Passenger protection for motor vehicles

Abstract

A device (110) for protecting a person (115) standing in a motor vehicle (100) comprises: a plurality of impact cushioning capsules (130) mounted on the motor vehicle (100); a scanning device (125) for determining a free space (140) adjacent to the person (115); and a control device (120) configured to trigger only those of the impact cushioning capsules (130) to deploy into the determined free space (140).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the protection of passengers in motor vehicles. The present invention relates in particular to protection in public transit traffic. Background Art

[0002] A person in a motor vehicle can be protected from an accident by rapidly deploying an impact cushion (also called an impact cushion, air bag or airbag) between the person and the inner boundary of the motor vehicle when or before the motor vehicle strikes an obstacle and filling it with gas. If the person strikes the deployed impact cushion, the gas contained in the impact cushion can escape in a controlled manner through a valve, thereby slowing down the person's movement.

[0003] Impact cushions are known in particular for drivers and front passenger vehicles. For example, special impact cushions have been developed for the head, pelvic or knee regions of the occupants. Some impact cushions are designed for frontal impacts, others for side impacts of the motor vehicle. In order to provide good accident protection, the positioning of the person to be protected must generally be known exactly. The size, mass or posture of the person at the moment of impact can also be taken into account in the design of the impact cushion. Deviations from reality and the assumptions made can result in a reduced protective effect of the impact cushion.

[0004] In public transport vehicles, there are usually no impact cushions for the passengers. These vehicles may be operated with a highly variable number of passengers. Some people may be seated, where their position and posture are at least roughly known, while others may be standing, where neither their exact position nor their posture can be predetermined. These people may already be at a higher risk of injury in the event of violent driving maneuvers such as emergency braking or sudden changes of direction. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a better technology for protecting people standing in a motor vehicle. The present invention achieves this object by means of the following device for protecting people standing in a motor vehicle. The following also reflects a preferred embodiment.

[0006] The device for protecting a standing person in a motor vehicle comprises: a plurality of impact cushioning bags mounted on the motor vehicle; a scanning device for determining a free space adjacent to the person; and a control device configured to trigger only those of the impact cushioning bags to deploy into the determined free space.

[0007] The device can trigger impact cushioning bags in particular under the following conditions, in which ordinary impact cushioning bags will also be triggered, for example, when a collision with another object is about to occur or is occurring, or in the event of a motor vehicle rollover. By dynamically triggering only those impact cushioning bags that are deployed into the free space, standing people can be better protected. The device can also help to protect more people in the vehicle. The impact cushioning bags can be deployed respectively between people or between the boundaries of the interior space where people are located. The device can be used in particular in short-distance vehicles with standing positions or free surfaces that can be used as standing positions. The motor vehicle can, for example, include a bus or a train.

[0008] The impact cushioning bladders can be designed to expand in the vertical direction. The impact cushioning bladders can thus better penetrate into the space around the person and develop their protective effect. In a first variant, the impact cushioning bladders are installed in the bottom surface of the motor vehicle before they are triggered and are designed to expand upwards when triggered.

[0009] In a second variant, the impact-absorbing bag is located in the area above the person and is designed to deploy downward when triggered.

[0010] The impact-absorbing bag can be installed, for example, in the area of ​​the roof or vehicle roof of a motor vehicle. In this area, there may be sufficient structural space for installing the impact-absorbing bag. By deploying from above, the head area of ​​a standing person can be protected particularly early after triggering. The free space that is only available from a predetermined height above the ground, for example above luggage or children, can be dynamically filled by the only partially deployed impact-absorbing bag.

[0011] It is particularly preferred that the impact cushioning capsules are included in a horizontal arrangement which can include a plurality of impact cushioning capsules. The arrangement of the impact cushioning capsules can follow a predetermined pattern, for example in a matrix or honeycomb shape, so that the existing free space can be filled as flexibly and accurately as possible by one or more triggered impact cushioning capsules. For example, in horizontal areas in the seat area of ​​a motor vehicle, where no standing persons are possible, impact cushioning capsules may not be provided. The impact cushioning capsules are usually of the same size, but optionally also of different sizes can be provided. The dimensions of the impact cushioning capsules can differ from one another in the vertical and / or horizontal direction.

