Control method of a hail protection system for a vehicle

Abstract

Control method of a hail protection system for a stationary vehicle by means of an inflatable protection. Such method comprises the following steps in cyclic sequence: continuous receiving a first signal representing a current value of the air temperature. In case a determined threshold of this value is exceeded, receiving a second signal representing a current value of the atmospheric pressure. In case a determined threshold of this value is exceeded, receiving a third signal representing a precipitation current value. In case a determined threshold of this value is exceeded, receiving a fourth signal representing an impulse of a force by means of a sensor, which, when recording an impulsive action exceeding a predetermined force threshold, determines the inflation of the protection device of the vehicle from hail. In case of not exceeding one of said thresholds, going back to the first step.

Description

[0001] CONTROL METHOD OF A HAIL PROTECTION SYSTEM FOR A

[0002] VEHICLE

[0003] DESCRIPTION

[0004] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0005] The present invention relates to the field of hail protection systems, in particular a control method of a hail protection system for a vehicle, which enables the automatic actuation of a protection system to protect a vehicle when a hailstorm is detected in the area where such vehicle is parked. The present invention comprises also a hail protection system configured to carry out the above cited control method.

[0006] PRIOR ART

[0007] In the field of the hail protection systems for vehicles, solutions providing the manual installation of covers on the body of a vehicle to be protected are very much used, for example a cloth, such cover having a thickness able to protect the body and the parts of the vehicle from the impacts caused by hailstones. Other solutions provide instead a cloth which can be inflated once positioned to cover the vehicle. However, it is clear that these solutions require the presence of a user to position the cover on the vehicle, so if the hailstorm occurs while the user is not near the vehicle and cannot intervene, the vehicle remains uncovered and exposed to the damage caused by hailstones. Therefore, it is needed to provide solutions designed to protect the vehicle automatically when a hailstorm is likely to occur, so to protect the vehicle even when the owner is not near the vehicle and cannot intervene.

[0008] AIM AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Aim of the present invention is to solve at least partially the above cited needs, such aim being reached by means of a control method of a hail protection system for a vehicle, according to claim 1 .

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is provided a control method of a hail protection system for a stationary vehicle which enables the automatic actuation of an inflatable protection to protect the parts of a vehicle exposed in case of hail. Advantageously, by means of this control method it is possible to provide the inflatable protection automatically when the owner is not near the vehicle and cannot intervene in case of hailstorm. To obtain this result, such control method can be actuated by an electronic control unit on board the vehicle, which is programmed to carry out the following steps of the above-described control method, and as a cyclic sequence:

[0011] (Step 1 ): continuous receiving a first signal representing a current value of the ambient air temperature and monitoring the current temperature value. For example, a temperature sensor can be provided on board the vehicle, which is connected to the electronic control unit for data exchange.

[0012] (ck 2): checking if said current temperature value has a variation greater than a first predetermined threshold in a first predetermined time interval, for example greater than 3°C preferably between 1 and 10 minutes, more preferably between 3 and 5 minutes, and if yes, then (step 3): receiving a second signal representing a current value of ambient atmospheric pressure and monitoring the current pressure value. In this case, a pressure sensor can be provided on board the vehicle, which is connected to the electronic control unit for data exchange; and (ck 4): checking if said current pressure value has a variation greater than a second predetermined threshold in a second predetermined time interval, for example 3 mbar between 1 and 10 minutes, more preferably between 3 and 5 minutes, or, as an alternative to (step 3 and ck 4),

[0013] (step 5): receiving a third signal representing a current value of ambient humidity and monitoring the current humidity value; and (ck 6): checking if said current humidity value has a variation greater than a predetermined humidity variation in a third predetermined time interval, for example a variation greater than or equal to 5% and the third time interval has a duration preferably between 1 and 10 minutes, more preferably between 3 and 5 minutes; and if yes, then (step 7): receiving a fourth signal representing a current value of precipitation and monitoring the current precipitation value. For example, a piezoelectric or capacitive sensor can be provided, which is connected to the electronic control unit for data exchange, a voltage or current value of the signal representing the current precipitation value.

