JP7361656B2 - Vehicle occupant protection device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle occupant protection device.

2. Description of the Related Art Seat belt devices and air bag devices are used in vehicles such as automobiles to protect passengers riding in the vehicle (Patent Document 1).
A seatbelt is a seatbelt that is stretched in front of the occupant's upper body to restrain the occupant sitting in the seat from being displaced from the seat. An airbag device deploys around an occupant seated in a seat and absorbs a large impact that may be applied to the occupant displaced from the seated position. By using these occupant protection devices, the vehicle can protect the occupants riding in the vehicle.

JP2017-178148A

However, seat belts, for example, locally restrain the occupant. Therefore, even if the occupant can be protected from a large impact, it cannot be said that there is no possibility that a local burden will be imposed on the occupant.
In addition, although the bag can appropriately absorb impact for the type of collision that it anticipates, it may not be able to properly absorb impact for a type of collision that is different from the one expected. . For example, it is difficult for a bag that is deployed in front of an occupant seated in a seat to appropriately absorb the impact of displacement of the seat from the seated position of the occupant who falls laterally on the seat due to a side collision. For this reason, in a vehicle, a plurality of airbag devices are provided around the seat, corresponding to each type of collision.
Further, in order to accommodate the body shapes of various occupants, the bag unfolds at a position slightly away from, for example, the upper body of the occupant in the seated position. The deployed bag body begins to function to absorb the impact only after the occupant's upper body, for example, has clearly moved. In this case, the unfolded bag needs to absorb a large impact, for example on the upper body of the occupant, who has already begun to move.

There is room for improvement in such occupant protection devices provided in vehicles.

The vehicle occupant protection device according to the present invention is provided on a vehicle seat, and passes from the upper left and right upper portions of the back of the seat to the upper sides of the left and right shoulders of the occupant seated on the seat in front of the occupant's upper body. a right bag and a left bag that can be expanded to a state of The bag includes an insertion portion, a tether connected to the other bag body through the insertion portion, and a retraction device for pulling the tether.

Preferably, a portion of the one bag body where the insertion portion is provided and a connection portion of the tether of the other bag body are located on the rear side of an occupant seated on the seat of these bags. It is good to have a part that is.

Preferably, the retracting device pulls the tether so that a portion of the one bag body where the insertion portion is provided is in contact with a connection portion of the tether of the other bag body. .

Preferably, the right bag body and the left bag body can be brought into close contact with the front surface of the upper body of the occupant seated on the seat by pulling the tether.

Preferably, the right bag body and the left bag body start deploying obliquely forward from the seat, or toward both left and right sides of the seat.

Preferably, the right bag body and the right bag body are provided on the seat in a rolled state, and are movable forward on both left and right sides of the seat by the force of unfolding.

Preferably, the retraction device starts pulling the tether after the right bladder and the left bladder begin to deploy.

Preferably, the retraction device starts pulling the tether after the deployment completion timing at which the right bag body and the left bag body can move forward of the occupant seated on the seat.

Preferably, after the right bag body and the left bag body begin to deploy, the tether is pulled by the retracting device, so that the right bag body and the left bag body pass above the left and right shoulders of the occupant seated on the seat and reach the front surface of the occupant. It's good to be in close contact with.

Preferably, the right bag body is fixed to the upper right part of the back part of the seat and the right part of the seat part of the seat, and extends from the upper right part of the back part of the seat to the right part of the seat part of the seat. The left bag is expanded to extend, and is fixed to the upper left of the back of the seat and the left side of the seat of the seat, and extends from the upper left of the back of the seat to the seat of the seat. It is best to expand it so that it extends over the left side of the screen.

