JP2008049718A - Occupant crash protection device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an occupant crash protection device for a vehicle capable of suitably protecting an occupant from impact in collision of the vehicle based on the occupant posture. <P>SOLUTION: The occupant crash protection device 1 for the vehicle is provided with an occupant posture detection means 20 for detecting the occupant posture, and occupant crash protection means 40, 50 and 70 for protecting the occupant from the impact in collision of the vehicle, and is further provided with an operation output varying means for varying the operation output of the occupant crash protection means, and a control means for determining target output of the occupant crash protection means and controlling the operation output varying means so as to achieve the target output. The control means dynamically varies the target output of the occupant crash protection means based on the occupant posture detected by the occupant posture detection means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle occupant protection device that appropriately protects an occupant from an impact at the time of a vehicle collision by detecting the occupant posture.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various studies have been made on operation control of equipment for protecting an occupant during a collision, such as an airbag device, a seat belt device, and a movable steering wheel mechanism. In the research in this field, it is important to determine an appropriate operation output according to the severity of the collision and the occupant posture (and changes thereof). This is because it is not always appropriate to operate such devices at maximum power.

  For example, in the case of an airbag device, if the target internal pressure of the airbag is set to an infinitely high value, the deployment speed of the airbag will increase and it will be possible to quickly reach the head and chest of the occupant, while the airbag itself is occupant. The possibility of applying excessive pressure to the Such a trade-off relationship also occurs in the seat belt device and the like. Furthermore, for various reasons, the optimal airbag internal pressure (and deployment speed) varies depending on the occupant posture. For these reasons, it is desirable that the target internal pressure of the airbag can be determined flexibly.

  From this point of view, an invention has been disclosed regarding an apparatus for detecting the presence or absence of an occupant, the position of the seat, and the occupant posture on the seat using various sensors, and determining the output of the airbag based on these ( For example, see Patent Document 1). This document describes that two inflators for ejecting the air supplied to the airbag are provided, and if necessary, only one or both inflators are ignited to adjust the output of the airbag.

Further, an invention is disclosed regarding a device that includes a vent hole opening / closing device that discharges air in an airbag to the atmosphere, and that adjusts the air bag internal pressure by opening / closing the vent hole (see, for example, Patent Document 2). This document describes that the opening degree of the vent hole is feedback-controlled so that the detection value of the internal pressure detection means approaches the airbag internal pressure pattern determined according to the vehicle speed, the occupant's physique, posture, etc. Yes.
JP-A-8-169289 Japanese Patent No. 3646005

  However, in the device described in the above-mentioned conventional patent document 1, it is only possible to adjust the output of the airbag stepwise according to the on / off of each inflator, and to flexibly generate a desired airbag internal pressure. May not be possible.

  Further, in the device described in the above-mentioned conventional patent document 2, since consideration is not given to the change of the occupant posture or the like during the collision, it corresponds to the case where the occupant posture or the like changes unexpectedly during the collision. I can't. In addition, the ability to adjust the air bag internal pressure is limited only by opening and closing the vent hole.

  Therefore, both of them may not be able to properly protect the occupant from the impact at the time of vehicle collision based on the occupant posture.

  The present invention is intended to solve such problems, and it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a vehicle occupant protection device capable of appropriately protecting an occupant from an impact at the time of a vehicle collision based on the occupant posture. Objective.

One aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object is an occupant protection device for a vehicle that includes an occupant attitude detection unit that detects an occupant attitude and an occupant protection unit that protects the occupant from an impact at the time of a vehicle collision. An operation output variable means for changing the operation output of the occupant protection means, and a control means for determining the target output of the occupant protection means and controlling the operation output variable means so that the target output is realized, The control means dynamically changes the target output of the occupant protection means based on the occupant attitude detected by the occupant attitude detection means. Here, the “occupant protection means” includes at least one of an airbag device, a seat belt device, a movable steering wheel mechanism, and a movable driving seat. A combination of these may also be used. When the “occupant protection means” is a seat belt device, the “operation output variable means” refers to a drive circuit or the like of the device that winds up the seat belt. Further, “dynamically changing the target output of the occupant protection means based on the occupant attitude detected by the occupant attitude detection means” does not simply operate the occupant protection means with the maximum output or the constant output, For example, the operation output variable means is controlled by setting the target output of the occupant protection means at each time point until the collision state ends based on the occupant attitude detected by the occupant attitude detection means. In addition, an appropriate transition of the occupant posture is set based on the occupant posture detected by the occupant posture detection means, and the target of the occupant protection means at each time point until the collision state ends in order to realize the transition of the occupant posture It is also possible to control the operation output variable means by setting the output. Further, the operation output variable means may be controlled by repeatedly resetting the target output of the occupant protection means as the occupant attitude detected by the occupant attitude detection means changes. Moreover, you may include some of these.

