Vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a vehicle body having a passenger compartment in which an occupant rides, and a side door opening portion formed on a side portion in a vehicle width direction and opened and closed by a side door; a seat belt device having a seat belt formed in a belt shape, a tongue plate into which the seat belt is inserted, and a buckle ring engaged with the tongue plate; and a seat on which the seat belt device is mounted and in which the buckle ring is fixed on one side in a seat width direction. The seat is installed on a floor of the passenger compartment in a manner rotatable about an axis in a vehicle up-down direction, and is configured such that one side in the seat width direction is disposed on a side portion side of the vehicle body in a state facing toward a vehicle rear side, and the seat is disposed at a position at which the buckle ring and the side door opening portion do not overlap in the vehicle width direction in the state facing toward the vehicle rear side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-039400 discloses a vehicle that can switch the driver's seat or other seats to face the front of the vehicle or to face the rear of the vehicle by rotating the seats when viewed from above.

[0003] However, when a seat equipped with a seatbelt device—comprising a seatbelt worn on the occupant, a tongue for the seatbelt to pass through, and a buckle that engages with the tongue—rotates while viewed from above, it's conceivable that the buckle is located on the side door. In this case, during a side collision, the side door will shift inwards into the passenger compartment, thus reducing the gap between the buckle and the side door. Consequently, operating the buckle will become difficult. For example, pressing the buckle button will become more challenging. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above facts, this disclosure provides a vehicle capable of suppressing situations where the operation of the buckle becomes difficult during a side collision.

[0005] The vehicle of the first type comprises: a body having a passenger compartment for occupants, and a side door opening formed on the side portion in the vehicle width direction, which can be opened and closed through a side door; a seat belt device having a seat belt formed as a strip, a tongue through which the seat belt passes, and a buckle engaged with the tongue; a seat equipped with the seat belt device and the buckle being fixed on one side in the seat width direction, the seat being mounted on the floor of the passenger compartment in a manner rotatable with the vehicle vertical direction as an axis, and in a state facing the rear of the vehicle, the seat width direction side being disposed on the side portion of the body in the vehicle width direction, and the seat being disposed at a position in the rear of the vehicle where the buckle and the side door opening do not overlap in the vehicle width direction.

[0006] According to the vehicle of the first embodiment, by rotating the seat mounted on the floor of the passenger compartment about the vertical axis of the vehicle, the seat can be positioned facing the rear of the vehicle. Furthermore, by having an occupant seated in the seat engage the tongue plate with the buckle, the seat belt is fastened to the occupant. With the seat facing the rear of the vehicle, the seat width side is positioned on the side of the vehicle body (side door side) in the vehicle width direction. That is, the buckle fixed to the seat is positioned on the side of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, with the seat facing the rear of the vehicle, the seat is positioned where the buckle and the side door opening do not overlap in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, even if the side door shifts towards the passenger compartment side during a side collision, the gap between the side door and the buckle is ensured. As a result, situations where buckle operation becomes difficult during a side collision can be prevented.

[0007] The second type of vehicle is the same as the first type of vehicle, in which the seat is mounted on the floor of the passenger compartment in a state where it cannot move relative to the floor of the passenger compartment in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0008] According to the second method of the vehicle, it is possible to prevent the buckle from overlapping with the side door opening in the vehicle width direction as the seat moves in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

[0009] The third type of vehicle, in addition to the first type of vehicle, further includes: a front-to-back sliding support that supports the seat in a manner movable in the vehicle's front-to-back direction; a front-to-back sliding actuator that moves the seat in the vehicle's front-to-back direction by actuation; and a seat control unit that controls the front-to-back sliding actuator. The seat control unit includes a memory and a processor connected to the memory. When the processor detects that the seat is facing the rear of the vehicle, the processor actuates the front-to-back sliding actuator, thereby moving the seat to a position where the buckle and the side door opening do not overlap in the vehicle's width direction.

[0010] According to the third-party vehicle model, when the processor detects that the seat is facing the rear of the vehicle, it activates the fore-and-aft sliding actuator to move the seat to a position where the buckle and the side door opening do not overlap in the vehicle width direction. This prevents the buckle and the side door opening from overlapping in the vehicle width direction.

[0011] The fourth type of vehicle, in addition to the first type of vehicle, also includes a front and rear sliding support portion, which supports the seat in a manner that allows it to move in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. When the seat is facing the rear of the vehicle, the range of movement of the seat allowed by the front and rear sliding support portion is limited to the range where the buckle and the side door opening do not overlap in the width direction of the vehicle.

[0012] According to the vehicle of the fourth type, with the seat facing the rear of the vehicle, the range of seat movement allowed by the fore-and-aft sliding support is limited to a position where the buckle and the side door opening do not overlap in the vehicle width direction. This prevents the buckle and the side door opening from overlapping in the vehicle width direction.

[0013] The fifth type of vehicle, in addition to the first type of vehicle, also includes a front and rear sliding support portion, which supports the seat in a manner that allows it to move in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. When the seat is facing the front of the vehicle, movement of the seat by the front and rear sliding support portion is permitted, and when the seat is facing the rear of the vehicle, movement of the seat by the front and rear sliding support portion is restricted.

