be on the running surface can be ejected laterally towards the interior of the vehicle . More specifically, in the case where the path of bearing is in the form of a gutter, a channel 16 is provided under the wall 11 and below the rolling surface 9 to collect these materials and waste and evacuate them for example by means of a circulation of water. The lateral surface 8 can be equipped with an electrically conductive surface 17 to cooperate with a rubbing collector 18 carried laterally and telescopically by the probe 4. The collector 18 can constitute a supply terminal for the vehicle having taken the path of rolling. In the same way, the return of the electrical supply can be ensured by a collector rubbing on one of the lateral surfaces 8 or 12 if the electrical supply is only envisaged in the gutter configuration of the raceway. In this configuration, illustrated by the figure

3, the wiper 18 can be preceded by a finger which will come to bear on the rim 76 of the surface 8 in the event that the feeler comes to take off because of the presence of debris for example. This finger can also be located on the other side of the probe and it will then come to rest on the rim 75 of the surface 12.

A structure like that shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 can be produced by a reinforced reinforced concrete base comprising the wall 10, the support for the rolling surface 9, the wall 11, the gutter 16, this base being produced in sections of a few meters and being buried in an existing carriageway 19 so that the rolling surface 9 is substantially at the level of the upper surface of this carriageway 19. In FIGS. 2 and 3 only part of these sections of reinforced concrete is shown, l 'other being symmetrical to that shown with respect to a plane 20. The installation in a roadway can therefore be done in the middle thereof, the central wall 10 constituting a material separation rail of the directions of movement on the roadway like this exists today. We understand that the installation of the raceway according to the invention on a traditional road requires no more work than the installation of the elements currently used to separate on a road the two directions of traffic by a safety barrier. The prefabricated reinforced concrete elements can receive additional parts such as electrical resistors 21 to keep the raceway frost-free, a conductor in lateral strip to form the conductive surface 17, a sole 22 which carries the rolling surface 9,

FIG. 4 illustrates, seen from above, a four-lane carriageway equipped with the device according to the invention.

Figure 5 is a sectional view along the line VV of Figure 4 and Figure 6 is a sectional view along the line VI-VI of Figure 4. In these figures the vehicle 30 travels with the help of the device according the invention, that is to say that its left side wheels travel on a gutter raceway as shown in FIG. 3, allowing the lateral guidance of the vehicle and, in the case where the vehicle is electrically propelled, allowing its direct feeding. Driving in direction A (Figure 4), this vehicle will reach a zone E in which the raceway is no longer in gutter but conforms to that shown in Figure 2. It is then possible for this vehicle as for the vehicle 31 to leave laterally the raceway to travel on the roadway 19 in the traditional way. On the other portion of the roadway intended for oncoming traffic B, a vehicle 32 traveling on the traditional roadway before zone E can join in this zone the raceway intended for its guidance by approaching the wall 10 and by placing the probe 4 in the service position so that it comes into contact with the surface 8. When the probe 4 encounters resistance due to contact with the surface 8, the steering of the steering assistance devices, not shown, is switched from the steering wheel to the probe, the steering control by the steering wheel becoming very stiff. Similarly, when the vehicle returns to manual steering, the driver activates the control system which transfers the steering of the steering assistance members to the steering wheel and folds the probe 4. In the case where the vehicles in circulation are propulsion vehicles electric, it can be interesting to interrupt the conductive surface 17 in traffic areas such as zone E where the driver can take over driving his vehicle. Indeed, the vehicle thus operates automatically on battery and by an appropriate regulating device, it is possible to limit its speed to a value allowing to leave the guideway without danger. The vehicle not wishing to leave this guideway, remains on the latter with the feeler 4 in its active position and therefore the means of asser¬ screwing its direction in service, but at a lower speed due to the interruption of his diet. When it finds a gutter raceway, this vehicle can be accelerated either automatically.

