WO2006034515A1

WO2006034515A1 - Enhancement of vehicle safety

Info

Publication number: WO2006034515A1
Application number: PCT/ZA2005/000148
Authority: WO
Inventors: Johan Christiaan Marais
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-09-23
Filing date: 2005-09-23
Publication date: 2006-03-30
Anticipated expiration: 2007-03-23

Abstract

A method of enhancing safety of a vehicle whilst in motion. This is achieved by directing a pressurised fluid, from a source on the vehicle, onto an area ahead of a wheel of the vehicle. The pressurised fluid effectively displaces foreign material lying in the area. This allows the wheel to traverse the area by engaging directly with the effective surface as opposed to engaging with the surface through the intermediary of foreign material.

Description

ENHANCEMENT QF VEHICLE SAFETY

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates generally to the enhancement of the safety of a vehicle which has one or more wheels and which travels on a path on the ground.

[0002] A potentially significant safety hazard can arise when a road vehicle such as a car or truck encounters foreign material on a road surface. "Foreign material", as used herein, can include any material or substance which does not intrinsically form part of the road surface. For example water deposited by rain or coming from a different source can accumulate on a hard road surface and, particularly if a vehicle is travelling at speed, can give rise to a phenomenon known as aquaplaning in which one or more vehicle wheels lose contact with the road surface.

[0003] Another safety hazard can arise, for example, when gravel or sand or particulate material is on a hard road surface for this can easily give rise to a loss of

traction or skidding.

[0004] This type of problem can also manifest itself with a rail vehicle on rail tracks. For example organic material such as leaves on a rail track can cause a reduction in

traction between the wheels of the vehicle and the track. This can have various

adverse side effects including a reduction in the braking capability of the rail vehicle. SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0005] The invention provides a method of enhancing safety of a vehicle which travels on a path on at least one wheel, the method including the step of directing a pressurised fluid, from at least one source on the vehicle, onto an area of the path ahead of the at least one wheel.

[0006] The pressurised fluid may be directed in one or more jets onto the area.

[0007] The rate at which the pressurised fluid is directed onto the area, the pressure of the fluid, the nature of the fluid, the angle at which the fluid is directed and the extent of the area onto which the fluid is directed, may all be varied or chosen, according to requirement, to ensure that foreign material on the area is effectively displaced from the area before the wheel traverses the area.

[0008] By displacing foreign material from the area the effective surface of the path is cleared and the wheel can therefore engage directly with the effective surface as opposed to engaging with the surface through the intermediary of foreign material.

[0009] The method of the invention may be used for various specific applications but finds particular use in clearing or displacing water from a hard surface e.g. a concrete, paved, macadamised or similar surface.

[0010] As has been indicated in the preamble hereto the method of the invention may also be used for displacing particulate or organic or other material, generally of

a solid nature, from the path. [0011] The method of the invention may be used with road vehicles, with tracked vehicles, with air craft when they are on runways, and the like. The scope of the invention is not limited in any regard in this respect.

[0012] Generally the fluid is gaseous although, depending on the application, it falls within the scope of the invention for the fluid to be liquid.

[0013] Any suitable gas may be employed in the method of the invention. Conveniently however the gas is air. The gas may be compressed by means on the vehicle and the compressed gas may be stored in one or more pressure vessels on the vehicle. Alternatively the gas is compressed by means which is not on the vehicle and then stored in a pressure vessel or vessels which are stored on the vehicle.

[0014] Another possibility is to pressurise gas as it is required, by means on the vehicle, and then, substantially immediately, to make use of the pressurised gas. The pressurised gas may for example be produced by means of a turbine or compressor which is actuated electrically or mechanically on the vehicle.

[0015] It also falls within the scope of the invention to make use of exhaust gas, from an internal combustion engine, and use that gas as the fluid or use the exhaust gas to produce a pressurised fluid.

[0016] Chemicals which react at a controlled rate and which release copious quantities of pressurised fluid may also be used to produce the pressurised fluid. [0017] The invention also extends to a vehicle which has at least one road engaging wheel, a source of pressurised fluid on the vehicle and a fluid delivery system for directing pressurised fluid from the source at a controlled rate onto an area of the road ahead of the road engaging wheel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The invention is further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a motor vehicle which includes an arrangement according to the invention for displacing foreign material from a road surface over which the vehicle travels;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the vehicle shown in Figure 1 ; and

Figure 3 is a block diagram representation of an arrangement, employed on the vehicle, for displacing foreign material from the road surface.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0019] The accompanying drawings illustrate a road vehicle 10, in this instance a car, on a road 12. The vehicle is of conventional construction and has four road engaging wheels 14.

[0020] Four sets 16 of nozzles are mounted to a chassis or body of the vehicle. Each set of nozzles is positioned so that the nozzles face downwardly and are directed onto an area 18 of the road surface on a forward side of each wheel i.e. onto an area over which the associated wheel will travel. [0021] The size of the area 18 is determined by a number of criteria including the size of the respective wheel, the speed of the vehicle, economy of operation and so on.

[0022] Figure 3 illustrates a control arrangement 20 which is installed on the vehicle 10. In this embodiment the control arrangement includes a pressure vessel 22, a compressor 24, a drive arrangement or actuator 26 for the compressor, a control unit 28, speed and water sensors 30 and 32 respectively and valves 34(1) to 34(N) which each valve being associated with a respective nozzle designated 16(1) to 16(N) in Figure 3.

[0023] The pressure vessel 22 may be one of a number of vessels each of which is designed to hold compressed air. The size of the vessel is dictated by a number of factors including the nature of the vehicle 10, the available space in which to mount the vessel, the operating pressure of the arrangement 20, and so on.

