AMEANS OF A PEDESTRIAN AND CAR PROTECTION AT REVERSE PARKING

Author: Boris Leonidovich Smirnov

Contact author: sbl@online.ru

Reverse parking is one of the most difficult elements of car driving. There is hardly a driver not having experienced any incident at this maneuver. On average each driver experiences this once in 4-5 times. Reverse movement does not keep from annoying incidents and collisions with various obstacles: fence, curb, another car or a pedestrian. Replacement of the modern car rear end elements will cost a lot. At present most cars are not equipped with the parking assistance systems, and even those installed on the expensive cars alert a driver about dangerous approaching to the obstacle only, but cannot prevent the crash.

The parking problem could be solved by means of equipping the car with the additional shock-absorbing bumper, which automatically slides out of the main rear bumper of the car when the driver turns the reverse gear on, and occupies the position on the level of the car thresholds.

This will enable to protect the expensive car from damage in case of a collision with an obstacle and eliminate a car-pedestrian accident.

The drawing enclosed describes this means of protection.

Fig. 1 – the car view with the additional bumper in the transport position.

Fig. 2 – the same bumper at the moment of reverse movement start.

Fig. 3 – the same bumper at the moment of a collision with an obstacle.

The essence of this means is that the whole construction of the additional bumper is fastened to the car trunk bottom. Two pushers, each located opposite “its” rear wheel, play the main role in this construction. The pusher consists of the screw socket 1, with left-hand thread on the one end, and right-hand thread on the other. The rods 2 and 3 with different thread length and pitch are screwed on both sides of this socket. The tip of the rod 2 facing the wheel ends with the roller 4. Another rod facing the obstacle ends with the pneumocylinder 5 and the additional bumper 6 itself. Fastening of the pusher to the car body and its mobility are provided by the guiding socket 7 and hinge 8.

Protection of the pedestrian and the car at reverse parking is implemented as follows.

When the driver turns the reverse gear on (Fig. 1), the servodrive (not showed) turns on, putting the whole construction into the horizontal working position (Fig. 2). At the same time the servodrive drives rotation of the thread socket 1. As the latter has both left-hand and right-hand thread, the rods 2 and 3 start to lengthen. The rod 2 sets against the rear wheel with the roller 4, and the rod 3 pushes the additional shock-absorbing bumper 6 into the working position outside the main bumper. All this simultaneously happens with both pushers.

At that moment, when the car, moving back, touches the obstacle or the pedestrian with the bumper 6, the break system is automatically activated. This way the car-pedestrian incident or the car damage is eliminated.

Otherwise, when the shock-absorbing bumper 6 touches the obstacle, and the car continues its move towards it (slippery pavement), the bumper through the rods 2 and 3, sliding in guiding sockets 7, and setting against the rear wheels with the rollers 4, is pressed with the pneumocylinders 5 (Fig. 3). As a result the hit of the car on the obstacle is “softened”.

The pushers and the bumper are returned to the transport position at turning on the servodrive and the thread socket 1 backward rotation, when the driver turns the reverse gear off.

Equipment of the car with the shock-absorbing sliding-out rear bumper, located on the level of the car thresholds, provides for improved protection at hitting another car side. In this case the “softened” hit falls not on the car B-pillar or door, but on the threshold which constituting a single whole with the floor possesses significant toughness. At that people sitting in compartments of both cars do not suffer from the shock load.

It should be noted that this means could not be a panacea and ensure safety at all speed conditions. However, at moderate speed, a number of damaged cars and injured pedestrians will decrease significantly.

Another protection could be used for the front part of the car (please refer to http://www.sciteclibrary.ru/rus/catalog/pages/5898.html)

Note:

The above mentioned ideas are drawn as an application to obtain the patent for invention of the Russian Federation. Patent number: 2003130030
Publishing date: October 29, 2003

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