JP2002145014A - Occupant crash protection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an occupant crash protection device capable of achieving a deceleration pattern effective in reduction of occupant deceleration with a simple structure. SOLUTION: At an initial stage of a vehicle body collision, a transmission member 10 transmits an impact force from a front side to a rear side independently from the vehicle body so that a part 3a near a seat belt 3 supporting part moves backward earlier than the deceleration generated in the seat part with a larger deceleration than the deceleration. A converting means converts the transmitted impact force to a force pulling the seat belt in order to pull the seat belt 3. Then, a shock absorbing means (a shock absorbing member 13) restrains the force for pulling the seat belt 3 so that the deceleration applied to the occupant almost corresponds with the deceleration generated on the seat part 2. Thus, the deceleration pattern effective in reduction of the occupant deceleration can be achieved. Further, the actuation reliability is improved because this device is constituted only by a mechanical transmission structure without using an actuator wherein an electrical sensor or a propellant is used.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an occupant protection device improved to further improve occupant protection performance in a collision, and more specifically, to occupant protection for reducing deceleration applied to an occupant in a collision. It concerns the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a vehicle collides with a rigid body head-on, the occupant is restrained from moving by a seat belt, but cannot loosen the seat belt.
Even after the vehicle stops, it continues to move forward due to inertia. Then, the occupant moves forward to extend the seat belt, and when the occupant reaches the maximum, the occupant deceleration reaches a peak. This peak value is generally larger than the deceleration of the vehicle body compartment (vehicle compartment) typified by, for example, a seat portion. When the vehicle collides, the degree of occupant injury is generally affected by the maximum value of the occupant deceleration. Therefore, it is desirable that the occupant deceleration be as low as possible.

In a conventional vehicle body structure, a collision reaction force generating member such as a side beam and a crushable zone formed by gaps between components are arranged at a front portion of the vehicle body, and a collision is generated by deforming this portion. (See Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-101354, etc.) by absorbing the energy generated by the above method (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-101354). (Square wave), but it was extremely difficult to obtain a more effective deceleration pattern.

Therefore, in order to lower the maximum value of the occupant deceleration by the applicant of the present invention, the average deceleration of the cabin part is reduced by the body structure, and separately, the seat can be moved back and forth independently of the vehicle body. In addition, a structure has been proposed in which a seat belt is provided integrally with the seat, and the deceleration pattern of the occupant is adjusted by driving the seat in a predetermined pattern at the time of a collision. Here, according to a simulation performed by the inventors of the present application, in the case of the seatbelt-integrated seat, when the distance (dynamic stroke) required for stopping the living room portion is the same, the constant deceleration (rectangular wave) ), A deceleration higher than the average deceleration is generated in the seat in the early stage of the collision,
Subsequently, it has been confirmed that the occupant deceleration is further reduced when a reverse deceleration (acceleration) is generated for a short time, and thereafter, the vehicle is decelerated at an average constant deceleration.

[0005]

However, the structure for moving the seat back and forth and the structure for driving the seat are large, and there is a problem that the entire apparatus becomes large and heavy.

The present invention has been devised to solve such disadvantages of the prior art, and its main purpose is to realize a deceleration pattern effective for reducing occupant deceleration with a simple structure. It is an object of the present invention to provide an occupant protection device that can perform the operation.

The inventor has noticed that most of the occupant's body at the time of a collision is regulated not by a seat but by a seat belt.

[0008]

An object of the present invention is to provide a seat belt (3) for restraining an occupant (P) seated on a seat (2) in a vehicle cabin and a seat belt (3) for increasing the restraining force on the occupant. An occupant protection device including a seat belt driving unit for pulling a seat belt, wherein the seat belt driving unit transmits an impact force from the front to the rear independently of the vehicle body; A means (wire 8, guide member 9) for converting the force transmitted by the transmission member (10) into a force for pulling the seat belt, and the seat belt (3) contacting the transmission member at a predetermined timing. Cushioning means (buffering member 1) for suppressing the pulling force
3), at the initial stage of the collision at the time of a vehicle collision, a portion near the support portion of the seat belt (3) at an earlier time than the deceleration occurring at the seat portion and at a deceleration larger than the deceleration. 3a) pulls the seat belt (3) by the force transmitted from the transmission member (10) so as to move substantially rearward, and thereafter the deceleration applied to the occupant occurs in the seat (2) portion. This is achieved by providing an occupant protection device characterized in that the cushioning means (buffer member 13) suppresses the pulling force of the seat belt (3) so as to substantially coincide with the above.

