JP5381058B2 - Crew protection device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an occupant protection device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an occupant protection device that moves a front seat backward is known from the viewpoint of protecting an occupant seated on a front seat in the event of a frontal collision of a vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this occupant protection device, a movable body is disposed on the floor between the front seat and the rear seat, and when a collision is predicted, the movable body is moved rearward of the vehicle. Because the movable body can be retracted before the collision, even if the front seat is moved rearward in the event of a collision, even if there are legs or luggage of the rear seat occupant behind the front seat, they are The hindrance to the rearward movement of the seat is suppressed.
JP 2005-263076 A

  However, according to the technique disclosed in Patent Literature 1, although it is possible to protect the occupants of the front row of seats, there is a problem that sufficient protection measures are not taken for the occupants sitting on the back row of seats.

  This invention is made | formed in view of this situation, The objective is to protect the passenger | crew who sits on the seat | seat of a back row effectively.

  In order to solve this problem, the present invention uses a brake mechanism when detecting an input of a load to the seat back of the first seat from the side of the second seat arranged in the rear row of the first seat. The restriction on the posture change of the seat back is released, and the vehicle body is allowed to move in the front-rear direction.

  According to the present invention, even when the occupant of the rear row seat hits the seat back of the front row seat at the time of a frontal collision, the rotation of the seat back is allowed, so that the impact when hitting the seat back can be reduced. . Thereby, the passenger | crew seated on a backseat can also be protected effectively.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory view schematically showing a seated state of an occupant in a vehicle to which an occupant protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. In such a vehicle, on the floor (not shown) of the vehicle body, for example, two rows of seats composed of a front seat Sf and a rear seat Sr arranged in the rear row of the front seat Sf are provided. Has been placed. The individual seats Sf and Sr support the seat cushions Sfc and Src for supporting the occupant's thigh to the lower side of the occupant, the seat backs Sfb and Srb for supporting the back from the occupant's waist and the occupant's head. Headrests Sfh and Srh.

  The occupant protection device protects an occupant seated on the front seat Sf (hereinafter referred to as a “front seat occupant”) at the time of a vehicle collision (in the case of a frontal collision in the present embodiment) and seated on the rear seat Sr. It also has a function to protect passengers (hereinafter referred to as “rear seat passengers”). The occupant protection device includes a seat rotation mechanism 10, a brake mechanism 20 for a seat back, a load detection unit 30, an energy absorption mechanism 40, and a seat belt mechanism 50. These elements are attached to the front seat Sf. Is provided. The occupant protection device includes a sensor 80 that detects a frontal collision of the vehicle in advance. The sensor 80 is provided at the front of the vehicle such as a front grille, for example, and a sensor that detects a front obstacle by radar or infrared rays can be used. In addition, about each element which comprises a passenger | crew protection apparatus, description in FIG. 1 is abbreviate | omitted except the sensor 80. FIG.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the structure of the sheet rotating mechanism 10. The seat rotation mechanism 10 is a mechanism that moves (rotates) the front seat Sf backward, and is disposed below the seat cushion Sfc of the front seat Sf. The seat rotation mechanism 10 is mainly composed of a base 11, a link mechanism 12, and a spring 13.

  The pedestal 11 is configured by a substantially U-shaped frame that is open in the front direction, and is supported rotatably on a support member provided on the floor of the vehicle body via a shaft 14. In the frame constituting the pedestal 11, a shaft 16 for connecting frames parallel to each other is provided on the front side (at least on the front side of the shaft 14) from the front-rear direction center. The pedestal 11 is provided with a seat mounting portion, and the front seat Sf is fixed to the seat mounting portion using a predetermined fastening member (for example, a bolt, a nut, or the like).

  The link mechanism 12 is provided between the base 11 and a fixing member attached on the floor, and is configured to be extendable. The link mechanism 12 includes an upper member and a lower member, and a lower end portion of the upper member and an upper end portion of the lower member are fastened to each other via a fastening portion so as to be bendable. The lower end of the lower member is fastened to the fixing member via a fastening portion, while a through hole is formed in the upper end of the upper member, and the shaft 16 is inserted into the through hole. .

