JP2020185837A - Occupant protection device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an occupant protection device that can improve performance of protecting an occupant at the time of a front collision or of a rear collision.SOLUTION: The occupant protection device, which protects an occupant seated on a seat provided with a seat cushion and a seat back, which can veer in a direction different from a travelling direction of a vehicle, comprises: an airbag that expands from a backrest surface of the seat back to both sides in a width direction of the seat back of the head of the occupant; and a control device that has a rotation angle acquiring unit that acquires a rotation angle formed by a direction of the seat and the travelling direction of the vehicle and an expansion switching unit that switches whether to expand the airbag or not at the time of a front collision or of a rear collision of the vehicle, on the basis of the rotation angle acquired by the rotation angle acquiring unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to an occupant protection device that protects an occupant seated in a seat.

Conventionally, a vehicle is equipped with an airbag that is deployed to protect an occupant when the own vehicle collides with another object. Airbags are provided in various parts of the vehicle, and there is a cervical airbag as an airbag that suppresses the movement of the occupant's head and neck. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique for suppressing the movement of the occupant's head and neck in the vehicle width direction by deploying cervical airbags on both sides of the occupant's head in the vehicle width direction at the time of a side collision. Is disclosed.

By the way, the seat may be configured so that the direction can be changed. For example, the driver's seat provided in a vehicle capable of autonomous driving may be configured to be able to change direction in a direction different from the traveling direction of the vehicle (for example, sideways or backward).

JP-A-2015-13553

However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the cervical airbag is deployed at the time of lateral collision, but the direction of the seat is not considered at all. Therefore, for example, if the seat is turned sideways at the time of a front collision, the neck airbag may not be deployed, and the occupant's head and neck are in the traveling direction of the vehicle (one side in the width direction of the seat). It may move and damage the occupants.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an occupant protection device capable of improving the protection performance of an occupant in the event of a frontal collision or a rearward collision.

(1) The occupant protection device according to at least one embodiment of the present invention includes a seat cushion and a seat back, and protects an occupant seating on a seat that can change direction in a direction different from the traveling direction of the vehicle. An airbag that extends from the backrest surface of the seat back to both sides of the occupant's neck in the width direction, a seat direction sensor that acquires the direction of the seat, and a frontal collision or rear surface of the vehicle. A control device including a deployment switching unit that switches whether to deploy the airbag based on a rotation angle formed by the direction of the seat acquired by the seat direction sensor and the traveling direction of the vehicle at the time of a collision. , Equipped with.

According to the configuration of (1) above, the airbag (neck airbag) that extends from the backrest surface of the seat back to both sides of the seat back of the occupant's neck in the width direction is a frontal collision (front collision) or a rear surface of the vehicle. At the time of a collision (rear collision), it is switched whether or not to deploy based on the rotation angle formed by the direction of the seat and the traveling direction of the vehicle. Therefore, even if the seat is configured so that the direction can be changed, the cervical airbag is deployed based on the rotation angle, so that it is possible to improve the protection performance of the occupant in the case of a front collision or a rear time.

Further, the vehicle is often provided with another airbag that is deployed in front of the occupant when the seat is facing forward, such as a driver's seat airbag provided on the steering wheel. Therefore, if the seat is facing forward at the time of front collision, the cervical airbag and other airbags may interfere with each other, and the protection performance of the occupant as a whole vehicle may be deteriorated. However, according to the configuration of (1) above, the rotation angle when the seat is facing forward is set in advance as the rotation angle at which the deployment of the cervical airbag is stopped, so that the cervical airbag can be released at the time of front collision. It will not expand. Therefore, the cervical airbag and other airbags do not interfere with each other, and it is possible to prevent deterioration of the protection performance of the occupants of the vehicle as a whole.

(2) In some embodiments, in the configuration described in (1) above, a position sensor for detecting the position of the seat in the front-rear direction is further provided, and the deployment switching unit determines the position of the seat in the front-rear direction. It is switched whether or not to deploy the airbag in consideration of it.

Since the cervical airbag is deployed from the backrest surface of the seat back, the deployed cervical airbag also moves in the front-rear direction by the amount that the seat moves in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the cervical airbag may interfere with other airbags deployed in front of the occupant depending on the position of the seat in the front-rear direction. According to the configuration of (2) above, it is switched whether or not to deploy the cervical airbag in consideration of not only the direction of the seat but also the position in the front-rear direction of the seat. Therefore, even if the seat is facing forward, if the position in the front-rear direction of the seat is such that the cervical airbag and other airbags do not interfere with each other, the cervical airbag is deployed and the vehicle as a whole is deployed. It is possible to further improve the protection performance of the occupants.

