JP7205747B2 - passenger protection device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an occupant protection device for vehicles such as automobiles.

2. Description of the Related Art Vehicles such as automobiles are equipped with various occupant protection devices (for example, an airbag device provided in the driver's seat of the vehicle, etc.) for protecting occupants in the event of an accident such as a collision. Such occupant protection devices are often driven by a common battery, and there is a strong demand for reliable operation even with the limited driving power of the common battery. For this reason, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for ensuring the reliable operation of a passenger protection device that uses a plurality of activation devices (for example, driver and front passenger airbags, seatbelt pre-seats, etc.) with different optimum drive timings. tensioner, etc.), after supplying starting power to one starting device, the voltage of the auxiliary battery is set to a voltage range that allows reliable operation of the other starting devices. A device is disclosed that can reliably start each starting device by stopping the supply of starting power to the starting device that is being energized when the power drops to a predetermined value.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-69663

By the way, an occupant protection device using an airbag may be installed not only on the front seats (driver's seat and front passenger seat) of the vehicle but also on the rear seats. Further, the airbag in the occupant protection device for each seat may be provided not only on the front side but also on the side side. Thus, when there are a large number of airbags to be activated in one vehicle, it is particularly necessary to appropriately deal with power shortages and voltage drops in the common battery that drives the passenger protection system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in consideration of the circumstances described above, and its object is to provide an occupant protection system that operates a plurality of airbags with a common power source, and to ensure proper and reliable operation of the plurality of airbags. Another object of the present invention is to provide an occupant protection device capable of

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following solutions. That is, as described in claim 1, in an occupant protection device provided in at least one occupant seat in a vehicle, a plurality of airbags are deployed toward the occupant in the occupant seat from different directions, at least two of the plurality of collision sensors; a plurality of inflators that operate each of the plurality of airbags; When a collision is detected at the same time, a time difference is given to the energization timing of the inflator for operating the airbag corresponding to the collision sensor that detected the collision.

According to the above-described solution method, since the inflators of a plurality of airbags provided in the passenger seat are energized (transmission of operation command signals) with a time difference, the power (voltage) of the common power supply unit (battery) Shortages can be avoided and multiple airbags can be properly activated.

Preferred modes based on the above-described solution method are as described in claims 2 and subsequent claims. That is, the plurality of airbags include frontal airbags that are arranged in front of the passenger seat and are deployed from the front toward the occupant in the passenger seat, and front airbags that are arranged on the side of the passenger seat and are deployed sideways toward the occupant in the passenger seat. and the plurality of inflators are a front airbag inflator that deploys the front airbag and a side airbag inflator that deploys the passenger seat side airbag. The collision sensors include a front collision sensor that is provided corresponding to the front airbag and detects a collision from the front of the vehicle, and a side collision sensor that is provided corresponding to the side airbag and detects a collision from the side of the vehicle. It is a collision sensor (corresponding to claim 2). In this case , the front airbag deploys from the front of the occupant, and the side airbag deploys from the side of the occupant. Adequate protection is provided by the airbag against swung movements.

The occupant protection device is provided for a plurality of seats in the vehicle, and the power supply unit is a common power supply unit for the occupant protection devices provided for the plurality of seats (corresponding to claim 3 ). In this case, it is possible to appropriately and reliably operate a plurality of airbags installed in a plurality of seats including the rear seats while avoiding power shortage of the common power source.

The side airbag is at least one of a side airbag provided on the side surface of the passenger seat and a curtain airbag provided on the door rule portion (corresponding to claim 4 ). In this case, as an occupant protection behavior when the vehicle collides obliquely forward , the occupant 's upper body swings forward by deploying the front airbag with the front airbag inflator. It is possible to prevent the head and chest from colliding with the interior in front of the occupant (for example, the steering wheel for the driver seat occupant, the instrument panel for the passenger seat occupant, and the back of the front seat for the rear seat occupant). Furthermore , in response to the movement of the occupant to the side, side airbags installed on the side of the occupant seat and curtain airbags installed on the door roof deploy to prevent the occupant's shoulders, ribs and lower back. Collision with the pillar trim on the side of the occupant and the door, and collision of the occupant's head with the door and door roof can be more reliably prevented.

According to the present invention, even if each seat is provided with a plurality of airbags, it is possible to appropriately avoid power shortages and voltage drops in a common power supply unit.

The figure which shows the example of arrangement|positioning of the airbag in a vehicle. The figure which shows the example of arrangement|positioning of the collision sensor in a vehicle. 1 is a block configuration diagram showing an example of a control system of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a graph showing changes in battery voltage according to the present invention; 4 is a flow chart showing a control procedure of an example of control according to the present invention;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of arrangement of airbags in a vehicle 1 equipped with an occupant protection system of the present invention. As shown in the figure, a vehicle 1 has a driver's seat 2 and a passenger's seat 3 on the front side, and a rear seat 4 on the rear side. A dashboard 5 is provided in front of the driver's seat 2 and the passenger's seat 3 , and a steering wheel 6 is arranged in front of the driver's seat 2 . A center console 7 is arranged between the driver's seat 2 and the passenger's seat 3 .

