JP2011084195A - Rear seat of automobile increasing lateral support for occupant in emergency - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To support an occupant in a rear seat against a side slip when one or two persons sit on the rear seat of an automobile where three persons can be seated, and large lateral acceleration acts on a vehicle body. <P>SOLUTION: When lateral acceleration exceeding a predetermined value acts or predicted to act on the vehicle body on condition that no one is seated on the center section of the rear seat where three persons can be seated, a rear arm rest stored in a backrest of the rear seat is pushed forward from the backrest with the stored posture kept, or a pair of side supports rotating between a sinking position presenting a part of the backrest in the center section of the backrest and a standing position where the pair of side supports are rotated forward around an axis in a longitudinal direction from the sinking position are supported at the standing position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a rear seat of an automobile, and in particular, when a vehicle collides, or when the vehicle is greatly decelerated or skids, the passenger seats when one or two people are seated on the rear seat of the automobile. It relates to the rear seat of a motor vehicle that increases directional support.

  Although it is a well-known technique to provide a rear armrest on the rear seat of a vehicle that is used by turning it forward from the storage part at the center of its backrest, it is a well-known technique. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228688 describes a means for automatically rotating the vehicle to an inclined position in the middle of the vehicle and restraining the lateral inertial movement of the occupant of the rear seat at the shoulder. Then, as an example of a structure in which the armrest is moved forward and automatically rotated to an inclined position in the middle of a side collision of the automobile, a pair of rods fitted together with sockets at the center is stretched between both side walls of the rear part of the vehicle body A structure in which the lock pin that locks the rear armrest to the retracted position in the backrest is released due to the displacement in the vehicle width direction of the socket at the time of a side collision of the automobile, and the upper end of the rear armrest is pushed out by a compression coil spring is shown. However, the release of the lock pin may be performed based on detection of vehicle deceleration by the G sensor.

  In addition, in an automobile equipped with a side support that supports the side slip of the occupant along the side edges of the seat, the vehicle state required by the driver is estimated based on the detection values of various sensors that detect the vehicle running state, and It is possible to calculate the side slip state amount of the vehicle from the deviation from the current vehicle state, adjust the seat belt tension and adjust the side support restraint force to increase the restraint of the occupant based on the calculation result as follows. It is described in Patent Document 2.

  Regarding the opening and closing of the side support, Patent Document 3 below describes that a required value for the control amount of the side support is calculated based on the electronic map data and is controlled.

JP-A-5-300821 JP2007-1423 JP2008-179215

  The rear seat of an automobile has a width that can normally be seated by three people except for a very small automobile. In this case, in many automobiles, the rear seat is made to leave a marginal space in the center and presents a seat independent from each other along the left and right windows, but also when another person sits in the center. There is no side support at the center of the rear seat so that the comfortable seating of three people is not hindered, and the rear seat is formed so as to present an almost smooth continuous surface along its width direction. . Depending on the type of vehicle, if there are one or two passengers seated in the rear seat and there is a vacant space in the center, if the passenger wants, on the seat in the center between the left and right seats The rear armrest is used for the rear seat so that it can be pivoted forward at any time into the central margin space between the left and right seats from the storage located at the center of the backrest so that the armrest can be placed Is incorporated.

  As described above, the rear seat that can be seated by three people in the car is formed so as to present a substantially continuous surface along the width direction, so one or two people are seated in the rear seat. When the rear armrest is stored in the storage part at the center of the backrest, if a large lateral acceleration occurs in the vehicle body due to a car collision or a large side slip, the occupant seated on either the left or right side of the rear seat There is a risk that the entire body slides on the back seat and is greatly blown laterally. In this case, if the rear armrest is in the forward position, the occupant is prevented from skidding at the waist by the rear armrest, but the lateral force due to inertia acts in the same direction on the upper body and lower body, so this force is strong. There is a risk that the upper and lower body will be strongly bent with the rear armrest as a fulcrum. Further, as proposed in Patent Document 1 above, the rear armrest is tilted forward from the retracted position and rotated to an inclined position in the middle of rotation, and restrains the lateral inertial movement of the occupant of the rear seat at the shoulder. In some cases, it is feared that the occupant may fall due to a lateral inertial force acting on a portion below the shoulder portion as a fulcrum, and at the same time receive a large concentrated load on the shoulder portion and cause a fracture of the clavicle.

  The present invention predicts that an occupant will experience when one or two people are seated in a rear seat where three people can sit in a car and a large lateral acceleration acts on the vehicle body due to a car collision or a large deceleration or side slip. In view of the various disadvantages as described above, it is an object to further improve the rear seat in these respects.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention includes a rear armrest used at a central portion of a backrest of a rear seat that can be seated by three persons, which is pivoted forward at any time from a storage portion provided on the backrest. The lateral acceleration exceeding the predetermined value acts or is expected to act on the vehicle body on the condition that the rear armrest is not moved forward and no person is seated in the center of the rear seat, The present invention proposes a rear seat of an automobile having a rear armrest push-out device that pushes the rear armrest forward from the backrest of the rear seat while keeping the rear armrest in the retracted position in the storage portion.