[0014] According to the vehicle of the fifth embodiment, when the seat faces forward, movement of the seat, achieved by the front-to-back sliding support, is permitted. Conversely, when the seat faces rearward, movement of the seat, achieved by the front-to-back sliding support, is restricted. This prevents the buckle and side door opening from overlapping in the vehicle width direction due to movement of the seat in the front-to-back direction.

[0015] The sixth type of vehicle is, in the first type of vehicle, in the state where the seat faces the rear of the vehicle, the seat is arranged at a position where the body frame portion of the frame constituting the side portion of the body in the vehicle width direction overlaps with the buckle in the vehicle width direction.

[0016] According to the sixth method, with the seat facing the rear of the vehicle, the seat is positioned where the body frame portion, which experiences less deformation towards the passenger compartment during a side collision, overlaps with the buckle in the vehicle width direction. This ensures a sufficient gap between the body frame portion and the buckle during a side collision, thereby preventing situations where the buckle operation becomes difficult during a side collision.

[0017] The seventh type of vehicle comprises: a body having a passenger compartment for occupants, and a side door opening formed on the side portion in the vehicle width direction, which can be opened and closed through a side door; a seat belt device having a seat belt formed as a strip, a tongue through which the seat belt passes, and a buckle engaged with the tongue; a seat equipped with the seat belt device and the buckle being fixed on one side in the seat width direction, the seat being mounted on the floor of the passenger compartment in a manner rotatable with the vehicle vertical direction as an axis, and in a state facing the rear of the vehicle, the seat width direction side being positioned within the vehicle width of the body. The seat is positioned such that, when facing the rear of the vehicle, the buckle and the side door opening do not overlap in the vehicle width direction; a driving control unit controls the driving of the vehicle, the driving control unit having a memory and a processor connected to the memory, the processor detecting, when the seat is positioned such that, when facing the rear of the vehicle, the buckle and the side door opening overlap in the vehicle width direction, the processor implements at least one of the following: outputting a warning signal, limiting the vehicle's driving speed, and limiting the vehicle's acceleration.

[0018] According to the seventh method of the vehicle, the seat, which is mounted on the floor of the passenger compartment, is rotated along the vertical axis of the vehicle, so that the seat faces the rear of the vehicle. Furthermore, the seatbelt is worn by the occupant sitting in the seat by engaging the tongue plate in the buckle. Here, with the seat facing the rear of the vehicle, the seat width side is positioned on the side of the vehicle body (side door side) in the vehicle width direction. That is, the buckle fixed to the seat is positioned on the side of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, with the seat facing the rear of the vehicle, the seat can be positioned where the buckle and the side door opening do not overlap in the vehicle width direction. When the processor detects that the seat is positioned where the buckle and the side door opening overlap in the vehicle width direction while the seat is facing the rear of the vehicle, the processor implements at least one of the following: outputting a warning signal, limiting the vehicle's speed, and limiting the vehicle's acceleration. This prompts the occupant to move the seat to a position where the buckle and the side door opening do not overlap in the vehicle width direction.

[0019] The eighth type of vehicle is, in the seventh type of vehicle, wherein the processor stops controlling the output of the warning signal, the speed limit of the vehicle, and the acceleration limit of the vehicle when at least one of the following conditions is met: the vehicle is located on a road where only autonomous driving vehicles can travel, or the speed limit of the road where the vehicle is located is below a prescribed speed.

[0020] According to the eighth method, the processor stops the aforementioned control if at least one of the following conditions is met: the vehicle is located on a road where only autonomous driving vehicles can travel, or the speed limit of the road where the vehicle is located is below a prescribed speed. That is, the processor stops the aforementioned control if it anticipates that the vehicle will not collide, or if a side collision does occur, the displacement of the side door towards the passenger compartment is minimal. This allows the seat to be positioned where the buckle and the side door opening overlap in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, even if a side collision occurs in this situation, the gap between the side door and the buckle can be ensured, thereby preventing the buckle from becoming difficult to operate during a side collision.

[0021] The vehicle of the ninth type comprises: a body having a passenger compartment for occupants, and a side door opening formed on the side in the vehicle width direction, which can be opened and closed through a side door; a seat belt device having a seat belt formed as a strip, a tongue through which the seat belt passes, and a buckle engaged with the tongue; a seat equipped with the seat belt device and the buckle being fixed on one side in the seat width direction, and the seat being mounted on the floor of the passenger compartment; a left-right sliding support supporting the seat in a manner movable in the vehicle width direction; a left-right sliding actuator that moves the seat in the vehicle width direction by actuation; and a seat control unit controlling the left-right sliding actuator, the seat control unit having a memory and a processor connected to the memory, wherein when the processor detects that the distance between the buckle and the side door is less than a predetermined distance, the processor actuates the left-right sliding actuator, thereby moving the seat to a position where the distance between the buckle and the side door is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance.

[0022] According to the ninth method, the seatbelt is fastened to the occupant by engaging the tongue plate with the buckle while seated. Furthermore, when the left-right sliding actuator is activated, the seat moves in the vehicle width direction. When the processor detects that the gap between the buckle and the side door is less than a predetermined gap, the processor activates the left-right sliding actuator, moving the seat to a position where the gap between the buckle and the side door is greater than the predetermined gap. Thus, even if the buckle and the side door overlap in the vehicle width direction, it prevents the gap from becoming less than the predetermined gap. As a result, even in the event of a side collision, the gap between the side door and the buckle is maintained, thus preventing the buckle from becoming difficult to operate during a side collision.

