JP2017105318A - Safety device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a safety device for a vehicle which removes an animal entering into a housing chamber that houses a driving force source of the vehicle so as to safely start the vehicle.SOLUTION: A safety device for a vehicle includes: an infrared ray sensor 20 capable of detecting an animal in an engine room which houses an engine of a vehicle; and a control device 40 including a determination part 41, which determines that the animal exists in the engine room on the basis of the infrared ray sensor 20, and a control part 42 which causes an alarming device 50 to send out an alarm to the animal in the engine room 2 on the basis of a determination result of the determination part 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle safety device that can exclude an animal that has entered a vehicle engine room or the like to start the vehicle safely.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in vehicles with a high vehicle height, a vehicle safety device is known that detects a child or an animal that has entered under the vehicle, notifies the driver, and controls the vehicle so that it cannot start ( For example, see Patent Document 1). According to such an apparatus, an accident involving an animal can be avoided.

  On the other hand, the gap between the various devices arranged in the engine room can be a space where animals can exist. If an animal exists in such a space, the animal may be caught in a belt that rotates by receiving the power of the engine arranged in the engine room. In the prior art, there is a possibility that the vehicle cannot be started safely by an animal that has entered the engine room.

  Such a problem exists not only in the engine room of a vehicle equipped with an engine, but also in a housing room that houses a driving force source of the vehicle, such as a motor room of an electric vehicle equipped with a motor.

JP 2007-230319 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a vehicle safety device that can exclude an animal that has entered a storage chamber for storing a driving force source of the vehicle in order to start the vehicle safely. For the purpose.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention for solving the above-described problems, a detection unit capable of detecting an animal in a storage chamber that houses a driving force source of a vehicle, and an animal is determined to be present in the storage chamber based on the detection unit. The vehicle safety device is characterized by comprising alarm means for alarming an animal in the accommodation chamber.

  In the first aspect, it is determined whether an animal is present in the accommodation chamber, and if an animal is present, the alarm device is operated. As a result, the animals that have entered the storage chamber can be excluded to the outside, the driving force source can be started safely, and the vehicle can be started.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle safety device according to the first aspect, the alarm means determines whether an animal exists in the accommodation chamber when the door lock of the vehicle is released. There exists in the vehicle safety device characterized by these.

  In the second aspect, the animal can be excluded from the accommodation room before the passenger gets into the vehicle.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle safety device according to the first or second aspect, is the alarm means configured to check whether an animal is present in the accommodation chamber when a passenger sits on a vehicle seat. In the vehicle safety device.

  In the third aspect, the animal can be excluded from the accommodation room after the passenger has boarded the vehicle.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicular safety device according to any one of the first to third aspects, the alarm means is configured such that when the vehicle ignition switch is turned on, the animal It is in the vehicle safety device characterized by determining whether or not it exists.

  In the fourth aspect, the animal can be excluded from the accommodation room before the passenger starts the driving force source of the vehicle.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle safety device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the alarm means stores that it is determined that no animal is present in the accommodation chamber. There exists in the vehicle safety device characterized by these.

  In the fifth aspect, it is possible to reduce the possibility of erroneous determination that the animal is in the accommodation room due to the failure of the detection means.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, in order to start a vehicle safely, the safety device for vehicles which can exclude the animal which approached into the storage chamber which accommodates the driving force source of a vehicle outside is provided.

It is a side view which shows the inside of the engine room of the vehicle provided with the vehicle safety device. It is a top view which shows the inside of the engine room of the vehicle provided with the vehicle safety device. It is a block diagram of the vehicle safety device. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the vehicle safety device.

  Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present invention will be described. In addition, description of embodiment is an illustration and this invention is not limited to the following description.

<Embodiment 1>
FIG. 1 is a side view showing the inside of an engine room of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle safety device, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the inside of the engine room of the vehicle equipped with a vehicle safety device, and FIG. FIG.