  According to this aspect of the present invention, since the target output of the occupant protection means is dynamically changed based on the occupant attitude detected by the occupant attitude detection means, the occupant can be detected from the impact at the time of vehicle collision based on the occupant attitude. Can be properly protected.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the control means is preferably means for performing feedback control on the target output of the occupant protection means based on the occupant posture detected by the occupant posture detection means. Here, “perform feedback control for the target output of the occupant protection means based on the occupant attitude detected by the occupant attitude detection means” means, for example, setting a target value or a reference value for the occupant attitude to detect the occupant attitude This means that the target output of the occupant protection means is determined so as to reduce the difference between the occupant posture detected by the means and the set target value or reference value. The target value or the reference value may be set as a series of values that change with time. For example, an appropriate occupant posture transition based on the occupant posture is set, and the occupant posture at each time point included in the occupant posture transition is set as a target value or a reference value. Furthermore, the target value or the reference value itself may be repeatedly reset based on the occupant posture detected by the occupant posture detection means.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the vehicle includes acceleration detection means for detecting the acceleration of the vehicle, and the control means dynamically changes the target output of the occupant protection means based on the vehicle acceleration detected by the acceleration detection means. It is good also as what is characterized by making it. Here, “the target output of the occupant protection means is dynamically changed based on the vehicle acceleration detected by the acceleration detection means” means, for example, the occupant posture detected by the occupant attitude detection means and the acceleration detection In order to realize an appropriate occupant posture transition based on the vehicle acceleration detected by the means, the target output at each time point until the end of the collision state is set and the operation output variable means is controlled. . Further, the operation output variable means may be controlled by repeatedly resetting the target output of the occupant protection means in accordance with the change in the vehicle acceleration detected by the acceleration detection means. Moreover, you may include both of these.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the control unit preferably stops the operation of the occupant protection unit when a predetermined end condition indicating that the collision state has ended is satisfied. .

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the passenger | crew protection device for vehicles which can protect a passenger | crew appropriately from the impact at the time of a vehicle collision based on a passenger | crew attitude | position can be provided.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, the description will be made on the assumption that the occupant (driver) seated in the driver's seat is protected. However, depending on whether the occupant seated in the seat is to be protected in the application of the present invention, it is essential. Difference does not occur. Therefore, it is possible to apply the design appropriately for each seat.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a vehicle occupant protection device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle occupant protection device 1 includes, as main components, a G sensor 10, an occupant posture detection device 20, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 30 for driving assistance device, an air bag device 40 as occupant protection means, and a seat. A belt device 50 and a movable steering wheel mechanism 70; An ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 30 for the driving assistance device, an airbag computer 41 that controls the airbag device 40, a seat belt control computer 51 that controls the seat belt device 50, and a steering computer 71 that controls the movable steering wheel mechanism 70 are , Connected to the multiplex communication line 80 and configured to be able to mutually refer to information to be transmitted and received. Communication between devices via the multiplex communication line 80 is performed using an appropriate communication protocol such as CAN (Controller Area Network), BEAN, or AVC-LAN. A protocol converter or the like may be provided as appropriate.

  The G sensor 10 includes, for example, a front G sensor attached to the front portion of the vehicle and a center G sensor attached below the center console portion. These sensors measure the distortion of the beam in the sensor generated according to the acceleration of the vehicle, and output it to the ECU 30 for the driving assistance device by replacing it with an electric signal. For example, when the detected values of both the front G sensor and the center G sensor exceed a threshold value, the driving support device ECU 30 recognizes that the vehicle has collided and starts the operation of each occupant protection means.

