VEHICLE ANTI-ROLLOVER DEVICE AND METHOD

Abstract

An anti-rollover system and method for mitigating vehicle rollover. The system having a plurality of anti-rollover devices positioned around the vehicle chassis and being operable to calculate the likelihood of a vehicle rollover and determine the attitude of rollover there by actuating the anti-rollover device to counter roll thereby preventing a rollover collision.

Claims

1. An anti-rollover device mounted to a motor vehicle chassis, the anti-rollover device comprising: a. a frame fixedly mounted to an undercarriage of a vehicle chassis, the frame comprising a tube having a bump stop on a proximal end, a compression spring secured to a distal end, and a plurality of rifling slots thereon a tubes interior surface; b. a deployable shaft equipped with a plurality of followers axially distributed around an exterior surface between a distal and a proximal end of said shaft, wherein said distal end interfaces with said compression spring, and a shaft lock receiver; c. an elbow with a first end securing a collision attachment and a second end fixedly secured to said deployable shaft proximal end; d. a locking mechanism including a solenoid positioned at said tubes proximal end and being operable to secure and release said deployable shaft from a locked position to an actuated position; and e. a controller having a processor, a readable and writeable controller memory, wherein said controller is further in communication with a gyroscopic sensor, a vehicle computer, and said locking mechanism.

2. The anti-rollover device of claim 1, wherein said controller processor is operable to determine a rollover potential of said motor vehicle and configures said locking mechanism solenoid to an unlocked position thereby releasing said deployable shaft from said frame such that said compression spring advances said deployable shaft to said actuated position and positions said collision attachment to impact the ground and stabilize the vehicle when said rollover potential matches a predetermined roll rate in said controller memory.

3. The anti-rollover device of claim 1, wherein said frame is fixedly mounted to an undercarriage of said motor vehicle chassis such that a frames central axis is perpendicular to a centerline of said vehicle.

4. The anti-rollover device of claim 1, wherein said plurality of followers are positioned at various locations along a length of said deployable shaft wherein a first set of followers helically align with a second set of followers.

5. The anti-rollover device of claim 4, wherein said followers align with said tube rifling slots such that the followers travel along a predetermined rotation path of said tube rifling slots and collide with said frame bump stops thus seizing rotation when said deployable shaft is configured to said actuated position.

6. The anti-rollover device of claim 1, wherein said rifling slots is distributed along the length of the interior surface of said tube and has a revolution of 120 degrees.

7. The anti-rollover device of claim 1, wherein said elbow and deployable shaft have a substantially circular and hollow cross-sectional area.

8. The anti-rollover device of claim 1, wherein said collision attachment is a hollow metal sphere and is operable to deform when impacting the ground.

9. The anti-rollover device of claim 1, wherein said compression spring provides a constant force to said deployable shaft and is operable to advance deployable shaft when said solenoid is disengaged.

10. The anti-rollover device of claim 1, wherein said elbow positions said collision attachment at 90° with respect to the centerline of the said deployable shaft.

11. The anti-rollover device of claim 1, wherein said controller processor is further operable to use said gyroscopic sensor data and said vehicle computer data to determine an attitude of said vehicle for determining a roll direction and said determining when said rollover potential matches a predetermined roll rate.

12. The anti-rollover device of claim 11, wherein gyroscopic sensor data include the roll, pitch and yaw of a vehicle measured at constant time intervals and is stored in said controller memory for comparison with said vehicle computer data.

13. The anti-rollover device of claim 12, wherein said vehicle computer data includes a vehicle center of gravity, a vehicle velocity, an accelerator pedal position, a steering wheel position, and a wheel angle position to said controller for determining said roll direction.

14. The anti-rollover device of claim 13, further comprising a pair of independent right side and left side anti-rollover devices each having an independent front and rear anti-rollover device, wherein each of said independent anti-rollover devices are in communication with said controller.

15. The anti-rollover device of claim 14, wherein said controller processor is further operable to determine which of said independent anti-rollover devices to deployed for mitigating rollover, wherein said mitigating rollover is determined by selecting the independent anti-rollover device that counteracts the roll direction.

