Patent Publication Number: US-2020283070-A1

Title: Vehicle rigidly apparatus for use with vehicles

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     This disclosure relates generally to vehicles and, more particularly, to vehicle rigidly apparatus for use with vehicles. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Motor vehicles having panoramic-windshield typically employ vehicle rigidly system to increase the rigidly of the vehicle. Some vehicles are reducing frames in the vehicle to ensure the passenger&#39;s field of view. On the other hand, the vehicle is required to have sufficient rigidity. 
     SUMMARY 
     An example vehicle rigidly apparatus for a vehicle includes a central frame that extends in a lateral direction of the vehicle and lateral frames that extend in a front-rear direction of the vehicle and intersect the central frame. The vehicle rigidity apparatus also includes a reinforced bar that extends in the lateral direction of the vehicle supported by the lateral frames, the reinforced bar being movable from a position at the central frame toward a front of the vehicle in the front-rear direction and a movable portion at the central frame that moves the reinforced bar toward the front of the vehicle. The movable portion moves the reinforced bar toward the front of the vehicle to a position separated from the central frame. 
     The foregoing paragraphs have been provided by way of general introduction and are not intended to limit the scope of the following claims. The described embodiments, together with further advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A more complete appreciation of the disclosure and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a view of an example vehicle in which examples disclosed herein can be implemented; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the example vehicle rigidly apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a detailed view of an example guide portion from the position A to the portion B; 
         FIG. 4A  is a detailed view of an example movable portion of vehicle rigidly apparatus at position A in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure; 
         FIG. 4B  is a detailed view of an example movable portion of vehicle rigidly apparatus at position B in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure; 
     
    
    