  When the link mechanism 12 is in the contracted state (the bent state in FIG. 2), the link mechanism 12 is bent into a generally square shape with the fastening portion in the front, and the pedestal 11 is substantially parallel to the floor surface. On the other hand, in the extended state, the upper member and the lower member are aligned substantially in a straight line, the shaft 16 supported by the upper end portion of the upper member is raised, and the base 11 is tilted in a posture with the front facing up (rear) Tilt).

  The spring 13 functions as an actuator that moves the pedestal 11 and the front seat Sf fixed to the pedestal 11. In the present embodiment, the spring 13 is configured as a tension spring having hooks at both ends, and in the front-rear direction between the vicinity of the fastening portion of the link mechanism 12 (for example, the lower end portion of the upper member) and the shaft 14. It is built to extend.

  In a normal state, the spring 13 is extended, the link mechanism 12 is contracted, and the pedestal 11 is locked in a state substantially parallel to the floor by a lock mechanism (not shown). And when this lock | rock is cancelled | released, the urging | biasing force (tensile force) by the spring 13 acts, the link mechanism 12 is extended, and the base 11 tilts backward. The lock mechanism can be configured to include a locking member that locks a part of the base 11 or the link mechanism 12 and an electromagnetic solenoid that moves the locking member to release the locked state. .

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the structure of the brake mechanism 20. In addition, the figure has shown only the brake mechanism 20, and illustration about another element is partially abbreviate | omitted. The brake mechanism 20 is built in the seat back Sfb, and has a function of regulating a change in posture of the seat back Sfb (a change in rotation in the front-rear direction). A pivot shaft Fs is fixed to the lower end of the frame Fb for the seat back Sfb, and the seat back frame Fb is rotatable to the frame Fc for the seat cushion Sfc via the pivot shaft Fs. It is connected. As a result, the seat back Sfb can rotate in the front-rear direction about the pivot axis Fs in a predetermined angle range between the front position Pf and the rear position Pr, as shown in FIG. it can.

  The first brake member 21 is attached to the pivot shaft Fs, and the second brake member 22 is attached to the frame Fc for the seat cushion Sfc via a bracket (not shown). . Here, the first brake member 21 and the second brake member 22 are laid out so that their positions correspond to each other. The second brake member 22 is configured to be slidable in the vertical direction via a guide member (not shown) such as a rail that constitutes a part of the bracket, and by a biasing means such as a compression spring (not shown) It is biased toward the first brake member 21 side. In addition, one end of a wire 23 is connected to the second brake member 22, and the other end of the wire 23 is connected to a load detection unit 30. The wire 23 is stretched so as to move the second brake member 22 upward by being pulled corresponding to the detection of the input load by the load detection unit 30.

  In the normal state, since the urging force is applied to the second brake member 22, the first brake member 21 and the second brake member 22 are in a state of being engaged with each other. In this case, the axial rotation of the pivot shaft Fs is restricted by the frictional force generated in the engaging portion between them. Thereby, since the rotation of the frame Fb for the seat back Sfb is restricted, the posture change of the seat back Sfb is restricted. That is, the first brake member 21 and the second brake member 22 constitute the brake mechanism 20. The seat back Sfb is fixed to a normal position Pn that is a substantially central position between the front position Pf and the rear position Pr, for example, by the restriction of the posture change by the brake mechanism 20.