[0012] In one embodiment, the deployed impact capsule occupies approximately the same volume in the free space as a person standing there. This can be based on the volume that results when the maximum permissible load of standing people in the motor vehicle is used. The particle size of the impact capsule can thus be fine enough to achieve good protection, but at the same time coarse enough to be able to cope with a smaller number of impact capsules.

[0013] The control device can be configured to trigger the impact cushion as soon as an acceleration acting horizontally on the motor vehicle exceeds a predetermined first threshold value. The acceleration can be caused in particular by the motor vehicle hitting another object. If the impact is foreseeable, the impact cushion can also be triggered immediately in advance.

[0014] In another embodiment, the control device is set up to trigger the impact cushioning bag once a predetermined driving action of the motor vehicle is imminent. The predetermined driving action may cause an acceleration that acts horizontally above a predetermined second threshold value. The second threshold value may be equal to or lower than the first threshold value. Thus, for example, evasive action, rapid lane change or emergency braking can be performed without risking injury to the occupants of the motor vehicle due to the acceleration associated with the action. Perhaps much greater accelerations that may be faced in the absence of the action can be avoided. It may not be necessary to limit the power of the motor vehicle in such a way that the acceleration does not exceed a predetermined threshold value.

[0015] In another embodiment, the shock absorbing bags are connected to each other. This can create a single integrated shock absorbing bag, the deployment of which can be controlled in different ways at different locations. The individual shock absorbing bags can be fixed to each other or arranged behind a large fabric or in a large pad.

[0016] According to another aspect of the invention, a motor vehicle comprises the device described herein.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for protecting a standing person in a motor vehicle includes the following steps: scanning the interior space of the motor vehicle; determining a free space adjacent to the person; determining an impact cushioning bag installed on the motor vehicle and configured to deploy into the determined free space; and triggering the determined impact cushioning bag.

[0018] The method can be set up to be implemented completely or partially on the control device described herein. For this purpose, the control device can include a programmable microcomputer or microcontroller, and the method can be in the form of a computer program product with a program code medium. The computer program product can also be stored on a computer-readable data carrier. Features or advantages of the method can be transferred to the device, or vice versa. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The present invention will now be more precisely described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1 Showing the system;

[0021] FIG2 shows an exemplary arrangement of impact cushioning bladders; and

[0022] Figure 3 A flow chart showing the method is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Figure 1 The schematic diagram of a motor vehicle 100 with an interior space 105 is shown, wherein a device 110 is installed on the motor vehicle 100. The motor vehicle 100 is set up to transport one or more persons 115 standing up. Other persons 115 not shown can then be transported in a sitting or lying position at the same time. The motor vehicle 100 can in particular comprise a vehicle for short-distance public passenger transport, for example a city bus or a corresponding rail vehicle.

[0024] The device 110 is designed to protect a standing person 115 from injury. For this purpose, the device 110 comprises a control device 120, which is connected to at least one scanning device 125 for scanning the interior 105 and a plurality of impact-absorbing capsules 130. An interface 135 is optionally provided, which can be connected to further devices in the vehicle 100. A signal indicating an existing or impending acceleration of the vehicle 100 can be received via the interface 135. If the acceleration is above a predetermined threshold value, active protection of the at least one person 115 can be controlled by the device 110.

[0025] The impact cushioning bag 130 is configured to be installed at a predetermined location on the motor vehicle 100 and includes a bag or pad that is first compactly folded up. If the impact cushioning bag is triggered, a gas generator begins to operate, which usually works in a pyrotechnic manner. The gas generator fills the pad very quickly, wherein the pad can be deployed in a predetermined manner and in a predetermined preferred direction. The inflated pad can help protect the person 115 from hitting other objects in the interior space by positioning it between the person 115 and the object. In one embodiment, the pad includes a valve through which gas can escape in a controlled manner when the person 115 is pressed against the pad.

