Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02404595 2002-12-09
VEHICLE ANTI-ROLLOVER DEVICE
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of "Vehicle
_'> Anti-Roll Over Device", U.S. Patent Application No.
09/829,408, filed April. 9, 2001, claiming priority from U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 60/260,311, filed January
9, 2001, by Sanchez, the contents of which are incorporated
herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a device used to prevent a
vehicle from tilting or rolling over on its side. This device
is applicable to new or previously owned vehicles, such as
1_'i SUVs, truck, vans, or: automobi le;~ .
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
With the popularity of high center of gravity vehicles,
the incidence of accidents involving roll-overs and tire
blowouts has increased, with ensuing injuries and loss of
life. Thus, there is. a need for a device that can prevent
vehicle tilt and rollover.
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SUMI!IARY OF TAE INVENTION
The purpose of t:he invention is accomplished by a
mechanical device that. extends the wheel base of the vehicle.
In one embodiment, the device comprises a sliding steel bar or
rod with a wheel or cylindrical bal:1 joint at the terminal end
that will slide out from a vehicle when the vehicle begins to
tilt. The bar/rod extends to the side at the front and rear
of the vehicle to a point where it touches the road to prevent
further tilt or rollover. The sliding bar/rod is enclosed in
a sleeve that is attached to the frame, bumper or body of the
vehicle, so that. the load of the vehicle can be absorbed,
preventing tilting or rollOVer. In an alternative embodiment,
the device comprises vertically mounted swinging arm hinged
from the top of a fixed arm with a he>lding arm connecting the
IS swinging arm and the fixed arm so as to control the extension
of the swinging arm.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1A depicts the mountings of the bar of the invention
2.0 in a horizontal embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 1E3 depicts the bar of the invention mounted in a
vertical embodiment of the invent: ion.
FIG. 2 depicts how the horizontal embodiment of the
invention prevents r~allc>ver.
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FIG. 2A depicts a spring loaded horizontal embodiment.
FIG. 3 depicts a schematic: of a geared slider.
FIG. 3A is a sectional view of the geared slider.
FIG. 3B depicts a roller mounted sliding bar.
FIG. 3C depicts the stopper of the roller mounted sliding
bar.
FIG. 4 depicts how a vertically mounted bar prevents
rollover.
FIG. 9B is a partial view of the vertir_al bar.
FIG. 5 depicts how an alternative embodiment of a
vertical bar is mounted to the vehicle.
FIG. 5A depicts a schematic of the alternative embodiment
of the vertical bar.
FIG. 5B depicts combination vertical-horizontal
1'~ embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 6A depicts an embodiment employing compressed-air
vertical pistons.
FIG. 6B depicts an embodiment employing compressed air
bags.
FIG. 7A depicts a two-arm embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 7B depicts a two-slider embodiment of the invention.
CA 02404595 2002-12-09
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An overview of the system of the present invention is
depicted in FIG. 1. Vehicle 1() has four horizontal anti-
rollover devices 1, ?_, 3, 4, two disposed at each end on
_'> opposite sides of the vehicle. A horizontal embodiment of the
invention is depicted in greater detail in FIG. 2. A sliding
bar 21 slides within a hollow :>leeve 22 that is mounted
horizontally within the frame of vehicle 24. When the vehicle
tilts, as indicated in the diagram, the bar slides out of the
lIJ sleeve. The bar 21 also includes a wheel or ball joint 23
disposed on the end that slider out of the sleeve. As the
vehicle tilts, the wheel or ball joint 23 can make contact
with the road so as tc> prevent rc~:l.lover. The bar can also
include a spring, as depicted i_n FIC; 2a, to control, the
15 release of the bar from the vehic-:Le. Thus, bar 21 only as far
as necessary from the:' vehicle to prevent rollover.
