Method for controlling an airbag mounted in a seat back of a vehicle seating system with a pivoting armrest

Abstract

A method for controlling an airbag mounted in a seatback of a vehicle seating system having both the airbag and a pivoting armrest on the same side of the occupant seating position, the armrest pivoting between a vertical position and a horizontal position, and the airbag mounted within an inside surface of the seatback, comprising: sensing a position of the pivoting armrest to determine one of the vertical position and the horizontal position; sensing vehicle conditions indicative of a need to deploy the airbag; and not deploying the airbag when the armrest is in the vertical position.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for controlling an airbag mounted in a seat back of a vehicle seating system with a pivotable armrest. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Motor vehicles are conventionally equipped with seating systems for a driver and one or more passengers. These seating systems are designed to provide optimal comfort and convenience for the passengers sitting on them. Seating systems are known, for example, to include various combinations of bench seats for seating two or more occupants and comfort seats for seating individual occupants. In the front of the vehicle, the seats are conventionally attached to one or more seat adjusters. In the rear of the vehicle, the seats are conventionally fixed without seat adjusters.

[0003] Swivel armrests are often attached to the seats to improve occupant comfort. In some cases, the swivel armrest can expose all or part of the seat backrest to the middle seat occupant.

[0004] Motor vehicles are also equipped with occupant restraint systems with seat belts and airbags. In some cases, an occupant restraint system includes an airbag mounted on the inside of a seat, such as the driver's seat, that inflates to restrain the occupant.

[0005] It would be desirable to provide a method for improving seat-mounted airbag deployment in those situations where the vehicle seating system includes both a pivoting armrest and an adjacent airbag mounted on the same side of the occupant seating position such that the position of the armrest affects airbag deployment.

[0006] The publications DE 102 53 472 A1, US 2011 / 0 278 826 A1, DE 10 2005 025 553 A1, and DE 10 2007 051 282 A1 describe conventional airbag arrangements in vehicles and methods for controlling them. Conventional fold-out armrests in vehicle seating arrangements are described in the publications DE 198 09 426 A1 and US 6 217 112 B1. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] A method according to the invention is for controlling an airbag mounted in a seatback of a vehicle seating system in which both the airbag and a pivoting armrest are present on the same side of the occupant seating position. The armrest pivots between a vertical position and a horizontal position, and the airbag is mounted within an interior side surface of the seatback. The method comprises the following steps: sensing a position of the pivoting armrest to determine the vertical position or the horizontal position; sensing vehicle conditions indicating a need to deploy the airbag; and non-deploying the airbag when the armrest is in the vertical position.

[0008] Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The present invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat for seating a driver side occupant, a passenger side occupant, and a center occupant. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, which however shows the center passenger seat backrest folded down into a horizontal armrest position. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, which, however, shows the deployment of an airbag mounted on an inside edge surface of the driver's seat backrest. Fig. 4 is a diagram of a control system for controlling the deployment of the airbag. Fig. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the deployment logic performed by the controller of Fig. 4 is carried out. Fig. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an alternative deployment logic implemented by the controller of Fig. 4 is carried out. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing yet another alternative deployment logic for the controller of Fig. 4 shows. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a vehicle seating system including a driver-side seat and a passenger-side seat with an armrest on the driver-side seat back. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The following description of certain exemplary embodiments is merely exemplary in nature.

[0011] In Fig. 1, a vehicle seat for seating three occupants side by side in a motor vehicle is shown. The seat 10 provides a driver-side seat 12, a passenger-side seat 14, and also a center occupant seat 16 located between the driver-side seat 12 and the passenger-side seat 14. The driver-side seat 12 includes a driver-side seat back 20 and a driver-side seat bottom 22. The passenger-side seat 14 includes a passenger-side seat back 24 and a passenger-side seat bottom 26. The center occupant seat 16 includes a center seat back 30 and a center seat bottom 32. A safety belt system (not shown) would also be provided for each of the occupant seating positions.

[0012] The seat 10 may be mounted in the rear of the vehicle or in the front of the vehicle. When mounted in the front of the vehicle, the seat 10 is attached to a seat adjustment mechanism. The front seat may be a bench seat, in which case the entire seat 10, including the driver-side seat bottom 22, the passenger-side seat bottom 26, and the center seat bottom 32, are attached to the same seat adjustment mechanism for fore-and-aft adjustment movement as a single unit. Alternatively, the front seat may be a 60 / 40 seat, in which case the driver-side seat 12 and the center occupant seat 16 are attached together to a first seat adjustment mechanism, and the passenger-side seat 14 is attached to a second seat adjustment mechanism. Additionally, in some vehicles, the center seat position may be stationary or move independently of the outboard seats.Consequently, the driver's seat can be adjusted for longitudinal movement independently of the passenger seat 14 and, in some cases, independently of the center passenger seat 16.

