Occupant protection device

Abstract

To provide an occupant protection device capable of accurately restraining an occupant without pressing the front surface of a region near the waist or abdomen of the occupant.SOLUTION: The occupant protection device is mounted on a seat 1. A placement surface part 5 which is arranged in a seat part 3 of the seat, and on which an occupant is placed so as to be able to support a region on a lower surface side in the vicinity of at least a front end of a femoral region of the seated occupant; Two shoulder restraining belts 7L and 7R which are arranged so as to pass in front of the left and right shoulders of the occupant and whose distal ends are connected to the vicinity of left and right edge portions on the front end side of the placement surface portion; placement surface portion side belts 9L and 9R which are capable of being reeled out by reel-out mechanisms 13L and 13R and whose distal ends are connected to the vicinity of the rear end of the placement surface portion; and retractors 11L and 11R which are disposed at positions on the rear side of the seat and are configured to wind up the respective shoulder restraining belts when detecting an impact force acting from the front of the occupant.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an occupant protection device that is mounted on a vehicle seat and is capable of protecting an occupant seated in the seat. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, occupant protection devices for protecting occupants seated in seats include three-point restraint seat belts equipped with a shoulder belt that restrains the occupant's upper body and a lap belt that restrains the occupant's lower body (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this conventional seat belt, the shoulder belt and lap belt are retracted by separate retractors when a vehicle collision is detected. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-287622 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in this conventional passenger protection device, the shoulder belt and lap belt are retracted by separate retractors, so that the passenger can be restrained stably and quickly when a vehicle collision is detected. However, when the lap belt is retracted, the lap belt may press strongly against the front of the waist or abdominal area, and there is room for improvement in this respect.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to provide an occupant protection device that can accurately restrain an occupant without pressing the front of the occupant's waist or abdomen area. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The occupant protection device according to the present invention is an occupant protection device that is mounted on a vehicle seat and is capable of protecting an occupant seated in the seat, a support surface portion disposed on the seat portion of the seat and on which the occupant rests so as to be able to support at least an area of ​​the lower surface near the front ends of the thighs of the seated occupant; two shoulder restraint belts extending from near both left and right edges of the upper end of the backrest portion of the seat and arranged to pass in front of the left and right shoulders of the occupant, with their tips connected to near the left and right edges of the front end of the support surface portion; a sheet-receiving belt that can be fed by a feeding mechanism disposed behind the sheet and has a leading end connected to the rear end of the sheet-receiving belt; a retractor that is disposed at a position behind the seat and is capable of unwinding each shoulder restraint belt, and that is configured to retract each shoulder restraint belt when an impact force acting from the front of the occupant is detected; The present invention is characterized by the following features.

[0007] In the occupant protection device of the present invention, the occupant sits on the seat by resting on a support surface disposed on the seat bottom of the seat, and when the occupant sits on the seat, two shoulder restraint belts extending from near the left and right edges of the front end of the support surface to near the left and right edges of the upper end of the backrest are arranged to pass in front of the occupant's left and right shoulders. These shoulder restraint belts are configured to be payable from retractors disposed behind the seat and to be retracted by the retractors when an impact force acts from the front of the occupant. That is, when an impact force is applied from the front of the occupant, each shoulder restraint belt is pushed by the occupant (specifically, the occupant's upper body) moving forward due to inertial force, resisting the winding force (winding load) of the retractor, and is pulled out to a certain extent from the retractor. The shoulder restraint belt is then wound up by the retractor, restraining the occupant's left and right shoulders and restricting further forward movement of the occupant's upper body. When this impact force is applied, the occupant's lower body also moves forward due to inertial force, and the support surface, which supports at least the lower surface area near the front ends of the thighs, also moves forward as the lower body moves forward, with the support surface belt being unwound from the unwinding mechanism. The leading ends of each shoulder restraint belt are connected to the left and right edges of the front end of the support surface. Therefore, as the support surface moves forward, the tension (winding force) acting on each shoulder restraint belt lifts the front end upward, and the front side (near the front ends of the thighs) of the occupant's lower body is also lifted upward as the occupant moves forward, thereby restricting large forward movement. At this time, the left and right shoulders of the occupant's upper body are restrained by the shoulder restraint belts, which apply tension due to the operation of the retractors, as described above, so that large movement of the upper body toward the lower body can be accurately restricted. As a result, the occupant protection device of the present invention can quickly restrain the left and right shoulders and accurately prevent contact between the upper and lower body, without requiring a configuration that directly restrains the occupant's waist by pressing the front of the waist or abdomen, thereby accurately restraining the occupant.

