JPH0834310A - Air bag system for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the air bag for the front passenger seat to be noninflatable when a backwardly directed baby seat is fitted to the front passenger seat, in an air bag system, by providing switch devices for making the air bag on the front passenger seat side noninflatable. CONSTITUTION:A collision judgment device 1 is provided with an acceleration detecting function, an air bag inflation judging function at the time of a vehicle collision, an air bag ignition function, an air bag selfdiagnosing function, a failure record storing function at the time of the air bag system failure, and a power-supply backup function at the time of power supply cutoff. Switch devices 2, 3 are the switching means for making the air bag for the front passenger seat noninflatable respectively, and have such a function that when the vehicle is stopped they can be turned ON/OFF by the judgment of the driver. When a backwardly directed baby seat is fitted in the front passenger seat, the air bag on the front passenger seat side can be made noninflatable by the driver's operation of the switch devices 2, 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an airbag system for vehicles such as automobiles.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A system for detecting a collision while driving a vehicle and activating an airbag is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-3.
There is a vehicle airbag control device described in Japanese Patent No. 8161. This device is equipped with a device that detects the position of the occupant by the seat position detector and moves the position of the airbag forward when the seat position is in front, using the physique detecting means for detecting the physique of the occupant. When the physique of the occupant is large, it is characterized by including a correction means for shortening the time from the collision to the airbag deployment.

In addition, SAE paper No. 940527, "Vehicle O"
"Ccupant Position Sensing" indicates that there are cases of injuries due to the deployment of the airbag itself, and the presence / position of the occupant is detected by a child seat and an occupant presence detector (called CSOPD). We are proposing a system that does not deploy the above, and are studying CSOPD.

[0004]

As has been presented in the above-mentioned prior art, the problem to be solved by the present invention is that the occupant, which originally has the role of protecting the occupant in the event of a vehicle collision, is deployed by the airbag itself. An object of the present invention is to provide a device for preventing injuries.

A first problem is to provide a device capable of inflating a passenger seat airbag when a baby seat having a direction opposite to the traveling direction is attached to the passenger seat.

In addition to the above problems, a second problem is to provide a device capable of unfolding the passenger airbag when there is no object in the passenger seat.

Studies on a device and method for effectively deploying an airbag have been previously reported. For example, the above SA
In the E paper, the problem of occupant injuries due to the deployment of the airbag itself is proposed and the methods of the CSOPD device are examined and compared, but no concrete system configuration has been presented.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide an inexpensive airbag system in which a passenger airbag can be undeployed when a rear-facing baby seat is attached to the passenger seat. Is to provide.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive airbag system which can make the passenger airbag undeployed when there is no object in the passenger seat.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following means for solving the problems.

That is, as a means for solving the first problem, a collision judging device for judging the deployment of an airbag by processing an acceleration signal at the time of a vehicle collision, and an airbag system having a passenger side airbag, an assistant A switch device was provided to keep the airbag on the seat side inflated.

Further, as means for solving the second problem,
Regarding a collision determination device that determines the deployment of an airbag by processing an acceleration signal at the time of a vehicle collision, and an airbag system having a passenger side airbag, a switch device for making the passenger side airbag undeployed, an assistant A distance detection device is provided to detect whether or not an object is present in the seat.

[0013]

The operation of the means for solving the first problem ... A collision determination device for determining the deployment of an airbag by processing an acceleration signal at the time of a vehicle collision, and an airbag system having an airbag for a passenger side has a passenger seat. A switch device is provided for inflating the side airbag. The switch device is connected to the collision determination device, and the switch device can be turned on / off at the discretion of the driver, and the signal determines the deployment / non-deployment of the passenger airbag. The above object is achieved by operating the switch device when the rear-facing child seat is mounted on the passenger seat.

