IT201800009643A1 - CONFIGURABLE UNIT OF ASSISTANCE DRIVING A TRANSPORT VEHICLE - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

of the patent for industrial invention entitled: “CONFIGURABLE ASSISTANCE UNIT DRIVING A TRANSPORT VEHICLE”.

The present invention relates to a configurable driver assistance unit for a transport vehicle.

In particular, the present invention relates to assistance units for driving transport vehicles, in general, and semi-trailers, in particular, to which the following text will refer without losing its generality.

As is known, for the transport of heavy and bulky loads it is known to use trailers and / or semi-trailers, which, depending on the applications, can reach lengths of the order of 14 meters.

As is also known, driving this type of vehicle is anything but simple and is particularly demanding when maneuvers have to be carried out in general but above all when maneuvers are required in small spaces and in conditions of poor visibility.

In such conditions, the driver of the vehicle is normally aided or assisted by ground personnel who give instructions to the driver by voice or gesture. It is precisely the personnel on the ground who are exposed to the greatest risks precisely due to poor visibility and the formation of dark corners for the driver.

For this reason, cases in which these people are hit are not isolated or infrequent, often without the knowledge of the driver and without other persons involved in signaling and / or securing the load being able to intervene promptly.

The object of the present invention is to provide a driving assistance unit which can solve the above problems in an extremely simple and economical way.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a driving assistance unit, which can be used regardless of the type and size of vehicle used for transport.

According to the present invention, a configurable unit for assisting driving a transport vehicle is provided; the unit comprising an electronic control unit, a monitor arranged, in use, inside the cab in a position visible and accessible to the driver of the vehicle and connected to the electronic control unit, and at least one obstacle detection unit configured to be arranged at any point perimeter of the vehicle; the detection unit comprising a watertight casing, sensor means carried by the casing to detect obstacles around the vehicle, a wireless dialogue device with said electronic control unit and releasable quick connection means carried by said casing and configured to be manually coupled in a stable manner to the vehicle in said perimeter point.

The invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings, which are an example of implementation of the unit, to be understood as not limiting, and in which:

Figure 1 laterally illustrates a transport vehicle equipped with a configurable driving assistance unit schematically illustrated and made according to the invention;

Figure 2 illustrates a tractor unit of the vehicle of Figure 1 and the driving assistance unit according to the invention arranged in a rest or storage condition;

Figure 3 illustrates on an enlarged scale a detail of the driving assistance unit of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 1 shows a wheeled vehicle 1 for transporting a load K.

The vehicle 1 comprises a tractor 2 and a semitrailer 3 coupled to the tractor 2 in a decoupling manner and comprising a chassis T (Figure 1). The tractor 2, the semitrailer 3 and the method of connecting the tractor 2 to the semitrailer 3 itself are of the traditional type and as such are universally known per se and therefore not specifically described in the present description.

The vehicle 1 is provided with a configurable driving assistance unit of the same vehicle 1, indicated with 5.

The unit 5 comprising an electronic control unit 6, known per se and commonly known as E CU, a monitor 7, preferably of the "touch" type arranged inside the cabin 2 in a position visible from and accessible to the driver of the vehicle 1 and connected in a known way to the electronic control unit 6.

In the example described, the unit 5 comprises a plurality of obstacle detection and monitoring units 8 adapted to allow the monitoring of one of a specific area outside the perimeter of the vehicle 1 or the entire area surrounding the vehicle 1 itself, for example a maneuvering area or a corridor or lane traveled by the vehicle itself both in forward and reverse motion.

With reference to Figure 3, each detection group 8 comprises a respective watertight casing 9 distinct and separate from the casings 9 of the other sensing groups 7.

Each detection unit 8 then comprises a quick and releasable connection device 10 to manually detachably couple the casing 9 to a portion of the body or to a perimeter portion of the chassis T of the vehicle 1 or, again, to the transported load K. Conveniently, each device 10 comprises one or more magnets 11. Alternatively or in addition to the magnets 11, each device 10 comprises fastening straps 12 (partially illustrated) provided or not with tear-off hooks, for example of the type known as "scratch" or other equivalent quick fasteners / removers.

Alternatively, each device 10 comprises a releasable elastic link assembly.

Each group 8 then includes its own anti-collision sensors 13, for example parking sensors, carried by the casing 9 to detect obstacles present in the transit or maneuvering area or near it.

Each detection unit 8 also comprises its own device 15 for wireless dialogue with the electronic control unit 6, which is configured to receive a signal from each of the anti-collision sensors 13 and to send the driver an audible or visual danger signal on the monitor. 7.