[0023] The vehicle disclosed herein is capable of preventing situations where the buckle operation becomes difficult during a side collision. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 The diagram shows a top view of the vehicle according to the first embodiment, with the right front seat and the left front seat facing forward.

[0025] Figure 2 The diagram shows a top view of the vehicle according to the first embodiment, with the right front seat and the left front seat facing rearward.

[0026] Figure 3 A side view of a vehicle showing the door opening.

[0027] Figure 4 To illustrate along Figure 3 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the door opening and the side door, cut along line 4-4.

[0028] Figure 5 The top view of the vehicle according to the second embodiment is shown schematically, and shows the right front seat facing forward and the left front seat facing rearward.

[0029] Figure 6 A top view of the vehicle according to the second embodiment is shown schematically, and the seat on the right front side is shown from... Figure 5 The position shown has shifted forward.

[0030] Figure 7 A block diagram illustrating the seat control unit of the vehicle according to the second embodiment.

[0031] Figure 8 A top view of the vehicle according to the second embodiment is shown schematically, and the seat control unit is also shown. Figure 10 The state when a positive judgment is made in step S22 is shown.

[0032] Figure 9 A top view of the vehicle according to the second embodiment is shown schematically, and the seat control unit is also shown. Figure 10 The state when a positive judgment is made in step S24 is shown.

[0033] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating the control implemented by the seat control unit of the vehicle according to the second embodiment.

[0034] Figure 11 The top view of the vehicle according to the third embodiment is shown schematically, and shows the right front seat facing forward and the left front seat facing rearward.

[0035] Figure 12 The top view of the vehicle according to the third embodiment is shown schematically, and the right front seat and the left front seat are shown facing the rear.

[0036] Figure 13 This is a block diagram schematically illustrating the driving control unit of the vehicle according to the fourth embodiment.

[0037] Figure 14 A flowchart is provided to explain the control implemented by the driving control unit of the vehicle according to the fourth embodiment.

[0038] Figure 15 A top view schematically illustrating the vehicle of the fifth embodiment.

[0039] Figure 16 A block diagram illustrating the seat control unit of the vehicle according to the fifth embodiment.

[0040] Figure 17 A top view of the vehicle according to the fifth embodiment is shown schematically, and the seats on the rear side of the passenger compartment are shown relative to... Figure 15 The position shown indicates that it is located on the right side.

[0041] Figure 18 A flowchart illustrating the control implemented by the seat control unit of the vehicle according to the fifth embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0042] (Vehicle 10 of the first embodiment)

[0043] use Figures 1-4 The vehicle 10 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure will be described. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the arrow FR indicates the front side in the vehicle's front-rear direction, the arrow UP indicates the upper side in the vehicle's vertical direction, the arrow RH indicates the right side in the vehicle's width direction, and the arrow LH indicates the left side in the vehicle's width direction. In addition, in the following description, when only the front-rear, left-right, and vertical directions are used, unless otherwise specified, they will all be used to represent the front-rear direction, the left-right direction (vehicle width direction), and the vertical direction.

[0044] like Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, the vehicle 10 in this embodiment is an autonomous vehicle capable of driving without the occupants performing driving operations. The vehicle 10 includes: a body 14 having a passenger compartment 12 for passengers, four seats 16 disposed in the passenger compartment 12, and four seat belt devices 18 disposed on each of the four seats 16.

[0045] The vehicle body 14 is box-shaped, capable of housing four seats 16 within the passenger compartment 12. Two side door openings 20 are formed on the left side portion 14L of the vehicle body 14. Furthermore, two side door openings 20 are formed on the right side portion 14R of the vehicle body 14. These four side door openings 20 can be opened and closed individually through four side doors 22. Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 As shown, the side door opening 20 refers to a generally rectangular opening formed on the sides 14L and 14R of the vehicle body 14 when viewed from the side. The upper and lower parts of the side door opening 20 become the upper side beam 24 and lower side beam 26 of the body frame of the vehicle body 14, respectively. Furthermore, the front and rear parts of the side door opening 20 become the pillars 28 of the body frame of the vehicle body 14, respectively. Each pillar 28 connects the upper side beam 24 and the lower side beam 26 in the vertical direction.

[0046] like Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, seat 16 includes: a seat cushion 16A that supports the buttocks of a seated occupant from below; a seat back 16B that supports the back of a seated occupant from the rear; and a headrest 16C that supports the head of a seated occupant from the rear. Furthermore, the terms "front side," "rear side," "left side," and "right side" refer to the front, rear, right, and left sides of the seat as viewed from the perspective of an occupant seated on seat 16. Additionally, the left and right sides of the seat align with the width direction of the seat.

