EP1108971B1 - Emergency exit device for motor vehicles - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an emergency exit device for a motor vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1.

In motor vehicles, especially in armored passenger vehicles, there is a risk that the occupants can not leave the vehicle after an accident because the doors can not be opened. To ensure exit from the vehicle, emergency exit devices are known.

A generic, known emergency exit device for a motor vehicle (EP 0 433 940 A1) comprises a pyrotechnic device on a, a vehicle door with a body connecting connecting member and an ignition control unit for the pyrotechnic device, said after ignition, the connecting member is deformed or destroyed by the pyrotechnic unit so far that the connection between the vehicle door and body is separated. Specifically, in each case a blasting element in the door hinge pin of the vehicle door is arranged here as pyrotechnic device. By igniting the explosive elements, the door bolts are withdrawn from their bolt receptacles on the body, so that the hinge connection is released. However, a force acting on the motor vehicle door to open the emergency exit is not applied, so that the door must be pressed by a person to the outside, which in particular in case of significant accidental deformations is cumbersome or may not be performed.

In a further known, similar arrangement (DE 198 03 440 A1) also explosive elements in the region of the hinges of a motor vehicle door are arranged, which lead here after ignition to a break of the threaded bolt of the screw between each door hinge part and a vehicle door. In addition, spring elements can be used which press the separate threaded bolt parts apart. Thus, also here only the hinge connection between the body and the vehicle door is separated, so that the vehicle door must be pressed to open the emergency exit. The ignition of the explosive elements can be activated manually by means of a key switch. This assumes that a person must be able to operate the key switch after an accident.

In addition, an emergency exit device for a motor vehicle is known (DE 37 35 133 C2), in which an explosive belt is arranged between the edge region of the front or rear window and the associated vehicle outer cover frame. By igniting the explosive band of the vehicle outer cover frame is pressed or blasted, whereupon then the opening of the emergency exit, the disc must be pressed to the outside. This may be cumbersome or not possible, especially in the case of severe vehicle deformations such as in the case of the above emergency exit devices.

A generic emergency exit device for a motor vehicle door is known from JP 02034452 A, which shows a vehicle door, which is pivotally hinged to a body-side column by means of a hinge. The hinge has a first hinge part and a second hinge part, the are pivotally connected to each other by means of a hinge pin. The first hinge part is attached to the column by means of screws and weld nuts. Analogously, the second hinge part is fixed to the vehicle door by means of screws and weld nuts. On the inside of the column, the welding nuts are associated with explosives, which are directed with their ends transversely to the weld nuts of the hinge screws. After igniting the explosives, a thinner wall area formed in the column wall should be destroyed here so that the vehicle door can fall off. With this measure, only the connection between the vehicle door and the body can be separated, so that in emergency situations may still exist the need for the motor vehicle door must be pressed by a person to the outside, which is cumbersome, especially in significant accidental deformations or if necessary, can no longer be carried out.

Further, from DE 196 32 610 A1 an emergency exit device for a railway wagon is known in which a designated as a cover plate, not to be opened window pane for an emergency exit pyrotechnic blasted and removed. This window pane is connected by means of a fastening element with the body of the railway wagon, wherein in the interior of the fastening element, a compressed gas generator is mounted. Upon activation of the compressed gas generator, the fastener is destroyed at a predetermined breaking point by the resulting gas pressure and the gas pressure spreads in a surrounding cavity formed by a ring member made of elastomeric material, whereby the window pane is pushed out of a seal from the window opening. The resulting in such an arrangement, directed to the window pane, relatively small force component is sufficient to push the window pane of a seal assembly. In a crash-induced deformation of the window frame The window pane breaks anyway and / or is pushed out of the seal, so that in this case the pyrotechnic device is not required. The situation is different in the case of vehicle doors of a motor vehicle, since these can be severely jammed due to the crash and, if necessary, can only be opened with considerable force, which can not be applied by the above-described arrangement.

The situation is similar in the structure of DE 197 33 034 A1, from which a device for removing a window pane from a motor vehicle is also known as an emergency exit. In this emergency exit device, an explosively fillable airbag is activated between a vehicle-side frame and an attached window.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide an emergency exit device for a motor vehicle door, by means of the disconnected connection between the vehicle door and body, a secure emergency exit opening is provided.

This object is achieved with the features of claim 1.

In accordance with claim 1, by means of the at least one pyrotechnic device for separating the connection between the vehicle door and body and / or by means of at least one further second pyrotechnic device after the connection separation, a force component directed approximately transversely to the door plane of the closed vehicle door and the vehicle exterior can be applied to the vehicle door Vehicle outside directed force component on the vehicle door by means of an integrated in the connecting member, pyrotechnic actuated cylinder / piston unit can be applied.

