Abstract:
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.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from “Vehicle Anti-Roll Over Device”, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/260,311, filed Jan. 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 SUVs, truck, vans, or automobiles. 
     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. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The purpose of the 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 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. In an alternative embodiment, the device comprises vertically mounted swinging arm hinged from the top of a fixed arm with a holding arm connecting the 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 in a horizontal embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 1B depicts the bar of the invention mounted in a vertical embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 2 depicts how the horizontal embodiment of the invention prevents rollover. 
     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. 4B is a partial view of the vertical 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 embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 6A depicts an embodiment employing compressed-air vertical pistons. 
     FIG. 6B depicts an embodiment employing compressed air bags. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     An overview of the system of the present invention is depicted in FIG.  1 . Vehicle  10  has four horizontal anti-rollover devices  1 ,  2 ,  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 sleeve  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 sleeve. The bar  21  also includes a wheel or ball joint  23  disposed on the end that slides out of the sleeve. As the vehicle tilts, the wheel or ball joint  23  can make contact with the road so as to prevent rollover. The bar can also include a spring, as depicted in FIG. 2 a , to control the release of the bar from the vehicle. 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.  3 A. In this embodiment, sleeve  33  includes gears  32 , and sliding bar  31  is geared so that the gears of bar  31  match the gears  32  of sleeve  33 . These gears are spaced and slanted so that the bar  31  can slide out of sleeve  33  but also lock so as to prevent motion in the opposite direction. The bar also includes a wheel or ball joint  35  that is spring  34  loaded, wherein the spring is retained by 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 invention is depicted in FIG.  3 B. 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 . Sliding bar  101  rolls on the rollers  104 , and includes a first recessed stopper  103  that engages a second stopper  102  disposed on the sleeve  100  to control the extension of sliding bar  101 . Between the rollers  104  and the second stopper  102  is a space  108 . The first recessed stopper is held in place by the rollers  104  as the sliding bar extends out of the sleeve  100 , extending into the space  108  to engage second stopper  102 . The sliding bar  101  also includes a wheel or ball joint  104  that is spring  106  loaded, wherein the spring is retained by retaining yoke  107  until the bar  101  is fully extended, at which time the ball joint or wheel  105  is released to make contact with the ground. 
     A vertical embodiment of the invention is depicted in FIG.  4  and FIG.  1 B. 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 slotted. The fixed geared arm  42  has a hinge  43  at the top, to which a hollow swinging arm  44  is attached. The hollow swinging arm  44  also has a hinge  45  attached at its bottom end, which connects to a geared holding arm  46 . The geared holding arm  46  is geared so as engage the gears  47  of the fixed geared arm  42  in 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  48  adapted to engage the slots on the fixed geared arm  42  so as to prevent the swinging arm  44  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 swinging arm  44  by a loaded spring  50 . As the hollow swinging arm  44  extends out from a tilting vehicle, the rod  49  extends from the bottom end of swinging arm  44  to make contact with the ground, preventing rollover. The bar rod&#39;s  49  extension can also be controlled by compressing a spring against a spring retaining yoke, as depicted in FIG.  4 B. 
     A variation on this vertical embodiment is depicted in FIG.  4 B. In this embodiment, the anti-tilt device includes a electro-mechanical device  53 , such as a solenoid, with a level-sensing&#39;switch that releases the swinging arm and controls the extension of the bar rod. 
     An alternative vertical embodiment is depicted in FIG.  5 A. This embodiment includes a hollow cylinder  70  disposed between the body and frame of a 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 the 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 place. A level-sensing switch activates the extension release, such as, for example, 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 ball joint  79  to extend to the ground to prevent rollover. The placement of the alternative embodiment on a vehicle is depicted in FIG.  5 . 
     Another variation of the vertical embodiment of FIG. 5A is depicted in FIG.  5 B. This embodiment includes a horizontal hollow cylinder  80  with a closed end  81  fixed to a vehicle body, and an open end  83 . Inside hollow cylinder  80  is 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  84  to the closed end  81  of 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  84  out of the open end  83  of the hollow 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 is utilized to extend the pistons to their respective ends of the cylinder. A compressed air tank  60  is the source of the compressed air pumped into cylinder  61  when the vehicle begins to tilt. The pumping is actuated by a level-sensing 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 . 
     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 embodiment are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The invention is defined by the appended claims.