Device for protecting the feet of a motor vehicle driver

Abstract

The invention relates to a protection device (1) designed to protect a foot (2) of a front occupant of a motor vehicle in the event of a frontal impact, the device (1) comprising a first portion (6) designed to allow the device (1) to be secured to a return bar (3) of a pedal assembly (4), the device (1) comprising a second portion (8) designed, when the first portion (6) is secured to the return bar (3), to be arranged at least in part between the foot (2) to be protected and the return bar (3), and also to deform and absorb a portion of the energy of the frontal impact undergone by the vehicle and transmitted to the return bar (3).

Description

Description Title of the invention: Device for protecting the feet of a motor vehicle driver.

[0001] The present invention claims priority from French application 2309902 filed on September 19, 2023, the content of which (text, drawings and claims) is incorporated herein by reference. The technical field relates to devices for protecting the feet of the front occupants of a motor vehicle, pedal systems comprising such a protection device and vehicles equipped with such a pedal system.

[0002] When it comes to road safety, car manufacturers face at least three major concerns that define constraints to be taken into account when developing new vehicles.

[0003] First, vehicles must ensure the safety of passengers in the event of a collision, regardless of speed. Furthermore, car manufacturers must strive to control vehicle repair costs when vehicles are subjected to urban collisions. Finally, a third concern is ensuring the safety of other road users, particularly the most vulnerable, such as pedestrians.

[0004] The behavior of motor vehicles in these three situations is regulated and tested using standardized test procedures. The requirements for these tests are becoming increasingly numerous and increasingly difficult to meet, forcing car manufacturers to constantly innovate. Standardized procedures are described, for example, by the international organization Euro NCAP.

[0005] In this context, some right-hand drive motor vehicles have a deflection bar designed to connect a pedal assembly, located on the right of the vehicle, to a master cylinder, located on the left of the vehicle. Such a deflection bar therefore extends across the passenger compartment, above the floor and in front of the driver's left foot. However, in the event of a frontal impact, particularly when the impact is violent, the front bulkhead is pushed into the passenger compartment of the vehicle. As a result, the pedal assembly and its deflection bar are also pushed towards the driver. The pedals are generally designed to, in such a situation, retract or deform to limit injuries to the driver's right foot resting on the pedal assembly. Thus, in the event of a frontal impact causing a intrusion of the apron into the passenger compartment, the driver's right foot is relatively protected against injuries likely to be caused by the pedal assembly. However, the driver's left foot is not protected and experience shows that the rigid metal deflection bar is likely to cause injuries to the driver's left foot.

[0006] Thus, there is a need for a solution to protect the left foot of the driver of a right-hand drive vehicle equipped with a pedal return bar.

[0007] The present invention aims to overcome the problems set out above. In this technical context, one aim of the present invention is to provide a protection device designed to protect a left foot of a driver of a right-hand drive motor vehicle equipped with a pedal return bar.

[0008] To this end, the present invention relates to a protection device designed to protect a foot of a front occupant of a motor vehicle in the event of a frontal impact, the device comprising a first part designed to allow the device to be secured to a return bar of a pedal assembly, the device comprising a second part designed to, when the first part is secured to the return bar, on the one hand be arranged at least partly between the foot to be protected and the return bar, and on the other hand to deform on contact with the foot and absorb part of the energy of the frontal impact suffered by the vehicle and transmitted to the return bar.

[0009] The invention also relates to a pedal system for a motor vehicle comprising at least one deflection bar designed to connect a pedal assembly to a master cylinder to transmit a movement of a pedal from the pedal assembly to the master cylinder, the deflection bar being designed to extend across the vehicle, in front of at least one foot of a front occupant of the vehicle equipped with the pedal system, the system comprising at least one device according to the invention each secured to the deflection bar and positioned on the deflection bar so that each second part of a device is arranged at least partly between a deflection bar and at least one foot of a front occupant of the vehicle.

[0010] The invention finally relates to a motor vehicle, in particular having right-hand drive, the vehicle having at least one pedal system according to the invention.

