An electrically-driven motor car with an externally-operated parking device

Abstract: A motor car includes a body (2), an electrical supply, an electric drive unit (5), a steering system (8), a parking brake (13) and control means inside the body (2) for causing the drive unit (5) to be activated by the electrical supply. The motor car also includes control means outside the body (2) for operating the drive unit (5), the control means constituting an external control for enabling parking manoeuvres in restricted spaces.

Description: The present invention relates to a motor car including a body, an electrical supply, an electric drive unit, a steering system, a parking brake, and control means inside the body for causing the drive unit to be activated by the electrical supply. Electrically-propelled motor cars are particularly suitable for urban use both because they do not emit pollutant exhaust gases and because they run quietly. In urban areas, the problem for motor cars of all kinds is that places available for parking are limited. In order to optimise the available parking places, it is necessary to make the best possible use of spaces reserved for parking, including the narrow spaces which are sometimes left between one parked car and another. In theory, space is actually available for another motor car to be parked between those already present but the driver and any passengers would not be able to get out once the car was parked because of the lack of space to open the side doors and enable people to pass between the car and other adjacent cars. The object of the present invention is to provide an electrically-driven motor car which can be parked easily even in spaces which are so narrow that they are only slightly wider than the car. According to the invention, this object is achieved by a motor car as defined in claim 1. External control means of the afore-mentioned type are cited in the European Patent Application EP-A-324 083, wherein a remote control unit guides a motor vehicle along a path. The advantages which can be achieved by the present invention are essentially that it ensures convenient and easy parking even when the motor car has to be fitted into particularly narrow spaces with dimensions not much larger than those of the car because of the well-known lack of designated parking spaces. Further advantages result if the external control also operates a servo control associated with the steering system. The motor car thus has a complete external driving system which greatly facilitates parking manoeuvres in restricted spaces. Further advantages result from the use of means for preventing the activation of the external control means so that they are more secure and cannot be operated by unauthorised persons. The invention is explained in detail below with reference to the appended drawings provided purely by way of non-limiting example, in which: Figure 1 is a partially cut-away perspective view of a motor car according to the present invention, Figure 2 shows the external control means in perspective and on an enlarged scale, Figure 3 is a functional diagram of the external control means, Figure 4 is a plan view of the motor car being manoeuvred by the external control means, Figures 5 to 8 are views similar to Figures 1 to 4 respectively, showing another embodiment of the invention. With reference to Figures 1 to 4, the electric car of the invention is indicated 1 and comprises a body 2 enclosing a passenger compartment 3 closed by a tailgate 4. The body 2 houses an electric drive unit 5 connected by a mechanical transmission 6 to driving wheels 7. A steering system 8 is controlled, in known manner, by a steering wheel in the passenger compartment 3 and comprises a rack 9 driven by a pinion 10. The steering system 8 is associated with an electric servo control 11 of known type, for example, according to European patent application No. EP 190678, and an electromagnetic steering lock 12. In the passenger compartment 3 there is a parking brake 13 with electric servo-assistance, also of known type, in accordance with European Patent Application No. EP-A-O 411328 in the name of the present Applicant. The electrically-servo-controlled parking brake 13 acts directly on the brakes of the rear wheels 14. A control unit 15 is fitted on the tailgate 4 and includes external control means for operating the drive unit 5, the servo control 11 of the steering and the servo control of the parking brake 13. In this embodiment, the control unit 15 is on the handle of the tailgate 4. The unit 15 has manual control members constituted by push-buttons 17, 18a and a key-operated device 16. The push-buttons are connected by wires 19 extending through a connector 20 to a central control unit 21 which organises the manoeuvre commands imparted by the push-buttons. The key-operated device 16 controls the activation of the push-buttons 17 and 18a. The push-button 18, which has four functions, operates the drive unit 5 in forward or reverse gear when pushed forwards or backwards respectively and operates the servo control 11 of the steering to turn to the right or to the left when pushed to the right or to the left respectively. The push-button 17 operates the electric servo control of the parking brake 13. The steering lock 12 is automatically switched on and off by the operation of the device 16. The push-buttons 17 and 18a and the device 16 send signals to an electronic control unit 21 constituted, for example, by a microprocessor which manages the operation of the drive unit 5 by means of a device 5a which activates the motor for forward or reverse movement, the actuator 11 for the power steering, the actuator of the parking brake 13, and the steering lock 12. In operation, when the driver wishes to park the motor vehicle in a narrow space, he positions the motor vehicle near the parking space, gets out, and places himself behind the motor car so that he can operate the control members on the unit 15. Operating the push-button 18a he can then move the motor car 1 slowly so as to be able to steer it, for example, in the direction indicated by the arrow A in Figure 4. Once the parking manoeuvre is complete, it suffices to activate the servo control of the parking brake 13 by means of the push-button 17 to stop the car and then switch off the device 16 to deactivate the functions of the control unit 15 and simultaneously engage the steering lock 12. According to another embodiment, and with reference to Figures 5 to 8 (in which parts identical or similar to those described above are indicated by the same reference numerals), the motor car 1 includes a conventional mechanical steering system 8 within the body 2 and sensor means 22 for detecting the neutral steering position which corresponds to the configuration in which the wheels 7 are arranged for straight-line travel. In this embodiment, the push-button 18a of the unit 15 is replaced by a two-function push-button 18b which operates only the drive unit 5 for forward or reverse movement and the control unit enables manoeuvring only when the sensor 22 indicates to the electronic unit 21 that the steering is in the neutral position. When this angular position of the steering has been detected by the sensor 22, the key-operated device 16 which controls the actuator of the steering lock 12 enables the push-button 17 which governs the actuator of the parking brake 13 and the two-function push-button 18b which operates the drive unit 5 for forward or reverse movement by means of the device 5a for operating the motor. In use, once the motor car has been positioned in front of the parking space, it can be manoeuvred along the path indicated by the arrow B in Figure 8. The manual control members of the control unit 15 may be push-buttons, as in the embodiment described, or control members of other kinds, for example, joy-sticks, and the prevention means corresponding to the key-operated device 16 may be of the type with a lock, a magnetic card or an electronic key. The control unit 15 may be integrated in the tailgate 4 or positioned at other points on the body 2 of the motor car and may be fixed to the body 2 or fitted removably on the body 2 and connected thereto by means of an extendible cable or operated by radio control. The control unit 15 may also be removable from the body 2 so that it can be taken away once the parking manoeuvre has been completed. The steering lock 12 may or may not have electric servo control and may be replaced by another known type of anti-theft system.