  The amount by which the rear armrest is pushed forward by the rear armrest pushing device may be equal to or less than the thickness of the rear armrest.

  The pushing out of the rear armrest by the rear armrest pushing device may be performed by a force generated by an explosion of gunpowder. In this case, the explosive explosive may be performed based on the detection that the automobile has collided.

  Alternatively, the rear armrest may be pushed by the rear armrest pushing device by a force generated by an energy source that can be turned on and off, such as compressed air or electricity. In this case, the pushing of the rear armrest by the energy source capable of on / off control is performed when the deceleration of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined deceleration critical value or when the deceleration of the vehicle does not exceed the deceleration critical value. Alternatively, it may be performed when the lateral acceleration of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined lateral acceleration critical value, regardless of the deceleration of the vehicle.

  Further, when the rear armrest is pushed out by a force generated by an energy source capable of on / off control, when the deceleration of the automobile falls below the deceleration critical value, or the deceleration of the automobile When the lateral acceleration drops below the respective critical values, the rear armrest is not pushed out by the energy source that can be controlled to be turned on / off, and the rear armrest is returned to the retracted position in the storage portion.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention is provided in the center part of the backrest of the back seat where three persons can sit, and the position where the part of the backrest is present and the front of the pair of longitudinal axes. A pair of plate-like side supports that can be rotated between standing positions that are rotated to the right, and a lateral acceleration exceeding a predetermined value is applied to the vehicle body on the condition that no person is seated in the center of the rear seat. The present invention proposes a rear seat of an automobile having a side support activation device for supporting the side support in the upright position when acting or predicted to act.

  In this case, a rear armrest that is used by turning forward at any time from the retracted position may be incorporated in the center of the backrest, and the pair of side supports are located in the retracted position when the pair of side supports are in the retracted position. When overlapped on the armrest and the rear armrest is tilted forward, it may be rotated to the standing position by the rear armrest against a return force to the lying position by a spring.

  Support of the side support to the standing position by the side support activation device may be performed by a force generated by an explosion of explosives. In this case, the explosive explosive may be performed based on the detection that the automobile has collided.

  Alternatively, the support of the side support in the standing position by the side support activation device may be performed by a force generated by an energy source that can be controlled on and off such as compressed air or electricity. In this case, the support of the side support to the standing position by the on / off-controllable energy source is performed when the deceleration of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined deceleration critical value or when the deceleration of the vehicle is the deceleration critical value. Or when the lateral acceleration of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined critical threshold value, regardless of the deceleration of the vehicle.

  Further, when the side support is supported by the force generated by an energy source that can be controlled on and off, when the deceleration of the vehicle falls below the deceleration critical value, or When the lateral acceleration of the automobile falls below the respective lateral acceleration critical value, the support of the side support to the standing position by the on / off-controllable energy source may be released.

  As mentioned above, a rear armrest is used in the center of the backrest of the rear seat that can be seated by three people, and is used by turning forward from the storage part provided on the backrest as needed. In addition, when it is predicted that a lateral acceleration exceeding a predetermined value acts on the vehicle body on the condition that no person is seated in the center portion of the rear seat, the rear armrest remains in the retracted posture in the retractable portion. According to the rear seat of an automobile having a rear armrest pushing device that pushes forward from the backrest of the rear seat, the rear armrest is stored in the storage portion of the central portion of the backrest, and one or two people are seated in the rear seat If there is enough room left in the center of the rear seat to allow another person to sit, If a greater lateral acceleration occurs in the car body, the occupant will be more forward than the backrest of the back seat in the stowed position in the stowed position, even if the entire body may slide over the back seat and fly greatly in the lateral direction. The rear armrest pushed out to the rear can support the occupant against lateral movement in a wide range from the waist to the shoulder of the occupant seated in the rear seat, so that it can be The safety of the occupant in the rear seat when a large lateral acceleration occurs can be further increased.

  In addition, as described above, the rear armrest by the rear armrest pushing device is pushed forward from the backrest of the rear seat while being in the retracted position in the retractable portion, because the rear armrest is not tilted forward and is located at the center of the rear seat. If it is done on condition that no person is seated, the person seated in the center of the rear seat may be accidentally pushed out of the seat by pushing out the rear armrest, or it has already been moved forward The rear armrest whose tip reaches the front edge of the rear seat protrudes further forward, and there is no fear that all the objects will be sandwiched between the seat.

  On the other hand, if a person is seated in the center of the rear seat, it means that three people are usually seated in the rear seat, and the passenger's acceleration against the lateral acceleration is not affected by pushing out the rear armrest according to the present invention. The movement is suppressed by the mutual contact action of the three people.