  The load detection unit 30 is built in the seat back Sfb, and receives a load input to the seat back Sfb of the front seat Sf from the side of the seat (in this embodiment, the rear seat Sr) arranged in the rear row. To detect. The load detection part 30 is comprised by the plate-shaped member, and is comprised so that rotation is possible centering on the shaft 31 extended in the left-right direction. The load detection unit 30 is coupled to the frame Fb for the seat back Sfb via the shaft 31 so that the region below the shaft 31 is positioned at a height that is about the knee of the rear seat occupant. A wire 23 of the brake mechanism 20 is connected to a region above the shaft 31 of the load detection unit 30.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the structure of the energy absorption mechanism 40. In addition, the figure has shown only the energy absorption mechanism 40, and the illustration about the other element is partially abbreviate | omitted. The energy absorbing mechanism 40 is built in the seat back Sfb and absorbs the energy of the load input to the seat back Sfb. The energy absorption mechanism 40 includes a drag generation part 41, a stopper part 42, and a wire 43.

  The drag generator 41 includes a cylindrical frame 44 fitted to the outer periphery of the pivot shaft Fs described above, and a plurality of protrusions continuously formed in the outer peripheral region of the frame 44 along the circumferential direction. The unit 45 is mainly configured. Each protrusion 45 extends in the axial direction of the frame 44 and has a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape.

  The stopper part 42 is mainly composed of a rod part 46 and an urging means 47. The rod portion 46 is laid out above the drag generating portion 41 and is slidable in the vertical direction along the guide portion, with the position where the tip of the rod portion 46 abuts the frame body 44 as a lower limit. The urging means 47 is, for example, a compression spring and is laid out between the fixed end and the upper end portion of the rod portion 46 to urge the rod portion 46 upward.

  One end of the wire 43 is connected to the rod portion 46, and the other end is connected to a region above the shaft 31 of the load detection unit 30. The wire 43 is constructed so as to move the rod portion 46 downward by being pulled corresponding to the detection of the input load by the load detection unit 30.

  In the normal state, since the rod portion 46 is urged upward by the urging means 47, the drag generating portion 41, that is, the frame body 44 and the protruding portion 45, and the tip end portion of the rod portion 46 are mechanically connected. They are separated by a predetermined distance without interference.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory view schematically showing the structure of the seat belt mechanism 50. The front seat occupant is restrained by the seat belt mechanism 50. The seat belt mechanism 50 is mainly composed of a retractor 51 and a webbing 52. The retractor 51 is disposed inside the seat back Sfb, and one end of the webbing 52 is locked to a winding shaft (not shown) of the retractor 51. The other end of the webbing 52 is fixedly attached to a bracket on the floor via a shoulder anchor attached to the upper part of the center pillar.

  A tongue is movably attached along the extending direction of the webbing 52 between the end of the webbing 52 on the bracket side and the shoulder anchor. An occupant seated in the seat pulls the webbing 52 out of the retractor 51 and passes the tongue over his / her thigh, for example, from the left side to the right side, and engages with an inner buckle attached to the floor. As a result, the webbing 52 reaches the bracket from the retractor 51 via the shoulder anchor, the left shoulder of the passenger (for example, passenger in the passenger seat), the right waist of the passenger, the tongue, and the thigh of the passenger.

  The winding shaft of the retractor 51 is applied with a rotational force so as to wind up and store the webbing 52 by a belt actuator (not shown) such as an electric motor. As a result, the webbing 52 is drawn to the retractor 51 side by a predetermined pull-in amount (reference pull-in amount). Further, when a deceleration more than a certain level acts on the vehicle, or when a collision of the vehicle is detected, the retractor 51 applies a larger rotational force to the take-up shaft than usual so that it is larger than the reference pull-in amount. The webbing 52 is retracted toward the retractor 51 by the retracted amount. This makes it difficult to pull out the webbing 52 and restrains the occupant at the time of a collision or sudden deceleration.

  In the present embodiment, the seat belt mechanism 50 further includes the following configuration. A fixed guide roller 61 and a movable guide roller 62 are provided on the path of the webbing 52. For example, the fixed guide roller 61 is fixedly disposed on the frame Fb for the seat back Sfb. On the other hand, the movable guide roller 62 is attached to a guide part 63 fixed to the frame Fb, and is configured to be slidable in accordance with the extending direction of the webbing 52. The movable guide roller 62 is biased downward by a biasing means 64 (for example, a compression spring) provided in the guide portion 63. In a normal state, the fixed guide roller 61 and the movable guide roller 62 are configured such that the extension path of the webbing 52 from the retractor 51 to the shoulder anchor is reversed in one direction in the fixed guide roller 61 and then the movable guide roller 61 In 62, it is provided so as to be folded in the forward direction again.