(3) In some embodiments, in the configuration described in (1) or (2) above, an inclination angle sensor for detecting the inclination angle of the seat back with respect to the seat cushion is further provided, and the deployment switching unit is provided. Whether or not to deploy the airbag is switched in consideration of the inclination angle.

Since the cervical airbag is deployed from the backrest surface of the seat back, the deployed cervical airbag also moves in the front-rear direction by the amount that the seat back is tilted. For this reason, the cervical airbag may interfere with other airbags deployed in front of the occupant due to the inclination angle of the seat back. According to the configuration of (3) above, it is switched whether or not to deploy the cervical airbag in consideration of not only the direction of the seat but also the inclination angle of the seat back. Therefore, even if the seat is facing forward, if the inclination angle of the seat back is such that the cervical airbag and other airbags do not interfere with each other, the cervical airbag is deployed and the occupant of the vehicle as a whole is deployed. It is possible to further improve the protection performance of the.

(4) In some embodiments, in the configuration according to any one of (1) to (3) above, the airbag is a one-sided deploying portion that expands on one side in the width direction of the backrest surface. And the other side unfolding portion that unfolds on the other side in the width direction of the backrest surface.

According to the configuration of (4) above, the neck airbag can be deployed so that the occupant's neck is located between the one-side deployment portion and the other-side deployment portion, so that the occupant's neck is the width of the seat back. It is possible to suppress the movement to one side in the direction or the other side in the width direction.

(5) In some embodiments, in the configuration according to any one of (1) to (4) above, the backrest surface is located on the upper end side of the seat back with respect to the deployed airbag. Further provided with a convex portion protruding from.

According to the findings of the present inventors, for example, if the seat is facing backward at the time of a front collision, the occupant may move forward. In particular, when the seat back is greatly inclined with respect to the seat cushion, when the so-called seat is in the reclining state, the occupant's torso slides on the backrest surface of the seat back and moves in the direction of travel (forward) of the vehicle. Moving. However, according to the configuration of (5) above, even if the seat is turned backward at the time of front collision, the deployed airbag and the convex portion interfere with each other, and the deployed cervical airbag supports the occupant. , It is possible to prevent the occupant from moving forward.

(6) In some embodiments, in the configuration according to any one of (1) to (5) above, the rotation angle when the traveling direction of the vehicle and the direction of the seat coincide with each other is determined. It is set to 0 degrees and increases as the vehicle rotates in a direction opposite to the traveling direction, and the rotation angle when the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle coincides with the direction of the seat is 180 degrees. When the rotation angle is 0 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees, the deployment switching unit stops the deployment of the airbag.

According to the configuration of (6) above, when the seat is sideways (rotation angle = 90 degrees) and the seat is backwards (90 degrees <rotation angle ≤ 180 degrees), the neck airbag can be deployed and the seat can be deployed. When facing forward (0 degree ≤ rotation angle <90 degrees), the deployment of the cervical airbag can be stopped.

According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the deployment switching section switches whether to deploy the cervical airbag based on the rotation angle formed by the direction of the seat and the traveling direction of the vehicle. It is possible to improve the protection performance of the occupants in the event of a rear collision.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows the structure of the occupant protection device which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state before deployment of the neck airbag which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the structure of the seat back which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the rotation angle which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention, and is the figure when the driver's seat is viewed in the vertical direction. It is a figure which shows the state after deployment of the neck airbag which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention, and is the figure when the driver's seat is viewed in the front-rear direction. It is a figure which showed the operator who sits in the driver's seat at the time of a frontal collision. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the structure of the occupant protection device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the deployment range of the neck airbag which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the structure of the occupant protection device which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the deployment range of the neck airbag which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which showed the operator who sits in the rearward-facing driver's seat at the time of a frontal collision. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the structure of the occupant protection device which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the operation of the occupant protection device which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described as embodiments or shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to this, but are merely explanatory examples. Absent.