16. The anti-rollover device of claim 14, wherein said controller processor is further operable to determine a sequence for deploying a plurality of said independent anti-rollover devices for mitigating rollover, wherein said mitigating rollover counteracts said roll direction.

17. The anti-rollover device of claim 16, wherein said sequence for deploying a plurality of said independent anti-rollover devices is operable to counteract said roll rate and said roll direction.

18. An anti-rollover system mounted to a motor vehicle chassis, the anti-rollover system comprising: a. A pair of independent right side anti-rollover devices and a pair of independent left side anti-rollover devices each having a front and rear anti-rollover device, wherein each of said anti-rollover devices comprising: i. a tubular frame having bump stops and a locking mechanism on a proximal end, a compression spring positioned on a distal end, and a plurality of rifling slots thereon an interior surface; and ii. a deployable shaft having a plurality of followers distributed axially around an exterior surface between a proximal and distal end and are operable to align with said tubular frame rifling slots, wherein the proximal end secures an elbow having a collision attachment, and a distal end interfacing with said compression spring; and b. a controller having a processor, a readable and writable memory, and in communication with each of said anti-rollover devices, further in communication with a plurality of gyroscopic sensors, and a vehicle computer, wherein said controller is operable to determine an attitude of a motor vehicle and independently deploy one or more of said right and left pair of anti-rollover devices.

19. The anti-rollover system of claim 18, wherein said controller is operable to mitigate rollover by activating at least one of said anti-rollover devices such that said locking mechanism is disengaged from a locked position to an unlocked position thereby allowing said compression spring to advance said deployable shaft and positioning said collision attachment with a vehicle driving surface such that the collision attachment impacts the ground and counters vehicle rollover.

20. The anti-rollover system of claim 19, further comprising determining a roll direction of said vehicle on said controller processor using data provided by said plurality of gyroscopic sensors and vehicle computer data, wherein said direction of roll is to the right, left, forwards, backwards, or combination thereof.

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0016] FIG. 1 shows the rear end of a stabilized motor vehicle equipped with the anti-rollover device, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 2. shows the rear end of a motor vehicle equipped with the anti-rollover device, the motor vehicle experiencing rollover, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 3A shows the undercarriage of a motor vehicle equipped with a plurality of anti-rollover device in the locked position, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 3B shows the undercarriage of a motor vehicle equipped with a plurality of anti-rollover device in the deployed position, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of an anti-rollover device housing, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of the deployment shaft, impact elbow, and collision attachment of an anti-rollover device, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 6 shows a side view of the anti-rollover device housing, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 7 shows a side view of a deployment shaft of the anti-rollover device, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the housing assembled with the deployment shaft of FIG. 5 of the anti-rollover device, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 9 shows an exemplary anti-rollover device, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 10A shows an exemplary anti-rollover device in the locked position according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 10B shows an exemplary anti-rollover device in the deployed position, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 11 shows a simplified controls schematic for controlling the anti-rollover device, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Reference will now be made in detail to certain embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in reference to these figures and certain implementations and examples of the embodiments, it will be understood that such implementations and examples are not intended to limit the invention. To the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that are included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims. In the following disclosure, specific details are given to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. References to various features of the “present invention” throughout this document do not mean that all claimed embodiments or methods must include the referenced features. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details or features.

[0030] Reference will be made to the exemplary illustrations in the accompanying drawings, and like reference characters may be used to designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

[0031] FIG. 1-3B illustrates an exemplary vehicle 100 having a left side 110, a right side 120, a rear end 130, a front end 140, and an undercarriage 150; the front of the vehicle may be represented by the directional vector “F”. The undercarriage 150 may be fitted with an anti-rollover device 200 positioned between a front set of wheels 111, 121 and a rear set of wheels 112, 122. The anti-rollover device 200 may be in communication with a control system 300. Vehicle 100 may have an exemplary center of gravity CG which may be used by the control system 300 to define a centroid for yaw, roll, and pitch of a vehicle. FIG. 1 illustrates a free body diagram of the motor vehicle 100 while initiating a right-hand turn for vehicle 120. When cornering, the vehicle may be subject to various forces, including the frictional forces Fy.sub.1, Fy.sub.2 and normal forces Fg.sub.1, Fy.sub.2 on the left tire 112 and the right tire 122, a vehicle weight W positioned at the center of gravity CG, a centrifugal force or moment Fy.sub.1+Fy.sub.2 of the vehicle about the center of gravity CG in a direction opposite to the frictional forces of the wheels Fy.sub.1, Fy.sub.2, the center of gravity may be positioned at a height “h” from the contact point of the tires with the road, and the track width “T” between the left tire 112 and the right tire 122. The vehicle rollover potential may also include the kinematic properties of the suspension. The kinetic forces may be stored in the system memory 320.