[0008] Therefore, the occupant protection device of the present invention can accurately restrain the occupant without pressing the front of the occupant's waist or abdomen.

[0009] Furthermore, in the occupant protection device of the present invention, if two support surface side belts are arranged to extend from both the left and right edges near the rear end of the support surface, this is preferable because it prevents the support surface from swaying left and right when the support surface side belts are unwound.

[0010] Furthermore, in the occupant protection device having the above-described configuration, if the support surface is separate from the seat portion and disposed on the upper surface of the seat portion, and is configured to be able to cover substantially the entire lower surface of the occupant from the buttocks to the thighs, it is preferable that the support surface is separate from the seat portion, since the support surface is configured to cover substantially the entire lower surface of the occupant from the buttocks to the thighs, and two support surface-side belts are disposed so as to extend from both left and right edges near the rear end of the support surface, so that the lower surface of the occupant's lower body can be stably supported over substantially the entire lower surface. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view of a seat equipped with an occupant protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the seat of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the seat of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 1 is a side view of a seat showing a state in which an occupant is seated in the seat in an occupant protection device according to an embodiment; [Figure 5] 1 is a side view of a seat showing a movement state of an occupant when an impact force acts from the front of the vehicle in an occupant protection device according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a side view of the seat showing the state of the occupant in the occupant protection device of the embodiment, showing the state after FIG. 5. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, an occupant protection device S according to the embodiment is mounted on a vehicle seat 1. The seat 1 includes a backrest 2 and a seat portion 3. In the embodiment, the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions will be described as corresponding to the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions relative to an occupant MP seated in the seat 1, unless otherwise specified. In the embodiment, the description will be given taking as an example the case of an occupant MP seated in a seat 1 that is disposed facing forward relative to a vehicle (not shown).

[0013] 1 to 3, the occupant protection device S includes a support surface 5 disposed on the seat bottom 3 of the seat 1, two (a pair of left and right) shoulder restraint belts 7L, 7R, two (a pair of left and right) support surface side belts 9L, 9R, retractors 11 (11L, 11R) configured to retract the shoulder restraint belts 7L, 7R, and payout mechanisms 13 (13L, 13R) that can pay out the support surface side belts 9L, 9R. In the embodiment, the retractors 11U (11L, 11R) and payout mechanisms 13 (13L, 13R) are provided as pairs on the left and right corresponding to the shoulder restraint belts 7L, 7R and the support surface side belts 9L, 9R (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

[0014] The support surface 5 is configured to allow an occupant MP seated on the seat 1 to rest on it, and in this embodiment, is disposed on the upper surface of the seat 3 as a separate body from the seat 3. Specifically, in this embodiment, the support surface 5 is formed from a flexible sheet body, has a substantially rectangular outer shape, and is configured to cover substantially the entire upper surface of the seat 3 when laid out flat (see FIG. 2). That is, the support surface 5 is disposed between the lower body MD of the occupant MP seated on the seat 1 and the seat 3, and is configured to cover substantially the entire underside of the lower body MD (specifically, from the buttocks to the thighs) of the occupant MP, and to support the underside region of the lower body MD (from the buttocks to the thighs). In this embodiment, the sheet body constituting the support surface 5 is made of a woven fabric made of polyester yarn, polyamide yarn, or the like.