[0047] In this embodiment, two seats 16 are arranged on the rear side of the carriage 12, and these two seats 16 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the two seats 16 are installed on the floor 30 of the carriage 12 with their front facing forward. In addition, in this embodiment, two seats 16 are arranged on the front side of the carriage 12, and these two seats 16 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. Furthermore, in distinguishing between the right front seat 16, the left front seat 16, the right rear seat 16, and the left rear seat 16, the symbols representing the seats 16 are marked with S1 to S4 at the end. That is, each seat 16 is respectively labeled as the right front seat 16 (S1), the left front seat 16 (S2), the right rear seat 16 (S3), and the left rear seat 16 (S4). Furthermore, the two seats 16 (S1, S2) on the front side of the carriage 12 are installed on the floor 30 of the carriage 12. Here, a swivel support 32 is provided between the seat 16 (S1) and the floor 30 to support the seat 16 (S1) in a manner that allows it to rotate axially in the vertical direction. This swivel support 32 allows the seat 16 (S1) to rotate between a forward-facing state and a rearward-facing state. Furthermore, a locking mechanism is provided on the swivel support 32 to lock the rotation of the seat 16 (S1). This allows the seat 16 (S1) to maintain both its forward-facing and rearward-facing states. Additionally, a swivel support 32 with the same structure as the swivel support 32 provided between the seat 16 (S2) located on the left front side of the passenger compartment 12 and the floor 30 is also provided.

[0048] The seat belt device 18 of this embodiment is a so-called three-point seat belt device. The seat belt device 18 includes: a seat belt 18A formed as a strip, a retractor (not shown) on which the seat belt 18A is wound, a tongue 18B through which the seat belt 18A passes, and a buckle 18C that engages with the tongue 18B. One side of the seat belt 18A is wound around the retractor, which is fixed within the seat back 16B. Furthermore, the other end of the seat belt 18A is fixed to the end of the seat cushion 16A in the seat width direction. In the right front seat 16 (S1) and the right rear seat 16 (S3), the other end of the seat belt 18A is fixed to the right end of the seat cushion 16A, and the buckle 18C is fixed to the left end of the seat cushion 16A. Furthermore, in the left front seat 16 (S2) and the left rear seat 16 (S4), the other end of the seat belt 18A is fixed to the left end of the seat cushion 16A, and the buckle 18C is fixed to the right end of the seat cushion 16A.

[0049] like Figure 2 As shown, with the right front seat 16 (S1) facing rearward, the left side of the seat 16 (S1) is positioned on the right side 14R of the vehicle body 14. Furthermore, the buckle 18C fixed to the seat 16 (S1) is positioned in a location that does not overlap with the side door opening 20 formed on the right side 14R of the vehicle body 14 in the vehicle width direction. Additionally, the buckle 18C fixed to the seat 16 (S1) is positioned in a location that overlaps with the pillar 28 in the vehicle width direction.

[0050] Furthermore, in the vehicle 10 of this embodiment, with the left front seat 16 (S2) facing rearward, the right side of the seat 16 (S2) is positioned on the left side 14L of the vehicle body 14. Additionally, the buckle 18C fixed to the seat 16 (S2) is positioned in a position that does not overlap with the side door opening 20 formed on the left side 14L of the vehicle body 14 in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, the buckle 18C fixed to the seat 16 (S2) is positioned in a position that overlaps with the pillar 28 in the vehicle width direction.

[0051] In the vehicle 10 of this embodiment described above, the right front seat 16 (S1) and the left front seat 16 (S2) can be positioned rearward. Furthermore, by having the occupants seated on the right front seat 16 (S1) and the left front seat 16 (S2) engage the tongue plate 18B with the buckle 18C, the seatbelt 18A is worn on the seated occupants. Here, with the right front seat 16 (S1) and the left front seat 16 (S2) facing rearward, the end of the buckle 18C fixed in one of these seats 16 (S1, S2) is positioned on the side portions 14L and 14R of the vehicle body 14 in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, the buckle 18C does not overlap with the side door opening 20 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, even if the side door 22 shifts towards the passenger compartment 12 during a side collision, the gap between the side door 22 and the buckles 18C fixed to the right front seat 16 (S1) and the left front seat 16 (S2) can be maintained. As a result, it is possible to prevent situations where the operation of the buckles 18C becomes difficult during a side collision.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, with the right front seat 16 (S1) and the left front seat 16 (S2) facing rearward, the pillar 28, which deforms less towards the passenger compartment 12 during a side collision, overlaps with the buckle 18C in the vehicle width direction. This ensures a sufficient gap between the pillar 28 and the buckle 18C fixed to the right front seat 16 (S1) and the left front seat 16 (S2) during a side collision, thereby further suppressing situations where operation of the buckle 18C becomes difficult during a side collision.

[0053] (Vehicle 34 of the second embodiment)

[0054] Next, use Figures 5-10 The vehicle 34 according to the second embodiment of this disclosure will be described below. In addition, in the vehicle 34 according to the second embodiment, the parts and portions corresponding to the vehicle 10 according to the first embodiment will be marked with the same symbols as the parts and portions corresponding to the vehicle 10 according to the first embodiment, and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0055] like Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 As shown, in the basic structure of the vehicle 34 of this embodiment, except for the difference in the number of side door openings 20 formed on the left side portion 14L of the body 14 and the following differences, the structure is the same as that of the vehicle 10 of the first embodiment.

[0056] Specifically, a front-to-back sliding support 36 is provided between the seat 16 (S1) located on the right front side and the floor 30 of the carriage 12, supporting the seat 16 (S1) in a manner that allows it to move in the front-to-back direction. The front-to-back sliding support 36 is configured to include a lower guide rail 38 fixed to the floor 30 and an upper guide rail fixed to the lower part of the seat 16 (S1). The seat 16 (S1) moves in the front-to-back direction by moving the upper guide rail along the lower guide rail 38. Additionally, although not shown in the figures, a front-to-back sliding support 36 with the same structure as the one between the seat 16 (S1) located on the right front side and the floor 30 is also provided between the seat 16 (S2) located on the left front side and the floor 30.