  The occupant posture detection device 20 includes, for example, a vehicle interior camera that images the occupant, an infrared sensor, a radar sensor, a load sensor disposed in the seat, a seat position sensor, and the like. Data captured or detected by the occupant posture detection device 20 is transmitted to the driving support device ECU 30. The ECU 30 for driving assistance device specifies the coordinates in the vehicle interior space of representative points (head, chest, shoulders, waist, etc.) on the occupant's body from these data (hereinafter, such processing is referred to as “detecting the occupant posture”). "). Various specific methods for detecting the occupant posture are already known, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The driving support device ECU 30 is, for example, a computer unit in which a ROM, a RAM, and the like are connected to each other via a bus with a CPU as a center, and includes an input / output interface, a timer, a counter, and the like (of the above occupant protection means) Each control computer may have the same hardware configuration). The ROM stores programs executed by the CPU and data. The driving support device ECU 30 outputs an instruction signal for each occupant protection means to the multiplex communication line 80 based on data input from the G sensor 10 or the occupant posture detection device 20. A specific method for generating the instruction signal will be described later, and the configuration and function of each occupant protection means will be described first.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the overall configuration of the airbag device 40. The airbag device 40 is disposed, for example, in a steering boss portion and protects the driver's head and chest. In addition to the airbag computer 41 described above, the airbag device 40 includes an inflator 42, a pressurizing chamber 43, a turbine 44 having two wing portions 44A and 44B that rotate integrally, an airbag 45, a negative pressure chamber 46, and an atmospheric pressure chamber. 47, valves 48A, 48B, 48C and 48D, and an internal pressure measuring sensor 49. In addition, this figure represents the state which the airbag 45 expand | deployed. In addition, the flow of information communication related to instruction signals, measurement values, and the like is indicated by broken lines.

  The inflator 42 is, for example, a multistage control type inflator including a plurality of squibs (ignition units) and gas generating agents. An ignition signal for each squib is transmitted from the airbag computer 41. A gas for deploying the airbag 45 (hereinafter simply referred to as gas) generated by the inflator 42 burning the gas generating agent is first stored in the pressurizing chamber 43. In the gas flow path from the pressurizing chamber 43 to the air bag 45, the blade portion 44A of the turbine 44, the valve 48A for connecting or shutting off the pressurizing chamber 43 and the inside of the air bag, the pressurizing chamber 43 and the atmosphere are connected. A valve 48D for communicating or blocking is provided. For driving the valve 48A, a highly responsive solenoid, piezoelectric actuator, or the like is used. The valve 48A is not limited to one that can be simply switched between the open state and the closed state, and may be one that can adjust the degree of opening. The valve 48D is a relief valve that prevents an excessive increase in pressure in the pressurizing chamber 43 and promotes a decrease in the pressure in the negative pressure chamber 46 by ensuring the rotation of the turbine 44 when the valve 48A is closed. Play a role.

  With the above configuration, when the inflator 42 is operated, gas flows out of the pressurizing chamber into the air bag 45 or into the atmosphere regardless of whether the valve 48A is opened or closed, so that rotational force is generated in the blade portion 44A and the turbine 44 rotates in a certain direction. To do. Further, when the inflator 42 is operated and the valve 48A is opened, the gas flows into the airbag 45, and the airbag 45 is inflated (deployed).

  The airbag 45 is made of, for example, 66 nylon processed to have airtightness and heat resistance. The airbag 45 is folded and stored inside the steering wheel pad when not deployed.

  On the other hand, in the gas flow path from the airbag 45 to the negative pressure chamber 46, a valve 48B, a wing portion 44B, and a valve 48C are disposed. The valve 48B is driven by a solenoid or the like, for example, like the valve 48A (similar to the valve 48A in that the degree of opening may be adjustable). The wing portion 44B is designed to move (suck out) gas from the negative pressure chamber 46 toward the atmospheric pressure chamber 47 by rotating in the same direction as the wing portion 44A. The valve 48C is a check valve.

