JP2018161968A - Occupant protection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To further improve occupant protection performance.SOLUTION: An occupant protection device 10 includes: a first seating surface airbag 21 which expands upward from a center part in a lateral direction of a seating surface of a seat 4 of a motor vehicle 1 and protrudes between a right thigh portion and a left thigh portion of an occupant seated on the seat 4; and a second seating surface airbag 31 which expands upward from the center part in the lateral direction of the seating surface of the seat 4 and extends to the rear side of the first seating surface airbag 21. The second seating surface airbag 31 expands having rigidity lower than that of the first seating surface airbag 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for protecting an occupant seated on a seat in an automobile.

As an apparatus for protecting an occupant seated on a seat in an automobile, there is an apparatus using a seat belt or a front airbag (Patent Document 1).
The seat belt is generally a three-point type, and has a lap portion around the waist of an occupant seated on the seat and a shoulder portion that is struck in front of the upper body. Then, before the collision, the seat belt is wound up by a retractor to reduce slack, and the feeding of the seat belt is restricted at the time of the collision. Thereby, it can operate | move so that the passenger | crew's body which is going to move ahead from a seat | sheet at the time of a collision may be hold | maintained in the state seated on the seat | sheet.
The front airbag is provided on a handle or dashboard provided in front of the seat in the passenger compartment, and is deployed rearward toward the seat. The upper body of the occupant who falls forward in the event of a collision is supported by the deployed front airbag to absorb the impact.

JP 2010-235009 A

However, even if such an occupant protection device is used, it cannot be properly protected in all collision modes.
For example, even in a frontal collision, an occupant seated on the seat may move forward due to the impact of the collision. And if the occupant's waist slides and moves forward from the seating position of the seat, the upper body that tries to fall forward around it with the waist as the axis falls forward from the state approaching the front airbag It will be. In this case, the contact state between the front airbag and the upper body is different from that assumed when the waist is in the seating position of the seat.

  Thus, in the occupant protection device, further improvement in occupant protection performance is required.

  An occupant protection device according to the present invention projects upward from a laterally central portion of a seat surface of a vehicle seat and protrudes between a right thigh portion and a left thigh portion of an occupant seated on the seat. A first seat airbag, and a second seat airbag that extends from the center in the left-right direction about the seat surface of the seat upward and extends rearward from the first seat airbag; The second seat surface airbag is deployed with lower rigidity than the first seat surface airbag.

  Preferably, the first seat surface airbag is deployed with high rigidity that is difficult to be deformed by a load of an occupant seated on the seat.

  Preferably, the second seating surface airbag is deployed on the rear side of the first seating surface airbag side by side with the first seating surface airbag in the front-rear direction.

  Preferably, the second seat surface airbag may be double-deployed outside the first seat surface airbag.

  Preferably, the first seat surface airbag is deployed above the right thigh and left thigh of an occupant seated in the seat, and the right thigh and left thigh from the upper end of the first seat surface airbag. It is good to further have an upper thigh deployment part that spreads and develops on the thigh.

  Preferably, the first seat surface airbag and the second seat surface airbag may be deployed within a range of a front half of the seat surface of the seat.

  Another occupant protection device according to the present invention is provided between a right thigh and a left thigh of an occupant seated on the seat, which is developed upward from the center in the left-right direction with respect to the seat surface of the vehicle seat. A protruding seat airbag is provided.