[0011] Thus, the protection device according to the invention is designed to be fixed to the deflection bar by means of its first part. In the pedal system according to the invention, the second part of the protection device according to the invention is then arranged between the deflection bar and the driver's left foot. In the event of a front impact causing the deflection bar to move back into the passenger compartment, the second part comes to bear on the foot to be protected, generally the driver's left foot, and deforms to absorb part of the energy transmitted to the deflection bar. Thus, the protection device according to the invention makes it possible to propose a pedal system capable of protecting both feet of the driver of a right-hand drive motor vehicle.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, the second part forms at least one housing designed to accommodate at least one padding element comprising at least one absorbent foam.

[0013] According to one possibility, the first and second parts form a single piece made of plastic, in particular polypropylene.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the device, each housing forms a cylindrical envelope with a semicircular base.

[0015] According to one possibility, each housing includes at least one absorbent foam padding element having a density between 20 g / L and 60 g / L.

[0016] Advantageously, each housing is filled with at least one padding element.

[0017] According to one embodiment, each foam is formed from at least one material chosen from polyethylene, polyurethane, synthetic rubber, in particular based on ethylene-propylene-diene monomer, and / or expanded polystyrene.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the first part forms a profiled body having a C-shaped cross-section and is shaped to be clipped around the return bar.

[0019] The invention will be better understood upon reading the detailed description which follows, given solely as a non-limiting example and made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

[0020] [Fig. 1] Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a single-piece part making it possible to constitute a protection device according to the invention;

[0021] [Fig. 2] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a protective device formed from the single-piece part of Figure 1;

[0022] [Fig. 3] Figure 3 represents a pedal system formed from the protection device of Figure 2.

[0023] In these figures, the same references are used to designate the same elements.

[0024] A protection device 1 according to the invention, illustrated in Figure 2, is designed to protect a foot 2, illustrated in Figure 3, of a front occupant of a motor vehicle in the event of a frontal impact, in particular a left foot 2 of the driver of a right-hand drive vehicle. The protection device 1 in fact makes it possible to prevent, in the event of a frontal impact suffered by the vehicle, the foot 2 from being struck and injured by a deflection bar 3, designed to connect a master cylinder, not illustrated, to a pedal assembly 4 to transmit the movements of a brake pedal 5 from the pedal assembly 4 to the master cylinder. The deflection bar 3 has, for example, a cylindrical shape with a circular base.

[0025] The device 1 comprises a first part 6 designed to allow the device 1 to be secured to the return bar 3, illustrated in figure 3.

[0026] In the example illustrated in the figures, the first part 6 forms a profiled body 7 made of elastically deformable plastic material. The first part 6 has a C-shaped cross-section and is shaped to be clipped around the return bar 3. The dimensions of the first part 6 are obviously adapted to the diameter of the return bar 3 so that the first part 6 can be introduced and held stationary around the return bar 3.

[0027] The device 1 also comprises a second part 8 designed to, when the first part 6 is secured to the return bar 3, on the one hand be arranged at least partly between the foot 2 to be protected and the return bar 3, and on the other hand to deform in contact with the foot 2 and absorb part of the energy of the frontal impact suffered by the vehicle and transmitted to the return bar 3. Under the effect of a frontal impact, part of the energy of the frontal impact is transmitted to the deflection bar 3, causing it to move backwards towards the feet of the front occupants of the vehicle.

[0028] As illustrated in Figure 1, the first 6 and second 8 parts form a single-piece part 9 made of plastic material, in particular polypropylene. The single-piece part 9 is for example obtained by extrusion and has a material thickness of the order of 2 mm. The length of the single-piece part 9 along the extrusion direction is of the order, for example, of 80 mm.

[0029] The second part 8 forms at least one housing 10 designed to accommodate at least one padding element 11 comprising at least one absorbent foam 12. As illustrated in FIG. 1, each housing 10 forms a cylindrical envelope 13 with a semicircular base. Advantageously, the first part 6 is secured to the second part 8 by means of the wall of the cylindrical envelope 13 forming its diameter. Advantageously, the first 6 and second 8 parts extend along two parallel axes. In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, the first part 6 has a diameter of the order of 32 mm. The second part 8 forms a housing 10 having, in cross section, a crown sector shape 14. In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, the crown sector 14 has a thickness of approximately 30 mm. A suitable thickness of the crown sector 14 is, for example, between 15 mm and 50 mm.