[0026] It is recommended that when active protection of the person 115 is required, only those impact cushioning bags 130 that are deployed into the free space 140 adjacent to the person 115 are triggered. Impact cushioning bags 130 that are partially or completely located above the person 115 should not be triggered. For this purpose, preferably a plurality of impact cushioning bags 130 are provided, which can be organized into a predetermined arrangement 145. The impact cushioning bags 130 are also preferably set up for deployment in the vertical direction. In the embodiment shown, the arrangement 145 is located above the person 115 and can be integrated, for example, in the vehicle roof of the motor vehicle 100, wherein the impact cushioning bags 130 are set up for deployment downwards.

[0027] The deployed impact bladders 130 may have similar dimensions in the horizontal direction as the person 115. The illustrated arrangement 145 includes enough impact bladders 130 to substantially completely fill a predetermined portion of the interior space 105 when needed, in which a standing person 115 may reside during travel of the motor vehicle 100. Exemplarily discussed are the filled and deployed impact bladders 130 that are at least approximately cylindrical in shape. For purposes of illustration, one of the impact bladders 130 is shown filled and deployed. Other shapes of the impact bladders 130 are also possible.

[0028] In order to determine which impact cushioning capsules 130 are located above the free space 140, the interior 105 can be scanned by means of at least one scanning device 125. The scanning device 125 preferably works contactlessly and can, for example, include a camera, a depth camera, a LiDAR sensor or a radar sensor. Different scanning devices 125 can be installed at different locations of the interior 105 to allow reconstruction of a three-dimensional model of the interior 105 with the person 115. Based on this model, it can then be determined which impact cushioning capsule 130 is located above the free space 140.

[0029] Alternatively, a scanning device 125 can be assigned to an impact cushioning capsule 130, which scans the section of the interior space 105 located below the impact cushioning capsule 130. The scanning device 125 can include a distance meter pointing vertically downward. If the determined distance corresponds to the spacing between the bottom of the interior space 105 and the impact cushioning capsule 130, then the impact cushioning capsule 130 is located above the free space 140. The distance meter can be constructed relatively simply and work, for example, with the aid of ultrasound or optically. It is also possible to assign multiple distance meters to an impact cushioning capsule 130 in order to scan the space occupied by the filled and deployed impact cushioning capsule 130 as completely as possible.

[0030] exist Figure 1 In the illustration of FIG. 1 , the shock bladders 130 located above the free space 140 are shown in light colors, while the shock bladders 130 located at least partially above the person 115 are shown in dark colors. If active protection of the person 115 shown is desired, the shock bladders 130 shown in light colors can be triggered so that they are deployed between the persons 115 or between the persons 115 and the boundary of the interior space 105. In another embodiment, only those shock bladders 130 that, from the perspective of the person 115 to be protected, are in the direction of movement of the person 115 due to acceleration can be triggered.

[0031] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary arrangement 145 of impact bladders 130 in a top view. Figure 2aA honeycomb arrangement 145 is shown, in which the untriggered impact pads 130 have a hexagonal shape in a horizontal plane and can rest against one another without gaps. This embodiment allows a particularly high horizontal packing density of the impact pads 130 to be achieved.

[0032] Figure 2b A matrix-shaped arrangement 145 is shown. Here, it is assumed by way of example that the impact pad 130 has a circular cross section. In this embodiment, unused spaces may be obtained between the impact cushioning bladders 130; on the other hand, the impact cushioning bladders 130 to be triggered can be easily determined based on the matrix shape.

[0033] Figure 2c A staggered matrix arrangement 145 is shown, which can Figure 2a and 2b The advantages of the embodiments are combined with one another.