In the present invention, the first seat airbag and the second seat are directed upward from the center in the left-right direction with respect to the seat surface of the seat toward the space between the right thigh and left thigh of the occupant seated on the seat. The seat airbag expands. As a result, the lumbar portion of the occupant seated on the seat is supported by the developed first seat surface airbag and the second seat surface airbag, and is difficult to slide and move forward.
As a result, the occupant's waist is held at the seating position of the seat. For example, during the frontal collision, the upper body of the occupant falls forward around the waist that is stable at the seating position. The behavior approaches that desired. And the upper body which falls to the front etc. around the waist | hip | lumbar part in a sitting position can be suitably supported by a front airbag, and an impact can be absorbed.
Moreover, the second seating surface airbag extends rearward from the first seating surface airbag and is deployed with lower rigidity than the first seating surface airbag. Therefore, for example, while the first seat surface airbag is deployed to a high rigidity that is difficult to be deformed by the load of the occupant seated on the seat and the lumbar portion of the occupant is suitably supported, the occupant's lumbar portion and the like has a highly rigid first seat. It becomes difficult to directly contact the surface airbag. The occupant's waist and the like can be supported by the first seat airbag while in contact with the second seat airbag that deploys with lower rigidity than the first seat airbag.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an automobile to which an occupant protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the behavior of an occupant in a full-wrap frontal collision. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a state in which the upper body falls down while the occupant's waist is in the seating position of the seat. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the occupant protection device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the first seat surface airbag and the second seat surface airbag of FIG. 4 are deployed. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the first seat surface airbag and the second seat surface airbag according to the second embodiment are deployed. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the first seat surface airbag and the second seat surface airbag according to the third embodiment are deployed.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an automobile 1 to which an occupant protection device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applicable.

  The automobile 1 is an example of the automobile 1. The automobile 1 has a vehicle body 3 in which a passenger compartment 2 is formed. The passenger compartment 2 is provided with two front seats 4 and a rear seat 4 that are provided forward in the passenger compartment 2 and on which the passengers sit. On the left and right sides of the passenger compartment 2, doors 5 that are opened and closed for passengers to get on and off are provided. In front of the front seat 4, a dashboard 6 having a length corresponding to the left and right width of the passenger compartment 2 is provided. A center console 7 is provided between the two front seats 4.

By the way, in such a motor vehicle 1, a device for protecting an occupant seated on the seat 4 when a collision with another vehicle or the like is provided.
FIG. 1 shows a seat belt 19 and a front airbag 16.
The seat belt 19 is generally a three-point system. The three-point seat belt 19 has a lap portion around the waist of an occupant seated on the seat 4 and a shoulder portion that is worn in front of the upper body. Then, before the collision, the seat belt 19 is wound up by a retractor (not shown) to reduce sagging, and further, the feeding of the seat belt 19 is restricted at the time of the collision. Thereby, it can operate | move so that the passenger | crew's body which is going to move ahead from the seat 4 at the time of a collision may be held in the state seated on the seat 4.
The front airbag 16 is provided on a handle or dashboard 6 provided in front of the seat 4 in the passenger compartment 2 and is deployed rearward toward the seat 4. The upper body of the occupant who falls forward during a collision can be supported by the deployed front airbag 16 to absorb the impact.

However, even if such an occupant protection device 10 is used, the occupant cannot be properly protected in all collision modes.
For example, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the behavior of an occupant in a frontal collision.
When a frontal collision occurs while the occupant is seated on the seat 4, as shown in FIG. 2A, a force to move relatively forward acts on the occupant seated on the seat 4 due to the impact of the collision. .
If the occupant is not pressed by the seat belt 19 at this time, the occupant's waist moves from the seating position of the seat 4 to the front as shown in FIG.
Then, the occupant's waist is stopped, for example, with the kneecap hitting the dashboard 6, and the upper body of the occupant falls forward around the lumbar at that position, as shown in FIG. 2 (C). Become.

On the other hand, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a state in which the upper body of the occupant falls while the occupant's waist is in the seating position of the seat 4.
The contact state of the upper body with respect to the front airbag 16 in FIG. 2C is different from that assumed in the case where the waist is in the sitting position, as is apparent from comparison with FIG. The upper body of the occupant falls forward at a position approaching the front airbag 16. The contact state between the deployed front airbag 16 and the upper body is different from that when it is assumed that the waist is at the seating position of the seat 4. In this case, the deployed front airbag 16 may not be able to absorb the impact by supporting the upper body that has fallen down properly.
In addition, the upper body suddenly falls forward in a short time after the movement of the waist has stopped.