  One end of a wire 65 is connected to the movable guide roller 62, and the other end of the wire 65 is fixed to a winding unit 66. The winding portion 66 is attached to the pivot shaft Fs so as to be rotatable about the pivot shaft Fs and slidable on the pivot shaft Fs. A first gear 67 is integrally formed with the winding unit 66 and rotates around the pivot shaft Fs in synchronization with the winding unit 66. The winding portion 66 is urged in a direction away from the movable guide roller 62 by an urging means 69 (for example, a compression spring) fixed to the fixed portion 68. A stopper 70 is provided on the side facing the urging means 69 via the winding portion 66, and the slide on the pivot shaft Fs of the winding portion 66 and the first gear 67 is fixed to the stopper 70. It is restricted between the unit 68 and the unit 68.

  A shaft 72 is attached to the frame Fc for the seat cushion Sfc so as to be rotatable. The shaft 72 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the pivot shaft Fs (that is, the rotation of the frame Fb of the seat back Sfb) via a power transmission mechanism such as a gear fixed to the pivot shaft Fs. A second gear 71 is fixed to the shaft 72. The second gear 71 is laid out so as to mesh with the second gear 71 attached to the winding portion 66 when the winding portion 66 moves most toward the fixed portion 68 side. In the normal state, the winding portion 66 is urged by the urging means 69, and the first gear 67 and the second gear 71 are offset from each other because the first gear 67 is positioned on the stopper 70 side. It has become a state.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the occupant protection device according to the present embodiment will be described. First, based on the detection result of the sensor 80, it is determined that a frontal collision of the vehicle cannot be avoided by a control means (not shown) such as an ECU. The control means operates the retractor 51 of the seat belt mechanism 50 and retracts the webbing 52 to the retractor 51 side with a retracting amount larger than the reference retracting amount. As a result, the occupant is restrained by the front seat Sf.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit operates the sheet rotation mechanism 10 after a predetermined time has elapsed. Specifically, the control means releases the lock by the lock mechanism and contracts the spring 13 and extends the link mechanism 12 to rotate the pedestal 11 and the front seat Sf backward.

  In this way, the restraint force on the occupant's front seat Sf is increased by operating the seat belt mechanism 50 before the collision occurs. Accordingly, when the front seat Sf is moved rearward by the seat rotation mechanism 10, the occupant can be moved more reliably rearward. This is because if the front seat Sf is moved backward without restraining the occupant, it is difficult to move the occupant backward due to inertial force acting on the occupant. Further, by rotating the front seat Sf backward, the distance between the front seat occupant and the front member (for example, an instrument panel, steering, etc.) is increased, and interference between the front seat occupant and the front passenger components is achieved. Can be suppressed.

  When the vehicle collides with the front, the rear seat occupant moves forward due to the inertial force and hits the seat back Sfb of the front seat Sf. In this case, a load is input to the seat back Sfb because the occupant's knees preferentially abut against the seat back Sfb. When a load is input to the seat back Sfb, the load detection unit 30 rotates about the shaft 31, thereby detecting the load input. When an input of a load to the seat back Sfb is detected, that is, when the load detection unit 30 is rotated, as shown in FIG. 7, the wire 23 connected to the region above it is pulled. Become. When the wire 23 is pulled, the second brake member 22 of the brake mechanism 20 is separated from the first brake member 21, thereby releasing the engagement state between the first brake member and the second brake member. . As a result, the pivot shaft Fs can be rotated, and the frame Fb for the seat back Sfb can be rotated, and the restriction on the posture change of the seat back Sfb by the brake mechanism 20 is released. Therefore, the seat back Sfb can be rotated forward by receiving the force from the rear seat occupant.

