JP2014196014A - Side crash passenger protector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a side crash passenger protector capable of reducing an input load to a passenger's waist during a side crash as compared with a conventional technique.SOLUTION: A thigh constraining device 30 comprises: a belt guide 31 supported by a lap belt 23; and an inner airbag 32 expanded and deployed between right and left thigh parts P2 and P1 of a passenger P from the belt guide 31 during a side crash. Owing to this, during a side crash, the thigh part P1 or P2 on an opposite side to a crash side can be constrained using the inner airbag 32. As a result, it is possible for the thigh part P1 or P2 on the opposite side to the crash side to take responsibility for a load input to the passenger and to reduce the load input to a passenger's waist as compared with a conventional technique.

Description

  The present invention relates to an occupant protection device for side collision.

Patent Document 1 discloses a side airbag device that is inflated and deployed on the side of an occupant during a side collision (hereinafter also referred to as a side collision) to protect the waist from the occupant's shoulder. Patent Document 2 discloses an energy absorbing pad as a waist energy absorbing means that is provided on a door trim and protects the waist during a side collision, and a thigh side as a thigh energy absorbing means that protects the thigh. An occupant protection device having an airbag is disclosed.

  The method of reducing the load on the occupant's waist during a side collision without changing the seating position of the occupant includes (i) accelerating the timing of contact between the occupant protection device and the occupant, and (ii) the occupant protection device and the occupant. Contact area increase. However, in (i) above, it is necessary to accelerate collision detection and airbag operation. In (ii) above, there is a limit to the increase in the contact area between the energy absorbing pad and the occupant when the dummy physique does not change.

Japanese Patent No. 4168283 Japanese Patent No. 4678356

  An object of the present invention is to provide an occupant protection device for side collision that can reduce an input load to an occupant's waist at the time of a side collision, as compared with the related art.

The present invention for achieving the above object is as follows.
(1) In the side collision occupant protection device according to the present invention for solving the above problems, a seat belt including a lap belt when the tongue plate is engaged with the buckle and the belt is mounted, and a belt supported by the lap belt A thigh restraint device including an inner airbag that inflates and deploys between the guide and the belt guide between the left and right thighs of the occupant during the side collision.
(2) In the above (1), the thigh restraint device further includes an outer airbag that is disposed on both the left and right sides of the inner airbag and that contacts the upper surface of the occupant's thigh from the outer surface when inflated and deployed. .
(3) In the above (2), the inner airbag starts inflating and deploying prior to the outer airbag.
(4) In any one of the above (1) to (3), the belt guide is provided movably in the longitudinal direction of the lap belt with respect to the lap belt,
The thigh restraint device further includes a strap connecting the tongue plate and the belt guide.

According to the side collision occupant protection device according to (1) above, the thigh restraint device is inflated and deployed between the belt guide supported by the lap belt and between the belt guide and the left and right thighs of the occupant during a side collision. Therefore, the thigh on the anti-collision side can be restrained at the time of a side collision using the inner airbag. As a result, the load input to the occupant can be applied to the thigh on the anti-collision side, and the load input to the occupant waist can be reduced as compared with the conventional case.

According to the side collision occupant protection device of (2) above, the thigh restraint device is further arranged on both the left and right sides of the inner airbag and is in contact with the occupant's thigh from the upper surface to the outer surface during inflation and deployment. Since the airbag is provided, the thigh can be restrained at the time of a side collision not only by restraining the thigh using the inner airbag but also by using the outer airbag. Therefore, compared with the case where the outside airbag is not provided, the load input to the occupant waist can be further reduced. Moreover, it can suppress that an inner side airbag shifts | deviates to right and left with respect to a passenger | crew's thigh by an outer side airbag, and an inner side airbag can be reliably inflate-deployed between a passenger | crew's thigh.

  According to the side collision occupant protection device of (3) above, since the inner airbag starts inflating and deploying prior to the outer airbag, the start of restraint of the occupant by the seat belt is accelerated by the operation of the pretensioner. Even in this case, the inner airbag can be reliably inflated and deployed between the left and right thighs of the occupant.

  According to the side collision occupant protection device of (4) above, since the belt guide is provided movably in the longitudinal direction of the lap belt with respect to the lap belt, the belt guide is used as the lap belt according to the occupant's body shape. The inner airbag can be inflated and deployed between the left and right thighs of the occupant regardless of the occupant's body shape. Further, since the thigh restraint device further includes a strap that connects the tongue plate and the belt guide, the amount of the belt guide that shifts to the outside of the vehicle with respect to the occupant when the airbag is not inflated and deployed can be suppressed. The inner airbag can be surely inflated and deployed between the thighs of the occupant.