The occupant protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention protects an occupant seated on a seat that can change direction in a direction different from the traveling direction of the vehicle. In the occupant protection device according to the first to fourth embodiments, the case of protecting the operator sitting in the driver's seat will be described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The occupant protection device may, for example, protect an occupant seated in the passenger seat or a occupant seated in the rear seat as long as the seat is configured to be able to change the direction. Further, in the present disclosure, the traveling direction of the vehicle is described as "forward" and the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle is described as "rear", including the description in the drawings. Further, the width direction of the sheet is simply described as "width direction".

(First Embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 1, the driver's seat 100 on which the driver P1 is seated includes a seat cushion 101 that supports the thigh P2 and the like of the driver P1 and a seat back 102 that supports the body P3 and the like of the driver P1. To be equipped. Each of the seat cushion 101 and the seat back 102 is made of a synthetic resin material such as urethane foam, and can alleviate the load applied to the driver P1 at the time of a vehicle collision. A headrest 103 is attached to the upper end 102c of the seat back 102. Further, in front of the driver's seat 100, a steering wheel 107 which is attached to the instrument panel 106 and can give a steering angle to the wheels of the vehicle by being operated by the operator P1 is arranged.

The seat cushion 101 is attached to the floor surface 109 via the rotary connecting portion 108. The rotation connecting portion 108 is configured to be rotatable about the rotation axis L when the rotation axis L extending from the floor surface 109 in the vertical direction of the vehicle is defined. The seat cushion 101 and the seat back 102 rotate with respect to the floor surface 109 by rotating the rotary connecting portion 108. In the present disclosure, the direction of the driver's seat 100 means the direction of rotation of the seat cushion 101, the direction of the driver's seat 100 shown in FIG. 1 is "forward", and the direction opposite to the direction of the driver's seat 100 shown in FIG. Is "backward", "forward" or "backward", and the direction in which the driver's seat 100 is rotated 90 degrees (vehicle width direction) is defined as "sideways".

Further, the seat cushion 101 is attached to the rotary connecting portion 108 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction of the vehicle with respect to the floor surface 109, and the seat cushion 101 is moved in the front-rear direction to position the driver's seat 100 in the front-rear direction. It is configured to be adjustable.

One end 101a of the seat cushion 101 and the lower end 102b of the seat back 102 are connected by a connecting portion 104. The connecting portion 104 is provided with a urging means (not shown) such as a spring, and urges the seat back 102 in a direction in which the inclination angle θ2 of the seat back 102 with respect to the seat cushion 101 becomes smaller. The driver's seat 100 is provided with a lever 110 for switching whether or not to apply an urging force to the seat back 102. When the lever 110 is turned on, the seat back 102 falls forward about the connecting portion 104 due to the urging force applied from the connecting portion 104. When the operator P1 applies a force to the seat back 102 backward with the lever 110 turned on, the seat back 102 falls backward about the connecting portion 104. When the lever 110 is turned off, the seat back 102 is not subjected to the urging force from the connecting portion 104, and the seat back 102 is fixed so as not to fall (the inclination angle θ2 is determined).

The occupant protection device 1A according to the first embodiment of the present invention is a driver's seat 100 (seat) provided with a seat cushion 101 and a seat back 102, and by rotating the rotary connecting portion 108, the traveling direction of the vehicle can be changed. It protects the operator P1 seated in the driver's seat 100 that can change direction in a different direction. Such an occupant protection device 1A includes a neck airbag 2 (airbag) and a control device 4.

The cervical airbag 2 is formed in a bag shape by suturing a base cloth formed by weaving a resin material such as nylon resin. As shown in FIG. 2, the cervical airbag 2 is normally housed in a folded state in a housing part 6 built in the seat back 102 (before being deployed due to a vehicle collision). The accommodating portion 6 is made of a metal material or the like, and includes a lid portion 6a that opens into the vehicle interior and closes the opening portion 6b. The lid portion 6a is released by the action of the expansion pressure of the neck airbag 2 equal to or higher than a predetermined value, and the accommodating portion 6 opens into the vehicle interior. The lid portion 6a is formed on the backrest surface 102a of the seat back 102.