[0015] The two shoulder restraint belts 7L, 7R are arranged as a pair on the left and right sides, extending from near both left and right edges of the upper end 2a of the backrest 2, respectively, and passing in front of the left and right shoulders MSL, MSR of the occupant MP seated in the seat 1 (so as to be able to restrain the left and right shoulders MSL, MSR), with the distal ends 7a connected (sewn) to near the left or right edge of the front end 5a of the support surface 5 (see FIGS. 1 to 3). In the case of this embodiment, each shoulder restraint belt 7L, 7R is configured to pass above the upper surface side of the upper end 2a of the backrest 2 and extend from the upper end 2a of the backrest 2 by having one end (base side) wound around a winding shaft (not shown) located inside retractors 11L, 11R located behind the upper end 2a of the backrest 2 at a position behind the seat 1. The shoulder restraint belts 7L, 7R are formed from a flexible, long body, and specifically, are made of the same belt material as that used for seat belts.

[0016] Two (a pair of left and right) support surface portion side belts 9L, 9R are disposed so as to extend from both the left and right edges near the rear end 5b of the support surface portion 5. One end of each support surface portion side belt 9L, 9R is connected (sewn) to the left or right edge near the rear end 5b of the support surface portion 5, and in this embodiment, the support surface portion side belt 9L, 9R is disposed so as to extend rearward while being inserted through a predetermined position near the lower end 2b of the backrest portion 2 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The other end of each support surface portion side belt 9L, 9R is wound around a winding shaft (not shown) located behind the seat 1 and inside the payout mechanisms 13L, 13R located behind the seat portion 3. That is, the support surface portion side belts 9L, 9R can be paid out by the payout mechanisms 13L, 13R located behind the seat 1, and the leading end of each support surface portion side belt 9L, 9R is connected to the left or right edge near the rear end 5b of the support surface portion 5. Like the shoulder restraint belts 7L and 7R, the restraint surface side belts 9L and 9R are made of the same belt material as that used for seat belts.

[0017] As described above, the retractors 11L, 11R are a pair of left and right retractors that can pay out a predetermined amount of the shoulder restraint belts 7L, 7R and have one end of each shoulder restraint belt 7L, 7R wound around a winding shaft (not shown) disposed inside the retractors so that the shoulder restraint belts 7L, 7R can be wound up when activated. The retractors 11L, 11R are configured with a predetermined drive mechanism (not shown). This drive mechanism is electrically connected to an operation control device (not shown) disposed in the vehicle. In this embodiment, when a frontal collision of the vehicle is detected, the retractors 11L, 11R are activated to wind up the shoulder restraint belts 7L, 7R with a predetermined winding force (winding load).

[0018] As described above, the payout mechanisms 13L, 13R are also a pair of left and right payout mechanisms, and one end of each of the support surface portion belts 9L, 9R is wound around a winding shaft (not shown) disposed inside so that a predetermined amount of the support surface portion belts 9L, 9R can be paid out. The payout mechanisms 13L, 13R are configured to pay out each of the support surface portion belts 9L, 9R when the support surface portion 5 moves forward in conjunction with the forward movement of the occupant's lower body in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle. Although not shown in detail, the retractors 11L, 11R and the payout mechanisms 13L, 13R are fixed to the seat 1 using a predetermined bracket or the like.

