motor vehicle

Abstract

Motor vehicle, comprising a winch (4) provided at the front (3) or at the rear (13) and at least one mat-like surface element (11) which can be connected to the winch (4) via one or more pulling elements (7) which can be detachably connected to the surface element (11), wherein the surface element (11) located behind or in front of the motor vehicle (1) can be pulled under both wheels (2) upon rotation of the winch (4) and simultaneous rotation of at least the wheels (2) of a common side of the vehicle.

Description

The invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a winch provided at the front or at the rear.It sometimes happens that a motor vehicle gets stuck when it is driving in sandy or sandy terrain, i.e. cannot drive either forwards or backwards under its own force, since the wheels no longer grip and spin. Vehicles which frequently move in such terrain are off-road vehicles or else SUVs (sport utility vehicle), which are very frequently provided with an all-wheel drive, optionally also in a connectable manner. Off-road vehicles in particular frequently also have a winch arranged on the front or on the rear with a cable wound thereon. If such a vehicle remains stuck, it is possible to fasten the cable to a stable object, such as a tree or the like, located in the environment close to the vehicle and to switch on the winch, so that the cable is wound up and in the process the vehicle pulls itself out of position, if appropriate with the assistance of the driven wheels. An example of this is found in DE 198 06 511 A. However, such a stable object is not always present, for example when driving through edema or desert-like terrain.U.S. Pat. No. 2,428,680 A discloses an auxiliary device which has a mat-like surface element which is suspended by means of a hook on a bumper of the own motor vehicle via a cable connection together with an integrated helical spring and is initially placed on the ground in front of a wheel. The helical spring is tensioned in this case. If the wheel is driven, the wheel rotation and the tension force of the helical spring pull the surface element under the wheel, which runs onto the surface element and moves from its position.Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,440 A discloses an auxiliary device which likewise has a mat-like surface element which is fastened by means of a cable to a spindle which is to be mounted first on an adjacent wheel. As the wheel rotates, the spindle also rotates and wraps the rope so that the panel is pulled under the wheel. Thus, a separate spindle is first required here, which is difficult to mount, provided that it can be fastened at all to the wheel or the rim.The invention is based on the problem of specifying an improved motor vehicle.To solve the problem, a motor vehicle is provided according to the invention, comprising a winch provided at the front or at the rear and at least one mat-like surface element which can be connected to the winch via one or more traction elements which can be detachably connected to the surface element, wherein the surface element lying behind or in front of the motor vehicle can be pulled under both wheels during rotation of the winch and simultaneous rotation of at least the wheels of a common vehicle side.In the motor vehicle according to the invention, the winch provided at the front or at the rear, which has a motor so that it can be actively driven, is used to pull at least one mat-like surface element under at least part of the wheels of the vehicle so that the wheels can ride on the surface element, which provides sufficient traction so that the vehicle can be moved automatically out of its position. For this purpose, the surface element is connected to the winch via one or more releasable tension elements. Depending on whether the winch is at the front or at the rear, the surface element is initially positioned at the opposite end of the vehicle in front of at least one of the front or rear wheels. The winch is then driven by motor, so that the tension element or elements are wound up. At the same time, the wheels of the vehicle also rotate as far as they are driven, the direction of rotation of which is such that they move the surface element in the direction of the winch in a supporting manner. This has the result that the mat-like surface element is moved under at least the wheels of a vehicle side, wherein the winch winds up the traction element or elements until the surface element has virtually reached an end position in which it is arranged under both wheels, and therefore the vehicle is standing on the surface element at least with the two wheels of a common vehicle side. Since, as described, the surface element is detachably coupled to the winch via the tension element or elements, the connection is released in the next step by separating the connection of the tension element or elements to form the surface element. In this state, the vehicle stands on the surface element at least with the two wheels of a common vehicle side. The surface element is a sufficiently stable, mat-like part which also allows higher tangential forces which are introduced via the wheels to be absorbed. The user now gets into the vehicle and can then drive out of his position on the surface element, since the wheels standing on the surface element have sufficient traction to the surface element, i.e. sufficient grip is provided.The mat-like surface element must be sufficiently stable. This can be a sufficiently thick, preferably perforated or structured rubber mat or plastic mat, or a metal mat or a metal fabric or the like. It must be designed in such a way that it can absorb the still considerable interaction forces which are applied for moving out of position when the motor vehicle, which sometimes weighs several tons, starts. Corresponding structures such as rib-like or nub-like projections or the like are conceivable, which improve the traction.According to a further development of the invention, the surface element preferably has a width which corresponds at least to the width of the motor vehicle, wherein the wheels of both vehicle sides rotate together for pulling the surface element under the wheels. Alternatively, two surface elements can also