Figures 7, 8 and 9 illustrate, like Figures 4, 5 and 6, another possible installation of the device according to the invention as regards at least the infrastructure on the roadway. Figure 8 is a sectional view along line VIII-VIII of Figure 7 and Figure 9 is a sectional view along line IX-IX of Figure 7. This infrastructure is constituted by the constitution of two raceways in the form of a gutter (section in FIG. 3) placed side by side in the middle of a carriageway 19 to constitute, on a normal four-lane road, where three redeveloped lanes, two automatic circulation lanes in the middle of this carriageway. The passage of the crossroads of this roadway with another normal roadway denoted 40 in FIG. 7 is carried out in a simple manner by means of a tunnel 41 of small bulk only for the guided vehicles. Others vehicles of roadway 19 approach the crossroads in a completely traditional way at the same level as that of roadway 40. When it is a secondary road 42 which joins roadway 19, it is necessary that a vehicle 43 arriving from this lane 42 can reach the part of the roadway 19 where it is traveling in the direction B. For this purpose the central wall 10 separating the two roadways is eliminated in zone C and there remains only the track gutter intended to receive the detector as shown in FIG. 3. In this regard it will also be noted that the wall 11 of this gutter has a chamfer 11a so that the vehicle 43 can easily cross the two gutters located in the central part of the pavement 19. It is understood that this crossing made at low speed is quite possible because it will be recalled that the width of the gutters is only slightly greater than the width of the wheels of a vehicle.

Figures 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 illustrate the establishment of the infrastructure of the assistance system for guiding a vehicle according to the invention in place of the central reservation of a highway. Figure 10 illustrates the two-lane carriageway seen from above of a highway in open country. As in Figures 4 and 7, the road on the left is divided between guided and manual traffic. Figure 11 is a sectional view along line XX of the right roadway of Figure 10. The roadway 45 is bordered by emergency stop lanes 46. Due to the absence of a wall associated with the gutter 47, a vehicle that has broken down on the left lane can exceptionally cross the gutter 47 at low speed to access and stop at the emergency stop lane 46 on the left (vehicle 48).

Figure 12 illustrates an urban highway. The means of the invention which are not on board the vehicle constitute, in this embodiment, a dedicated lane which is separated from the normal motorway lane by a separating wall 50. This dedicated track can then be built by the successive assembly of prefabricated elements which, in addition to the gutter as defined in Figure 3, makes the entire dedicated floor and has a sole which extends transversely to under the other side wheels of the vehicle to carry a second rolling surface 51 of limited width. As before, access to this dedicated lane is via an entrance - exit E area where, at the level of the roadway of the motorway, the infrastructure is reduced to the provisions described next to Figure 2.

In this application, it is entirely possible to superimpose two dedicated lanes for each of the traffic directions. Figures 13, 14 and 15 illustrate the configuration of such an embodiment. We see that the tracks are superimposed and their construction by modular element has the advantage of a reduced footprint reconcilable with the lack of possibility of widening saturated urban highways. The lower track 52 in FIG. 11 is dedicated to vehicles traveling in the direction A of FIG. 10 while the upper track 53 is intended for vehicles traveling in the other direction. The entry into track 52 or its exit by a vehicle 54 is illustrated in FIG. 12 and is to be compared with FIGS. 4 and 6. So that a vehicle 55 can access the upper track 53, as illustrated in FIG. 15 , there is track 52 underground so that track 53 is brought down to the level of the highway pavement over a length of traffic substantially equal to the length of the exchange zone E of FIG. 10. Of course the structures supporting the dedicated traffic lanes 52 and 53 are made prefabricated in concrete and in sections, for example 12 meters long, which it suffices to set up on land whose preparation requires a minimum of work. These structures include an emergency evacuation corridor 56 allowing the evacuation of people by example in the event of a vehicle fire. Note also in FIG. 11 that the concrete infrastructure which carries the dedicated lanes 52 and 53, owing to the fact that these lanes accommodate only light vehicles on urban sites, is of sufficiently low height to be built under existing bridges.

In FIG. 16, a vehicle 80 is equipped on the left side with the arrangements already described and on the right side at the front of the steering wheel with a simplified detector 81 comprising an arm 82 similar to the arm 1 already described, a link 83 articulated on the arm 81, a jack 84 coupled between the arm 81 and the link 83, the free end of the latter being equipped with a roller 85. Like the support 4, the roller 85 can be moved between a position inactive where it is in the high position in front of the wheel and inside the vehicle body and an active position where it is in the low position and protrudes laterally.