  The occupant seated in the rear seat is in a state with his back on the back, so the rear arm rests along the side of the occupant's upper body even when the rear armrest is pushed out to the thickness of the rear armrest or less. And fully support. If the rear armrest push-out amount is equal to or less than the thickness of the rear armrest, even if the rear armrest is in the push-out position, the rear armrest is not completely out of the storage compartment, thereby Even if the movement of the rear armrest is restrained by both side edges of the storage chamber and the rear armrest is pushed out and pulled back by, for example, one piston-cylinder device, the resistance to the lateral movement of the rear armrest can be increased. .

  If the rear armrest is pushed out by the force generated by the explosive explosion, the rear armrest is pushed out as quickly as the air bag is expanded in the event of a car collision. It can be pushed out, and a high rear seat lateral support effect can be obtained in the event of a car crash. If the rear armrest is pushed out by the force generated by the explosion of the gunpowder, the function of pushing out the rear armrest can be controlled even when the functions of the control means such as valves and switches are lost at the same time as the car crashes. Can be secured. However, in this case, the pushing action of the rear armrest can be obtained only once.

  On the other hand, if the rear armrest is pushed out by the rear armrest pusher by the force generated by an energy source that can be controlled on and off, such as compressed air or electricity, the speed of push-out is due to explosive explosives. However, the rear armrest can be pushed out and pulled back repeatedly by providing a compressed air reservoir and a switching valve or a battery and a switch. In this case, if the rear armrest is pushed out when the deceleration of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined deceleration critical value, sudden braking is often performed prior to the collision. Can compensate for the inferiority of explosive explosions by predicting a collision, and can improve the stability of the rear seat when a sudden brake is applied, even if it is not a collision. If the rear armrest is pushed out by the energy source that can be controlled on and off and the rear armrest is returned to the retracted position in the storage portion, the present invention is The rear armrest can be pushed out repeatedly with each sudden braking.

  When the rear armrest is pushed by a force generated by an energy source that can be controlled on and off, the rear armrest is pushed when the lateral acceleration of the automobile exceeds a predetermined lateral acceleration critical value. Thus, the rear armrest can be pushed out even when a side slip such as a spin occurs in the automobile, and the stability of the rear seat can be enhanced. Also in this case, when the lateral acceleration of the vehicle falls below the lateral acceleration critical value, the rear armrest is not pushed out by the energy source that can be controlled on and off, and the rear armrest is returned to the retracted position in the storage portion. In this case, the rear armrest can be pushed out repeatedly every time a lateral acceleration is applied to the vehicle, exceeding the predetermined critical value, thereby improving the stability of the rear seat.

  Further, as described above, in the center part of the backrest of the back seat of the car where three people can sit, the prone position that presents a part of the backrest and the standing position that is rotated forward about a pair of longitudinal axes. A pair of plate-like side supports that can rotate in between are provided, and it is predicted that a lateral acceleration exceeding a predetermined value will act on the vehicle body, provided that no person is seated in the center of the rear seat. If there is a side support activation device that supports the side support in an upright position, one or two people are seated in the rear seat, and there is enough room in the center of the rear seat for another person to sit. If left behind, if a large lateral acceleration occurs in the car body due to a car crash or a large deceleration or side slip, the occupant may slip the entire body over the back seat and fly away in the lateral direction. Even if there is a vehicle, the side support is supported in the standing position by the side support activation device, and the occupant can be supported against lateral movement over a wide range from the waist to the shoulder of the occupant seated in the rear seat. It is possible to further improve the safety of the occupant in the rear seat when a large degree of lateral acceleration occurs in the vehicle body due to a collision, a large deceleration or a side slip.

  Also, as described above, the pair of plate-like side supports provided in the center of the backrest of the rear seat is supported by the side support activation device in an upright position rotated forward around the pair of longitudinal axes. If it is performed on condition that no person is seated in the center of the rear seat, the pair of side supports in the prone position and the person seated in the center of the rear seat When the vehicle is leaning, there is no possibility that the side support will be pushed out of the seat accidentally by turning from the side support lying position to the standing position by the side support activation device.

  A rear armrest is installed in the central part of the backrest, which is used by turning it forward from the retracted position at any time, and the pair of side supports overlaps the rear armrest in the retracted position when it is in the down position, and the rear armrest is moved forward When the rear armrest is turned to the upright position by the rear armrest against the return force to the lying position by the spring, it is always in the forward position from the retracted position of the rear armrest according to the passenger's request. The rotation to the storage position can be freely performed without being hindered by the pair of side supports. However, in this case, when the rear armrest is pivoted to the forward position, the pair of side supports are accordingly pivoted from the prone position to the standing position, and when the rear armrest is returned to the retracted position, the pair of side supports are Returned to the prone position. However, the pair of side supports that are rotated to the standing position as the rear arm rest is rotated to the forward position are held in the standing position against the return force of the spring to the lying position by contact with the rear arm rest. It is not supported in the standing position by the side support activation device.

  If the support of the side support by the side support starter is supported by the force generated by the explosion of the explosive, the side support will be as fast as the air bag is expanded in the event of a car collision. Can be supported in a standing position, and a high lateral support effect of the rear seat can be obtained in a car collision. If the side support is supported by the force generated by the explosive explosion, the functions of the control means such as valves and switches are lost at the same time as the car crashes. An extrusion function can be secured. However, in this case, the action of supporting the side support to the standing position can be obtained only once.

