US 2023/0063561 A1 · HIGHLY AUTOMATED MODE OF ROAD TRAFFIC

Abstract

Disclosed is a traffic system and method for motor vehicles (F), comprising, on the side of a traffic lane (12b, 12c), a dedicated track (21) in the form of a “U”-shaped gutter receiving, in a highly automated driving mode, one of the side wheel assemblies (16) of a vehicle, and comprising: • a running surface (22) substantially parallel to the surface of the roadway of the traffic lane (12b, 12c), • two side surfaces (23, 31) located on either side and above the running surface (22), one external (23) and the other internal (31) with respect to the footprint of the vehicle (F), the side surfaces (23, 31) being substantially perpendicular to the running surface (22), the internal side surface (31) maintaining the current ground clearance of the motor vehicles, wherein the side surfaces (23, 31) of the track are substantially continuous longitudinally and in that the system comprises a means for crossing the internal side surface (31) by lateral movement of the side wheels assembly (16) at sustained speed. FIG. 8

Claims15

Dependent claims

A motor vehicle traffic system (F) having on the side of a traffic lane (12b, 12c) a dedicated track (21), in the form of a “U” shaped gutter, receiving in highly automated driving mode one of the side wheel assemblies (16) of a vehicle, comprising:

a running surface (22) substantially parallel to the road surface of said traffic lane (12b, 12c),
two lateral surfaces (23, 31) located on either side and above said running surface (22), one external (23) and the other internal (31) with respect to the foot print of said vehicle (F), said side surfaces (23, 31) being substantially perpendicular to said running surface (22), said internal lateral surface (31) maintaining the current ground clearance of the motor vehicles
wherein said side surfaces (23, 31) of said track (21) are substantially continuous longitudinally and that the system comprises means for laterally crossing said internal side surface (31) by said side wheel assembly (16) at a sustained speed.

A method for entering and exiting by lateral displacement, at sustained speed, from a open roadway motor vehicle traffic mode to a highly automated traffic mode restricted to a single traffic lane, comprising a dedicated track, in the form of a “U” shaped gutter (21) and placed at the edge of said open roadway, capable of receiving a set of side wheels (16) of said motor vehicle (F) by “vertical landing” to enter and “vertical extraction” to leave, said side wheel assembly (16) being equipped with retractable rollers (38, 39), fixed in a vertically retractable manner to the inner faces of the wheel spindles (9), the lower part of said wheels being, in the lowered position, substantially at the level of the wheel-pavement contact, comprising the steps:

to enter:
1. approaching laterally said raceway (21) by action on the vehicle steering,
2. lowering said retractable rollers (38, 39) to temporarily support, by bearing on an auxiliary rolling surface (32) of a continuous rail (27), the weight of the vehicle supported by said side wheel assembly (16) when said side wheel assembly (16) is plumb with said dedicated track (21)
3. raising said rollers (38, 39) to vertically land said side wheel assembly (16) onto said dedicated tack (21);
and to exit:
1. lowering said rollers (38, 39) which, by taking support on said auxiliary rolling surface (32) of said continuous rail (27) vertically lift said set of side wheels (16) from said dedicated track (21),
2. actuating the steering to displace laterally towards the open roadway (12) said side wheel assembly (16)
3. continuing the movement until said side wheel assembly (16) is on the open roadway (12), said rollers then being retracted upwardly to restore vehicle ground clearance and allow conventional open road travel.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Highly automated mode of road traffic

Life of this patent

Highly automated mode of road traffic

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15