In the present invention, the right bag body and the left bag body provided on the seat of a vehicle are moved by an inflator from the upper left and right sides of the back of the seat to the upper sides of the left and right shoulders of the occupant seated on the seat. It can be expanded to a state before. By expanding the bag in this manner, the occupant seated on the seat can be maintained in that state. For example, the occupant can be restrained to remain seated in the seat not only when an impact is applied to the vehicle from the front, but also when the impact is applied from an oblique direction. Further, the front surface of the occupant's upper body is suppressed by the left and right bags. When trying to protect an occupant with a seatbelt, there is a possibility that a strong force to restrain the occupant will act locally on the front of the upper body where the seatbelt hits. This can reduce the possibility of
Furthermore, in the present invention, the tether is connected to the other bag through the insertion portion formed in one of the right bag and the left bag. The part where the insertion part is provided for one bag and the tether connection part for the other bag may be, for example, a part of these bags that is on the rear side of the passenger seated on the seat. The retraction device then pulls the tether. The retracting device pulls the tether so that, for example, a portion of one bag body where the insertion portion is provided is in contact with a tether connection portion of the other bag body. As a result, for example, the right bag body and the left bag body, which are deployed separately in front of the occupant's upper body, are pulled toward the center of the seat in the left-right direction. By being pulled together, the right bag body and the left bag body can come into close contact with the front surface of the upper body of the occupant seated on the seat, regardless of the occupant's physique. The occupant sitting on the seat is pressed against the seat by the right bag body and the left bag body, making it difficult to move from the seated state. Moreover, since the right bag body and the left bag body are drawn toward the center of the seat, they can be located near the circumference of the neck of the occupant and come into close contact with the neck. By having the bag close to or in close contact with the neck, the head is less likely to swing. In particular, by pulling the tether so that the insertion portion of one bag is in contact with the tether connection part of the other bag, head shake can be effectively suppressed.
Due to these effects, the present invention can achieve high occupant protection in various types of collisions. For example, not only in a frontal collision, an oblique collision, an offset collision, but also in a side collision, the right bag body and left bag body can restrain the occupant so that it is difficult to displace the occupant from the seated position. Moreover, since the right and left bag bodies restrain the occupant, it is difficult to apply a strong local force to the occupant like a seatbelt. In addition, since the right bag body and the left bag body are preferably deployed so as to be in close contact with the upper body of the occupant in the seated position, It can function to begin absorbing that shock.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an automobile according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the basic unfolded state of the right bag and left bag of the occupant protection device that can be provided in the automobile of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a control system of an occupant protection device provided in the automobile of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of occupant protection processing by the control unit of FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the right bag and left bag of the occupant protection device according to the embodiment of the present invention are housed in the seat. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the unfolding procedure of the right bag and left bag in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the expansion procedure following FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a winding method using the winding device of FIG. 5. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the unfolded state of the right bag body and the left bag body after the winding process of FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a method of expanding a modified example of the right bag body and left bag body of FIG. 5. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a method of expanding another modified example of the right bag and left bag shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a modification that improves the retraction performance of the right bag body and the left bag body.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an automobile 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The automobile 1 is an example of a vehicle. Vehicles include, for example, buses for public transportation, trains, personal mobility for individuals, and mount devices for carrying personal mobility. The vehicle may be capable of being driven manually or automatically.
FIG. 1(A) is a schematic side view of the automobile 1. FIG. FIG. 1(B) is a top view of the automobile 1 of FIG. 1(A). In FIG. 1, a car 1 and a passenger riding in the car 1 are illustrated.
The automobile 1 has a vehicle body 2. The vehicle body 2 has a passenger compartment 3 in which a plurality of seats 4 are arranged facing forward. The seat 4 has a seat portion 5 and a back portion 6 that stands upward from the rear edge of the seat portion 5. The occupant sits on the seat 4 with his or her waist and thighs resting on the seat 5 and the back of the upper body against the back 6.

In such a car 1, a seatbelt device and an airbag device are used to protect the occupants riding in the vehicle.
The seat belt device includes a seat belt that is stretched in front of the upper body of an occupant seated on the seat 4. The seat belt restrains the occupant seated on the seat 4 so that the occupant does not shift from the seat 4 in the event of a collision.
The airbag device has a bag that expands around an occupant seated on a seat 4. The bag unfolds, for example, on the front side of the seat 4. In the event of a collision, the occupant's upper body falls forward, for example, from a seated position with the back against the seat 4, but the impact is absorbed by hitting the unfolded bag. It can absorb the shock that acts on the occupants.
With these seatbelt devices and airbag devices, the automobile 1 can protect the occupants riding in the vehicle.
However, seat belts, for example, locally restrain the occupant's chest. For this reason, it cannot be said that there is no possibility that a local burden will be applied to the chest of the occupant when a large impact is input.
In addition, the bag can absorb shock by deploying it at the appropriate position and timing for the type of collision that it is assuming, but it cannot properly absorb the impact for a type of collision that is different from the one expected. Not necessarily. For example, the bag that unfolds in front of the occupant sitting on the seat 4 cannot absorb the impact of the displacement of the seat 4 in the width direction of the vehicle from the seating position of the occupant who falls laterally on the seat 4 due to a side collision. difficult. Therefore, in the automobile 1, a plurality of airbag devices corresponding to a plurality of collision types are provided around the seat 4. A large number of airbag devices are provided around the seat 4, the number of which corresponds to the type of collision. In this case, the structure and control of the device for protecting the occupant becomes complicated.
As described above, further improvements are required for occupant protection devices.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the basic right bag body 21 and left bag body 22 of the occupant protection device that can be provided in the automobile 1 of FIG. 1 in an expanded state. FIG. 2 explains the basic principle of passenger protection by the right bag 21 and the left bag 22.

The right bag body 21 in FIG. 2 is expanded so as to protrude forward from the upper right part of the back portion 6 of the seat 4 and further protrude downward due to the inflow of high pressure gas from an inflator 23 (not shown). In this case, the right bag body 21 is expanded from the upper right part of the back 6 of the seat 4, passing above the right shoulder of the occupant seated on the seat 4, and reaching in front of the occupant's upper body.

The left bag body 22 is expanded so as to protrude forward from the upper left part of the back portion 6 of the seat 4 and further protrude downward due to the inflow of high pressure gas from an inflator 23 (not shown). In this case, the left bag 22 is expanded from the upper left of the back 6 of the seat 4, passing above the left shoulder of the occupant seated on the seat 4, and reaching in front of the occupant's upper body.