be provided, which can each be drawn separately under the two wheels on one side. Consequently, two variants are conceivable. According to one variant, a surface element is used which substantially has the width of the motor vehicle, so that it can be moved under the wheels of both vehicle sides. In this case, two tension elements are expediently provided, which are coupled to the winch, so that the surface element is symmetrically drawn on both sides. In principle, however, only one tension element detachably fastened centrally on the surface element would also be conceivable if the tension element has sufficient transverse stability. In this case, all wheels are consequently on the common surface element at the end of the process. According to the other alternative, two separate surface elements are provided, which are each moved separately, but simultaneously, under the pair of wheels of the respective vehicle side. In this case, each surface element is naturally coupled to the winch by a separate tension element. Here, the two wheels of a common vehicle side are thus each located on a surface element.Furthermore, it can be provided according to the invention that the or each tension element is guided on a guide roller assigned to the winch. A defined guidance of the tension element or elements is possible via this guide roller. This is because the winch is usually located in the vehicle center, while the connection points of the traction element or elements are mostly in the side region of the common surface element, or on the corresponding narrow surface elements. In any case, however, the tension elements run at an angle obliquely outwards from the winch to the fastening point on the surface element or elements. In order to prevent an obliquely acting tensile force from being exerted on the surface element or elements during winding-up, which would lead to an oblique pulling and thus to a pulling angle deviating from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, the or each tensile element is guided on a corresponding guide roller, via which it is deflected in a suitable manner. Such a guide roller ensures that the respective traction element, when viewed from the guide elements, runs in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle toward the guide roller, and therefore the traction force acts in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, so that the guide elements are necessarily pulled under the wheels in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Such a guide roller is expediently arranged offset laterally with respect to the centrally arranged winch, so that the winch does not have to be too wide, but a corresponding deflection is nevertheless possible. However, in the case that the winch extends for example largely over the vehicle width, the guide roller does not have to allow a deflection for compensating an angular offset, but rather only a defined guidance of the tension element in order to ensure a safe winding operation.The tension element or elements are preferably ropes, in particular steel ropes, although chains are also conceivable. The tension element or elements are wound on the winch, i.e. fastened to the latter, the releasable fastening interface being located on the planar element. If the vehicle is in a corresponding locked position, the traction element or elements are unwound from the winch and pulled under the vehicle to the opposite vehicle end, where the surface element is attached, for example via a hook connection such as a carabiner or the like, after which the traction element or elements are rewound.Although the winch can be fixed in position on the front or on the rear of the vehicle, it is also conceivable for the winch to be detachably attachable to the front and on the rear, so that it can be arranged in front or behind depending on the situation. This can be used to react to situations in which there is sufficient space for laying out the surface element or the surface elements only at one end of the vehicle.In addition to the motor vehicle, the invention also relates to a method for moving a surface element under the wheels of at least one vehicle side of a motor vehicle, having the following steps:configuring a mat-like surface element behind or in front of the motor vehicle,unwinding at least one traction means from a winch fastened to the front or to the rear of the motor vehicle and pulling the traction means under the motor vehicle up to the surface element,fastening the tension element to the surface element,winding the traction element onto the winch while simultaneously rotating the wheels of at least one vehicle side until the wheels of the vehicle side stand on the surface element,releasing the tension element from the surface element.Consequently, with few steps, on the one hand, the surface element can be brought into position and, on the other hand, a situation can be created which allows the user to move the motor vehicle from the stopped position under his own force.In a further embodiment of the method, it can be provided that a surface element is used which has a width which corresponds at least to the width of the motor vehicle, wherein the wheels of both vehicle sides rotate together for pulling the surface element under the wheels, or that two surface elements are used which are each separately pulled under the two wheels of one side each.The or that tension element is preferably guided over a guide roller which is assigned to the winch.Further advantages and details of the present invention are evident from the exemplary embodiments described below and on the basis of the drawing. The following are shown: FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a motor vehicle according to the invention with a winch located at the front and a surface element designed behind the rear, FIG. 2 shows the arrangement from FIG. 1 with the traction element unrolled from the winch, solid below the vehicle and fastened to the surface element, FIG. 3 shows the arrangement from FIG. 2 after winding up the tension element and pulling the surface element under the wheels of the motor vehicle, FIG. 4 shows the arrangement from FIG. 4 after releasing the tension element from the surface element and starting