1 is a schematic diagram of a side collision occupant protection device when a thigh restraint device of an embodiment of the present invention is operating in a vehicle front view. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a side collision occupant protection device when a thigh restraint device according to an embodiment of the present invention is operating in a left side view of a vehicle. 1 is a schematic view of a side collision occupant protection device when a thigh restraint device according to an embodiment of the present invention is operating in a vehicle top view. FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic view when the thigh restraint device according to the embodiment of the present invention is not operating in a vehicle top view. FIG. 3 is a schematic view when the thigh restraint device of the embodiment of the present invention is not operating in a vehicle front view. FIG. 3 is a schematic view when the thigh restraint device of the embodiment of the present invention is operating in a vehicle top view. It is the schematic when the thigh restraint device of the example of the present invention is operating in the vehicle front view. It is process drawing which shows the expansion | deployment order of the airbag of this invention Example.

  Hereinafter, a side collision occupant protection device (hereinafter also simply referred to as a protection device) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Although the figure shows the case where the seat 1 is a driver's seat, the seat may be a passenger seat or a rear seat. In the figure, UP indicates the upper side, FR indicates the front side of the vehicle, and OUT indicates the outer side in the vehicle width direction.

The protection device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is provided to restrain an occupant P seated on the seat 1, and as shown in FIG. 1, a seat belt 20 and a thigh restraint device (hereinafter simply referred to as a thigh restraint device). 30).

The seat 1 includes a seat cushion 1a on which the occupant P is seated, a seat back 1b that is used as a backrest of the occupant P disposed at a rear end of the seat cushion 1a, and a seat back 1b that is provided above the seat back 1b. A headrest 1c that supports the head from the rear side of the vehicle.

The seat belt 20 is a three-point seat belt. The seat belt 20 is composed of a single webbing 21, which extends from the upper outside of the vehicle to the lower inside of the vehicle when the belt is worn, and is located in front of the chest of the occupant P. And a lap belt 23 that is positioned. One end in the longitudinal direction of the seat belt 20 is connected to a retractor 24 that is disposed on the pillar 2 of the vehicle and is fixed to the vehicle, and the other end in the longitudinal direction of the seat belt 20 is outside and rearward of the seat cushion 1a. It is being fixed to the lap outer anchor 25 arrange | positioned.

The retractor 24 is provided with a pretensioner 24a. Since the pretensioner 24a is provided, when the seat belt 20 is automatically wound up by the retractor 24 when a collision is detected, the restraint start of the occupant P by the seat belt 20 can be accelerated.

The seat belt 20 extends upward in the pillar 2 from the retractor 24, and passes through a slip joint 26 that is fixed to an upper and rear pillar 2 portion with respect to an occupant P seated on the seat 1. Extend to. A tongue plate 28 detachably attached to a buckle 27 provided on the vehicle interior lower side with respect to the passenger P is attached to the seat belt 20 so as to be movable (slidable) in the longitudinal direction of the seat belt 20. By engaging / disengaging the tongue plate 28 with the buckle 27, the seat belt 20 is attached / released.

The restraining device 30 is provided at the lap belt 23 site. 4 and 5, the restraining device 30 includes a belt guide 31, an inner airbag 32, an outer airbag 33, a strap 34, an inflator 35 (see FIG. 1), an inflator gas tube 36, .

  The belt guide 31 is supported by the lap belt 23. The belt guide 31 is made of, for example, a flexible and non-stretchable cloth, and can be adapted to the shape of the lap belt 23 which varies depending on the body shape of the occupant P. The belt guide 31 is wider than the lap belt 23. The belt guide 31 is movable (slidable) in the longitudinal direction (vehicle width direction) of the lap belt 23 with respect to the lap belt 23 by providing a hole (not shown) through which the lap belt 23 is inserted in the belt guide 31. ing.

The belt guide 31 is immovable with respect to the lap belt 23 in a direction different from the longitudinal direction of the lap belt 23. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the inner airbag 32 and the outer airbag 33 provided on the belt guide 31 from moving in the front-rear direction with respect to the lap belt 23.

  The inner airbag 32 is provided on the belt guide 31. The inner airbag 32 may be entirely stored in the belt guide 31 when not inflated and deployed, or at least a part of the inner airbag 32 may be exposed from the belt guide 31. As shown in FIG. 1, the inner airbag 32 is inflated and deployed between the belt guide 31 and the left and right thighs P1 and P2 of the occupant P at the time of a side collision.

