The present invention relates to a roll over restraint system and method for vehicle sleeping bunks.
Moving vehicles, such as truck tractors, RVs, and trains may be provided with sleeping bunks. In order to maintain an occupant in a bunk during the occurrence of an accident, a variety of restraint systems have been developed. Such restraint systems typically include straps, netting, harness, or mesh that when in use prevents an occupant from being ejected from the bunk. While effective for preventing an occupant from being ejected from the bunk and being injured as a result, many restraint systems are not effective at preventing lateral or vertical accelerations, especially as those that might be generated during a rollover crash.
In the event of a crash, the privacy restraint curtain 20 is designed to prevent an occupant from being ejected from the bunk in the event or rapid deceleration. The airbags modules 21 are designed to protect an occupant during a rollover conditions and may be provided with inflation characteristics that actually hold an occupant in place during a rollover so that secondary occupant impacts do not occur.
While the bunk restraint system show in U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,355 is intended provide some protection during a rollover event, the system could only possibly provide protection in vehicles with a shelf or support of some kind located directly over the bunk. Not all bunk designs are provided with a shelf or support located directly over the bunk. Furthermore, the hinged, folding, or telescoping brackets 17 shown in the arrangement of U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,355 are unlikely to withstand the forces applied to the shelf in the event of a roll over event. In the event of the brackets 17 failing, the airbag modules would fail to actually hold an occupant in place. Accordingly, it is likely that such a system could only be utilized where the support or shelf is substantially reinforced. Furthermore, the necessary inflation characteristics required to hold an occupant in place will of course depend on a large number of factors, including the height of the bed, which according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,355 typically varies from 0.3 to 0.6 meters, the type and thickness of the mattress used, the girth of the occupant, and the vertical distance of the shelf 16 or any other support over the bed. Faced with such a large number of variables, a bunk restraint system such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,355 would require significant engineering/customization for each vehicle it is employed in and possibly for each occupant that it is intended to protect, before it could safely ensure that any particular occupant would safely be held in place during a rollover.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,644,724 shows a modular bunk assembly provided with a pair of restraint safety belts that extend transversely, with respect to the longitudinal direction of the bunk. While possibly providing protection in the event of a roll over event, the safety belts would need to be taut such that an occupant was strapped to the bed before an occupant would be guaranteed to be held in place during a roll over event. Due to the uncomfortable nature of such an arrangement and the encumbrances this would place on an occupant, it is unlikely that an occupant would utilize the restraints in such a manner. Furthermore, even if an occupant used the restraints in such a manner, such a use would prevent a restful sleep.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,631,896 shows a tented safety belt webbing restraint system that includes a tented portion that extends some distance directly above the occupant as the occupant is located in bunk. While providing some level of protection, in the event of a roll over event, such an arrangement would not prevent an occupant's head and/or feet from striking the side of the bunk or the occupant from striking the rear wall of the bunk. Furthermore, during a roll over event, the occupant could still be injured if thrown at great force against the tented portion of the safety belt webbing.
The present invention relates to an improved roll over restraint system and method.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a roll over bunk restraint system for a vehicle comprises a mattress, a restraint belt section, first and second restraint belts, at least one pre-tensioning device, and one or more activation sensors. The restraint belt section is provided with a first end and a second end and extends laterally across the mattress. The at least one pre-tensioning device is associated with the second end of the restraint belt section. The one or more activation sensors detect the occurrence of at least one of a vehicle declaration threshold, a vehicle attitude change threshold, or a vehicle crash and in response thereto generate a signal that results in the at least one pre-tensioning device increasing the tension applied to the restraint belt section.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for providing a roll over bunk restraint system in a vehicle comprises the steps of providing a mattress, providing a restraint belt section provided with a first end and a second end, wherein the restraint belt section is configured to extend laterally across the mattress, providing at least one pre-tensioning device that is associated with the second end of the restraint belt section, and providing one or more sensors that are configured to the occurrence of at least one of a vehicle declaration threshold, a vehicle attitude change threshold, or a vehicle crash and in response thereto generate a signal that results in in the at least one pre-tensioning device increasing the tension applied to the restraint belt section.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for providing a roll over bunk restraint system in a vehicle comprises the steps of providing a mattress, providing a restraint belt section that includes a first end and second end, wherein the restraint belt section is configured to extend laterally across the mattress and inflate to increase a restraint force exerted by the restraint belt section on an occupant, whereby the occupant is substantially held in place on the mattress, and providing one or more activation sensors that are configured to detect the occurrence of at least one of a vehicle declaration threshold, a vehicle attitude change threshold, or a vehicle crash and in response thereto generate a signal that results in restraint belt section inflating.
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The first end 113 of the restraint belt section 112 is preferably configured to be releasably buckled; however, alternative arrangements are within the scope of the present invention, such as, for example, and not limitation, clasping or fastening. As shown, the first end 113 may be provided with tongues 122 that are releasably received within buckles 150. The buckles are 150 are mounted to a support structure, such as the cab floor, as shown at 151, but may also, within the scope of the present embodiment, be mounted to the bunk 116 or any other suitable support structure. Alternatively, within the scope of the present embodiment, the first end 113 may be provided with buckles (not shown) that releasably receive tongues (not shown) mounted to a support structure.
Within the scope of the present embodiment, the second end 114 may be releasably buckled, as described in relation to the first end 113; however, as shown, the second end 114 is preferably associated with retractors 160, which may be of the locking type or the non-locking type. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the retractors 160 exert a slight tension force on the restraint belt section 112 while at the same time permitting the restraint belt section 112 to extend therefrom while in use. Advantageously, the use of retractors 160 allows for free movement of an occupant in the bunk when the restraint system 110 is in use while at the same time ensuring that the restraint belt section 112 is taut against the occupant.
According to one aspect of the present embodiment, the restraint belt section 112 is configured to hold an occupant substantially in place on the bunk 115 during a roll over event of the vehicle. According to another aspect of the present embodiment, the restraint belt section 112 is configured to experience an increase in tension when a roll over event is detected by the one or more activation sensors 150.
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By way of example, and not limitation, although the one or more activation sensors of the foregoing embodiments are intended to activate the pre-tensioning devices and/or internal bladders in the event of a roll over event, it is within the scope of the present invention for the activation sensors to activate the pre-tensioning devices and/or internal bladders upon the occurrence of at least one of the following: a vehicle deceleration threshold, an vehicle attitude change threshold, or a vehicle crash. Accordingly, within the scope of the present invention, for this purpose, the one or more activation sensors may include a variety of sensors, located at various spots on the vehicle, as is known in the art.
Persons skilled in the art will recognize that certain elements of the above-described embodiments may variously be combined or eliminated to create further embodiments, and such further embodiments fall within the scope and teachings of the invention. It will also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the above-described embodiments may be combined in whole or in part to create additional embodiments within the scope and teachings of the invention. Thus, although specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is determined from the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/US12/51779 | 8/22/2012 | WO | 00 | 2/16/2015 |