Automobile rear row center safety airbag system and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of automobile passive safety systems, and provides an automobile rear row center safety air bag system and a control method thereof. Through the unique double-air-chamber structural design, front collision and side collision can be effectively coped at the same time, and 360-degree all-directional protection is provided for passengers in the middle of the rear row. The air bag module is completely integrated in the armrest box, does not occupy extra passenger compartment space at ordinary times, and does not affect normal use of the armrest box and comfort of passengers. In combination with the multi-sensor fusion technology, the electronic control unit can accurately judge the collision type, the collision strength and the passenger state, it is ensured that the air bag is unfolded in the most appropriate mode at the best time, and false triggering and secondary damage are avoided. Due to the modular design, the rear-row central armrest box structure can be conveniently matched with rear-row central armrest box structures of different vehicle types, and the rear-row central armrest box structure has a wide application prospect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive passive safety systems, and more particularly to a rear center airbag system and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most mainstream cars are equipped with comprehensive airbag systems for the front and rear window seats, such as front airbags, side airbags, and head curtain airbags. However, the safety protection for the middle rear seat is relatively weak. In a frontal collision, the head and torso of the middle rear occupant are prone to severe impact with the front seat back, rear air vents, or center console. In a side collision, the occupant's head and shoulders may collide with the door, B-pillar, or another passenger on the opposite side, resulting in serious injury. Existing airbag technologies, such as front center airbags or simple rear seat airbags, cannot provide comprehensive and effective protection for the middle rear occupant. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an airbag solution specifically optimized for the middle rear seat. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the purpose of this invention is to provide a rear-seat central airbag system for automobiles and its control method, thereby solving the problems in the background art.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a rear center airbag system for automobiles, including an airbag module, a gas generator, an electronic control unit and multiple collision sensors. The airbag module is integrated inside the rear center armrest box of the automobile and includes a dual-chamber airbag body, which includes a first chamber and a second chamber. The gas generator is connected to the airbag module and is used to quickly generate gas to inflate the dual-chamber airbag body after receiving a trigger signal; The electronic control unit is used to receive collision sensor signals, determine the collision type and intensity, and send corresponding trigger commands to the gas generator based on the determination results; Multiple collision sensors: including a frontal collision sensor mounted at the front of the vehicle and a side collision sensor mounted on the side of the vehicle, used to monitor collision signals in real time and transmit them to the electronic control unit.

[0005] Preferably, the first air chamber is used for frontal collision protection, and the second air chamber is used for side collision protection.

[0006] Preferably, the dual-chamber airbag body is made of high-strength polyester fiber fabric, and the first and second air chambers are separated by internal stitching.

[0007] Preferably, both the first and second air chambers have a pre-set tear line on their surfaces.

[0008] Preferably, the gas generator is a two-stage pyrotechnic gas generator, which is sealed to the air inlet of the dual-chamber airbag body.

[0009] Preferably, it also includes an infrared camera sensor, installed in the rearview mirror or on the roof of the vehicle, to monitor the position and posture of the middle passenger in the rear seat and to feed the information back to the electronic control unit.

[0010] Preferably, the electronic control unit is connected to multiple collision sensors of the vehicle via a CAN bus to receive and analyze collision data in real time.

[0011] A method for controlling a rear center airbag system in a car includes the following steps: Step 1: When a vehicle collision occurs, the frontal collision sensor or the side collision sensor immediately captures the collision signal and transmits it to the electronic control unit. Step 2: After receiving the signal, the electronic control unit combines the occupant location information provided by the infrared camera sensor 7 to make a comprehensive judgment on the type of collision (frontal or side), severity, and occupant danger level within milliseconds. Step 3, trigger inflation: Frontal collision: If a frontal collision is determined, the electronic control unit sends a command to the gas generator to quickly inflate the first air chamber. The first air chamber quickly expands upward, forming a soft buffer between the occupant and the back of the front seat, effectively absorbing the collision energy and protecting the occupant's head and chest. Side collision: If a side collision is determined, the electronic control unit instructs the gas generator to mainly inflate the second air chamber. The second air chamber expands to the side, forming a barrier between the middle rear passenger and the passengers on both sides or the doors, preventing the passengers from colliding with each other and from direct contact with hard objects inside the vehicle. Step four, protection complete: After the airbags deploy, they will slowly deflate through the vents to further cushion the impact on the occupants until the collision ends.

[0012] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. Comprehensive protection: Through its unique dual-chamber structure design, it can effectively cope with both frontal and side collisions, providing 360-degree all-round protection for the middle rear passenger.

[0013] 2. Space-saving: The airbag module is fully integrated inside the armrest box, which does not occupy additional passenger compartment space when not in use, and does not affect the normal use of the armrest box or passenger comfort.

[0014] 3. Precise Triggering: By combining multi-sensor (collision sensor, infrared camera) fusion technology, the electronic control unit can accurately determine the collision type, intensity, and occupant status, ensuring that the airbags deploy at the optimal time and in the most appropriate manner, avoiding false triggering and secondary injuries.

