Safety device for a vehicle

p0001The invention relates to a safety device for stopping goods set in motion in a vehicle with respect to the latter during a deceleration.

p0002For several years, develop in the automakers two contradictory trends.

p0003First, builders have put significant resources employed to successfully improve on board passenger vehicle safety and even more recently pedestrian safety. Today, almost all passenger cars and commercial vehicles sold is equipped with inflatable protective cushions (known under the trademark airbag), powerful braking systems with anti-lock and pre-tensioners devices seatbelts. Using all these methods has significantly improved the safety of the driver and passengers. These improvements can especially be observed in crash tests so that vehicle safety is now one of the main selling points of the manufacturers.

p0004Moreover, manufacturers are offering and sell more vehicles with large volumes such as minivans. The large volume of these vehicles and modularity allow the option of the driver to transport people or goods. In such passenger vehicles payload up to 600 kg in commercial vehicles that load may be exceeded.

p0005Both trends are contradictory in that in vehicles with a large volume for storage of goods present no sufficiently strong medium, designed to secure the driver and passengers in relation to the danger of the goods during heavy deceleration.

p0006Indeed, thanks to the powerful brakes which are used on vehicles or during an impact, the goods in the vehicle are moved in relation to it, unless they are securely attached to points of resistant anchoring. These goods are turned into real projectiles heading toward the front of the vehicle during a frontal impact.

p0007currently known in commercial vehicles safety features between the cab of the vehicle and the cargo storage area. These devices consist of a simple metal grid rigidly attached to the vehicle floor level and the roof and / or the sidewalls. This type of device is quite fit to stop goods from a few kilos, but is absolutely insufficient to stop goods whose mass is of the order of the payload of the vehicle.

p0008We know from the demand 29/10/2003 <patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="EP1356994A"><text>EP 1356994</text></patcit> a safety device comprising a grid attached to the body of a vehicle by means of hooks comprising metal rounds having shapes crankshaft. These forms allow the hook to deform to absorb the kinetic energy of goods in cases of violent deceleration of the vehicle.

p0009Also known document <patcit id="pcit0002" dnum="FR2792894"><text>FR 2792894</text></patcit> a charge retaining device disposed in the trunk of a vehicle. This device is mainly constituted by a cross.

p0010Similarly, passenger vehicles with a large adjustable volume are provided with anchorage points allowing secure goods to the vehicle floor. Again, these means enable to ensure good security in the vehicle with goods of a few kilos, but are quite inadequate to secure a goods vehicle whose mass is of the order of the payload of the vehicle. Such a safety device only allows to reduce the kinetic energy of the goods. This reduction is substantially equal to the tearing energy of the fasteners of the device.

p0011The object of the invention is to provide a safety device providing a solution to the mentioned problems and providing an improvement to the known prior art devices. In particular, the invention provides a safety device for securing a large volume of goods vehicle whose mass is of the order of the payload of the vehicle.

p0012To achieve this goal, the safety device according to the invention is characterized by the characterizing part of claim 1.

p0013The laws of physics, in particular the principles of dynamics, we learn that it takes more time and space for decelerating a moving object, the more the deceleration force applied to the object can be reduced. This effort must be taken in the case of the safety device by its anchor points in the vehicle, it is very interesting to reduce as much as possible. The safety device according to the invention therefore a dynamic operation which allows the progressive deceleration of the goods, in contrast to the known devices having a static stress resistance and which are also resistant they are quickly torn off at their points of attachment to the vehicle during violent decelerations.

p0014Other physical laws, we learn that if we want to reduce the kinetic energy of a moving object, you must convert that energy to the extent that we can not make it disappear. The kinetic energy of the products is possible, in the safety device according to the invention, absorbed by deformable elements to dissipate energy or storing for example in the form of potential energy.

p0015Different embodiments of the security device modes are defined by the dependent claims 2 to 12.