Operation of the means for solving the second problem: A collision determination device for determining the deployment of an airbag by processing an acceleration signal at the time of a vehicle collision, and an airbag system having an airbag on the passenger side has a passenger seat. A switch device for unfolding the side airbag and a distance detection device for detecting whether or not an object is present in the passenger seat are provided. The switch device and the distance detection device are each connected to the collision determination means. The above object can be achieved by operating the switch device when the rear-facing child seat is installed in the passenger seat and by detecting the object in the passenger seat with the distance measuring device.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the first embodiment of the present invention.

The collision determination device 1 includes an acceleration detection function, an airbag deployment determination function during a vehicle collision, an airbag ignition function, an airbag system self-diagnosis function, a failure record holding function when an airbag system fails, and a power source. Has a backup power supply function when disconnected. The switch devices 2 and 3 are switch means for inflating the passenger airbag, respectively, and are turned on / off when the vehicle is stopped according to the driver's judgment.
It has the ability to do. When the switch devices 2 and 3 are operated, the operation record is stored in the failure record holding function of the collision determination device 1. The distance detection device 4 has a function of detecting the presence or absence of an object on the passenger seat by measuring the distance. The distance is measured by a method using laser means, a method using ultrasonic means,
Although it is known that low cost is important for application to an airbag system, detection by a method using ultrasonic means is preferable. The driver side airbag 5 and the passenger side airbag 6 are occupant protection means provided for protecting the driver side passenger and the passenger side passenger, respectively, in the event of a vehicle collision. The airbag is mainly composed of an inflator which instantaneously generates gas by explosive powder and a thin and durable bag which is inflated by gas sent from the inflator. The inflator contains a squib for igniting explosives in response to a signal from the collision determination device 1. The seatbelt retracting devices 7 and 8 are seatbelt retracting devices that operate in response to a signal from the collision determination means 1 when the vehicle collides, and are provided at the driver seat side and passenger side seatbelt support portions, respectively. Failure display device 9
Has a function of displaying a system failure to an occupant when the collision determination device 1 having the self-diagnosis function of the airbag system detects the system failure. The failure display device 9 is incorporated in the driver's seat panel in order to visually display and warn the driver of the failure of the airbag system, like other automobile devices. The non-expanded display device 10 is
It has a function to display and warn that the passenger side airbag is undeployed. The display method is incorporated in the driver's seat panel similarly to the failure display device 9. The collision determination device 1 determines the display on the non-deployment display device 10 for the passenger airbag. The power supply 11 is a battery and has a function of supplying electricity to the airbag system. At the time of a vehicle collision, the waveform of the output signal of the acceleration sensor built into the collision determination device 1, the magnitude of acceleration, and the like are analyzed by the MPU in the collision determination device 1, and the F in the collision determination device 1 having the airbag ignition function is analyzed.
Send an ignition signal to ET. Separate FETs are set for the driver side airbag 5, the passenger side airbag 6, and the seat belt retractors 7, 8 so that the ignition timing of each occupant protection device can be adjusted. . Each device of the system is monitored by the self-diagnosis function built in the collision determination device 1. The self-diagnosis is performed when the ignition key is turned on, during operation, and when the battery is removed, and when a failure is found in the system unit, the failure content is recorded in the failure recording means. The backup power supply means is composed of a capacitor. The backup power supply means is a device for normally inflating the airbag and recording the failure even when the power supply is cut off in the event of a vehicle collision.

The distance detecting device 4 is an ignition key ON.
After that, the collision determination algorithm of the collision determination device 1 is set so as to always detect whether or not an object is present in the passenger seat, and to deploy the passenger airbag only when an object is detected in the passenger seat. In this case, the signals of the switch devices 2 and 3 are given the highest priority, and the passenger airbag is set not to deploy when the switch device is ON.