driving from the position under its own force, FIG. 5 shows a schematic illustration of a surface element of a first embodiment, showing the wheels and the winch of the motor vehicle, and FIG. 6 shows a schematic illustration of a surface element of a second embodiment, illustrating the wheels and the winch of the motor vehicle.FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a motor vehicle 1 according to the invention, comprising in the example shown the usual four wheels 2, of which only two are shown, on the opposite vehicle side, of course also two wheels 2.A winch 4 comprising a winding roll 5 and a motor 6 driving the winding roll 5 is arranged on the front 3 of the motor vehicle 1. The winch 4 may be detachable so that it can also be mounted to the vehicle rear if necessary. Wound onto the winch is at least one tension element 7, preferably a cable 8, in particular a steel cable, on which a fastening element 9, shown here by way of example as a hook, is arranged at the end. Associated with the winch 4 is at least one guide roller 10 which, as will be described below, serves for guiding the cable 8. Within the scope of this guidance, a pure deflection from top to bottom can be carried out, but additionally also a lateral guidance if the cable 8 is to be guided to a vehicle side starting from the winch 4, which is usually positioned centrally.Furthermore, a mat-like surface element 11 is provided, which is preferably a sufficiently stable rubber or plastic mat or a metal grid 12 which is perforated, for example, via a plurality of perforations and preferably has a surface structure, for example protruding ribs or knobs or the like. It is assumed that, as is shown by way of example in FIG. 5, the surface element 11 has a width b which substantially corresponds to the vehicle width, i.e. that the width b is greater than the wheel spacing of two wheels 2 lying on an axle, as is shown by way of illustration in FIG. 5. The length of the surface element 11 is greater than the axial distance, as FIG. 5 likewise shows clearly. The surface element 11 is designed to adjoin the rear 13 of the motor vehicle 1, and is located directly adjacent to the two rear wheels 2.It is assumed that the motor vehicle 1 has been stopped, i.e. it is on sandy or sandy or icy ground and can no longer move out of position, either forwards or backwards, by more active driving of the wheels 2. With the aid provided according to the invention, comprising the surface element 11 in conjunction with the winch 4, however, the motor vehicle 1 can automatically free itself from the situation.For this purpose, see FIG. 1, the cable 8 is initially unwound from the winding roller 5, i.e. the drive motor 6 rotates the winding roller 5, so that the cable 8 is unwound, as shown by the arrow P 1. It is guided around the guide roller 10 and drawn under the motor vehicle 1, as shown by the arrow P 2. It is unwound until the fastening element 9 can be firmly connected to a corresponding fastening receptacle 14 of the surface element 11. This situation is shown in Fig. 2. It is assumed that only one cable 8 is wound onto the winding roller 5, which cable in this case is guided virtually centrally under the motor vehicle 1 as far as the surface element 11 and is fastened there to a centrally arranged fastening receptacle 14. This presupposes a sufficient transverse stability of the surface element 11. It is also conceivable for two cables 8 to be wound on the winding roll 5 and to be guided under the motor vehicle 1 to the surface element 11 and to be fixed there on lateral fastening receptacles 14. In this case, the two cables 8 are guided and deflected towards the respective vehicle sides via the then provided two guide roller 10, so that they again run parallel and in a straight line in the vehicle longitudinal direction towards the surface element 11.Starting from the situation in FIG. 2, in which the cable or cables 8 are connected fixedly but releasably to the surface element 11, the winding roll 5 is now actively driven via the drive motor 6, as shown by the arrow P 3, so that the cable or cables 8 are wound again. At the same time, the wheels 2 of at least one vehicle side, but preferably all the wheels 2, also rotate in the clockwise direction, as is represented by the arrows P 4. As a result, as shown by the arrow P 5, the surface element 11 is successively pulled under the wheels 2 until the end position shown in FIG. 3, in which the winch 4 is switched off and the wheels 2 no longer rotate. As can be seen, the surface element 11 is located under all wheels 2, the motor vehicle is standing on the surface element 11 overall.In the next step, see FIG. 4, the fastening element 9 is now released from the fastening receptacle 14 and the cable 8 is wound up even further, as shown by the arrow P 6. Subsequently, the user can enter the motor vehicle again and start the reversing operation. In this case, the wheels rotate back again, that is to say in the clockwise direction, as is illustrated by the arrows P 7. The vehicle 1 consequently drives backwards, as is represented by the arrow P 8, since the surface element 11 offers sufficient traction for the wheels 2 so that the motor vehicle 1 can drive under its own force from the emergency situation.Once the motor vehicle 1 has been driven down from the surface element 11, it can be wound up again and stowed.As described, FIG. 5 shows a basic illustration of a surface element 11, the width b of which is greater than the distance between two wheels 2 lying on one axle, and the length l of which is longer than the wheel-to-axle distance, such that the motor vehicle 1 stands with all wheels 2 on the one surface element 11 in the situation shown in FIG. 3.FIG. 6, on the other hand, shows a configuration in which two surface elements 11 are used which have a significantly smaller width b, with the same length l as described with reference to FIG. 5. Here, separate surface elements 11 are thus drawn under the wheels 2 per wheel pair on one vehicle side in the same manner as described above, wherein in this case, of course, two traction elements 7 or cables 8 are necessarily present on the winch 4.References included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedDE 198 06 511