[0024] The compressor 24 may be of conventional construction and may be of a type known in the art. The compressor is driven by means of a drive 26 which may be electrically actuated, e.g. an electrical motor which is powered by the electrical system on the vehicle or it may be of a mechanical nature in the sense that it is driven directly by a belt and pulley system on the vehicle. This type of drive arrangement is used for example with a compressor of an air conditioning system and similar techniques may be adopted for the purposes of the invention.

[0025] The drive 26 is not restricted to the aforementioned examples and other techniques may be employed where appropriate. For example it is possible to make use of principles or techniques which are similar to those used with turbo-charged or super-charged vehicles in order to obtain a source of pressurised air. Exhaust gas produced in an internal combustion engine can also be used for this purpose.

[0026] The compressor is connected to the pressure vessel 22 and the control 28, in Figure 3, via dotted lines. This is to indicate that the compressor 24 and drive 26 are optional in the sense that the pressure vessel 22 may, according to requirement, be pressurised by an external source. The pressure vessel 22 may for example be pressurised, when tyres on a vehicle are inflated, by connecting a flexible hose to an inlet valve, not shown, on the pressure vessel with compressed air then being delivered from a compressor at a permanent site e.g. a garage or other facility. These aspects can be varied according to requirement.

[0027] The control unit 28 is preferably computer-based. The function of the control unit is to monitor input signals from the speed sensor 30 and the water sensor 32. The water sensor, in one embodiment, simply comprises a rain detector. The speed sensor 30 could for example allow the control unit to function, to control the delivery of compressed air to the nozzles, when the vehicle speed is above a predetermined minimum e.g. 30km/h and if it is raining. Various parameters can be used to initiate the functioning of the control unit.

[0028] In use of the system if the vehicle 10 travels through rain or over a surface on which foreign material is present then the sensors 30 and 32 come into operation. These enable the control unit 28. It should be pointed out that it is also possible to enable the control unit manually e.g. by means of a suitable control switch or input 40 which is actuated when a driver or operator sees gravel, leaves or other material on a road surface.

[0029] The control unit actuates the valve 34 in a regulated manner and as each valve is opened air from the pressure vessel 22 flows to the respective nozzles 16. The compressed air is directed onto the respective area 18 which is ahead of the associated wheel 14 and the effect of the air jets is such that the area 18 is cleared by blowing the water or foreign material from the road surface.

[0030] As the vehicle speed increases it is generally necessary to deliver air at a greater rate in order to clear the road surface at a greater rate. This is achieved via the control unit 28 which opens the valves 34 to a great extent.

[0031] The control unit constantly monitors the pressure in the vessel 22 and can turn the compressor, or the drive for the compressor, on or off to ensure that the vessel 22 is constantly replenished.

[0032] The effect of the safety arrangement of the invention is that, or in defined user-selectable conditions, a small area in front of each road-engaging wheel of a vehicle is subjected to high air pressure so that water or other foreign material on the area is dispersed. This is achieved simply by blowing the water or the foreign material away. It is therefore possible for the wheel to engage directly with the road surface and this helps to reduce the effect of the water or foreign material on the passage over the wheel over the road. Traction, directional stability and frictional

engagement between the wheel and the road surface are therefore, effectively, maintained. [0033] The invention has been described with particular reference to a road vehicle. Clearly the principles are applicable to other vehicles such as tracked vehicles, e.g. locomotives, and aircraft. In the latter instance the pressurised air is used in order to disperse or displace water and other foreign material from a runway when an aircraft lands or takes off.

Claims

1. A method of enhancing safety of a vehicle which travels on a path on at least one wheel, the method including the step of directing a pressurised fluid, from at least one source of the vehicle, onto an area of the path ahead of the at least one wheel.

2. A method according to claim 1 which includes the step of varying or controlling at least one of the following parameters of the pressurised fluid: the rate at which the fluid is directed onto the area; the nature of the fluid; the angle at which the fluid is directed onto the area; and the extent of the area onto which the fluid is directed.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2 which includes the step of directing the fluid in a plurality of jets onto the area.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 which includes the step of storing the fluid in one or more pressure vessels on the vehicle.

5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the fluid is a gas.

6. A method according to claim 5 which includes the step of pressurising the gas by means on the vehicle.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the means is a compressor.

8. A method according to any one of claims 5 to 7 wherein the gas is air.

9. A method according to any one of claims 5 to 7 which includes the step of obtaining the gas from an exhaust of an internal combustion engine of the vehicle.

10. A vehicle, with at least one road engaging wheel, which includes a source of pressurised fluid, on the vehicle, and a delivery system for directing a pressurised fluid from the source at a controlled rate onto an area of the road ahead of the road engaging wheel.

11. A vehicle according to claim 10 wherein the source is one or more pressure vessels.

12. A vehicle according to claim 10 wherein the source is a compressor.

13. A vehicle according to claim 12 wherein the compressor is mechanically or electrically actuated.

14. A vehicle according to any one of claims 10 to 13 wherein the fluid delivery system includes a control unit which determines the controlled rate by

monitoring at least one input signal from at least one sensor.

15. A vehicle according to claim 14 wherein the at least one sensor is selected from: a water sensor and a vehicle speed sensor.

16. A vehicle according to claim 15 wherein the water sensor is a rain detector.

17. A vehicle according to any one of claims 10 to 16 wherein the fluid is directed onto the area through at least one nozzle.

18. A vehicle according to any one of claims 10 to 17 wherein the pressurised fluid is a gas.

19. A vehicle according to claim 18 wherein the gas is air.