PLATFORM.

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The present invention relates to a multi-purpose module, preferably installed on a light commercial vehicle, that is specifically equipped in order to provide the best support in the activities for re-establishment of safe and practicable road conditions, after car accidents.

The above said module is able, using some special devices installed on it, to support the re-establishment of safe traffic conditions and to prevent, even in relevant accidents, any damage to the environment. This is possible because it supports the cleaning of road platform and the aspiration of functional polluting liquids (lubricating oils, fuels, cooling liquids, etc.) eventually lost by vehicles involved in the accident. Further, the road platform is subject to a treatment under specific products, so that it is avoided any slippery surface, and the solid debris related to typical car equipments (broken glasses, parts made of plastic, metals, remaining parts of structures, etc.) are removed.

The interventions of cleaning the road platform in larger accidents are supported by different multi-purpose vehicles, more exactly the multi-purpose vans and the multipurpose top trucks, as described in their technical aspects in a previous European patent EP 09007776 filed by the same undersigned applicant. Another multi-purpose motor vehicle has entered in the group of the above special vehicles, and this motor vehicle is able to support the usual road interventions and either the re-establishment of safe traffic conditions after car accidents. Indeed, these vehicles can support the interventions, addressed to re-establish safe traffic conditions and to prevent any damage to the environment, on most of the road accidents, because they are equipped with special devices providing a jet of water solution and other devices having a high aspiration power, further containing specific products able to remove any slippery condition of surfaces, like the ecological surfactant and the molecular chain destroyer, these special devices can further collect and contain a big quantity of solid debris lost by vehicles involved in the accidents; and the above emergency vehicles can reach very quickly the site of accidents.

It is here remarked how these vehicles, equipped with a suction system and a pressure water gun, both working with electric power supply, require the installation on board of a 7-8 Kw electric energy generator, having a relevant weight and size.

During the design of the multi-purpose module, these technical problems have been subject of a specific study, and the final choice has been to avoid devices requiring electric power supply, or requiring compressed air supply, that have as a consequence a short operative autonomy. Both the above solutions have resulted to be not compatible with this type of vehicles, especially with reference to typical weight of an electric generator and its big size.

Therefore, the main objective of the present invention is to avoid all the above said drawbacks, and to obtain a technical system that is autonomous, and can work for a long time depending only on the quantity of the available fuel.

Further particular and specific features of the multi-purpose module, are the following: - design of the previous suction and pressure water jet systems, so that they are integrated and optimized, they are efficient and take as less space as possible, so that they can be carried and used in a very comfortable way; the pressure water jet system can be either used as a fire extinguisher, because the used products stop the combustion in a very quick and efficient way, due to a bio-chemical isolation process of the fuel in respect of the air oxygen (oxidizing agent);

- emergency signalling, to be placed at a specific distance from the obstacle on the road, so that it alerts the incoming drivers and protects the workers involved in the cleaning operations of the road platform, consisting of at least four visual signalling devices, having a yellow blinking light, to be placed on ground, in order to signal the obstacle on the road, in case of night intervention or low visibility conditions;

- apparatus including computing means and means for a real time communication, said apparatus providing supervision and control, or remote control, of intervention devices on vehicle, like i.e. high-pressure water gun, suction systems, emergency signalling means, and other devices for pulling and/or lifting vehicles;

- special lighting apparatus to be used in the operative area;

- special equipment of the multi-purpose module, including boxes obtained from the structure, said boxes being partitioned and prepared as respective housings of portable devices or containers of debris having a specific size; and the operators work in comfortable driving conditions; with further protection during the intervention respect to the other incoming vehicles.

