Safety device on a vehicle, and associated vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9327763-B2
Application number	US-201314427541-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2013
Priority date	Sep 12, 2012
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

A safety device on a vehicle includes a cable system provided for each one of front wheels of the vehicle, the cable system including a traction cable fastened on a first fastening point on a component of the vehicle body and on a second fastening point on one of the front wheels, at least one deflector arranged between the first and second fastening points, and a self-inhibiting device which includes a cable slack and a lock, wherein in a deactivated state of the cable system the lock releases the cable slack to permit a steering movement of the front wheel, and in an activated state locks the cable slack so that in case of a frontal collision a penetrating obstacle actuates the traction cable in dependence on an overlap of the frontal collision, thereby pivoting the affected front wheel from a starting position into a protective position in which the front wheel is turned with its outside in the direction of the obstacle and with its inside in the direction of an end wall of the vehicle body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A safety device of a vehicle, comprising:
a cable system provided for each one of the front wheels of the vehicle, said cable system comprising
a traction cable fastened on a first fastening point on a component of the vehicle body and on a second fastening point on one of the front wheels,
at least one deflector arranged between the first and second fastening points, and
a self-inhibiting device comprising a cable slack and a lock, wherein in a deactivated state of the cable system the lock releases the cable slack so as to permit a steering movement of the front wheel, and in an activated state of the cable system the lock locks the cable slack so that in case of a frontal collision a penetrating obstacle actuates the traction cable in dependence on an overlap of the frontal collision, thereby pivoting the front wheel affected by the frontal collision from a starting position into a protective position in which the front wheel is turned with its outside in the direction of the obstacle and with its inside in the direction of an end wall of the vehicle body.

2. The safety device of claim 1 , wherein the first fastening point is arranged in a region of an outer front border of a wheel housing so that the first fastening point is moved with the penetrating obstacle in the direction of the front wheel affected by the collision when the overlap of the frontal collision is below a predetermined threshold value.

3. The safety device of claim 1 , further comprising a first deflector forming a first deflection point for the traction cable on a longitudinal structure substantially at a height of the first fastening point of the traction cable.

4. The safety device of claim 3 , wherein the first deflector is arranged on the longitudinal structure so that the first deflection point moves with the penetrating obstacle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle when the overlap of the frontal collision exceeds a predetermined threshold value so that the traction cable is not actuated and the front wheel affected by the collision remains in a stating position.

5. The safety device of claim 3 , further comprising a second deflector forming a second deflection point for the traction cable on the longitudinal structure substantially at a height of the second fastening point of the traction cable.

6. The safety device of claim 5 , wherein the self-inhibiting device is arranged in longitudinal direction of the vehicle between the first and second deflection points.

7. The safety device of claims 5 , wherein the self-inhibiting device is arranged in longitudinal direction of the vehicle between the first fastening point and the first deflection point and/or between the second fastening point and the second deflection point.

8. The safety device of claim 1 , wherein the protective position of the front wheel causes the vehicle to move away from the penetrating obstacle.

9. The safety device of claim 1 , wherein the component of the vehicle body with the first fastening point of the traction cable is configured as a structural part.

10. The safety device of claims 9 , wherein the component of the vehicle body with the first fastening point of the traction cable is configured as a cross member and/or bumper mount and/or as vehicle aggregate.

11. The safety device of claims 1 , wherein the second fastening point of the traction cable is arranged on a transverse control arm or on a wheel carrier of the front wheel.

12. A vehicle, comprising:
a safety device, said safety device comprising a cable system provided for each one of the front wheels of the vehicle, said cable system comprising
a traction cable fastened on a first fastening point on a component of the vehicle body and on a second fastening point on one of the front wheels,
at least one deflector arranged between the first and second fastening points, and
a self-inhibiting device comprising a cable slack and a lock, wherein in a deactivated state of the cable system the lock releases the cable slack so as to permit a steering movement of the front wheel, and in an activated state of the cable system the lock locks the cable slack so that in case of a frontal collision a penetrating obstacle actuates the traction cable in dependence on an overlap of the frontal collision, thereby pivoting the front wheel affected by the frontal collision from a starting position into a protective position in which the front wheel is turned with its outside in the direction of the obstacle and with its inside in the direction of an end wall of the vehicle body.

Assignees

• Audi Ag
• Augi Ag

Inventors

• Maier Hans-Peter

Classifications

• B62D25/082

  Engine compartments · CPC title

• B60R19/00

  Wheel guards; Radiator guards, {e.g. grilles}; Obstruction removers; Fittings damping bouncing force in collisions ({reinforcement elements for side doors B60J5/0412; } mudguards B62D) · CPC title

• B62D9/00 Primary

  Steering deflectable wheels not otherwise provided for (steering positon indicators B62D15/02) · CPC title

• B60R19/34

  destroyed upon impact, e.g. one-shot type · CPC title

• B62D21/152

  Front or rear frames · CPC title