[0019] In the occupant protection device S of this embodiment, the occupant MP sits on the seat 1 by being placed on the support surface 5 arranged on the sitting portion 3 of the seat 1, and when the occupant MP is seated on the seat 1, two shoulder restraint belts 7L, 7R extending from near the left and right edges of the front end 5a of the support surface 5 to near the left and right edges of the upper end 2a of the backrest 2 are arranged to pass in front of the left and right shoulders MSL, MSR (to be able to restrain the left and right shoulders MSL, MSR) (see FIG. 4). These shoulder restraint belts 7L, 7R are configured to be able to be paid out from retractors 11L, 11R arranged behind the seat 1, and to be retracted by these retractors 11L, 11R when an impact force acts from the front of the occupant MP. That is, when an impact force is applied from the front of the occupant MP, each shoulder restraint belt 7L, 7R is pushed by the occupant MP (specifically, the upper body MU of the occupant MP) moving forward under inertial force, resisting the winding force (winding load) of the retractors 11L, 11R, and is pulled out to a certain extent from the retractors 11L, 11R. Thereafter, the shoulder restraint belts 7L, 7R are wound up by the retractors 11L, 11R, restraining the left and right shoulders MSL, MSR of the occupant MP and restricting further forward movement of the upper body MU of the occupant MP. When this impact force is applied, the lower body MD of the occupant MP also moves forward under inertial force, and the support surface 5, which supports at least the lower surface region near the front ends of the thighs, also moves forward as the support surface 5 pays out the support surface 5 belts 9L, 9R from the payout mechanisms 13L, 13R along with the forward movement of the lower body MD. The tips of the shoulder restraint belts 7L, 7R are connected near the left and right edges of the front end 5a of the restraint surface 5. Therefore, as the restraint surface 5 moves forward, the front ends 5a are lifted upward by the tensile force (winding force) acting on the shoulder restraint belts 7L, 7R, and the front side (near the front ends of the thighs) of the lower body MD of the occupant MP is also lifted upward when moving forward, so that a large forward movement is restricted.At this time, the left and right shoulders MSL, MSR of the upper body MU of the occupant MP are restrained by the shoulder restraint belts 7L, 7R, which are tensioned by the operation of the retractors 11L, 11R, so that any large movement of the upper body MU toward the lower body MD can be appropriately restricted. As a result, the occupant protection device S of this embodiment can quickly restrain the left and right shoulders MSL, MSR and appropriately prevent contact between the upper body MU and the lower body MD, without having to be configured to directly restrain the lumbar region by pressing on the front of the lumbar region or abdomen, thereby appropriately restraining the occupant MP.

[0020] Specifically, in the occupant protection device S of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, when an occupant MP is seated in the seat 1 with the shoulder restraint belts 7L, 7R positioned so as to press against the front of the left and right shoulders MSL, MSR, if an impact force F acts from the front during a frontal collision of the vehicle, the retractors 11L, 11R will begin to operate, and the occupant MP will move significantly forward as shown in Fig. 5 while unwinding the shoulder restraint belts 7L, 7R due to inertial force, against the winding force (winding load) acting on the shoulder restraint belts 7L, 7R. At this time, the support surface 5 will also move forward together with the lower body MD, unwinding the support surface side belts 9L, 9R. Then, when the forward movement of the occupant MP stops, the retracting force (retracting load) acting on each shoulder restraint belt 7L, 7R causes each shoulder restraint belt 7L, 7R to restrain the left and right shoulders MSL, MSR of the occupant MP and pull the occupant MP back toward the seat 1, as shown in Fig. 6. At this time, the support surface 5 supporting the underside of the lower body MD is also pulled back toward the seat 1 together with the lower body MD, and the support surface side belts 9L, 9R that are reeled out from the reeling mechanisms 13L, 13R become slack (see Fig. 6). As a result, the occupant MP can be stably restrained by the two shoulder restraint belts 7L, 7R.

[0021] Therefore, the occupant protection device S of the embodiment can accurately restrain the occupant MP without pressing the front of the lumbar region or abdomen of the occupant MP.

[0022] Furthermore, in the occupant protection device S of the embodiment, the two resting surface portion side belts 9L, 9R are arranged so as to extend from both the left and right edges near the rear end 5b of the resting surface portion 5. Therefore, when the resting surface portion side belts 9L, 9R are paid out, it is possible to prevent the resting surface portion 5 from wobbling left and right.

