System of devices for emergency opening of vehicle doors

• US 20050240331A1
• Filed: 04/08/2005
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nowak Innovations Sp. z o.o.
• Original Assignee: Przedsiebiorstwo Innowacyjno-Wdrozeniowo-Handlowe
• Inventors: Nowak, Zygmunt, Nowak, Wieslaw, Nowak, Janusz
• Granted Patent: US 7,327,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 51/023 actuated in response to external pressure, blast or explosion E05B65/102 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/422 for opening
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/448 Fluid motors; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/252 the elements functioning only in case of emergency
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/50 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/538 Interior lids
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/19 Pyrotechnical actuators
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 3/006 Explosive bolts; Explosive actuators explosive valves F16K13/06; explosive cutting B23D15/145; explosive switches H01H39/00; pyrotechnical actuators F15B15/19
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1075 Operating means

Abstract

A system for einergency opening of vehicle doors, especially to open from inside the door(s) blocked or jammed during a traffic accident, consisting of pneumatic servomotor or servomotors (1) as the door-opening executing element. The servomotor (1) supplied from pyrotechnical charge/cartridge (2) or pyrotechnical charges or cartridges (2) and (3), through the firing unit (8) controlled by a set of sensors (5), (6), and (7), of the first firing stage or by pressure sensor (9) of the second stage of firing, whereas the servomotor emptying is executed by an electrovalve (10).

Claims

1. A system of devices for emergency opening of vehicle doors, especially to open from inside the door(s) blocked or jammed following a traffic accident, including the means for vehicle door displacement to opened position, with simultaneous unlocking of vehicle-door locking unit, wherein the dooropening executing element of said system is the pneumatic servomotor (1) supplied with pressure from at least two pyrotechnical charges or cartridges (2) and (3), whereas the electrical signal for blowing up the first pyrotechnical cartridge (2), is given by an electric circuit of sensors (4), consisting of consecutively activated:

crush sensor (5), shock or acceleration sensor (6), and tilt sensor (7), sending the signal to electronic cartridge-blowing unit (8) controlling the process of blowing up a pyrotechnical charge or cartridge (2), whereas the necessity to blow up a subsequent pyrotechnical cartridge (3) and any further cartridges is controlled by the sensor (9) of pressure inside the pneumatic servomotor (1), whereas the blowup time interval is governed by an electronic cartridge-blowing unit (8), whereas the retraction of the rod of the pneumatic-servomotor (1) to its original position is executed by an electrovalve (10), which receives the electric signal from either a pressure sensor (9) or a displacement sensor, temperature sensor or time relay, depending an the sequence of events causing the respective signalization by these control sensors additionally mounted in the vehicle.

3. A system of devices as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pneumatic servomotors (1) are located at minimum two vehicle doors (15) situated an opposite sides of said vehicle.

4. A system of devices as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pneumatic servomotor (1) is located at one selected vehicle door (15), whereas the necessity to blow up its pyrotechnic charge or cartridge (2) or pyrotechnic cartridges (2) and (3) is signalized by two sensors activated consecutively one after another, i.e. crush sensor (5) and shock or acceleration sensor (6).

5. A system of devices as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pneumatic servomotor (1) is a small-size telescopic servomotor with several concentric cylinders.

6. A system of devices as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pneumatic servomotor (1) is a gas bellows or gas container.

7. A system of devices as claimed in claim 1, having an electric power supply unit (11) controlling the regular power supply from main DC battery (12) and the emergency power supply from small-size DC battery (13), additionally charged by the main battery (12).

8. A system of devices as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensors (5), (6) and (7) constitute the electric circuit of sensors (4) or are individual sensors used in other vehicle safety systems, e.g. in safety airbag or in seatbelt pretensioner.

9. A system of devices as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pneumatic servomotor or pneumatic servomotors (1) are, provided with a self-adjusting element (14) an the side of the opened door (15), said element being adapted to release the mechanical interlock of the lock of the door (15) or to actuate the door-lock opening mechanism, as well as being adjusted to the shape of the surface of the door (15) contacted by the extendable rod of said pneumatic servomotor (1).

10. A system of devices as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pneumatic servomotor or pneumatic servomotors (1) are located inside strengthened elements (16) of the vehicle body, preferably in door posts, vehicle sills or doors.

2. A system of devices for emergency opening of vehicle doors, especially to open from inside the door(s) blocked or jammed following a traffic accident, including the means for vehicle door displacement to open position, with simultaneous unlocking of vehicle-door locking unit, wherein the dooropening executing element of said system is the pneumatic servomotor (1) supplied with pressure from one pyrotechnical charge or cartridge (2), whereas the electrical signal for its blowing up is given by an electric circuit of sensors (4), consisting of consecutively activated:

crush sensor (5), shock or acceleration sensor (6), and tilt sensor (7), sending the signal to electronic cartridge-blowing unit (8) controlling the process of blowing up the pyrotechnical charge or cartridge (2), whereas the retraction of the rod of the pneumatic-servomotor (1) to its original position is executed by an electrovalve (10), which receives the electric signal from either a pressure sensor (9) or a displacement sensor, temperature sensor or time relay, depending an the sequence of events causing the respective signalization by these control sensors additionally mounted in the vehicle.