In this way, the right bag 21 and the left bag 22 provided on the seat 4 of the automobile 1 are moved by the inflator 23 from the left and right upper portions of the back 6 of the seat 4 to the upper sides of the left and right shoulders of the occupant seated on the seat 4. They are deployed separately to reach the front of the occupant's upper body. The upper body of the occupant sitting on the seat 4 is restrained by the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 that are in close contact with the entire surface thereof, and can be maintained in this state in the event of a collision. The unfolded right bag body 21 and left bag body 22 seat the occupant in the seat 4 not only when an impact is input to the vehicle 1 from the front direction but also when the impact is input from an oblique front direction. It can be restrained to maintain the state. Further, the front surface of the occupant's upper body is restrained by the unfolded right bag body 21 and left bag body 22. When the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are deployed, the force that restrains the occupant acts locally and strongly on a part of the front surface of the occupant's upper body, compared to the case where the seat belt restrains the front surface of the occupant's upper body. It becomes difficult.
In this embodiment, an occupant protection device 10 that can practically be expected to have such effects will be described.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a control system of the occupant protection device 10 provided in the automobile 1 of FIG. 1.
The occupant protection device 10 in FIG. 3 includes a stereo camera 11, an infrared camera 12, a LiDAR 13, an acceleration sensor 14, a communication device 15, a GPS receiver 16, and an airbag device 17. The airbag device 17 includes a right bag body 21, a left bag body 22, an inflator 23, an insertion portion 24 (described later), a tether 25 (described later), a winding device 26, and a control unit 27 to which these are connected. Each sensor and each device of the occupant protection device 10 may be connected to the control unit 27 via a vehicle network (not shown) provided in the automobile 1.

The stereo camera 11 is arranged, for example, in the front of the passenger compartment 3 so as to face forward. The stereo camera 11 includes a plurality of imaging devices arranged in the vehicle width direction. The stereo camera 11 captures images of people outside the vehicle, which are captured by a plurality of imaging devices. The stereo camera 11 may calculate the direction and distance of the imaged person outside the vehicle with respect to the vehicle body 2. The stereo camera 11 may calculate the direction and distance of the subject using trigonometry, for example, based on the position of the person outside the vehicle, who is the subject in the captured images of the plurality of imaging devices. The stereo camera 11 may also calculate whether the subject is moving, the direction of movement, the speed of movement, etc. based on changes in position in images taken at different times.
The infrared camera 12 is arranged facing forward in the front part of the passenger compartment 3, for example like the stereo camera 11. The infrared camera 12 captures an infrared image of a person or other moving object outside the vehicle.
LiDAR 13 is arranged, for example, at the front of the vehicle body 2 so as to face forward. The LiDAR 13 emits light forward and acquires the direction, distance, speed, etc. of the subject based on the light reflected by a person outside the vehicle in front of the vehicle body 2 .
Acceleration sensor 14 is provided in vehicle body 2 . The acceleration acting on the acceleration sensor 14 is detected. When the vehicle body 2 hits a moving object such as a person, the acceleration sensor 14 detects a large acceleration that does not occur during normal driving. In this case, the acceleration sensor 14 may output collision detection. In this case, the acceleration sensor 14 functions as a collision detection unit that predicts or detects contact between the vehicle body 2 and another moving object.
The communication device 15 communicates by wireless communication with other moving objects, such as other communication devices of other cars and pedestrians, base stations placed along the road, and the like. The communication device 15 may acquire the current position, moving direction, moving speed, etc. of another moving body from another communication device.
The GPS receiver 16 receives radio waves from GPS satellites and the like, and acquires the current position, moving speed, etc. of the own vehicle.

The right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 of the airbag device 17 may be formed with smooth surfaces of, for example, nylon or other resin fibers. The right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 may be bent rod-shaped bags as described later.

The inflator 23 is connected to the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22. The inflator 23 generates high pressure gas in response to an ignition signal and supplies it to the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22.

The winding device 26 winds up the tethers 25 provided for the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22, as described later.

The control unit 27 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an ECU (Electric Control Unit). The control unit 27 may be provided in the automobile 1 as a CPU dedicated to the airbag device 17, or may be provided in the automobile 1 as a CPU common to various protection devices provided in the automobile 1, for example. The CPU reads a program from a storage such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and executes the program. Thereby, the CPU functions as the control section 27 of the airbag device 17. The control unit 27 of the airbag device 17 determines the possibility of a collision for the vehicle 1 based on detection information from collision detection units such as the stereo camera 11, the infrared camera 12, the LiDAR 13, the acceleration sensor 14, and the communication device 15. , detect collisions. Based on the judgment or detected collision, the CPU outputs an ignition signal to the inflator 23, and the winding device 26 winds up the tether 25. Thereby, the airbag device 17 protects the occupant with the deployed right bag body 21 and left bag body 22.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of occupant protection processing by the control unit 27 of FIG.
The CPU serving as the control unit 27 repeatedly executes the process shown in FIG. 4, for example, when the car 1 is running or when a passenger is riding in the car 1.