Conveniently, each device 15 is of the type communicating by means of radio frequency signals and therefore comprises a transmission antenna 16.

Each detection group 8 then comprises a respective camera 18. As for the sensors 13, the electronic control unit 6 is configured to receive and process a signal received by each of the cameras 18 and to generate corresponding images on the monitor 7 associated or not with light signals or acoustics.

Again with reference to Figure 1, for each of the groups 8, the unit 5 comprises a respective mobile push-button panel 20 separated from the casing 9 of the relative group 8 and configured to be used by an operator 21 placed outside the maneuvering area of the vehicle 1 to send an operator signal 22 to the electronic control unit 6 through the relative group 8 and then to the driver of the vehicle 1 for example through the monitor 7. For this purpose, each of the groups 8 comprises at least one signal input port 22 connected by means of a wiring or means of wireless connection to the push-button panel 20.

Finally, each group 8 comprises a relative rechargeable battery block 24. The batteries 24 can be recharged during a period of inactivity of the unit 5 and, conveniently, on board the vehicle 1. For this purpose, a charging station 26 is provided in the space between the cab of the tractor and the semitrailer 3. which the groups 8 are housed when they are not used and, for example, when the semitrailer 2 is not connected to the tractor, as shown in figure 2.

Furthermore, each group 8 comprises one or more luminous devices 27, for example with LEDs, for illuminating all or part of the ground surface surrounding the vehicle 1.

From the foregoing it is evident that the unit 5 described is not only simple and inexpensive to manufacture but above all it can be immediately assembled on the vehicle 1 and equally quick to disassemble from the vehicle 1 itself, allowing an unlimited number of attachments and removals over time without this may affect the functionality of the unit 5. The foregoing is a consequence of the fact that a part of the unit 5 can simply be housed in the cab of the tractor, while the remaining part, that is to say the detection units 8, can be coupled to and detachable , from, vehicle 1 in extremely short times and without the need for equipment, joints or wiring for interconnecting the various parts.

The possibility of installing / uninstalling the detection groups 8 in extremely short times and without any practical difficulty, allows the unit to be configured according to the type of vehicle as the groups 8 can be arranged in any point of the perimeter of the vehicle, but especially in the point or points which, from time to time, depending on the parking conditions, can best help the driver of the vehicle 1 itself.

Not only that, but the possibility of installing the detection units in any point allows unit 5 to be configured also according to the load transported, for example when the load rises in height or protrudes from the vehicle, since part of the detection units can be arranged near the upper end of the load or coupled to equipment or devices for supporting or handling or retaining the load on the vehicle.

Furthermore, the simplicity of construction and assembly on the vehicle means that the unit 5 does not require the presence of dedicated personnel and even the driver himself can independently position the groups 8 in the points he deems most useful for driving or maneuvering.

Lastly, it is clear that the construction characteristics of unit 5 allow it to be used on vehicles that differ from each other in terms of type, size, capacity but above all on transport vehicles already in circulation in which the experience of the driver and of the ground staff when existing are the only means, on which the same driver can rely.

Claims (10)

CLAIMS 1. Configurable assistance unit for driving a transport vehicle; the unit comprising an electronic control unit, a monitor arranged, in use, inside the cabin in a position visible and accessible by the driver of the vehicle and connected to the electronic control unit, and at least one obstacle detection unit configured to be arranged at any point perimeter of the vehicle; the detection unit comprising a watertight casing, sensor means carried by the casing for detecting obstacles around the vehicle itself, a wireless communication device with said electronic control unit, and releasable quick connection means carried by said casing and configured to be manually coupled in a stable manner to the vehicle at said perimeter point. 2. Unit according to claim 1, characterized in that said sensor means comprise parking sensors; said control unit being configured to receive a signal from said parking sensors and to send the driver an audible or visual danger signal on said monitor. 3. Unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said sensor means comprise a camera; the said control unit processing a signal received by the said video camera and sending a signal to the said monitor. 4. Unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises an external push-button panel configured to be used by an operator placed outside a vehicle maneuvering area; the detection unit comprising at least one signal input port connected by means of a wiring or wireless connection means to said push-button panel. 5. Unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the said unit comprises an antenna for connection via radio to the said electronic control unit. 6. Unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said quick connection means comprise magnet means. 7. Unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said rapid connection means comprise belts and / or tear-off connection means. 8. Unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said detection unit comprises a rechargeable battery block. 9. Unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of said detection units communicating with said control unit and independent of each other to be arranged in different points of said vehicle. 10. Self-propelled transport vehicle comprising a chassis and a driving assistance unit, as claimed in claim 1.