The exchanger shown in FIG. 17 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the means for passing from one of the four dedicated lanes 90, 91, 92 and 93 to any of the other three, by means of a vehicle equipped like the one shown in Figure 16. Lanes 90 to 93 can be specific lanes independent of any traditional road network or lanes in the center of traditional roads or highways. Each lane has an exchange zone (entry-exit) denoted E in which vehicles can enter or leave a specific lane in the same manner as previously described. At the crossing point, tracks 90 and 91 are underpass compared to tracks 92 and 93.

A vehicle such as that 80 of FIG. 16 traveling in direction A on track 90 and wanting to reach track 92 to travel it in direction B, arrives in zone E. It is then possible for it to leave the raceway to approach edge 94 of the lane opposite that equipped with the lateral guide surface, which is bordered by a low wall 95 (see FIG. 18). In a first semi-automatic operating mode, the driver will actuate his right direction indicator control to warn of its maneuver, then when he is satisfied of the existence of a location to change the guide side, he will activate its lane change command as follows. Leaving the left guide thanks to a weak impulse on the direction, thanks to a program automaton the feeler roller 85 is placed in the active position so that it can be brought into contact with the wall 95. At this time, in the same way as for the on the other side of the vehicle, the assembly constitutes a sensor enabling the steering assistance of the vehicle to be controlled so that it is guided along the wall 95. As can be seen in FIG. 17, this wall describes a clover which leads the vehicle successively in the exchange zone E of channel 93 then in the exchange zone E of channel 91, then in the exchange zone E of channel 92 to finally return to the exchange zone E of the track 90. When the vehicle is guided by the wall 94 it is powered by its batteries, that is to say at low speed because the wall has no conductive surface for powering the vehicle. It reaches the exchange zone E of track 92 where its user orders the vehicle to position himself on the left of this track in order to take the raceway cooperating with the vehicle guidance device described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The collector 18 is then brought into contact with the conductive surface 17, if the latter is present in the zone E of each channel or, for greater safety, when the latter is present along each channel in a zone outside the exchange zones.

In an automatic operating mode, the vehicle has equipment permanently indicating its geographic coordinates to within a few meters. He also calculated, using his on-board computer, the different direction changes necessary to reach your destination from accessible geographic and road information. When it detects the zone E corresponding approximately to its change of direction, it will set in motion a right side scanning radar to verify the existence of a location to change the guide side. It will have previously activated its right indicator to warn of its maneuvering vehicles operating in semi-automatic mode. Automatically an exit subroutine will be activated and the vehicle will be guided by the right wall of the lane it takes. It will only be necessary to check on a magnetic compass during the passages of zones E of the clover the correct course to start an entry subroutine to change the guide side. As the zones (FIG. 18) where the guide side change takes place are rectilinear and the guide surfaces 8, 94 distant by an identical value whatever the zone, the automatic piloting of the vehicle in this zone transition is simple. FIG. 19 illustrates a technique for increasing the flow on a dedicated channel consisting of the convoying of 2 or more vehicles. In the event of saturation of the network the vehicles slow down then from time to time stop. This stop is used to form a convoy and increase the capacity of the track. The maximum speed will thus be quickly recovered and the vehicles will only leave the convoy at random changes of direction by changing the guide side. The device allowing this convoy consists of buffers 100 fitted to the front bumper of each vehicle. This telescopic stopper essentially comprises a spring of low stiffness connected to the control of a speed regulator, in series with a spring of high stiffness which equips the master cylinder with a braking device with inertia known in itself. as can be seen on towed trailers. It is thus possible to circulate vehicles by train or convoy, which increases the traffic capacity. Indeed, if we consider that for a determined speed the distance separating two vehicles must not be less than a value also determined, to avoid collisions, a convoy of 3, 4 or 5 vehicles in contact with one of the 'other equipped with the telescopic stopper 100 allows these groups of vehicles to circulate separated from each other by the same determined distance for the same traffic speed. We therefore understand the interest in circulating grouped cars on dedicated lanes.