[0014] (ck 8): checking if said current precipitation value has a variation greater than a predetermined precipitation variation in a fourth predetermined time interval, for example greater than or equal to 10% and the fourth time interval is between 1 and 10 minutes, more preferably between 2 and 4 minutes, and if yes, then

[0015] (step 9): receiving a fifth signal representing an impulse of a force by means of a force sensor, for example a piezoelectric sensor, and following

[0016] (ck 10): checking if the force sensor records an impulsive action exceeding a predetermined force threshold, for example 20 N, and if yes,

[0017] (step 11 ): actuating the inflation of the inflatable protection so to protect the vehicle from hail when the impulse of the force is greater than the predetermined force threshold;

[0018] And if not in any one of the preceding checks, going back to the first step (Step 1 ). DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The functional features of the control method of a hail protection system can be better understood by means of the following detailed description, in which it is referred to the appended figures which represent a preferred and not limiting embodiment thereof, in which: Fig. 1 shows a block diagram representing the steps of the control method of a hail protection system, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Fig. 2 shows a block diagram representing the steps of the control method of a hail protection system, according to another alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Fig. 3 shows a schematic view of a hail protection system provided in a kit to carry out the control method of the present invention.

[0022] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, figs. 1 and 2 show a flowchart illustrating the steps of a control method of a hail protection system, preferably for a vehicle, stationary or parked. According to a first aspect of the present invention, this method makes it possible to control automatically a hail protection system comprising an inflatable protection on board a vehicle, wherein such protection can be provided to the user already integrated on board the vehicle or it can be a separated device provided for example in a kit which can be removably mounted to the vehicle. In both cases, when this inflatable protection is in function, it is unfolded on the vehicle, thus protecting the body and the other parts of the vehicle, for example wing mirrors, windscreens etc. from hailstones. For example, the inflatable protection can be a foldable cloth having a chamber fluidically connected in input to a fluid delivery line which is on board the vehicle, for example the chamber is connected to a pipe in turn fluidically connected to a tank of compressed air, or preferably, compressed carbon dioxide. When not used, i.e. with no hail, the inflatable protection is folded and preferably placed inside one or more parts of the vehicle, for example the roof rack, the rear spoiler in case the vehicle has no roof rack, and in case of a vehicle with neither roof rack nor spoiler, it can be placed in the area under the bonnet towards the windscreen, for example under the cover of the windscreen wipers mechanisms. Moreover, to protect the vehicle from hailstones while in use, such inflatable protection, when completely unfolded, has such a longitudinal and transverse extension that it covers at least the most hail-exposed surfaces of the vehicle, as for example bonnet, windscreen and roof, but it can be positioned transversely beyond the roof so to protect also the body sides and the respective parts mounted thereto. It is also to be noted that, on the basis of such structural configuration, to bring the inflatable protection from a folded configuration to an unfolded configuration it is needed to introduce the compressed fluid, for example stored inside rechargeable tanks on board the vehicle, into the chamber. The structural configuration of the inflatable protection can be compared to the one of the traditional car airbags, in which when it is not used it is placed in a housing inside an element of the vehicle, with an end portion, preferably the one where the compressed fluid is introduced, remaining fixed to the element of the vehicle when the inflatable protection is provided. Moreover, on the basis of this structural configuration, once used during a hailstorm, the protection can be removed from the element of the vehicle it is fixed to so to allow the vehicle to continue driving after the hailstorm. In this way, the inflatable protection used is replaced with a new inflatable protection, as for example it occurs with the traditional car airbags. According to a first aspect of the present invention, the inflation of the inflatable protection occurs automatically when a weather condition is detected, during which a hailstorm occurs in the place where the vehicle is stationary, and which can cause damage thereto. To obtain this result, an electronic control unit is provided on board the vehicle, which is programmed to receive in input signals containing information representing weather parameters detected in the place where the vehicle is parked, and upon processing such parameters, such electronic control unit is also programmed to send an actuation signal for the inflation of the inflatable protection when the detected and processed weather parameters represent the occurrence of a hailstorm. For example, the electronic control unit is connected for data exchange to a valve placed in output from the tank of the compressed fluid, which is opened by means of an actuation signal received by the electronic control unit so that the compressed fluid flows from the tank into the chamber of the inflatable protection, which while inflating goes out from the element of the vehicle where it is housed and is unfolded so to protect the vehicle. In particular, the electronic control unit is programmed to carry out a control method of a hail protection system comprising the inflatable protection, the method comprising the following steps carried out as a sequence and in cyclic manner. In particular, the