Impact protection device, vehicle with an impact protection device and method for preparing an impact protection device

Abstract

The invention relates to an impact protection device with an actuator for deploying impact protection for a vehicle, wherein the impact protection is stored in the impact protection device in a way that allows it to be unpacked. The invention also relates to a vehicle with an impact protection device and a method for deploying impact protection using an impact protection device. In order to propose an impact protection device, a vehicle, and a method for deploying impact protection that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art, it is proposed that the impact protection device according to the invention has a prediction device configured to predict the probability of a collision with at least one road user, wherein the actuator unpacks and deploys the impact protection when the probability of a collision with the at least one road user is 100%.In accordance with the inventive method, it is provided that the probability of a collision with the at least one road user is first predicted by means of the prediction unit and the impact protection is unpacked and prepared when the probability of a collision is 100%.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an impact protection device with an actuator for setting up an impact protection device of a vehicle, wherein the impact protection device is mounted in the impact protection device in a removable manner. The invention also relates to a vehicle with an impact protection device and a method for setting up an impact protection device using an impact protection device.

[0002] Unfortunately, accidents between vehicles and other road users are a regular occurrence in road traffic. In-vehicle restraint systems, such as airbags and seatbelt pretensioners, are designed to protect vehicle occupants. Vehicles also have devices designed to reduce the severity of an impact to protect other road users involved in a collision. Pedestrians, cyclists, and other less protected road users particularly benefit from these devices in the event of a collision. For example, vehicles are known to have comparatively low rigidity in the upper area of ​​the A-pillar and the windshield, which reduces the severity of an impact in the event of a head impact there. Furthermore, modern vehicles are equipped with impact protection devices of the type mentioned above, which unpack and deploy impact protection in the event of a collision.In particular, external vehicle airbags are known that are triggered when a collision with a road user is detected.

[0003] The existing measures for protecting external road users involved in a collision with the vehicle have proven in need of improvement. Body sections with comparatively low rigidity can only be implemented within narrow limits and, beyond that, provide only limited impact protection. State-of-the-art external airbags only deploy when the collision is detected, which is why high demands are placed on both the sensory detection of the collision and the deployment mechanism. This makes both the sensor technology and the impact protection device inherently complex and costly.

[0004] Based on this, the object of the invention is to propose an impact protection device, a vehicle, and a method for constructing an impact protection device, thereby eliminating the disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, an effective and cost-effective impact protection device is to be proposed.

[0005] This object is achieved by the impact protection device according to claim 1, the vehicle according to claim 8 and the method according to claim 9.

[0006] The impact protection device according to the invention has a prediction unit configured to predict a collision probability with at least one road user. The actuator unpacks and prepares the impact protection when the collision probability with the at least one road user is 100%. Accordingly, the method according to the invention provides that the collision probability with the at least one road user is first predicted by means of the prediction unit, and the impact protection is unpacked and prepared when the collision probability is 100%. The collision probability threshold of 100% is thus a trigger condition for unpacking and preparing the impact protection.This allows the impact protection to be prepared as intended before the vehicle collides with the road user, gaining valuable time to position the impact protection. The prediction unit allows the actuator to access a significantly larger time window for preparing the impact protection, making it more cost-effective to design.

[0007] Advantageous further developments of the invention are described in the subclaims and below.

[0008] Preferably, the prediction unit comprises external sensors of the vehicle and an evaluation unit. In particular, the external sensors comprise radar, camera, and / or lidar systems. Such sensors are also commonly installed in modern vehicles, along with a suitable evaluation unit, so that existing components can be used to implement the prediction of the collision probability, which offers significant savings potential through synergy effects.

[0009] The vehicle-external impact protection devices known from the prior art, in particular airbags, have proven disadvantageous in that they must be completely replaced after deployment and thus after the impact protection has been prepared. This requires the vehicle to be taken to a workshop by tow truck, which is time-consuming and costly. According to an advantageous development of the invention, the impact protection can be reversibly packed and unpacked using the actuator. After a collision and unpacking of the impact protection, the impact protection can be packed in the impact protection device in such a way that the impact protection can be unpacked and prepared in the event of a subsequent collision with at least one road user.Replacing the impact protection device or at least the impact protection after prior unpacking is therefore not necessary, which saves costs and time for the otherwise required assembly.