  As described above, when the inflator 42 starts to operate, the turbine 44 starts rotating without delay. Therefore, the gas in the negative pressure chamber 46 (air in the initial state) is released into the atmosphere via the valve 48C. Further, since the valve 48C is a check valve, the atmosphere does not flow into the negative pressure chamber 46 even if the rotation of the turbine 44 becomes weak or stops. Therefore, when the inflator 42 starts to operate, the inside of the negative pressure chamber 46 is quickly depressurized. When the valve 48B is opened in this state, the gas in the airbag 45 quickly flows out into the negative pressure chamber 46.

  Here, a comparison with an airbag system including a multistage control type inflator will be considered. If a multistage control type inflator is used, output according to the number of stages becomes possible. For example, it is possible to perform control such as transmitting an ignition signal only to a part of squibs when a weak impact is detected, and transmitting an ignition signal to all squibs when detecting a strong impact. In addition, it can be expected to be effective in combination with the collision prediction system. For example, when a collision is predicted based on the detection result of a radar device or the like, an ignition signal is transmitted to some squibs, and when an impact is actually detected by a G sensor or the like, the ignition signals are transmitted to the remaining squibs. Can be controlled.

  However, the multistage control type inflator is only capable of outputting in accordance with a finite number of stages, and the gas from the gas generating agent corresponding to the squib once ignited flows into the airbag. . Therefore, it is difficult to perform flexible control such that the airbag internal pressure is increased with an arbitrary increase curve. Also, it is difficult to control such as stopping the deployment of the airbag after the gas is generated.

  On the other hand, in the airbag device 40 according to the present embodiment, only the required amount of gas can be sent into the airbag 45 by the opening / closing control of the valve 48A (which may include adjustment of the opening time and the opening degree). The controllability with respect to the deployment speed of the bag 45 and its internal pressure is improved to enable dynamic control.

  Next, a comparison with a device that adjusts the air bag internal pressure by letting gas flow out of the vent hole, such as the device described in Patent Document 2 in the background art section, will be considered. In such a device, the outflow speed (outflow amount per hour) of the gas flowing out from the vent hole is determined by the pressure difference between the air bag internal pressure and the atmospheric pressure, and the vent hole aperture / opening. May not be able to be reduced sufficiently quickly.

  In this regard, in the airbag device 40 according to the present embodiment, the negative pressure chamber 46 is decompressed in advance by the rotation of the turbine 44, so that the gas outflow rate when the opening of the valve 48B is constant increases. As a result, the range of selectable gas outflow rates can be widened by opening / closing control of the valve 48B (which may include adjustment of the opening time and the opening degree). Thereby, since instantaneous exhaust can be promoted, controllability of the internal pressure of the airbag 45 is improved, and more dynamic control is possible.

  An airbag 45 internal pressure measured by an internal pressure measurement sensor 49 is input to the airbag computer 41. The airbag computer 41 performs ignition operation of the inflator 42 and opening / closing control of the valves 48A and 48B in accordance with an instruction signal from the ECU 30 for driving support device.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the overall configuration of the seat belt device 50. The seat belt device 50 has a function of winding the seat 52, the seat belt 53, the lap outer anchor 54, the shoulder anchor 55, the tongue plate 56, the buckle 57, and the seat belt 55 in addition to the above-described seat belt control computer 51. A device 60 and a tension sensor 62 are provided. Also in this figure, the flow of information communication related to instruction signals, detection values, etc. is indicated by broken lines.

  One end of the seat belt 53 is connected to the lap outer anchor 54, the other end is connected to be retractable from the retractor device 60, and is slidably supported by the shoulder anchor 55 at an intermediate portion. The lap outer anchor 54 is disposed on one side (for example, the door side) of the seat surface of the seat 52. The shoulder anchor 55 is supported by, for example, a center pillar, and the tongue plate 56 is disposed between the lap outer anchor 54 and the shoulder anchor 55 so as to be movable along the longitudinal direction of the seat belt 53. Yes. The buckle 57 is disposed on the opposite side of the seat 52 to the side where the lap outer anchor 54 is disposed so as to be tiltable to the frame of the seat surface of the seat 52 and is detachably fitted to the tongue plate 56. In the seat belt 53, with the buckle 57 fitted to the tongue plate 56 and attached to the occupant, the shoulder belt portion 53A mainly restrains the chest from the occupant's shoulder, and the lap belt portion 53B mainly restrains the occupant's waist. . On the contrary, the lap outer anchor 54 and the shoulder anchor 55 may be disposed on the vehicle center side, and the buckle 57 may be disposed on the door side. In this case, the shoulder anchor 55 is connected to, for example, the upper portion of the seat 52, and the retractor device 60 is disposed on the vehicle center side.