The position where the lid portion 6a is formed will be specifically described with reference to FIG. The lower end 102b of the seat back 102 is set at a position of 0% of the height D1 of the seat back 102, and the position increases toward the upper end 102c of the seat back 102, and the upper end 102c of the seat back 102 is set to the height D1 of the seat back 102. When defined as a position of 100% with respect to the height D1, the lid portion 6a is formed on the backrest surface 102a so as to be located within a range of 80% or more and 100% or less with respect to the height D1 of the seat back 102.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the accommodating portion 6 accommodates the inflator 8 together with the neck airbag 2. The inflator 8 is configured to generate an expansion gas when the vehicle collides with the front (front collision) or when a front collision is predicted, and supplies the expansion gas to the neck airbag 2. A gas generator having a cylinder shape, for example. The inflator 8 is electrically connected to the control device 4 via a wire harness (not shown).

The control device 4 includes a CPU (processor) (not shown), a memory (storage device) such as a ROM or RAM, an I / O interface, and the like. Then, the processor operates (data calculation, etc.) according to the instruction of the program loaded in the storage device. Such a control device 4 is electrically connected to a collision sensor 10 that detects a frontal collision, and is configured so that electrical information can be exchanged with each other.

The operation of the occupant protection device 1A according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 4 includes a rotation angle acquisition unit 12 and a deployment switching unit 14. The control device 4 is electrically connected to the seat direction detecting unit 13 provided in the rotary connecting unit 108. The seat direction detection unit 13 detects the rotation direction of the seat cushion 101 (that is, the direction of the driver's seat 100) and transmits the direction of the driver's seat 100 to the control device 4. Then, the direction of the driver's seat 100 is input to the rotation angle acquisition unit 12, and the rotation angle acquisition unit 12 acquires the rotation angle θ1 formed by the direction of the driver's seat 100 and the preset traveling direction of the vehicle.

Here, the rotation angle θ1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4A shows a case where the driver's seat 100 is facing forward. FIG. 4B shows a case where the driver's seat 100 is facing backward. FIG. 4C shows a case where the driver's seat 100 is oriented sideways (inward in the vehicle width direction).

The operator P1 arbitrarily sets the direction of the driver's seat 100 by rotating the rotary connecting portion 108. As shown in FIG. 4, when the driver's seat 100 is facing forward (set by the driver P1), the direction of the driver's seat 100 and the traveling direction of the vehicle coincide with each other. At this time, the rotation angle θ1 acquired by the rotation angle acquisition unit 12 is set to 0 degree, and the rotation angle θ1 increases as the vehicle rotates clockwise or counterclockwise in the direction opposite to the vehicle traveling direction, and the direction opposite to the vehicle traveling direction. The rotation angle θ1 when and the direction of the driver's seat 100 coincide with each other is defined as 180 degrees. The rotation angle acquisition unit 12 acquires 0 degrees when the direction of the driver's seat 100 is forward, 180 degrees when the direction of the driver's seat 100 is backward, and 90 degrees when the direction of the driver's seat 100 is sideways. To do. Note that FIG. 4C shows a case where the driver P1 rotates the driver's seat 100 clockwise with respect to the paper surface.

The deployment switching unit 14 switches whether or not to deploy the cervical airbag 2 at the time of front collision based on the rotation angle θ1 acquired by the rotation angle acquisition unit 12. In the first embodiment, the deployment switching unit 14 stops the deployment of the cervical airbag 2 when the rotation angle θ1 is 0 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees, and deploys the cervical airbag 2 when the rotation angle θ1 is 90 degrees or more and 180 degrees or less. Switch to let. That is, the deployment switching unit 14 switches so that the neck airbag 2 does not deploy when the driver's seat 100 is facing forward, and the neck airbag 2 expands when the driver's seat 100 is facing backward or sideways. ..

When the control device 4 is switched to deploy the neck airbag 2 by the deployment switching unit 14 when the front collision is determined by the signal from the collision sensor 10 or when the front collision is predicted, the inflator An operating current is passed through 8. The inflator 8 generates an expansion gas when an operating current flows, and supplies the expansion gas to the neck airbag 2.

Then, as shown in FIG. 5, when the expansion gas is supplied to the neck airbag 2, the neck airbag 2 is moved from the backrest surface 102a of the seat back 102 to both sides of the neck P4 of the operator P1 in the width direction. expand. At this time, the neck airbag 2 includes a one-sided deploying portion 2A that expands on one side in the width direction of the backrest surface 102a, and a other-side deploying portion 2B that expands on the other side in the width direction of the backrest surface 102a. When the driver's seat 100 is viewed in the front-rear direction of the vehicle when the cervical airbag 2 is deployed, at least a part of each of the one-side deployment portion 2A and the other-side deployment portion 2B is the upper end portion of the seat back 102. It overlaps with 102c.

