Land transport vehicle including an external airbag

Abstract

Land transport vehicle comprising an external airbag. The vehicle (10) comprises a vehicle body extending in a longitudinal direction (X), and includes an external airbag (16) arranged at the front of the vehicle body (10). The airbag (16), when deployed, has a generally asymmetrical shape with respect to a median plane (P) of the vehicle (10), the median plane (P) extending in the longitudinal direction (X) and a vertical direction (Z) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X). Figure for the abbreviation: Figure 1

Description

Description Title of the invention: Land transport vehicle comprising a outdoor safety airbag

[0001] — The present invention relates to a land transport vehicle comprising a outdoor safety inflatable cushion.

[0002] — An external safety airbag is intended to reduce damage caused by a collision with an external element, such as another vehicle, a pedestrian, an animal, etc. This damage is reduced by the inflation of the cushion, and also partially due to the elasticity of this inflatable cushion.

[0003] — The present invention aims in particular to improve the efficiency of such a cushion inflatable, especially in the event of a frontal collision.

[0004] — To this end, the invention relates in particular to a land transport vehicle, in particular a railway vehicle, comprising a vehicle body extending into a longitudinal direction, and featuring an external airbag Positioned at the front of the vehicle body, the airbag is designed to be deployed in the event of a collision or detection of an object in front of the vehicle, near the front of the vehicle body, characterized in that the safety airbag when deployed, it presents a general asymmetrical shape with respect to a plane median of the vehicle, the median plane extending in the longitudinal direction and a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0005] — The asymmetrical shape of the airbag has the effect of pushing a sideways element colliding head-on with the vehicle. This element thus finds itself in outside the vehicle's trajectory, which has the effect of reducing the damage received.

[0006] A railway vehicle according to the invention may further comprise one or more the following characteristics, taken alone or in any technical combinations- only conceivable.

[0007] - The vehicle has a single airbag at the front.

[0008] - The vehicle has a collision detection device, comprising a laser remote sensing device.

[0009] — - The inflatable cushion, when deployed, has a first edge extending substantially in the longitudinal direction between the front of the vehicle body and a front end of the airbag, and a second edge inclined relative to this longitudinal direction, also extending between the front of the vehicle body and the same front end.

[0010] - The second edge is preferably curved, and in particular has a concavity.