  Thus, the occupant protection device 10 is required to further improve the occupant protection performance.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the occupant protection device 10 according to the first embodiment.

In FIG. 4, an automatic operation control device 40 is shown together with the occupant protection device 10. The automatic driving control device 40 includes an outside vehicle image sensor 41, an automatic driving control unit 42, a steering actuator 43, a brake actuator 44, and a power source 45.
For example, the outside image sensor 41 images the front of the vehicle body 3. Thereby, for example, another vehicle body approaching from the front with respect to the traveling vehicle body 3 can be captured as an image.
The steering actuator 43 drives the steering device of the automobile 1 instead of the steering wheel.
The brake actuator 44 drives the braking device of the automobile 1 instead of the brake pedal.
The power source 45 is, for example, a gasoline engine or an electric motor.
The automatic operation control unit 42 automatically controls the traveling of the automobile 1. The automatic operation control unit 42 controls the steering actuator 43, the brake actuator 44, and the power source 45, for example, according to the travel route information to the destination. Further, the automatic operation control unit 42 identifies an approaching object based on the image of the vehicle exterior image sensor 41 and predicts a collision with the approaching object. When a collision with an approaching object is predicted, the automatic operation control unit 42 controls the steering actuator 43, the brake actuator 44, and the power source 45 so as to avoid the collision.

  4 includes an occupant position sensor 11, a G sensor 12, a timer 13, an occupant protection control unit 14, a front airbag device 15, a three-point seat belt device 18, a first seat airbag device 20, and a second. A seat airbag device 30;

  The occupant protection control unit 14 includes an outside image sensor 41, an automatic operation control unit 42, an occupant position sensor 11, a G sensor 12, a timer 13, a front airbag device 15, a three-point seat belt device 18, and a first seat surface airbag device. 20, a second seat airbag device 30 is connected.

  The occupant position sensor 11 detects the position of the head or upper body of the occupant seated on the seat 4. For example, the occupant position sensor 11 detects the amount of movement forward or the amount of movement in the left-right direction with reference to the seating position with the back on the seat 4.

  The G sensor 12 detects acceleration acting on the automobile 1. The direction of acceleration to be detected may be the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, or the up-down direction.

  The timer 13 measures time or time.

  The front airbag device 15 is provided in front of an occupant seated on the seat 4. The front airbag device 15 is provided on, for example, the dashboard 6 and the handle. The front airbag device 15 includes a front airbag 16 and an inflator 17. When the ignition signal is input, the inflator 17 releases gas into the front airbag 16. As a result, the front airbag 16 is deployed rearward toward the occupant seated on the seat 4. A front airbag 16 is deployed in front of the upper body of the passenger.

  The three-point seat belt device 18 includes a seat belt 19. The seat belt 19 includes a lap portion provided around a waist portion of an occupant seated on the seat 4 by engaging a tongue (not shown) with a buckle, and an inner side of the waist portion from one shoulder portion of the upper body. And a shoulder portion to be applied over the portion. Then, when a pretension signal or a support signal is input, a retractor (not shown) winds up the seat belt 19. For example, the seat belt 19 is wound up before the collision to reduce slack, and the feeding of the seat belt 19 is restricted at the time of the collision. Thereby, the body of the occupant trying to move forward from the seat 4 at the time of the collision can be held in a state of being seated on the seat 4.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the first seat surface airbag 21, the second seat surface airbag 31, and the front airbag 16 are deployed. 5A is a front view, and FIG. 5B is a right side view.

  The first seat surface airbag device 20 includes a first seat surface airbag 21 and an inflator not shown. The first seat airbag device 20 is provided at the center in the left-right direction at the front portion of the seat portion of the seat 4. When the ignition signal is input and the inflator releases the gas into the first seating surface airbag 21, the first seating surface airbag 21 breaks the seating surface of the seat 4 and moves upward from the seating surface of the seat 4. And expand. The deployed first seat airbag 21 projects between the right thigh and left thigh of the occupant seated on the seat 4.

