Front and rear deployable containment system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10604104-B2
Application number	US-201815936721-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2018
Priority date	Mar 27, 2018
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

A deployable containment system of a vehicle includes a pair of guide channels that surround an opening facing one of a forward direction of travel of the vehicle and a backward direction of travel of the vehicle. Each of the guide channels has a first end and a second end. A housing is mounted to the first ends of the guide channels. A shield is configured to: deploy from the housing; travel along the guide channels toward the second ends of the guide channels; and cover at least a portion of the opening, An actuator is configured to, in response to being triggered, deploy the shield from the housing and move the shield along the guide channels toward the second ends of the guide channels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A deployable containment system of a vehicle, comprising:
a pair of guide channels that surround an opening facing one of a forward direction of travel of the vehicle and a backward direction of travel of the vehicle,
wherein each of the guide channels has a first end and a second end;
a housing mounted to the first ends of the guide channels;
a shield configured to:
deploy from the housing;
travel along the guide channels toward the second ends of the guide channels; and
cover at least a portion of the opening; and

an actuator configured to, in response to being triggered, deploy the shield from the housing and move the shield along the guide channels toward the second ends of the guide channels.

2. The deployable containment system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more locking mechanisms configured to lock when the shield has covered at least the portion of the opening.

3. The deployable containment system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a spring configured to urge the shield toward the second ends of the guide channels.

4. The deployable containment system of claim 1 wherein the actuator comprises a pyrotechnic device configured to ignite and deploy the shield.

5. The deployable containment system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises an inflator configured to inflate and urge the shield toward the second ends of the guide channels.

6. The deployable containment system of claim 1 , wherein the shield is wound around a winding shaft while in the housing and unwinds during deployment.

7. The deployable containment system of claim 1 further comprising a deployment module configured to trigger the actuator in response to identification of an impact event of a front end of the vehicle with an object.

8. The deployable containment system of claim 7 further comprising:
at least one of a radar sensor, a camera, and a light imaging distance and ranging (LIDAR) sensor configured to identify objects in the one of the forward direction of travel of the vehicle and the backward direction of travel of the vehicle; and
a triggering module configured to identify the impact event of the front end of the vehicle with the object based on signals from the at least one of the radar sensor, the camera, and the LIDAR sensor.

9. The deployable containment system of claim 1 further comprising a deployment module configured to trigger the actuator in response to identification of an impact event of a rear end of the vehicle with an object.

10. The deployable containment system of claim 9 further comprising:
at least one of a radar sensor, a camera, and a light imaging distance and ranging (LIDAR) sensor configured to identify objects in the one of the forward direction of travel of the vehicle and the backward direction of travel of the vehicle; and
a triggering module configured to identify the impact event of the rear end of the vehicle with the object based on signals from the at least one of the radar sensor, the camera, and the LIDAR sensor.

11. The deployable containment system of claim 1 further comprising:
a second actuator configured to, in response to being triggered, in cooperation with the actuator, deploy the shield from the housing and move the shield along the guide channels toward the second ends of the guide channels.

12. The deployable containment system of claim 1 further comprising:
a second housing mounted to the second ends of the guide channels;
a second shield configured to:
deploy from the second housing;
travel along the guide channels toward the first ends of the guide channels; and
cover at least a second portion of the opening; and

a second actuator configured to, in response to being triggered, deploy the second shield from the second housing and move the second shield along the guide channels toward the first ends of the guide channels.

13. The deployable containment system of claim 1 further comprising a front windshield that is located within the opening.

14. A vehicle, comprising:
the deployable containment system of claim 1 , wherein the opening faces the forward direction of travel of the vehicle; and
a second deployable containment system, comprising:
a second pair of guide channels that surround a second opening facing the backward direction of travel of the vehicle,
wherein each guide channel of the second pair of guide channels has a third end and a fourth end;
a second housing mounted to the third ends of the guide channels of the second pair of guide channels;
a second shield configured to:
deploy from the second housing;
travel along the guide channels of the second pair of guide channels toward the fourth ends of the guide channels of the second pair of guide channels; and
cover at least a portion of the second opening; and

a second actuator configured to, in response to being triggered, deploy the second shield from the second housing and move the second shield along the guide channels of the second pair of guide channels toward the fourth ends of the guide channels of the second pair of guide channels.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 further comprising a deployment module configured to trigger the actuator and the second actuator in response to identification of one of:
a first impact event of a front end of the vehicle with a first object; and
a second impact event of a rear end of the vehicle with a second object.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 further comprising:
at least one of a radar sensor, a camera, and a light imaging distance and ranging (LIDAR) sensor configured to identify objects in the one of the forward direction of travel of the vehicle and the backward direction of travel of the vehicle; and
a triggering module configured to identify the first impact event of the front end of the vehicle with the first object and the second impact event of the rear end of the vehicle with the second object based on signals from the at least one of the radar sensor, the camera, and the LIDAR sensor.

17. The vehicle of claim 14 further comprising a deployment module configured to, in response to identification of an impact event of a front end of the vehicle with an object, trigger the actuator and not trigger the second actuator.

18. The vehicle of claim 14 further comprising a deployment module configured to, in response to identification of an impact event of a rear end of the vehicle with an object, not trigger the actuator and trigger the second actuator.

19. The vehicle of claim 14 wherein:
the deployable containment system further comprises:
a third housing mounted to the second ends of the guide channels;
a third shield configured to:
deploy from the third housing;
travel along the guide channels toward the first ends of the guide channels; and
cover at least a second portion of the opening; and

a third actuator configured to, in response to being triggered, deploy the third shield from the third housing and move the third shield along the guide channels toward the first ends of the guide channels; and

the second deployable containment system further comprises
a fourth housing mounted to the fourth ends of the guide channels of the second pair of guide channels;
a fourth shield configured to:
deploy from the fourth housing;
travel along the guide channels of the second pair of guide channels toward the third ends of the guide channels of the second pair of guide channels; and
cover at least a second portion of the second opening; and

a fourth actuator configured to, in response

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Raikar Sadanand N
• Schultz Jeffrey J
• Ronne Jeffrey W
• Cassatta Stephen J
• Amin Mukesh

Classifications

• B60R2021/0273

  automatically movable to an operative position, e.g. in case of collision or impending collision · CPC title

• B60R2021/21518

  comprising a lock unlocked during deployment · CPC title

• B60R2021/0067

  Buses · CPC title

• B60R21/232

  Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge · CPC title

• B60R21/0136

  responsive to actual contact with an obstacle {, e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle (monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558)} · CPC title