[0023] Furthermore, in the occupant protection device S of the embodiment, the resting surface portion 5 is disposed on the upper surface of the seat portion 3 as a separate body from the seat portion 3, and is configured to be able to cover substantially the entire lower surface of the occupant MP from the buttocks to the thighs. That is, in the occupant protection device S of the embodiment, the resting surface portion 5 is configured to be separate from the seat portion 3, thereby simplifying the configuration. Even though the resting surface portion 5 is separate from the seat portion 3, it is configured to cover substantially the entire upper surface of the seat portion 3, that is, it is configured to cover substantially the entire lower surface of the occupant MP from the buttocks to the thighs. Furthermore, since the resting surface portion side belts 9L, 9R are disposed so as to extend from both left and right edges near the rear end 5b of the resting surface portion 5, it is possible to stably support substantially the entire lower surface of the lower body MD of the occupant MP.

[0024] Although this would result in a complex configuration if these points were ignored, the support surface may be formed from a portion of the upper surface of the seat, and the area constituting the support surface may be configured to slide relative to the seat. When the support surface is configured to be separated from a portion of the seat, the support surface belt may be disposed in only one location near the center of the left and right sides. In the embodiment, the support surface 5 is formed from a flexible sheet, but the support surface may also be formed from, for example, a cushion. In the embodiment, the support surface 5 is formed from a woven fabric made of polyester yarn, polyamide yarn, or the like. However, the material for the support surface is not limited to the embodiment. It is preferable that the support surface be formed from a material that is non-slip for the occupant. Furthermore, in the embodiment, the support surface 5 is configured to cover substantially the entire upper surface of the seat 3, but as long as it is configured to stably support the lower area of ​​the occupant's lower body when activated, the support surface may be configured to cover at least the lower area near the front ends of the occupant's thighs rather than covering the entire upper surface of the seat. Furthermore, in the embodiment, the support surface side belts 9L, 9R extending from near the rear end 5b of the support surface 5 are configured to be reeled out by the reeling mechanisms 13L, 13R, but these support surface side belts may also be configured to be reeled out from a retractor, like the shoulder restraint belts, and to be wound up by the retractor when an impact force is applied from the front. [Explanation of symbols]

[0025] 1...seat, 2...backrest, 3...seat, 5...support surface, 5a...front end, 5b...rear end, 7L, 7R...shoulder restraint belt, 9L, 9R...support surface side belt, 11 (11L, 11R)...retractor, 13 (13L, 13R)...extension mechanism, MP...occupant, MU...upper body, MD...lower body, MSL, MSR...shoulders, S...occupant protection device.

Claims

1. An occupant protection device that is mounted on a vehicle seat and can protect an occupant seated in the seat, a support surface portion disposed on a seat portion of the seat and on which the occupant rests so as to be able to support at least an underside region near the front ends of the thighs of the seated occupant; two shoulder restraint belts extending from near both left and right edges of an upper end side of a backrest portion of the seat and arranged to pass in front of the left and right shoulders of the occupant, with their tips connected to near the left and right edges of a front end side of the rest surface portion; a sheet-receiving belt that can be fed by a feeding mechanism disposed behind the sheet and has a leading end connected to the rear end of the sheet-receiving belt; a retractor disposed at a position behind the seat, capable of unwinding the shoulder restraint belts, and configured to retract the shoulder restraint belts when an impact force acting from the front of the occupant is detected; An occupant protection device comprising:

2. 2. The passenger protection device according to claim 1, wherein the support surface portion-side belts are arranged in pairs so as to extend from both left and right edge sides near the rear end of the support surface portion.

3. The occupant protection device according to claim 2, characterized in that the support surface portion is arranged separately from the seat portion on the upper surface side of the seat portion and is configured to be able to cover almost the entire lower surface side of the occupant from the buttocks to the thighs.

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