With this configuration, an effective deceleration pattern for reducing the occupant deceleration can be realized only by the structure in which the seat belt is pulled in the above-described predetermined pattern.
In addition, the operation reliability is improved because the electric transmission device is configured only with a mechanical transmission structure without using an electric sensor or an actuator using a propellant.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle to which the present invention is applied. A seat 2 is provided on a floor panel 1a which is integral with the body 1 as a part thereof. A buckle 4 that engages with a buckle plate (not shown) of the seat belt 3 is provided at a lower portion on one side of the seat 2. A shoulder through anchor 5 as a support for the seat belt 3 is provided above the center pillar 1b on the side of the vehicle body 1, and a retractor 6 is provided below it. The seat belt 3 pulled out from the retractor 6 passes through the shoulder through anchor 5 and the buckle 4 and is connected to the vehicle body 1 at a vehicle body lower fixing portion (not shown) below the center pillar 1b. The position of the seat 2 in the front-rear direction may be adjustable to some extent.

As shown in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), the retractor 6 has an engagement pin 6a protruding from its rear surface.
Can be moved downward to some extent by engaging with a long hole 7 provided in the center pillar 1b. However,
The long hole 7 is provided with a claw 7a for reducing the width of the long hole 7,
It does not move downward unless a load greater than a predetermined load is applied.

One end of a wire 8 is connected to the lower end of the retractor 6. The wire 8 hangs from the lower end of the retractor 6, is turned into a substantially L-shape by a guide member 9 provided at the rear end thereof through an opening 1 c provided in the floor panel 1 a, and is turned rearward at a lower part of the vehicle body. To the car body 1
Bar-like transmission member 1 extending rearward from the front end of the
0 is connected near the rear end. This transmission member 10
The front end extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 1 and is located near the front end of the frame 11 that is integral with the vehicle body 1, and is movable to a certain extent in the front-rear direction to transmit the force backward in the event of a collision. It is supported by the frame 11. Therefore, at the time of a collision, the impact force from the front is transmitted to the rear by the transmission member 10 and converted into a pulling force for the retractor 6, that is, the seat belt 3, by the conversion means composed of the wire 8 and the guide member 9. Will be pulled at the timing described below.

At a position slightly away from the rear end of the transmission member 10 is provided a stopper 12 for defining a limit of the backward movement of the transmission member 10. Note that the stopper 12 is provided with a buffer member 13 as a buffer means having, for example, a honeycomb structure.

The frame 11, together with other structural members, constitutes a shock absorbing frame structure for minimizing the deceleration acting on the cabin at the time of the shock absorbing collision and preventing the deformation from reaching the cabin. are doing.

Next, the operation of the present invention when a vehicle collides with a building or the like will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 (a) to 3 (c) and FIG.

FIG. 3A shows an initial state immediately after the start of a collision. When the vehicle body 1 starts to decelerate under the load generated by the collision, the transmission member 10 starts moving backward.
Then, the retractor 6 is pulled downward by the wire 8, the engaging pin 6a breaks the claw 7a, and the retractor 6 moves downward. At this time, since the retractor 6 is operated and the seat belt 3 is locked, the seat belt 3 is pulled downward. Thereby, sheet 2
The portion 3a in the vicinity of the shoulder through anchor 5 (support portion) of the seat belt 3 moves substantially backward earlier than the deceleration occurring at the portion and at a deceleration greater than the deceleration (FIG. 4).
Area a).

On the other hand, the occupant P tries to move forward due to the inertial force, but the seat belt 3 suddenly moves backward to absorb the extension, and the occupant P moves forward and the seat belt 3 And the occupant P
Minimize posture changes. As a result, the peak value of the deceleration acting on the occupant can be kept low.