electronic control unit is programmed (Step 1 ) to receive continuously a first signal representing a temperature current value of the ambient air where the vehicle is parked and to monitor such value (ck 2) by checking its variation to a first predetermined threshold in a first predetermined time interval. Preferably, the first threshold corresponds to a variation of the ambient air temperature by 3° in a first predetermined time interval, preferably between 1 and 10 minutes, more preferably between 3 and 5 minutes. In case it is detected a variation of the ambient air temperature greater than the first predetermined threshold, for example greater than 3°C between 3 and 5 minutes, the electronic control unit is programmed (step 3) to receive a second signal representing a current value of the ambient atmospheric pressure where the vehicle is parked and to monitor such value. In case instead it is detected a variation of the ambient air temperature lower than the first threshold in the same time interval, for example 2°C between 3 and 5 minutes, the electronic control unit is programmed to receive a new signal representing a new current temperature of the ambient air in a following time interval, and to repeat the comparison step to the first predetermined threshold previously indicated. The electronic control unit is also programmed (ck 4) to check if said current pressure value has a variation greater than a second predetermined threshold in a second predetermined time interval, preferably shorter than the first predetermined time interval. For example, the second predetermined threshold corresponds to a variation of the atmospheric pressure by 3 mbar in a second predetermined time interval, preferably between 1 and 10 minutes, more preferably between 3 and 5 minutes. In case instead it is detected a variation of the atmospheric pressure lower than the second predetermined threshold, for example 2 mbar between 3 and 5 minutes, the electronic control unit is programmed to receive a new signal representing a new current temperature of the ambient air in a following time interval, and to repeat sequentially the above-described steps. According to another aspect of the present invention, it is to be noted that it is possible to carry out, as an alternative to (step 3) and (ck 4) the (step 5) of receiving a third signal representing a current value of ambient humidity and of monitoring the current humidity value; and (ck 6) of checking if said current humidity value has a variation greater than a predetermined humidity variation in a third predetermined time interval. For example the predetermined humidity variation is a variation greater than or equal to 5% and the third time interval has a duration preferably between 1 and 10 minutes, more preferably between 3 and 5 minutes. In case it is detected a pressure variation greater than the second predetermined threshold in the second predetermined interval or in case it is detected a humidity variation greater than or equal to a predetermined humidity variation in the third predetermined interval, the electronic control unit is also programmed (step 7) to receive a fourth signal representing a current precipitation value, and (ck 8) to check if said current precipitation value has a variation greater than a predetermined precipitation variation in a fourth predetermined time interval. For example, the predetermined precipitation variation is greater than or equal to 10% and the fourth time interval has a duration between 1 and 10 minutes, more preferably between 2 and 4 minutes. If yes, the electronic control unit is programmed (step 9) to receive a fifth signal representing an impulse of a force by means of a force sensor, so to evaluate if the ongoing precipitation is rain or hail. If not, the electronic control unit is programmed to receive a new signal representing a new current temperature of the ambient air in a following time interval, and to repeat sequentially the steps of the above-described method. To evaluate if the impulse of the force detected represents rain or hail, the electronic control unit is also programmed (ck 10) to check is such impulse of force is greater than a predetermined force threshold, for example 20 N, and if yes, to actuate the inflation of the inflatable protection so to protect the vehicle from hail. If not, the electronic control unit is programmed to receive a new signal representing a new current temperature of the ambient air in a following time interval, and to repeat sequentially the steps of the above-described method. Such weather parameters can be detected by means of sensors preferably placed on board the vehicle and connected to the electronic control unit for data exchange. For example, such sensors comprise preferably but not limitingly a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a pluviometer, a capacitive sensor or a piezoelectric sensor to detect the quantity of atmospheric precipitation, an anemometer. Such weather parameters are detected and received in input at the electronic control unit when the vehicle is stationary. To detect the force of the precipitation, a piezoelectric sensor can be preferably installed on board the vehicle. In particular, when the impulse of the precipitation force is greater than a predetermined force threshold, the electronic control unit is programmed to provide the inflation of the inflatable protection, for example by sending a control signal to the valve of the tank containing compressed fluid, for example compressed air or carbon dioxide, which opens so to inflate the chamber of the inflatable protection very rapidly, for example in the order of seconds, so to protect the vehicle rapidly in case of hailstorm, and in particular when the owner of the vehicle is not near it and cannot intervene sufficiently fast to cover the vehicle. In order that the chamber inflation occurs substantially instantaneously, the compressed fluid pressure is rather high, preferably 400 mbar. The electronic control unit and the above cited sensors are preferably integrated on board the vehicle and powered by a battery on board the vehicle as well.