[0057] like Figures 5-7As shown, the seat 16 (S1) located on the right front side is equipped with a fore-and-aft sliding actuator 40, which moves the seat 16 (S1) in the fore-and-aft direction by means of an action. Similarly, the seat 16 (S2) located on the left front side is also equipped with a fore-and-aft sliding actuator 40. These fore-and-aft sliding actuators 40 are controlled by the seat control unit 42. Furthermore, these fore-and-aft sliding actuators 40 are equipped with sensors capable of detecting the fore-and-aft position of the seats 16 (S1, S2).

[0058] like Figure 7 As shown, the seat control unit 42, as an example, includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 44, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 46, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 48, a register 50, and an input / output interface (I / F) 52 for communicating with external devices, and they are connected together in a manner that allows them to communicate with each other via a bus 54.

[0059] A forward and backward sliding actuator 40 is electrically connected to the input / output interface 52. The CPU 44 is the central processing unit and executes various programs to control the operation of the forward and backward sliding actuator 40. In detail, the CPU 44 reads the control program from the ROM 46 or register 50 based on signals from sensors mounted on the forward and backward sliding actuator 40, and executes the control program using the RAM 48 as its working area, thereby controlling the operation of the forward and backward sliding actuator 40. Thus, as... Figure 9 As shown, the seats 16 (S1, S2) automatically move to a position where the buckle 18C and the side door opening 20 do not overlap in the vehicle width direction.

[0060] In the following text, the control of the fore-and-aft sliding actuator 40, which is located on the right front side of the seat 16 (S1), will be described by the seat control unit 42.

[0061] When the vehicle 34 is in a driving standby state or in a driving state, the seat control unit 42 controls the fore-and-aft sliding actuator 40 according to the following control procedure. However, when the vehicle 34 is in a parked state, the seat control unit 42 does not implement the control of the fore-and-aft sliding actuator 40 according to the following control procedure.

[0062] like Figure 5 as well as Figure 10 As shown, when the vehicle 34 is in a driving standby state or in a driving state, the seat control unit 42 first... Figure 10 In step S21, it is determined whether the seat 16 (S1) on the right front side is facing the rear. When a negative determination is made in step S21, the seat control unit 42 ends the process and repeats the process of step S21.

[0063] like Figure 8 as well as Figure 10 As shown, when a positive judgment is made in step S21, the seat control unit 42 determines in step S22 whether the seat 16 (S1) is positioned at a location where the buckle 18C fixed to the right front side of the seat 16 (S1) overlaps with the side door opening 20 of the right side portion 14R of the vehicle body 14 in the vehicle width direction. When a negative judgment is made in step S22, the seat control unit 42 ends the process and repeats the process after step S21.

[0064] In contrast, when a positive judgment is made in step S22, the seat control unit 42 activates the fore-and-aft sliding actuator 40 in step S23, thereby moving the seat 16 (S1) on the right front side forward.

[0065] Next, in step S24, the seat control unit 42 determines whether the right front seat 16 (S1) is in a predetermined position. Here, the predetermined position in step S24 refers to the position of the right front seat 16 (S1) where the buckle 18C fixed to the right front seat 16 (S1) in the vehicle width direction does not overlap with the side door opening 20 of the right side portion 14R of the vehicle body 14, and is positioned where it overlaps with the pillar 28 in the vehicle width direction. When a negative determination is made in step S24, the seat control unit 42 repeats the processing after step S23.

[0066] In contrast, such as Figure 9 as well as Figure 10 As shown, when a positive judgment is made in step S24, the seat control unit 42 stops the operation of the fore-and-aft sliding actuator 40 in step S25 and ends the process.

[0067] In the vehicle 34 of this embodiment described above, even if the side door 22 is displaced towards the passenger compartment 12 during a side collision, the gap between the side door 22 and the buckle 18C fixed to the seat 16 (S1) on the right front side can be ensured. As a result, it is possible to suppress situations where the operation of the buckle 18C becomes difficult during a side collision.

[0068] (Vehicle 56 of the third embodiment)

[0069] Next, use Figure 11 as well as Figure 12 The vehicle 56 according to the third embodiment of this disclosure will be described. In addition, in the vehicle 56 according to the third embodiment, for the parts and portions that have been described and correspond to the vehicle 10 and the like according to the first embodiment, the same symbols as the parts and portions corresponding to the vehicles 10 and 34 according to the first and second embodiments will be used, and their descriptions will sometimes be omitted.

[0070] like Figure 11 as well as Figure 12 As shown, in the basic structure of the vehicle 56 of this embodiment, except that the occupant can manually move the right front seat 16 (S1) and the left front seat 16 (S2) in the front-rear direction, the rest is the same as the structure of the vehicle 34 of the second embodiment.

[0071] In this embodiment, a limiting part 58 is provided on the front and rear sliding support 36 to restrict the range of movement of the seat 16 (S1, S2) in the front and rear directions when the seat 16 (S1, S2) is facing the rearward side. In the following, the operation of the limiting part 58 when the seat 16 (S1) on the right front side is moved in the front and rear directions will be described.