[0010] Preferably, the actuator is designed as a rolling-out device for the reversible rolling-in and rolling-out of at least one impact protector, wherein the impact protector is preferably designed as a rubber sheet. Such a rubber sheet consists, for example, of a plastic-elastic material. The rolling-out device preferably has a housing in which a shaft is rotatably mounted, on which shaft the rubber sheet is rolled up and pre-tensioned when the impact protector is in its packaged state. Such a rolling-out device is technically easy to implement and, for example, by means of a pre-tensioned spring, enables the rubber sheet to be quickly unpacked and prepared as needed. The subsequent packaging of a rubber sheet is also particularly simple using such a rolling-out device.

[0011] Preferably, the roll-out device is arranged on the vehicle with respect to a vehicle coordinate system in such a way that, when unpacking and preparing the impact protection, the roll-out of the at least one rubber sheet takes place in the direction of travel and / or opposite to the direction of travel. According to an advantageous development of the invention, the vehicle has a windshield, a hood and a bumper, wherein at least one roll-out device is arranged in such a way that, when preparing the impact protection, the rubber sheet is rolled out by the roll-out device. - in the direction of travel over the windscreen to the bonnet, - in the direction of travel over the windscreen and the bonnet up to the bumper, - in the direction of travel via the windscreen, the bonnet and the bumper, - in the direction of travel over the bonnet to the bumper, - in the direction of travel over the bonnet and bumper, - opposite to the direction of travel via the windscreen, - opposite to the direction of travel over the bonnet to the windscreen, - opposite to the direction of travel via the bonnet and windscreen, - opposite to the direction of travel over the bumper, the bonnet up to the windscreen, - opposite to the direction of travel via the bumper, the bonnet and the windscreen - opposite to the direction of travel across the windscreen and in the direction of travel across the bonnet to the bumper, - opposite to the direction of travel via the windshield and in the direction of travel via the hood and bumper, or. For this purpose, at least one roll-out device is arranged on a roof section above the windshield, in an area between the hood and the windshield, and / or on the bumper of the vehicle.

[0012] According to an advantageous development of the invention, the vehicle with such an impact protection device is highly automated or autonomously controlled. Thus, any visual obstructions caused by an unpacked impact protection device are irrelevant to the vehicle's control.

[0013] Specific embodiments of the invention are explained below with reference to the figures. They show: Fig. 1a a partially sectioned side view of a vehicle; Fig. 1b-d Side views of the vehicle, each showing a differently prepared impact protection; Fig. 2 a partially sectioned side view of a vehicle; Fig. 3 a partially sectioned side view of a vehicle; Fig. 4 a flowchart of a method for preparing an impact protection device.

[0014] Fig. 1a shows an autonomously controlled vehicle 200 with an impact protection device 100. The impact protection device 100 has an actuator 10 for preparing an impact protection device 11, wherein the impact protection device 11 is mounted in a housing 12 of the impact protection device 100 in an unpackable manner. In the illustrated embodiment, the actuator 10 is a motor-driven roll-out device 101 with a shaft 13 that is rotatably mounted in the housing 12. The impact protection device 11 is designed as a rubber sheet 111 and, in the packaged state, is wound onto the shaft 13. The impact protection device 100 has a prediction unit 14 that is configured to predict a collision probability of the vehicle 200 with a road user (not shown). For this purpose, the prediction unit 14 has an external sensor 15 and an evaluation unit 16 for evaluating the data recorded by the external sensor 15.In the event that a collision is unavoidable and the collision probability is thus 100%, the impact protection 11 is unpacked and prepared. For this purpose, the housing 12 has a flap 17 that is opened. The rubber sheet 111 is then rolled out by the action of a preloaded spring (not shown) or by means of a motor (not shown) so that it covers the potential impact area. Essentially, three alternatives are provided: a) rolling out the rubber strip 111 over the windscreen 18 to the bonnet 19 ( Fig. 1b), b) rolling out the rubber strip 111 over the windscreen 18 and the bonnet 19 up to the bumper 20 ( Fig. 1c) or c) rolling out the rubber strip 111 over the windscreen 18, the bonnet 19 and the bumper 20 ( Fig. 1d).

[0015] Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the invention in which the unrolling device 101 is arranged between the hood 19 and the windshield 18. With such a positioning of the unrolling device 101, a rubber sheet 111 can be rolled over the windshield 18 opposite to the direction of travel or rolled over the hood 19 in the direction of travel. By appropriately winding the rubber sheet 111 around the shaft 13, the rubber sheet 111 can also be rolled out simultaneously over the windshield 18 and the hood 19. For such a case, the rubber sheet 111 has a front section and a rear section, which are wound up by the shaft 13 simultaneously with the same orientation during winding or packaging.