  On the other hand, if the side support is supported by the side support starting device by the force generated by the energy source that can be controlled on and off, such as compressed air or electricity, the support of the side support to the standing position is prevented. The speed is inferior to that of explosive explosives, but by providing a compressed air reservoir and switching valve or battery and switch, the side support is repeatedly supported and released from the standing position. be able to. In this case, when the vehicle deceleration exceeds a predetermined deceleration critical value, if the side support is supported to the standing position, sudden braking is often applied prior to the collision. In the event of a collision, the speed of inferiority compared to the explosive explosion can be compensated by the prediction of the collision, and even if it is not a collision, the stability of the rear seat when a sudden brake is applied can be improved. When the deceleration of the vehicle falls below the deceleration critical value, if the support of the side support in the standing position by the energy source capable of on / off control is released, the side support standing position according to the present invention is reached. This can be repeated for each sudden braking.

  When the side support is supported by a force generated by an on / off controllable energy source, the side support is moved to the standing position when the lateral acceleration of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined lateral acceleration critical value. If the vehicle is supported, the side support can be supported in the upright position even when a side slip such as a spin occurs in the automobile, and the stability of the rear seat can be improved. In this case as well, when the lateral acceleration of the vehicle falls below the lateral acceleration critical value, if the support to the standing position of the side support by the energy source capable of on / off control is released, the vehicle has a predetermined criticality. If the value is exceeded, the side support is repeatedly supported in the standing position every time the lateral acceleration is applied, and the stability of the rear seat can be improved.

The perspective view which shows one Embodiment of the back seat of the motor vehicle by this invention in the state in which the rear armrest is stored in the storage part in the center part of the backrest of a back seat. The perspective view which shows the rear seat of the motor vehicle shown in FIG. 1 in the state by which the rear armrest was pulled out from the storage part by rotation, and it was tilted forward. The perspective view which shows the rear seat of the motor vehicle shown in FIG. 1 in the state which the rear armrest was pushed ahead from the backrest of the rear seat with the rear armrest pushing-out apparatus with the stowing position in the storage part. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of a structure that supports a rear armrest in the rear seat of the automobile shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 in a pivotal manner and pushes it forward from the backrest of the rear seat. A shows how the rear armrest is rotated between the state shown in FIG. 1 and the state shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. B shows how the rear armrest is pushed out from the state shown in FIG. 1 to the state shown in FIG. Show. The flowchart which shows an example of the control point in case extrusion of a rear armrest is performed by the force by the explosion of an explosive. The flowchart which shows an example of the control point in case extrusion of a rear armrest is performed by the force by compressed air. Another embodiment of the rear seat of an automobile according to the present invention is a pair of rear seats in which the rear armrest is pivoted between a position stored in the center of the backrest and a forward-turned position. The perspective view shown in the state which has a side support in the lying position on the center part of a backrest. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the rear seat of the automobile shown in FIG. 7 in a state where the rear armrest is pulled out of the storage unit in a rotational manner and tilted forward, and the pair of side supports are rotated to the upright position along with the rear armrest. The perspective view which shows the rear seat of the motor vehicle shown in FIG. 7 in the state which has a rear armrest in the storage position in a storage part, and a pair of side support is supported by the side support starting device in the standing position. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of a side support activation device for supporting a pair of side supports in the upright position in the rear seat of the automobile shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, and FIG. Fig. B shows the operating state of the side support activation device. The flowchart which shows an example of the control point in case the support to the standing position of a side support is performed by the force by the explosion of an explosive. The flowchart which shows an example of the control point in case support to the standing position of a side support is performed by the force by compressed air.

  In the rear seat 10 of the automobile shown in a perspective view in FIG. 1, the left seat 12 and the right seat 14 are spaced apart from each other, leaving a marginal space for another passenger to sit on. Appearance is a normal back seat. The left seat 12 includes a seat portion 16 and a backrest 18, and the right seat 14 includes a seat portion 20 and a backrest 22. The central margin space is provided with a seat portion 24 that is connected to the left and right seat portions 16 and 20 almost smoothly and a backrest 26 that is connected to the left and right backrests 18 and 22 almost smoothly. One more passenger can be seated. The central backrest 26 rotates around a pivot 28 located near its lower end, and is pulled out from a storage 30 provided between the left and right backrests 18 and 22 as shown in FIG. 24 is provided by a rear armrest 32 which can be moved forward to a position placed on 24, and the structure so far is well known.

