WO2000007868A1

WO2000007868A1 - Land vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2000007868A1
Application number: PCT/LV1999/000003
Authority: WO
Inventors: Vitalijs Andrijenko
Original assignee: Vitalijs Andrijenko
Priority date: 1998-08-03
Filing date: 1999-08-03
Publication date: 2000-02-17
Also published as: LV12428A; LV12428B

Abstract

The motor vehicle consists of a frame (1), the passenger compartment (8) being suspended to said frame in at least points so as to form clearances with said frame. The passenger compartment is attached to the frame by means of hinges (11) and stretchable horizontal links (12, 13), which links automatically break the bond between the passenger compartment and the frame from the side of impact, said breaking effected by self-destructing devices (14) with remote control from front and rear impact sensors (15). The bottom (9) of the passenger compartment is made with a convex fire resistant outside surface, providing for good contiguity with the road surface under contact, incorporating a shock absorbing layer (10).

Description

LAND VEHICLE

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION-

The invention relates to land vehicles, namely to improvements in motor car construction.

STATE OF ART

In a vehicle, diclosed in German patent 4,001 ,344, the impact force under collision is cushioned by means of hydraulic shock-absorbers. The disadvantage of this construction is caused by the limited power absorbtion capability of the hydraulic shock-absorbers.

A Safety Motor Car construction, disclosed in the USSR author's certificate 1 ,159,813, provides for a passenger compartment, that is removed from the zone of possible deformation, caused by frontal impact to front bumper. The disadvantage of this construction is caused by the increased metal consumption and complexity of its manufacturing and adjusting.

Moreover, the cited constructions do not provide for protection of the passenger compartment from rear or side impact and/or from overturning on side or roof.

A construction for the protection of driver, is disclosed in the USSR author's certificate 1 ,532,376, that provides for protection from injuries under vehicle turning over, but this construction does not provide for protection from frontal or rear impact.

A construction of motor vehicle, disclosed in Russian patent 2,038,249, is chosen here as the state of art. The vehicle disclosed contains a frame, consisting of longerons and cross-beams, with front and rear bumpers, passenger compartment, engine and luggage compartments fastened to said frame. Said longerons in their middle region are arched and convex upwards in vertical plane, the passenger compartment being suspended to said frame in at least points so as to form clearances with said frame, engine and luggage compartment, thus excluding any possibility for the passenger compartment to come into contact with luggage compartment and/or frame (1) in extreme conditions.

However this construction does not exclude the possibility of the vehicle turning over under frontal impact, caused by the upward shift of the centre of gravity of the vehicle. Besides, all cited constructions have no inertial load suppression under rebound of the vehicle from hitting a frontal barrier.

A SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the instant invention is to improve the operation parameters of motor vehicle. Said aim is achieved by fastening of the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle to frontal and lateral parts of frame by means of hinges and stretchable horizontal front and rear links, which links automatically break the bond between the passenger compartment and the frame from the side of impact, said breaking effected by self-destructing devices with remote control from front or/and rear impact sensors. As a further improvement, the bottom of the passenger compartment is made with convex fire resistant outside surface, providing for good contiguity with road surface under contact, incorporating shock absorbing layer. The horizontal stretching links are made as linear dual action hydraulic or pneumatic actuators, increasing the length thereof under command of the impact sensors and thus severing the bond between the passenger compartment and the frame from the impact side. In case of emergency braking the on-board processor sends a command to break rear links or to stretch rear actuators. Optionally, the engine compartment, passenger compartment and luggage compartment are made as uniform body and the power to working part is transmitted from the engine thereto by means of flexible electric wires, hydraulic pipeline or mechanical transmission, such as cardan gear.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows the general view of the vehicle according to the instant invention.

Figure 2 shows the same as cross-cut A-A.

Figure 3 shows the kinematic scheme with linear hydraulic or pneumatic actuators.

Figure 4 shows th vehicle with engine compartment, passenger compartment and luggage compartment made as uniform body.

Figures 5 - 8 show the vehicle under frontal impact.

Figures 9 - 11 show the vehicle under rear impact.

Figures 12 and 13 show the vehicle overturning on side or roof.

THE DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The vehicle (Fig. 1) consists of a frame (1 ) having longerons (2) convex in a vertical plane. Longerons (2) are resilient and connected by cross-beams (3) (Fig. 2). On the frame (1 ) means for fastening the working parts (4), engine (5), luggage compartment (6), bumpers (7) and passenger compartment (8) are provided. The bottom (9) of the passenger compartment is made with convex fire resistant outside surface, providing for good contiguity with road surface under contact, incorporating shock absorbing layer (10). The passenger compartment (8) is attached to the frame (1 ) by hinges (11) and horizontal front (12) and rear (13) stretching links. For automatic releasing of the passenger compartment (8) from the frame (1) on the impact side the self-destructing devices (14) are provided on the horizontal stretching links (12, 13), said devices being actuated by control signals from frontal (15) or rear (16) impact sensors. To provide for recovering of the horizontal stretching links (12, 13), they are made as dual-action linear hydraulic or pneumatic actuators (Fig. 3). The passenger compartment (8) is attached to the frame (1) with clearances B, C, D and E, moreover, the clearance (E) between the passenger compartment (8) and plane of the longeron (2) in the lower part is larger than that in the upper part (D) (Fig. 2). The engine (5) and luggage compartment (6) are secured to frame (1), providing clearance (B) between the engine (5) and the passenger compartment (8) and clearance (C) between luggage compartment (6) and passenger compartment, said clearances chosen such as to ensure no contact between the engine (5) and the passenger compartment (8) under frontal impact, and, accordingly, no contact between the luggage compartment

(6) and the passenger compartment (8) under rear impact. Optionally, the engine compartment (5), the passenger compartment (8) and luggage compartment (6) are made as uniform body and the power to working part (4) is transmitted from the engine (5) thereto by means of flexible electric wires (17), hydraulic pipeline (18) or mechanical transmission, such as cardan gear (19).