[0016] Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of the invention in which the roll-out device 101 is arranged on the bumper 20 of the vehicle 200. The roll-out device 101 arranged there is configured to roll out the rubber sheet 111 opposite to the direction of travel over the hood 19 and, if applicable, over the windshield 18.

[0017] Fig. 4 shows a flowchart of a method 300 for preparing an impact protection 11 by means of an impact protection device 100. The following steps are carried out: - Predicting 21 a collision probability of the vehicle 200 with at least one road user by means of the prediction unit 14 and - Unpacking 22 and preparing 23 the impact protection 11 when the collision probability is 100%.

[0018] After a collision with at least one road user, the packing 24 of the rubber sheet 111 takes place by means of the unrolling device 101, in that the rubber sheet 111 is wound up from the shaft 13. List of reference symbols 100 impact protection device 200 vehicles 300 procedures 10 Actuator 101 Roll-out device 11 Impact protection 111 rubber track 12 housings 13 Wave 14 Prediction unit 15 external sensors 16 Evaluation unit 17 flap 18 Windshield 19 Bonnet 20 bumpers 21 Predicating 22 Unpacking 23 Prepare 24 Packaging

Claims

[1] Impact protection device (100) with an actuator (10) for preparing (23) an impact protection (11) of a vehicle (200), wherein the impact protection (11) is mounted in the impact protection device (100) in a detachable manner, characterized by a prediction unit (14) configured to predict (21) a collision probability of the vehicle (200) with at least one road user, wherein the actuator (10) unpacks and prepares the impact protection (11) when the collision probability with the at least one road user is 100%. [2] Impact protection device (100) according to claim 1, characterized by that the prediction unit (14) comprises an external sensor system (15) of the vehicle (200) and an evaluation unit (16). [3] Impact protection device (100) according to one of claims 1 or 2 characterized by that the impact protection (11) can be reversibly packed and unpacked by means of the actuator (10). [4] Impact protection device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the actuator (10) is designed as a rolling-out device (101) which is designed for the reversible rolling-in and rolling-out of at least one impact protection (11), wherein the impact protection (11) is preferably designed as a rubber sheet (111). [5] Impact protection device (100) according to claim 4, characterized by that the rolling-out device (101) has a housing (12) in which a shaft (13) is rotatably mounted, on which the rubber sheet (111) is rolled up and pre-tensioned in the packaged state of the impact protection (11). [6] Impact protection device (100) according to one of claims 4 or 5, characterized bythat the rolling-out device (101) is arranged on the vehicle (200) with respect to a vehicle coordinate system in such a way that when unpacking (22) and preparing (23) the impact protection (11) the rolling-out of the at least one rubber sheet (111) takes place in the direction of travel and / or opposite to the direction of travel. [7] Impact protection device (100) according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized by that the vehicle (200) has a windscreen (18), a bonnet (19) and a bumper (20), wherein at least one roll-out device (101) is arranged such that when the impact protection (11) is prepared (23), the rubber sheet (111) is - in the direction of travel over the windscreen (18) to the bonnet (19), - in the direction of travel over the windscreen (18) and the bonnet (19) to the bumper (20), - in the direction of travel via the windscreen (18), the bonnet (19) and the bumper (20), - in the direction of travel over the bonnet (19) to the bumper (20), - in the direction of travel via the bonnet (19) and the bumper (20), - opposite to the direction of travel via the windscreen (18), - opposite to the direction of travel over the bonnet (19) to the windscreen (18), - opposite to the direction of travel via the bonnet (19) and the windscreen (18), - opposite to the direction of travel over the bumper (20), the bonnet (19) to the windscreen (18), - opposite to the direction of travel via the bumper (20), the bonnet (19) and the windscreen (18), - opposite to the direction of travel over the windscreen (18) and in the direction of travel over the bonnet (19) to the bumper (20), - opposite to the direction of travel via the windscreen (18) and in the direction of travel via the bonnet (19) and the bumper (20), or. [8] Vehicle (200) characterized by an impact protection device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the vehicle (200) is preferably highly automated or autonomously controlled. [9] Method (300) for preparing (23) an impact protection (11) by means of an impact protection device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 7, comprising the steps: - predicting (21) a collision probability of the vehicle (200) with at least one road user by means of the prediction unit (14) and - Unpacking (22) and preparing (23) the impact protection (11) when the collision probability is 100%. [10] Method (300) according to claim 9, characterized bythat the impact protection (11) is packed by means of the actuator (10) after the collision with the at least one road user.

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