It is desirable that the lower end of the inner airbag 32 in the inflated and deployed state is located below the center of the left and right thighs P1 and P2 of the occupant P in the vertical direction. This is because the thigh P1 or P2 on the anti-collision side can be effectively restrained by using the inner airbag 32 at the time of a side collision. Further, the upper end of the inner airbag 32 in the inflated and deployed state is located above the left and right thighs P1 and P2 of the occupant P. As shown in FIG. 2, the rear end of the inner airbag 32 in the inflated and deployed state is located behind the belt guide 31 portion located in front of the occupant P. Further, the front end of the inner airbag 32 in the inflated and deployed state is located in front of the belt guide 31.
Therefore, substantially the entire space from the belt guide 31 to the left and right thighs P1, P2 of the occupant P can be filled by the inner airbag 32 in the inflated and deployed state.

As shown in FIG. 1, the inner airbag 32 includes an upper chamber 32 a and a lower chamber 32 b positioned below the upper chamber 32 a when inflated and deployed. Both chambers 32a and 32b may be formed by sewing the upper and lower middle portions of one bag body, or may be formed by two different bag bodies. Both chambers 32a and 32b are in direct communication with each other.

The outer airbag 33 is provided on the belt guide 31. When the outer airbag 33 is not inflated and deployed, the entire outer airbag 33 may be stored in the belt guide 31, or at least a part of the outer airbag 33 may be exposed from the belt guide 31. The outer airbag 33 is disposed on both the left and right sides of the inner airbag 32, and sandwiches the upper airbag 32a of the inner airbag 32 from both the left and right sides when inflated and deployed.

The outer airbag 33 contacts from the upper surface to the outer surface of the left and right thighs P1, P2 of the occupant P at the time of inflation and deployment. In other words, the outer airbag 33 is in contact with the outer side chamber 33a that is in contact with the outer surface from the upper surface of the thigh P1 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction when inflated and deployed, and the outer airbag 33 A vehicle interior chamber 33b that contacts the side surface. Both chambers 33a and 33b may be formed by sewing the left and right intermediate portions of one bag body, or may be formed by two different bag bodies. Both the chambers 33 a and 33 b may be in direct communication with each other, or may be in communication with each other via the upper chamber 32 a of the inner airbag 32.

It is desirable that the lower ends of the portions of both chambers 33a and 33b located on both outer sides of the left and right thighs P1 and P2 are positioned below the vertical center of the left and right thighs P1 and P2. This is because (i) the thigh P1 or P2 on the collision side can be effectively restrained by using the outer airbag 33 at the time of a side collision. Further, (ii) the outer airbag 33 can be prevented from shifting to the left and right with respect to the left and right thighs P1, P2 of the occupant P, and the inner airbag 32 sandwiched between the outer airbags 33 is the thigh P1 of the occupant P. , P2 can be prevented from shifting to the left and right, and the inner airbag 32 can be reliably inflated and deployed between the thighs P1, P2 of the occupant P.

The width (length in the vehicle width direction) L1 (see FIG. 6) of the entire inner and outer airbags 32 and 33 when inflated and deployed is 50th from the smaller one when 100 American Males are arranged (AM50). )) Waist width at the waist center of gravity height. Desirably, the width L1 is equal to or greater than the waist width at the waist center of gravity height of AM95. The reason is that even if the occupant P is a large man, the outer airbag 33 can go around both the left and right thighs P1, P2. In addition, the width (length in the vehicle width direction) L2 (see FIG. 7) of the lower chamber 32b of the inner airbag 32 at the time of inflating and deploying is an adult female (smaller one when 100 American Women are lined up. 5) from the center of the left and right femur centers. The reason for this is to prevent a gap from being formed between the left and right thighs P1, P2 and the lower chamber 32b even if the occupant P is a small woman.

  The strap 34 is made of a non-stretchable cloth having flexibility, for example. The strap 34 is attached to the tongue plate 28 at one end, and is attached to the belt guide 31 at the other end as shown in FIG. Since the tongue plate 28 is engaged with the buckle 27 and is in a fixed position regardless of the body shape of the occupant P, the position of the belt guide 31 in the vehicle width direction with respect to the occupant P is determined by the strap 34 that connects the tongue plate 28 and the belt guide 31. It can be set substantially constant.