p0016Claim 13 relates to a vehicle equipped with a safety device.

p0017The attached drawings represent, by way of example, several embodiments of the device according to the invention.

p0018The <figref idrefs="f0001">figure 1</figref> is a rear perspective view of a safety device according to a first embodiment.

p0019The <figref idrefs="f0002">2</figref> is a side view of a safety device according to a second embodiment.

p0020The <figref idrefs="f0003">3</figref> is a side view of a safety device according to a third embodiment.

p0021The <figref idrefs="f0004">4</figref> is a perspective front view of a security device according to a fourth embodiment.

p0022The <figref idrefs="f0005">5</figref> is a side view of a safety device according to a fifth embodiment.

p0023The <figref idrefs="f0006">6</figref> is a side view of a safety device according to a sixth embodiment.

p0024The <figref idrefs="f0007">7</figref> is a side view of a safety device according to a seventh embodiment.

p0025The <figref idrefs="f0008">8</figref> is a side view of a safety device according to an eighth embodiment.

p0026The <figref idrefs="f0009">9</figref> is a side view of a safety device according to a ninth embodiment.

p0027The <figref idrefs="f0010">Figure 10</figref> is a diagram of a safety device connected to the body of a vehicle via a movable floor.

p0028The <figref idrefs="f0011">11</figref> is a side view of the second embodiment of the safety device installed in a vehicle at the rear of the front seats.

p0029The security device 10 shown in <figref idrefs="f0001">figure 1</figref> mainly consists of a horizontal frame 11 which is rigidly connected to a substantially vertical frame 12, said retaining frame. These frames consist for example of cylindrical steel tubes. This safety device is designed to equip a 100 passenger vehicle with the rear seats have been filed or to equip a van.

p0030The frame holding 12 located behind the driver's seat is designed to retain the goods and prevent them violently come into contact with the driver's seat or the front passenger seat during load transfer caused by deceleration due to braking or a frontal collision of the vehicle. It includes a cross bar whose length is substantially equal to the width of the interior of the vehicle body.

p0031The horizontal frame 11 assures the taking over by the vehicle body, the forces exerted on the retaining frame 12. The horizontal frame 11 is attached to the floor 15 of a vehicle to the rear thereof via screw 14. It can for example be fixed to the vehicle floor at the anchor points of the rear seat belts of the vehicle or at the anchor points in the rear seats. This frame 11 has on its longitudinal sides curved zones 13a, 13b, 13c. These areas constitute the main deformable elements allow to impart to the frame elastic properties when it is subjected to longitudinal stress as is the case when goods comes into contact with the holding frame 12. The longitudinal sides of the frame horizontal 11 are pressed against the floor of the vehicle or against the side of the vehicle for reasons of space and aesthetics.

p0032This elasticity of the horizontal frame 11 helps to cushion the impact of goods on the retaining frame. The contact force exerted by the goods into contact with the retaining frame causes a displacement of the front portion of the frame forward of the vehicle by deformation of the horizontal frame primarily in bending at these bulges 13a, 13b and 13c. This movement is under the action of reaction forces due to the deformation of the bulges. Thus, the forces applied by the horizontal part of the vehicle body are reduced compared to the efforts that would be applied if the device was virtually crushproof. Note also that as the movement of the retaining frame allowed by the horizontal frame, the greater the forces absorbed by the body at the attachment of the horizontal frame on the floor can be reduced.

p0033During this movement all or part of the kinetic energy of the product is converted into elastic potential energy of deformation of the bulges of the horizontal frame. Beyond a certain defined limit, the deformation zones bent is more resilient but permanent. The kinetic energy of the goods is no longer converted into potential energy of elastic deformation but dissipated to deform the horizontal frame permanently.

p0034The stroke of the holding frame is set by the size of bulges and the constituent materials. Operation of the device is sequential. During a first sequence, the part of the deformation is elastic and in a second sequence the deformation is permanent.