In step ST1, the CPU determines whether a collision has been detected. The CPU repeats this process when contact between the vehicle body 2 and another moving object is not predicted or detected. When a contact between the vehicle body 2 and another moving object is predicted or detected, the CPU determines that a collision has been detected and advances the process to step ST2.

In step ST2, the CPU deploys the airbag device 17. The CPU outputs an ignition signal to the inflator 23. As a result, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 of the airbag device 17 begin to deploy.

In step ST3, the CPU determines that the airbag device 17 is in a deployed state and that the deployment is complete. The CPU may determine the completion of deployment based on, for example, whether the elapsed time since outputting the ignition signal to the inflator 23 is equal to or longer than the deployment time of the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22. In addition to this, for example, the CPU may detect the expanded states of the right bag 21 and the left bag 22 to determine the completion of expansion. Note that in this process, the completion of expansion may be the timing at which the right bag 21 and the left bag 22 are expanded to the maximum, but it may also be the timing just before that.

In step ST4, the CPU winds up the tether 25. The CPU operates the winding device 26. The winding device winds up the tether 25. In this way, the winding device 26 winds up and pulls the tether 25 after the determination timing of completion of deployment. The winding device 26 starts pulling the tether 25 at the earliest after the timing at which the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 start to unfold.
Thereby, the CPU as the control unit 27 can deploy the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 of the occupant protection device 10 when a collision of the automobile 1 is detected or predicted.

Next, the right bag body 21 and left bag body 22 developed by the process shown in FIG. 4 will be explained.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the accommodation state of the right bag body 21 and left bag body 22 of the occupant protection device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention in the seat 4.
FIG. 5(A) is a front view of the sheet 4. FIG. FIG. 5(B) is a side view of the sheet 4. FIG. FIG. 5(C) is a top view of the sheet 4. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the right bag 21 of this embodiment is an elongated bag that can be expanded into a substantially rod shape. One end of the elongated right bag body 21 is fixed at a position closer to the center of the upper right portion of the back portion 6 of the seat 4, and the other end is fixed to the right front portion of the seat portion 5 of the seat 4. The right bag 21 is buried along the right edge of the seat 4 from the back 6 of the seat 4 to the seat 5. The left bag 22 is an elongated bag that can be expanded into a substantially rod shape. One end of the elongated left bag body 22 is fixed at a position closer to the center of the upper left portion of the back portion 6 of the seat 4, and the other end is fixed to the left front portion of the seat portion 5 of the seat 4. The left bag 22 is buried along the left edge of the seat 4 from the back 6 of the seat 4 to the seat 5.
Then, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 break the seat cover forming the surface of the seat 4 due to the pressure at the time of deployment, and protrude outside the seat 4. The right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 that protrude outside the seat 4 can be deployed from the seat 4 to the left and right. The right bag body 21 unfolded to the right from the seat 4 can be unfolded so as to extend from the upper right of the back 6 of the seat 4 to the right side of the seat 5 of the seat 4. The left bag 22 unfolded to the left from the seat 4 can be unfolded so as to extend from the upper left of the back 6 of the seat 4 to the left side of the seat 5 of the seat 4.

However, if the right bag 21 is buried along the right edge of the seat 4 from the back 6 to the seat 5 of the seat 4, the right bag 21 after tearing the seat cover and protruding outside the seat 4. The length of the bag body 21 is longer than the straight line distance from the right upper part of the back part 6 of the seat 4 to the right front part of the seat part 5, to which both ends of the right bag body 21 are fixed. The right bag body 21 will be expanded to a length longer than the straight line distance between the two fixed points. For this reason, if the right bag body 21 is simply expanded, it will flex and expand, and it will be difficult to tightly restrain the occupant as shown in FIG. 2.
Similarly, if the left bag 22 is buried along the left edge of the seat 4 from the back 6 to the seat 5 of the seat 4, the left bag 22 after tearing the seat cover and protruding outside the seat 4. The length of the left bag body 22 is longer than the straight line distance from the upper left part of the back part 6 of the seat 4 to the left front part of the seat part 5, to which both ends of the left bag body 22 are fixed. The left bag body 22 will be expanded to a length longer than the straight-line distance between the two fixed points. For this reason, if the left bag body 22 is simply expanded, it will flex and expand, and it will be difficult to tightly restrain the occupant as shown in FIG. 2.
The right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22, which are unfolded while being bent on the left and right sides of the occupant, do not unfold so as to come in close contact with the front surface and both left and right shoulders of the occupant seated on the seat 4. hard.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the unfolding procedure of the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 of FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the expansion procedure following FIG. 6.

FIG. 6(A) shows the accommodation state of the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 before the start of deployment. The right bag 21 and the left bag 22, which are elongated bags that can be expanded into a substantially rod shape, are housed in the sheet 4 with their upper portions rolled up. Specifically, the right bag 21 is wound clockwise, and the left bag 22 is wound counterclockwise. In this way, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are provided on the sheet 4 in a backward-rolled state. As the inflator 23 blows out high-pressure gas, the right bag 21 and the left bag 22 begin to expand. The right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 begin to unfold to the left and right while unwinding.