The second seat surface airbag device 30 includes a second seat surface airbag 31 and an inflator not shown. The second seat surface airbag device 30 is provided adjacent to the rear side of the first seat surface airbag device 20 at the center in the left-right direction of the seat portion of the seat 4. When the ignition signal is input and the inflator releases the gas into the second seat airbag 31, the second seat airbag 31 breaks the seat surface of the seat 4 and moves upward from the seat surface of the seat 4. And expand. The second seat airbag 31 is deployed adjacent to the rear side of the first seat airbag 21 along with the first seat airbag 21 in the front-rear direction, and the right thigh of the occupant seated on the seat 4 Projects between the left thigh.
Thereby, the second seat surface airbag 31 is deployed so as to extend rearward from the first seat surface airbag 21.
Further, the first seat surface airbag 21 and the second seat surface airbag 31 are deployed within the range of the front half of the seat surface of the seat 4.

The first seat surface airbag 21 is deployed with high rigidity that is difficult to be deformed by the load of an occupant seated on the seat 4. On the other hand, the second seat surface airbag 31 is deployed with lower rigidity than the first seat surface airbag 21.
For example, by increasing the amount of gas generated with respect to the capacity of the airbag, the airbag is deployed at a high pressure and has high rigidity.
In addition, the rigidity of the airbag itself is increased by providing a stiffening structure with a tether or the like.

  The occupant protection control unit 14 controls the operation of the occupant protection device 10 according to the traveling state of the automobile 1. Specifically, it controls the deployment of the front airbag device 15, the operation of the three-point seat belt device 18, the deployment of the first seat airbag 21, and the deployment of the second seat airbag 31.

  In the state where the occupant is sitting at the seating position of the seat 4, the occupant protection control unit 14 performs a collision based on, for example, an image captured in front of the vehicle body 3 by the imaging sensor 41 outside the vehicle, and traveling state information from the automatic driving control unit 42. Predict the possibility of The traveling state information includes the steering amount of the steering actuator 43, the acceleration / deceleration amount by the brake actuator 44 and the power source 45, and the like. The occupant protection control unit 14 determines the travel route of the vehicle body 3 based on these pieces of information. In addition, an object on or in the vicinity of the traveling path is specified based on the captured image in front of the vehicle body 3. The occupant protection control unit 14 determines the possibility of a frontal collision with the object based on these pieces of information. These determinations may be executed by the automatic driving control unit 42, and the occupant protection control unit 14 may acquire the determination result from the automatic driving control unit 42.

If there is a possibility of a frontal collision, the occupant protection control unit 14 starts occupant protection control. In the occupant protection control, the occupant protection control unit 14 outputs an ignition signal to the inflator of the first seat surface airbag device 20 and the inflator of the second seat surface airbag device 30. As a result, the first seat surface airbag 21 and the second seat surface airbag 31 start deployment, break the seat surface of the seat 4, and protrude above the seat surface of the seat 4.
The deployed first seat surface airbag 21 and second seat surface airbag 31 protrude between the right thigh and left thigh of an occupant seated on the seat 4. A low-rigidity second seat surface airbag 31 is deployed on the rear side of the high-stiffness first seat surface airbag 21.
Thus, the occupant's lower back that tries to slide forward on the seat surface of the seat 4 hits the second seat surface airbag 31 and is pressed from the front. It is difficult for the occupant's waist to move forward from the seating position of the seat 4.

  Next, when the frontal collision is actually detected based on the acceleration signal of the G sensor 12, the occupant protection control unit 14 deploys the front airbag device 15. The occupant protection control unit 14 outputs an ignition signal to the inflator 17 of the front airbag device 15. Accordingly, the front airbag 16 is deployed rearward from the front side of the seat 4.

  Thereafter, the upper body of the occupant falls forward due to the impact input of the frontal collision. As shown in FIG. 3, the occupant's upper body falls forward so as to rotate around the waist part maintained at the seating position of the seat 4.