The vehicle 1 includes a driver seat front airbag module 11, a passenger seat front airbag module 12, a rear seat front airbag module 13, and a curtain airbag module 14A as airbag devices for passenger protection. , 14B.

The driver's seat front airbag module 11 is provided in the center of the steering wheel 6 arranged in front of the driver's seat 1 . A front passenger seat front airbag module 12 is provided on the dashboard 5 so as to be positioned in front of the passenger seat 2 . Also, the rear seat airbag module 13 is provided on the seat backs of the driver's seat 2 and the passenger's seat 3 .

The curtain airbag modules 14A, 14B are provided on both left and right sides of the vehicle 1, and are arranged along the roofline above side windows (not shown). The curtain airbag module 14A functions as a side airbag system for the driver seat 1 and the (right) rear seat 3, and the curtain airbag module 14B functions as a side airbag system for the passenger seat 2 and (left) rear seat. do.

Each module has an airbag and an inflator for deploying the airbag. The airbags and inflators of the driver's seat front airbag module 11, the passenger's seat front airbag module 12 and the rear seat front airbag module 13 are respectively a front airbag 31 and a front airbag inflator 32 (see FIG. 3). constitutes The airbags and inflators of the curtain airbag modules 14A and 14B constitute a side airbag 34 and a side airbag inflator 35 (see FIG. 3), respectively.

FIG. 2 shows an arrangement example of the collision sensors in the vehicle 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, a frontal collision sensor 21 is arranged in the front portion 1A of the vehicle 1 . Side impact sensors 22 are arranged on both side surfaces 1B of the vehicle (only one side surface is shown in the figure). As a result, a collision from the front of the vehicle 1 is detected by the front collision sensor 21, and a collision from the side of the vehicle is detected by the side collision sensor 22, respectively.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the control system of the passenger protection system of the present invention. The control system includes a controller U configured using, for example, a microcomputer. The controller U is provided with a program for controlling the operation of each airbag module (inflator). A command signal is sent to the airbag inflator 34 .

The front airbag inflator 32 and the side airbag inflator 34 are powered by a common battery B to deploy the front airbag 31 and the side airbag 33, respectively. Further, the battery B is provided with a booster circuit 35 .

In the control of the controller U, basically, when the frontal collision sensor 21 detects a frontal collision, a command signal is actuated to the frontal airbag inflator 32, and the side collision sensor 22 detects a side collision. is detected, the side airbag inflator 34 is operated, but if the frontal collision sensor 21 and the side collision sensor 22 detect a collision at the same time, the frontal airbag inflator 32 and the side airbag inflator 32 are activated. Instead of activating the bag inflator 34 at the same time, the operation timing (timing of energization of the command signal) is given a time lag. This eliminates the need for a high voltage as in the case where the front airbag inflator 32 and the side airbag inflator 34 operate simultaneously, and the voltage shortage of the common battery B is appropriately avoided. To appropriately operate each airbag device even when a plurality of airbag devices are provided in a plurality of seats.

In the case of such simultaneous detection of frontal and side collisions, the controller U first transmits (energizes) a command signal to the frontal airbag inflator 32, and after a predetermined time elapses, transmits a command signal to the side airbag inflator 34. Transmit (energize). As a result, the deployment timing of the front airbag 31 and the side airbag 33 appropriately matches the motion of the occupant at the time of collision (that is, the motion of being swung to the front and then to the side). Appropriate occupant protection can be performed by the airbag.

FIG. 4 shows the time change of the voltage of the battery B in the control in the case of simultaneous detection of frontal and side collisions. In the graph, _T0 indicates the timing of collision detection, T1 indicates the command timing (energization timing) to the _front airbag inflator 32, and T2 indicates the command timing (energization timing) to the _side airbag inflator 34. . V1 is the voltage required to operate the _front airbag inflator 32, V2 is the voltage required to operate the _side airbag inflator 34, and V3 is the voltage required to operate the front airbag inflator ₃₂ and the side airbag inflator 34. is the voltage required for simultaneous operation of

At time T ₀ , when the frontal collision sensor 21 and the side collision sensor 22 detect the collision simultaneously (or at very close timings), the frontal airbag inflator 32 receives the command signal at time T ₁ . activated and the voltage of battery B drops. In this case, since the front airbag inflator 32 operates independently, the voltage of the battery B becomes the voltage V required for the simultaneous operation of the front airbag inflator 32 and the side airbag inflator 34 due to the influence of an accident or the like. Even if it is less than ₃ , the frontal airbag inflator 32 will still work properly.

After the command signal is sent to the front airbag inflator 32, a predetermined time t, that is, when the vehicle collides obliquely forward, the occupant behavior is from the occupant's upper body being swung forward to the occupant being swayed to the side. After the time elapses, the side airbag inflator 34 receives the command signal and operates. In this case, the voltage of the battery B is boosted by the booster circuit 35 to the voltage V2 or higher required to operate the _side airbag inflator 34 during the predetermined time t, so that the side airbag inflator 34 is properly operated. to operate.