p0035A second embodiment of the safety device 20 shown in <figref idrefs="f0002">2</figref> differs from the previous device in that it has additional elements for converting kinetic energy of the goods. It mainly comprises a horizontal frame 21 attached to the vehicle floor by means of screws 29. On this frame, is articulated, by a pivot connection 23 a retaining frame 22. This frame comprises, at its two ends, in its two lower curved arms 25 connected to the frame 21 by means of pads 26 of elastomeric material such as VIBTENE (registered trademark). These pads are reminiscent of the holding frame 22 in a rest position shown in<figref idrefs="f0002">2</figref>.

p0036When a good one comes into contact with the retaining frame, it pivots around the pivot connection 23 and compress the pads 26. The deformation of the pads dampens the forces exerted on the retaining frame and reduce the kinetic energy of the goods, as the device described above.

p0037Arched areas are not necessarily required on the frame 21. In fact, the pads 26 and possibly the arched areas 24 connecting the arm 25 to the frame 22 perform the same functions.

p0038This second embodiment of the safety device is shown in <figref idrefs="f0011">11</figref> 100 in a rear vehicle front seats 101.

p0039A third embodiment of the safety device 30 shown in <figref idrefs="f0003">3</figref> differs from the previous device in that it comprises energy converting elements kinetics of goods arranged differently. It mainly comprises a horizontal frame 31 attached to the vehicle floor by means of screws 32 and a hinged holding frame on the horizontal frame 31 by a pivot connection 33. The holding frame 32 includes a curved lower portion connected to the part top of the frame with a curved area. The holding frame is attached to the floor 37 of the vehicle by means of screws passing through two spacers 34 of elastomeric material. The holding frame is also in contact with two pads of elastomeric material related to the frame 31.

p0040When goods 1 comes in contact with the holding frame, the latter pivots about the pivot connection 33 and vertically compress the struts 34 and the horizontal pads 35. The deformation of these elements makes it possible to absorb the forces exerted on the holding frame and reduce the kinetic energy of the goods.

p0041A fourth embodiment of the safety device 40 shown in <figref idrefs="f0004">4</figref> differs from the second embodiment in that it comprises two holding frames 42, 42 'pivotally mounted on a horizontal framework 41 by pivot connections 43, 43'. Each holding frame respectively comprises two lower arms 45, 45 'connected to the frame 41 via pads of elastomeric material 44, 44'.

p0042The top crossbars of two holding frames may be contained in the same vertical plane and work well simultaneously the studs 44 and 44 'or be contained in two vertical planes staggered and successively working the pads 44 and 44' (in the assuming a sufficiently high commodity cuboid acting on retaining frames).

p0043In a fifth embodiment of the safety device 50, shown in <figref idrefs="f0005">5</figref>A frame retainer 52 bears against the front portion of a horizontal frame 51. The lower portion of this holding frame of the bulges 53 and 53 'substantially in the form of U.

p0044When goods 1 comes in contact with the holding frame, the latter is deformed and its upper portion moves substantially as if it were hinged about a virtual axis 59. In deforming the retaining frame compress two studs 54 of elastomeric material. The upper frame part comprises tubular elements 56 associated with the upper frame 52 by screws 58 and bearing elements 57 deformable elastomeric material such as hollow bodies filled with a cellular foam structure, constituting auxiliary deformable elements .

p0045The holding frame 52 is shown in <figref idrefs="f0005">5</figref> Dotted in its late spring travel position. This position can be reached in a sharp deceleration of the vehicle where goods exerts a force on the retaining frame. The arrow 102 represents the spring travel of the device.

p0046A sixth embodiment of the safety device 60 differs from the second embodiment in that the elastomer material pads 64 are replaced by devices comprising a helical spring and a hydraulic damper. A holding frame 62 is hinged on a horizontal frame 61 around a pivot connection 63. The retaining frame includes lower arm relating to the horizontal frame 61 via devices 64 forming part of the main deformable elements.