When the detecting portion of the distance detecting device 4 is covered with an object such as clothes, the distance detecting device sends an abnormal signal to the collision judging device 1 so that the collision judging device automatically detects the passenger airbag. Enter the deploy mode. Also in this case, if the switch devices 2 and 3 are turned on, the switch devices 2 and 3
Is given priority and the passenger airbag is not deployed. According to the airbag system of the present embodiment, the switch devices 2 and 3 for unfolding the passenger side airbag 6 and the distance detecting device 4 for detecting whether or not an object is present in the passenger seat are provided. When the front passenger seat is installed in the front passenger seat, the driver operates the switch devices 2, 3
By operating the and the object in the passenger seat is detected by the distance measuring device 4, the passenger airbag can be undeployed when the rear-facing baby seat is attached to the passenger seat, and It is possible to provide an inexpensive airbag system in which the passenger airbag can be undeployed when there is no object in the seat.

FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of the collision determination device 1 of the block diagram shown in FIG. In the figure, the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment indicate the same or common elements.

The booster circuit 101 boosts the power supply voltage to a predetermined voltage in order to obtain a voltage required to ignite the airbag squib. The smoothing circuit 102 is a device that stably operates the MPU. The voltage converter 103 is a DC / DC converter that converts the vehicle power supply voltage 12V into 5V, which is the rated voltage of the MPU. Condenser 104a,
104b are backup power sources for the driver side airbag 5 and the passenger side airbag 6, respectively. Since a backup power supply is provided independently for each airbag device, if one fails, the other will function normally. The condenser 104c is a backup power source for the MPU 105 and is independent of the condensers 104a and 104b, so that even if the airbag ignition circuit fails.
The MPU 105 has a failure recording function and a failure display function.

The MPU 105 is an 8-bit microcomputer and has a RAM, ROM, PWM, D / A conversion function, etc. inside. The MPU 105 performs collision determination, fault diagnosis, fault display, fault recording, non-deployment determination of passenger airbag, non-deployment display and recording of passenger airbag. In the collision determination, the collision determination is performed by analyzing the magnitude and frequency of the acceleration from the voltage signal proportional to the acceleration output from the capacitance type acceleration sensor 110. When it is determined to be a collision, a predetermined signal is transmitted to the upper FET 106 and the lower FET 107. In addition, the upper and lower FETs 106 on the driver side airbag 5 and the passenger side airbag 6 are
The lower FET 107 has a circuit configuration sandwiched, and a safing sensor 108, which is a switch type acceleration sensor that is turned on when an acceleration of a predetermined value or more is applied, is arranged in series in the airbag ignition circuit to prevent accidental explosion of the airbag. To prevent. The MPU 105 performs a failure diagnosis on the switch device 2, 3, the distance detection device 4, the failure display device 9, the non-expansion display device 10, the failure recording means 109, and the acceleration sensor 110, and the airbag ignition circuit brought from the self-diagnosis means 111. The failure diagnosis of the entire system is carried out together with the failure diagnosis information. If a failure is found in the system, the MPU sends a signal to the failure display device 9 to indicate the failure of the system to the driver, and at the same time, instructs the failure recording means 109 to record failure information such as failure location and frequency. I do.

The non-deployment determination of the passenger seat airbag is performed by determining the signals from the switch devices 2 and 3 and the distance detection device 4. Since the operation has been described in the first embodiment, it will be omitted.

According to this embodiment, even when a system component fails, the remaining normal part can function without losing the function of the entire system. Further, it has an advantage that the airbag does not accidentally explode when the system fails and the reliability is high.

FIG. 3 is a vehicle body layout diagram of the airbag system shown in FIG.

In the figure, the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment indicate the same or common elements. The collision determination device 1 is directly connected to the body of the floor tunnel, which is a portion that is less susceptible to damage during a collision, in order to facilitate transmission of vibrations during a collision. The switch device 2 is provided on the buckle portion of the passenger seat belt, and when a rearward facing child seat is mounted, the switch device 2 is automatically turned on by using a dedicated buckle. The switch device 3 is arranged in the passenger's glove box, and the switch device 3 can be turned ON / OFF according to the judgment of the driver. The switch device 3 has a structure that can be turned on / off by the same key as the ignition key, so that it cannot be easily operated by others. The distance detection device 4 is provided on the dashboard. The driver-side airbag 5 is built in the steering section so that the driver does not collide with the steering wheel. The passenger side airbag 6 is arranged above the passenger seat dashboard. The failure display device 9 and the non-expansion display device 10 are provided in the panel.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, the first solution means is provided with the switch device for inflating the passenger side airbag, so that the passenger seat with the rearward facing can be mounted. If so, the passenger airbag can be undeployed and a safe and inexpensive airbag system can be obtained.