[0032] There may be a plurality of anti-rollover devices 200 fixed to the undercarriage 150 of the vehicle 100, a right pair 200R, and a left pair 200L, (see FIGS. 3A-3B). The right pair of anti-rollover devices 200R may be operable to deploy if the vehicle begins to roll the right, and inversely the left pair 200L may be operable to deploy if the vehicle begins to roll to the left. In some situations where a vehicle 100 is experiencing a combination of yaw, roll, and pitch about the center of gravity CG, the control system 300 may deploy a single anti-rollover device 200 to stabilize the vehicle 100. The respective pair of anti-rollover devices 200R, 200L in the system are of a similar construction, and thus only one anti-rollover device 200 will be described in detail.

[0033] FIG. 4-9 illustrates an embodiment of an exemplary anti-rollover device 200 of the present invention, the anti-rollover device may include a housing 210, a deployment shaft 220, an impact elbow 230, a collision attachment 235, a housing cap 218, a spring 240, and a locking mechanism 200. As seen in FIG. 4 a cross-sectional of the housing 210 taken about the line B-B shows a barrel 211 with rifling slots 215 on the interior surface. The barrel may have a proximal end 211A and a distal end 211B. The housing 200 may have a flange 210A with a plurality of bolting holes 212 positioned around the centerline of the housing. A housing cap 218 may include a sealing surface 218B, a locking mechanism 219, and a plurality of threaded holes complementary to the bolting holes 212 of the housing flange 210A. The threaded holes are operable to receive a plurality of bolts and secure the housing caps sealing surface 218 to the flange 210A. A gasket 217 providing a watertight seal may be positioned between the flange 210A and the sealing a surface 218B interface. The barrel's interior surface 211 may have a diameter operable to receive a deployment shaft 220, and the locking mechanism 219 may be operable to secure the shaft in a locked position. The locking mechanism 219 may be an electronic solenoid, hydraulic piston, spring-loaded latch, pawl, and ratchet, or other related devices. FIG. 6 shows a flange side view of the housing and four rifling slots 215 equidistantly positioned around the centroid of the interior surface 211. The flange 210A may also include a gasket seal receiver 213.

[0034] FIG. 5 illustrates the deployment shaft 220, which includes a proximal end 220A, a distal end 220B, a shaft lock receiver 228, and a plurality of followers 225 distributed equidistantly about a centerline 220C of the shaft. The deployment shaft 200 diameter may range from 1 inch to 2½ inches. The followers may be skewed towards the distal end 220B of the shaft, and may include a plurality of different follower sets, a forward set 225F and a rear set 225R are illustrate, but the deployment shaft may include more sets of followers. FIG. 6 shows the distal end 220B of the deployment shaft 220. This view illustrates that the rear follower set 225R is offset from the forward set of followers 225F, they are offset to continuously align the shaft with the rifling slots 215 of the housing 210. The distal end 220B may have a small recess 220B operable to receive the spring 240. Returning to FIG. 5, the deployment shaft 220 may have threading on the proximal end 220A operable to receive the threading 232 of an impact elbow 230. The impact elbow 230 may position a collision attachment 235 perpendiculars to the deployment shaft 220. The deployment shaft distal end 220B may be operable to secure a spring 240 and compress the spring between the deployment shaft 220 and the barrel's distal end 211B during assembly of the anti-rollover device 200. The collision attachment 235 may have a substantially spherical geometry and may have a hollow construction that is operable to deflect and absorb the energy from a vehicle roll over.

