JP2023092821A - Pedestrian protection device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a pedestrian protection device for a vehicle capable of sufficiently protecting a pedestrian or the like by a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A protection device 100 comprises: a pop-up mechanism 112 which is provided under a front hood 104 of a vehicle 102 and raises a wind shield 108 side of the front hood 104 when contact between the vehicle 102 and a pedestrian is predicted or detected; base parts 114a which respectively constitute a base body of each of a pair of A-pillars 110a of the vehicle 102; surface layer parts 116a which are provided to the base parts 114a on the outside of the vehicle and form the exterior of the A-pillars 110a; hinges 126 which rotatably connect an upper end of the surface layer part 116a and the base part 114a; and connection parts 128 which connect a lower end of the surface layer part 116a and the front hood 104. The surface layer parts 116a are raised via the connection parts 128 when the front hood 104 is raised and separate from the base parts 114a while pivoting around the hinges 126 as pivot points.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle pedestrian protection device provided in a front portion of a vehicle including a front hood and an A-pillar.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a vehicle is being equipped with a vehicle pedestrian protection device as a device for protecting pedestrians and bicycles (hereinafter referred to as pedestrians) when they come into contact with them. As a main vehicle pedestrian protection device, for example, there is a pedestrian protection airbag device that covers a portion, such as a windshield, that may come into contact with a pedestrian or the like.

In addition, as a vehicle pedestrian protection device, for example, a mechanism has been developed in which the front hood is lifted in an emergency to soften the impact on a pedestrian or the like in contact with the front hood. For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a hood lifting device as a technique by the applicant of the present application. This hood lifting device is based on a technique centered on a cylindrical actuator 1, and uses the actuator 1 to realize a pop-up mechanism that lifts the windshield side of the front hood.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-511986

When the vehicle collides with a pedestrian or the like at a certain speed, the pedestrian or the like may run on the front hood and contact the A-pillar as well as the windshield. Since the A-pillar is a relatively rigid structure that supports the side edges of the windshield and the roof, it is desirable to take measures against contact with the A-pillar in order to fully protect pedestrians.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a pedestrian protection device for a vehicle that can sufficiently protect pedestrians and the like with a simple configuration.

In order to solve the above problems, a typical configuration of the vehicle pedestrian protection device according to the present invention is provided below the front hood of the vehicle, and when contact between the vehicle and the pedestrian is predicted or detected, A pop-up mechanism that raises the windshield side of the front hood, a base portion that is the base of each of the pair of A pillars of the vehicle, and a surface layer portion that is provided outside the vehicle of the base portion and forms the exterior of the A pillar. , a hinge that rotatably connects the upper end of the surface portion and the base portion, and a connecting portion that connects the lower end of the surface portion and the front hood, the surface portion being connected when the front hood is raised. It is characterized in that it is lifted through the part and separated from the base part with the hinge as a fulcrum.

According to the above configuration, since the surface layer of the A-pillar rises together with the front hood in an emergency, the rigidity of the A-pillar can be lowered, and the impact of a pedestrian coming into contact with the A-pillar can be softened. Therefore, according to the above configuration, it is possible to sufficiently protect pedestrians and the like with a simple configuration.

The pop-up mechanism has an airbag cushion that inflates and deploys from below the front hood toward the windshield. good.

According to the above configuration, by using the airbag cushion that inflates and deploys from the front hood toward the windshield, the windshield side of the front hood is lifted and the airbag cushion is inflated between the base portion and the surface portion. By deploying it, it is possible to further soften the impact when a pedestrian or the like comes into contact with the A-pillar.

The airbag cushions include a main inflatable portion covering at least the lower portion of the windshield from one to the other of the pair of A-pillars of the vehicle, and a pair of airbag cushions projecting upward from the main inflatable portion along each of the pair of A-pillars. each of the pair of protruding expansion portions may be inflated and deployed between the base portion and the surface layer portion separated from the base portion.

According to the above configuration, the airbag cushion can be used to protect pedestrians and the like from contact with the windshield and the like, and the impact when the pedestrian and the like comes into contact with the A-pillar can be further softened by the projecting expansion portion. . In addition, by sandwiching the projecting inflation portion between the base portion and the surface portion of the A-pillar, it is possible to suppress the movement of the airbag cushion and improve the restraint performance of the airbag cushion.

Each of the pair of protruding expansion portions may be bent from the base portion side of the surface layer portion to cover the surface portion opposite to the base portion.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent a pedestrian or the like from directly contacting the surface layer of the A-pillar, thereby more fully protecting the pedestrian or the like.