[0011] — - The inflatable cushion, when deployed, has a height, considered in the vertical direction Z, which decreases from the front of the vehicle body towards a front end of the airbag in the longitudinal direction. - The safety device includes a rod, preferably telescopic, movable between a retracted position in the vehicle body and a deployed position, the rod in the deployed position being housed in the airbag. - The deployed rod extends along the first edge from the front of the vehicle body to the front end of the airbag. - The extended stem is slightly oriented downwards in the vertical direction. - The safety device is configured to deploy the rod only when the mass of an element with which the vehicle is going to collide is greater than a predefined threshold. Various aspects and advantages of the invention will be highlighted in the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the attached figures, among which: - [fig.1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a land transport vehicle according to an example of an embodiment of the invention, with a deployed safety airbag; - [fig.2] Figure 2 is a side view of the vehicle in figure 1; and - [fig.3] Figure 3 is a top view of the vehicle in figure 1. The figures show a land transport vehicle, in particular a railway vehicle 10, according to an example of an embodiment of the invention. The railway vehicle can be of any conceivable type (tram, regional train, metro, mainline train, TGV, etc.). More specifically, a partial representation of the lead car of the railway vehicle 10 is shown. The railway vehicle may include other cars, or consist solely of the aforementioned lead car. The lead car comprises a vehicle body extending in a longitudinal direction X. In this description, the "longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle" will be referred to as the direction in which the lead car extends. This is also the direction in which the vehicle moves. We will also consider a vertical direction Z, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X. The vertical direction Z is the direction perpendicular to the ground on which the vehicle is placed. The vehicle 10 includes an external safety device 12, comprising a collision detection device 14 and a safety airbag 16. Preferably, the safety device 12 includes only a single airbag 16. The collision detection device 14, for example, consists of a laser remote sensing device (LIDAR, an acronym for the English expression "laser detection"). and ranging). This detection device 14 is designed to emit a laser beam and receive its echo, thereby determining the distance of an object in front of the vehicle 10. When this determined distance is less than a predefined threshold, the safety device 12 triggers the deployment of the safety airbag 16. Of course, the vehicle 10 could alternatively include any other type of collision detection device. In this description, it is the deployed airbag 16 that is described. Indeed, it is the shape of the deployed airbag 16 that is important within the context of the invention. The inflatable cushion 16 (deployed) has a general asymmetrical shape with respect to a median plane P, parallel to the longitudinal direction X and the vertical direction Z, as is particularly visible in Figure 3. More specifically, the airbag 16, when deployed, has a first lateral edge 16a extending substantially in the longitudinal direction X, and a second lateral edge 16b inclined with respect to this longitudinal direction. This second lateral edge 16b is preferably curved, and in particular has a concavity. The first lateral edge 16a extends between the vehicle 10 and a front end 16c of the airbag 16, and the second lateral edge 16b also extends between the vehicle 10 and the same front end 16c. Thus, during a frontal collision with an element 18 (in particular a car as shown in Figure 3), this element 18 comes into contact with the front end 16c and / or the second edge 16b. In both cases, the element 18 is driven by the inclination of the second edge 16b, so as to be pushed out of the trajectory of the vehicle 10. Furthermore, when element 18 comes into contact with the second inclined edge 16b, the angle formed with this second edge 16b reduces the force of the collision, compared with a purely frontal collision. Preferably, as shown in particular in Figure 2, the height of the airbag 16 (deployed), considered in the vertical direction Z, decreases from the vehicle 10 towards the front end 16c in the longitudinal direction X. Advantageously, the airbag 16 houses a rod 20, preferably telescopic, which, when deployed, extends along the first edge 16a from the front of the vehicle body 10 to the front end 16c of the airbag. This telescopic rod 20 is deployed simultaneously with the airbag 16 to ensure that the airbag 16 deploys correctly and maintains its asymmetrical shape during a collision. As shown in Figure 2, the deployed rod 20 is preferably slightly oriented downwards in the vertical direction Z. When not deployed, the telescopic rod 20 is retracted into a housing at the front of the vehicle body. According to an advantageous embodiment, the rod 20 is deployed only when the mass of the impacted element 18 exceeds a predefined threshold. This mass can be estimated by the detection device 14. Thus, the rod 20 is deployed, for example, in the event of an impact with a vehicle, when the intensity of the collision is assumed to be high, but is not necessary in the event of an impact with a pedestrian, where the airbag 16 is sufficient. The operation of vehicle 10 according to the invention is described below. When the vehicle 10 is moving, the detection device 14 continuously observes in front of the vehicle body 10 to detect any element 18 (vehicle, object, person, animal) in the path of this vehicle 10, When an element 18 is detected on the trajectory, and a collision is foreseeable, safety operations are implemented. For example, an emergency braking system may be activated first. However, when a collision is unavoidable, the safety device 12 deploys the airbag 16 (with or without the bar 20, as previously indicated). Element 18 then comes into contact with the airbag 16, and is pushed by the latter to the side, outside the trajectory of the vehicle 10. Following the accident, airbag 16 is deflated, and can be detached from vehicle 10 to allow vehicle 10 to continue its journey, avoiding a long, costly and dangerous disembarkation of the passengers of vehicle 10 onto the tracks.

Claims

Demands

1. Land transport vehicle (10), in particular a rail vehicle, comprising a vehicle body extending in a longitudinal direction technical (X), and comprising a safety device (12) including a airbag safety cushion (16) externally arranged at the front of the body vehicle (10), the airbag being suitable for deployment in the event of impact or detection of an object in front of the vehicle, near the front of the vehicle body, characterized in that the airbag security (16) presents, when deployed, a general asymmetrical form metric with respect to a median plane (P) of the vehicle (10), the plane median (P) extending along the longitudinal direction (X) and following a vertical direction (Z) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (XX.

2. Vehicle (10) according to claim 1, comprising at the front a single safety airbag (16).

3. Vehicle (10) according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a device for collision detection (14), including in particular a tele- Laser detection.

4. Vehicle (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the airbag (16), when deployed, presents a first lateral edge (16a) extending substantially in the long- gitudinale (X) between the front of the vehicle body (10) and an end front (16c) of the airbag (16), and a second lateral edge (16b) inclined relative to this longitudinal direction (X), extending also between the front of the vehicle body (10) and the same end before (16c).

5. Vehicle (10) according to claim 4, wherein the second edge The lateral (16b) is curved, and notably has a concavity.

6. Vehicle (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the airbag (16), when deployed, presents a height, considered in the vertical direction Z, which decreases, from the front of the vehicle body (10) towards a front end (16c) of the airbag (16), along the longitudinal direction (X).

7. Vehicle (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the safety device (12) comprises a rod (20), of telescopic preference, mobile between a retracted position in the vehicle body (10) and a deployed position, the rod (20) in position deployed being housed in the inflatable cushion (16).

8. Vehicle (10) according to claim 7 taken in combination with the re- claim 4, in which, in the deployed position, the rod (20) extends the along the first lateral edge (16a) from the front of the vehicle body (10) up to the front end (16c) of the airbag (16).

9. Vehicle (10) according to claim 7 or 8, in which in position When deployed, the stem (20) is slightly oriented downwards in the vertical direction (Z).

10. Vehicle (10) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, in which the safety device (12) is configured to not deploy the rod (20) that when the mass of an element (18) with which the vehicle (10) will collide if detected above a predefined threshold.