Towable crash-attenuating vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11512441-B2
Application number	US-202016867774-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2020
Priority date	May 13, 2019
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A towable crash-attenuating vehicle is shown having a frame; at least two axles coupled to the frame, each of the axles having wheels attached thereto; a T-shaped ballast coupled to the frame, and oriented such that the weight of the ballast is biased toward the front end of the frame; deflection shields coupled to the right and left sides of the frame, wherein the deflection shields cover the frame and a majority of the wheels on each side of the vehicle; a tow connection coupled to the front of the frame, pivotable from a deployed state to an undeployed state; an impact attenuator coupled to the rear of the frame; wherein the vehicle is provided with a brake system, and wherein said brake system may be locked and unlocked and wherein the vehicle is provided with an on-board mechanism for locking and unlocking the brake system.

First claim

We claim:

1. A towable crash-attenuating vehicle comprising:
a frame having a right side, a left side, a front end and a rear end;
at least two axles coupled to the frame, each of said axles having wheels attached thereto;
a T-shaped ballast coupled to the frame, said T-shaped ballast oriented such that the weight of the ballast is biased toward the front end of the frame;
deflection shields coupled to the right and left sides of the frame, wherein said deflection shields cover the frame and a majority of the wheels on each side of the vehicle;
a tow connection coupled to the front of the frame, wherein said tow connection is pivotable from a deployed state to an undeployed state;
an impact attenuator coupled to the rear of the frame;
wherein the vehicle is provided with a brake system, and wherein said brake system may be locked and unlocked and wherein said towable crash-attenuating vehicle is provided with an on-board mechanism for locking and unlocking the brake system.

2. The towable crash-attenuating vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the brake system is an air brake system.

3. The towable crash-attenuating vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the air brake system locks the brakes when the brake is applied or when pressure is removed from the system and unlocks the brakes when neutral air pressure is supplied to the system.

4. The towable crash-attenuating vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the on-board mechanism for locking and unlocking the brake system is an air compressor.

5. The towable crash-attenuating vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the brake system is a hydraulic brake system.

6. The towable crash-attenuating vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the hydraulic brake system uses hydraulic pressure from a host vehicle to lock the brakes, and has valves to retain the hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic brake system.

7. The towable crash-attenuating vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the valves are manually-actuated or electrically-actuated valves.

8. The towable crash-attenuating vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the brakes system is unlocked by opening the valves to release the hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic brake system.

9. The towable crash-attenuating vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the on-board mechanism for locking and unlocking the brake system is a hydraulic pump.

10. The towable crash-attenuating vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the brake system is locked by providing pressure from the hydraulic pump.

11. The towable crash-attenuating vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the brake system is unlocked by deactivating the hydraulic pump.

12. The towable crash-attenuating vehicle of claim 1 further comprising on-board warning lights.

13. The towable crash-attenuating vehicle of claim 1 further comprising on-board solar panels to power the on-board mechanism for locking and unlocking the brake system.

14. The towable crash-attenuating vehicle of claim 1 further comprising an on-board generator to power the on-board mechanism for locking and unlocking the brake system.

15. The towable crash-attenuating vehicle of claim 1 further comprising an on-board battery to power the on-board mechanism for locking and unlocking the brake system.

16. The towable crash-attenuating vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the deflection shields are comprised of steel plates or hardened aluminum plates.

17. The towable crash-attenuating vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the T-shaped ballast is comprised of a material selected from the group comprising concrete, crushed rock, sand, dirt, water, metallic and/or composite ballast material.

18. The towable crash-attenuating vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the T-shaped ballast is defined by at sheet metal box for containing the concrete.

19. The towable crash-attenuating vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the sheet metal box has lateral and longitudinal stringers for dividing the concrete in the T-shaped ballast into sections.

20. The towable crash-attenuating vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the sheet metal box is further provided with a top cover and drain holes.

Assignees

• Concaten Inc

Inventors

• Groeneweg Kevin K
• Groeneweg Taylor
• Groeneweg Connor

Classifications

• B60T11/28

  Valves specially adapted therefor (recuperation valves B60T11/232) · CPC title

• B60R19/18

  {characterised by the cross-section;} Means within the bumper to absorb impact · CPC title

• B62D63/08

  Component parts or accessories · CPC title

• B60T17/043

  Brake line couplings, air hoses and stopcocks · CPC title

• B60R2019/005

  Crash attenuators, i.e. means added to highway service vehicles for softening high speed impacts · CPC title