Claims: A motor car including a body (2), an electrical supply, an electric drive unit (5) for the propulsion of the motor car, a steering system (8), a parking brake (13) associated with an electric servocontrol, control means inside the body (2) for causing the drive unit (5) to be operated by the electrical supply, a steering lock (12) with an electric servo control, activable by the electrical supply, external control means for operating the drive unit (5) and the electric servo control for the parking brake (13) characterised in that the external control means being arranged to switch also the steering lock (12) on and off. A motor car according to Claim 1, characterised in that sensor means (22) are associated with the steering system (8) and are arranged to enable the drive unit (5) to be operated by the external control means only when the steering system (8) is in the neutral position. A motor car according to Claim 1, in which the steering system (8) is of the type with an electric servo control, characterised in that the external control means are also arranged to operate the servo control (11) of the steering system (8). A motor car according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it also includes means (16) for preventing the operation of the external control means. A motor car according to Claim 4, characterised in that the prevention means (16) are of the type with a lock. A motor car according to Claim 4, characterised in that the prevention means (16) are of the type with a magnetic card. A motor car according to Claim 4, characterised in that the prevention means (16) are of the type with an electronic key. A motor car according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the external control means include a control unit (15) fitted to the outside of the body (2) and having manual control members. A motor car according to Claim 8, characterised in that the control unit (15) is fitted removably to the body (2). A motor car according to Claim 8 or Claim 9, characterised in that the manual control members are push-buttons (16, 17, 18a, 18b).

Inventors: FILTRI LUIGI, GANDIGLIO ROMOLO, FILTRI, LUIGI, GANDIGLIO, ROMOLO
Applicants: FIAT AUTO SPA, FIAT AUTO S.P.A.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: B62D1
IPC codes: B60K20, B60T7, B62D1, B62D5, B60K26, B60L3