[0072] like Figure 11 As shown, when the right front seat 16 (S1) is facing forward, the limiting part 58 does not operate. Therefore, when the right front seat 16 (S1) is facing forward, the right front seat 16 (S1) can be moved in the front-back direction within the entire range L1 allowed by the front-back sliding support part 36.

[0073] On the other hand, such as Figure 12 As shown, when the right front seat 16 (S1) is facing rearward, the limiting part 58 operates. Therefore, when the right front seat 16 (S1) is facing rearward, it can move in the fore-and-aft direction within a range L2, within the range L1 allowed by the fore-and-aft sliding support 36, where the buckle 18C and the side door opening 20 do not overlap in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the right front seat 16 (S1) is outside the aforementioned range L2, it cannot face rearward. Therefore, even in the vehicle 56 of this embodiment, even if the side door 22 is displaced towards the passenger compartment 12 during a side collision, the gap between the side door 22 and the buckle 18C fixed to the right front seat 16 (S1) can be maintained. As a result, situations where the operation of the buckle 18C becomes difficult during a side collision can be prevented.

[0074] Furthermore, although in the vehicle 56 of this embodiment, the right front seat 16 (S1) is positioned such that, with the right front seat 16 (S1) facing rearward, it can move in the front-rear direction within a range L1 allowed by the front-rear sliding support 36, and within a range L2 where the buckle 18C and the side door opening 20 do not overlap in the vehicle width direction, this disclosure is not limited to this. For example, it may be configured such that, with the right front seat 16 (S1) facing rearward, the movement of the right front seat 16 (S1) in the front-rear direction is prevented by the operation of the limiting part 58.

[0075] (Vehicle according to the fourth embodiment)

[0076] Next, use Figure 13 as well as Figure 14 The vehicle according to the fourth embodiment of this disclosure will be described. In addition, in the vehicle according to the fourth embodiment, for the parts and portions that have been described and correspond to the parts and portions of the vehicle 10 and the like according to the first embodiment, the same symbols as the parts and portions of the vehicle 10 and the like according to the first embodiment will be used, and sometimes their description will be omitted.

[0077] exist Figure 13 The diagram shows a block diagram of the driving control unit 60, which is part of the vehicle according to the fourth embodiment. Furthermore, the basic structure of the driving control unit 60 is configured in the same manner as the aforementioned seat control unit 42. Therefore, for each element constituting the driving control unit 60, the corresponding symbols are used to denote each element constituting the seat control unit 42. Moreover, in the structure of the vehicle according to the fourth embodiment, except for the structure through which the following controls are implemented by the driving control unit 60, the rest is the same as the structure of the vehicle 34 of the second embodiment described above.

[0078] like Figure 13 As shown, the front and rear sliding actuators 40 are electrically connected to the input / output interface 52 of the driving control unit 60. Furthermore, the power unit 62, which serves as the vehicle's power source, and the warning light 63 installed in the passenger compartment 12 are electrically connected to the input / output interface 52 of the driving control unit 60. Further, a road information acquisition unit 64, which stores information such as the road information the vehicle is currently traveling on, is also electrically connected to the input / output interface 52 of the driving control unit 60. Moreover, the CPU 44 of the driving control unit 60 reads a control program from the ROM 46 or register 50 based on signals from sensors installed on the front and rear sliding actuators 40 or signals from the road information acquisition unit 64, and executes the control program using the RAM 48 as its working area, thereby controlling the vehicle's movement.

[0079] In the following description, the control implemented by the driving control unit 60 in relation to the seat 16 (S1) on the right front side will be described in the same manner as the description of the second embodiment.

[0080] When the vehicle is in a driving standby state or a driving state, the driving control unit 60 controls the vehicle's driving and other functions according to the following control procedure. However, when the vehicle is parked, the driving control unit 60 does not implement the driving and other functions according to the following control procedure.

[0081] like Figure 13 as well as Figure 14 As shown, in either a driving standby state where the vehicle is capable of driving or a driving state where the vehicle is in motion, the driving control unit 60 first determines, in step S41, whether the vehicle of this embodiment is located on a road where only autonomous driving vehicles can travel, or whether the speed limit of the road where the vehicle is located is below a prescribed speed, based on signals from the road information acquisition unit 64, etc. When an affirmative determination is made in step 41, the driving control unit 60 ends the processing and repeats the processing of step S41. Furthermore, the so-called prescribed speed in step 41 refers to a speed at which it is predicted that even if a collision occurs, there will be no displacement of the side door 22 towards the passenger compartment 12, or only a small displacement; for example, a speed of approximately 30 km / h.

[0082] When a negative judgment is made in step 41, the driving control unit 60 determines in step S42 whether the seat 16 (S1) on the right front side is facing the rear. When a negative judgment is made in step S42, the driving control unit 60 ends the process and repeats the process after step S41.

[0083] When a positive judgment is made in step S42, the driving control unit 60 determines in step S43 whether the seat 16 (S1) is positioned such that the buckle 18C on the seat 16 (S1) fixed to the right front side in the vehicle width direction overlaps with the side door opening 20 formed on the right side side portion 14R of the vehicle body 14. When a negative judgment is made in step S43, the driving control unit 60 ends the process and repeats the process after step S41.