  The retractor 60 winds and holds the seat belt 53 so that the seat belt 53 exerts an occupant restraining force (a force that keeps the occupant away from the seat 52), an electric motor, a speed reducer, a force limiter, and the like. It has. The electric motor is driven and controlled by the seat belt computer 51. In addition, a rotation angle sensor that detects a rotation angle is attached to the electric motor, and the detection result of the rotation angle sensor is transmitted to the seat belt computer 51, and the amount of withdrawal of the seat belt 53 is calculated based on this. . The force limiter sends out the seat belt 53 by causing the internal structure to slip when the seat belt 53 is pulled with a force equal to or greater than a predetermined tension, so that a force greater than the predetermined tension is not applied to the seat belt 53. Yes. Thereby, for example, when the electric motor is locked, the seat belt 53 is prevented from exerting excessive occupant restraint force at the time of collision. The retractor device 60 may further include a well-known ELR (Emergency Locking Retractor) mechanism, and may be provided when the electric motor does not operate for some reason. The tension sensor 62 detects the seat belt tension of the seat belt 53 and transmits it to the seat belt computer 51.

  The movable steering wheel mechanism 70 drives the steering wheel back and forth in the direction of its rotational axis. The movable steering wheel mechanism 70 includes, for example, an electric motor driven by the steering computer 71 described above, a mechanism (for example, a rack and pinion or a ball screw) that converts the rotational driving force of the electric motor into a linear driving force, and the like.

  Hereinafter, a process when the driving support device ECU 30 generates an instruction signal for the occupant protection means having such a configuration will be described. As described above, the driving support device ECU 30 sets a threshold value for the detection value of the G sensor 10 and determines whether or not the vehicle has collided. Further, each occupant protection means is dynamically controlled based on the vehicle acceleration specified based on a predetermined calculation from the detection value of the G sensor 10 and the occupant posture detected based on the output of the occupant posture detection device 20. To do.

  The points that the driving support device ECU 30 considers in controlling each occupant protection means are as follows. (1) The occupant's head and chest should not directly collide with a hard object such as a steering wheel or an instrument panel. The importance of this point is supported by the idea of the so-called ride-down effect. The ride-down effect is an idea that the higher the ratio of the kinetic energy possessed by the occupant at the time of collision to the vehicle body side through a protective device such as a seat belt, the more advantageous for occupant protection. (2) However, if an excessive occupant restraint force is exhibited by the airbag device 40 or the seat belt device 50 (the pressure by the airbag 45 is also considered as a kind of occupant restraint force; the same applies hereinafter), the seat belt 53 and the airbag 45 Since the impact received by the occupant is not much different from the impact received by the vehicle, the occupant restraining force should not be excessive within the range satisfying (1). (3) Subject to conditions (1) and (2) above, the time until the head of the occupant changes from the pre-collision state to the final state of the collision when the head of the occupant approaches the steering wheel due to inertia, and each of the occupant's body Effectively use the movement distance of the representative point.

  In order to satisfy these requirements, the driving support device ECU 30 first instructs the movable steering wheel mechanism 70 to move the steering wheel away from the occupant, thereby increasing the time and distance. Then, a time change of the ideal occupant posture is derived from the occupant posture and acceleration at the time of the collision, and target outputs of the airbag device 40 and the seat belt device 50 are determined so as to be realized.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a time change of an ideal occupant posture from the start of the collision to the end of the collision together with a change in the relative speed between the vehicle and the occupant head. Actually, although the relative speed between the vehicle and other representative points such as the shoulder and chest should be taken into consideration, only the relative speed between the vehicle and the occupant head is shown in order to simplify the drawing. Moreover, the time of the collision start means, for example, a time point when the collision is detected from the detection value of the G sensor 10, and the time of the collision end means, for example, a time point when each representative point on the occupant's body stops with respect to the vehicle. As shown in the figure, the seat belt 53 and the airbag 45 exert an appropriate occupant restraining force from the start of the collision to the end of the collision, so that the relative speed between the vehicle and the occupant head decreases with a gentle curve, and the occupant A value of 0 is reached when the head of the vehicle is sufficiently close to the steering wheel (and the instrument panel, etc.). That is, it stops with respect to the vehicle. As a result, the peak value of the occupant restraining force exerted by the seat belt device 53 and the airbag 45 at each time point from the start of the collision to the end of the collision is suppressed, and the adverse effect of the occupant restraining force on the occupant's body is reduced. Can do.