On the other hand, the control device 4 is switched by the deployment switching unit 14 to stop the deployment of the cervical airbag 2 when the front collision is determined by the signal from the collision sensor 10 or when the front collision is predicted. If so, the operating current is not passed through the inflator 8. Since no operating current flows through the inflator 8, expansion gas is not supplied to the cervical airbag 2 and the cervical airbag 2 does not deploy.

The effect of the occupant protection device 1A according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 6A, when the driver's seat 100 is facing forward at the time of a frontal collision, the driver P1 moves forward, especially the neck P4 and the head P5 of the driver P1. On the other hand, conventional vehicles are often provided with other airbags that are deployed in front of the driver P1, such as the driver airbag 112 provided on the steering wheel 107. Therefore, if the driver's seat 100 is facing forward at the time of a front collision, the neck airbag 2 deployed from the backrest surface 102a and the driver's seat airbag 112 interfere with each other, and the neck P4 and the head of the driver P1 The forward movement of P5 cannot be stably suppressed, and the neck P4 and head P5 of the operator P1 may be damaged.

However, according to the first embodiment, the deployment switching unit 14 switches so as to stop the deployment of the cervical airbag 2 when the rotation angle θ1 is 0 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees, that is, it operates at the time of a front collision. When the seat 100 is facing forward, the neck airbag 2 does not deploy. Therefore, the neck airbag 2 and the driver airbag 112 do not interfere with each other, and it is possible to prevent deterioration of the protection performance of the neck P4 and the head P5 of the driver P1 as a whole vehicle.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the driver's seat 100 is facing backward at the time of a front collision, the neck airbag 2 and the driver's airbag 112 do not interfere with each other, or the driver's airbag 112 Since the influence of the interference on the neck airbag 2 is very small, it is desirable to deploy the neck airbag 2 in order to protect the neck P4 and the head P5 of the operator P1.

According to the first embodiment, the deployment switching unit 14 switches so that the neck airbag 2 deploys when the rotation angle θ1 is 90 degrees or more and 180 degrees or less. That is, when the driver's seat 100 is facing backward at the time of a front collision, the neck airbag 2 can be deployed to improve the protection performance of the neck P4 and the head P5 of the operator P1. The movement (particularly forward movement) of the neck P4 and the head P5 of the operator P1 can be suppressed by the headrest 103.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6C, when the driver's seat 100 is turned sideways at the time of a front collision, the neck P4 and the head P5 of the operator P1 move forward (one side in the width direction). There is a risk that the neck P4 will be excessively extended. According to the first embodiment, the deployment switching unit 14 switches so that the neck airbag 2 deploys when the rotation angle θ1 is 90 degrees or more and 180 degrees or less. That is, when the driver's seat 100 is turned sideways at the time of a front collision, the neck airbag 2 is deployed. When the cervical airbag 2 is deployed, the cervical portion P4 of the operator P1 is located between the one-side deployment portion 2A and the other side deployment portion 2B, so that the unilateral deployment portion 2A displaces the cervical portion P4 of the operator P1. It can support and prevent the neck P4 and the head P5 of the operator P1 from moving forward.

In this way, the cervical airbag 2 is configured to be able to change direction because it is switched whether or not to deploy based on the direction (rotation angle θ1) of the driver's seat 100 at the time of front collision. However, it is possible to improve the protection performance of the operator P1 at the time of a front collision.

In the first embodiment, the case where a front collision occurs is described as an example, but the occupant protection device 1A can be applied even when a rear-end collision of a vehicle such as a rear-end collision occurs. In this case, the collision sensor 10 is configured to be able to detect a rear collision.

(Second Embodiment)
The occupant protection device 1B according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. The occupant protection device 1B is different from the occupant protection device 1A according to the first embodiment in that a position sensor 16 is further provided. In the second embodiment, the same components as those of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 7, the occupant protection device 1B further includes a position sensor 16 that detects the position of the seat cushion 101 in the front-rear direction (position in the front-rear direction of the driver's seat 100) with respect to the floor surface 109. The position sensor 16 is provided on the seat cushion 101 and is electrically connected to the control device 4. The position sensor 16 transmits the detected position of the driver's seat 100 in the front-rear direction to the control device 4. The position of the driver's seat 100 in the front-rear direction is input to the deployment switching unit 14, and the deployment switching unit 14 switches whether or not to deploy the neck airbag 2 in consideration of the position of the driver's seat 100 in the front-rear direction.