[0015] 4. Strong compatibility: Its modular design allows it to be easily adapted to the rear center armrest box structure of different car models, and has a wide range of application prospects.

[0016] 5. Precise protection for different scenarios, filling the safety blind spot of the middle rear passenger: The independent dual-chamber design enables directional adaptation to collision types: In a frontal collision, the first air chamber forms a buffer between the passenger and the front seat, focusing on protecting the head and chest; in a side collision, the second air chamber deploys as an isolation barrier to prevent the passenger from colliding with the door / side passengers, solving the industry pain point of insufficient protection for the middle rear passenger by traditional airbags.

[0017] 6. Intelligent occupant status recognition enhances the effectiveness of protection: Infrared camera sensors monitor the position and posture of the middle occupant in the rear row in real time. The electronic control unit combines the collision data to make a comprehensive judgment at the millisecond level. It can adjust the airbag triggering strategy according to the actual status of the occupant, avoid protection failure caused by occupant position shift, and minimize the risk of collision injury.

[0018] 7. Highly efficient and reliable inflation and cushioning mechanism: Rapid response: The dual-stage pyrotechnic gas generator can precisely control the inflation volume according to the collision type, enabling rapid and directional deployment of the airbag; Structural safety: High-strength polyester fiber fabric ensures the structural stability of the airbag after inflation, and the preset tear line guides the airbag to deploy along the optimal path to avoid abnormal rupture; Continuous cushioning: After the airbag is deployed, it slowly deflates through the exhaust port, continuously absorbing collision energy and reducing secondary impact injuries to the occupants.

[0019] 8. High system compatibility and low space occupation: It connects to the vehicle's original sensor system via CAN bus to realize real-time transmission and analysis of collision data, and is compatible with the electronic control architecture of most models; the airbag module is integrated inside the rear center armrest box, without the need to make major changes to the interior layout, and does not affect daily passenger space and ease of use. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only for this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 Control logic block diagram of the invention airbag system; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the installation state of the present invention inside the armrest box; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention as it unfolds in a head-on collision; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention as it unfolds in a side collision; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the airbag module of the present invention.

[0022] The diagram is marked as follows: 1-Airbag module, 2-Gas generator, 3-Electronic control unit, 4-Central armrest box, 11-Dual-chamber airbag body, 111-First air chamber, 112-Second air chamber. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0024] It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this invention should have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this invention do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0025] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a rear center airbag system for automobiles, including an airbag module 1, a gas generator 2, an electronic control unit 3, and multiple collision sensors.

[0026] like Figure 2As shown in Figure 5, the airbag module 1 is integrated inside the rear center armrest box 4 of the car, including a dual-chamber airbag body 11, which is made of high-strength, high-toughness polyester fiber fabric. The dual-chamber airbag body 11 is divided into two independent air chambers, a first air chamber 111 and a second air chamber 112, by internal stitching. The first air chamber 111 is used for frontal collision protection, and the second air chamber 112 is used for side collision protection. Both the first air chamber 111 and the second air chamber 112 have preset tear lines on their surfaces to guide the airbag to deploy quickly and orderly according to its designed shape during inflation. Through this unique dual-chamber structure design, it can effectively cope with both frontal and side collisions, providing 360-degree all-around protection for the middle rear passenger. The airbag module is completely integrated inside the armrest box, without occupying additional passenger compartment space during normal use, and does not affect the normal use of the armrest box or passenger comfort. The high-strength polyester fiber fabric ensures the structural stability of the airbag after inflation, and the preset tear lines guide the airbag to deploy along the optimal path, avoiding abnormal rupture. The airbag module is integrated inside the rear center armrest box, which does not require major changes to the interior layout and does not affect daily passenger space and ease of use.

[0027] The gas generator 2 is a miniaturized, high-efficiency two-stage pyrotechnic gas generator, which is sealed to the air inlet of the airbag module 1. It is used to quickly generate gas to inflate the first air chamber 111 and the second air chamber 112 after receiving a trigger signal. The two-stage pyrotechnic gas generator can precisely control the inflation amount according to the collision type to achieve rapid directional deployment of the airbag. The structure is safe.

[0028] The electronic control unit 3 is connected to multiple collision sensors in the vehicle via a CAN bus. It receives collision sensor signals, determines the collision type and intensity, and sends corresponding trigger commands to the gas generator based on the determination results. This enables real-time transmission and analysis of collision data and is compatible with the electronic control architecture of most vehicle models.

[0029] Collision sensors: Frontal collision sensor: Installed on the longitudinal beam behind the front bumper, it is used to detect the acceleration of a frontal collision and feed the information back to the electronic control unit; Side collision sensor: Installed in the B-pillar or sill beam of the vehicle body, it is used to detect the intrusion and speed of a side collision and feed the information back to the electronic control unit; Infrared camera sensor: Installed behind the rearview mirror inside the vehicle, it monitors the head position and posture of the middle rear passenger in real time and feeds the information back to the electronic control unit. The infrared camera sensor monitors the position and posture of the middle rear passenger in real time, and the electronic control unit combines the collision data to make a comprehensive judgment at the millisecond level. It can adjust the airbag deployment strategy according to the actual status of the passenger, avoid protection failure due to passenger position displacement, and minimize the risk of collision injury.