[0034] Figure 3 A flow chart of a method 300 for protecting a person 115 standing on a motor vehicle 100 is shown. In step 305, the driving situation of the motor vehicle 100 can be determined. The driving situation can include the movement of the motor vehicle 100 relative to the ground, in particular relative to a predetermined lane. If the motor vehicle 100 is about to leave the lane, the motor vehicle may experience a strong acceleration. The driving situation can also include an impending or ongoing collision of the motor vehicle 100 with another object. In addition, the driving situation can also include an impending or executed driving maneuver that may lead to a strong acceleration of the motor vehicle 100 in the longitudinal and / or lateral direction.

[0035] In step 310, it can be determined whether an acceleration greater than a predetermined acceleration is acting on motor vehicle 100 or whether a corresponding acceleration is imminent. The driving speed of motor vehicle 100 can be taken into account for determining the amount of acceleration. The greater the driving speed, the greater the acceleration acting on occupant 115 of motor vehicle 100.

[0036] In step 315, the interior 105 of the motor vehicle 100 may be scanned. Based on the scan, a free space 140 in the interior 105 may be determined in step 320, wherein the free space 140 is preferably free of persons 115. The impact cushioning bladders that are designed to be deployed into the determined free space 140 may be determined in step 325. It should be noted that one or more of steps 315 to 325 may also be performed before step 315.

[0037] If it is determined in step 315 that excessive acceleration is expected, the determined impact cushioning pods 130 may be triggered in step 325. The triggering may take place immediately or the time of the triggering may be selected depending on the predicted acceleration or depending on the specific driving situation.

[0038] Reference numerals list

[0039] 100 Motor Vehicles

[0040] 105 Interior Space

[0041] 110 Equipment

[0042] 115 people

[0043] 120 Control device

[0044] 125 Scanning device

[0045] 130 Impact cushion

[0046] 135 Interface

[0047] 140 Free Space

[0048] 145 Arrangement

[0049] 300 Methods

[0050] 305 Determine driving conditions

[0051] Is there any acceleration in the 310 that is about to happen or is in effect?

[0052] 315 Scanning the interior space

[0053] 320 Determine free space

[0054] 325 Determine the impact cushioning bag assigned

[0055] 330 triggering the determined impact buffer capsule

Claims

1. A device (110) for protecting a person (115) standing in a motor vehicle (100), wherein: The device (110) comprises the following components: A plurality of impact cushioning bags (130) mounted on a motor vehicle (100), wherein each of the plurality of impact cushioning bags can be deployed individually; A scanning device (125) for determining a free space (140) adjacent to the person (115); A control device (120) is configured to trigger only those of the impact cushioning bladders (130) to deploy into the determined free space (140).

2. The device (110) according to claim 1, wherein The impact cushioning bag (130) is configured to be deployed in a vertical direction.

3. The device (110) according to claim 2, wherein: The impact bladder (130) is located in the area above the person (115) and is configured to deploy downward when triggered.

4. The device (110) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: A horizontal arrangement (145) of a plurality of impact-absorbing bladders (130) is provided.

5. The device (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The deployed impact bladder (130) occupies approximately the same space in the free space (140) as a person (115) standing therein.

6. The device (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The control device (120) is designed to trigger an impact cushion (130) as soon as an acceleration acting horizontally on the motor vehicle (100) exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

7. The device (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The control device (120) is configured to trigger an impact cushion (130) as soon as a predetermined driving maneuver of the motor vehicle (100) is about to occur.

8. A motor vehicle (100) comprising a device (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A method (300) for protecting a person (115) standing in a motor vehicle (100), wherein: The method (300) comprises the following steps: Scanning (315) an interior space (105) of the motor vehicle (100); determining (320) a free space (140) adjacent to the person (115); Determining (325) an impact bladder (130) of a plurality of impact bladders (130) mounted on a motor vehicle (100) configured to deploy into the determined free space (140) wherein: Each of the plurality of impact bladders is individually deployable; and The determined impact cushioning bladder (130) is triggered (330).

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