[0030] As illustrated in Figure 2, each housing 10 is filled with at least one padding element 11. Each padding element 11 is made using at least one absorbent foam 12 having a density of between 20 g / L and 60 g / L.

[0031] For example, each absorbent foam 12 is formed from at least one material chosen from polyethylene, polyurethane, synthetic rubber, in particular based on ethylene-propylene-diene monomer, and / or expanded polystyrene.

[0032] The protection device 1 makes it possible to form a pedal system 15, illustrated in FIG. 3, comprising at least one device 1 each secured to the return bar 3 and positioned on the return bar 3 so that each second part 8 of a device 1 is arranged between the return bar 3 and at least one foot 2 of a front occupant of the vehicle. In order to immobilize the device 1 on the deflection bar 3, in addition to the first part 6 fixed by clipping on the deflection bar 3, the second part 8 is arranged between a central console 16 and a steering column 17 of the vehicle. The second part 8 is thus advantageously blocked opposite the driver's left foot 2, the transverse movement by sliding of the device 1 on the deflection bar 3 being made impossible. In order to prevent the protection device 1 from pivoting around the deflection bar 3, the second part 8 has dimensions bringing it to bear on a floor or a floor mat, not illustrated, in the event of unexpected rotation of the device 1 around the deflection bar 4.

[0033] Thus, the protection device 1 fixed to the deflection bar 3 by means of its first part 6 makes it possible to form the pedal system 15 in which the second part 8 of the protection device 1 is then arranged between the deflection bar 3 and the left foot 2 of the driver. In the event of a front impact causing the deflection bar 3 to move back into the passenger compartment, the second part 8 comes to bear on the foot 2 to be protected and deforms. The cylindrical casing 13 of the housing 10 offers no resistance and allows the foam 12 to absorb part of the energy of the impact transmitted to the deflection bar 3. Thus, the protection device 1 according to the invention makes it possible to propose a pedal system 15 capable of protecting both feet of the driver of a right-hand drive motor vehicle.

[0034] The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the protection device described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments can be designed by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and scope of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Protective device (1) designed to protect a foot (2) of a front occupant of a motor vehicle in the event of a frontal impact, the device (1) comprising a first part (6) designed to allow the device (1) to be secured to a return bar (3) of a pedal assembly (4), the device (1) comprising a second part (8) designed, when the first part (6) is secured to the return bar (3), on the one hand to be arranged at least partly between the foot (2) to be protected and the return bar (3), and on the other hand to deform on contact with the foot and absorb part of the energy of the frontal impact suffered by the vehicle and transmitted to the return bar (3).

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the second part (8) forms at least one housing (10) designed to accommodate at least one padding element (11) comprising at least one absorbent foam (12).

3. Device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the first (6) and second (8) parts form a single-piece part (9) made of plastic material, in particular polypropylene.

4. Device (1) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that each housing (10) forms a cylindrical envelope (13) with a semicircular base.

5. Device (1) according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that each housing (10) comprises at least one padding element (11) made of absorbent foam (12) having a density of between 20 g / L and 60 g / L.

6. Device (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that each housing (10) is filled with at least one padding element (11).

7. Device (1) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that each foam (12) is formed from at least one material chosen from polyethylene, polyurethane, synthetic rubber, in particular based on ethylene-propylene-diene monomer, and / or expanded polystyrene.

8. Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the first part forms a profiled body having a C-shaped cross-section and is shaped to be clipped around the return bar (3). 9.A pedal system (15) for a motor vehicle comprising at least one deflection bar (3) designed to connect a pedal assembly (4) to a master cylinder for transmitting a movement of a pedal (5) from the pedal assembly (4) to the master cylinder, the deflection bar (3) being designed to extend across the vehicle, in front of at least one foot (2) of a front occupant of the vehicle equipped with the pedal system (15), the system (15) comprising at least one device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8 each secured to the deflection bar (3) and positioned on the deflection bar (3) so that each second part (8) of a device (1) is arranged at least partly between a deflection bar (3) and at least one foot (2) of a front occupant of the vehicle.

10. Motor vehicle, in particular with right-hand drive, the vehicle having at least one pedal system (15) according to claim 9.

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