  According to the present invention, the rear armrest 32 is moved from the state in which it is stored in the storage portion 30 as shown in FIG. 1 to the state in which it is placed on the seat portion 24 as shown in FIG. It can be rotated around and can be pushed forward as shown in FIG. 3 while maintaining its posture from the state stored in the storage unit 30 as shown in FIG. . In the illustrated embodiment, the rear armrest pusher 34 for performing both the pivoting and pushing operations supports the rear armrest 32 so as to be pivotable around the pivot 28 and to the rear thereof. A yoke-member 36 that restricts tilting, and a cylinder-piston device comprising a cylinder 38 and a piston 40 that support the yoke member 36 (more specifically, a shaft of a piston that slides in the cylinder 38). 4, the rear arm rest 32, the yoke member 36, and the cylinder-piston device are taken out, and the rear arm rest is always rotated (FIG. A) between the states shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and FIG. Thus, the rear armrest is pushed forward and is shown in an emergency (FIG. B).

  As shown in these drawings, the yoke member 36 that supports the rear armrest 32 in a pivotal manner and restricts the rearward tilting of the rear armrest 32 is inclined as shown by the tip of the piston 40 of the cylinder-piston device. And is moved between the normal position shown in FIG. A and the emergency position shown in FIG. B by the movement of the piston 40 with respect to the cylinder 38. The cylinder 38 is supported from the body of the automobile by an appropriate support member such as a groove member 42.

  The amount by which the rear armrest 32 is pushed forward is equal to or less than the thickness of the rear armrest. Even when the rear armrest is in the pushing position, the rear armrest 32 is not completely ejected from the storage portion 30 as shown in FIG. It is preferable that the lateral movement of the armrest is restrained by the side edges of the storage part, so that the rear armrest is pushed out and pulled back by the rear armrest pusher 36 by a single cylinder-piston device. Even if it is, the resistance to the lateral movement of the rear armrest can be increased.

  The operation of pushing the rear arm rest 32 together with the yoke member 36 from the normal position shown in FIG. A to the emergency position shown in FIG. B by the rear arm rest pushing device 36 explodes explosives set in the cylinder 38, or FIG. Compressed air is injected into the cylinder 38 through a switching valve device not shown in the figure from a compressed air reservoir not shown in the figure, or the piston 40 is driven by a suitable electromagnetic actuator instead of the cylinder 38 May be done by: According to the explosion of gunpowder, the rear armrest can be pushed out as quickly as the airbag is expanded in the event of a car collision. However, in this case, the pushing action of the rear armrest can be obtained only once. In the case of an energy source that can be controlled on and off, such as compressed air or electricity, the speed of pushing out the rear armrest is inferior to that of explosive explosives, but by pushing and pulling back the rear armrest repeatedly by energy on / off control. It can be carried out. The rear armrest may be pulled back by switching the compressed air path, turning on / off the current, or spring force.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the control procedure when the rear armrest is pushed out by explosive explosives. The control according to the flowchart may be repeated at a period of several tens to several hundreds of milliseconds during the operation of the automobile.

  When the control is started, it is determined in step 10 whether or not the rear armrest is in use, that is, whether or not the rear armrest 32 is pulled out to the forward position shown in FIG. This may be done by detecting the pivot position of the rear armrest with a suitable sensor. If the answer is yes (Y), the control of this time is finished. If the answer is no (N), control proceeds to step 20.

  In step 20, it is determined whether or not an occupant is seated in the central seat. This may be determined, for example, by detecting whether or not a heavy object equal to or greater than the weight of the infant is placed on the central seat 24 by detecting it with an appropriate sensor provided in the central portion of the seat 24. Any means may be adopted as long as it can more appropriately detect whether or not “person” is present in the central seat. If the answer is yes, this is the end of the control. If the answer is no, control proceeds to step 30.

  In step 30, it is determined whether or not a car collision has occurred. This determination may be made, for example, by a sensor similar to a collision detection sensor that opens the airbag in the event of a car collision. As long as the answer is no, the control of each time is finished as it is. However, when the answer is yes, the control proceeds to step 100 to explode the gunpowder set in the cylinder 40 and to the storage position shown in FIG. A certain rear armrest 32 is quickly pushed out to the position shown in FIG.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a control procedure when the rear armrest is pushed out by an energy source capable of on / off control. Control along such a flowchart may also be repeated at intervals of several tens to several hundreds of milliseconds during operation of the automobile.

  In the case of the control shown in FIG. 5, the control for determining whether or not the rear armrest is in use at step 10 after starting the control and determining whether or not the occupant is seated on the central seat at step 20 Is the same. When the answer to step 20 is no, the control proceeds to step 40, where it is determined whether or not the vehicle deceleration α is equal to or greater than a predetermined critical value αc. The critical value αc of deceleration is the value of deceleration due to sudden braking, where a car crash is predicted when the deceleration is greater than that, or even if a collision does not occur, the car may cause a large skid due to spin. Value. If the answer is yes, control proceeds to step 100.

  If the answer to step 40 is no, the control proceeds to step 50 where it is determined whether the lateral acceleration β of the automobile is equal to or greater than a predetermined critical value βc. The critical value βc of the lateral acceleration is such that the lateral acceleration is preferably generated by the rear armrest push-out according to the present invention to ensure the lateral stability of the rear seat occupant, regardless of whether a vehicle collision occurs or not. It is a critical value for detection. If the answer is yes, control proceeds to step 100.