The connection portion may have a link mechanism that relatively operably connects the surface layer portion and the front hood.

According to the above configuration, by operably connecting the front hood and the surface layer of the A-pillar, it is possible to smoothly raise the front hood and the surface layer of the A-pillar linked to the front hood. become.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the pedestrian protection apparatus for vehicles which can fully protect a pedestrian etc. with a simple structure can be provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is the figure which illustrated the outline|summary of the pedestrian protection apparatus for vehicles which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the vicinity of an A-pillar in FIG. 1; 2A and 2B are cross-sectional views in the vicinity of an A-pillar in FIG. 1; FIG. It is the figure which illustrated the outline|summary of the pedestrian protection apparatus for vehicles which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the vicinity of an A-pillar in FIG. 4; It is sectional drawing of A pillar vicinity of FIG.5(b). It is the figure which illustrated the modification of the airbag cushion of FIG.4(b). 3 is a diagram illustrating a modification of the pop-up mechanism of FIG. 2; FIG.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values shown in these embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention, and do not limit the invention unless otherwise specified. In the present specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals to omit redundant description, and elements that are not directly related to the present invention are omitted from the drawings. do.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a vehicle pedestrian protection device (hereinafter referred to as a protection device 100) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1(a) is a diagram illustrating the vehicle before the protective device 100 is activated. In FIG. 1 and other figures, arrows F (Forward) and B (Back) indicate the vehicle front-rear direction, arrows L (Left) and R (Right) indicate the left and right of the vehicle width direction, and arrow U indicates the vehicle vertical direction. (up), D (down) for example.

The protective device 100 is intended to protect pedestrians, bicycle drivers, motorcycle drivers, and the like from contacting the vehicle 102 .

The protective device 100 has a pop-up mechanism 112 below the front hood 104 as an element that performs a central function. The pop-up mechanism 112 raises the windshield 108 side of the front hood 104 when contact between the vehicle 102 and a pedestrian or the like is predicted or detected, and softens the impact when the pedestrian or the like contacts the front hood 104. .

FIG. 1(b) is a diagram illustrating the vehicle when the protective device 100 of FIG. 1(a) is in operation. In an emergency, the protective device 100 also raises the surface layers 116a and 116b of the pair of A-pillars 110a and 110b in conjunction with the elevation of the front hood 104. As shown in FIG. This makes it possible to soften the impact of pedestrians or the like when they come into contact with the A pillars 110a and 110b.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the A-pillar 110a in FIG. FIG. 2(a) is a schematic AA cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the A pillar 110a in FIG. 1(a). Since the A-pillars 110a and 110b have the same symmetrical structure, the A-pillar 110a on the left side of the vehicle will be described below as a representative example.

The pop-up mechanism 112 of this embodiment is realized by including a cylinder-shaped actuator 118a. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A, a pair of actuators 118a and 118b are provided below the vehicle rear side of the front hood 104 in the vehicle front portion and at both ends of the front hood 104 in the vehicle width direction. is installed. The protective device 100 can detect or predict contact between the vehicle 102 and a pedestrian or the like through a sensor, camera, or the like (not shown). When detecting contact with a pedestrian or the like, the protective device 100 sends an actuation signal to the actuator 118a via the control unit or the like to operate the actuator 118a.

FIG. 2(b) is a schematic BB cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the A pillar 110a in FIG. 1(b). The actuator 118a has a pyrotechnic charge 122 and a piston 124 inside a housing 120. Upon receiving a signal from a control unit or the like, the pyrotechnic charge 122 burns and the piston 124 protrudes upward from the housing 120. It's how it works. Due to the movement of the piston 124 at this time, the actuator 118a lifts the windshield 108 side of the front hood 104 behind the vehicle (see FIG. 1(b)).

The A-pillar 110a includes a base portion 114a and a surface layer portion 116a. The base portion 114a is a portion forming the base of the A-pillar 110a of the vehicle 102. As shown in FIG. The surface layer portion 116a is provided on the vehicle outer side of the base portion 114a and forms the exterior of the A-pillar 110a.

The upper end of the surface layer portion 116a and the base portion 114a are rotatably connected by a hinge 126. As shown in FIG. The lower end of the surface layer portion 116a and the front hood 104 are connected by a connecting portion 128 so as to be relatively operable.

Since the surface layer portion 116a is connected to the front hood 104 at the connection portion 128, the surface layer portion 116a is lifted via the connection portion 128 when the front hood 104 is raised, and is separated from the base portion 114a with the hinge 126 as a fulcrum. According to this configuration, in an emergency, the surface layer portion 116a of the A-pillar 110a rises together with the front hood 104, thereby lowering the rigidity of the A-pillar 110a and softening the impact when a pedestrian or the like comes into contact with the A-pillar 110a. be able to.

The connection portion 128 has a link mechanism 130 that relatively operably connects the surface layer portion 116a and the front hood 104 . The link mechanism 130 has, for example, a link member 132 and a plurality of rotating parts 134 and 135 to connect the surface layer part 116 a and the front hood 104 . With this configuration, the front hood 104 and the surface layer 116a of the A-pillar 110a are operably connected, and the front hood 104 and the surface layer 116a linked to the front hood 104 can be raised smoothly. It has become.

3A and 3B are cross-sectional views of the vicinity of the A pillar 110a in FIG. FIG. 3(a) is a CC cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the A pillar 110a of FIG. 1(a). The base portion 114a of the A-pillar 110a is composed of, for example, an outer panel 136 on the outside of the vehicle, an inner panel 138 on the inside of the vehicle, a garnish 140, and the like. Since the base portion 114a supports the windshield 108, the side windows 142, a roof (not shown), etc., it has a suitable rigidity.

The surface layer portion 116a can be configured, for example, so that the outer panel 136 and the outer side of the vehicle are flush with each other.

FIG. 3(b) is a DD cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the A pillar 110a in FIG. 1(b). When the surface layer portion 116a moves away from the base portion 114a in conjunction with the front hood 104 (see FIG. 2B), a space E1 is formed between the surface layer portion 116a and the base portion 114a. By forming this space E1, even if a pedestrian or the like comes into contact with the surface layer portion 116a, it is possible to greatly soften the impact compared to the case where the space E1 is not formed.

As described above, according to the protective device 100 (FIG. 1B) of the present embodiment, the front hood 104 and the surface layers 116a and 116b of the A-pillars 110a and 110b are raised by the pop-up mechanism 112 in conjunction with each other. It is possible to fully protect pedestrians and the like while achieving a simple configuration.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a vehicle pedestrian protection device (hereinafter referred to as a protection device 200) according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4(a) is a diagram illustrating the vehicle before the protection device 200 is activated, and FIG. 4(b) is a diagram illustrating the vehicle after the protection device 200 is activated.

In each figure after FIG. 4, the same components as those already described are denoted by the same reference numerals, thereby omitting the description of the components already described. Further, in the following description, even if the same names as the components already described are given different reference numerals, they have the same functions unless otherwise specified.

The protection device 200 of the present embodiment differs in configuration from the protection device 100 of FIG. 1 in that it has a pedestrian protection airbag device (hereinafter referred to as an airbag device 202) as a pop-up mechanism.

The airbag device 202 is installed below the front hood 104 . In the airbag device 202, when contact between the vehicle and a pedestrian is detected, an inflator 212 (see FIG. 5A), which is a gas generator, is activated to generate an airbag cushion as shown in FIG. 4B. 204 expands and deploys from below the front hood 104 toward the windshield 108 .

As illustrated in FIG. 4(a), the airbag device 200 includes a housing 206 that accommodates an airbag cushion 204 (see FIG. 4(b)). The housing 206 is a long box-like container made mainly of resin, and houses the airbag cushion 204, the inflator 212, and the like. The housing 206 is attached to the lower surface of the front hood 104 via a dedicated bracket or the like with its longitudinal direction directed in the vehicle width direction.

The airbag cushion 204 exemplified in FIG. 4B is bag-shaped, and is made by overlapping and sewing or adhering a plurality of base fabrics constituting the surface, or by using OPW (One-Piece Woven). It is formed by spinning and weaving. The airbag cushion 204 inflates and deploys along the windshield 108 and receives a pedestrian who tries to contact the windshield 108 .

In the present embodiment, the expansion region of the airbag cushion 204 into which gas flows and expands is largely divided into a main expansion portion 208 and a pair of projecting expansion portions 210a and 210b.

The main inflatable portion 208 receives gas from an inflator 212 (see FIG. 5A) and inflates and deploys to cover the lower portion of the windshield 108 from the left A-pillar 110a to the right A-pillar 110b in the vehicle width direction. and widely accept the body of walking.

The main inflatable portion 208 may be configured to lift the vicinity of the rear end of the front hood 104 from below, or may be configured to overlap the vicinity of the rear end of the front hood 104 and inflate and deploy. When the main inflatable portion 208 functions as a pop-up mechanism that lifts the vicinity of the rear end of the front hood 104, the front hood 104 can be lifted to soften the impact of a pedestrian coming into contact with the front hood 104.

A pair of protruding expansion portions 210a and 210b are provided on both end sides of the main expansion portion 208 in the vehicle width direction so as to protrude upward along the A-pillars 110a and 110b, respectively. When the protruding inflatable portions 210a and 210b receive gas from the main inflatable portion 208, they inflate and deploy to cover the A-pillars 110a and 110b, respectively, thereby preventing the head of a pedestrian from coming into contact with the highly rigid A-pillars 110a and 110b. prevent.

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the A-pillar 110a in FIG. FIG. 5(a) is a schematic EE cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the A pillar 110a in FIG. 4(a).

The housing 206 is installed on the windshield 108 side under the front hood 104 . The housing 206 is provided at a predetermined location with a fragile portion that can be split by the inflation pressure of the airbag cushion 204 . The weakened portion can be provided, for example, as a groove-like portion carved inside the housing 206 .

The inflator 212 is arranged along the vehicle width direction on the front end side of the airbag cushion 204 . The inflator 212 is fixed inside the housing 206 using stud bolts 214 and is actuated by a signal sent from a predetermined controller or the like to supply gas to the airbag cushion 204 . The airbag cushion 204 begins to be inflated by the gas from the inflator 212 , and the inflation pressure splits the housing 206 to inflate and deploy toward the windshield 108 .

In this embodiment, the inflator 212 is of a cylinder type (cylindrical type). The inflators that are currently in widespread use include a type that is filled with a gas generating agent and burns it to generate gas, a type that is filled with compressed gas and supplies gas without generating heat, or a type that is filled with a combustible type. There are hybrid types that use both gas and compressed gas. Any type of inflator 212 can be used.

FIG. 5(b) is a schematic FF cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the A pillar 110a in FIG. 4(b). The airbag cushion 204 also functions as a pop-up mechanism. The airbag cushion 204 lifts the windshield 108 side of the front hood 104 to soften the impact on a pedestrian or the like in contact with the front hood 104 . As the front hood 104 rises, the surface layer portion 116a of the A-pillar 110a also rises from the base portion 114a.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the A pillar 110a in FIG. 5(b). In the airbag cushion 204, the protruding inflation portion 210a can be inflated and deployed in the space E1 formed by separating the surface layer portion 116a from the base portion 114a.

According to this embodiment, by using the airbag cushion 204 that inflates and deploys from the front hood 104 toward the windshield 108, the windshield 108 side of the front hood 104 is lifted, and the airbag cushion 204 is moved toward the base portion 114a. and the surface layer portion 116a to further soften the impact when a pedestrian or the like comes into contact with the A-pillar 110a.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the airbag cushion 204 is used to protect a pedestrian or the like from contact with the windshield 108 or the like, the projecting expansion portions 210a and 210b (see FIG. 4(b)) are arranged on the A pillar 110a, By sandwiching between the base portions 114a, 114b and the surface layer portions 116a, 116b of 110b, the movement of the airbag cushion 204 can be suppressed and the restraint performance of the airbag cushion 204 can be improved.

It should be noted that the airbag device 202 of FIG. 4(b) can also be provided together with the actuators 118a and 118b of FIG. 1(b). The function of the actuators 118a and 118b enables the airbag cushion 204 to inflate and deploy more smoothly. Furthermore, when both the airbag device 202 and the actuators 118a and 118b are provided, the function as a pop-up mechanism can be omitted from the airbag cushion 204. For example, the main inflation area 208 overlaps the upper side of the front hood 104 and inflates and deploys. It is also possible to configure According to this configuration, it is possible to form a wider restraining area for a pedestrian or the like of the airbag cushion 204 .

(Modification)
Modifications of the components described above will be described below. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a modification (airbag cushion 220) of the airbag cushion 204 of FIG. 4(b).

FIG. 7(a) is a diagram illustrating the airbag cushion 220 corresponding to FIG. 4(b). The airbag cushion 220 has a shape in which the vehicle width direction outside of the protruding expansion portions 222a and 222b is bent upward and inward in the vehicle width direction. 116b can be wrapped.

FIG. 7(b) is a sectional view of the airbag cushion 220 corresponding to FIG. The projecting expanded portion 222a is bent from the base portion 114a side of the surface layer portion 116a of the A-pillar 110a, and is configured to cover the base portion 114a side of the surface layer portion 116a and the opposite side thereof. With this configuration, the airbag cushion 220 can prevent a pedestrian or the like from directly contacting the surface layer portion 116a of the A-pillar 110a, and can more fully protect the pedestrian or the like.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a modification (popup mechanism 240) of popup mechanism 112 of FIG. FIG. 8(a) is a schematic AA cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the A pillar 110a corresponding to FIG. 2(a).

