The present disclosure relates in general to the detection of impacts in a vehicle, for example a wheeled vehicle, with particular but not exclusive reference to the sector of motorcycles. More particularly, the disclosure relates to the positioning, on a motorcycle, of an impact detection device designed to allow activation of an automatic impact protection system.

In the sector of motorcycles and in particular clothing for motorcyclists automatic impact protection systems generally associated with jackets and one-piece suits are becoming increasingly widespread. The automatic protection systems generally comprise a plurality of airbags which can be activated automatically in the event of an accident in order to protect the motorcyclist from falls and/or the impact with other vehicles.

At present automatic protection systems of the wireless type are increasingly more common, activation of the airbag being managed by a remote control unit which is connected to an impact detection device comprising one or more accelerometers. The accelerometers of the detection device are able to detect the accelerations of the motorcycle during travel and in particular the negative accelerations acting on the vehicle in the event of an impact. The electric signals generated by the accelerometers are sent to the control unit which, when a predetermined deceleration threshold is exceeded, activates the airbags.

The impact detection device is generally mounted on the motorcycle. This arrangement is considered to be the most suitable for detecting the accelerations acting on the motorcycle and in particular the negative accelerations in the event of an accident.

The abovementioned automatic protection systems are associated with articles of clothing for motorcyclists which are sold separately from the motorcycle and which comprise both "internal" elements incorporated in the clothing, for example the airbags and a receiver control unit, and "external" units which must be mounted on the motorcycle, for example the impact detection device and a transmitter control unit. One of the main problems of the automatic protection systems is that associated with their capacity to distinguish in real time the behaviour of the motorcycle during normal travel, including also racing conditions, from the behaviour which occurs as a result of an impact.

The author of the present disclosure has recognized that this capacity to distinguish the behaviour of the motorcycle may be improved by means of suitable positioning of the impact detection device.

Another problem is that of mounting and adapting the "external" elements of an automatic protection system on motorcycle models which are different from each other. If, in fact, the transmitting control unit may be hidden underneath the saddle or housed inside the control panel of a motorcycle, the impact detection device must be situated in said suitable position on the motorcycle and therefore it is necessary to find an appropriate location therefor.

There also exists the need to provide a method for positioning an impact detection device on the fork which alters as little as possible the aesthetic appearance of the motorcycle and this forms a further object of the present disclosure.

It is also an object of the present disclosure to provide a positioning method which allows the accelerations acting on the motorcycle to be continuously detected and the impact situations to be determined as rapidly as possible.

One or all of the said objects may be achieved by means of a positioning method, the main characteristic features of which are respectively specified in the first claim, while other characteristic features are specified in the remaining claims. One or all of the said objects may also be achieved by an assembly consisting of impact detection device and brake unit according to the respective independent claim.

A proposed solution forming the basis of the present disclosure consists is that of making use of a brake unit present on a wheel of a wheeled vehicle as a support base, or mount, for positioning an impact detection device. In other words, the detection device is arranged in or on, positioned in or on, mounted in or on, assembled together with, or fixed to a brake unit of at least one wheel of the vehicle. Preferably, in order to favour precise detection of an impact, the wheel is the front wheel and therefore the impact detection device is associated with a front wheel of the vehicle.

By performing mounting on the brake unit it is possible to adapt mounting of the impact detection device on the motorcycle without major alterations to the motorcycle, modifying if necessary only the structure of the brake unit.

In one embodiment, the brake unit is a disc brake unit and includes a brake caliper and a respective brake disc. In this embodiment, the impact detection device is arranged in or on, positioned in or on, mounted in or on, assembled together with, or fixed to, or is part of the brake caliper.

In one embodiment, it is envisaged positioning two identification devices, which are identical to each other, each being mounted alongside or on an outer side of the wheel on a respective caliper body of the brake caliper. As a result, the two identification devices are mounted on the brake unit of the motorcycle, one on one caliper body and the other on the other caliper body. In other words, the assembly may comprise two detection devices, which are for example identical to each other and each mounted on or associated with a respective caliper body of the two caliper bodies of the brake unit, for example in symmetrical positions with respect to a longitudinal centre plane of the wheel. Owing to this symmetrical arrangement it is possible to obtain redundancy characteristics during detection of the accelerations.