This ensures that not only the connection between the closed vehicle door and the body is separated by means of the pyrotechnics, but the vehicle door is additionally pressed in the opening direction of the emergency exit. The Aufdrückweg required for this can be relatively short, since the vehicle door is released automatically after a short distance from the body or at least simply with little force further aufdrückbar. In particular, this prevents a door from being so badly jammed and stuck after an accident that it can not be opened despite a known emergency exit device.

The term vehicle door should also be understood to mean all the flaps and covers of a vehicle which, when opened, allow access to the vehicle interior.

With claim 2, it is proposed that the ignition control unit can be activated via a crash sensor. This ensures that the emergency exit device is automatically activated in relevant crash situations and is not triggered by an occupant manually via a key switch. This ensures access to the vehicle interior, if necessary for rescue personnel in any case. Such a control is preferably suitable for conventional production vehicles, where unlike armored security vehicles, it is not important to protect occupants from exposure to protect the outside, but in an accident to ensure unimpeded access for rescue personnel to the vehicle interior. As a crash sensor can For this purpose, an existing anyway in the vehicle airbag sensor may be used. The activation of the ignition control unit via a crash sensor is also claimed in connection with a generic emergency exit device.

Before the force component can be effective in the opening direction of the emergency exit on the vehicle door, it is necessary that the connection between the body and the vehicle door is separated. According to claim 3, therefore, a first pyrotechnic device, which is provided for the connection separation, should possibly be ignitable in front of a second pyrotechnic device, which applies the force component in the opening direction of the emergency exit. If only one pyrotechnic device is used, it is also possible to provide a step generator, with the ignition of the first stage enabling the connection separation and the ignition of the second step the force component in the opening direction. With these measures, the opening security is further increased.

According to claim 4, it is proposed to activate the ignition control unit only below a certain vehicle speed, in particular when the vehicle is stationary. This ensures that the emergency exit can not be opened at high speeds and thus occupants may be at risk.

According to claim 5, the pyrotechnic device may be mounted in the region of a hinge arrangement. For this purpose, for example, known per se hinge bolts in conjunction with a second pyrotechnic device for applying the opening force component can be used.

In a preferred embodiment according to claim 6, however, only a single pyrotechnic device per hinge is used, which comprises a piston which is zubewegbar transversely to a shear-off hinge pin.

In addition, the opening force component should be transferable to the vehicle door by means of the same piston.

For this purpose, the hinge pin is received in an end-side hinge eye of a door-side hinge part and a guide rail as a body-side hinge part in a concrete, simple and compact construction embodiment. The guide rail for guiding the hinge eye is directed to the vehicle outside. The piston for shearing the hinge pin engages after ignition of the pyrotechnics on the hinge eye on such that the hinge pin is sheared off first and then the hinge eye in the guide rail to the vehicle outside and thus the connected to the hinge eye vehicle door is pressed in the opening direction. The entire pyrotechnic device including the necessary guides is advantageously accommodated in a hinge component, which can be mounted in particular as an option to a conventional hinge component.

In a particularly preferred arrangement according to claim 8, the pyrotechnic device is mounted in the region of a door lock. Here, a Verbindungsauftrennung done with relatively little force, so that required explosive charges are advantageously small dimensions. Such an arrangement of the pyrotechnic device in the door lock area can be arranged both as an alternative to a pyrotechnic device in the hinge area or optionally also in addition.

A preferred, concrete embodiment of this is proposed with the features of claim 9. In this case, a lock base plate body side firmly connected in particular in a Türausschnittwange. The lock base plate contains an open to the vehicle outside guide profile. In this guide profile, a Türkeilträger slidable to the outside of the door is positively received and by means of a pyrotechnic absprengbaren Explosive bolt fixed as the first pyrotechnic device. In a cylinder recess of the door wedge support a pyrotechnically activatable and supported to the vehicle outside on the lock base plate piston is included as a second pyrotechnic device. When the ignition control unit triggers, the explosive bolt is first activated to disconnect the connection, and then the door key carrier is pressed towards the vehicle outside by means of the controlled piston. Since the closed vehicle door is connected to the door wedge carrier via the door wedge, the vehicle door is also pressed open in the opening direction.

This is achieved with simple means and relatively small-sized explosive charge a safe emergency exit opening. Optionally, a conventional screw can be used instead of a blast screw when the piston force is sufficient to shear off by a movement of the door wedge carrier the bolt. In the present embodiment with a lock base plate and a retractable and fixable door wedge support can advantageously be optionally carried out an arrangement with a conventional door wedge support without pyrotechnics or pyrotechnically activated door wedge support.