  Determination of the target output of the airbag device 40 or the seat belt device 50 is based on, for example, the minute change in the occupant posture at each time point and the representative points in the vehicle and the occupant's body based on the above-described change in the ideal occupant posture over time. The relative velocity (which may be relative acceleration or relative displacement) is derived, and the occupant restraint force necessary to realize the minute change is calculated. Here, the relative speed (or relative acceleration, relative displacement) is the integrated value of the output of the G sensor 10, the output value of the vehicle speed sensor, the weight / physique of the occupant ascertained from the detection result of the occupant posture detection device 20, etc. Can be derived by applying an appropriate map with 入 力 as an input parameter.

  In the airbag device 40 that has received the instruction signal, appropriate ignition control of the inflator 42 and opening / closing control of the valves 48A and 48B are performed so as to realize the airbag internal pressure (target internal pressure) corresponding to the target output. At this time, it is preferable to perform feedback control (eg, well-known PID control) based on the difference between the actual airbag internal pressure detected by the internal pressure measurement sensor 49 and the target internal pressure.

  Further, in the seat belt device 50 that has received the instruction signal, the output (torque and rotation speed) of the electric motor of the retractor device 60 is dynamically changed so as to realize the seat belt tension (target tension) corresponding to the target output. Change. At this time, it is preferable to perform feedback control based on the difference between the actual seat belt tension detected by the tension sensor 62 and the target tension.

  By such control, the seat belt 53 and the airbag 45 exhibit an appropriate occupant restraining force with a suppressed peak value, and appropriately protect the occupant from the impact at the time of vehicle collision based on the occupant posture. be able to.

  Furthermore, in the vehicle occupant protection device 1 according to the present embodiment, in a case where an occupant posture or vehicle acceleration changes unexpectedly between the start of the collision and the end of the collision, a predetermined amount of time is detected after the collision is detected. Until the end condition is satisfied, the occupant posture and the acceleration of the vehicle are repeatedly detected, and the target outputs of the airbag device 40 and the seat belt device 50 are feedback-controlled based on this. Therefore, when the airbag device 40 or the seat belt device 50 performs feedback control to achieve the target output as described above, double feedback control is performed.

  Re-detection of the occupant posture and the acceleration of the vehicle is necessary when a further impact is applied from the outside of the vehicle, such as a multiple collision or a secondary collision, from the start of the collision to the end of the collision, When the influence of the output of the seat belt device 50 on the occupant posture deviates from the initial assumption (when deriving the change in the ideal occupant posture), the target output needs to be recalculated. This is because various aspects are expected. As a specific example of the latter case, in the airbag device 40, the airbag internal pressure exceeds (or falls below) the target value due to uneven combustion speed of the gas generating agent, response delay of the valves 48A, 48B, etc. The occupant restraint force at the time is different from that originally planned, and as a result, a change in the occupant posture may deviate from the ideal change in occupant posture.

  Even if control is performed to output the target output based on the time change of the ideal occupant posture derived at the start of the collision in such a situation, the actual occupant posture is in line with the time change of the ideal occupant posture. In other words, the passenger may not be sufficiently protected. Therefore, as described above, the occupant posture and the acceleration of the vehicle are repeatedly detected, and based on this, the feedback control for the target output of the airbag device 40 and the seat belt device 50 is performed. According to such control, the target output of the airbag device 40 and the seat belt device 50 is determined so as to approach the time change of the ideal occupant posture. As a result, it is expected to exhibit superior occupant protection performance compared to conventional technologies for various types of collisions and collision speeds that may occur in actual traffic environments and are outside the scope of normal collision experiments. It can be done.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of characteristic processing mainly executed by the driving support device ECU 30. This flow is started when the driving support device ECU 30 detects a collision based on the detection value of the G sensor 10.