The vehicle 1 has an engine room 2 as an example of a storage room in which an engine 3 is stored as an example of a driving force source. The driving force source described in the claims is a device that generates power for rotating the wheels of the vehicle 1. Examples of the driving force source include motors of electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles, in addition to the engine 3 in gasoline vehicles and diesel vehicles. Examples of the accommodation chamber include an engine room 2 in which the engine 3 is accommodated, and an electric vehicle in which a motor is accommodated and a motor room in a fuel cell vehicle. In the hybrid vehicle, the engine and the motor correspond to the driving force source, and the portion in which they are accommodated corresponds to the accommodation chamber.
In addition to the engine 3, various devices such as a radiator and a transmission are housed in the engine room 2, but these are well-known configurations, and thus description and illustration are omitted.

  The engine 3 includes a starter generator, a compressor, and the like, although not particularly illustrated. The starter generator is a motor generator that has a function as an electric motor for starting an engine and a function as a generator that is driven by the engine to generate electric power. A compressor is used for an air conditioner.

  A first pulley 3a is attached to the crankshaft of the engine 3, and the first pulley 3a rotates together with the crankshaft. A second pulley 3b is attached to the rotation shaft of the starter generator, and the second pulley 3b rotates with the rotation shaft. Further, a third pulley 3c is attached to the rotation shaft of the compressor, and the third pulley 3c rotates together with the rotation shaft.

  The first pulley 3 a, the second pulley 3 b, and the third pulley 3 c are connected by a belt 4. The belt 4 is an endless one wound around these pulleys. The engine 3 is provided with a tension pulley 3d that contacts the belt 4 from the outside of the belt 4. The tension of the belt 4 can be adjusted by the tension pulley 3d.

  Various devices such as the engine 3 are arranged in the engine room 2, and there are some gaps between the devices. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that there is a gap S around the belt 4 of the engine 3. In such a gap S, for example, an animal that has entered from below a vehicle without an undercover or a vehicle 1 with a short undercover may enter. When the belt 4 is rotated by starting the engine 3, there is a possibility that an animal is caught in the belt 4. In order to exclude animals present in such a gap S, a vehicle safety device 10 is provided in the vehicle 1.

The vehicle safety device 10 according to the present embodiment includes an infrared sensor 20 and an alarm unit 30 which are examples of a detection unit.
The detection means is a device that can detect an animal present in the engine room 2. In the present embodiment, two infrared sensors 20 are used as detection means. The infrared sensor 20 is disposed in the engine room 2, and the gap S in the engine room 2 is a monitoring target. When an animal is present in the gap S, the infrared sensor 20 is a device that receives infrared light and converts it into an electrical signal, and this electrical signal is sent to a control device 40 described later.

  The warning means 30 is a means for warning the animal in the engine room 2 when an animal is detected based on the infrared sensor 20. In the present embodiment, the alarm unit 30 includes a control device 40 and an alarm device 50.

  The control device 40 is configured as an electronic control unit (ECU). Further, the control device 40 includes a determination unit 41 and a control unit 42. The determination unit 41 and the control unit 42 are functions realized by a program executed by the control device 40.

The determination unit 41 determines whether an animal is present in the engine room 2 based on the electrical signal sent from the infrared sensor 20. Specifically, the determination unit 41 obtains temperature information based on the electrical signal sent from the infrared sensor 20. This temperature information represents the temperature in the gap S to be monitored by the infrared sensor 20. Since the calculation for obtaining the temperature information from the electric signal can be realized by a known method, a detailed description thereof is omitted. The determination unit 41 determines that there is an animal in the gap S if the temperature information obtained from the electrical signal exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
When the determination unit 41 determines that an animal is present in the engine room 2, the control unit 42 performs control for causing an alarm device 50 to be described later to alarm.

  Further, the vehicle 1 is provided with a door lock switch 61 (also expressed as a door lock SW in the figure), a seat sensor 62, and an ignition switch 63 (also expressed as an ignition SW in the figure).