  When the input of the load to the seat back Sfb is detected, the wire 43 of the energy absorbing mechanism 40 connected to the region above the load detection unit 30 is also pulled together with the wire 23 described above. As shown in FIG. 8, when the wire 43 is pulled, the rod portion 46 is moved downward. As a result, the distal end portion of the rod portion 46 abuts against the drag generating portion 41 (the outer peripheral surface of the frame body 44), and mechanical engagement between the protruding portion 45 formed on the frame body 44 and the rod portion 46 and A drag force that resists rotation of the pivot shaft Fs is generated by the frictional force of both. As described above, since the pivot shaft Fs is fixed to the frame Fb for the seat back Sfb, the drag that resists the rotation of the pivot shaft Fs becomes the drag that resists the rotation of the seat back Sfb. By generating a drag force against the rotation of the seat back Sfb, the energy of the load input to the seat back Sfb, specifically, the kinetic energy of the occupant who hits the seat back Sfb is absorbed.

  Further, when the vehicle collides with the front, the occupant of the front seat Sf moves forward by the inertial force, so that a large tension acts on the webbing 52. When the webbing 52 is pulled by this tension, the movable guide roller 62 moves upward along the guide portion 63 against the urging force of the urging means 64. When the movable guide roller 62 moves upward, the wire 65 is pulled upward. In response, the winding portion 66 slides the pivot shaft Fs against the urging force of the urging means 69, and the fixed portion 68. Slide to the side. When the winding portion 66 reaches the fixing portion 68, the first gear 67 and the second gear 71 that are integrally formed with the winding portion 66 mesh with each other. As described above, when the seat back Sfb is rotated forward in response to the force from the rear seat occupant, the pivot shaft Fs rotates correspondingly. The rotation of the pivot shaft Fs is transmitted to the shaft 72 and the second gear 71 via a power transmission mechanism (not shown), and is transmitted from the second gear 71 to the first gear 67, whereby the winding is performed. The taker 66 is rotated. As the winding unit 66 rotates, the wire 65 is wound around the winding unit 66, whereby the movable guide roller 62 pulled by the wire 65 moves downward. Therefore, the webbing 52 is drawn into the seat back Sfb, and the tension applied to the webbing 52 is increased.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when a load input is detected from the rear seat Sr side to the seat back Sfb of the front seat Sf, the restriction on the posture change of the seat back Sfb by the brake mechanism 20 is released. To do. According to such a configuration, even if the rear seat occupant hits the seat back Sfb of the front seat Sf at the time of a frontal collision, the rotation of the seat back Sfb is allowed, so the rear seat occupant hit the seat back Sfb. Impact can be reduced. In the state where the posture change of the seat back Sfb is regulated, there is a possibility that the reaction force when the rear seat occupant hits the seat back Sfb may be increased. However, according to the present embodiment, such a problem is suppressed. can do. Thereby, the passenger | crew who seats on the seat Sr for rear seats can be protected effectively.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, when a frontal collision of the vehicle is detected in advance, the front seat Sf is moved backward. According to such a configuration, since the distance between the front seat occupant and the member in front of the front seat occupant can be set long, interference between the front member and the front seat occupant can be suppressed.

Further, according to the present embodiment, when the restriction on the seat back posture change is released , the tension applied to the webbing 52 is increased. When the rear seat occupant hits the seat back Sfb of the front seat Sf at the time of a frontal collision and the rotation of the seat back Sfb is allowed, the front seat occupant is caused by a load from the rear as shown in FIG. May move forward greatly (for example, shoulder position PS2). However, according to the present embodiment, by increasing the tension of the webbing 52 and increasing the restraining force on the front seat occupant, the forward movement of the front seat occupant can be suppressed as shown in FIG. For example, shoulder position PS1). At this time, by appropriately setting the gear ratio of the first and second gears 67 and 71, it is possible to obtain the pull-in amount of the webbing 52 equal to the movement amount of the shoulder position. Thereby, contact | abutting with a front member and a front seat passenger | crew is suppressed.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, when the input of the load to the seat back Sfb is detected, the energy of the load input to the seat back Sfb by the energy absorbing mechanism 40 is absorbed. According to such a configuration, the reaction force is applied so as to absorb the energy due to the load input from the rear, instead of completely turning the seat back Sfb in a free state. Thereby, since the kinetic energy of a back passenger | crew can be absorbed, the impact to a back passenger | crew is relieve | moderated and, thereby, a back passenger | crew can be protected effectively.