     The figures are not to scale. In general, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawing(s) and accompanying written description to refer to the same or like parts. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Some known vehicle rigidly apparatus for a panoramic windshield of a vehicle. In recent years, the shape of the windshield changes according to the change in the shape of the vehicle, and the vehicle rigidly system is expected to increase the rigidity of the vehicle. To increase the rigidity of the vehicle, some known vehicle rigidly apparatuses have the method for increasing the rigidity of the vehicle with reinforce parts. 
     For example, a vehicle rigidly apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 2,868,373 has is provided with a strut that is retractable either in a cab interior structure or in a lower part of the vehicle. Further, the strut includes a deployment unit and is actuated by a detection unit in the event of an impact or loss of control of the vehicle for reinforcing the cab interior structure by deploying the strut. However, there is a problem that it is not possible to sufficiently obtain the vehicle rigidity in the width direction of the vehicle. Since the structure of panoramic-windshield has low vehicle rigidity in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the strut had to improve the vehicle rigidity in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. In addition, since the strut is a method for increasing the rigidity of the vehicle using the surface, the view of the driver is impossible to be sufficiently secured. 
     Vehicle rigidly apparatus for a vehicle windshield is disclosed. Examples disclosed herein provide an example vehicle rigidly apparatus that is configured a central frame that extends in a lateral direction of the vehicle and lateral frames that extend in a front-rear direction of the vehicle and intersect the central frame. The vehicle rigidity apparatus also includes a reinforced bar that extends in the lateral direction of the vehicle supported by the lateral frames, the reinforced bar being movable from a position at the central frame toward a front of the vehicle in the front-rear direction and a movable portion at the central frame that moves the reinforced bar toward the front of the vehicle. The movable portion moves the reinforced bar toward the front of the vehicle to a position separated from the central frame. As a result, the vehicle rigidly apparatus is enabled to be sufficiently secured the view of the driver (or occupants) and is possible to sufficiently obtain the vehicle rigidity of the vehicle. 
       FIG. 1  is a view of an example vehicle (e.g., a car, a van, a truck, a sport utility vehicle (SUV), etc.)  100  in which examples disclosed herein can be implemented. According to the illustrated example of  FIG. 1 , the vehicle  100  includes a panoramic windshield  110  and that are mounted between a central frame  120  and lateral frames  130 . The central frame  120  extends in a lateral direction of the vehicle  100  and the lateral frames  130  extend in a front-rear direction of the vehicle and intersect the central frame  120 . Further, in some examples, the vehicle  100  also includes a vehicle rigidly apparatus  200  to reinforce to reinforce the rigidly of the vehicle  100 . The vehicle rigidly apparatus  200  includes the central frame  120 , lateral frames  130  and a reinforced bar  210  that extends in the lateral direction of the vehicle  100  supported by the lateral frames  130 . The reinforced bar  210  is movable from a position at the central frame  120  toward a front of the vehicle  100  in the front-rear direction. The reinforced bar  210  is housed in the center frame  120  before being movable. Then, the reinforced bar  210  moves from position A at the central frame  120  to a position B of the front of the vehicle  100 . Accordingly, the reinforced bar  210  moves toward the front of the vehicle  100  to a position separated from the central frame  120 . Therefore, the vehicle  100  with panoramic-windshield has a frame structure similar to that of a normal vehicle and can improve the rigidity of the vehicle  100 . 
     Although  FIG. 1  depicts the vehicle rigidly apparatus  200  for reinforcing the vehicle that provides the panoramic windshield  110 , in some example, the vehicle rigidly apparatus  200  is implemented using for reinforcing the vehicle that provides a general windshield. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the vehicle rigidly apparatus  200  of  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the vehicle rigidly apparatus  200  includes the central frame  120 , lateral frames  130  and the reinforced bar  210 . Further, in some examples, the vehicle rigidly apparatus  200  also includes a movable portion  220  at the central frame  120  to move the reinforced bar  210  toward the front of the vehicle  100 . In addition, the movable portion  220  moves the reinforced bar  210  toward the front of the vehicle to a position separated from the central frame  120 . The lateral frames  130  include a guide  230  extended in the front-rear direction of the vehicle  100 , and the reinforced bar  210  moves toward the front of the vehicle along the guide  230 . Further, the vehicle rigidly apparatus  200  also includes a microcomputer  240 , and some sensors  250  to detect the state of the vehicle  100 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , when the sensor  250  detects that the state of the vehicle  100  has changed (e.g., when a strong shock is applied to the vehicle or when the vehicle suddenly changes its angle, etc.), (i.e., an abnormal state), the microcomputer  240  catch the signal from the sensor  250 . Then, the microcomputer  240  send the signal for drive to the movable portion  220 . Accordingly, the reinforced bar  210  is able to move toward the front of the vehicle  100 . 
       FIG. 3  is a detailed view of an example guide portion from the position A to the portion B. The reinforced bar  210  of the vehicle rigidly apparatus  200  moves from the position A to the portion and among the guide  230  of the lateral frames  130 . The position A is set in or near the central frame  120 . The position B is set in front of the vehicle  100  away from the central frame  130 . A distance that is from the position A to the position B and the material of the reinforced bar  210  are determined so as to satisfy the required vehicle rigidity on the basis of the structure of the vehicle  100 . For example, the reinforced bar  210  is configured to provide a strength-to-weight ratio of about 4.00 with vehicle frames when deployed. 
       FIG. 4A  is a detailed view of an example movable portion of vehicle rigidly apparatus at position A in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure. The movable portion  220  is a cylinder  221 . The cylinder  221  includes a cylinder rod  222  to be mounted the reinforced bar  210  on the front end, and a rod head  223  to move in the cylinder  221 , and a cylinder chamber  224  formed by the cylinder  221  and the rod head  223 , and inflow or expansion materials  225  (i.e., materials or structure that can press the rod head  223  in the cylinder chamber  224 ) to push the cylinder rod  22  via the rod head  223  and filled up in the cylinder chamber  224 . Accordingly, the reinforced bar  210  keeps position A before sensors  250  detect the state of the vehicle  100  and the microcomputer  240  determines that the vehicle  100  is in the abnormal state. 
       FIG. 4B  is a detailed view of an example movable portion of vehicle rigidly apparatus at position B in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure. For example, it is assumed that it is air. When the microcomputer  240  determines the abnormal state based on the signal from sensor  250 , materials  225  are filled up in the cylinder chamber  224 . Then, the materials  225  push the road head  223  and the cylinder road  222  moves toward the front direction of the vehicle  100 . Therefore, the reinforced bar  210  is pushed forward of the vehicle and can move from position A to position B. 
     It will be appreciated that a vehicle rigidly apparatus for use with vehicles disclosed in the foregoing description provide numerous advantages. Examples disclosed herein provide a vehicle rigidly apparatus including a reinforced bar and a movable portion provided on vehicle frames. Disclosed examples effectively increase the rigidly of the vehicle while maintaining effectiveness of the panoramic windshield. 
     Although certain example apparatus has been disclosed herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. Obviously, numerous modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. 
     Thus, the foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Accordingly, the disclosure of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting of the scope of the invention, as well as other claims. The disclosure, including any readily discernible variants of the teachings herein, defines, in part, the scope of the foregoing claim terminology such that no inventive subject matter is dedicated to the public.