FIG. 6(B) shows a state in which the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 have started to unfold and have broken the right edge and left edge of the sheet 4 and are unfolded. The right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22, which have started to unfold so as to spread to the left and right while unwinding their respective windings, break the right and left edges of the sheet 4 and further unfold to spread to the left and right.

FIG. 6(C) shows a state in which the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are greatly bent and expanded to the right and left sides of the sheet 4, further expanded from FIG. 6(B). The right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22, which are bent and expanded, protrude left and right from the right and left edges of the seat 4 and spread in the vehicle width direction, as shown in FIG. 6(C). In this expanded state, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are unrolled. In the unrolled right bag body 21, counterclockwise inertia acts upon unwinding. In the unrolled left bag body 22, clockwise inertia acts upon unwinding. In this way, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 start to expand obliquely forward from the back 6 of the seat 4 so as to spread forward, or toward both left and right sides of the seat 4. Become.

FIG. 7(A) shows a state in which the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are further expanded from FIG. 6(C) and are expanded toward the front side of the seat 4 due to the inertial force at the time of expansion. The unrolled right bag body 21 moves forward due to counterclockwise inertia. The unwound left bag body 22 moves forward due to clockwise inertia.

FIG. 7(B) shows that the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are further developed from FIG. 7(A), and the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are moved in front of the upper body of the occupant seated on the seat 4 due to the inertial force at the time of deployment. It is in an expanding state. The right bag body 21 that has moved forward moves to the left in front of the occupant due to the counterclockwise inertia force. The left bag body 22 that has moved forward moves to the right in front of the occupant due to the clockwise inertia force.
The right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22, which are provided on the seat 4 in the backward-rolled state, are moved in front of the upper body of the seated occupant on both left and right sides of the back part 6 of the seat 4 due to the force of deployment. Move to.
In addition, by bending and unfolding, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 can move forward without being obstructed by the upper body of the passenger seated on the seat 4. Can move forward of the upper body.
However, since the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are in a bent state even at this stage, it is difficult to restrain the upper body of the occupant seated on the seat 4.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a winding method using the winding device 26 of FIG. 5.
In FIG. 8, the winding device 26 housed in the back 6 of the seat 4 is shown on the rear side of the back 6 of the seat 4 for purposes of explanation.
In FIG. 8(A), the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are unfolded in front of the upper body of the seated occupant, as shown in FIG. 7(B).

An insertion portion 24 is provided near the upper fixing portion of the right bag body 21. The insertion portion 24 may be constituted by, for example, a cylindrical cloth body, a ring, or the like. The insertion portion 24 is provided on the outer surface of the right bag body 21 near the portion fixed to the back portion 6 and on the center side of the seat 4 in the left-right direction.

One end of the tether 25 is connected to the winding device 26 through the insertion portion 24, and the other end is connected to the left bag body 22. The other end of the tether 25 is connected to the left bag body 22. It is provided on the outer surface near the part fixed to the back part 6 and on the center side of the seat 4 in the left-right direction.