  In the above-described embodiment, the brake mechanism 20 for the seat back is configured to mechanically permit the rotation of the seat back Sfb in response to a load input from the rear, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the brake mechanism 20 may be configured to electrically allow the seat back Sfb to rotate with a load input from the rear. For example, the strength of the load is detected by a pressure sensor built in the seat back, and when the value exceeds a specified value, current is supplied to the motor 25 and the brake 26 built in the motor 25 is released. It is as if the posture change of the frame Fb for the seat back Sfb is allowed (see, for example, FIG. 12).

  In such a configuration, when the rear seat occupant hits the seat back Sfb of the front seat Sf, the strength of the load is detected by the built-in pressure sensor. It is also possible to control the energization amount of the motor 25 according to the detected load intensity, and to apply a predetermined reaction force to the seat back Sfb by the torque of the motor 25. In this case, the energy absorbing mechanism 40 can also be configured by the motor 25 and the brake 26.

  In the present embodiment, the description has been made on the premise of the configuration of the two-row sheet, but the present invention can also be applied to the configuration of the multi-row sheet.

Explanatory drawing which shows typically the seating state of the passenger | crew in the vehicle to which the passenger | crew protection device was applied. Explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the sheet | seat rotation mechanism 10 typically. Explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the brake mechanism 20 typically. Explanatory drawing which shows the structure of energy absorption mechanism 40 typically Explanatory drawing schematically showing the structure of the seat belt mechanism 50 Explanatory drawing explaining the state at the time of input of load Explanatory drawing which shows typically the operation state of the brake mechanism 20 Explanatory drawing which shows the operation state of energy absorption mechanism 40 typically Explanatory drawing which shows typically the operation state of the seatbelt mechanism 50 Explanatory drawing explaining the state at the time of input of load Explanatory drawing explaining the state at the time of input of load Explanatory drawing which shows the modification of the sheet | seat rotation mechanism 10 typically.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Seat rotation mechanism 20 ... Brake mechanism 21 ... 1st brake member 22 ... 2nd brake member 23 ... Wire 30 ... Load detection part 40 ... Energy absorption mechanism 41 ... Drag generating part 42 ... Stopper part 43 ... Wire 50 ... Seat belt mechanism 51 ... Retractor 52 ... Webbing 65 ... Wire 66 ... Winding unit 67 ... First gear 70 ... Stopper 71 ... Second gear 80 ... Sensor

Claims (4)

A first seat provided with a brake mechanism for regulating a change in posture of a seat back movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the vehicle body;
A load detection means for detecting a load input to a seat back of the first sheet from a second sheet side arranged in a rear row from the first sheet;
An occupant protection device comprising: release means for releasing restriction of seat back posture change by the brake mechanism when an input of a load to the seat back is detected by the load detection means. It further has a seat belt means for restraining the occupant by the webbing provided with tension,
The seat belt means comprises:
2. The occupant protection device according to claim 1 , wherein the tension applied to the webbing is increased when the restriction of the seat back posture change is released by the release unit. A collision detection means for detecting a frontal collision of the vehicle in advance;
Sheet moving means for moving the first sheet rearward,
The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the seat moving means moves the first seat backward when a frontal collision of the vehicle is detected in advance by the collision detection means.   The occupant protection according to claim 1, further comprising absorption means for absorbing energy of the load input to the seat back when the load detection means detects an input of a load to the seat back. apparatus.

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