  In step 100, the rear armrest 32 in the retracted position shown in FIG. 1 is pushed out to the position shown in FIG. 3 by injecting compressed air into the cylinder 38 or supplying current to an electromagnetic actuator replacing the cylinder 38. Is done. In this case, the control further proceeds to step 110, and the flag F that has been reset to 0 at the start of the control is set to 1.

  In this control example, once the answer to step 40 or 50 becomes yes and the rear armrest 32 is pushed out to the position shown in FIG. The answer of step 40 or 50 remains yes for a while, so that the rear armrest is pushed out. Eventually, however, the answer to steps 40 and 50 should both be no, and control then proceeds to step 60.

  In step 60, it is determined whether the flag F is 1 or not. When the control has never passed through steps 100 and 110, that is, when the rear armrest is not pushed out, the answer to step 60 is no, and the control is ended as it is. On the other hand, while the rear armrest is being pushed out, the flag F is 1 and the answer is yes. At this time, the control proceeds to step 200, where the compressed air that has been injected into the cylinder 38 is discharged, or the current supply to the electromagnetic actuator that replaces the cylinder 38 is cut off, whereby the rear armrest is pulled back into the storage unit 30. Is done. At this time, the control further proceeds to step 210, the flag F is reset to 0, and the apparatus is ready for the next operation.

  Note that step 50 may be omitted, and in this case, the control may proceed to step 100 or step 60 depending on whether or not the deceleration of the automobile is equal to or greater than the deceleration critical value αc. Further, an embodiment in which step 40 is eliminated and the rear armrest is pushed out and retracted similarly by only judging the lateral acceleration in step 50 is also conceivable.

  Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 12, portions corresponding to the portions shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals or step numbers as those in FIGS. 1 to 6. Also in the rear seat 10 of the automobile shown in a perspective view in FIG. 7, the left seat 12 and the right seat 14 are spaced apart so as to leave room for another passenger to sit on. The back seat. The left seat 12 includes a seat portion 16 and a backrest 18, and the right seat 14 includes a seat portion 20 and a backrest 22. A seat 24 that is connected to the left and right seats 16 and 20 almost smoothly is provided in the marginal space at the center. In the marginal space in the center, there is provided a backrest 26 that is connected to the left and right backrests 18 and 22 almost smoothly. The central backrest 26 rotates around a pivot 28 located near the lower end thereof, and FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the rear armrest 32 is pulled out from the storage 30 provided between the left and right backrests 18 and 22 and can be moved forward to the position placed on the seat 24. Further, a pair of plate-like side supports 44 and 46 described below, which are pivotable around pivots 48 and 50, are provided on the pair of side supports 44 and 46. Is provided in a state in which it is pressed against the lying position overlying the backrest 26 provided by the rear armrest 32 by a spring not shown in the figure. To have. In the state shown in FIG. 7, another passenger can be seated in the central portion.

  The rear armrest 32 can be rotated around the pivot 28 from the state stored in the storage portion 30 as shown in FIG. 7 to the state of being placed on the seat portion 24 as shown in FIG. It is like that. Such a rotating structure of the rear armrest 32 is well known. When the rear armrest 32 is pivoted around the pivot 28 and placed on the seat 24 as shown in FIG. 8, the pair of side supports 44 and 46 are rotated around the pivots 48 and 50 accordingly. Move to the upright position shown in FIG. In this case, the pair of side supports 44, 46 are held in the standing position against the return force of the spring to the lying position by contact with the rear arm rest 32, and when the rear arm rest is returned to the retracted position in the backrest, The pair of side supports are returned to the prone position shown in FIG. 7 by the restoring force of the spring.

  9, even if the rear armrest 32 is in the retracted position as shown in FIG. 9, the side support starting device described below causes the standing position shown in FIG. 9 from the lying position shown in FIG. The side support activation device is also supported from the state in which the rear arm rest 32 is tilted forward as shown in FIG. 8 and the side support is held in the standing position by the rear arm rest. It is supported in the standing position by the operation of. Here, that the side support is supported in the standing position by the side support activation device means that the side support in the standing position is firmly held so as to resist lateral force.

  In FIG. 10, the side support activation device 52 that rotates the pair of side supports 44, 46 around the respective pivots 48, 50 from the prone position to the standing position and supports the standing support position in the standing position is in an inoperative state. It is shown in a normal state (FIG. A) that freely allows rotation between the prone position and the standing position, and an emergency state (FIG. B) in which the side support is supported in the standing position in the operating state. .

  As shown in these figures, the side support actuating device 52 has an upper end of each of the side supports 44, 46 pivotally supported about the pivots 48, 50 by suitable bearing means not shown in the figures. Levers 54, 56, 58, 60 fixed to the lower and lower ends, wires 62, 64, 66, 68 fixed to the free ends of these levers, and the vehicle body to guide these wires It includes supported pulleys 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, and 80, a piston (the rod portion is 82) that holds the other ends of these wires in a bundle, and a cylinder 84 that contains the piston. The cylinder 84 is also supported from the vehicle body.