Specifically, even if the rotation angle θ1 is 0 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees, the deployment switching unit 14 has a neck when the position of the driver's seat 100 in the front-rear direction exceeds a predetermined position and is located rearward. The part airbag 2 is switched so as to be deployed. This predetermined position is predetermined based on, for example, the length of the deployed neck airbag 2 in the front-rear direction and the length of the deployed driver's seat airbag 112 in the front-rear direction.

As shown in FIG. 8, since the cervical airbag 2 is deployed from the backrest surface 102a of the seat back 102, the deployed cervical airbag 2 also moves in the front-rear direction by the amount that the driver's seat 100 moves in the front-rear direction. .. Therefore, the neck airbag 2 may interfere with the driver airbag 112 deployed in front of the driver P1 depending on the position of the driver seat 100 in the front-rear direction. When the driver's seat 100 is in the position indicated by the broken line, the neck airbag 2 and the driver's seat airbag 112 interfere with each other. On the other hand, when the driver's seat 100 is in the position shown by the solid line, the neck airbag 2 and the driver's seat airbag 112 do not interfere with each other. Therefore, when the driver's seat 100 is in the position shown by the solid line, it is desirable to deploy the neck airbag 2 even if the driver's seat 100 is facing forward.

According to the second embodiment, it is switched whether or not to deploy the neck airbag 2 in consideration of not only the direction of the driver's seat 100 but also the position of the driver's seat 100 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, even if the driver's seat 100 is facing forward, the neck airbag 2 can be deployed when the driver's seat 100 is slid backward beyond a predetermined position. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the protection performance of the operator P1 as a whole vehicle at the time of a front collision.

(Third Embodiment)
The occupant protection device 1C according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11. The occupant protection device 1C is different from the occupant protection device 1B according to the second embodiment in that the tilt angle sensor 18 is further provided. In the third embodiment, the same components as those of the second embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 9, the occupant protection device 1C further includes an inclination angle sensor 18 for detecting the inclination angle θ2. The tilt angle sensor 18 is provided at the connecting portion 104 and is electrically connected to the control device 4. The tilt angle sensor 18 transmits the detected tilt angle θ2 to the control device 4. The inclination angle θ2 is input to the deployment switching unit 14, and the expansion switching unit 14 switches whether or not to deploy the neck airbag 2 in consideration of the inclination angle θ2.

Specifically, the deployment switching unit 14 switches to deploy the neck airbag 2 when the inclination angle θ2 exceeds a predetermined angle even if the rotation angle θ1 is 0 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees. .. This predetermined angle is predetermined based on, for example, the length of the deployed cervical airbag 2 in the front-rear direction and the length of the deployed driver's seat airbag 112 in the front-rear direction.

As shown in FIG. 10, since the neck airbag 2 is deployed from the backrest surface 102a of the seat back 102, the deployed neck airbag 2 also moves in the front-rear direction by the amount that the seat back 102 is tilted. Therefore, the neck airbag 2 may interfere with the driver airbag 112 deployed in front of the operator P1 due to the inclination angle θ2 of the seat back 102. When the seat back 102 is tilted at the tilt angle θ21 (θ2) as shown by the broken line, the neck airbag 2 and the driver airbag 112 interfere with each other. On the other hand, when the seat back 102 is tilted at the tilt angle θ22 (θ2) as shown by the solid line, the driver airbag 112 and the neck airbag 2 do not interfere with each other. Therefore, when the seat back 102 is tilted at the tilt angle θ22, it is desirable to deploy the neck airbag 2 even if the driver's seat 100 is facing forward.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, when the driver's seat 100 is facing backward at the time of a front collision and the driver's seat 100 is in the reclining state, the fuselage portion P3 of the operator P1 is indicated by an arrow. Glide on the backrest surface 102a of the seat back 102. Then, the driver P1 may move in the traveling direction (forward) of the vehicle, and the driver P1 may be damaged. Therefore, the neck airbag 2 is deployed in front of the fuselage P3, and the deployed neck airbag 2 supports the fuselage P3 of the operator P1 to suppress the forward movement of the operator P1. Is desirable. The reclining state means, for example, a state in which the inclination angle θ2 exceeds 120 degrees.