In case of frontal crashing of moving vehicle into a solid obstacle (Fig. 5), kinetic energy of the vehicle partly transforms into potential energy of bumper

(7) and obstacle deformation. The frontal impact sensor (15) sends a command to self-destructing devices (14), e.g., pyrotechnical devices, for severing the frontal links (12), or to frontal linear hydraulic or pneumatic actuators. As the frontal stretching links (12) are mechanically severed by pyrotechnical devices (14) or the length of the linear hydraulic or pneumatic actuators is increased, the rigid connection of the passenger compartment (8) with the frame (1) is set free from the impact side. The passenger compartment (8) hits the road surface (Fig. 6), the impact being cushioned by the shock-absorbing layer (10). The centre of gravity of the passenger compartment (8) is shifted downwards relative to the point of impact - frontal bumper, thus preventing the vehicle from headlong overturn.

The accumulated kinetic energy of the passenger compartment (8) forces it to move ahead, but this force is compensated by the remaining bond of the stretching rear links (13) with frame (1) and the friction between the bottom surface (9) and road surface. The convex and fire-proof outside surface of the passenger compartment (8), having good contiguity with road surface, allows frictional force to turn a part of kinetic energy into thermal one. The remaining part of the kinetic energy is turned into potential energy of longeron (2) deformation. The inertial force of the passenger compartment (8), frame (1 ) and luggage compartment (6) is applied to the hinges (11 ) of the rear stretching links (13) (Fig. 7). The passenger compartment (8) stops with clearance (ΔB) between the compartment (8) and engine (5). The accumulated potential energy of deformed longerons (2) turns partly into thermal energy, but the main part of of the potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy, directed to restoration of the original shape of the longerons (2). The elastic rebound of the vehicle to the distance ΔL from the obstacle and deceleration of the bottom (9) of the passenger compartment (8) on the road surface takes place.

The convex, fire-proof outside surface of bottom (9) with good contiguity with road surface allows frictional force to turn the main part of the remaining kinetic energy into thermal one.

The rebound distance is much less than in traditional vehicle constructions due to additional friction force between the passenger compartment (8) and road surface, that being much stronger than frictional forces between wheels and road surface.

If the obstacle is moving towards vehicle, the repeating strokes and rebounds continue till full stopping of the vehicle.

If the vehicle is struck by another moving vehicle from the rear (Fig. 9), the kinetic energy of the impact (Pvm) is partly turned into potential energy of the rear bumper (7) deformation. The rear impact sensor (16) sends a command to self-destructing devices (14), e.g., pyrotechnical devices, for severing the rear links (13), or to rear linear hydraulic or pneumatic actuators, and also to wheel brakes (4). As the rear stretching links (13) are mechanically severed by pyrotechnical devices (14) or the length of the linear hydraulic or pneumatic actuators is increased, the rigid connection of the passenger compartment (8) with the frame (1) is set free from the impact side. The passenger compartment (8) hits the road surface (Fig. 10), the impact being cushioned by the shock-absorbing layer (10). The additional kinetic energy of the impact makes the vehicle move ahead with acceleration, but the movement of the passenger compartment (8) is slowed by the friction between the road surface and the bottom (9) of the pasenger compartment and by the remaining bond of the stretching frontal links (12) with frame (1 ). The convex, fire-proof outside surface of bottom (9) with good contiguity with road surface allows frictional force to turn the main part of the remaining kinetic energy into thermal one. The vehicle stops without the passenger compartment (8) contacting the luggage compartment (6) (Fig. 11). If the moving object, after impacting the vehicle, continues to move forward, the mutual deceleration of both vehicles takes place, the main decelerating force being that caused by the friction of the road surface and bottom (9) of the passenger compartment (8).

In case of emergency braking the command to severe the rigid bond of the rear stretching links (13), or to stretch the rear hydraulic or pneumatic actuators may be sent by the central on-board processor. The braking process is similar to that described for rear impact.

In case of the vehicle overturning on side (Fig. 12) or roof (Fig. 13), the longerons (2) with cross-beams (3) protect the passenger compartment (8) from contact with road surface.

Claims

1. The motor vehicle, contains frame consisting of resilient longerons and cross-beams, the said longerons in their middle region are arched and convex upwards in vertical plane, with the bumpers, engine, working parts and luggage compartment fastened to said frame, and the passenger compartment being suspended to said frame in at least points so as to form clearances with the said frame, different in fastening of the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle to frontal and lateral parts of frame by means of hinges and stretchable horizontal links, which link automatically break the bond between the passenger compartment and the frame from the side of impact, said breaking effected by self-destructing devices with remote control from front and rear impact sensors, and the bottom of the passenger compartment is made with convex fire resistant outside surface, providing for good contiguity with road surface under contact, incorporating shock absorbing layer.

2. The motor vehicle mentioned in Clause 1 , a difference is that the horizontal stretching links are made as linear dual action hydraulic or pneumatic actuators, increasing the length thereof under command of the impact sensors and thus severing the bond between the passenger compartment and the frame from the impact side.

3. The motor vehicle mentioned in Clause 1 , a difference is that in case of emergency breaking the on-board processor sends a command to break rear links or to stretch rear actuators.

4. The motor vehicle mentioned in Clause 1 , a difference is that the engine compartment, passenger compartment and luggage compartment are made as uniform body and the power to working part is transmitted from the engine thereto by means of flexible electric wires, hydraulic pipeline or mechanical transmission, such as cardan gear.