Device for preventing vehicle accidents

Abstract

This utility model is applicable to a device for preventing vehicle accidents when an external object enters the space under the pedal unit, more specifically the gap between the pedal lever and the floor while the vehicle is moving, thereby preventing fatal road accidents. The device comprises at least one cutting element created to pierce a large external object and is in the form of a shaped cover plate, which is a semicircle with an outer and inner edge, the outer edge of which is in the form of the said at least one cutting element, and the inner edge is made for mounting to the pedal lever of the vehicle. The device has a simple design, is effective for piercing / cutting an external object that has entered the space under the control pedal unit, is easy to install on the pedal lever and prevents accidents.

Description

[0001] DEVICE FOR PREVENTING VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

[0002] This invention is applicable to a device for preventing vehicle accidents when an external object enters the space under the pedal unit, more specifically the gap between the pedal lever and the floor while the vehicle is moving, thereby preventing fatal road accidents.

[0003] In some cases, if the external object is solid and large, such as a drink container, a water bottle, or a foot pad, it may move freely while the vehicle is moving, speeding up, making a sudden stop, turning, etc., and may get into the gap provided for the operation of the pedal unit, including the clutch, brake and gas pedals, that is, the space (gap) formed between the bottom surface of the pedal unit and the inner surface of the floor of the vehicle.

[0004] Small cats and dogs that move freely in a car while driving may cause an accident and lead to death of their owners. They only need to go under the driver’s feet and get stuck in the pedal unit. In this case, even when the driver presses the brake pedal, the car does not stop as expected, which leads to unexpected and serious accidents.

[0005] There is a device for preventing an external object from getting under the pedal unit of a vehicle [RU2574102 C2, published on 10 February 2016], comprising a main body made of an elastically deformable material, placed between the floor of the vehicle and the pedal unit. The pedal unit comprises a pedal lever that allow to rotate the pedal lever relative to the mounting spot and a pedal connected to the end part of the latter. The front surface of the main body is designed so that to be in contact with the driver's foot. The upper surface of the main body is made with a concavity for the pedal lever and a convex area for the pedal. The lower surface of the main body is designed to be placed on the floor of the vehicle and to prevent an external object from getting under the pedal lever and under the pedal. The disadvantage of this device is the change in the elasticity of the device material under the influence of external factors (frost, high temperatures, time), which will change the effort required to press the pedal in order to reduce the speed or to completely stop the vehicle.

[0006] There is a device known from EP 1106416, published on 14 April 2004, comprising a control pedal unit for a vehicle, including a support structure, a pedal connected to said support structure, and means responsive to the movement of the pedal for generating a signal corresponding to the position and / or change of position of the pedal, wherein the pedal is created as a resilient body. This design of the vehicle control unit in the form of a resilient body eliminates the risk of a foreign object getting under the pedal lever, which in turn minimizes the risk of an accident. However, the disadvantage of such a device is the design complexity and inability to prevent or minimize the risk of accidents of vehicles with the conventional existing design of the pedal unit in the form of levers and a pedal for contact with the driver's foot.

[0007] The closest to the claimed technical solution is a device known from KR 10- 2500468, published on 16 February 2023, which is a cutting element in the form of a pyramid with edges, created to pierce / cut a volumetric external object. Multiple elements in the form of separate pyramids with cutting edges are arranged to be attached to the surface of the lever and the lower surface of the brake pedal via screws through pre-drilled holes.

[0008] The disadvantage of such a device is the limited use of it due to the complexity of manufacturing the control pedal unit with such a device, which requires preparatory work to drill holes in the lever and the bottom surface of the pedal, and mounting the device directly by the user or driver of the vehicle.

[0009] The problem that the claimed utility model is aimed at solving is to create a device for preventing vehicle accidents, characterized by easy installation on a pedal lever and having a simple design that is effective for piercing / cutting an external object that has entered the space under the vehicle control pedal unit.

[0010] The problem of the device for preventing road accidents when an external object enters the space under the pedal unit, comprising at least one cutting element created to pierce a volumetric external object, is solved in that it is in the form of a shaped cover plate, which is a semicircle with an outer and inner edge, the outer edge of which is in thfc form of the said at least one cutting element, and the inner edge is made for mounting to the pedal lever of the vehicle.

[0011] Preferably, the cutting element is made in the form of teeth, or pins, or a sharp outer edge of the said semicircle, or a combination thereof.

[0012] More preferably, the device is designed to be attached to the pedal lever of a vehicle by means of glue, or welding, or clamps.

[0013] Even more preferably, it further comprises a mounting plate with a groove to cover the edge of the pedal lever connected to the inner edge of the said semicircle.

[0014] The device can bei made of plastics, or solid polymeric materials, or metal and alloys.