[0084] When a positive judgment is made in step S43, the driving control unit 60 outputs a warning signal in step S44, limits the vehicle speed in step S45, and limits the vehicle acceleration in step S46.

[0085] Next, in step S47, the driving control unit 60 determines whether the seat 16 (S1) is positioned such that the buckle 18C on the seat 16 (S1) fixed to the right front side in the vehicle width direction does not overlap with the side door opening 20 formed on the right side portion 14R of the vehicle body 14. If a negative determination is made in step S47, the driving control unit 60 repeats the processing after step S44.

[0086] When a positive judgment is made in step S47, the driving control unit 60 stops outputting the warning signal in step S48, releases the speed limit of the vehicle in step S49, releases the acceleration limit of the vehicle in step S50, and ends the process.

[0087] As explained above, in the vehicle of this embodiment, when the driving control unit 60 detects that the seat 16(S1) on the right front side is positioned so that the buckle 18C overlaps with the side door opening 20 in the vehicle width direction when the seat 16(S1) is facing the rear of the vehicle, the driving control unit 60 will output a warning signal. Based on this warning signal, by illuminating the warning light 63, the occupant can be prompted to move the seat 16(S1) to a position where the buckle 18C and the side door opening 20 do not overlap in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, even if the driving control unit 60 limits the vehicle's speed or acceleration, the occupant can still be prompted to move the seat 16(S1) to a position where the buckle 18C and the side door opening 20 do not overlap in the vehicle width direction.

[0088] Furthermore, in the vehicle of this embodiment, if either the vehicle is located on a road where only autonomous driving vehicles can travel, or the speed limit of the road on which the vehicle is located is below a prescribed speed, the driving control unit 60 does not perform the processing steps 44, 45, and 46. That is, if it is anticipated that even if a side collision occurs, the displacement of the side door 22 towards the passenger compartment 12 will be small, the driving control unit 60 does not perform the processing steps 44, 45, and 46. As a result, the seat 16 (S1) can be positioned where the buckle 18C overlaps with the side door opening 20 in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, even if a side collision occurs in this situation, the gap between the side door 22 and the buckle 18C can be ensured, thereby preventing the buckle 18C from becoming difficult to operate during a side collision.

[0089] Furthermore, although an example of implementing step 41 has been described in this embodiment, this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, it may be configured such that step 41 is not implemented, and only the processes after step 42 are implemented. Moreover, although an example of implementing steps 44, 45, and 46 has been described in this embodiment, this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, it may be configured to implement any one of steps 44, 45, and 46, or any two of steps 44, 45, and 46.

[0090] (Vehicle 66 of the fifth embodiment)

[0091] Next, use Figures 15-18 The vehicle 66 according to the fifth embodiment of this disclosure will be described. In addition, in the vehicle 66 according to the fifth embodiment, for parts and portions corresponding to the vehicle 10 and the like according to the first embodiment that have been described, the same symbols as the parts and portions corresponding to the vehicle 10 and the like according to the first embodiment will be used, and sometimes their description will be omitted.

[0092] like Figure 15 As shown, in the vehicle 66 of this embodiment, a single seat 16 is provided at the rear of the passenger compartment 12. Furthermore, the seat 16 at the rear of the passenger compartment 12 is mounted on the floor 30 of the passenger compartment 12 with its orientation towards the front. In the case of distinguishing the seat 16 at the rear of the passenger compartment 12 from the other seats 16, it is designated as seat 16 (S5) by adding the suffix S5 to the symbol indicating the seat 16 at the rear of the passenger compartment 12.

[0093] Furthermore, in the seat 16 (S5) located on the rear side of the carriage 12, the other end of the seat belt 18A is fixed to the left end of the seat cushion 16A, and the buckle 18C is fixed to the right end of the seat cushion 16A.

[0094] Furthermore, a left-right sliding support 68 is provided between the seat 16 (S5) and the floor 30 to support the seat 16 (S5) in a manner that allows it to move in the vehicle width direction. The left-right sliding support 68 is configured to include a lower guide rail 38 fixed to the floor 30 and an upper guide rail fixed to the lower part of the seat 16 (S5). The seat 16 (S5) can move in the vehicle width direction by moving the upper guide rail along the lower guide rail 38.

[0095] like Figure 15 as well as Figure 16As shown, the seat 16 (S5) is equipped with a left-right sliding actuator 70 that moves the seat 16 (S5) in the vehicle width direction by means of an action. This left-right sliding actuator 70 is controlled by the seat control unit 42. Furthermore, the left-right sliding actuator 70 is equipped with a sensor capable of detecting the left and right position of the seat 16 (S5).

[0096] exist Figure 16 The diagram shows a block diagram of the seat control unit 42 of the vehicle 66 according to the fifth embodiment. The structure of this seat control unit 42 is the same as that of the seat control unit 42 of the vehicle 34 according to the second embodiment.

[0097] In the fifth embodiment of the vehicle 66, a left-right sliding actuator 70 is electrically connected to the input / output interface 52 of the seat control unit 42. Furthermore, the CPU 44 reads a control program from the ROM 46 or register 50 based on signals from sensors installed on the left-right sliding actuator 70, and executes the control program using the RAM 48 as its working area, thereby controlling the operation of the left-right sliding actuator 70. Thus, as... Figure 15 as well as Figure 17 As shown, the seat 16 (S5) will automatically move to a position where the gap between the buckle 18C and the side door 22 is above the predetermined gap.

