DISPOSITIF ANTI-TONNEAU

VEHICLE ANTI-ROLLOVER DEVICE

Abrégé anglais

A mechanical device extends the wheel base of the vehicle
so as to prevent vehicle rollover when the vehicle tilts. The
device comprises a sliding steel bar or rod with a wheel or
cylindrical ball 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.

Revendications

CLAIMS
WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A device for preventing vehicle tilt or rollover
comprising:
a first sliding bar within a first sleeve, said first bar
including a first wheel or ball joint at a first terminal end,
said first bar and first sleeve mounted horizontally on a
vehicle;
a second sliding bar within a second sleeve, said second
bar including a second wheel or ball joint at a second
terminal end, said second bar and second sleeve mounted
horizontally on a vehicle, on the same side of the vehicle as
the first sliding bar and first sleeve; and
a rigid connecting bar that connects the first sliding
bar with the second sliding bar,
wherein said first sliding bar and second sliding bar
slide out of, respectively, the first sleeve and the second
sleeve as one integral unit to the side of said vehicle to
extend the wheel base of said vehicle and prevent roll-over of
said vehicle.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the wheel or ball
joint are spring loaded so as to release the sliding bar to

the length necessary to contact a road surface to prevent
rollover.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the sliding bar is
geared, and wherein the sleeve is geared so that the sliding
bar's gears match the gears of the sleeve, said gears being
spaced and slanted so that the sliding bar can slide out from
said vehicle but prevent bar movement in the opposite
direction, said sliding bar further comprising a spring loaded
ball joint or wheel and a retaining yoke to release said
spring loaded ball joint or wheel when said sliding bar is
fully extended
4. A device for preventing vehicle tilt or rollover
comprising:
a first vertical anti-rollover unit attached to a side of
a vehicle that comprises a first hollow swinging arm;
a second vertical anti-rollover unit attached to the side
of the vehicle that comprises a second vertical hollow
swinging arm; and
a rigid connector bar that connects the first vertical
hollow swinging arm to the second vertical hollow swinging
arm,
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wherein the first vertical hollow swinging arm and the
second vertical hollow swinging arm can swing out as an
integral unit as the vehicle tilts so as to prevent vehicle
rollover.
5. The device of claim 4, wherein each vertical anti-
rollover unit further comprises:
a fixed geared arm vertically attached to a vehicle, the
fixed geared arm further comprising at least one slot, wherein
each hollow swinging arm is hingedly attached to the top of
said fixed geared arm;
a geared holding arm hingedly attached to the bottom end
of each hollow swinging arm, said gearing adapted to engage
said fixed gear arm in one direction to help support weight
placed on each said swinging arm by a tilting vehicle;
a holding bar attached to both the upper end of the
geared holding arm and the one or more slots on the fixed
geared arm so as the keep each swinging arm from extending
beyond a vertical plane as a vehicles tilts; and
a bar rod contained within each hollow swinging arm, said
bar rod attached via a spring to an inner surface of the top
of each hollow swinging arm,
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wherein the bar rod extends from the bottom of each
hollow swinging arm as each hollow swinging arm extends from
the side of a tilting vehicle so as to prevent rollover.
6. The device of claim 4, further comprising an
electro-mechanical device comprising a level-sensing switch to
control the release of the swinging arm and to control the
extension of the bar rod.
7. The device of claim 5, wherein the electro-
mechanical device is a solenoid.
8. An anti-rollover device comprising:
a hollow cylinder comprising a stop gear at an upper end
and a stop gear at a lower end;
an upper piston adapted to move up within the hollow
cylinder;
a lower piston adapted to move down within the hollow
cylinder, said lower piston further comprising a wheel or ball
joint at a terminal end;
a pair of extension systems to extend said upper and
lower pistons;
a level-sensing switch; and
an extension system release,
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wherein the level-sensing switch, upon detecting a
vehicle tilt, activates the extension system release to
release the pistons, said upper piston extending upward to
hold the vehicle in a level position and said lower piston
extending downward to touch the ground so as to prevent
rollover, said stop gears acting to hold the pistons in place.
9. The device of claim 8, wherein the extension system
comprises a pair of springs, one for each piston.
10. The device of claim 8, wherein the extensions system
is hydraulically driven.
11. The device of claim 8, wherein the extension system
is driven by compressed air, and further comprising a
compressed air tank and a pump to pump air from the tank to
the cylinder when activated by the level sensing switch.
12. An anti-rollover device comprising:
an air bag attached to the frame of a vehicle;
a compressed air tank with an air pump;
an air line connecting said air tank with said air bag;
and
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a level sensing device, wherein the level sensing device,
upon detecting a tilt in said vehicle, activates the air pump
to pump air from said tank into said air bag, said air bag
expending to contact the ground so as to level said vehicle
and prevent rollover.
13. An anti-rollover device comprising:
a horizontal hollow cylinder comprising a closed end
attached to a vehicle and an open end;
a horizontal piston adapted to move within the horizontal
hollow cylinder;
a horizontal extension system connecting the closed end
of the horizontal hollow cylinder to horizontal piston and
adapted to expand horizontal piston out of said open end of
said horizontal hollow cylinder.
a vertical hollow cylinder comprising a closed end
attached to an underside of said horizontal hollow cylinder,
and an open end;
a vertical piston adapted to move within said vertical
hollow cylinder;
a vertical extension system that connects said vertical
piston to said underside of horizontal hollow cylinder and
adapted to extend said vertical pistons towards said open end
of said vertical hollow cylinder;
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a level-sensing switch; and
an extension system release,
wherein the level-sensing switch, upon detecting a
vehicle tilt, activates the extension system release to
release the pistons, said horizontal piston extending outward
from said vehicle while said vertical piston extends downward
to touch the ground so as to prevent rollover.
14. The device of claim 1, wherein the sleeve includes a
plurality of rollers mounted above and below the sliding bar
so that the sliding bar can roll out of the sleeve with a
minimum of friction, said sliding bar comprising a first
stopper that engages a second stopper disposed on said sleeve
to limit they extension of said sliding bar out of the sleeve,
and said sliding bar further comprising a spring loaded ball
joint or wheel and a retaining yoke to release said spring
loaded ball joint or wheel when said sliding bar is fully
extended
15. The device of claim 14, wherein said first stopper
is recessed within the sliding bar, and wherein said sleeve
further comprises a space between said plurality of rollers
and said second stopper into which said first recessed stopper
extends so as to limit the extension of the sliding bar.
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16. A system for preventing vehicle rollover,
comprising:
a combination of anti-rollover devices, comprising at
least two anti-rollover devices mounted on each side of a
vehicle, wherein each said device is attached between the body
and/or a frame member of the vehicle, each said device
selected from any one of the devices claimed in claims 1, 2,
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, or 15, and comprising a
rigid connector between each adjacent pair of devices on each
side of the vehicle.
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Description

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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CA 02404595 2002-12-09
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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CA 02404595 2002-12-09
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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CA 02404595 2002-12-09
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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CA 02404595 2002-12-09
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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CA 02404595 2002-12-09
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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CA 02404595 2002-12-09
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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CA 02404595 2002-12-09
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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CA 02404595 2002-12-09
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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