[0015] The claimed invention is presented in the form of implementation examples on drawings, making no claim to be complete, which show:

[0016] Fig. 1. General vieiw of the product

[0017] Fig. 2. Example of a device with a sharp outer edge

[0018] Fig. 3. Example of a device with teeth and pins

[0019] Fig. 4. Example of a device with an additional mounting plate

[0020] Fig. 5. Example of a device attached to the pedal lever with clamps

[0021] Fig. 6. Example of a device with holes

[0022] All drawings are schematic and do not represent the actual physical parameters of the product.

[0023] The claimed device for preventing vehicle accidents (Fig. 1) is made in the form of a shaped plate, which is a semicircle 1 , on the outer edge 2 of which, in this example, there are teeth 3, and the inner edge 4 is created to be attached to the pedal lever of the vehicle (not shown). Fig. 2 shows the outer edge 2 of the semicircle 1 as a sharp edge 5. Teeth 3 and pins 6 can be arranged on the outer edge 2 of the semicircle 1 of the device fbr preventing vehicle accidents (Fig. 3). The inner edge 4 of the semicircle 1 can be welded to the control pedal lever of the vehicle. In special cases, the inner edge 4 of the semicircle 1 can also be attached to the pedal lever of the claimed device using glue (for example, epoxy glue of various brands). Fig. 4-5 shows a particular case of the implementation of the device, which is attached by means of two clamps 7 and an additional mounting plate 8 with a groove 9 for covering the edge of the foot pedal lever, connected to the inner edge 4 of the said semicircle 1. The additional- plate 8 can be connected to the inner edge 4 of the semicircle 1 by any method known to a person skilled in the art, for example, by being inserted into a groove, glued or welded, or soldered. In other implementations, the device can also be attached with clamps 7, which pass through openings 10 (Fig. 6) formed along the inner edge 4 of the semicircle 1 and cover the foot pedal lever on the other side.

[0024] The device may be created from one or more suitable materials, including, without limitation, solid polymers (polyamide, polyacetal, polyamide-imide, etc.), plastics, as well as metals and alloys, such as stainless steel. Examples of such steels are AISI 304, AISI 321, AISI 430.

[0025] Example of manufacturing the device from steel.

[0026] A sheet of stainless steel 5 mm thick is cut depending on the size of the part blank and the number of the product. Then, using a laser tool, a contour is cut in the plane in the form of a semicircle and teeth and / or pins are cut out. Next, using a specific technological tool, the outer edge 2 of the semicircle 1 is sharpened to form the edge 5, or the teeth 3 and pins 6 on the outer edge 2 of the semicircle 1 are sharpened to effectively pierce / cut a volumetric external object.

[0027] The device is made from solid polymers by machining the blank using CNC machines or hand tools. Manufacturing by 3D printing is also possible.

[0028] Device usage.

[0029] The driver of the vehicle shall install the device on all or any of the brake, clutch or accelerator pedal levers in advance of the trip, using, for example, clamps. To do this, one end of the clamp is inserted into the openings on the inner edge 4 of the semicircle 1 , and the other end covers the pedal lever and is clamped with an effort until it is fixed, while the outer edge 2 of the semicircle 1 with teeth 3 and / or pins 6, when the corresponding pedal is pressed all the way, comes into contact with the floor of the vehicle in the area where the external object gets into. Anticipating a crash, either braking to stop or increasing speed, the driver suddenly and forcefully presses the brake pedal or the accelerator pedal, depending on the situation. An external object, such as a plastic water bottle, which has rolled into the gap between the floor and the control pedal unit, comes into contact with the teeth 3 and / or the pins 6 of the outer edge 2 of the semicircle 1. When the pedal is pressed down and the teeth 3 and / or the pins 6 are affected, the bottle is pierced and crumpled, which enables the vehicle to either stop or accelerate if the driver presses down the brake or accelerator pedal, and thereby preventing an accident. Thus, the claimed device has a simple design, is effective for piercing / cutting an external object that has entered the space under the control pedal unit, is easy to install on the pedal lever and prevents accidents.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A device for preventing road accidents when an external object enters the space under the pedal unit, comprising at least one cutting element created to pierce a volumetric external object, characterized in that it is in the form of a shaped cover plate, which is a semicircle with an outer and inner edge, the outer edge of which is in the form of the said at least one cutting element, and the inner edge is made for mounting to the pedal lever of the vehicle.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cutting element is made in the form of teeth, or pins, or a sharp outer edge of the said semicircle, or a combination thereof.

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the device is designed to be attached to the pedal lever of a vehicle by means of glue, or welding, or clamps.

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a mounting plate with a groove to cover the edge of the pedal lever connected to the inner edge of the said semicircle.

5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is made of plastics, or solid polymeric materials, or metal and alloys.

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