In this way, the part where the insertion part 24 is provided for the right bag body 21 and the connection part of the tether 25 for the left bag body 22 are located at the upper side of the back part 6 when both bags are expanded. Provided on the center side. That is, it is provided on the center side of the position behind the head or neck of the occupant seated on the seat 4 when both bags are expanded. Note that the insertion portion 24 and the tether 25 may be attached with the right and left sides reversed.
Then, the winding device 26 winds up the tether 25 after the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are deployed in front of the upper body of the seated occupant as shown in FIG. 7(B). The winding device 26 starts pulling the tether 25 after the deployment completion timing at which the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 can move forward of the occupant seated on the seat 4.
Further, the winding device 26 moves the tether 25 to the back 6 of the sheet 4 until the portion of the right bag body 21 where the insertion portion 24 is provided comes into contact with the connection portion of the tether 25 of the left bag body 22. Pull towards. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8(B), the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22, which are bent and unfolded, are moved toward the center side of the sheet 4 in the left-right direction by the tether 25 being wound up. I am pulled back. The deflection of the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 is rolled up by a winding device 26. The right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 pass above both the left and right shoulders of the occupant seated on the seat 4 and move to a position where they reach the front of the occupant. The unfolded right bag body 21 and left bag body 22 are in close contact with the front surface of the upper body and both shoulders of the occupant seated on the seat 4.
FIG. 8B shows a state in which the unfolded right bag body 21 and left bag body 22 are in close contact with the front surface of the upper body and both shoulders of the occupant seated on the seat 4.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the unfolded state of the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 after the winding process of FIG. 8.
FIG. 9(A) is a front view. FIG. 9(B) is a side view. In FIG. 9, the unfolded right bag body 21 and left bag body 22 are in close contact with the front surface of the upper body and both shoulders of the occupant seated on the seat 4, as in FIG. 8(B). The right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22, which start deployment at a length longer than the straight line distance between the two fixed points at both ends, and which start deployment in a bent state, are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. As shown in FIG. 8, the seat 4 can be moved to the front side of the occupant seated in the seat 4 while being bent, and as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the front of the upper body and both shoulders of the occupant It can be unfolded so that it sticks to the top. The right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are eventually unfolded without leaving any flexure, and are brought into close contact with the front of the upper body and both shoulders of the occupant seated on the seat 4. It can be expanded to
In the state shown in FIG. 9, the right bag body 21 is expanded from the upper right part of the back 6 of the seat 4, passing above the right shoulder of the occupant seated on the seat 4, and reaching in front of the occupant's upper body. The left bag 22 extends from the upper left of the back 6 of the seat 4, passes above the left shoulder of the occupant sitting on the seat 4, and extends to the front of the occupant's upper body. The upper body of the occupant sitting on the seat 4 is restrained by the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 which are unfolded in close contact with the seat 4, making it difficult to shift or move forward, backward, up, down, left or right. The upper body of the occupant, who is restrained by the right bag 21 and left bag 22, is firmly held by the right bag 21 and left bag 22, which are centered, and is difficult to slip out between them, for example, forward. Become.
Furthermore, due to the situation shown in FIG. 9 at the time of a side collision, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are present near the sides of the occupant's neck, and the occupant's upper body moves to the left and right sides. This can be effectively prevented from happening.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 provided on the seat 4 of the automobile 1 are inflated by the inflator 23 from the left and right upper portions of the back part 6 of the seat 4 to the passenger seated on the seat 4. It can be deployed separately so that it passes above the left and right shoulders of the passenger and extends in front of the passenger's upper body. By deploying the bag in this manner, the occupant seated on the seat 4 can be maintained in that state. The occupant can be restrained to remain seated in the seat 4 not only when an impact is input to the automobile 1 from the front, but also when the impact is input from an oblique front direction. Further, the front surface of the occupant's upper body is suppressed by the left and right bags. When attempting to protect an occupant using a seatbelt alone, there is a possibility that the force that restrains the occupant is strongly applied locally to a portion of the front of the upper body, but this embodiment eliminates such possibility. Can be reduced.
In particular, in this embodiment, the tether 25 passes through the insertion part 24 formed near the upper fixing part of the back part 6 of one of the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 to the other bag body. It is connected near the fixed part on the upper side of the back part 6. The part where the insertion part 24 is provided for one bag and the connection part of the tether 25 for the other bag are the center side of the upper side of the back 6 when both bags are expanded. provided on the surface. Alternatively, the portion where the insertion portion 24 is provided for one bag and the connection portion of the tether 25 for the other bag may be the head of the occupant seated on the seat 4 when both bags are expanded. It is provided on the center side of the neck. The take-up device 26 then pulls the tether 25 backward. The take-up device 26 pulls the tether 25 toward the back 6 until the region where the insertion portion 24 of one bag is provided and the connection region of the tether 25 of the other bag come into contact. As a result, for example, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 that are deployed in front of the occupant's upper body are pulled toward the center of the seat 4 in the left-right direction by the winding device 26, and are moved toward the rear. drawn to. The right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 can come into close contact with the front surface of the upper body of the occupant seated on the seat 4. The occupant sitting on the seat 4 is pressed against the seat 4 by the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22, which are in close contact with each other, regardless of his/her physique, making it difficult to move from the seated state. In addition, by being drawn toward the center of the seat 4, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 can be positioned near the circumference of the occupant's neck and come into close contact with the neck. By having the bag close to or in close contact with the neck, the head is less likely to swing.
Due to these effects, this embodiment can achieve high occupant protection in various types of collisions. For example, in not only a frontal collision, an oblique collision, an offset collision, but also a side collision, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 can restrain the occupant so that it is difficult to displace the occupant from the seated position of the seat 4. Furthermore, since the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 restrain the occupant, it is possible to prevent the occupant from being locally strongly restrained like a seatbelt.
In addition, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are deployed in close contact with the upper body of the occupant in the seated position of the seat 4, so that they begin to absorb the impact before the occupant's upper body begins to move. It can function like this. In this case, the unfolded right bag body 21 and left bag body 22 do not need to be able to absorb a large impact on the occupant who has already started moving, such as when absorbing a shock at a position away from the occupant. do not have.

Further, in this embodiment, the right bag body 21 and the right bag body 21 are provided on the sheet 4 in a backwardly rolled state. In this case, the right bag body 21 and the right bag body 21 can move forward of the upper body of the occupant seated on both left and right sides of the back portion 6 of the seat 4 due to the force of deployment. The right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 can start deploying obliquely forward from the back 6 of the seat 4 so as to spread forward, or toward both left and right sides of the seat 4. Thereby, it can be deployed in front of the upper body of the occupant seated on the seat 4.
In the present embodiment, the winding device 26 has a shape that allows the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 to pass above both the left and right shoulders of the passenger seated on the seat 4 and reach the front surface of the passenger. The tether 25 begins to be pulled after the deployment completion timing at which the tether 25 is to be deployed. After the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 begin to unfold, the tether 25 is pulled by the retractor 26, so that the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 pass above the left and right shoulders of the occupant seated on the seat 4 and are attached to the front surface of the occupant's upper body. Move to the position that leads to. Thereby, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 can restrain the occupant so as to maintain him seated on the seat 4.