Further, according to the second solving means, by providing the switch device for making the passenger side airbag undeployed and the distance detecting device for detecting whether or not an object is present in the passenger seat, When the rear-facing child seat is attached to the front passenger seat and when there is no object in the front passenger seat, the front passenger seat airbag can be undeployed, and a safe and inexpensive airbag system can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of a vehicle airbag system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a vehicle airbag system.

FIG. 3 is a vehicle body layout diagram of a vehicle airbag system.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Collision determination device, 2, 3 ... Switch device, 4 ... Distance detection device, 5 ... Driver side airbag, 6 ... Passenger side airbag, 7, 8 ... Seat belt retracting device, 9 ... Failure display device, 10 ... Non-expanding display device, 11 ... Power supply, 101 ...
Step-up circuit, 102 ... Smoothing circuit, 103 ... Voltage converter, 10
4a, b, c ... Condenser, 105 ... MPU, 106
... upper FET, 107 ... lower FET, 108 ... safing sensor, 109 ... failure recording means, 110 ... acceleration sensor, 111 ... self-diagnosis means.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Terumi Nakazawa Inventor Terumi Nakazawa 2520, Takaba, Katsuta-shi, Ibaraki Hitachi Ltd. Automotive Equipment Division (72) Inventor Kenji Ota 2520, Takata, Katsuta-shi, Ibaraki Hitachi, Ltd. Mfg. Co., Ltd. Automotive Equipment Division (72) Inventor Yoshiyuki Akiyama 2520 Takaba, Katsuta-shi, Ibaraki Hitachi Ltd. Automotive Equipment Division, Hitachi, Ltd. (72) Norio Ichikawa Katsuta City, Ibaraki Pref. 2477 Kashima Yatsu 3 Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Keiji Hanzawa 2477 Kashima Yatsu, Katsuta City, Ibaraki Pref. 3 Hitachi Hitachi Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yukiko Sugisawa 2477 Kashima Yatsu Kashima Yatsu, Katsuta City, Ibaraki 3 Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A collision determination device for determining the deployment of an airbag by processing an acceleration signal at the time of a vehicle collision, and an airbag system having a passenger side airbag, in order to make the passenger side airbag undeployed. An airbag system for a vehicle, comprising: 2. A collision determination device for determining the deployment of an airbag by processing an acceleration signal at the time of a vehicle collision, and an airbag system having a passenger side airbag, wherein the passenger side airbag is undeployed. Switch device,
An airbag system for a vehicle, comprising a distance detecting device for detecting whether or not an object is present in a passenger seat. 3. A vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a switch device for unfolding the passenger side airbag at the time of a collision is provided in the buckle portion of the passenger seat belt or in the glove box. Airbag system. 4. A vehicle airbag system according to claim 2, wherein a distance detector for detecting whether or not an object is present in the passenger seat is provided on the dashboard. 5. The vehicle airbag system according to claim 1, further comprising a device that indicates that the passenger side airbag is in a non-deployed state. 6. The switch device for unfolding a passenger airbag according to claim 1, a device for indicating that the passenger airbag is undeployed, and a passenger seat. A vehicle airbag system having a self-diagnosis function for a detector for detecting whether or not an object exists in the vehicle, and having a function of recording in a failure recording means when the device is out of order. 7. The vehicle air according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein when a switch device for inflating a passenger airbag is used, it is recorded in a failure recording means. Bag system.