On the one hand to achieve a stable support and on the other hand a secure separation of the door wedge carrier relative to the lock base plate, is proposed in claim 10, a dovetail guide in conjunction with a wedge-shaped opening to the vehicle outside.

Preferably, the door wedge is held according to claim 11 adjustable in the usual manner on the door wedge carrier.

In principle, it is sufficient to provide an emergency exit device on a vehicle, for example on a driver-side vehicle door. According to claim 12, a plurality of emergency exit devices can also be provided, which are then preferably attached to opposite sides of the vehicle should be to ensure an exit of inmates as well as access by rescue personnel even in unfavorable vehicle situations.

Reference to a drawing, the invention is explained in detail.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Schnittdarstellung mit einer ersten Ausführungsform einer Notausstiegvorrichtung für ein Kraftfahrzeug,

Fig. 2

eine schematische Schnittdarstellung entlang der Linie A-A der Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

eine schematische Schnittdarstellung mit einer zweiten Ausführungsform einer Notausstiegvorrichtung für ein Kraftfahrzeug, und

Fig. 4

eine schematische Schnittdarstellung entlang der Linie B-B der Fig. 3.

Show it:

Fig. 1

FIG. 2 a schematic sectional view with a first embodiment of an emergency exit device for a motor vehicle, FIG.

Fig. 2

1 is a schematic sectional view along the line AA of FIG. 1,

Fig. 3

a schematic sectional view of a second embodiment of an emergency exit device for a motor vehicle, and

Fig. 4

a schematic sectional view taken along the line BB of Fig. 3rd

1 is a schematic representation of a sectional view through an emergency exit device 1 for a motor vehicle. This emergency exit device 1 comprises a pyrotechnic device 2 on a hinge arrangement 5 connecting a vehicle door 3 with a vehicle body 4.

This hinge assembly 5 comprises a hinge pin 6, which, as can also be seen in particular from FIG. 2, which represents a section along the line AA of FIG. 1, in an end-side hinge eye 7 of a door-side hinge part 8 and a guide rail 9 as a body-side Hinge part is added. The guide rail 9 is directed to guide the hinge eye 7 to the vehicle outer side 10.

The pyrotechnic device 2 comprises a pyrotechnic transversely to the hinge eye 7 and thus on the hinge pin 6 zubewegbaren piston 11th

As is further apparent from FIG. 2, predetermined breaking points 12, 13 are formed on the hinge pin 6.

The pyrotechnic device 2 is coupled to an ignition control unit, which is not shown here, however. This ignition control unit can be activated for an emergency exit device, for example via a crash sensor.

The mode of operation is also described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2:

When the ignition control unit of the emergency exit device 1 is activated, the pyrotechnic device 2 is ignited, whereupon the piston 11 is moved in the direction of the hinge eye 7 and the hinge pin 6. Upon impact of the piston 11 on the hinge eye 7 engages this with an extension 14 in a recess 15 on the hinge eye 7 a. By the impact force of the piston 11 of the hinge pin 6 is sheared off at the predetermined breaking points 12, 13, so that the hinge eye 7, as shown schematically in Fig. 2 and dashed lines, is displaced in the guide rail 9 in the direction of the vehicle outer side 10. In this way, a force component directed approximately transversely to the door plane of the closed vehicle door 3 towards the vehicle outer side 10 is applied to the vehicle door 3, whereby it is released in the connection region with the body 4. This prevents the vehicle door 3 from being so badly jammed and stuck after an accident that it can no longer be opened.

Alternatively or preferably in addition to the emergency exit device 1, a further emergency exit device 16 can also be provided in the region of a lock arrangement 17 as a connection component between the vehicle door 3 and the body 4 be provided.

This emergency exit device 16 includes a with the body 4 z. B. firmly connected by welding lock base plate 18 which has an open towards the vehicle 19 side guide profile 20. In this guide profile 20 a slidable door outer door girder 21 is positively received and fixed by means of a pyrotechnic explosive blasting screw 22 as the first pyrotechnic device. As can be seen in particular from FIG. 4, which shows a section along the line B-B of FIG. 3, the guide profile 20 is undercut in a dovetail shape and, as can be seen in particular from FIG. 3, widens wedge-shaped towards the vehicle outer side 19. The door wedge carrier 21 is designed accordingly for a positive reception in the open guide profile 20.

As can be seen in particular from FIG. 4, a door wedge 23 is held adjustably on the door wedge carrier 21 by means of two threaded plates 24, 25, which are shown by dashed lines in the representation of FIG. 3.