  The above-described occupant protection control starts the deployment of the first seat airbag 21 and the second seat airbag 31 not from the timing when the possibility of a frontal collision is determined, but from the timing at which the frontal collision is actually detected. May be.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the first seating surface air extends from the center in the left-right direction of the seating surface of the seat 4 toward the space between the right thigh and left thigh of the occupant seated on the seat 4. The bag 21 and the second seat surface airbag 31 are deployed. As a result, the lumbar portion of the occupant seated on the seat 4 is supported by the deployed first seat surface airbag 21 and the second seat surface airbag 31 and is less likely to slide forward.
As a result, the occupant's waist is held in the seating position of the seat 4. For example, in the case of a frontal collision, the upper body of the occupant falls forward around the waist that is stable in the seating position. The body behavior approaches that desired. And the upper body which falls to the front etc. around the waist | hip | lumbar part in a seating position can be suitably supported by the front airbag 16, and an impact can be absorbed.
Moreover, the second seat surface airbag 31 extends rearward from the first seat surface airbag 21 and is deployed with lower rigidity than the first seat surface airbag 21. Therefore, for example, even if the first seat surface airbag 21 is deployed with high rigidity that is not easily deformed by the load of the occupant seated on the seat 4, It becomes difficult to contact directly. The first seating surface airbag 21 can support the second seating surface airbag 31 in contact with the second seating surface airbag 31 that is deployed with lower rigidity than the first seating surface airbag 21.

In the present embodiment, the second seat airbag 31 is deployed on the rear side of the first seat airbag 21 along with the first seat airbag 21 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the second seat surface airbag 31 can be appropriately deployed between the first seat surface airbag 21 and the occupant's waist. When the second seat airbag 31 is deformed forward and supported by the first seat airbag 21 due to the load of the occupant, the lumbar portion of the occupant hits the second seat airbag 31 as a whole and locally It can be supported by the first seat airbag 21 without any high pressure acting.
And the 2nd seat surface airbag 31 which a passenger | crew contacts directly arranges in the back side of the 1st seat surface airbag 21, and stands up separately. For this reason, even when the second seat surface airbag 31 falls down due to a load or the like, the first seat surface airbag 21 can further support the occupant. Two-stage support can be realized depending on the magnitude of the load.

In the present embodiment, the first seat surface airbag 21 and the second seat surface airbag 31 are deployed within the range of the front half of the seat surface of the seat 4. Thus, even when the first seat airbag 21 and the second seat airbag 31 cannot be deployed upward due to the skirt of the occupant seated on the seat 4, Can expand to. As a result, the front part of the seating surface is convex, and the lumbar part of the occupant wearing a skirt or the like slides forward and becomes difficult to move.
An active vent may be provided in the first seat surface airbag 21 and the second seat surface airbag 31 and exhausted when a high deployment pressure higher than a predetermined level is applied. Thereby, even in a situation where it is not possible to expand upward due to a skirt or the like, it becomes easier to expand laterally under the thigh on the front side of the waist.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, an occupant protection device 10 according to the second embodiment will be described. In the following description, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and description overlapping with the first embodiment will be omitted.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the first seat surface airbag 21 and the second seat surface airbag 31 according to the second embodiment are deployed. 6A is a front view, and FIG. 6B is a plan view.
In FIG. 6, the second seat airbag 31 is double deployed outside the first seat airbag 21. The first seat surface airbag 21 is covered with a second seat surface airbag 31.