  As shown in FIG. 6, at least the end of the strap 34 on the side of the belt guide 31 may be divided into a bifurcated shape, and one of the ends may be attached to at least one front end of the inner and outer airbags 32 and 33. In this case, the front end portions of the inner and outer airbags 32 and 33 to which the strap 34 is attached can be pressed downward to the thigh P1 and P2 side by the strap 34, and the thigh restraint effect by the inner and outer airbags 32 and 33 can be obtained. Can be increased.

  In the inflator 35, when a side collision is detected, a side collision detection sensor (not shown) detects a side collision, and when a signal from an ECU (Electronic Control Unit, not shown) for side collision determination is sent, Gas is generated by a chemical reaction and supplied to the inner and outer airbags 32 and 33. As shown in FIG. 1, the inflator 35 is installed, for example, on the lower surface of the seat cushion 1 a in order to prevent the occupant P sitting on the seat 1 from hitting the inflator 35. The inflator 35 may be used in combination with an inflator for a cushion airbag when a cushion airbag (not shown) is provided on the seat cushion 1a. Since the inner and outer airbags 32 and 33 are inflated and deployed at the time of a side impact, and the cushion airbag is inflated and deployed at the time of a front impact, an inflator can be used in combination.

  The inflator gas tube 36 is provided to supply gas from the inflator 35 to the inner and outer airbags 32 and 33. A plurality of inflator gas tubes 36 are provided, and the two chambers 32a and 32b of the inner airbag 32 and the outer air are provided. Although it may be inserted into each of the two chambers 33a, 33b of the bag 33, it is desirable that only one is provided to reduce the number of parts. When only one inflator gas tube 36 is provided, the inflator gas tube 36 is preferably inserted into the upper chamber 32a of the inner airbag 32 as shown in FIG. The reason for this is that when the restraint start of the occupant P by the seat belt 20 is accelerated by the operation of the pretensioner 24a, the expansion and deployment space disappears first among the four chambers 32a, 32b, 33a, 33b. This is because the upper chamber 32a is preferably inflated and deployed first because it is the chamber 32a.

As shown in FIG. 8, the order of inflation and deployment of the inner and outer airbags 32 and 33 when gas is supplied from the inflator 35 is as follows. In addition, the white arrow in FIG. 8 has shown the direction of the gas flow.
(I) First, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the upper chamber 32a of the inner airbag 32 starts to be inflated and deployed by the gas that has passed through the inflator gas tube. That is, the inner airbag 32 starts to inflate and deploy before the outer airbag 33.
(Ii) When the internal pressure of the upper chamber 32a of the inner airbag 32 increases, the vehicle of the outer airbag 33 is moved from the upper chamber 32a by the variable vent hole structure or the like as shown in FIGS. Gas begins to flow into both the outer and inner chambers 33a, 33b, and both the chambers 33a, 33b of the outer airbag 33 begin to inflate and deploy.
(Iii) When the internal pressures of the upper chamber 32a of the inner airbag 32 and the outer and inner chambers 33a, 33b of the outer airbag 33 are increased, a variable venthole structure or the like is shown in FIG. As described above, gas starts to flow from the upper chamber 32a of the inner airbag 32 to the lower chamber 32b, and the lower chamber 32b starts to expand and deploy.
(Iv) When the inner pressures of the upper and lower chambers 32a and 32b of the inner airbag 32 and the outer and inner chambers 33a and 33b of the outer airbag 33 are all increased, the inner and outer airbags 32 and 33 are inflated and deployed. Is completed.

In the expansion and deployment of the upper chamber 32a of the inner airbag 32 and the outer and inner chambers 33a and 33b of the outer airbag 33, the load by which the lap belt 23 presses the occupant P by the operation of the pretensioner 24a is maximized. Has been completed before. The expansion and deployment of the lower chamber 32b of the inner airbag 32 may or may not be completed before the load that the lap belt 23 presses the occupant P is maximized by the operation of the pretensioner 24a. This is because the expansion / decompression space of the lower chamber 32b (below the upper chamber 32a and between the left and right thighs P1 and P2) is considered to exist regardless of the operating state of the pretensioner 24a.

  Next, the operation and effect of the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

(A) The thigh restraint device 30 includes a belt guide 31 supported by the lap belt 23, and an inner airbag 32 that inflates and deploys between the belt guide 31 and the left and right thighs P1 and P2 of the occupant P at the time of a side collision. Therefore, the thigh P1 or P2 on the anti-collision side can be restrained at the time of a side collision using the inner airbag 32. As a result, the load input to the occupant P can be applied to the thigh on the anti-collision side, and the load input to the occupant waist can be reduced as compared with the conventional case.
Specifically, the load input from the lap belt 23 to the occupant P at the initial stage of the side collision in which the pretensioner function operates and the occupant P is restrained only by the seat belt 20 can be increased as compared with the conventional case. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the load input to the occupant P in the late stage of the side collision in which the deformed door trim hits the occupant P and restrains the occupant P.