  The door lock switch 61 is a switch for switching between locking and unlocking the door of the vehicle 1. The seat sensor 62 is a sensor that detects whether or not a passenger is seated on the seat of the vehicle 1. The ignition switch 63 is an on / off switch for starting or stopping the engine 3.

  These door lock switch 61, seat sensor 62, and ignition switch 63 are connected to the control device 40, and their operations are transmitted to the control device 40. That is, the control device 40 can detect whether the door lock switch 61 is locked or unlocked. The control device 40 can detect whether a passenger is seated on the seat. The control device 40 can detect whether the ignition switch 63 is turned on or turned off.

The vehicle 1 is provided with a display device 64 in the vehicle interior. The display device 64 is a device capable of displaying information such as arbitrary characters and graphics under the control of the control device 40.
The alarm device 50 is an apparatus that can give an alarm through senses such as hearing, vision, and touch of an animal. In the present embodiment, as an example of the alarm device 50, an air injection device 51, a horn 52, a lock mechanism 53, and a bonnet 54 are provided.

  The air injection device 51 is a device that injects a predetermined amount of air based on a control signal from the control device 40 (control unit 42). According to the air ejection device 51, the tactile sensation of the animal can be stimulated by the ejected air, and a warning can be given to the animal. Specifically, the air injection device 51 includes an injection unit 56 having an injection port that opens toward the gap S, and an air tank 57 that supplies air to the injection unit 56. The air injection device 51 is configured to supply a predetermined amount of air from the air tank 57 to the injection unit 56 when a control signal is sent from the control device 40 (control unit 42).

  The horn 52 is a horn (alarm) installed in a general vehicle. Normally, this is a device that sounds a warning sound of a predetermined volume toward the front of the vehicle 1, but in this embodiment, it is also used as an alarm device 50 that stimulates the hearing of the animal with the output sound and gives a warning to the animal. .

  The lock mechanism 53 is a mechanism for locking the bonnet 54. Since the lock mechanism 53 is a known one, a detailed description thereof is omitted, but the lock can be released by a control signal from the control device 40. In the present embodiment, an alarm device that stimulates the hearing of an animal with a sound when the lock mechanism 53 is released and the bonnet 54 opens, and stimulates the animal's vision with the movement of the bonnet 54 to give a warning to the animal. Also used as

The operation of the vehicle safety device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle safety device.
For example, it is determined whether or not the door is locked after the vehicle is parked and stopped after the vehicle was running (step S1). Specifically, when the door lock switch 61 is locked, the control device 40 detects the locking operation (step S1; Yes). When the lock operation is not detected (step S1; No), the lock operation of the door lock switch 61 is awaited.

  Next, the control device 40 executes an animal presence determination process. Specifically, the determination process is performed as follows. First, the determination unit 41 receives an electrical signal from the infrared sensor 20, and calculates temperature information from the electrical signal. And it compares with the threshold value preset to the memory | storage device of the control apparatus 40, and if it exceeds the threshold value, it will determine with an animal existing in the clearance gap S. FIG. If the temperature information is equal to or less than the threshold value, it is determined that no animal exists in the gap S.

  As a result, the control device 40 stores in the storage device that no animal is present in the engine room 2 when the door is locked when the passenger gets off after parking, for example (step S2). When it is determined by the determination process performed in step S1 that an animal is present, the alarm device 50 may be operated, for example, by sounding a horn as will be described later, to perform a process of removing the animal from the engine room 2. .