Next, according to the flow chart of FIG. 5, the control of the present invention will be explained in more detail. In the control, first, in step S1, it is determined whether or not a collision has been detected by the frontal collision sensor 21, and if no collision has been detected, the process proceeds to step S2.

In step S2, it is determined whether or not the side collision sensor 22 has detected a collision. On the other hand, if it has been detected, the process proceeds to step S8, the side airbag inflator 34 is energized, the side airbag 33 is deployed, and the processing cycle ends.

If it is determined in step S1 that a collision has been detected by the frontal collision sensor 21, the process proceeds to step S3 to determine whether or not a collision has been detected by the side collision sensor 22, and if no collision has been detected. In step S3, the front airbag inflator 32 is energized, the front airbag 31 is deployed, and one cycle of processing ends.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2 that the side impact sensor 22 has detected a collision, it means simultaneous detection by the frontal impact sensor 21 and the side impact sensor 22. Therefore, in step S5, the frontal airbag is first detected. The front airbag 31 is deployed by energizing the front inflator 32 .

In the following step S6, boosting of battery B is started. In step S7, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time t has passed. This determination is repeated until a predetermined time t elapses, and when the predetermined time t elapses, the process advances to step S8, energizes the side airbag inflator 34, deploys the side airbag 33, and completes one cycle of processing. .

The side airbag may be at least one of a side airbag provided on the side surface of the passenger seat and a curtain airbag provided on the door rule portion. As a result, when the vehicle collides obliquely forward, the occupant protection behavior is as follows. collision with the interior in front of the occupant (for example, the steering wheel for the driver seat occupant, the instrument panel for the passenger seat occupant, and the back of the front seat for the rear seat occupant). Furthermore, when the occupant moves to the side after that, the side airbags installed on the side of the occupant seat and the curtain airbags installed on the door roof deploy to prevent the occupant's shoulders and ribs from moving. Collision of the occupant's lower back with the pillar trim on the side of the occupant or the door, and collision of the occupant's head with the door or door roof can be more reliably prevented.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and appropriate modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. For example, in the above embodiment, the front airbag device (the front airbag 31 and the side airbag inflator 32) includes the driver front airbag module 11, the passenger front airbag module 12, and the rear front airbag module. Although the module 13 is provided and the curtain airbag modules 14A and 14B are provided as the side airbag device (the side airbag 33 and the side airbag inflator 34), the technical scope of the present invention is such a form. , and the types and numbers of the front airbag device and the side airbag device are not particularly limited. For example, side airbag modules provided on the sides of each seat may be used in place of the curtain airbag modules 14A and 14B, or may be provided together with the curtain airbag modules 14A and 14B. good too.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used as an occupant protection device using an airbag in a vehicle such as an automobile.

1 Vehicle 2 Driver's Seat 3 Passenger Seat 4 Rear Seat 5 Dashboard 6 Steering Wheel 7 Center Console 11 Driver's Front Airbag Module 12 Passenger's Front Airbag Module 13 Rear Seat Front Airbag Modules 14A, 14B Curtain Airbag Module 21 Front collision sensor 22 Side collision sensor U Controller B Battery 31 Front airbag 32 Front airbag inflator 33 Side airbag 34 Side airbag inflator 35 Booster circuit

Claims (4)

An occupant protection device provided in at least one passenger seat in a vehicle,
a plurality of airbags that deploy from different directions toward the occupant in the passenger seat;
a plurality of collision sensors provided for each of the different directions;
a plurality of inflators that activate each of the plurality of airbags;
a common power supply unit that supplies power to the plurality of inflators,
An occupant protection device in which, when at least two of the plurality of collision sensors detect a collision at the same time, the energization timings of the inflators that operate the airbags corresponding to the collision sensors that detect the collision have a time lag. In the occupant protection device according to claim 1,
The plurality of airbags include a front airbag that is arranged in front of the passenger seat and deploys from the front toward the occupant in the passenger seat, and a front airbag that is arranged on the side surface of the passenger seat and deploys laterally toward the occupant in the passenger seat. is a side airbag that deploys from
The plurality of inflators are a front airbag inflator that deploys the front airbag and a side airbag inflator that deploys the passenger seat side airbag,
The plurality of collision sensors include a front collision sensor provided corresponding to the front airbag for detecting a collision from the front of the vehicle, and a front collision sensor provided corresponding to the side airbag for detecting a collision from the side of the vehicle. Occupant protection device that is a side collision sensor that detects. In the occupant protection device according to claim 1 or claim 2 ,
The occupant protection device is provided on a plurality of seats in the vehicle,
The passenger protection device, wherein the power supply unit is a common power supply unit for the passenger protection devices provided on the plurality of seats. In the occupant protection device according to claim 2 ,
The side airbag is at least one of a side airbag provided on the side of the passenger seat and a curtain airbag provided on the door rule portion.

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