The present invention relates to a protective device by a bed in a vehicle, comprising at least a part for catching a person lying in the bed, which part can be arranged at least partly around the bed.
The cabins of lorries an be fitted with a sleeping area behind the driver""s and passenger""s seats. The sleeping area is equipped with one or more beds, so that the driver or the passenger can sleep or rest there. When a person is lying in the bed during the journey, it is desirablexe2x80x94and in some countries also requiredxe2x80x94to equip the bed with a protective device that can prevent injury to the person when the vehicle experiences a strong jolt, such as that sustained in a collision or if the vehicle rolls over.
It is already known to provide a protective net in front of and above a bed placed in the cabin of a vehicle. The net is connected to the bed and to the walls of the vehicle. The net is often considerably shorter than the length of the bed, where by the head end and foot end of the bed are not covered by the net. One reason why the net does not cover the head end and foot end of the bed is that cupboards or seats are placed in front of the bed at the head end and foot end of it. It is believed that, in a collision, the net together with the cupboards and seatsxe2x80x94will catch the person who is lying in the bed. However, it has been found desirable to provide a softer means for catching the person lying in the bed.
It is also known to equip a conventional car seatbelt with an inflatable element that is inflated with the aid of a gas cartridge at the time of a collision. The seatbelt itself can be made in such a way that it is inflated in a collision The seatbelt lies in a conventional manner against the person, who is held tightly in a seat with the aid of the seatbelt. At the time of a collision, the seatbelt is inflated and restrains the person sitting in the seat.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide a protective device by a bed in a vehicle, which protective device catches the person lying in the bed when a strong jolt occurs, before the person reaches the equipment such as the cupboards and seats located in the vehicle.
This aim as achieved by a protective device of the kind in which the catching part can be inflated.
Due to the catching part, which can be arranged at least partly around the bed, being inflated when a strong jolt is experienced, the distance between the person lying in the bed and the catching part is decreased, which means that the person is only moved through a relatively short distance before reaching the catching part. At the same time, the distance to the equipment found in the vehicle is increased, which means that the person does not reach this equipment on being caught by the inflatable catching part. Since the inflatable part is inflated when the person hits it, the person is caught softly.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the catching part substantially has the same length as the bed, which means that the catching part provides direct support for the person""s head and feet when the person is caught by the catching part.