[0030] By combining multi-sensor fusion technology, the electronic control unit can accurately determine the type, intensity, and occupant status of the collision, ensuring that the airbags deploy at the optimal time and in the most appropriate manner, thus avoiding false triggering and secondary injuries.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the control method is as follows: S1, when a collision occurs, the frontal collision sensor or the side collision sensor immediately captures the collision signal and transmits it to the electronic control unit; S2, after receiving the signal, the electronic control unit combines the occupant position information provided by the infrared camera sensor to make a comprehensive judgment on the type of collision (frontal or side), severity, and occupant danger level within milliseconds. S3, trigger inflation: like Figure 3 As shown, in a frontal collision: if it is determined to be a frontal collision, the electronic control unit sends a command to the gas generator to quickly inflate the first air chamber. The first air chamber quickly expands upward, forming a soft buffer between the occupant and the back of the front seat, effectively absorbing the collision energy and protecting the occupant's head and chest. like Figure 4 As shown, in a side collision: if it is determined to be a side collision, the electronic control unit instructs the gas generator to mainly inflate the second air chamber. The second air chamber expands to the side, forming a barrier between the middle rear passenger and the passengers on both sides or the doors, preventing the passengers from colliding with each other and from direct contact with hard objects inside the vehicle. S4, Protection Complete: After the airbags deploy, they will slowly deflate through the vents to further cushion the impact on the occupants until the collision ends.

[0032] Those skilled in the art should understand that the discussion of any of the above embodiments is merely exemplary and is not intended to imply that the scope of the invention is limited to these examples; within the framework of the invention, the technical features of the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, the steps can be implemented in any order, and many other variations of different aspects of the invention as described above exist, which are not provided in detail for the sake of brevity. Any omissions, modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the invention should be included within the scope of protection of the invention.

Claims

1. A rear center airbag system for automobiles, comprising an airbag module, a gas generator, an electronic control unit, and multiple collision sensors, characterized in that, The airbag module is integrated inside the rear center armrest box of the car and includes a dual-chamber airbag body, which includes a first air chamber and a second air chamber. The gas generator is connected to the airbag module and is used to quickly generate gas to inflate the dual-chamber airbag body after receiving a trigger signal; The electronic control unit is used to receive collision sensor signals, determine the collision type and intensity, and send corresponding trigger commands to the gas generator based on the determination results; Multiple collision sensors: including a frontal collision sensor mounted at the front of the vehicle and a side collision sensor mounted on the side of the vehicle, used to monitor collision signals in real time and transmit them to the electronic control unit.

2. The rear center airbag system for automobiles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first air chamber is used for frontal collision protection, and the second air chamber is used for side collision protection.

3. The rear center airbag system for automobiles according to claim 2, characterized in that, The dual-chamber airbag body is made of high-strength polyester fiber fabric, and the first and second air chambers are separated by internal stitching.

4. The rear center airbag system for automobiles according to claim 3, characterized in that, Both the first and second air chambers have pre-set tear lines on their surfaces.

5. The rear center airbag system for automobiles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas generator is a two-stage pyrotechnic gas generator, which is sealed to the air inlet of the dual-chamber airbag body.

6. The rear center airbag system for automobiles according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an infrared camera sensor, installed in the rearview mirror or on the roof, to monitor the position and posture of the middle passenger in the rear seat and feed the information back to the electronic control unit.

7. The rear center airbag system for automobiles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electronic control unit is connected to multiple collision sensors in the vehicle via a CAN bus to receive and analyze collision data in real time.

8. The control method for a rear center airbag system of an automobile according to claim 1, characterized in that, It includes the following steps: Step 1: When a vehicle collision occurs, the frontal collision sensor or the side collision sensor immediately captures the collision signal and transmits it to the electronic control unit. Step 2: After receiving the signal, the electronic control unit combines the occupant location information provided by the infrared camera sensor 7 to make a comprehensive judgment on the type of collision (frontal or side), severity, and occupant danger level within milliseconds. Step 3, trigger inflation: Frontal collision: If a frontal collision is determined, the electronic control unit sends a command to the gas generator to quickly inflate the first air chamber. The first air chamber quickly expands upward, forming a soft buffer between the occupant and the back of the front seat, effectively absorbing the collision energy and protecting the occupant's head and chest. Side collision: If a side collision is determined, the electronic control unit instructs the gas generator to mainly inflate the second air chamber. The second air chamber expands to the side, forming a barrier between the middle rear passenger and the passengers on both sides or the doors, preventing the passengers from colliding with each other and from direct contact with hard objects inside the vehicle. Step four, protection complete: After the airbags deploy, they will slowly deflate through the vents to further cushion the impact on the occupants until the collision ends.

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