FIG. 3B shows a state in the middle stage of the collision.
The transmission member 10 continues to move rearward and contacts the cushioning member 13. The buffer member 13 is gradually deformed while the transmission member 1 is being deformed.
In this manner, an acceleration in the direction opposite to the deceleration at the time of the collision is generated in the portion 3a near the support portion of the seat belt 3 (see the area b in FIG. 3).

In this state, the elongation of the seat belt 3 is almost completely absorbed, and while the relationship between the seat belt 3 and the occupant P is kept substantially constant, the occupant P is reduced by the deformation stroke of the cushioning member 13. The speed gradually approaches a constant value (see region c in FIG. 3).

FIG. 3C shows a state at the late stage of the collision.
When the deformation of the cushioning member 13 is completed and the transmission member 10 substantially comes into contact with the stopper 12 to be in a bottomed state, the force for pulling the seat belt 3 disappears. Is applied with the same deceleration as that of the seat 2 due to the collision. That is, the speed and deceleration of the occupant P coincide with the speed and deceleration of the seat 2. Accordingly, in this state, the occupant P and the seat belt 3 are integrally decelerated, and this state is continued until the passenger compartment 2 is completely stopped (see the area d in FIG. 3).

The spring characteristics of the seat belt 3, the position where the wire 8 is connected to the transmission member 10, the transmission member 10 and the buffer member 13
The timing at which the relative speed between the seat 2 and the occupant P becomes zero can be appropriately set by appropriately designing the distance between the seat 2 and the deformation characteristics of the cushioning member 13. Here, the portion of the seat belt 3 between the shoulder through anchor 5 and the retractor 6 and the portion between the buckle 4 and the vehicle body lower fixing portion also act as springs, but the above-described design is performed taking that portion into consideration. It is desirable.

[0023]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the occupant pulling the seat belt in the direction of increasing the restraining force on the occupant by driving the seat belt for restraining the occupant seated on the seat is provided. In the protective device,
A transmission member for transmitting the impact force from the front to the rear independently of the vehicle body, a means for converting the force transmitted by the transmission member into a force for pulling the seat belt, and Buffer means for suppressing the force of pulling the seat belt by abutting at the timing of (i), and in the initial stage of the collision at the time of a vehicle collision, the deceleration is earlier than the deceleration occurring in the seat portion and larger than the deceleration. Then, the seat belt is pulled by the force transmitted from the transmission member so that the vicinity of the support portion of the seat belt moves substantially rearward, and then the deceleration applied to the occupant substantially matches the deceleration generated in the seat portion. The cushioning means suppresses the pulling force of the seatbelt, so the occupant can be decelerated with only a simple structure that pulls the seatbelt in the pattern described above. Effective deceleration patterns in reducing can be achieved. In addition, the operation reliability is improved because the electric transmission device is configured only with a mechanical transmission structure without using an electric sensor or an actuator using a propellant.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side sectional view of a vehicle body to which an occupant protection device according to the present invention is applied.

2A is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line bb of FIG.

3 (a) to 3 (c) are conceptual diagrams showing the operation of the occupant protection device of the present invention at the time of a vehicle collision.

FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram of the deceleration of the seat belt support, the seat and the occupant realized by the occupant protection device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Body 2 Seat 3 Seat belt 5 Shoulder through anchor (support part of seat belt) 6 Retractor 8 Wire 9 Guide member 10 Transmission member 12 Stopper 13 Buffer member P Passenger

Claims (1)

[Claims] An occupant protection device comprising: a seat belt for restraining an occupant seated in a seat in a vehicle cabin; and seat belt driving means for pulling the seat belt in a direction to increase the restraining force on the occupant. A transmission member for transmitting the impact force from the front to the rear independently of the vehicle body; and a means for converting the force transmitted by the transmission member to a force for pulling the seat belt. Buffer means for abutting the transmission member at a predetermined timing to suppress the pulling force of the seat belt, and at an early stage of the collision at the time of a vehicle collision, earlier than the deceleration generated in the seat portion. The force transmitted from the transmitting member causes the portion of the seat belt near the vehicle body supporting portion to move substantially rearward at a deceleration greater than the deceleration. The occupant pulls the belt, and then controls the pulling force of the seat belt with the buffer means so that the deceleration applied to the occupant substantially matches the deceleration generated in the seat portion. Protective equipment.