[0098] In the following text, the control of the left and right sliding actuator 70, which is located on the seat 16 (S5) on the rear side of the carriage 12, implemented by the seat control unit 42, will be described.

[0099] When the vehicle 66 is in a driving standby state or in a driving state, the seat control unit 42 controls the left and right sliding actuator 70 according to the following control procedure. However, when the vehicle 66 is in a parked state, the seat control unit 42 does not implement the control of the left and right sliding actuator 70 according to the following control procedure.

[0100] like Figure 15 , Figure 16 as well as Figure 18As shown, in either a standby driving state or a driving state where the vehicle 66 is in motion, the seat control unit 42 first determines in step S51 whether the distance between the buckle 18C fixed to the rear side of the seat 16 (S5) and the side door 22 is less than a predetermined distance. Furthermore, the predetermined distance in step S51 refers to the distance between the buckle 18C and the side door 22 that ensures no obstruction to the operation of the buckle 18C fixed to the rear side of the seat 16 (S5) even if the side door 22 shifts towards the side of the vehicle during a collision. For example, this distance is approximately 30 cm. When a negative determination is made in step S51, the seat control unit 42 ends the process and repeats step S51.

[0101] like Figure 16 , Figure 17 as well as Figure 18 As shown, when a positive judgment is made in step S51, the seat control unit 42 activates the left and right sliding actuator 70 in step S52, thereby moving the seat 16 to the left (S5).

[0102] Next, in step S53, the seat control unit 42 determines whether the distance between the buckle 18C fixed to the seat 16 (S5) and the side door 22 is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance. If a negative determination is made in step S53, the seat control unit 42 repeats the processing after step S52.

[0103] In contrast, such as Figure 15 , Figure 16 as well as Figure 18 As shown, when a positive judgment is made in step S53, the seat control unit 42 stops the operation of the left and right sliding actuator 70 in step S54 and ends the process.

[0104] Even in the vehicle 34 of this embodiment described above, even if the side door 22 is displaced towards the passenger compartment 12 during a side collision, the gap between the side door 22 and the buckle 18C fixed to the seat 16 (S5) on the rear side of the passenger compartment 12 can be ensured. As a result, it is possible to suppress situations where the operation of the buckle 18C becomes difficult during a side collision.

[0105] Furthermore, the technical concepts disclosed in the first to fifth embodiments described above can also be combined with each other.

[0106] Although one embodiment of this disclosure has been described above, this disclosure is not limited to the above content. It is obvious that various modifications and implementations can be made in addition to the above content without departing from its spirit.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising: The vehicle body has a passenger compartment for passengers to ride in, and a side door opening is formed on the side of the vehicle in the width direction, which can be opened and closed through a side door. A seat belt device having a seat belt formed into a strip, a tongue through which the seat belt passes, and a buckle engaged with the tongue; A seat equipped with the seat belt device and the buckle is fixed on one side of the seat width direction. The seat is mounted on the floor of the passenger compartment in a manner that allows it to rotate with the vertical direction of the vehicle as the axis. When facing the rear of the vehicle, the seat width direction side is positioned on the side of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction. The seat is positioned such that when facing the rear of the vehicle, the buckle and the side door opening do not overlap in the vehicle width direction. A front-to-back sliding support that supports the seat in a manner that allows it to move in the front-to-back direction of the vehicle; A front-to-back sliding actuator that moves the seat supported by the front-to-back sliding support in the vehicle's front-to-back direction; The seat control unit controls the fore-and-aft sliding actuator. When the seat control unit detects that the seat is facing the rear of the vehicle, the seat control unit activates the fore-and-aft sliding actuator, thereby moving the seat to a position where the buckle and the side door opening do not overlap in the vehicle width direction.

2. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein, After the seat is moved to a position where the buckle and the side door opening do not overlap in the vehicle width direction, with the seat facing the rear of the vehicle, the range of movement of the seat allowed by the front and rear sliding supports is limited to the range where the buckle and the side door opening do not overlap in the vehicle width direction.

3. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein, After the seat is moved to a position where the buckle and the side door opening do not overlap in the vehicle width direction, the seat, supported by the front and rear sliding supports, cannot be moved while the seat is facing the rear of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein, After the seat is moved to a position where the buckle and the side door opening do not overlap in the vehicle width direction, with the seat facing the rear of the vehicle, the seat is positioned at a position where the body frame portion of the frame constituting the side portion of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction overlaps with the buckle in the vehicle width direction.

5. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein, It has a driving control unit that controls the movement of the vehicle. When the driving control unit detects that the seat is not positioned where the buckle and the side door opening do not overlap in the vehicle width direction, the driving control unit implements at least one of the following: outputting a warning signal, limiting the vehicle's speed, and limiting the vehicle's acceleration.

6. The vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein, If the driving control unit stops outputting the warning signal, limiting the vehicle's speed, and limiting the vehicle's acceleration in at least one of the following situations: the vehicle is on a road where only autonomous vehicles can travel, or the speed limit of the road where the vehicle is located is below a prescribed speed.

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