According to the third embodiment, it is switched whether or not the neck airbag 2 is deployed in consideration of not only the direction of the driver's seat 100 but also the inclination angle θ2 of the seat back 102. Therefore, even if the driver's seat 100 is facing forward, the neck airbag 2 can be deployed when the seat back 102 is tilted at the tilt angle θ22, and the driver P1 as a whole vehicle at the time of a front collision. It is possible to further improve the protection performance of. Further, even when the driver's seat 100 is facing backward and in the reclining state, the neck airbag 2 is deployed to support the fuselage P3 of the driver P1 to suppress the forward movement of the driver P1. can do.

(Fourth Embodiment)
The occupant protection device 1D according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. The occupant protection device 1D is different from the occupant protection device 1C according to the third embodiment in that a convex portion 20 is further provided. In the fourth embodiment, the same components as those of the third embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the occupant protection device 1D further includes a convex portion 20 protruding from the backrest surface 102a. As shown in FIG. 13, the convex portion 20 is formed on the upper end portion 102c side of the backrest surface 102a of the seat back 102 with respect to the opening 6b, and the upper end portion of the seat back 102 is formed with respect to the deployed neck airbag 2. It is located on the side of the portion 102c. Note that FIG. 13 shows a case where the driver's seat 100 is facing backward and is in the reclining state.

As described above, when the driver's seat 100 is facing backward and in the reclining state at the time of a front collision, the fuselage portion P3 of the driver P1 slides on the backrest surface 102a as shown by the arrow, and the driver P1 moves forward. Move to. However, according to the fourth embodiment, since the convex portion 20 is provided on the backrest surface 20, the deployed neck airbag 2 and the convex portion 20 interfere with each other. Then, since the body portion P3 of the operator P1 is supported by the deployed neck airbag 2, the forward movement of the operator P1 can be further suppressed.

Although the occupant protection device according to the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes can be made without departing from the object of the present invention. It is possible.

1A Crew protection device (first embodiment)
1B occupant protection device (second embodiment)
1C Crew Protective Device (Third Embodiment)
1D occupant protection device (fourth embodiment)
2 Cervical airbag 2A One side deployment part 2B Other side deployment part 4 Control device 6 Storage part 6a Lid part 8 Inflator 10 Collision sensor 12 Rotation angle acquisition part 13 Seat direction detection part 14 Deployment switching part 16 Position sensor 18 Tilt angle sensor 20 Convex part 100 Driver's seat 101 Seat cushion 102 Seat back 102a Backrest surface 103 Headrest 104 Connecting part 106 Instrument panel 107 Steering wheel 108 Rotating connecting part 109 Floor surface 110 Lever 112 Driver's airbag L Rotating shaft P1 Operator P3 Body P4 neck P5 head

Claims (6)

A seat provided with a seat cushion and a seat back, which is a occupant protection device that protects an occupant seated on a seat that can change direction in a direction different from the traveling direction of the vehicle.
An airbag that extends from the backrest surface of the seat back to both sides of the neck of the occupant in the width direction of the seat back.
At the time of frontal collision or rearward collision of the vehicle based on the rotation angle acquisition unit that acquires the rotation angle formed by the direction of the seat and the traveling direction of the vehicle and the rotation angle acquired by the rotation angle acquisition unit. An occupant protection device including a control device including a deployment switching unit that switches whether or not to deploy the airbag. A position sensor for detecting the position of the seat in the front-rear direction is further provided.
The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the deployment switching unit switches whether or not to deploy the airbag in consideration of the position of the seat in the front-rear direction. Further provided with an inclination angle sensor for detecting the inclination angle of the seat back with respect to the seat cushion.
The occupant protection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the deployment switching unit switches whether or not to deploy the airbag in consideration of the inclination angle. The airbag is
A one-sided development portion that expands on one side of the backrest surface in the width direction,
The occupant protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a other side unfolding portion that unfolds on the other side of the backrest surface in the width direction. The occupant protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is located on the upper end side of the seat back with respect to the deployed airbag and further includes a convex portion protruding from the backrest surface. The rotation angle when the traveling direction of the vehicle and the direction of the seat coincide with each other is set to 0 degree, and the rotation angle increases as the vehicle rotates in a direction opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle. When the rotation angle when the opposite direction and the direction of the sheet coincide with each other is defined as 180 degrees,
The occupant protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the deployment switching unit stops deployment of the airbag when the rotation angle is 0 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees.

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