[0024] According to another embodiment, in place of the sensors on board the vehicle it can be provided a data communication interface, for example an antenna, connected to the electronic control unit on board the vehicle for data exchange. Such data communication interface can be connected for data exchange, for example by wireless connection, to a telecommunication infrastructure located where the vehicle is parked. Such infrastructure is in turn connected to a weather station for data exchange, which sends signals containing the above indicated weather parameters representing the weather conditions of the place where the vehicle is parked, these signals being received in turn in input by the electronic control unit by means of the data communication interface. The signals are then received by the electronic control unit by means of the antenna, it being programmed to process such signals so to actuate the control method of the abovedescribed hail protection system.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present invention, a hail protection system can be provided to a user as the kit shown schematically, which can be installed removably on board the vehicle and carry out the above-described control method. In particular, as it is shown in a schematic view in fig. 3, such kit comprises a housing M which can be fixed removably to a vehicle, for example by means of suction cups, preferably self-powered for example by means of a rechargeable battery (not shown in figure). This housing is provided with a plurality of sensors configured to detect the above-described weather parameters. For example, a plurality of weather sensors P1 are provided, for example a temperature sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, a pluviometer, a piezoelectric sensor to measure the impulsive action of the precipitation force. Such sensors are in turn connected to an electronic control unit P3 for data exchange, which is placed in this housing as well, and is programmed to carry out the steps of the above-described control method. In addition, such housing comprises also the inflatable protection P2 folded and the tank containing the compressed fluid fluidically in communication with the inflatable protection, so to inflate such protection, if needed.

[0026] From the previous embodiments, it is clear that some sensors can be directly connected to the electronic control unit, and others can be indirectly connected to the electronic control unit, for example by means of an antenna. In addition, some sensors can be on board the vehicle and the electronic control unit can be interfaced to the data network of the vehicle to obtain the actions carried out by such sensors.

[0027] From the above description, the expert in the field can realize the object of the invention without adding other structural details.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A control method of a hail protection system for a stationary vehicle, comprising an inflatable protection, the method comprising the steps in cyclic sequence of:- (Step 1 ): continuous receiving a first signal representing a current value of the ambient air temperature and monitoring the current temperature value;- (ck 2): checking if said current temperature value has a variation greater than a first predetermined threshold in a first predetermined time interval, and if yes,- (step 3): receiving a second signal representing a current value of ambient atmospheric pressure and monitoring the current pressure value; and (ck 4): checking if said current pressure value has a variation greater than a second predetermined threshold in a second predetermined time interval, or- (step 5): receiving a third signal representing a current value of ambient humidity and monitoring the current humidity value; and (ck 6) checking if said current humidity value has a variation greater than a predetermined humidity variation in a third predetermined time interval; and if yes,- (step 7): receiving a fourth signal representing a current precipitation value and monitoring the current precipitation value;- (ck 8): checking if said current precipitation value has a variation greater than a predetermined precipitation variation in a fourth predetermined time interval, and if yes,- (step 9): receiving a fifth signal representing an impulse of force by means of a force sensor, and following- (ck 10): checking if the force sensor records an impulsive action exceeding a predetermined force threshold, and if yes,- (step 11 ): providing the inflation of the inflatable protection so to protect the vehicle from hail when the impulse of the force is greater than the predetermined force threshold; and if not in any one of the preceding checks, going back to the first step (Step 1 ).

2. A control method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined humidity variation is a variation greater than or equal to 5% and the third time interval has a duration between 1 and 10 minutes.

3. A control method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first predetermined threshold is a temperature variation greater than or equal to 3°C and the first time interval has a duration between 1 and 10 minutes.

4. A control method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second threshold is a pressure variation greater than or equal to 3 mbar and the second time interval has a duration between 1 and 10 minutes.

5. A control method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the predetermined precipitation variation is greater than or equal to 10% and the fourth time interval has a duration between 1 and 10 minutes.

6. A control method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the predetermined force threshold is greater than or equal to 20 N.

7. A hail protection system comprising a housing (M), and placed in such housing, a plurality of weather sensors (P1 ), an inflatable protection (P2), a tank containing (P3) a compressed fluid fluidically communicating with a chamber of the inflatable protection, an antenna and an electronic control unit (P4) connected to such plurality of weather sensors for data exchange, such electronic control unit being programmed to carry out the control method according to any one of the preceding claims.

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