(B) Since the thigh restraint device 30 includes the outer airbag 33 that is disposed on both the left and right sides of the inner airbag 32 and contacts the upper surface of the thigh P1, P2 of the occupant P from the upper surface to the outer surface when inflated and deployed. In addition to restraining the anti-collision thigh P1 or P2 using the airbag 32, the outer airbag 33 can be used to restrain the thigh P1 or P2 on the collision side. Therefore, compared with the case where the outer side airbag 33 is not provided, the load input into a passenger | crew waist | hip | lumbar part can further be reduced.

(C) Since the thigh restraint device 30 includes the outer airbag 33 and the outer airbag 33 contacts the outer surface from the upper surfaces of the left and right thighs P1 and P2 of the occupant P during inflation and deployment, the outer airbag 33 can be prevented from shifting to the left and right with respect to the left and right thighs P1 and P2. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the inner airbag sandwiched between the outer airbags 33 from shifting to the left and right with respect to the left and right thighs P1 and P2.

(D) Since the inner airbag 32 starts inflating and deploying prior to the outer airbag 33, even if the restraint start of the occupant P by the seat belt 20 is accelerated by the operation of the pretensioner 24b, The airbag 32 can be surely inflated and deployed between the left and right thighs P1, P2 of the occupant P.

(E) Since the belt guide 31 is movably provided in the longitudinal direction of the lap belt 23 with respect to the lap belt 23, the belt guide 31 can be moved with respect to the lap belt 23 according to the body shape of the occupant P. it can. Therefore, the inner airbag 32 can be inflated and deployed between the left and right thighs P1, P2 of the occupant P regardless of the body shape of the occupant P.

(F) Since the thigh restraint device 30 includes the strap 34 that connects the tongue plate 28 and the belt guide 31, the belt guide 31 is positioned against the occupant P when the inner and outer airbags 32 and 33 are not inflated and deployed. The amount of deviation to the vehicle outer side can be suppressed, and the inner airbag 32 can be reliably inflated and deployed between the thighs P1 and P2 of the occupant P.

(G) According to the present invention, the following actions and effects can be obtained in addition to the above (A) to (F).
(G1) Since the belt guide 31 is provided and the belt guide 31 is wider than the lap belt 23, the contact area between the belt guide 31 and the occupant P is greater than the contact area between the lap belt 23 and the occupant P. The load applied to the occupant P from the lap belt 23 at the time of the front collision can be dispersed.
(G2) Since the inner airbag 32 and the outer airbag 33 are provided, the contact area between the inner and outer airbags 32 and 33 and the occupant P can be increased more than the contact area between the lap belt 23 and the occupant P. The load applied to the occupant P from the lap belt 23 during the front collision can be dispersed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Seat 2 Pillar 1a Seat cushion 1b Seat back 1c Headrest 10 Side collision passenger protection device 20 Seat belt 21 Webbing 22 Shoulder belt 23 Lap belt 24 Retractor 24a Pretensioner 25 Lap outer anchor 26 Slip joint 27 Buckle 28 Tang plate 30 Thigh Part restraint device 31 Belt guide 32 Inner airbag 32a Upper chamber 32b Lower chamber 33 Outer airbag 33a Outer chamber 33b Inboard chamber 34 Strap 35 Inflator 36 Inflator gas tube P Crew P1, P2 Left and right thighs

Claims (4)

A seat belt provided with a lap belt when the tongue plate is engaged with the buckle and the belt is mounted;
A thigh restraint device comprising a belt guide supported by the lap belt and an inner airbag that inflates and deploys between the left and right thighs of the occupant from the belt guide in a side collision;
A side collision occupant protection device.   2. The side collision according to claim 1, wherein the thigh restraint device further includes an outer airbag that is disposed on both left and right sides of the inner airbag and that contacts the outer surface of the occupant from the upper surface to the outer surface when inflated and deployed. Crew protection device.   The side collision occupant protection device according to claim 2, wherein the inner airbag starts inflating and deploying prior to the outer airbag. The belt guide is provided movably in the longitudinal direction of the lap belt with respect to the lap belt,
The occupant protection device for side collision according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the thigh restraint device further includes a strap that connects the tongue plate and the belt guide.

Images