"Vehicle roll protection apparatus"

Cross-Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims priority from Australian Provisional Patent Application No 2006907144 filed on 22 December 2006, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a vehicle roll protection apparatus for improving the level of protection of one or more occupants of the vehicle in the event of a vehicle rollover, compared to that provided by the base vehicle.

Background to the Invention

Existing vehicle roofs are ineffective in providing occupant protection in the event of a vehicle rollover. The roof deforms such that in certain sections of the roof there is buckling that produces a concentrated deformation and a much higher rate of movement of the roof towards the occupants. In some situations roof crush has driven into the occupants who as a result have sustained injuries. Occupant protection is provided by a combination of both effective occupant restraint, such as seatbelts, and structural protection via the integrity and strength of the roof.

Previous structural roll over protection systems have been installed in the interior of the vehicle compartment. The utility of such systems have been compromised due to the ever growing number of internal features incorporated into present day vehicles. Side curtain airbags, for example, require internal space to deploy within the interior of the vehicle, leaving much less space to fit suitably protective roll bar systems and hampering the operation of these otherwise effective safety measures. Furthermore structural rollover protection systems which are incorporated in the interior of the vehicle reduce the internal space available for the vehicle occupants to survive a rollover collision.

A further disadvantage with existing roll bar systems is that they are constructed using many different components. These need to be installed by a specialist which takes time and increases the difficulty of installation.

The present invention seeks to overcome one or more of the above disadvantages by providing a vehicle roll protection apparatus that substantially distributes the deformation or impact force due to a vehicle rollover and substantially reduces or eliminates roof buckling that produces an increased rate of movement of the roof or the roof pillars towards the occupant or occupants. The present invention is

designed to be secured to the vehicle and installed more easily than existing systems, removing the need for specialist installation.

Summary of the Invention According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a vehicle roll protection apparatus for protecting an occupant of a vehicle having a side structure and a roof, the apparatus comprising: a roof covering member secured to and extending across the exterior of the vehicle roof; said roof covering member including a laminate structure; wherein further the apparatus provides substantial protection to the occupant in the event of an impact to the roof covering member during a vehicle roll.

A series of legs preferably depends from the roof covering member, with each leg secured to the exterior of the vehicle at a distal end thereof and wherein each leg is adjacent a part of said side structure of the vehicle. Preferably, the laminate structure has a strength to withstand the impact and substantially eliminate roof buckling by distributing the force of the impact substantially evenly across a portion of the roof covering member to prevent injury to the occupant.

Preferably the laminate structure comprises a first layer, preferably of plastics material (however other rigid formable materials could be used such as fibre glass, sheet metal such as aluminium), a second layer of metal, preferably steel, and a third layer of the same composition as the first layer or other rigid formable materials mentioned above. Between the second layer and each of the first and third layers there is preferably disposed a layer of thermoplastic material, such as an insulating material, for example polystyrene or foam. The laminate structure is designed to affix to the roof of the vehicle and in the event of an impact through a roll of the vehicle, the force impacted on the roof covering member is distributed substantially evenly across a portion of the member to prevent injury to the occupant.

The periphery of the roof covering member and each of the legs may be formed, either partially or wholly, of an axially layered structure most preferably including an innermost layer in the form of a tube, either cylindrical or oval in shape. The innermost layer, either hollow or solid, is preferably of metal. Surrounding the innermost layer is a middle layer preferably of thermoplastic material and surrounding the middle layer is an outer layer preferably of plastics material. The periphery and/or any of the legs may be partially formed of the layered structure in the sense that the inner layer of the tube,

being metal, may be exposed at various positions along its length. A flange may connect the innermost layer to a foot, co-existent with a portion of the outer layer.

Preferably in the case of the vehicle being a wagon there are two legs extending downwardly from the roof covering member and each adjacent a member of the side structure that supports the windscreen of the vehicle.

Preferably in the case of the vehicle being a utility or "pick-up", the apparatus has four legs, two of which extend downwardly either side of the windscreen and the remaining two legs extend downwardly exterior to a rear portion of the cab and secured to the tray of the vehicle. The apparatus is preferably formed as a unitary construction with each of the inner layers of metal welded and the roof covering member welded at its edges to a respective layer of metal of each tube.

Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred embodiment of the invention will hereinafter be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view from above of the vehicle roll protection apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2A is a cross section of an axially layered structure that forms part of the apparatus of Figure 1;

Figure 2B is a cross-section of a laminate structure which forms part of a roof covering member of the apparatus of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view from above of the apparatus of Figure 1 showing various tubing, in dotted lines, formed from the axially layered structure of Figure 2 A; Figure 3 A is a cross-section of a depending leg adjacent the windscreen of the vehicle along line 3A-3A;

Figure 3B is a cross-section of part of a roof covering member taken along line 3B-3B;

Figure 4 is a perspective view from above of the apparatus of Figure 1 showing in dotted lines the laminated structure of Figure 2B, Figure 5 is a perspective view of a vehicle attached with apparatus according to a further embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 A is a cross-section of part of the roof covering member taken along line 5 A-

5A;

Figure 5B is a cross-section of part of the roof covering member taken along the line 5B-5B;

Figure 5 C is a cross-section of the depending leg similar to Figure 3 A and taken along the line 5C-5C; and

Figure 5D is a cross-section of part of the roof covering member taken along the line 5D-5D.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

