FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to appliances used for the protection of vehicles and their occupants.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Vehicles, also known as automobiles, cars, lorries, trucks, limousines, taxis, often attract the attention of villains and law breakers being vulnerable to both theft and vandalism. Moreover, as cars tend to be identified as a vulnerable property associated with a specific person, it can be targeted in the personal context, such as for causing personal distress or damage. In documented fraudulent events, explosive materials were affixed to places in the bottom of vehicles by attaching to the underside, for the purpose of causing physical harm to occupants of such vehicle. The aim of the present invention is to curb such vulnerability of vehicles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A safety device in accordance with the present invention is a physical barrier preventing access physically to the gap or void existing between the bottom of a vehicle, inclusive of the space between the wheels and the body of the vehicle, and the road on which it stands parked. Typically, the device of the invention is stored in a stand-by position such that it is deployable, fulfilling its duty when the vehicle is parked. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be understood upon reading of the following detailed description of non-limiting exemplary embodiments thereof, with reference to the following drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective front view of a typical car pointing out the void space between the bottom of the car and road below;

Fig. 2 is a perspective front view of a typical car in which safety device in accordance with the invention is employed.

The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings referred to above. Dimensions of components and features shown in the figures are chosen for convenience or clarity of presentation and are not necessarily shown to scale. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring first to Fig. 1, there is shown a typical vehicle, in this case a car, to the protection of which embodiments of the present invention relate. Car 10 stands when parked typically on four wheels that facilitate the formation of a voluminous gap (VG) between the vehicle and the road or earth on which it is parked, such a gap includes also the space between the wheels and the vehicle's body. Unlawful activity, often aimed at the owner or expected driver or other occupant of the car can be associated with planting of objects below the vehicle. Well known are cases in which a bomb was inserted at the bottom of the vehicle, such as by gluing, magnetically attracting or by some mechanical fixation means. In one embodiment of the invention, as described pictorially in Fig. 2, a single or a plurality of air bags are installed at the bottom of the vehicle, such that when they are inflated (as can be seen in the figure), an access blocking effect is provided, by inflated air bags 24 that prevents or substantially diminishes access to the VG beneath the vehicle. The overall shape of one or more such airbags is round, rectangular, flat, narrow, wide and any other applicable shape. The colour of such an air bag may be variegated or uniform, vivid or dull, camouflage - colored , asphalt gray, soil brown, green, conspicuous or inconspicuous.

In another embodiment of the invention, screens made of strong fabric (woven or non woven) are installed beneath the lower rim of the vehicles, so that they can be pulled down or stretched towards the road surface, or earth, or whichever surface the car is parked on. Other materials can be used instead of fabric, for example plastic sheets, metal sheets, meshes, nets, or slatted screens.

In the systematic fitting of a device in accordance with the present invention, and especially from the commercial point of view, an appliance in accordance with the present invention can be either appended to regular vehicles, or the vehicles may be a - priori manufactured with a housing in which the device is kept in s stand- by position.

To deploy the device some action is required, at least for releasing the device from its stored or stand - by position. This action can be initiated by manually releasing a securing object such as a latch, enabling the device to be released from its stored or stand - by position, or automatically by the person wishing to deploy the device actuating an electric signal that initiates one or more mechanical actuators that deploy the device.

Shape and structure of a device of the invention

The device of the invention may be fabricated in any manner which would lend it capable of deploying from a stored or stand - by position and when deployed, providing the access blocking effect to the VG in the sub vehicular space. There are a few embodiments in addition to the ones mentioned above. In yet another embodiment the access blocking effect is obtained by tough inflexible objects, such as laths or plats or strips of metal, wood or plastic material. Such objects can be hinged or pivoted, deployed by swiveling into a more or less erected state, and folded back when stored. Such folding/unfolding can be effected by hand or by mechanical or hydraulic or electrical actuators. In another embodiment, a set of shutters/blinds peripherally covers the VG when deployed. In another embodiment, a metal mesh curtain is rollable downwards and upwards.

Intrusion detection

In another aspect of the invention, one or a plurality of sensors are positioned in the VG of the sub vehicular space or around the vehicle to detect intrusion. Such a sensor or an arrangement of sensors typically point into the inside of the VG so that any object may be detected. To effectively transmit the information, possibly in real time, the sensor/s are connected to transmitter, such as a cellular phone, and upon detection of an intrusion, a communication is sent to a guardian or to the driver. The detectors used in such a case may be any passive infrared detector, optical detector or mechanical motion detector.

Animal deterrence

Animals entering the sub vehicular space may cause a false alarm in the sense that the animal entering had no intention of causing harm, unless it is used by a human to carry a malicious load. The intrusion detection system may be, upon an intrusion cause to issue an alarm. In order to preclude animals from entering the sub-vehicular space, physical hurdles may be deployed as a part of the access blocking gear as described above. As an example, transparent wires (plastic or else) can be employed at a density that will preclude regular four legged creatures from entering the VG. The transparency may be an advantage if disguise of the implement is required. In a more effective embodiment of such an aspect of the invention, the wires may be electrocuted to increase the deterrence.

Types of vehicles in which the invention is applicable The invention is implementable in wheeled vehicles, employing any number of wheels, such as having four six or more wheels, singly or doubly pivoted.

It should be understood that the above description is merely exemplary and that there are various embodiments of the present invention that may be devised, mutatis mutandis, and that the features described in the above-described embodiments, and those not described herein, may be used separately or in any suitable combination; and the invention can be devised in accordance with embodiments not necessarily described above.