In this embodiment, the right bag body 21 is deployable into a substantially rod shape, and both ends thereof are fixed to the upper right part of the back part 6 of the seat 4 and the right part of the seat part 5 of the seat 4, and the right bag body 21 is 6 to the right side of the seat portion 5 of the seat 4. As a result, it unfolds from the upper right corner of the back 6 of the seat 4, passing above the right shoulder of the occupant seated on the seat 4, and reaching in front of the occupant's upper body. Similarly, the left bag body 22 can be expanded into a substantially rod shape, and both ends thereof are fixed to the upper left part of the back part 6 of the seat 4 and the left part of the seat part 5 of the seat 4, and It unfolds so as to extend from the upper left to the left side portion of the seat portion 5 of the seat 4. As a result, it unfolds from the upper left of the back 6 of the seat 4, passing above the left shoulder of the occupant seated on the seat 4, and reaching in front of the occupant's upper body.
By fixing the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 to the seat 4 in two places, upper and lower, in this way, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 will not expand even if the load of the occupant is applied. This makes it easier to maintain the position that you are in. The right bladder 21 and the left bladder 22 can be maintained in the deployed position even when subjected to a large load from the occupant. The occupant can be supported well.

Although the above embodiments are examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention.

For example, in the embodiment described above, both ends of the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are fixed to the upper portion of the back portion 6 of the seat 4 and the left and right side portions of the seat portion 5 of the seat 4.
In addition, for example, both ends of the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 may be fixed to the upper portion of the back portion 6 of the seat 4 and the left and right armrest portions of the seat 4.

In the embodiment described above, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are expanded independently on the left and right sides of the seat 4, for example.
In addition to this, for example, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 may be connected, for example, on the back part 6 of the seat 4 to be integrated. Even in this case, the portion where the insertion portion 24 is provided for one bag and the connection portion of the tether 25 for the other bag may be provided at a portion that is branched left and right.

In the embodiment described above, the winding device 26 unfolds into a shape that allows the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 to pass above both the left and right shoulders of the passenger seated on the seat 4 and reach the front surface of the passenger. The tether 25 begins to be pulled after the expected deployment completion timing.
In addition, for example, the winding device 26 may start pulling the tether 25 before the timing when the right bag 21 and the left bag 22 complete deployment. The winding device 26 may start pulling the tether 25 after the timing at which the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 start unfolding.

In the embodiment described above, the right bag body 21 and the right bag body 21 are provided on the seat 4 in a backward-rolled state, and the force of the unfolding causes the right bag body 21 and the right bag body 21 to roll over the seated occupant on both the left and right sides of the back 6 of the seat 4. It moves in front of the body.
In addition to this, for example, the right bag body 21 and the right bag body 21 may be provided on the seat 4 in a front-rolled state, or may be provided on the seat 4 in a bellows-shaped state. Even in these cases, if reflective plates are provided on the left and right sides of the sheet 4 and the bags are moved forward by touching the reflectors, the right bag body 21 and the right bag body 21 can be The unfolding can be started obliquely forward from the back part 6 so as to spread forward, or towards both left and right sides of the seat 4.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a method of expanding a modified example of the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 of FIG. 6. 10(A) to FIG. 10(C) correspond to FIG. 6(A) to FIG. 6(C).
FIG. 10(A) shows the accommodation state of the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 according to the modified example before the start of deployment. The right bag body 21 is wound up counterclockwise, and the left bag body 22 is wound up clockwise and stored. In this way, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are provided on the sheet 4 in a forward-wound state. As the inflator 23 blows out high-pressure gas, the right bag 21 and the left bag 22 begin to expand. The right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 begin to unfold to the left and right while unwinding, and as shown in FIG. be bounced back to. The unrolled right bag body 21 and left bag body 22 move forward due to inertia during deployment, as shown in FIG. 10(C).
The right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 provided on the seat 4 in the forward-rolled state can be moved in front of the upper body of the seated occupant due to the force of deployment, as in FIG. 7.

In FIG. 5, the right bag 21 and the left bag 22 are fixed on the back 6 of the seat 4 at a position near the center.
In addition, for example, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 may be fixed at positions near both left and right ends on the back portion 6 of the seat 4, as shown in FIG. 11(A). FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a method of expanding another modified example of the right bag and left bag shown in FIG. 5.
In this case, the lengths of the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are shorter than those in FIG. 5, so that the deflection after deployment is started can be reduced.
Moreover, since the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are fixed on the back 6 of the seat 4 at positions close to both left and right ends, the tether 25 is wound by the winding device 26 as shown in FIG. 11(B). By removing it, the effect of eliminating deflection increases. By drawing the tether 25 to a large extent, the deflection of the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 can be effectively eliminated.