  An operation of supporting the pair of side supports 44 and 46 by the side support activation device 52 from the lying position overlapped on the rear armrest in the retracted position as shown in FIG. 7 to the standing position as shown in FIG. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8, the operation of supporting the pair of side supports 44, 46 already brought to the standing position by the rear armrest in the standing position is to explode the explosive charged in the cylinder 84, or It may be carried out by injecting compressed air into the cylinder 84 via a switching valve device not shown in the drawing from a compressed air reservoir not shown, or by a suitable electromagnetic actuator instead of the cylinder 84. According to the explosion of gunpowder, the pair of side supports 44 and 46 can be supported in the upright position at the same speed as when the airbag is expanded at the time of the collision of the automobile. However, in this case, the effect of supporting the side support in the standing position can be obtained only once. In the case of an energy source that can be controlled on and off, such as compressed air or electricity, the speed of supporting the side support in the upright position is inferior to that of the explosive explosion, but the support of the side support in the upright position is controlled by the on / off control of energy. The release can be repeated. The return of the piston when the support of the side support to the standing position is released may be performed by switching the path of the compressed air or by a spring force.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a control procedure when the side support is supported to the standing position by explosion of explosives. The control according to the flowchart may be repeated at a period of several tens to several hundreds of milliseconds during the operation of the automobile.

  When the control is started, it is determined in step 20 whether or not an occupant is seated in the central seat. This may be determined, for example, by detecting whether or not a heavy object equal to or greater than the weight of the infant is placed on the central seat 24 by detecting it with an appropriate sensor provided in the central portion of the seat 24. Any means may be adopted as long as it can more appropriately detect whether or not “person” is present in the central seat. If the answer is yes (Y), the control of this time is finished. If the answer is no (N), control proceeds to step 30.

  In step 30, it is determined whether or not a car collision has occurred. This determination may be made, for example, by a sensor similar to a collision detection sensor that opens the airbag in the event of a car collision. As long as the answer is no, the control of each time is finished as it is. However, when the answer is yes, the control proceeds to step 300 to explode the gunpowder set in the cylinder 84 and to the prone position shown in FIG. When a certain side support 44, 46 is quickly rotated to the standing position shown in FIG. 9 and supported in this standing position, or when the side support 44, 46 is turned to the standing position shown in FIG. Supporting the raised position is performed.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a control procedure when the side support is supported by an energy source capable of on / off control. Control along such a flowchart may also be repeated at intervals of several tens to several hundreds of milliseconds during operation of the automobile.

  After the control is started, the control for determining whether or not an occupant is seated on the central seat in step 20 is the same as the control shown in FIG. When the answer to step 20 is no, the control proceeds to step 40, where it is determined whether or not the vehicle deceleration α is equal to or greater than a predetermined critical value αc. The critical value αc of deceleration is the value of deceleration due to sudden braking, where a car crash is predicted when the deceleration is greater than that, or even if a collision does not occur, the car may cause a large skid due to spin. Value. If the answer is yes, control proceeds to step 300.

  If the answer to step 40 is no, the control proceeds to step 50 where it is determined whether the lateral acceleration β of the automobile is equal to or greater than a predetermined critical value βc. The critical value βc of the lateral acceleration is such that the lateral acceleration is preferably generated by the rear armrest push-out according to the present invention to ensure the lateral stability of the rear seat occupant, regardless of whether a vehicle collision occurs or not. It is a critical value for detection. If the answer is yes, control proceeds to step 300.

  In step 300, the side supports 44 and 46 in the prone position shown in FIG. 7 are brought into the standing position shown in FIG. 9 by injecting compressed air into the cylinder 84 or supplying electric current to the electromagnetic actuator instead of the cylinder 84. It is rotated and supported at its standing position, or when the side supports 44 and 46 are pivoted to the standing position shown in FIG. 8 by the rear arm rest, it is supported at that standing position. In this case, the control further proceeds to step 110, and the flag F that has been reset to 0 at the start of the control is set to 1.

  In this control example, after the side support 44, 46 is supported in the standing position shown in FIG. 8 or FIG. The apparatus continues to operate normally, and the answer of step 40 or 50 remains yes for a while, so that the side supports 44 and 46 are supported in the standing position shown in FIG. 8 or FIG. Eventually, however, the answer to steps 40 and 50 should both be no, and control then proceeds to step 60.

  In step 60, it is determined whether the flag F is 1 or not. When the control has not passed through steps 300 and 110, that is, when the side support is not supported in the standing position, the answer to step 60 is no, and the control is ended as it is. On the other hand, while the side support is being supported to the standing position, the flag F is 1 and the answer is yes. At this time, the control proceeds to step 400, where the compressed air that has been injected into the cylinder 84 is discharged, or the supply of electric current to the electromagnetic actuator that replaces the cylinder 84 is cut off, whereby the piston is moved to the position shown in FIG. Returning to is done. At this time, the control further proceeds to step 210, the flag F is reset to 0, and the apparatus is ready for the next operation.