In one embodiment, the impact detection device is mounted on an outer side of the brake unit in a visible position. In other embodiments, the impact detection device is mounted inside the brake unit, for example the brake caliper, and arranged in a special seat.

In another embodiment, the impact detection device may be mounted on a support of the brake unit, namely the support which keeps the brake caliper in a fixed position on the vehicle wheel. This support may be any structure known in the vehicle sector for supporting a brake unit on the wheel of the vehicle.

Further characteristic features and modes of use forming the subject of the present disclosure will become clear from the following detailed description of a number of preferred examples of embodiment thereof, provided by way of a non-limiting example. It is evident, however, that each example of embodiment may have one or more of the advantages listed above; in any case it is not required that each embodiment should have simultaneously all the advantages listed.

It should also be understood that the scope of the present disclosure includes all the possible combinations of embodiments indicated above and those described with reference to the following detailed description.

Reference will be made to the attached Figure 1 which shows a side view of a vehicle including an assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

With reference to Figure 1, the reference number 10 denotes an assembly including an impact detection device 12 and a brake unit 14 of a motorcycle 13 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. More particularly, the brake unit 14 is intended to brake the front wheel 15 of the motorcycle 13. The impact detection device 12 and positioning thereof on the brake unit 14 are schematically shown in Figure 1, it being understood that the respective choice of impact detection device 12 and positioning thereof are within the competence of the person skilled in the art.

Even more particularly, the impact detection device 12 may comprise known technology and may be an accelerometer, for example that described in the international patent applications WO2013/076694 Al and WO2013/076695 Al in the name of the proprietor of the present application.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the impact detection device 12 is arranged on, associated with or fixed to the brake unit 14 of the motorcycle 13.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure such as that shown in the drawings, the brake unit 14 is a disc brake and includes a brake caliper 16 and two brake discs 20.

It is to be understood that, in context of the present disclosure, any type of brake caliper, namely both fixed and floating calipers, as well as calipers of the monobloc type and/or divided into two half-calipers, may be understood.

Even more particularly in an embodiment such as that visible in the drawings, the impact detection device 12 is arranged in or on, is part of, is assembled together with or is fixed to the brake caliper 16 of the brake unit 14. Basically, the impact protection device is placed in direct contact with the brake caliper 16 and/or generally with the brake unit 14. Even more particularly, in one embodiment, the brake caliper 16 includes two caliper bodies 18, only one of which is visible in Figure 1. In this case two detection devices 12 are mounted on the brake unit 14 of the motorcycle 13, namely one on a caliper body 18 and the other on the other caliper body 18. In other words, the assembly 10 may comprise two detection devices 12, for example identical to each other and each mounted on or associated with one caliper body 18 of the two caliper bodies 18 of the brake unit 14, in symmetrical positions with respect to a longitudinal centre plane of the wheel 15. With this symmetrical arrangement it is possible to obtain redundancy characteristics during detection of the accelerations.

In the continuation of the description, for the sake of illustrative clarity, on some occasions reference is made to a single detection device 12, it being understood that, considering the symmetrical arrangement, the same description is also applicable to the other detection device 12.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the detection device may be associated on an outer side of the brake unit or the brake caliper or incorporated in the brake caliper. In this connection, a suitable seat designed to receive the impact detection device 12 may be provided.

In the context of the present disclosure it is to be understood that a person skilled in the art is able to fit an impact detection device on a brake unit and configure the associated connection with a control unit for activation of a protection system.

In fact the impact detection device 12 may be then connected in a known manner to a control unit which may be mounted on the motorcycle and configured to monitor the signal supplied by the impact detection device.

It is pointed out moreover that the impact detection device 12 may be calibrated and configured for positioning on the brake caliper so as to be able to detect in a consistent manner any impacts independently of a normal movement of the brake caliper during braking.

The embodiments of the present disclosure described and illustrated here constitute only examples which may be subject to numerous variations. For example, it is possible to associate the impact detection device with a support 22 of the brake caliper 16, namely the support which allows the brake unit to be anchored and kept in position on the wheel 15. Moreover, it is possible to use the detection device according to the present disclosure also in combination with "external" elements such as air bags and receiver control units arranged on the motorcycle or, more generally on a wheeled vehicle, and not exclusively in the garments worn by the motorcyclist.