In addition, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 basically break the skin of the seat 4 by expanding the buried bag body, and then break in the direction of tearing due to inertia, just like a normal side airbag. Move forward. By installing so that this direction is the front, the right bag 21 and the left bag 22 can be deployed forward. Since the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 described above are rolled up or bounced by the regulation plate 28 in the stored state, they can be moved forward more reliably.

Further, in the embodiment described above, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are embedded along both left and right edge portions of the seat 4 from the back portion 6 of the seat 4 to the seat portion 5.
In addition to this, for example, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 may be loosely buried along both left and right edge portions of the seat 4 from the back portion 6 to the seat portion 5 of the seat 4. In this case, the unfolded length of the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 between the two points fixed to the sheet 4 can be made longer than the length of both left and right edge portions of the sheet 4. By making the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 longer, for example, during forward deployment as shown in FIGS. It becomes easier to move forward. The right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22, which are about to be deployed forward, are less likely to interfere with the shoulders of the occupant seated on the seat 4.
However, when the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are lengthened in this way, the winding device 26 provided on the back part 6 of the seat 4 alone cannot move the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 at a sufficient speed or at a sufficient speed. There is a possibility that it will not be possible to draw them back due to the amount. In such a winding device 26, restrictions on size and performance are likely to occur due to the size of the back portion 6 of the sheet 4, etc.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a modification that improves the retraction performance of the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22.
In FIG. 12(A), the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are loosely embedded along both left and right edge portions of the seat 4 from the back 6 to the seat 5 of the seat 4. The length of the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 is longer from the back portion 6 of the seat 4 to the seat portion 5 than the left and right edge portions of the seat 4. A winding device 26 is connected to the upper end of the right bag body 21 and the upper end of the left bag body 22 by a tether 25 (not shown), as in the above-described embodiment.
In FIG. 12, the lower end of the right bag body 21 and the lower end of the left bag body 22 are connected to an adjustment device 42 by a belt 41. The adjusting device 42 can be, for example, a winding device, which is arranged under the seat 5 of the seat 4. The belt 41 may be hung around a plurality of pulleys 43. By hanging it around a plurality of pulleys 43 and folding it back, the length of the belt 41 can be ensured within a range that fits under the seat portion 5 of the seat 4.

When the elongated right bag body 21 and left bag body 22 start deploying, they are greatly bent and deployed in front of the occupant seated on the seat 4, as shown in FIG. 12(B). The right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 can be largely bent and deployed in front of the occupant sitting on the seat 4 without interfering with both shoulders of the occupant sitting on the seat 4.
In the state where the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 are unfolded forward, the adjustment device 42 winds up the belt 42 by a predetermined amount, for example.
As a result, as shown in FIG. 12(C), a portion of the elongated right bag body 21 and left bag body 22 are drawn into the lower side of the seat portion 5 of the seat 4. The right bag body 21 and the left bag body, which are partially retracted, are curved to a size that is one size larger than the upper body of the occupant seated on the seat 4 when viewed from the side. The degree of curvature of the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 in FIG. 12(C) is suppressed compared to FIG. 12(B). In this state, the winding device 26 winds up the tether 25 and draws the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 backward. As a result, the right bag body 21 and the left bag body 22 can be brought into close contact with the front surface and both shoulders of the upper body of the occupant seated on the seat 4, similarly to the embodiment described above.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Automobile (vehicle), 2...Vehicle body, 3...Crew room, 4...Seat, 5...Seat part, 6...Back, 10...Occupant protection device, 11...Stereo camera, 12...Infrared camera, 13...LiDAR, 14 ... Acceleration sensor, 15... Communication device, 16... GPS receiver, 17... Airbag device, 21... Right bag body, 22... Left bag body, 23... Inflator, 24... Insertion part, 25... Tether, 26... Winding up Device (retracting device), 27...Control unit, 28...Regulation plate

Claims (5)

A right bag body provided on a vehicle seat and deployable from the upper left and right sides of the back of the seat to the front of the occupant's upper body through the upper sides of the left and right shoulders of an occupant seated on the seat; Left bag and
an inflator that expands the right bag and the left bag;
an insertion portion formed in one of the right bag body and the left bag body;
a tether connected to the other bag body through the insertion portion;
a retraction device that pulls the tether;
A vehicle occupant protection device having:
A portion of the one bag where the insertion portion is provided and a portion of the other bag where the tether is connected are a portion of these bags that is on the rear side of the passenger seated on the seat. be,
The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1.
The retracting device pulls the tether so that a portion of the one bag body where the insertion portion is provided is in contact with a connection portion of the tether of the other bag body.
A vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1 or 2.
The retraction device starts pulling the tether after the deployment completion timing at which the right bag body and the left bag body can move forward of the occupant seated on the seat.
A vehicle occupant protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The right bag body and the left bag body pass above both the left and right shoulders of the passenger seated on the seat and come into close contact with the front surface of the passenger by pulling the tether by the retracting device after the right bag body and the left bag body start deployment.
A vehicle occupant protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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