OBSTACLE DEVICE FOR VEHICLE DRIVING EXPERIENCE

• US 20100192464A1
• Filed: 07/08/2008
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hirai, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 8,485,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/9
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 Control of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/00 Simulators for teaching or training purposes for the use of weapons F41; computing aspects G06; protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/042 providing simulation in a real vehicle G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence

Abstract

An obstacle device for vehicle driving experience is provided which includes a support arm (3) disposed outside a path (P) of a vehicle (V), a support rod (4) supported on the support part (3) and capable of swinging back and forth along the path (P), and an obstacle (5) attached to a tip of the support rod (4) and positioned within the path (P) of the vehicle (V), swing control means (30) being provided between the support part (3) and the support rod (4), the swing control means (30) making resistance to a return swing of the support rod (4) from a forward swing position to a rear larger than resistance to swinging of the support rod (4) to a front due to collision of the vehicle (V) with the obstacle (5). Thus, during vehicle driving experience, even if the vehicle collides with the obstacle, it is possible to mitigate the collision impact effectively and to place the obstacle at a fixed position easily and quickly after the collision.

Claims

1. An obstacle device for vehicle driving experience comprising a support part (3) that is disposed outside a path (P) of a vehicle (V), a support rod (4) that is supported on the support part (3) and is capable of swinging back and forth along the path (P), and an obstacle (5) that is attached to a tip of the support rod (4) and positioned within the path (P) of the vehicle (V), wherein swing control means (30) is provided between the support part (3) and the support rod (4), the swing control means (30) making resistance to a return swing of the support rod (4) from a forward swing position to a rear larger than resistance to swinging of the support rod (4) to a front due to collision of the vehicle (V) with the obstacle (5).

2. The obstacle device for vehicle driving experience according to claim 1,

wherein the support part (3) is disposed above the path (P) of the vehicle (V), the support rod (4) is hung from the support part (3) via the swing control means (30), and the obstacle (5) is attached to a lower end part of the support rod (4).

3. The obstacle device for vehicle driving experience according to claim 1,

wherein the swing control means (30) is formed by disposing in series a one-way clutch (28) and a damper (29, 129) between the support part (3) and the support rod (4), the one-way clutch (28) allowing the forward swing of the support rod (4) but restraining the rearward swing, and the damper (29, 129) generating a damping force for at least the rearward swing of the support rod (4).

4. The obstacle device for vehicle driving experience according to claim 2,

wherein a support post (2) is standingly provided on a support platform (1) placed outside the path (P) of the vehicle (V), a support arm (3) as the support part is connected to an upper end part of the support post (2), the support arm (3) extending above the path (P) of the vehicle (V), the support rod (4) is detachably mounted on the tip of the support arm (3), and the support arm (3) is arranged so that a state thereof can be changed between an extended state in which the support rod (4) can be hung therefrom and a contracted state in which the support rod (4) is stored on the support platform (1).

5. The obstacle device for vehicle driving experience according to claim 2,

wherein the obstacle (5) is formed from a mounting plate (5b) connected to the lower end of the support rod (4) and an obstacle main body (5a), made of an impact absorbing material, mounted on the mounting plate (5b) so as to cover the mounting plate (5b), radio wave reflection means (34) is mounted on the mounting plate (5b), the radio wave reflection means (34) being covered by the obstacle main body (5a), and the radio wave reflection means (34) is disposed so as to reflect radio waves, transmitted by a radar (45) of an obstacle handling system provided on the vehicle (V), toward the radar (45) side.

6. The obstacle device for vehicle driving experience according to claim 5,

wherein the support rod (4) is connected to the support part (3) so that the support rod (4) can swing in a direction perpendicular to the path (P) of the vehicle (V).

7. The obstacle device for vehicle driving experience according to claim 5,

wherein a stable block (36) is provided so as to be connected to the obstacle (5), the stable block (36) being disposed so as to have friction against the road surface.

8. The obstacle device for vehicle driving experience according to claim 7,

wherein the stable block (36) is formed so as to be separable from the obstacle (5), and the obstacle (5) and the stable block (36) are connected via a connecting cord (38).

9. The obstacle device for vehicle driving experience according to claim 5,

wherein a target mark (35) is displayed on a front face of the obstacle (5) facing the vehicle (V) on the path (P), the target mark (35) having dimensions that can be recognized by a driver of the vehicle (V) that is waiting at a distance and having a color that stands out from the surroundings.

10. The obstacle device for vehicle driving experience according to claim 5,

wherein a support post (2) is standingly provided on a support platform (1) placed outside the path (P) of the vehicle (V), a support arm (3) as the support part is connected to an upper end part of the support post (2), the support arm (3) extending above the path (P) of the vehicle (V), the support rod (4) is detachably mounted on the tip of the support arm (3), and the support arm (3) is arranged so that a state thereof can be changed between an extended state in which the support rod (4) can be hung therefrom and a contracted state in which the support rod (4) is stored on the support platform (1).