After the vehicle 1 stops and steps S1 and S2 are executed, the following processing is performed when the vehicle 1 is about to get on and start.
The control device 40 determines whether the door lock has been released (step S3). Specifically, when the door lock switch 61 is unlocked, the control device 40 detects the unlock operation (step S3; Yes). When the unlocking operation is not detected (step S3; No), the unlocking operation of the door lock switch 61 is awaited.
After the door lock switch 61 is operated, the control device 40 determines whether an animal exists (step S4). Since this determination process has been described above, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

If it is determined that there is an animal in the gap S (step S4; Yes), the horn 52 is turned on to sound an alarm sound (step S5). Specifically, when the determination unit 41 determines that an animal is present in the gap S, the control unit 42 sends a control signal to the horn 52 so as to sound a warning sound to the horn 52. There is no particular limitation on how the horn 52 sounds a warning sound. When the horn 52 sounds a warning sound, the animal present in the gap S is expected to escape to the outside.
On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no animal in the gap S (step S4; No), the engine 3 can be started (step S6).

After step S5, for example, after a predetermined time has elapsed, the control device 40 determines whether there is a reaction of the sheet sensor 62 (step S7). The seat sensor 62 is, for example, a load sensor for a driver's seat, and can detect a load applied to the seat. A signal indicating the load detected by the sheet sensor 62 (hereinafter, a load signal) is sent to the control device 40. The determination unit 41 determines that a passenger is seated on the seat when the load signal exceeds a preset threshold value.
After it is determined that the passenger is seated, the control device 40 determines whether an animal is present (step S8). Since this determination process has been described above, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

If it is determined that there is an animal in the gap S (step S8; Yes), the horn 52 is turned on to sound an alarm sound and the air injection device 51 is made to inject air (step S9). Specifically, when the determination unit 41 determines that an animal is present in the gap S, the control unit 42 sends a control signal to the horn 52 so as to sound a warning sound to the horn 52. Further, the control unit 42 sends a control signal to the air injection device 51 so as to inject air to the air injection device 51. There is no particular limitation on the method of injecting air by the air injection device 51. The horn 52 sounds a warning sound and the air injection device 51 injects air, so that the animals present in the gap S are expected to escape more reliably to the outside.
On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no animal in the gap S (step S8; No), the engine 3 can be started (step S6).

After step S9, it is determined whether an operation to turn on the ignition is performed (step S10). Specifically, when an operation to turn on the ignition switch 63 (an operation to start the engine 3) is performed, the control device 40 detects the operation (step S10; Yes). When the operation of the ignition switch 63 is not detected (step S10; No), the operation of the ignition switch 63 is awaited.
After the ignition switch 63 is operated, the control device 40 determines whether an animal is present (step S11). Since this determination process has been described above, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  When it is determined that there is an animal in the gap S (step S11; Yes), the control device 40 prohibits starting of the engine 3. The control device 40 displays a predetermined message on the display device 64 and performs control to open the hood 54.

  The control device 40 causes the display device 64 to display information such as notifying that there is an animal in the engine room 2 and indicating that the engine 3 cannot be started. The display mode of such information is not particularly limited. In addition, the control device 40 controls the control unit 42 to cause the lock mechanism 53 to unlock the bonnet 54. This opens the bonnet 54.

By displaying the above-described information on the display device 64, it is possible to inform the passenger that an animal is present in the engine room 2 and to take action. Moreover, by opening the bonnet 54, it can be expected that the animal will be brought out more reliably. Further, since the bonnet 54 is opened, it is possible to prompt the passenger to close the bonnet 54 and to reliably bring the animal out.
On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no animal in the gap S (step S11; No), the engine 3 can be started (step S6).

  As described above, in the vehicle safety device 10 according to this embodiment, it is determined whether an animal exists in the gap S in the engine room 2 (step S4, step S8, step S11), and the animal exists. Then, various alarm devices 50 are operated. Specifically, a warning sound by the horn 52 (step S5), air injection by the air injection device 51 (step S9), and opening of the hood 54 (step S12). By such operations of the various alarm devices 50, animals that have entered the engine room 2 can be excluded to the outside, the engine 3 can be started safely, and the vehicle 1 can be started.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, even if the ignition switch 63 is turned on (step S10), if an animal exists in the engine room 2, the engine 3 is prohibited from starting (step S12). Accordingly, even if the animal cannot be excluded from the engine room 2 to the outside by the alarm device 50, the engine 3 is not started, so that safety can be ensured.