  In this case as well, step 50 may be omitted. In this case, control may proceed to step 300 or step 60 depending on whether or not the deceleration of the automobile is equal to or greater than the deceleration critical value αc. Further, an embodiment in which step 40 is eliminated and the side support is supported and released in the same manner by only determining the lateral acceleration in step 50 is also conceivable.

  In the above description, the present invention has been described in detail with respect to two embodiments as hardware structures, and four embodiments and their modifications as their operation and control modes. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to these embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Back seat, 12 ... Left side seat, 14 ... Right side seat, 16 ... Seat part, 18 ... Backrest, 20 ... Seat part, 22 ... Backrest, 24 ... Seat part, 26 ... Backrest, 28 ... Axis, 30 ... Storage part 32 ... Rear armrest, 34 ... Rear armrest pusher, 36 ... Yoke member, 38 ... Cylinder, 40 ... Piston (rod portion thereof), 42 ... Groove member, 44, 46 ... Side support, 48, 50 ... Axis, 52 ... side support activation device, 54, 56, 58, 60 ... lever, 62, 64, 66, 68 ... wire, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80 ... pulley, 82 ... piston (its rod part), 84 ... Cylinder

Claims (18)

  A rear armrest that is used by pivoting forward at any time from a storage portion provided on the backrest is provided at the center of the backrest of a rear seat that can be seated by three people, and the rear armrest is not forwarded, When it is predicted that a lateral acceleration exceeding a predetermined value will act on the vehicle body on the condition that no person is seated in the center of the rear seat, the rear armrest remains in the retracted position in the retractable portion. A rear seat of an automobile having a rear armrest pushing device for pushing forward from a backrest of the rear seat.   The rear seat of the automobile according to claim 1, wherein an amount of the rear armrest pushed forward by the rear armrest pushing device is equal to or less than a thickness of the rear armrest.   The rear seat of the automobile according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rear armrest is pushed out by the rear armrest pushing device by a force generated by an explosion of explosives.   The rear seat of the automobile according to claim 3, wherein the explosion of the explosive is performed based on detection of a collision of the automobile.   The push-out of the rear arm rest by the rear arm rest push-out device is performed by a force generated by an energy source that can be controlled on and off such as compressed air or electricity. The back seat of the car.   6. The automobile according to claim 5, wherein the rear armrest is pushed out by the energy source capable of on / off control when the deceleration of the automobile exceeds a predetermined deceleration critical value. Rear seat.   6. The automobile according to claim 5, wherein the rear armrest is pushed out by the energy source capable of on / off control when the lateral acceleration of the automobile exceeds a predetermined lateral acceleration critical value. Rear seat.   When the deceleration of the automobile falls below the deceleration critical value, the rear armrest is not pushed out by the energy source that can be controlled on and off, and the rear armrest is returned to the storage position in the storage portion. The rear seat of an automobile according to claim 6, wherein   When the lateral acceleration of the vehicle falls below the lateral acceleration critical value, the rear armrest is not pushed out by the energy source that can be controlled on and off, and the rear armrest is returned to the storage position in the storage portion. The rear seat of an automobile according to claim 7, wherein   A pair of pivotable seats at the center of the backrest of a rear seat that can be seated by three persons between a prone position that presents a part of the backrest and a standing position that is pivoted forward about a pair of longitudinal axes. When it is predicted that a lateral acceleration exceeding a predetermined value will act on the vehicle body on the condition that no person is seated in the center of the rear seat, the side support is A rear seat of an automobile having a side support activation device for supporting the position.   A rear armrest is installed at the central portion of the backrest so that it can be rotated forward from the retracted position as needed. The pair of side supports overlap the rear armrest in the retracted position when in the prone position. 11. When the rear armrest is tilted forward, the rear armrest is rotated to the standing position against the return force to the lying position by a spring. Car backseat.   The rear seat of the automobile according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the side support activation device supports the side support in the standing position by a force generated by an explosion of explosives.   The rear seat of the automobile according to claim 12, wherein the explosion of the explosive is performed based on detection of a collision of the automobile.   The support of the side support in the standing position by the side support activation device is performed by a force generated by an energy source that can be controlled on and off such as compressed air or electricity. The back seat of the car described in.   15. The support of the side support in the standing position by the energy source capable of being controlled on and off is performed when the deceleration of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined deceleration critical value. The back seat of the car described in.   15. The support of the side support in the standing position by the energy source capable of being controlled on and off is performed when the lateral acceleration of the automobile exceeds a predetermined lateral acceleration critical value. The back seat of the car described in.   The support of the side support to the standing position by the energy source capable of on / off control is released when the deceleration of the automobile falls below the deceleration critical value. 15. A rear seat of the automobile according to 15.   The support of the side support to the standing position by the energy source capable of on-off control is released when the lateral acceleration of the automobile falls below the lateral acceleration critical value. The back seat of the automobile according to 16.

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