In this way, by surrounding the first seat airbag 21 with the second seat airbag 31, the occupant's waist and the like do not directly contact the first seat airbag 21. The occupant's waist and the like hit the second seat surface airbag 31 as a whole, and can be supported by the first seat surface airbag 21 without local high pressure acting.
The second seat surface airbag 31 is deployed larger than the first seat surface airbag 21 so as to surround the first seat surface airbag 21. As a result, the area where the occupant's lower back or the like contacts the airbag increases. Accordingly, the pressure per unit area acting on the occupant's lower back can be further reduced.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, an occupant protection device 10 according to a third embodiment will be described. In the following description, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and description overlapping with the first embodiment will be omitted.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the first seat surface airbag 21 and the second seat surface airbag 31 according to the third embodiment are deployed. FIG. 7A is a front view, and FIG. 7B is a plan view.
In FIG. 7, the first seat surface airbag 21 includes a thigh deployment portion 23 that deploys upward from the seat surface of the seat 4, and a thigh deployment portion 24 that deploys in the left-right direction from the upper end of the thigh deployment portion 23. And having.
The second seat airbag 31 is deployed around the thigh deployment portion 23. A portion standing from the seat surface by the thigh deployment portion 23 and the second seat surface airbag 31 has a double airbag structure.

In this case, the thigh deployment portion 23 and the second seat airbag 31 are deployed between the right thigh and left thigh of the occupant seated on the seat 4.
Further, the thigh deployment part 24 spreads and expands from the upper end of the interthigh deployment part 23 protruding above the right thigh and left thigh of the occupant onto the right thigh and left thigh.

  As described above, in the first seat airbag 21 of the present embodiment, the thigh deployment portion 23 is deployed above the right thigh and left thigh of the occupant seated on the seat 4 and the first seat airbag The upper thigh unfolding portion 24 is deployed so as to spread from the upper end of the bag 21 to the right thigh and the left thigh. As a result, the right thigh and left thigh of the occupant seated on the seat 4 are less likely to lift from the seat 4, and the occupant's lower limbs can be suitably supported at the seating position.

  The above embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications or changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Automobile (vehicle), 2 ... Passenger compartment, 3 ... Vehicle body, 4 ... Seat, 5 ... Door, 6 ... Dashboard, 7 ... Center console, 10 ... Passenger protection device, 11 ... Passenger position sensor, 12 ... G sensor DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 ... Timer, 14 ... Passenger protection control part, 15 ... Front airbag apparatus, 16 ... Front airbag, 17 ... Inflator, 18 ... Three-point seat belt apparatus, 19 ... Seat belt, 20 ... First seat surface airbag apparatus 21 ... 1st seat surface airbag, 23 ... Thigh deployment part, 24 ... Thigh upper deployment part, 30 ... 2nd seat surface airbag apparatus, 31 ... 2nd seat surface airbag, 40 ... Automatic operation control apparatus, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 41 ... Outside-vehicle imaging sensor, 42 ... Automatic driving control part, 43 ... Steering actuator, 44 ... Brake actuator, 45 ... Power source.

Claims (7)

A first seat surface airbag that projects between a right thigh and a left thigh of an occupant seated on the seat by expanding upward from a laterally central portion of the seat surface of the vehicle;
A second seating surface airbag that extends upward from the center in the left-right direction of the seating surface of the seat and extends to the rear side from the first seating surface airbag;
Have
The second seat surface airbag is deployed with lower rigidity than the first seat surface airbag.
Crew protection device. The first seat surface airbag is deployed with high rigidity that is not easily deformed by the load of an occupant seated on the seat.
The occupant protection device according to claim 1. The second seat surface airbag is deployed on the rear side of the first seat surface airbag side by side with the first seat surface airbag in the front-rear direction.
The occupant protection device according to claim 1 or 2. The second seat airbag is double deployed on the outside of the first seat airbag.
The occupant protection device according to claim 1 or 2. The first seat surface airbag is deployed above the right thigh and left thigh of an occupant seated on the seat,
An upper thigh deployment part that expands and expands from the upper end of the first seat airbag to the right thigh and the left thigh,
The occupant protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The first seat surface airbag and the second seat surface airbag are deployed within the front half of the seat surface of the seat,
The occupant protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A seat surface airbag that projects between a right thigh portion and a left thigh portion of an occupant seated on the seat by expanding upward from a central portion in the left-right direction of the seat surface of the vehicle seat;
Crew protection device.