Therefore, it is specific subject of the present invention a multi-purpose module, preferably installed on a light commercial vehicle, for re-establishment of safe and practicable road conditions, after car accidents, through cleaning of the road platform, said vehicle being equipped by:

- three tanks, made of any type of material and having any shape and size: the first containing clean water; the second containing water mixed to a special washing liquid (ecological surfactant) and a special treatment liquid for the road platform (so called molecular chain destroyer, to be sprayed on oil and related oil products); the third containing emulsion obtained by washing the road platform;

- a high-pressure water gun, including a rain jet adjustment, providing a jet of the above said solution on the road platform, where polluting functional liquids (lubricating oils, fuels, cooling substances, etc.) have been eventually lost;

- a suction system suitable to remove, from the road platform, the above resulting emulsion, obtained from polluting materials mixed to the washing/treatment solution; furthermore, solid and not biodegradable debris are removed/aspirated, these debris being related to the typical car equipments (broken glasses, parts made of plastic, metals, remaining parts of structures, etc.);

- tanks containing the resulting emulsion and the removed solid remaining parts, to be temporary stocked at the site of the company that made the intervention, before to be definitely delivered to special and authorized plants, where they are processed and finished according to specific operative procedures in respect to the existing environmental laws,

characterized in that:

- the power supply, necessary to make the multi-purpose module working properly, can be directly provided by the engine and/or any other point of energy transmission in the kinematic chain of the vehicle, otherwise, if installed on a truck, it can be directly provided by a pneumatic circuit previously installed; the extracted energy can be therefore used as a power supply for mechanical, electrical or hydraulic devices.

The present invention will now be described for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, with particular reference to figures of the enclosed drawings, wherein:

figure 1 is a rear view of a light commercial vehicle, on which a multi-purpose module has been installed, as a support to activities for re-establishment of safe and practicable road conditions, after car accidents;

figure 2 is a perspective view of a multi-purpose module, as a support to activities for re-establishment of safe and practicable road conditions, that is installed on the load platform of vehicle of figure 1 ;

figure 3 is a lateral view of the same vehicle of figure 1 ;

figure 4 is a rear view of the same vehicle of figure 1 ;

figure 5 is a top view of the same vehicle of figure 1 , with an arrow showing the direction of load of the multi-purpose module of figure 2;

figure 6 is a perspective view of the same multi-purpose module of figure 2; figure 7 is a view of a block diagram that represents an electric circuit working as a power supply of a high-pressure water gun device, and a device for fast aspiration of liquids, both belonging to the multi-purpose module installed on vehicle of figure 1.

figure 8 is a lateral view of a truck, on which a second type of multi-purpose module has been installed, as a support to activities for re-establishment of safe and practicable road conditions, after car accidents;

figure 9 is a perspective view of a second type of multi-purpose module, during the operative procedure with open doors, so that operators can access the devices inside, as a support to activities for re-establishment of safe and practicable road conditions;

figure 10 is a perspective view of a second type of multi-purpose module, during transportation with closed doors, so that devices inside are safe, as a support to activities for re-establishment of safe and practicable road conditions;

figure 1 1 is a view of a block diagram that represents an improved pneumatic system, installed on truck of figure 8, as a power supply of a high-pressure water gun device, and a device for fast aspiration of liquids, both belonging to the multi-purpose module.

It is here underlined that, in the following, only some of the many conceivable embodiments of the present invention will be described, and that they are just some particular examples that do not introduce any limitations, having the possibility to describe many other embodiments based on the disclosed technical solutions of the present invention.

In figure 1 it is illustrated an example of a light commercial vehicle 100, on which a multi-purpose module 1 10, like that of figure 2, has been installed. This vehicle, equipped in this way, supports the activities of re-establishment of safe and practicable road conditions, through "cleaning" parts of the road platform involved in a car accident. "Cleaning" means aspiration and collection of liquids and other polluting materials, eventually lost by vehicles, like i.e. lubricating oils, fuels, parts of vehicles and other types of debris.

In particular cases, the intervention can involve the treatment of dangerous goods, hazard substances, and industrial wastes transported on the same vehicles involved in the accident. In these situations, the intervention will be managed by companies of specialists having all the certificates and skills required by law, usually operative partners of the intervention network.