p0047A seventh embodiment of the safety device 70 shown in <figref idrefs="f0007">7</figref>Mainly comprises a horizontal frame 71 attached to a holding frame 72 by a torsion spring 73. The torsion spring is made of the same metal tube as used for the realization of frames 71 and 72. The number of turns of the spring , the section of the tube, the winding diameter and the nature of the material used determine the stiffness of the spring which rests on the floor 74 of the vehicle via a pin 75.

p0048An eighth embodiment of the safety device 80 shown in <figref idrefs="f0008">8</figref>, Mainly comprises a horizontal frame 81 in sliding connection relative to the floor 87 of the vehicle. A holding frame 82 is articulated, in its lower part, relatively to the vehicle floor, by a pivot connection 89. The holding frame is held in contact against the front of the horizontal frame. Two cylindrical tubes 85 of guide are attached to the vehicle floor by means of supports 86. The tubes of the horizontal frame 81 are slidably mounted in the two guide tubes 85 and between the rear guide tubes 84 and a shoulder carried on the back of each of the horizontal frame tubes, is inserted a main deformation element 83 such as a tube made of elastomer material.

p0049When goods come into contact with the retaining frame 82, it moves in rotation about the pivot connection 89 and exerts a pulling force on the horizontal part 81. This force causes deformation of the elastomeric material tubes 83 that reduce the kinetic energy of the goods.

p0050A ninth embodiment of the safety device 90, shown in <figref idrefs="f0009">9</figref>Differs from the previous embodiment in that the retaining frame 92 and the horizontal frame came from the same tubes. The longitudinal tubes of the horizontal frame 91 are bent at regions 97 in their front part to form substantially vertical tubes of the holding frame 92. On each longitudinal tube is connected, on either side of the curved area 97, by fasteners 99, a tubular member 98 comprising a curved region 97 'coming into contact with the vehicle floor.

p0051When goods 1 comes into contact with the retaining frame 92, it can move one hand with the horizontal frame 91 by deforming the first deformable main elements of elastomeric material 94 and on the other hand, with respect to horizontal frame by deforming the second deformable main elements consist of arched zones 97 and 97 '. Deformation of the various key elements deformable determines the stroke of the holding frame.

p0052When the forces exerted on the frame, the different main deformable elements can be deformed simultaneously or successively. In the latter case, a sequential operation of the safety device.

p0053Described the different safety devices used to secure areas of the vehicle, particularly the cockpit, compared to danger of the goods stored in another area when violent decelerations. Considering the operation of this safety device, it is important to provide behind the area to secure a space allowing the displacement path provided for the retaining frame during operation of the safety device.

p0054The previously described retaining elements consist of retaining frames comprising one or more crossbars. However, the retaining elements may be more complex and may include an integral metal grille retaining framework to prevent the intrusion of goods of small size but of relatively large mass in the secure area.

p0055The main deformable elements described consist of tubes or more generally metal profiles having shapes and specific dimensioning of elastomeric material into elements, compression springs or torsion and damping elements. These deformable main elements can however be achieved by any mechanical and / or pneumatic and / or hydraulic and / or pyrotechnic to locate and control the deformation of the safety device in specific places. Thus, deformation of the device is controlled and the travel of the retaining element is fixed or programmed by the deformation of the deformable elements. Pyrotechnics can especially be on the goods in the opposite direction to their displacement.

p0056According to embodiments, the set stroke of the retaining member may, for example, be 10 to 20 cm.

p0057The devices described above may be as shown in <figref idrefs="f0010">Figure 10</figref> mounted on a floor 117 longitudinally movable relative to the body 119 of the vehicle to which it is linked by a deformable element 118. The security device shown in this figure comprises mainly a horizontal framework 111 on which is articulated a retaining frame 112 by a pivot link 116, the movement of the retaining frame 112 of the deforming members 114 of elastomeric material.