A light indicator, for example green in color, will also be provided at the rear of each vehicle which will start operating when the vehicle is traveling under the control of a cruise control. This makes it possible to run train vehicles and isolated vehicles on the same track. The isolated vehicle thus warned can adjust its speed to integrate or not the train if it wishes. In addition, a flashing light will be placed at the rear of each vehicle and will start when the vehicle is traveling at a speed lower than the speed recommended on this section of track. This flashlight will have its own battery and the frequency of the flashes will be proportional to the difference between the vehicle speed and that recommended. Consequently, if a vehicle stops on the track, very rapid flashes will alert the driver of the next vehicle in advance of the imminence of a danger.

FIGS. 20 and 21 illustrate the emergency braking means used according to the invention on a vehicle intended to travel on a specific or dedicated lane at high speed. These means are particularly useful for a version of the system according to the invention with fully automatic operation, in trajectory and speed thanks to an exploration of the track by radar or other methods. to detect obstacles or vehicles in front of it. It is indeed necessary, in this type of traffic, to be able to brake the vehicle during the detection of an obstacle under a deceleration which cannot be obtained by the conventional braking means of the vehicle whatever the weather conditions. This is why the braking means proposed with regard to FIGS. 20 and 21 are means which can only be used once to stop the vehicle in an emergency, the latter then having to leave the taxiway on which it is to reset its emergency braking device.

The braking means according to the invention consist of a shim 60 which, in the inactive position, is disposed in a housing 61 of the vehicle body located immediately in front of the rear side wheel which cooperates with the gutter of the raceway and which is connected to the chassis of this vehicle by a cable 62. When an emergency braking signal triggers the device, for example the continuous operation of an anti-lock braking device indicating a road surface with degraded friction characteristic, or although the late detection of a vehicle stopped on the track, the closing flap of the housing 61 opens and the wedge 60 is ejected from it to fall into the gutter and come to be housed under the rear wheel of the vehicle when the cable 62 is stretched. The wedge is therefore pressed inside the gutter by the fraction of the weight of the vehicle transmitted to it by the rear wheel and, thus maintained in this gutter, can constitute the means of creating significant friction against the side walls of the gutter to slow down the vehicle. This triggering of the emergency braking will cause a signal to be issued warning the following vehicles to slow down before stopping. If the collision has been avoided, the driver will come to recover the hold and will leave the network at the next exit to rearm his safety device. emergency braking. If it is in the case of a mixed traffic lane (guided and manual) it will turn its steered wheels when stopped to exit the gutter and can only operate in guided mode after having reset its braking device d 'emergency.

The possibility of exiting the gutter from the stop when the network is blocked will minimize the consequences of an incident on the guideway.

FIG. 21 shows an embodiment of this shim which consists of a central cylindrical body 70 having on the side of the wheel a flat, this central body carrying two end rolling members 71 and 72 which, chamfers outwards, constitute guides for the passage of the wedge from its inactive position in the compartment 61 to its active position in the gutter. It is to the central body 70 that the cable 62 is coupled. This body constitutes a casing for a braking member which is for example constituted by two pistons held inside the body 70 against the effect of an elastic member tending to make them protrude laterally relative to this body. . The two pistons are locked in this waiting position inside the central body 70 and when the wheel presses strongly on the flat surface, this leads to the unlocking of the pistons which, under the effect of the elastic member , are propelled towards the outside of the body 70 and are applied against the surfaces 8 and 12 of the side walls of the gutter. This produces a very large friction force between the shim 60 and the gutter which creates a braking force whatever the value of the coefficient of friction of the road / vehicle and a significant deceleration of the vehicle. It will be indicated that the cable 62, when stretched, can be directed substantially towards the center of gravity of the vehicle and preferably above it so that the braking force tends to press the rear of the vehicle. To be sure, however, against the trend that could have the wedge out of the gutter, the body 70 may include two fingers 73 and 74 which, when the wedge has reached the rolling surface 9, pass from a retracted position inside the body 70 to a projecting position lateral to the outside of this body to come to be housed under a rim 75, 76 formed below the surfaces 8 and 12 in the lateral walls of the gutter.

In addition to the security provided by the system according to the invention for assisting in guiding a vehicle and also beyond the advantages of electric powered traffic with regard to pollution and noise, The invention provides an interesting solution to the saturation problems of mainly urban roads during peak hours. It will be recalled in fact that the entry into or exit from this network due to its lateral access, can take place at a speed much higher than that hitherto proposed, that is to say at the end d '' a ramp or access road.