[0035] In some embodiments, the follower set 225 may be a set of ball bearings that are operable to aid in the translation of the deployments shaft and reduce friction. In such embodiments, a plurality of circular channels may be manufactured by removing a portion of material from the exterior surface 222 of the deployments shaft 220 that is operable to receive a spherical ball bearing. The plurality of circular channels may be complementary to the follower set 225 and may be equidistantly positioned around the centerline of the deployment shaft 220. The circular channels in some embodiments may be a slot operable to provide less friction.

[0036] The anti-rollover device 200 may be assembled by first inserting the spring 240 into the barrels distal end 211B, then inserting the deployment shaft 220 into the barrel 211 while aligning the follower sets 225 with the rifling slots. The housing cap 218 may then be fashioned over the deployment shaft 220 and the locking mechanism 219 may be secured to the locking receiver 228 and fixed in the locked position. The housing cap 218 and the deployment shaft 220 may have a pressure applied on the proximal end 220A to overcome the force of the spring 240, while the housing cap 218 is bolted to the housing flange 210A. The housing 210, housing cap 218, spring 240, and deployment shaft 220 are shown in the assembled configuration in FIG. 8. The impact elbow 230 and collision attachment 235 may then be secured to the deployment shaft and fixed into position. The anti-rollover device 200 assembled and in the locked position may then be fashioned to the undercarriage of a vehicle 150 and attached with either a bracket, a strap or may be bolted to the undercarriage 150. In some embodiments, the anti-rollover device 200 is integrated into the vehicle chassis. Once the device 200 is secured to the vehicle 100 the control system 300 may be connected to the various sensors and systems as shown in FIG. 9.

[0037] FIG. 2 illustrates the vehicle 100 about to roll over onto the left side 110 along the rotational vector “Vr” where the rotation is about the left wheels 111, 112 at the rotation point “Rp.” FIG. 11 shows a block diagram of the control system 300. The control system 300 is operable to retrieve vehicle computer data 310 and communicate the data to the controls processor 340. The vehicle computer data may include, for example, but not limited to, the vehicle velocity, accelerator pedal position, steering wheel position, wheel angle position, and if equipped with a graphical position system, may provide the vehicle's geographic position. The control system 300 may also communicate gyroscopic 330 data to the controls processor 340. The gyroscopic sensor 330 may include a plurality of different gyroscopic sensors positioned at various locations on the vehicle body. The controls processor 340 being operable to perform calculations to determine the vehicle rollover risk and compare the result with the system memory 320. If the controls processor 340 determines a vehicle will roll over the deployment sequence 350 is initiated and the anti-rollover device 200 will be deployed. The controls processor 300 retrieves the gyroscopic angle θ and the vehicle data to determine a value corresponding to the roll rate of the vehicle 100. The roll rate value may be compared to tabulated data in the control system memory 320, and the likelihood of a vehicle tip over is determined. When the deployment sequence is initiated, the control system may initiate a braking sequence and select an anti-rollover device 200 that is most likely to mitigate rollover. In some embodiments, the system memory 320 may include tire data (e.g., life of tire, tire pressure, time since last rotation, etc.) for predicting a coefficient of friction for the tires, the wheel track width, and the center of gravity location, for calculations of the centripetal forces.

[0038] When the anti-rollover device 200 is deployed, the locking mechanism 219 is first disengaged, and the spring 240 provides pressure to the distal end of the deployment shaft 220B and forces the deployment shaft 200 to advance through the barrel 211. FIG. 10A shows the device 200 in the locked position and FIG. 10B shows the device in the deployed position. The rifling slots 215 may have a pitch operable to rotate the deployment shaft 200 about 90° about the centerline of the housing 210. In most instances, the deployment shaft may not complete a full 90° rotation but may position the collision attachment 235 to impact the driving surface 50, thereby absorbing impact forces and deflecting the vehicle 100 back onto the wheels.

[0039] It is to be understood that variations, modifications, and permutations of embodiments of the present invention, and uses thereof, may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. It is also to be understood that the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments, descriptions, or illustrations or combinations of either components or steps disclosed herein. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Although reference has been made to the accompanying figures, it is to be appreciated that these figures are exemplary and are not meant to limit the scope of the invention. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents.