JP5118356B2 - Safety system - Google Patents

Description

  [Technical Field] The present invention is a safety system for an occupant of an automobile, and includes an automobile seat and an automobile seat, and a seat belt to which a belt latch that can be securely locked is fastened to a belt buckle fixed to the automobile structure. The extension length of the seat belt is variable via the belt retractor, the seat belt is connected to the gas generator, and the gas generator fills the tube body with gas when the appropriate sensor data is present It relates to a safety system adapted to inflate it.

  Such a safety system is known, for example, from US Pat. No. 5,466,002, in which a shoulder belt is composed of a fabric and an inflatable unit disposed therein. Having a tube portion. The inflatable unit is made of an elastic rubber material, and the inflatable unit is filled with gas by a gas generator via a buckle latch when an accident is detected. The inflatable part is fastened to a conventional belt strap and, in this case, sewn.

  A seat belt system in which a lap belt is deployed in the event of an accident is known from WO 97/06938. The inflatable part is designed as a cased tube connected to a gas generator. An inflatable region is formed in the lap belt region, starting from an end fitting secured to the vehicle body structure and extending laterally over the entire vehicle seat in an invariable length. . The possible parts are sewn into a conventional belt fabric. A belt retractor is disposed at the shoulder belt end of the belt.

US Pat. No. 5,466,002 International Publication No. 97/06938 Pamphlet

  In the case of prior art seat belt systems, the inflatable area is only available in a certain length, and due to the very large variation in the body size of a particular car occupant, the belt extension length is Due to the variety, there is a problem that the occupant is not always fully protected by an inflatable area in the event of an accident.

  Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a safety system that ensures optimal occupant protection.

  According to the invention, this object is achieved by a safety system with the features of claim 1 or claim 2. Advantageous embodiments and modifications of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

  A safety system according to the present invention for an automobile occupant, comprising a seat belt provided on an automobile seat and an automobile seat, to which a belt latch that can be securely locked is fastened to a belt buckle fixed to the automobile structure. The extension length of the seat belt is variable via the belt retractor, the seat belt is connected to the gas generator, and the gas generator fills the tube body with gas when the appropriate sensor data is present. In a safety system adapted to inflate it, a gas supply line that can be extended with the seat belt connects the gas generator to the inflatable seat belt. This makes it possible to provide a variable length tube body that can be filled and inflated to hit an automobile occupant, so that it is covered by a seat belt together with the inflatable tube body. The area of the vehicle occupant's body is completely covered, and in the event of an accident, the degree of protection is improved throughout the occupant's body area.

  In a modified example, the vehicle occupant safety system includes a seat belt, which is provided on an automobile seat and an automobile seat, and a belt latch that can be securely locked to a belt buckle fixed to the automobile structure. The extension length of the seat belt is variable via the belt retractor, the seat belt is connected to the gas generator, and when the gas generator is present in the presence of suitable sensor data, the tube body via the gas supply line In a safety system adapted to fill and expand the gas, the gas generator is of a multi-stage design and provides various, preferably increasing amounts of gas via the filling operation. A safety system is provided, thus allowing adaptation to the severity of the accident or the occupant's physique. A multi-stage gas generator can also be used in conjunction with a gas supply line, which can be extended with a seat belt, which connects the gas generator to the seat belt.

  In an embodiment of the invention, the gas supply line is drawn into a reversibly designed retraction device, so that the retraction device is seated in a manner similar to an automatic belt with belt rollers and spring prestress. Depending on how far the belt is extended, the gas supply line is drawn (winded) or unwound. In this case, it is particularly advantageous if the gas supply line is designed as a flexible tube line that is easy to retract and unwind, which is sufficient to be able to absorb the pressure generated by the gas generator. Is stable.

  In order to allow uniform retraction and unwinding with the seat belt, in an embodiment of the invention, the retracting device is synchronized with the belt retractor so that the corresponding length of the gas supply line and the seat belt is It will always be unwound.

  In a modification of the invention, the belt retractor and the retracting device are separate components, and as a variant, the gas supply line can also be retracted together with the seat belt into a belt retractor, for example a separate retracting track. .

  In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the belt retractor and the gas supply line are located under the automobile seat that are essentially inaccessible to them, and therefore the gas supply line cannot be operated during normal operation. Due to the simple assignment of both the seat belt and the gas supply line to the vehicle occupant, both the belt retractor and the gas supply line and the retracting device are fastened to the vehicle seat, in particular under the vehicle seat. This allows an optimal orientation for the vehicle occupant to be obtained regardless of the position of the vehicle seat in the vehicle or individual adjustment of the vehicle seat to a particular seat user. In this case, the seat belt can be designed as a lap belt or a shoulder belt, and as a three-point belt, a lap belt provided with an inflatable tube body and a seat belt provided with a shoulder belt are provided as a set. Can be selected. In this case, both the lap belt and the shoulder belt are designed as inflatable parts of the safety system.

  In one variant, the buckle latch is fixedly fastened to the seat belt, and therefore the seat belt cannot slide through a tab provided in the buckle latch. In this case, the buckle latch forms a closure of the tube body or inflatable seat belt portion. When the buckle latch is fixedly fastened, the belt roller and gas supply line retractor are applied to both the lap belt and the shoulder belt. Thus, if separate triggering means are provided for separate inflation of the lap belt and shoulder belt, a plurality of gas generators are also provided.

  The seat belt and the inflatable tube body are designed to be inflatable over the entire area of contact with the occupant in the state of maximum extension when seat belt is worn, resulting in optimum protection in the event of an accident. It can be guaranteed regardless of the body size of the car occupant.

  In order to provide a sufficient retracting function, the belt retractor is coupled to a locking device, which in one variant of the invention is designed as a separate subassembly or assembly from the belt retractor. The gas generator may be designed as a pyrotechnic gas generator or storage device, in particular as a high-pressure storage device for gaseous media. In order to clean the gas produced by the gas generator, a particle filter may be provided, in particular to remove hot solid particles in some cases from the gas produced by the pyrotechnic gas generator. The tube body may be placed in or on the seat belt.

  For reliable assignment of the seat belt and tube body in the direction of the occupant, it is preferably arranged next to the seat cushion and provided for the seat belt and tube body from the respective retracting device of the seat belt and tube body Guides are provided for guiding the seat belt and the tube body that have come to a new location, where the guide deflects the seat belt and the tube body so that they strike the vehicle user as closely as possible.

  The gas generator is preferably attached to the retractor and in each case can be rotated correspondingly depending on the extension length of the gas supply line, and at the same time the gas of the gas generator and the retractor A fixed connecting portion is provided between the supply line and the supply line. In one embodiment of the present invention, the gas generator has a plurality of chambers that are like circular segments and are separated from each other through a membrane to provide a continuous gas.

  Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

  FIG. 1 shows an automobile seat 1 with a backrest 4 and a seat cushion 3 and a seat belt 10, which is provided on the automobile seat 1 and is designed as an automatic belt. The seat belt 10 is divided into a shoulder belt 11 and a lap belt 12, and this seat belt has a buckle latch 13 disposed at a transition portion from the shoulder belt 11 to the lap belt 12. The buckle latch 13 is arranged in a vehicle body structure 2, for example, a belt buckle 14 fixed to the floor of an automobile. At the end of the shoulder belt 11 facing away from the belt buckle 14, the belt retractor (belt winding device) is fixed to an automobile frame, such as a B-pillar, or the shoulder belt is connected via a belt deflector, for example. It may be either a conventional belt pull-in provided on the floor of the B pillar and a guide to the lock mechanism. A belt tension mechanism, for example, a pyrotechnic belt tensioner, may be provided on the buckle latch 13.

  The end of the lap belt 12 facing away from the belt buckle 14 is provided in the belt retractor 15 in such a way that the length of the lap belt can be changed. The belt retractor 15 pulls in the belt strap 12 and winds it up. In the illustrated embodiment, the belt retractor 15 is provided under the car seat 1 so that when the car occupant wants to change the position of the car seat 1, the belt retractor is moved together with the car seat 1. Can do.

  The lap belt 12 extends laterally on the seat cushion 3 from a belt buckle 14 disposed immediately next to the seat cushion 3 in a region where the seat cushion 3 and the backrest 4 approach each other and hits a knee region of an automobile occupant (not shown). Yes. On the side of the seat cushion 3 facing away from the buckle latch 13, the lap belt 12 is guided by a guide 5, which guides the belt strap of the lap belt 12, preferably the seat cushion 3 and the backrest 4 close to each other. It is deflected around the side surface of the seat cushion 3 opened in the region.

  Also, under the seat cushion 3, a retraction device 30 for the gas supply line 31 is disposed, and the gas is supplied from the gas generator (not shown in this figure) through the gas supply line to the tube body 40. Guided in. The gas supply line 31 should be stretched together with the seat belt 12, in which case it should be unwound from the retracting device 30 and thus a synchronized change in the length of the stretched lap belt 12 can occur. It becomes like this.

  A tube body 40 connected to the gas generator via the gas supply line 31 is applied to the strap 12 of the lap belt. In the event of an accident, changes in acceleration or speed are measured via sensors. If the specified limit value is exceeded, the control unit is used to send a corresponding signal to the gas generator, which is ignited or opens the gas storage device so that the tube body 40 Filled with gas via the supply line. Thereby, the tube body 40 is inflated and is itself positioned in a protected state on the abdomen of the seat user in this exemplary embodiment of FIG. The tube body 40 may be inserted into the belt strap 12 and surrounded by the belt strap 12. During filling of the tube body 40, the belt strap 12 expands or tears open. Alternatively, the tube body may be attached to the upper side of the belt strap 12 or may be formed on the seat belt itself, i.e. it may be an integral part of the seat belt 10, so The belt 12 can be inflated alone.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view of the belt retractor 15 and the retracting device 30 provided below the seat cushion 3. The gas supply line 31 is wound around a roller 32. The gas generator 20 is disposed on the roller 32, and the gas supply line 31 is drawn out from the gas generator and wound around the roller 32 in a spiral. The belt retractor 15 is arranged in such a way that the belt strap 12 is guided linearly with respect to the guide 5.

  As can be seen in FIG. 3, the retraction device 30 is located in the immediate vicinity of the belt retractor 15 and the gas supply line 31 is retracted in such a way that the gas supply line 31 can be extended with the belt strap 12. The retracting device is so arranged that it is wound on the device 30 and therefore the seat belt 10 can be worn comfortably. In this case, the belt retractor 15 is arranged on the side of the gas generator 20 towards the guide 5, so that the belt strap 12 is deflected 180 ° when it is unwound together with the gas supply line 31. ing. The gas supply line 31 opens into the tube body 40, which may be either fitted into the two-layer belt strap 12 or attached to this belt strap. The tube body 40 is guided to the upper side of the seat cushion 3 by the guide 5 together with the belt strap 12 and, if necessary, the gas supply line 31, and is guided in a state adjacent to the side or side of the occupant. . When the seat belt 10 is removed by removing the buckle latch 13 from the belt buckle 14, both the shoulder belt 11 and the lap belt 12 are retracted by the spring mechanism together with the tube body 40 and the gas supply line 31. The gas supply line 31 is wound around the roller 32 by the retracting device 30, while the lap belt 12 is wound around the conventional belt retractor 15 at the same time. The gas generator 20 may be designed as a pyrotechnic gas generator or gas storage device, which is fixedly attached to the roller 32 and is triggered in the event of an accident.

  In a variant of the invention, the belt retractor 15 is arranged at a distance from the retracting device 30 and the belt strap 12 is guided around the retracting device 30. Thereby, both the belt strap 12 and the gas supply line 31 and the tube main body 40 can be stored.

  In FIG. 4, in the third modification, the belt strap 12 is wound around the disk 32 of the drawing device 30 together with the gas supply line 31 and the tube main body 40 as necessary. In this case, the retracting device 30 includes a lock mechanism 16 that operates in the same manner as the lock in the case of a conventional seat belt. The belt strap 12 is preferably coiled next to the gas supply line 31 that is spirally coiled on a reel or disk 32. In addition, when the belt strap 12 and the gas supply line 31 have to be short in length, they may be wound around the reel 32 in a loop shape only once. In contrast to the conventional belt retractor, the locking mechanism 16 is arranged outside the retracting device 30 and is coupled to the retracting device 30 via, for example, a gear or a gear device. The retracting device or retracting reel 30 and the locking mechanism 16 are designed as two separate components. For example, the lock mechanism 16 may be designed as a friction wheel mechanism or a fitted wheel mechanism. Further, as a modification, a lock mechanism body may be incorporated in the retracting device 30.

  By configuring the gas supply line or tube body to be extensible in cooperation with the belt material, the entire area where the seat belt is applied to the seat user's body can be expanded regardless of the height or size of the seat user. Can be designed to be. It is guaranteed that the entire length of the lap belt or shoulder belt is always inflated. A buckle latch 13 may be secured to the belt 10, which may be a separation point between the inflatable lap belt 12 and the inflatable or non-inflatable shoulder belt 11.

  FIGS. 5 a to 5 c show the ignition process of the gas generator in the case of the three-chamber gas generator 20. In this case, the gas supply line 31 is directly wound around the gas generator 32. Other configurations are possible where the multi-chamber gas generator 20 is mounted on a gas supply line 31 and, if necessary, a reel or plate 32 that receives the belt strap 12. In the present embodiment, the chambers 21, 22, and 23 are designed as regions of the same size and in the shape of a circular segment. Among these, the first chamber 21 is the gas outlet 26 in terms of flow. To the gas supply line 31. An opening closed by the membrane 24 is provided in a partition between the first chamber 21 and the second chamber 22. Similarly, the partition between the second chamber 22 and the third chamber 23 has an opening closed by the membrane 25. In order to prevent hot particles from the chamber 21 from entering the gas supply line 31, a particle filter may be placed in front of the gas outlet 26.

  If an accident is detected, the pyrotechnic element contained in the first chamber 21 is ignited, for example via an electrical signal, and the resulting gas is fed into the gas supply line 31 through the gas outlet 26. Due to the pressure and / or temperature rise generated in the first chamber 21, the partition membrane 24 leading to the second chamber 22 is broken. This is indicated by the dashed arrow. If the membrane 24 is removed or destroyed, this can trigger an electrical contact, thereby actuating the pyrotechnic propellant in the second chamber 22 or the first chamber 21. The pyrotechnic propellant contained in the second chamber 22 is activated by the high-temperature gas that has entered the second chamber 22 from the second chamber 22. After or simultaneously with the activation of the pyrotechnic element in the first chamber 21, the gas from the second chamber 22 is directed through the first chamber 21 into the gas supply line 31. At the same time, the membrane 25 leading to the third chamber 23 is destroyed as shown by the arrow in FIG. 5B.

  Finally, the pyrotechnic elements in the third chamber 23 are activated in the same way, as shown in FIG. 5c, where all of the pyrotechnic elements contained in the chambers 21, 22, 23 are activated or The gas supply line 31 flows into the gas supply line 31 through all of the chambers 21, 22, and 23.

  As an alternative to closing the chamber with the membranes 24, 25, the passage provided in the chamber wall may be closed with a flap or the like, which is opened by heat and / or pressure.

  By selecting and sizing the membrane 24, 25 or chamber wall opening closure device, it is possible to achieve a specific flow profile in terms of the timing and amount of outflowing gas. By selecting the size of the chamber and the number of chambers and pyrotechnic elements contained therein, the amount of gas that is directed through the gas supply line 31 into the tube body or inflatable belt is a specific amount. And can be set freely according to this. By providing the gas generator on the reel 32, forming the reel 32 by the gas generator 20, or winding the gas supply line 31 together with the belt strap 12 around the gas generator 20 in a coil shape, And the overall size of the resulting safety device can be reduced. In principle, other geometric shapes, not circular segments, can also be used for chambers 21, 22, 23.

  FIG. 6 shows a modification of the gas generator 20 in which the gas supply line 31 is wound around the gas generator in a coil shape. In this case, the particle filter 27 is connected to the gas generator 20 or the chambers 21 and 22. , 23 are arranged around the outer peripheral portion of. As a result, in addition to the filtration of the particles caused by the pyrotechnic elements 28 contained in the chambers 21, 22, 23, insulation can occur for the gas supply line 31, thereby The risk of leakage is minimized. As can be seen in FIG. 6, the pyrotechnic elements 28 for generating gas each chamber so as to achieve different pressure levels or different flow rates to fill the tube body connected to the gas supply line 31. 21, 22 and 23 are stored in different amounts.

  FIG. 7 shows an exemplary process of filling operation or gas generation by the multi-chamber gas generator 20. When the gas generator 20 is activated, the pyrotechnic element 28 in the first chamber 21 is ignited and a volumetric gas flow is supplied from the chamber 21 through the particle filter 27 if necessary. Guided into line 31. This is shown schematically in part A of the diagram of FIG. After the destruction of the membrane 20 or the opening of the passage to the second chamber 22, the pyrotechnic element 28 contained in the second chamber 22 is activated as well, thereby increasing the volume V according to part B, which The volume is generated by the gas generator 20 and is led via the gas supply line 31 into the tube body or an inflatable seat belt. After the membrane 25 leading to the third chamber 23 is destroyed and the pyrotechnic element contained therein is activated, the gas volume increases further as shown in part C and eventually reaches its maximum value. To reach. The gas volume V with respect to time t may be varied depending on the number of chambers, the size of the chamber, and whether or not various pyrotechnic elements are provided to delay the time as needed to provide gas.

It is a front view of a safety system provided with a car seat. It is detail drawing of a belt retractor and a drawing-in apparatus. It is a figure which shows another structure of a belt retractor and a drawing-in apparatus. It is a figure which shows the modification of a drawing-in apparatus. 2 is a schematic view of an ignition state of a gas generator. 2 is a schematic view of an ignition state of a gas generator. 2 is a schematic view of an ignition state of a gas generator. It is a figure of the detail of a gas generator. 1 is a schematic diagram of a process of filling operation.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Automobile seat 2 Automobile structure 10 Seatbelt 11 Shoulder belt 12 Lap belt 13 Buckle latch 14 Belt buckle 15 Belt retractor 20 Gas generator 30 Pull-in device 27 Particle filter 28 Pyrotechnic element 31 Gas supply line 40 Tube body

Claims (21)

The vehicle occupant safety system, provided in said vehicle seat and said vehicle seat, having a seat belt securely lockable belt latch to a fixed belt buckle in a vehicle structure is engaged The extension length of the seat belt is variable via a belt retractor (15) , the seat belt is connected to a gas generator, and the gas generator is connected to the tube body when appropriate sensor data is present. In a safety system adapted to inflate and inflate gas, a gas supply line (31) that can extend with the seat belt (10) connects the gas generator (20) to the inflatable seat. connected to the belt (10), wherein the belt retractor (15) and the gas supply line (31) is disposed under the vehicle seat (1) It is to have the safety system. The gas generator is configured to fill a tube body with a gas via a gas supply line and expand the gas when appropriate sensor data is present, and the gas generator (20) has a multi-stage design. The safety system of claim 1, wherein the safety system provides various and increasing amounts of gas through the filling operation.   The safety system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gas supply line (31) is drawn into a reversibly designed drawing device (30).   The safety system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the gas supply line (31) is designed as a flexible tube line. The safety system according to claim 3 , wherein the retracting device (30) is synchronized with the belt retractor (15). The safety system according to claim 3 or 5 , wherein the belt retractor (15) and the retractor (30) are separate components.   The safety system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the gas supply line (31) is drawn into the belt retractor (15). The belt retractor (15) and the gas supply line (31), the is fastened to the vehicle seat (1), the safety system of claim 1. The safety system according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the seat belt (10) is designed as a lap belt (12) or a shoulder belt (11). Furthermore, it has a buckle latch (13) fixedly fastened to the seat belt (10), and the belt retractor (15) is provided on the lap belt (12) and the shoulder belt (11). The safety system according to claim 9 . Said seat belt (10), in the maximum extension length of the state during wear, is designed to be inflated throughout the contact area with the occupant, according to any of claims 1-10 Safety system. 12. The safety system according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein the belt retractor (15) is coupled to a locking device. 13. A safety system according to claim 12 , wherein the locking device (16) is a separate subassembly from the belt retractor (15). The safety system according to any one of claims 3 , 5 and 6 , wherein the retracting device (30) is coupled to or comprises a locking device (16). 15. The safety system according to any one of claims 1 to 14 , wherein the gas generator (20) is designed as a pyrotechnic gas generator or a high pressure gas storage device. 16. The safety system according to claim 15 , wherein a particle filter for filtering gas is provided in the gas generator (20). The safety system according to any one of claims 1 to 16 , wherein the tube body (40) is arranged in the seat belt (10). Said seat belt (10) and said tube body (40) is directed toward the occupant by the guide (5), the safety system according to any one of claims 1 to 17. 19. The safety system according to claim 18 , wherein the guide (5) is arranged next to the seat cushion (3). 15. A safety system according to any one of claims 3, 5 , 6 , 14 wherein the gas generator (20) is attached to the retractor (30). 21. A safety system according to claim 20 , wherein the gas generator (20) comprises a plurality of chambers (21, 22, 23) designed in the shape of a circular segment.

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