It will also be recalled that, reserved for light vehicles, the footprint for one or two lanes of guided traffic is much weaker than the footprint of a normal traffic lane which must accommodate light vehicles and weights heavy and therefore, all other things being equal, allows the passage of a greater number of vehicles in a given space. Finally the possibility of circulating in convoy greatly increases the possible flow of vehicles.

Finally, it will be recalled that one of the main advantages of the invention lies in its evolving nature making it possible to achieve, without considerable investment, the transition between the circulation of vehicles to date and that of tomorrow fully automatic on specific networks. Indeed, the provisions of the invention allow the cohabitation of several modes of traffic, manual, semi-automatic and completely automated.

Claims

1. Assistance system for driving a light motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises at least one raceway for a pair of lateral wheels (R) comprising a running surface (9) bordered by at least one lateral surface located outside the side wheels and a device for controlling the vehicle's steering members comprising a probe (4) which can be swiped between an out-of-service state where it is housed inside the volume occupied by the vehicle body and a state in service where it controls the application against the side wall (8) bordering the rolling surface (9) of a lateral surface (7) which it comprises.

2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the running surface (9) is equipped along its other edge with a second lateral surface (12) defining with the first lateral surface (8) a gutter of greater width the width of a vehicle wheel.

3. System according to claim 2, characterized in that the feeler (4) has a heel part (13) in contact in its operating state with the second lateral surface (12).

4. System according to claim 2, characterized in that the gutter comprises below, under one of the lateral surfaces (8, 12), a gutter (16) for evacuating materials and waste.

5. System according to claim 4, characterized in that the feeler (4) is placed in front of the side wheel (R) before the vehicle and comprises a deflector flap (15) forming a discharge blade towards the gutter of materials and waste present on the running surface

(9).

6. System according to claim 3, characterized in that the lateral surface (12) comprises an electrically conductive surface portion (17) and in that the probe (4) carries a sliding wiper (18) to be applied thereto.

7. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the raceway consists of the assembly of a plurality of prefabricated sections of reinforced concrete integrated in a pavement (19) so that the surface of rolling (9) is substantially at the level of the roadway.

8. System according to claim 2, characterized in that in the vicinity of the running surface (9), at least one lateral surface (8, 12) has a step so as to offer a flange (75, 76) overhanging the sides of the running surface (9).

9. System according to claim 8, characterized in that the probe (4) comprises a horizontal locking finger which can be supported on one of the flanges (75,76) overhanging the side of the rolling surface (9).

10. System according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises emergency braking means comprising a shim (60) retained in the inactive state in a housing (61) under the vehicle body at the front of one of the wheels cooperating with the gutter and placed in service under the wheel which it precedes while being moored to the vehicle by an inextensible link (62), this chock constituting the casing (70) of a braking member comprising at least a friction shoe movable transversely from a standby position inside the casing where it is locked against the effect of an elastic compressed return member towards a service position where it is pressed by the elastic member unlocked against one of the lateral surfaces (8, 12) of the gutter.

11. System according to claim 8 and claim 10, characterized in that the wedge (70) comprises telescopic means (73, 74) movable between an armed state out of service in which they are housed in the housing and a state in service in which they project at the transverse ends of the casing (70) to be housed under the rim (75, 76) formed in each lateral surface (8, 12).

12. System according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises means for controlling the speed of at least two vehicles to form a train, these means comprising for each vehicle a cruise control, a braking device to inertia, and at least one front stop (100) forming, depending on its degree of depression, a sensor for controlling the regulator and the braking device.

13. System according to claim 12, characterized in that each vehicle is equipped with a visual rear signaling device put into service when the vehicle is traveling under the control of the cruise control.

14. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a second device (81) for controlling its direction located on the lateral side opposite to that cooperating with the raceway and comprising a detector for the presence of a side wall (94, 95) bordering the traffic lane opposite the above-mentioned raceway.

15. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each vehicle is equipped with a visual rear signaling device put into service when the vehicle is traveling at a speed lower than the normal speed of the track.