Patent Application
20180339674
The disclosed inventive concept relates generally to pedestrian protection systems for automotive vehicles. More particularly, the disclosed inventive concept relates to a pedestrian protection system that includes a coolant system having an isolated coolant reservoir in the form of a bottle or tank that is held in position during normal vehicle operation but that allows for the coolant reservoir to be moved out of the Pedestrian Protection Zone in an impact event, thus ensuring the safety of pedestrians.
Increased attention is being given the world over to pedestrian-vehicle impacts as more vehicles appear on the roadways, particularly in developing countries. As a consequence, government studies related to the protection of pedestrians in vehicle impact events are also increasing. For example, pedestrian protection has become a goal of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. The UNECE advanced a proposal “to develop a global technical regulation concerning the protection of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users in collision with vehicles and final report on the development of the global technical regulation concerning pedestrian safety.” Along with the Global Technical Regulation No. 9 (GTR-9), the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) developed a pedestrian protection star rating system. Vehicle manufacturers must meet child head, adult head, upper leg and lower leg test requirements provided to assess vehicle designs for mitigation of pedestrian injury caused by a vehicle frontal impact.
To reduce pedestrian injuries and to meet current and emerging global safety regulations, automotive companies are implementing Pedestrian Protection Systems. These systems often require additional space under the vehicle's engine hood that either avoid the provision of engine or engine-related components in the Pedestrian Protection Zone or provide for breakaway components that fall out of the zone in an impact event.
Often engine cooling components are, of necessity, located in or near the Pedestrian Protection Zone and are subject to the applicable safety requirements in their design criteria. The coolant reservoir is typically packaged just below the vehicle's engine hood, thus allowing convenient access for coolant fills. This location frequently places the coolant reservoir within the Pedestrian Protection Zone below the engine hood. This situation becomes more complicated as it is desired for the reservoir to be located near the front of the vehicle. Because the gap between the underside of the engine hood and the under-hood components typically reduces toward the front of the vehicle, the coolant reservoir, being typically placed vehicle-forward, is a component that often presents challenges to under-hood component placement and design.
As in so many areas of vehicle technology, there is room for improvement related to the protection of pedestrians in a pedestrian-vehicle impact event.
The disclosed inventive concept overcomes the problems of known technology by providing an isolated coolant reservoir capable of being displaced from its operational position during normal vehicle use to a position that is pushed out of the Pedestrian Protection Zone in an impact event. The isolated coolant reservoir relative to the vehicle's body structure according to the disclosed inventive concept is generally isolated either by external damping structures or by integrated or internal flexible mounts. In an impact event, the coolant reservoir is pushed from its operational position out of the Pedestrian Protection Zone ensuring the safety of pedestrians.
Structures that provide external damping of the coolant reservoir relative to the vehicle's body structure include both flexible polymerized isolators and flexible metal isolators. These structures are provided between the vehicle's body structure and arms that extend from and are integrally part of the reservoir. Flexible polymerized isolators may be compressible insulators or may be flexible arms, both of which are positioned between the integral arms of the coolant reservoir and the vehicle's body structure. Flexible metal isolators may be springs or gas- or fluid-filled dampers.
Integrated or internal flexible mounts that are integrally molded with the coolant reservoir include angular flexible arms having slotted ends that extend from the reservoir to the body structure. The slotted ends of the arms are displaceable relative to the body structure in an impact event. An additional variation of the integrated arm structure is the incorporation into the integral arm of a living hinge. A further variation of the integrated arm structure is an arcuate arm that functions like a spring in an impact event.
Each embodiment of the coolant reservoir allows for movement of the reservoir from the Pedestrian Protection Zone in an impact event. The embodiments may be combined for use in a single coolant reservoir. The structures connecting the coolant reservoir to the vehicle body structure may be readily tuned according to the force required for movement of the coolant reservoir. Tuning may be accomplished by, for example, adjusting the spring constant, material thickness and material type.
The above advantages and other advantages and features will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should now be made to the embodiments illustrated in greater detail in the accompanying drawings and described below by way of examples of the invention wherein:
In the following figures, the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same components. In the following description, various operating parameters and components are described for different constructed embodiments. These specific parameters and components are included as examples and are not meant to be limiting.
The accompanying figures and the associated description illustrate the engine cover according to the disclosed inventive concept. It is to be understood that the shape, size, and position of the isolated fluid reservoir as illustrated in the figures are suggestive and are not intended as being limiting. As a non-limiting example, the illustrated shape of the isolated fluid reservoir is shown as being generally rectangular but may be adapted as needed for a certain space. As a further non-limiting example, the isolated fluid reservoir may have an irregular shape.
Referring to
The position of the coolant reservoir 16 illustrated in
Movement of the coolant reservoir from its normal position illustrated in
Referring to
A pair of integrally molded arms 32 and 32′ extend from the sides of the isolated coolant reservoir 22. The arms 32 and 32′ are illustrated as being formed as part of the lower portion 28 but may alternatively be part of the upper portion 26 or part of both the upper portion 26 and the lower portion 28.
To provide isolation, a pair of compressible and resilient elastomeric isolators 34 and 34′ is provided for attachment of the isolated coolant reservoir 22 to the fixed vehicle body support structures 24 and 24′. Particularly, an elastomeric isolator 34 is positioned between the integrally molded arm 32 and the fixed vehicle body support structure 24 and an elastomeric isolator 34′ is positioned between the integrally molded arm 32′ and the fixed vehicle body support structure 24.