  In the vehicle safety device 10 according to the present embodiment, when the warning sound by the horn 52 is sounded, not only the condition that the animal exists in the engine room (step S4) but also the condition that the door lock is released. (Step S3). That is, the warning means 30 determines whether an animal exists in the engine room 2 when the door lock of the vehicle 1 is released. As a result, the animal can be excluded from the engine room 2 before the passenger gets on the vehicle 1.

  Whether the vehicle safety device 10 according to the present embodiment has a reaction of the seat sensor 62 as well as the condition that the animal is present in the engine room (step S8) in order to inject the warning sound and air from the horn 52. That is, it is also a condition that the passenger is seated on the seat (step S7). That is, the warning means 30 determines whether an animal is present in the engine room 2 when a passenger is seated on the seat of the vehicle 1. As a result, the animal can be excluded from the engine room 2 after the passenger has boarded the vehicle 1.

  In addition, since a series of processing (steps S7 to S9) when sitting on the seat is performed following a series of processing (steps S3 to S5) when an animal exists after the door lock is released, Even if it cannot be excluded from the engine room 2, the animal is tried to be excluded after sitting on the seat, so that the animal can be more reliably excluded from the engine room 2.

  The vehicle safety device 10 according to the present embodiment is based not only on the condition that an animal is present in the engine room (step S11) but also on the ignition switch 63 being turned on when the hood 54 is opened. (Step S10). That is, the warning means 30 determines whether an animal exists in the engine room 2 when the ignition switch 63 of the vehicle 1 is turned on. Thereby, before a passenger starts the engine 3 of the vehicle 1, an animal can be excluded from the engine room 2 outside.

  In addition, after performing a series of processing (steps S3 to S5) when an animal exists after the door lock is released and a series of processing (steps S7 to S9) when sitting on a seat, the ignition switch 63 is turned on. Since a series of processing (steps S10 to S12) is performed, even if the animal cannot be removed from the engine room 2 after the door lock is released and the seat is seated, before the engine 3 is started by operating the ignition switch 63. Since the animal is tried to be excluded, the animal can be more reliably excluded from the engine room 2.

  The vehicle safety device 10 according to the present embodiment stores that no animal is present in the engine room 2 (step S2). Remembering that no animal is present in the engine room 2 is the same as remembering that the infrared sensor 20 is operating normally.

  In a state in which it is stored that the infrared sensor 20 is operating normally, a series of processes starting from the door lock release determination (step S3) is performed. Since it is stored that the infrared sensor 20 has operated normally before this series of processing, the electrical signal received from the infrared sensor 20 after the door lock is released is erroneous due to a failure of the infrared sensor 20. Unlikely.

  Thus, the alarm means 30 can reduce the possibility of erroneously determining that an animal is in the engine room 2 due to a failure of the infrared sensor 20 by storing that no animal has been detected.

  In the present embodiment, the timing at which the animal is not present in the engine room 2 is after the vehicle 1 stops and the door is locked, but is not limited to such timing. Any timing other than a series of processes (steps S3 to S12) at the time of start of the vehicle 1 may be used, and the vehicle 1 may be running. Moreover, the process which memorize | stores that an animal does not exist in the engine room 2 is not essential, and may be abbreviate | omitted.

  The vehicle safety device 10 of the present embodiment displays on the display device 64 that an animal is present in the engine room 2. As a result, the passenger can be informed that there is an animal in the engine room 2 and can take appropriate measures.

<Other embodiments>
As mentioned above, although one embodiment of the present invention has been described, of course, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and addition, omission, replacement, etc., of a configuration is possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. And other changes are possible.

