Shock absorber device for tricycle vehicle.

Abstract

The invention relates to an energy-absorbing device (1) designed to be fitted to the body of a tricycle motor vehicle. The device (1) comprises a first interface (10) designed to allow the device (1) to be attached to a steering tube (4) of the body. The device (1) has a body (11) designed to form a protective volume between a guide (5) of the body and the steering tube (4) when the first interface (10) is attached to the steering tube (4). The body (11) is shaped to be impacted by the guide (5) in the event of a frontal collision to the body, causing the steering tube (4) and the guide (5) to come together, and to compress the protective volume by absorbing at least a portion of the energy released by the frontal collision. (Figure 3)

Description

Title of the invention: Absorbing device for tricycle vehicle.

[0001] The technical field relates to absorber devices for a tricycle vehicle body, tricycle vehicle bodies equipped with such devices and finally tricycle motor vehicles having such a body.

[0002] Automobile manufacturers are particularly attentive to the safety of their customers when they are in their vehicles. Four-wheeled vehicles intended for the American and / or European markets are subject to numerous road safety regulations. Thus, automobile manufacturers must ensure the safety of vehicle occupants in the event of a collision. In order to guarantee passenger safety, vehicles are subjected to various standardized crash simulation procedures against a rigid obstacle impacting the vehicle. Such standardized procedures are, for example, described by the various national road safety authorities. Automobile manufacturers are therefore accustomed to studying the behavior of their vehicles subjected to standardized crash procedures.

[0003] Certain types of vehicles, such as some tricycles, are not intended for markets that require stringent testing procedures. Therefore, the safety of some tricycles could be improved.

[0004] In this context, some tricycle vehicles have a chassis with a steering tube, forming part of the structure to which a guide bar, connecting a handlebar to the front wheel, is attached and articulated to steer the front wheel of the tricycle vehicle. However, in the event of a frontal impact on the tricycle vehicle, experience shows that the front wheel, upon impacting the obstacle, causes a deformation of the guide bar, which moves closer to the steering tube. When the guide bar comes into contact with the steering tube, further deformations are generally observed, involving plastic deformation of the steering tube. Such deformations cause intrusions into the area occupied by the driver, which are likely to cause injury to the driver.

[0005] Thus, there is a need for a solution to limit plastic deformations of the steering tube, which could cause injury to the driver in the event of a front impact suffered by a tricycle motor vehicle.

[0006] The present invention aims to overcome the problems described above. In this technical context, one objective of the present invention is to provide an absorbing device for equipping a tricycle motor vehicle to limit dangerous deformations of the steering tube.

[0007] To this end, the present invention relates to an absorber device designed to equip a tricycle motor vehicle body, the device comprising a first interface designed to allow the device to be fixed to a steering tube of the body, the device having a body designed to form a protective volume between a guide of the body and the steering tube, when the first interface is fixed to the steering tube, the body being shaped to be impacted by the guide, in the event of a front impact suffered by the body causing the steering tube and the guide to come together, and to crush the protective volume by absorbing at least part of the energy released by the front impact.

[0008] The invention also relates to a tricycle motor vehicle body comprising a steering tube forming part of the body structure, allowing a body guide designed to control the orientation of a front wheel of the vehicle to be fixed to and articulated to the body, the body further comprising at least one absorber device according to the invention, each first interface being fixed on the steering tube, each body extending between the steering tube and the guide.

[0009] The invention finally relates to a tricycle motor vehicle having a body according to the invention.

[0010] Thus, the energy absorber device according to the invention can be fitted to a conventional tricycle. It is simply a matter of attaching the energy absorber device to the steering tube using the first interface. In the event of a frontal collision, the body, positioned between the guide and the steering tube, will deform under the impact of the guide to absorb all or part of the energy released by the collision. Thus, the deformations undergone by the steering tube are minimized thanks to the energy absorber device. The energy absorber device is simple and inexpensive to produce. It is easily installed on a conventional tricycle. In the event of a frontal collision, the tricycle according to the invention therefore offers increased safety guarantees for the driver, compared to a conventional tricycle.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the absorber device, the body extends between the first interface and a second interface, designed to be positioned opposite the guide and shaped to fit the external shape of the guide.

[0012] According to one possibility of the device, the second interface is inclined relative to the first interface.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the device, the body is formed at least partly of a foam and / or the protective volume is at least partially filled with a foam.

[0014] Advantageously, the foam has a density between 60 g / L and 140 g / L, preferably 90 g / L.

[0015] According to one possibility, the first interface has an adhesive surface designed to allow the device to be fixed to the steering tube.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the case, the body of the device occupies the space between the guide and the steering tube.

[0017] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following detailed description, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0018] [Fig-1] [Fig.1] represents a perspective view of a tricycle vehicle according to the invention;

[0019] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] represents a perspective view of an absorber device according to the invention equipping the vehicle of the [Fig.1];

[0020] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] represents a perspective and detail view of the vehicle body of [Fig.1] showing the device of [Fig.2] installed on the body.

[0021] In these figures, the same references are used to designate the same elements.