An alternative horizontal embodiment of the invention is
depicted in FIG 3A. In this embodiment, sleeve 33 includes
gears 32, and sliding bar 31 is geared so that the gears of
20 bar 31 match the gear: 32 of sleeve 33. These gears are
spaced and slanged sc:~ that the bar 31 can slide out of sleeve
33 but also lock so as t:o prevent motion in the opposite
direction. The bar also include:_~ a wheel or ball joint 35
that is spring 34 lo<:~caed, wherein the spring is retained by
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retaining yoke 36 until the bar 31 is fully extended, at which
time the ball joint or wheel 35 is released to make contact
with the ground.
An second alternative horizontal embodiment of the
'i invention is depicted in FIG 3B_ In this embodiment, sleeve
100 includes a plurality of rollers 104 on the upper and lower
inner surfaces of the sleeve 100 so as to minimize the
friction between the sleeve 100 and sliding bar 101. Aiding
bar 101 rolls on the rollers 104, and includes a first
II) recessed stopper 103 that engages a second stopper 102
disposed on the sleeve 100 to c~ont:rol the extension of sliding
bar 101. Between the rollers 109 and the .second stopper 102
is a space 108. The first recessed stopper is held in place
by the rollers 104 as the slidinct bar extends out of the
I:p sleeve 100, extending into the s~>ace 108 to engage second
stopper 102. The sliding bar 101 also includes a wheel or
ball joint 109 that is spring _1U6 loaded, wherein the spring
is retained by retaining yoke 107 until the bar 101 is fully
extended, at which time the ba.:l1 joint or wheel 105 is
2~0 released to make contact with the ground.
A vertical embodiment of the invention is depicted in
FIG. 9 and FIG. 1B. Device 40 is shown vertically attached to
vehicle 41, and includes fixed geared arm 42 vertically
attached to vehicle 41, wherein the fixed geared arm 42 is
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slotted. The fixed geared arm 42 has a hinge 43 at the top,
to which a hollow swinging arm 44 i:~ attached. The hollow
swinging arm 44 also has a hinge 45 attached at its bottom
end, which connects to a geared balding arm 46. The geared
:5 holding arm 96 is geared so as engage the gears 47 of the
fixed geared arm 42 i.n one direction. This helps support the
weight placed on the swinging arm 44 by a tilting vehicle. At
the upper end of the geared holding arm 47 is a holding bar
retainer 98 adapted t:a engage the slats on the fixed geared
arm 92 so as to prevE:~nt the swinging arm 94 from extending
beyond a vertical plane as a vehicle tilts. A bar rod 49 is
disposed within the hollow swinging arm 44, attached to the
upper end of swinginc:~ arm 49 by a loaded spring 50. As the
hollow swinging arm 44 extends out from a tilting vehicle, the
rod 49 extends from t:he bottom end of swinging arm 44 to make
contact with the- ground, preventing rollaver. The bar rod's
49 extension can also be controlled by compressing a Lcpring
against a spring ret<:~ining yoke, as depicted in FIG. 4B.
A variation on i~his vertical. embodiment is depicted in
f.0 FIG. 4B. In this embodiment, the anti-tilt: device includes a
electro-mechanical device 53, such as a solenoid, with a
level-sensing switch that releases the swinging arm and
controls the ext:ensioro of the bar rod.
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An alternative vertical embodiment is depicted in FIG.
5A. This embodiment includes a hollow cylinder 70 disposed
between the body and frame of <~ vehicle. On the inside of
cylinder 70 are stop gears 71, 72 disposed at each end of the
cylinder, an upper piston 73 adapted to move toward an upper
end 74 of the cylinder 70, and a lower piston 75 adapted to
move toward a lower end 76 of t:he cylinder 70. A pair of
extension systems 77, 78, which can be either springs or
hydraulics act to move the pistons '73, 75 toward their
respective ends, and the stop gears 71, 72 act to hold the
pistons in ~>lace. A Level-sensing switch activates the
extension release, sm:~h as, for_ wxample, a solenoid, to extend
the pistons. Thus, when activated, the upper piston acts to
level the body of the vehicle, while the lower piston causes a
wheel or bal_1 joint '7~3 to extend to the ground to prevent
rollover. The placement of the alternative embodiment on a
vehicle is depicted iri FIG. 5.