The pop-up mechanism 240 of this embodiment includes a cylinder-type actuator 242 and a link mechanism 244 . Similar to the actuators 118a and 118b in FIG. 1(a), the actuator 242 and the link mechanism 244 are located below the vehicle rear side of the front hood 104 in the vehicle front portion and at both ends of the front hood 104 in the vehicle width direction. , can be provided in pairs.

The actuator 242 has, for example, a pyrotechnic charge (see the pyrotechnic charge 122 in FIG. 2( a )) inside, and the piston 246 protrudes due to detection of the vehicle 102 and a pedestrian or the like, and the housing 248 is configured to move forward of the vehicle.

FIG. 8(b) is a schematic AA cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the A pillar 110a corresponding to FIG. 2(b). The link mechanism has a plurality of link members 250a-250c. The link member and the actuator are connected by a plurality of rotating parts 252a-252e. The pop-up mechanism 240 is configured such that when the actuator 242 operates, the link mechanism 244 lifts the windshield 108 side of the front hood 104 using the principle of leverage.

According to the configuration of this embodiment, the surface layer 116a of the A-pillar 110a rises together with the front hood 104 in an emergency, thereby lowering the rigidity of the A-pillar 110a and reducing the impact when a pedestrian or the like contacts the A-pillar 110a. can be mitigated.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the above-described embodiments are preferred examples of the present invention, and other embodiments can be implemented or implemented in various ways. I can carry it out. The present invention is not limited to the shapes, sizes, configurations, and the like of the detailed parts shown in the accompanying drawings, unless specifically stated otherwise in the specification. Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be construed as limiting unless specifically stated otherwise.

Therefore, it is obvious that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or modifications within the scope described in the claims, and these naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. understood as a thing.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a vehicle pedestrian protection device provided in a front portion of a vehicle including a front hood and an A-pillar.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100... Protective device, 102... Vehicle, 104... Front hood, 108... Wind shield, 110a, 110b... A pillar, 112... Pop-up mechanism, 114a, 114b... Base part, 116a, 116b... Surface part, 118a, 118b... Actuator , 120... housing, 122... pyrotechnic charge, 124... piston, 126... hinge, 128... connecting part, 130... link mechanism, 132... link member, 134, 135... rotating part, 136... outer panel, 138... inner panel, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 140... Garnish 142... Side window E1... Space 200... Protection device 202... Airbag device 204... Airbag cushion 206... Housing 208... Main expansion part 210a, 210b... Projection expansion part 212... Inflator 220 Airbag cushion 222a, 222b Protruding inflating portion 240 Pop-up mechanism 242 Actuator 244 Link mechanism 246 Piston 248 Housing 250a to 250c Link member 252a to 252e Rotation Department

Claims (5)

a pop-up mechanism provided below the front hood of the vehicle for raising the windshield side of the front hood when contact between the vehicle and a pedestrian is predicted or detected;
a base portion that is a base of each of the pair of A pillars of the vehicle;
a surface layer portion provided outside the vehicle of the base portion and forming an exterior of the A-pillar;
a hinge rotatably connecting the upper end of the surface portion and the base portion;
a connecting portion connecting the lower end of the surface portion and the front hood;
with
A pedestrian protection device for a vehicle, wherein the surface layer portion is lifted via the connection portion when the front hood is raised, and is separated from the base portion with the hinge as a fulcrum. The pop-up mechanism has an airbag cushion that inflates and deploys from below the front hood toward the windshield,
2. The pedestrian protection device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the airbag cushion inflates and deploys between the base portion and a surface portion separated from the base portion. The airbag cushion is
a main expansion portion covering at least a lower portion of the windshield from one to the other of a pair of A-pillars of the vehicle;
a pair of protruding expansion portions protruding upward from the main expansion portion along each of the pair of A-pillars;
has
3. The pedestrian protection device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein each of the pair of projecting inflation portions is inflated and deployed between the base portion and a surface portion spaced apart from the base portion. 4. The vehicle pedestrian according to claim 3, wherein each of the pair of projecting expansion portions is bent from the base portion side of the surface layer portion to cover a side of the surface layer portion opposite to the base portion. protector. The vehicle pedestrian according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the connecting portion has a link mechanism that relatively operably connects the surface layer portion and the front hood. protector.

Images