Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Storm-front shield – apron – or robe
Reexamination Certificate
2003-05-30
2004-08-03
Coletta, Lori L. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Storm-front shield, apron, or robe
C296S084100, C296S187040, C296S201000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06769730
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle windshield mounting structure for mitigating impact on collision objects when the collision objects collide with windshields from the front of vehicles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As this kind of windshield, a laminated safety glass consisting of an annealing glass, a resin interlayer bonded to the interior-side surface of the annealing glass and an impermeable film bonded to the interior-side surface of the resin interlayer is known as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI-4-19136.
As another example of such a windshield, a windshield shown in
FIGS. 10A and 10B
is known. These figures illustrate a state in which a collision object is colliding with a windshield from the interior of a passenger compartment. In the figures, OUT indicates the outside of the passenger compartment and IN the inside of the passenger compartment.
FIG. 10A
illustrates a state in which a collision object
211
is heading toward a windshield
212
. The windshield
212
is made from a glass having two glasses
213
and
214
curved from the passenger compartment toward the vehicle outside, bonded together with an interlayer
215
(hereinafter referred to as a “laminated glass”).
The laminated safety glass in HEI-4-19136 or the windshield
212
shown in
FIG. 10A
takes into account the safety of vehicle passengers, and mitigates impact on the head of a passenger hitting against the laminated safety glass or the windshield
212
upon a vehicle collision. However, no consideration is given to the safety of pedestrians, that is, a collision object from the outside of the vehicle compartment toward the laminated safety glass or the windshield
212
.
In
FIG. 10B
, when the collision object
211
hits on the windshield
212
, the windshield
212
is partly broken, mitigating the impact of collision. However, as described above, the windshield
212
does not allow for impact from the vehicle outside. Further, the windshield
212
has a shape curved outward of the passenger compartment, that is, a so-called “arch” shape in cross section, and is thus more unbreakable against a load from the outside of the passenger compartment than from the inside of the passenger compartment.
Further, recent years' trends toward short-nose vehicles with passenger compartments expanded in space and slant-nose vehicles with front end portions inclined downward to reduce air resistance in high-speed travel result in increased collisions from the vehicle front toward windshields. On the other hand, under an increased rate of seatbelt wearing and the widespread adoption of airbags, importance is being attached to consideration to the safety of pedestrians in addition to the safety of vehicle passengers. In other words, it is desired to improve a vehicle windshield mounting structure so as to effectively mitigate the impact of collision with windshields from the outside of passenger compartments.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle windshield mounting structure, which comprises: a windshield; mounting members for mounting the windshield; and frangible members provided at the mounting members for supporting the windshield; the frangible members being configured to deform or break when an external force greater than a given force acts on the windshield from the outside of a passenger compartment, thereby causing the windshield to move in its entirety or in part inward into the passenger compartment.
When an external force greater than a given force acts on the windshield from the outside of the passenger compartment, the frangible members deform or brake, so that the windshield can move in its entirety or in part inward into the passenger compartment, further absorbing impact in collision than in conventional windshield mounting structures, and mitigating impact received by a collision object.
In this invention, the frangible members preferably comprise resin members each having at least one notch. Thus providing notches to resin members to be the frangible members can facilitate the formation of the frangible members, resulting in reduction in cost increase.
Further, the use of a material having high toughness for the resin members can allow the windshield to be moved inward into the passenger compartment without breaking the resin members, and to be prevented from falling off the mounting members for retainment.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3843193 (1974-10-01), Krings et al.
patent: 6193304 (2001-02-01), Takahashi et al.
patent: 6193305 (2001-02-01), Takahashi
patent: 04019136 (1992-01-01), None
Kikuchi Yuji
Okamoto Yutaka
Coletta Lori L.
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Merchant & Gould P.C.
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