With reference to Figure 1 there is shown a vehicle roll protection apparatus 10 that comprises a roof covering member 11 and four legs 12, 13, 14 and 15 that depend downwardly from the roof covering member 11. The roof covering member 11 is adapted to be secured to the exterior roof of a vehicle, typically a passenger car, light vehicle but most preferably a four wheel drive vehicle. Legs 12 and 13 are adapted to be secured to respective upright side frame members of a side structure of a vehicle that are either side of the windscreen. Rear legs 14 and 15 could be adapted on pick up trucks or utilities to depend downwardly behind the rear windshield (or from the roof pillar) and could be secured in the tray of the vehicle at feet 16 and 17. In standard passenger cars the legs 14 and 15 can be adapted to be secured to rearward frame members, such as roof pillars, that extend from the roof and down the side of the vehicle in the case of sedans. The front legs 12 and 13 respectively are attached to feet portions 18 and 19 that are secured to the body of the vehicle such as to the side of the bonnet of the vehicle through suitable securing means, such as screws or adhesives. Similarly screws or adhesives are used to secure the feet 16 and 17 to the vehicle. The roof covering member 11 is generally affixed to the exterior of the roof of the vehicle through adhesive means.

With reference to Figure 2A there is shown a cross section of an axial tubing structure 21 formed from various layers. The innermost layer is a hollow tube 20 of metal, preferably steel. Alternatively, the innermost layer can be a solid bar of metal, such as steel. A middle layer 22 of thermoplastics, insulating material or filling material, such as foam or polystyrene, is between the inner tube 20 of steel and an outer layer 24 of plastics material or metal. It assists in distributing the force due impact in a vehicle roll.

In Figure 2B there is shown a laminate structure 25 that forms the roof covering member 11. It comprises a central second layer 26 of metal, preferably steel, a layer of thermoplastics, insulating material or filling material, such as foam or polystyrene 27 and 28 either side of layer 26, and an outer covering of first and third layers 29 and 30 of plastics material. The filling material of layers 27, 28 assist in distributing the force or load due impact in a vehicle roll. The laminate structure 25 has sufficient strength to

withstand an impact during a roll of the vehicle and substantially eliminates roof buckling by distributing the pressure of the deformation across the whole layer 25.

Referring to Figure 3, 3 A and 3B there is shown, in dotted lines, various tubes 20 that form part of the structure on the periphery of the roof covering member 11 such that the structure 21 forms each of the legs 12, 13, 14 and 15. It includes a flange 70 disposed between the tube 20 and a foot 72 that is co-extensive with a base portion of the outer casing 24. A modified embodiment of Figure 3 A is shown in cross-section in Figure 3B which is formed at each of the four edges of the roof covering member 11. The inner portion of the embodiment in Figure 3B forms a continuous join with the laminate structure 25 of Figure 2B. The layer 26 is welded to flange 70. Each of the tubes 20 are welded at points 31, 32, 33 and 34. Each of the feet 16, 17, 18 and 19 and are secured to the vehicle through fastening means, such as screws.

With reference to Figure 4 there is shown in dotted lines the laminated structure 25 that forms the roof covering member 11. The laminated structure 25 extends across an area that terminates at its edges in four concentric/axial layer structures 21, at the periphery of the roof covering member 11. Thus there are four tubing structures 21 that form the periphery of the roof covering member 11 and between those tubing structures extends the laminated structure 25.

An important feature of the present invention is that the apparatus 10 is made as a single unitary construction. Each of the internal steel tubes 20 are welded at the various points, 31, 32, 33 and 34, then the layer or sheet of steel 26 is welded at its periphery to respective tubes 20 to form the roof covering member 11. Thereafter a foam layer 27 and 28 is applied to the layer 26 of steel and also a foam concentric/axial layer 22 is formed around the tubes 20 of steel. Thereafter a plastic mould 24 is formed around the tubes 20 and layer 22 and also around either side of the foam layers 27,28, forming plastic layers 29 and 30. The feet 16, 17, 18 and 19 are then formed as part of the plastics mould to provide a single unitary structure 10.

With reference to Figure 5 there is shown a further embodiment in which apparatus 50 is attached to vehicle 51, such as a wagon. However in this embodiment there are only two legs 54 and 55 that depend from roof covering member 25 either side of windscreen 56. The legs 54 and 55 are shown in cross-section in Figure 5C. Furthermore the steel tube or inner layer 20 of structure 21 is open at various positions along its length on the two longitudinal segments at the periphery of the roof covering member 25. This facilitates the installation or attachment of a roof rack for carrying items. In Figure 5B there is shown the cross-section of an exposed or open section of the tube 20, below which is seen the flange 70 unattached to tube 20. The remaining

portions are covered by the second layer 22 and the third outer layer 24 wholly as seen at 52. A cross-section of the portions 52 is shown in Figure 5A with flange 70 linking the tube 20 to a foot 72, the flange 70 and foot 72 extending along the whole length of the longitudinal edges of the roof covering member 25. In Figure 5D there is shown a cross-section of the front and rear edges of the roof covering member 25. The roof covering member 25, made of the laminate structure in Figure 2B, fully extends across the roof of vehicle 51 between the respective opposite sides or edges formed by portions 53 which includes the steel innermost layer 20 of structure 21. The roof covering member is adhered to the vehicle roof using a suitable adhesive for bonding plastic to metal, and the legs 54 and 55 have feet (not shown) depending therefrom at a distal end that are secured to the bonnet or forward side fairing of the vehicle 51.

Each of the roof covering member 25 and legs 54, 55 are shaped to conform to that of the corresponding part of the vehicle , thus either flat or convex or curved, to provide efficient adhesion of the apparatus to the vehicle. It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.