[0002] U.S. Pat. No. 2,428,680 A

[0003] U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,440 A

[0004]

Claims

Motor vehicle, comprising a winch (4) provided on the front (3) or on the rear (13) and at least one mat-like surface element (11) which can be connected to the winch (4) via one or more traction elements (7) which can be detachably connected to the surface element (11), wherein the surface element (11) lying behind or in front of the motor vehicle (1) can be pulled under both wheels (2) during rotation of the winch (4) and simultaneous rotation of at least the wheels (2) of a common vehicle side.Motor vehicle according to Claim 1, characterized in that the planar element (11) has a width (b) which corresponds at least to the width of the motor vehicle (1), wherein the wheels (2) of both vehicle sides rotate jointly for pulling the planar element (11) under the wheels (2), or in that two planar elements (11) are provided which can each be pulled separately under the two wheels (2) in each case on one vehicle side.Motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the or each traction element (7) is guided on a guide roller (10) associated with the winch (4).Motor vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the traction element or elements (7) are ropes (8) or chains.Motor vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the or each surface element (11) is a rubber or plastic mat or a metal fabric or metal grid.Motor vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the winch (4) can be fastened detachably to the front (3) and to the rear (13).Method for moving a surface element (11) under the wheels of at least one vehicle side of a motor vehicle (1), having the following steps: - laying at least one mat-like surface element (11) behind or in front of the motor vehicle (1), - unwinding at least one traction means (7) from a winch (4) fastened to the front (3) or to the rear (13) of the motor vehicle (1) and pulling the traction means (7) under the motor vehicle (1) as far as the surface element (11), - fastening the traction element (7) to the surface element (11), - winding the traction element (7) onto the winch (4) while simultaneously rotating the wheels (2) of at least one vehicle side until the wheels (2) of the vehicle side stand on the surface element (11), - releasing the traction element (7) from the surface element (11).Method according to Claim 7, characterized in that a surface element (11) is used which has a width (b) which corresponds at least to the width (b) of the motor vehicle (1), wherein the wheels (2) of both vehicle sides rotate jointly for pulling the surface element (11) under the wheels (2), or in that two surface elements (11) are used which are each pulled separately under the two wheels (2) in each case on one side.Method according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in that the or each tension element (7) is guided over a guide roller (10) which is associated with the winch (4).

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