  First, as described above, the acceleration of the vehicle is specified and the occupant posture is detected (S100). This process may be started after the collision is detected. In particular, the detection of the occupant posture is performed in advance, and the occupant posture detected immediately before the collision is detected may be adopted. .

  Then, a time change of the ideal occupant posture is derived from the vehicle acceleration and the occupant posture, and target outputs of the airbag device 40 and the seat belt device 50 are determined so as to be realized, and the airbag device 40 and the seat are determined. The data is transmitted to the belt device 50 (S110). Further, it instructs the movable steering wheel mechanism 70 to move the steering wheel away from the passenger.

  The airbag device 40 and the seat belt device 50 that have received the target output control the devices in each device so as to achieve the target internal pressure and target tension as described above (S120).

  Then, the vehicle acceleration and occupant posture are identified and detected again (S130), and it is determined whether or not a predetermined end condition indicating that the collision state has ended is satisfied (S140). The predetermined termination condition is, for example, that the output of the G sensor 10 (or the output change) becomes substantially zero.

  If the predetermined end condition is not satisfied, it is determined that the collision state is still continued, and the processes after S110 are performed. Note that in S110, feedback control (PID control) is performed on the deviation between the ideal occupant posture derived at the start of the collision and the occupant posture at that time based on the acceleration and the occupant posture that have been identified and detected again. Or the like, or a target output that appropriately converges may be determined, or a change in the ideal occupant posture from that time point is derived again, and the change in the ideal occupant posture and the point in time derived again A target output that appropriately converges the deviation from the occupant posture at the feedback control may be determined. As a result, the vehicle acceleration and occupant posture repeatedly identified and detected from the beginning of the collision to the end of the collision will be reflected in the determination of the target output, so the occupant posture and vehicle acceleration are unexpected. Even in the case of a change, the airbag device 40 and the seat belt device 50 will exhibit an appropriate occupant restraining force.

  On the other hand, if the predetermined end condition is satisfied, this flow is ended. Thereby, subsequent control becomes unnecessary and the energy consumption of a vehicle can be suppressed. The valve 48B may be opened to discharge the gas in the airbag 45.

  In the vehicle occupant protection device 1 of the present embodiment described above, each occupant protection means is dynamically controlled based on the acceleration of the vehicle and the occupant posture. As a specific example, it is exemplified that an ideal occupant posture time change is derived and target outputs of the airbag device 40 and the seat belt device 50 are determined so as to be realized. According to such control, the seat belt 53 and the airbag 45 exhibit an appropriate occupant restraining force with a suppressed peak value, so that the occupant is appropriately prevented from the impact at the time of the vehicle collision based on the occupant posture. Can be protected.

  Further, during the period from when the collision is detected until the predetermined end condition is satisfied, the occupant posture and the vehicle acceleration are repeatedly detected, and based on this, the target output of the airbag device 40 and the seat belt device 50 is feedback controlled. To do. As a result, even when the occupant posture or the acceleration of the vehicle changes unexpectedly, the airbag device 40 or the seat belt device 50 exhibits an appropriate occupant restraining force.

  The controllability of the airbag device 40 required for these dynamic controls is appropriately supported by the opening / closing control of the valves 48A and 48B and the decompression of the negative pressure chamber 46 by the rotation of the turbine 44. As for the controllability of the seat belt device 50, it is sufficient if the controllability of the electric motor is sufficient.

  Moreover, since it is the structure which exhibits a passenger | crew restraint force with the combination of the airbag apparatus 40 and the seatbelt apparatus 50, it can protect a passenger | crew more reliably compared with what protects a passenger | crew alone among these. it can.

  Therefore, it is possible to appropriately protect the occupant from the impact at the time of vehicle collision based on the occupant posture.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. And substitutions can be added.