Further, in a cylindrical recess 26 of the door wedge carrier 21, a likewise pyrotechnically activatable, to the vehicle inside out on the lock base plate 18 supported piston 27 is included as a second pyrotechnic device.

The detonating screw 22 and the piston 27, designed as a pyrotechnic device, can be activated by means of an ignition control unit such that when the ignition control unit is triggered, the detonation screw 22 can first be detonated to disconnect the connection and then the door wedge carrier 21 and the vehicle door 3 connected via the door wedge 23 are pressed by means of the piston 27 can be.

The emergency exit devices 1, 16 are preferably realized on each vehicle door 3 of a vehicle.

Claims (12)

1. Emergency exit device for a motor vehicle door,
   with at least one pyrotechnic device (2; 22) on at least one connecting component (5; 17) connecting the vehicle door (3) with a body (4) and
   with a detonation control unit for at least one pyrotechnic device (2; 22), in which after detonation of at least one pyrotechnic device (2; 22) the connecting component (5; 17) is deformed or destroyed to such an extent that the connection made there between vehicle door (3) and body (4) is severed,
   characterised in that
   by means of at least one pyrotechnic device (2; 22) for severing the connection between vehicle door (3) and body (4) and/or by means of at least a further second pyrotechnic device after the connection has been severed a force component directed more or less crosswise to the plane of the door when the vehicle door (3) is closed and the outside of the vehicle (10; 19) can be applied to the vehicle door (3), which pushes the vehicle door (3) in the opening direction of the emergency exit, in which the force component directed towards the outside of the vehicle (10; 19) can be applied to the vehicle door (3) by means of a pyrotechnically operated cylinder/piston unit (11; 26, 27) incorporated in the connecting component (5; 17).
2. Emergency exit device according to claim 1, characterised in that the detonation control unit for an emergency exit device can be activated by a crash sensor.
3. Emergency exit device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the detonation control unit can only be activated below a certain vehicle speed, particularly when the vehicle is at standstill.
4. Emergency exit device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the connecting component fitted with a pyrotechnic device (2) between vehicle door (3) and body (4) is a hinge arrangement (5).
5. Emergency exit according to claim 4, characterised in that
   the first pyrotechnic device (2) includes a piston (11) which can be moved pyrotechnically crosswise on a hinge pin (6), through which this can be sheared off directly or indirectly, preferably at breaking points (12, 13), to sever the connection and
   the force component can be transferred to the vehicle door (3) in the opening direction by means of the piston (11).
6. Emergency exit device according to claim 5, characterised in that
   the hinge pin (6) is taken up in a gudgeon (7) on the end of a hinge part (8) on the door side (8) and a guide rail (9) as a hinge part on the body side, in which the guide rail (9) is directed to the outside of the vehicle (10) to guide the gudgeon (7),
   the piston (11) attacks the gudgeon (7) to shear off the hinge pin (6) and
   after the hinge pin (6) has been sheared off the gudgeon (7) directed in the guide rail (9) and therefore the vehicle door (3) can be pushed by means of the piston (11) which can be moved further pyrotechnically in the opening direction.
7. Emergency exit device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the detonation control unit includes a time function element and the second pyrotechnic device (27) can be detonated in a deferred way after the first pyrotechnic device (22).
8. Emergency exit device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the connecting component fitted with at least one pyrotechnic device (22; 27) between vehicle door (3) and body (4) is a lock arrangement (17).
9. Emergency exit device according to claim 8, characterised in that
   a lock base plate (18) is connected firmly on the body side, which contains a guide section (20) open on the outside of the vehicle (19),
   in this guide section (20) a door wedge carrier (21) which can be moved to the outside of the door is taken up positively and fastened by means of an explosion bolt (22), which can be pyrotechnically blown off as a first pyrotechnic device and a pyrotechnically activatable piston (27) supported on the lock base plate (18) on the inside of the vehicle is contained in a cylinder recess (26) of the door wedge carrier (21) as a second pyrotechnic device, in which on release of the detonation control unit the explosion bolt (22) can be blown off to sever the connection and then the door wedge carrier (21) and the vehicle door (3) connected through the door wedge carrier (23) can be pushed by means of the piston (27).
10. Emergency exit device according to claim 9, characterised in that the guide section (20) is undercut in the form of a dovetail and extended on the outside of the vehicle (19) in the shape of a wedge and the door wedge carrier (21) is shaped accordingly.
11. Emergency exit device according to claim 9 or claim 10, characterised in that the door wedge (23) is adjustably held on the door wedge carrier (21) by means of at least one thread plate (24, 25).
12. Emergency exit device according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that the emergency exit device (1; 16) is made on at least one vehicle door (3), preferably on a vehicle door (3) on opposite sides of the vehicle.

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