In fact, the vehicle 100 with the multi-purpose module 1 10, are part of a national intervention network that includes different type of vehicles, like, i.e. the multi-purpose vans, the multi-purpose top trucks, and the multi-purpose motor vehicle, chosen according to the type and extension of the accident.

With reference to figure 7, the multi-purpose module 1 10 comprises as basic elements: - tanks 101 containing: clean water; water mixed to a special washing liquid (ecological surfactant) and a special treatment liquid for the road platform (so called molecular chain destroyer, to be sprayed on oil and related oil products) 803; emulsion obtained by collection of the washing/treatment liquids and the polluting oil materials; - a high-pressure water gun, including a rain jet adjustment, 802 providing a jet of the above said solution on the road platform, where polluting functional liquids (lubricating oils, fuels, cooling substances, etc.) have been eventually lost by vehicles as a consequence of car accidents or breakdown;

- a suction system 804 suitable to remove, from the road platform, the above resulting emulsion 806, obtained from polluting materials mixed to the washing/treatment solution 803; furthermore, solid and not biodegradable debris are removed/aspirated, these debris being related to the typical car equipments (broken glasses, parts made of plastic, metals, remaining parts of the structures, etc.) 805;

- tanks 107 containing the resulting emulsion 806 and the removed solid remaining parts, to be temporary stocked at the site of the company that made the intervention, before to be definitely delivered to special and authorized plants, where they are processed and finished according to specific operative procedures in respect to the existing environmental laws.

One time that the connection pipes are installed, connecting the terminal devices of the hydraulic circuit to respective independent tanks, 101 , 107, placed on module 1 10, the operator 816 (eventually assisted by a second operator 817) can start the operations of cleaning the road platform and related parts invaded by polluting liquids and/or other not biodegradable materials. As a priority, the same operator 816 will remove immediately, using the suction system 804, most of the existing polluting liquids lost by vehicles in the accident, then he will wash the road platform using a solution of water and specific products 803 {ecological surfactant and molecular chain destroyer). This solution is sprayed using a high-pressure water gun, including a rain jet adjustment, 802, so that the polluting material is removed from the platform, avoiding any slippery condition, and it is activated a degradation process of hydrocarbons provided by natural bacteria.

Finally, the resulting emulsion 806 is aspirated and collected in the proper container 807, and then temporary stocked at the site of the company that made the intervention, before to be definitely delivered to special and authorized plants, where they are processed and properly finished.

The power supply, necessary to make the multi-purpose module 1 10 working properly, can be directly provided by the engine and/or any other point of energy transmission in the kinematic chain of vehicle 100. The extracted energy can be therefore used as a power supply for mechanical, electrical or hydraulic devices.

In case of installation on a truck 150 (figure 8) that has a pneumatic circuit previously installed, like i.e. in case of trucks equipped for transportation of vehicles, having a mechanical arm or a load platform with variable orientation, then the above energy transmission system can be achieved in a different way.

With reference to figure 4, an energy transmission system 400 includes: means for extraction of energy, connected through one or more points of deviation 412 to a primary pneumatic circuit 410 that is previously installed on truck 100, said circuit being typically activated by the engine of the same truck 100; means of energy transmission towards a secondary pneumatic circuit 420 that supplies a high-pressure water gun 408 and a suction system 407.

More in particular, said points of deviation 412 can be represented by a three ways distributor, that takes the energy from oil under pressure in circuit 410, and gives the energy simultaneously to hydraulic engine 409 that supplies water pump 417, and to hydraulic engine 404 that activates the vacuum pump 406. The special washing liquid (ecological surfactant), composed of water, washing powder and/or additional substances for treatment of the road platform (molecular chain destroyer, of oil and oil related products), is contained, in its final composition, inside tank 414. The hydraulic pump 417 pushes and directs the high-pressure liquid from tank 414 towards water gun 408, where it is sprayed outside on the road platform, under control of the operator. The vacuum pump 406 extracts air from tank 405, creating a vacuum state inside, so that the suction system 407 can remove, under control of a second operator, the resulting emulsion from the road platform towards tank 405.