  Although the air injection device 51, the horn 52, and the bonnet 54 are used as the alarm device 50, it is not limited to these. The alarm device 50 may be any device that can stimulate the animal so that the animal is driven out of the engine room 2. For example, an illumination device using an LED or the like as a light source can be used as the alarm device 50. And an illuminating device is arrange | positioned so that the detection range of detection means, such as the infrared sensor 20, may be illuminated. An animal can be driven out of the engine room 2 by such a lighting device.

  As the alarm device 50, three types of the air injection device 51, the horn 52, and the bonnet 54 are provided, but one type, two types, or four types or more may be used. When operating the alarm device 50, one alarm device 50 (horn 52) may be used as in step S5, or a plurality of alarm devices 50 (air injection device 51 and horn 52) as in step S9. May be used simultaneously. Furthermore, in consideration of the fact that an object falling on the road while traveling or the like enters the bonnet 54, it may also serve as foreign object detection.

  Before determining the presence of an animal, it is determined whether the door is unlocked (step S3), whether the seat sensor 62 has reacted (step S7), and whether the ignition switch is turned on (step S10). Absent. That is, the presence of an animal using the infrared sensor 20 may be determined regardless of the determination of unlocking the door or the like.

  Further, the order of door lock release determination (step S3), presence / absence of reaction of the seat sensor 62 (step S7), and whether the ignition switch is turned on (step S10) is an example, and may be in any order. . Further, it is not necessary to determine the presence of an animal a plurality of times, and the determination of the presence of an animal may be performed only once.

  Although the gap S in the vicinity of the belt 4 is set as an object for monitoring whether or not an animal is present in the engine room 2, it is not limited to such a place. The location is not particularly limited as long as it is in the engine room 2, but it is preferable to monitor the vicinity of a device that accompanies the operation, such as a belt 4 that is rotationally driven.

  The detection means capable of detecting animals is not limited to the infrared sensor 20. For example, an imaging device such as a camera may be applied as the detection means. The presence of an animal is determined by performing image processing on an image obtained by the imaging device. The determination of the presence of an animal using this imaging apparatus can be realized by a known image processing method such as edge detection.

  As other detection means, a distance sensor that includes an irradiation unit that irradiates a laser and a reception unit that receives a laser and detects a distance to an object hit by the laser may be used. When it is determined that the distance obtained by the distance sensor disposed in the engine room 2 is shorter than a predetermined threshold, the control device 40 determines that an animal is present in the engine room 2. As the threshold value, a value shorter than the distance between the distance sensor and various devices arranged in the engine room 2 irradiated with the laser is set.

  Furthermore, you may use the sensor provided with the receiving part arrange | positioned so that the laser from an irradiation part and an irradiation part may be received as a detection means. In such a sensor, when an animal exists between the receiving unit and the irradiation unit, the laser is not received by the receiving unit. Therefore, the control device 40 can determine that there is an animal in the engine room 2 when the receiving unit cannot receive the laser.

  The present invention can be used in the industrial field of automobiles.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vehicle, 2 ... Engine room (accommodating chamber), 3 ... Engine (drive power source), 10 ... Vehicle safety device, 20 ... Infrared sensor (detection means), 30 ... Alarm means, 40 ... Control device (ECU) , 50 ... Alarm device

Claims (5)

Detection means capable of detecting an animal in a storage chamber that stores a driving force source of the vehicle;
A vehicle safety device comprising: alarm means for warning an animal in the accommodation room when it is determined that the animal is present in the accommodation room based on the detection means. The vehicle safety device according to claim 1,
The vehicle safety device, wherein the alarm means determines whether or not an animal is present in the accommodation room when the door lock of the vehicle is released. In the vehicle safety device according to claim 1 or 2,
The vehicle safety device, wherein the warning means determines whether an animal is present in the accommodation room when a passenger is seated on a vehicle seat. In the vehicle safety device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The vehicle safety device, wherein the warning means determines whether an animal is present in the accommodation room when an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on. In the vehicle safety device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The vehicular safety device, wherein the alarm means stores that it is determined that no animal exists in the accommodation chamber.

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