  For example, it is preferable to combine the vehicle occupant protection device 1 of this embodiment with a collision prediction system such as a pre-crash safety system. This is because, when a collision is predicted, the seat belt 53 is wound up so that the occupant posture at the start of the collision can be as close as possible to the seat 52, and the movable distance of the occupant's body can be increased.

  In the airbag device 40, the control for bringing the airbag internal pressure close to the target internal pressure is not necessarily based on the feedback control, and the valve opening / opening time is uniquely determined from the output value of the internal pressure measurement sensor and the target internal pressure. It doesn't matter.

  Also, instructing the movable steering wheel mechanism 70 to move the steering wheel away from the occupant is ideal when the acceleration of the vehicle is increased from the measured value at the start of the collision or when the occupant posture is derived at the start of the collision. You may limit to the case where it deviates more than predetermined degree from the change of a crew member posture.

  Further, as a specific example of the occupant protection means, the airbag device 40, the seat belt device 50, and the movable steering wheel mechanism 70 are illustrated, but other occupant protection means such as a movable driving seat may be used. When a movable driving seat is used, like the movable steering wheel mechanism 70 in the embodiment, the driving seat may first be moved backward and backward at the start of the collision to increase the movable distance until the end of the collision. If the acceleration of the vehicle increases more than the measured value at the start of the collision or if the occupant posture deviates by more than a certain degree from the change in the ideal occupant posture derived at the start of the collision, the driving seat is moved backward and backward Also good. Further, it may include a curtain shield airbag for a side collision or rollover, a headrest airbag for a rear seat, a knee airbag for a driver seat and a passenger seat for protecting a passenger's knee.

  Further, the detection of the occupant posture may take into account other factors such as the direction (anchor angle) in which the seat belt 53 is pulled out and the amount of the seat belt 53 that is grasped by the seat belt control computer 51. The anchor angle can be detected using a vehicle interior camera or the like.

  The present invention can be used in the automobile manufacturing industry, the automobile parts manufacturing industry, and the like.

It is a figure showing an example of the whole composition of vehicular occupant protection device 1 concerning one example of the present invention. It is a figure which shows typically an example of the whole structure of the airbag apparatus. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of an overall configuration of a seat belt device 50. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the time change of the ideal passenger | crew attitude | position from the time of a collision start to the time of completion | finish of a collision with the change of the relative speed of a vehicle and a passenger | crew. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the characteristic process which ECU30 for driving assistance apparatuses mainly performs.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle occupant protection device 10 G sensor 20 Crew attitude detection device 30 Driving support device ECU
40 Airbag Device 41 Airbag Computer 42 Inflator 43 Pressurizing Chamber 44 Turbine 44A, 44B Wing 45 Airbag 46 Negative Pressure Chamber 47 Atmospheric Pressure Chamber 48A, 48B, 48C, 48D Valve 49 Internal Pressure Measuring Sensor 50 Seat Belt Device 51 Seat Belt control computer 52 Seat 53 Seat belt 53A Shoulder belt portion 53B Lap belt portion 54 Lap outer anchor 55 Shoulder anchor 56 Tang plate 57 Buckle 60 Retractor device 62 Tension sensor 70 Steering wheel movable mechanism 71 Steering computer 80 Multiple communication lines

Claims (4)

Occupant posture detection means for detecting the occupant posture;
An occupant protection device for protecting the occupant from an impact at the time of a vehicle collision,
An operation output variable means for changing an operation output of the occupant protection means;
Control means for determining the target output of the occupant protection means and controlling the operation output variable means so that the target output is realized,
The control means dynamically changes the target output of the occupant protection means based on the occupant attitude detected by the occupant attitude detection means.
Vehicle occupant protection device. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1,
The vehicle occupant protection device, wherein the control means is means for performing feedback control on a target output of the occupant protection means based on the occupant attitude detected by the occupant attitude detection means. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1 or 2,
An acceleration detection means for detecting the acceleration of the vehicle;
The control means dynamically changes the target output of the occupant protection means based on the acceleration of the vehicle detected by the acceleration detection means.
Vehicle occupant protection device. The vehicle occupant protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The control means stops the operation of the occupant protection means when a predetermined end condition indicating that the collision state is ended is established,
Vehicle occupant protection device.

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