The isolated coolant reservoir assembly 20 is shown in
Referring to
A pair of integrally molded arms 54 and 54′ extend from the sides of the isolated coolant reservoir 42. The arms 54 and 54′ are illustrated as being formed as part of the lower portion 48 but may alternatively be part of the upper portion 46 or part of both the upper portion 46 and the lower portion 48.
To provide isolation, a pair of compressible dampers 56 and 56′ is provided for attachment of the isolated coolant reservoir 42 to the fixed vehicle body support structures 44 and 44′. The dampers 56 and 56′ may be liquid filled (such as an oil) or gas filled. A damper 56 is provided between the integrally molded arm 54 and the fixed body support structure 44 while a damper 56′ is provided between the integrally molded arm 54′ and the fixed body support structure 44′.
The isolated coolant reservoir assembly 40 is shown in
Referring to
A pair of integrally molded arms 74 and 74′ extend from the sides of the isolated coolant reservoir 62. The arms 74 and 74′ are illustrated as being formed as part of the lower portion 68 but may alternatively be part of the upper portion 66 or part of both the upper portion 66 and the lower portion 68.
To provide isolation, a pair of spring assemblies 76 and 76′ is provided for attachment of the isolated coolant reservoir 62 to the fixed vehicle body support structures 64 and 64′. The spring assembly 76 is fitted between the integrally molded arm 74 and the body support structure 64. The spring assembly 76 includes a spring 78 fitted around a spring guide 79. The spring assembly 76′ is fitted between the integrally molded arm 74′ and the body support structure 64′. The spring assembly 76′ includes a spring 78′ fitted around a spring guide 79′.
The isolated coolant reservoir assembly 60 is shown in
Referring to
A pair of integrally molded arms 94 and 94′ extend from the sides of the isolated coolant reservoir 82. The arms 94 and 94′ are illustrated as being formed as part of the lower portion 88 but may alternatively be part of the upper portion 86 or part of both the upper portion 86 and the lower portion 88.
To provide isolation, a pair of elongated elastomeric isolators 96 and 96′ is provided for attachment of the isolated coolant reservoir 82 to the fixed vehicle body support structures 84 and 84′. The elongated elastomeric isolator 96 includes an angular arm segment 98. The elongated elastomeric isolator 96 is fitted between the integrally molded arm 94 and the body support structure 84. The elongated elastomeric isolator 96′ includes an angular arm segment 98′. The elongated elastomeric isolator 96′ is fitted between the integrally molded arm 94′ and the body support structure 84′.
The isolated coolant reservoir assembly 80 is shown in
Referring to
A pair of integrally molded arm extensions 114 and 114′ extend from the sides of the isolated coolant reservoir 102. The arm extensions 114 and 114′ are illustrated as being formed as part of the lower portion 108 but may alternatively be part of the upper portion 106 or part of both the upper portion 106 and the lower portion 108.
The integrally molded arm extensions 114 and 114′ provide isolation of the reservoir 102 from the body support structures 104 and 104′. The distal end of the integrally molded arm extension 114 includes a slot 116 and the distal end of the integrally molded arm extension 114′ includes a slot 116′. A bolt having a shank 118 extends through the slot 116 and into the body support structure 104. A bolt having a shank 118′ extends through the slot 116′ and into the body support structure 104′. The integrally molded arm extension 114 includes a middle segment 119 and the integrally molded arm 114′ includes a middle segment 119′.
The isolated coolant reservoir assembly 100 is shown in
Referring to
A pair of integrally molded arm extensions 134 and 134′ extend from the sides of the isolated coolant reservoir 122. The arm extensions 134 and 134′ are illustrated as being formed as part of the lower portion 128 but may alternatively be part of the upper portion 136 or part of both the upper portion 136 and the lower portion 138.
The integrally molded arm extensions 134 and 134′ provide isolation of the reservoir 122 from the body support structures 124 and 124′. The distal end of the integrally molded arm extension 124 includes a slot 136 and the distal end of the integrally molded arm extension 124′ includes a slot 136′. A bolt having a shank 138 extends through the slot 136 and into the body support structure 124. A bolt having a shank 138′ extends through the slot 136′ and into the body support structure 124′. The integrally molded arm extension 134 includes a pinched point or living hinge 139 and the integrally molded arm 134′ includes a pinched point or living hinge 139′.
The isolated coolant reservoir assembly 120 is shown in
Referring to
A pair of integrally molded arm extensions 154 and 154′ extend from the sides of the isolated coolant reservoir 142. The arm extensions 154 and 154′ are illustrated as being formed as part of the lower portion 148 but may alternatively be part of the upper portion 146 or part of both the upper portion 146 and the lower portion 148.
The integrally molded arm extensions 154 and 154′ provide isolation of the reservoir 142 from the body support structures 144 and 144′. The arm extension 154 includes a flexible arcuate segment 156 and the arm extension 154′ includes a flexible arcuate segment 156′.
The isolated coolant reservoir assembly 140 is shown in
Thus, the disclosed invention as set forth above overcomes the challenges faced by known engine cover assemblies by increasing ease of assembly and ease of use. However, one skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion, and from the accompanying drawings and claims that various changes, modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the true spirit and fair scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