[0022] A shock-absorbing device 1 according to the invention, illustrated in the figures and in particular in [Fig. 2], is designed to equip a body 2 of a tricycle automobile vehicle 3, illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. As illustrated in [Fig. 1] and 3, the body 2 conventionally has a steering tube 4 forming part of the structure. As illustrated in [Fig. 1], the steering tube 4 forms a beam extending along a vertical axis of the vehicle. The steering tube 4 allows for the attachment and articulation of a guide 5. The guide 5 allows the front wheel 6 of the tricycle automobile vehicle according to the invention to be steered. In the illustrated example, the guide 5 forms a tubular rod connecting the front wheel 6 with a handlebar 7 for steering the vehicle. For this purpose, the guide 5 rotates in a joint 8 fixed to the steering tube 4, illustrated in [Fig. 3].The guide 5 extends along an inclined direction relative to the steering tube 4 and therefore forms an angle 9 with the steering tube 4, illustrated in [Fig.3].

[0023] The device 1 includes a first interface 10 designed to allow the device 1 to be attached to the steering tube 4 of the body 2. As illustrated in [Fig. 2], the first interface 10 has, for example, a shape complementary to the steering tube 4. In the example shown in [Fig. 2], the first interface 10 has a concave shape. In order to allow the attachment of the first interface 10, it has, for example, an adhesive surface, not shown, designed to allow the device 1 to be attached to the steering tube 4.

[0024] As illustrated in [Fig.2], the device 1 has a body 11 designed to form a protective volume 12 between the guide 5 of the case 2 and the steering tube 4, when the first interface 10 is fixed on the steering tube 4.

[0025] The body 11 is shaped to be impacted by the guide 5, in the event of a front impact suffered by the body 2 causing the steering tube 4 and the guide 5 to come together, and to crush the protective volume 12 by absorbing at least part of the energy released by the front impact.

[0026] In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the body 11 extends between the first interface 10 and a second interface 13, designed to be positioned opposite the guide 5. The second interface 13 is shaped to conform to the external shape of the guide 5. In this case, the second interface 13 has a concave shape. The second interface 13 is inclined relative to the first interface 10.

[0027] In the example illustrated in [Fig.2], the body 11 has a variable thickness between the first 10 and second 13 interfaces, ranging from 9 mm to 26 mm.

[0028] In the case 2 illustrated in figures 1 and 3, when the first interface 10 is fixed on the steering tube 4, the device 1 occupies the space between the steering tube 4 and the guide 5 filling the angle 9. The second interface 13 is, for example, in contact with the guide 5. Alternatively, the second interface 13 extends to a distance from the guide 5 sufficient to create a play allowing the guide 5 to rotate when the handlebar 7 is manipulated.

[0029] Advantageously, the body 11 is formed at least partly of foam and / or the protective volume 12 is at least partially filled with foam. In the embodiment illustrated in [Fig. 2], the body 11 is entirely formed of foam. The first 10 and second 13 interfaces are formed in the body 11.

[0030] The foam used to form the device 1 advantageously has a density between 60 g / L and 140 g / L. Preferably, the foam has a density of around 90 g / L.

[0031] Thus, the absorber device 1 can be fitted to a conventional tricycle motor vehicle. The absorber device 1 is simply attached to the steering tube 4 using the first interface 10. In the event of a frontal impact, the body 11 will deform under the impact of the guide 5 to absorb all or part of the energy released by the impact. Therefore, the deformations undergone by the steering tube 4 are minimized thanks to the absorber device 1.

[0032] The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the absorber device described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments can be designed by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope and extent of the present invention.

Claims

Demands

1. Absorber device (1) designed to equip a body (2) of a tricycle motor vehicle, the device (1) comprising a first interface (10) designed to allow the attachment of the device (1) to a steering tube (4) of the body (2), the device (1) having a body (11) designed to form a protective volume (12) between a guide (5) of the body (2) and the steering tube (4), when the first interface (10) is attached to the steering tube (4), the body (11) being shaped to be impacted by the guide (5), in the event of a front impact suffered by the body (2) causing the steering tube (4) and the guide (5) to come together, and to crush the protective volume (12) by absorbing at least a part of the energy released by the front impact.

2. Absorber device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the body (11) extends between the first interface (10) and a second interface (13), designed to be disposed opposite the guide (5) and shaped to fit the external shape of the guide (5).

3. Absorber device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the second interface (13) is inclined with respect to the first interface (10).

4. Absorbing device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the body (11) is formed at least in part of a foam and / or the protective volume (12) is at least partially filled with a foam.

5. Absorber device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the foam has a density between 60 g / L and 140 g / L, preferably 90 g / L.

6. Absorber device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the first interface (10) has an adhesive surface designed to allow the device (1) to be fixed to the steering tube (4).

7. A tricycle motor vehicle body (2) comprising a steering tube (4) forming part of the body structure (2), for attaching to and articulating a guide (5) of the body (2) designed to control the orientation of a front wheel (6) of the vehicle, the body (2) further comprising at least one device 6 (1) absorber according to any one of claims 1 to 6, each first interface (10) being fixed on the steering tube (4), each body (11) extending between the steering tube (4) and the guide (5).

8. Box (2) according to claim 7, characterized in that the body (11) of the device (1) occupies the space between the guide (5) and the steering tube (4).

9. Tricycle motor vehicle having a body (2) according to claim 7 or 8.

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