Another. variation of the vertical embodiment of E'IG. 5A
is depicted in F'IG. 5B. This embodiment includes a horizontal
2;0 hollow cylinder 80 with a closed end 81 fixed to a vehicle
body, and an open encl 83. Inside hol.l.ow cylinder 80 i.s
disposed a horizontal piston 84 with a first end 85 and a
second end 86. A horizontal extension system 82 connects the
first end 85 of horizontal piston 89 to the closed end 81 of
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the horizontal hollow cylinder 80. A vertical hollow cylinder
87 is disposed on the underside of horizontal piston 84
adjacent to its second end 86. The lower end 90 of the
vertical cylinder 87 is open. Inside vertical cylinder 87 is
a vertical piston 88 with an upper end 91. and a lower end 92,
and a vertical extension system 87 that connects the upper end
91 of vertical piston. 88 to the underside of horizontal piston
84. A wheel or ball joint 79 is attached to the lower end 92
of vertical piston 88. The horizontal extension system 82 and
vertical extension 89 can include springs or hydraulics. When
the vehicle begins to tilt, a level-sensing switch activates
the release of horizontal extension system 82 and vertical
extension 89. Horizontal extension system 82 expands pushing
horizontal piston 89 c:>ut of t=he open end 83 of the hollow
IS cylinder 80. As horizontal piston 83 emerges from hollow
cylinder 80, vertical extension :system 89 expands so that
vertical piston 88 emerges from vertical cylinder 87,
extending downward until wheel or ball joint 79 makes contact
with the ground.
FIG. 6A depicts an alternative embodiment of the vertical
pistons, in which compressed air i:> utilized to extend the
pistons to their respective ends of the cylinder. A
compressed air tank 60 is the ~;ource of the compressed air
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pumped into cylinder 61 when the vehicle begins to tilt. The
pumping is actuated by a level--sens:ing device.
FIG. 6B depicts another alternative of the invention.
This embodiment employs a plurality of air bags 64, 65, 67, 68
:> connected by an air line 66 to a compressed air tank 63. The
embodiment pictured includes two air bags on each side of a
vehicle 69, disposed at the front and the rear of vehicle 69.
A level-sensing switch activates the tank 63 to pump
compressed air into bags on the proper side of the vehicle 69
so as to level the vehicle 69.
In a further refinement of t:he invention, both the
vertical arm embodiment and the horizontal slider embodiment
can utilize connector bars to ~~onnect a unit disposed on one
end of a vehicle to a~ unit on the same side but the opposite
end of the vehicle to ensure gnat the arms or bars deploy
together as one integral unit. Referring now to FIG. 7A, the
two-arm vertical embodiment 11() includes two arms 111, 112 at
opposite ends of one side of vehicle 10, and connector bar 113
rigidly connecting them. Disposed within vertical arms 111,
a?0 112 can be devices 1:L4, 115 as previously described, such as
end wheels, ball joints and air bags. These devices 1.14, 115
move up and down independently of each other to make contact
with a road surface. A similar ~.mit 116 can be disported on
the other side of the vehicle (not shown).
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A horizontal embodiment 12U, depicted in FIG 7b, includes
two horizontal sliders 121, 122 disposed on opposite ends of
one side of vehicle 190, rigidly connected by connector bar
123 so that sliders 121, 122 slide out as one integral unit.
:> As with the vertical embodiment. described above, disposed
within horizontal sliders 121, 122 c:an be devices 124, 125 as
previously described, such as end wheels, ball joints and air
bags. These devices 124, 125 move up and down independently
of each other to make contact with a road surface. A similar
unit 126 can be disposed on the other side of the vehicle (not
shown). These connected horizontal slider units can be
disposed at the front and rear bumpers or underneath a
vehicle.
The system of the invention is not limited to the
embodiments disclosed herein. It will be -immediately apparent
to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications
to the disclosed embc7diment are possible without departing
from the spirit and ;cope of the present invention. The
invention is defined by the appended claims.
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