The removed liquids are a mix of the previous washing liquids and other liquids and polluting materials having origin in petroleum, eventually lost by vehicles involved in the accident.

In a different embodiment, another additional tank 415 is installed, connected through a three ways distributor 416, that contains clean water. This additional quantity of water can be useful in order to dilute the sprayed solution, or to alternate different steps of cleaning, with special substances and without them.

According to another further embodiment, said tanks 101 containing the special washing liquid, and said tanks 107 containing the emulsion collected from the road platform, are shaped like respective cylinders, and are embedded in coil 413 of the high-pressure water gun 804 and in coil 405 of the suction system 804; the same tanks 101 , 107 rotate around their respective axis, so that during operations they follow the motion of their respective coils 413 and 405.

Therefore, with the above described systems the multi-purpose module, 1 10 or 160, results to be completely autonomous, from an energetic point of view, and can directly supply said high-pressure water gun 802 and said system of fast suction of liquids 804, without any need of an external electric generator.

In case, instead, that vehicle 100 or truck 150 have not a pneumatic circuit previously installed on them, then another embodiment of the invention would be used, where the power supply, necessary to make the multi-purpose module 1 10 working properly, can be directly provided by an autonomous generator of pressurized air; the available energy can be therefore used as a power supply for mechanical, electrical or hydraulic devices.

As previously explained, after the cleaning procedures, the emulsion contained in tanks of module 1 10 is temporary stocked at the site of the company that made the intervention, before to be definitely delivered to special and authorized plants, where they are processed and properly finished.

A feature of module 1 10, is that it includes a specific system, alerting the incoming drivers about the dangerous traffic conditions. This system is composed of: four visual signalling devices with a yellow blinking light, to be placed on ground, in order to signal the obstacle on the road, in case of night intervention or low visibility conditions.

Another important feature of the present invention is that it includes computing means, i.e. a radio device 300, that are available to operators on vehicle 100 or truck 150, as a remote control for the intervention devices.

In example, operators can control remotely the above instruments of high-pressure water gun 802 and suction system 804, that are eventually integrated with computers, or they can control emergency signalling means.

All these operations can be done remotely using the same control 300, where functions of supervision and control are embedded, with reference to specific intervention devices; the same control device 300 comprising: a user interface, preferably with touch screen, means for data acquisition from sensors and detectors; means for data processing; means for control of engines and actuators; and means for data radio transmission.

Therefore, the above examples show that the present invention achieves all the proposed objectives. In particular, it permits to obtain a multi-purpose module, preferably installed on a light commercial vehicle, supporting the activities addressed to re-establish safe and practicable road conditions, through cleaning of the area involved in car accidents, by aspiration of the functional liquids lost by vehicles, and collection of the solid debris related to the same involved vehicles.

The same invention includes an internal system for generation and transmission of energy, necessary as a power supply for a high-pressure water gun device and a fast aspiration of liquids device, so that it is avoided to carry an external electric generator, with its drawbacks concerning additional weight and size.

Furthermore, above said high pressure water jet device and fast liquids aspiration device are integrated and designed in such a way that they result to be efficient and at the same time they take a small amount of space, so that they can be transported and used in a very comfortable way.

Again, according to the invention, the equipment of the multi-purpose module includes a system signalling dangerous situations, i.e. due to the activities of operator and to vehicles that are stopped in the center of the road; this system protects everybody who is travelling through the area, and the persons involved in the operations of returning to safe traffic conditions.

Furthermore, the equipment of the vehicle or truck includes computing means for a real time communication, and said means permit supervision and control, or remote control, of intervention devices on vehicle, like i.e. high-pressure water gun, suction systems, and emergency signalling means.

The present invention has been described for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, but it is clear that modifications and/or changes can be introduced by those skilled in the art without departing from the relevant scope, as defined in the enclosed claims.