[0013] As in Fig. 2, the center seat backrest 30 is mounted for pivotal movement about a pivot axis 38 about which the center seat backrest 30 can pivot between a vertical seat backrest forming position of Fig. 1 and a folded down horizontal armrest or console position, which in Fig. 2. The rear of the center seat backrest 30 may be provided with cup holders 40 or other storage features for convenient use by either a driver-side occupant or a passenger-side occupant. When the seat is mounted in the rear of the vehicle, folding the center seat backrest 30 down to the horizontal position may also provide access to a cargo pass-through door opening to the load area behind the seat 10, as described below with reference to Fig. 9-11 discussed.

[0014] When the center seat backrest 30 is in the armrest or console position of Fig. 2 is folded down, it can be seen that the vehicle seat 10 can only accommodate two passengers, that is, the driver's side passenger and the passenger's side passenger. However, when the center seat backrest 30 is in its vertical position of Fig. 1, the seat 10 can accommodate three passengers, including a driver side occupant, a passenger side occupant and a center occupant.

[0015] With reference to Fig. 2, it can be seen that a side restraint airbag assembly 44 is mounted within the inside surface 46 of the driver-side seat back 20. A tear seam 50 is provided in the inside edge of the driver-side seat back 20. The tear seam may be a tear seam 50a located relatively forward at the corner of the inside surface 46 or a tear seam 50b located further rearward along the inside surface 46.

[0016] Fig. 3 shows a deployment of an airbag 54 through the tear seam 50b. In Fig. 3, the center seat backrest 30 is folded down into its forward horizontal armrest or console position so that the tear seam 50 is unobstructed and therefore the airbag 54 has deployed without being blocked by the center seat backrest 30. In Fig. 3, the lower portion 56 of the airbag 54 optionally extends downwardly to overlap the horizontal console position of the center seat back 30 so that the center seat back 30 engages the lower portion 56 and the seat back 30 functions to assist in supporting the deployed position of the airbag 54. Reference may be made to US 2013 / 0 076 014 A1 for an example of an airbag cushion suitable for use in Fig. 3 is appropriate, reference may be made.

[0017] With further reference to Fig. 1, it can be seen that when the center seat back 30 is in its vertical seat back position, the center seat back 30 would interfere with deployment of the air bag 54 from the air bag assembly 44 mounted on the inside surface 46 of the driver side seat back 20.

[0018] Fig. Figure 4 is a diagram of the elements of a control system for controlling the deployment of the airbag 54 in the vehicle seat 10, which in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3. A logic controller 60 receives inputs from sensors 62, 64, 66, and 68. The logic controller 60 processes the input from sensors 62, 64, 66, and 68, as well as other inputs such as the vehicle ignition, etc., and provides a deployment signal to the gas generator of the airbag assembly 44 mounted in the driver's side seat back 20. A seat back position sensor 62, which is Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, detects the position of the center seat back 30, including whether the center seat back 30 is in its vertical seat back position of Fig. 1 or its folded down horizontal armrest or console position of Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. A side impact sensor 64, which is likely a sensor array, detects a side impact of a predetermined severity and detects whether the side impact occurs on the driver's side of the vehicle or the passenger's side of the vehicle. A rollover sensor 66 detects a vehicle rollover condition. Sensor 68 is a passenger-side occupant sensor that detects the presence of an occupant in the passenger-side seat 14. Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 show the sensor 68 as a pressure piece mounted in the passenger-side seat bottom 26. Alternatively, however, the occupant sensor may be any known occupant sensor, such as an optical sensor, a radar sensor, an electric field sensor, or the like.

[0019] Fig. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the deployment logic performed by the controller 60 of Fig. 4 is performed. The deployment logic begins in step 70. In step 72, the controller 60 examines whether a fault condition exists in the seatback position sensor 62. If there is no fault in the seatback position sensor 62, the controller 60 proceeds to steps 74 and 76 and examines the side impact sensor 64 and the rollover sensor 66. If either the side impact sensor 64 detects a side impact with a certain threshold or the rollover sensor 66 detects a rollover condition with a predetermined severity, the controller 60 then proceeds to step 78 and examines the seatback position sensor 62. If the seatback position sensor 62 detects that the center seatback 30 is in its folded-down horizontal armrest console position, then the airbag 54 is deployed in step 80.Thus, it can be seen that the controller 60 performs deployment logic that results in deployment of the air bag 54 only when: (a) the seat back position sensor 62 is free of faults, (b) either a side impact or rollover condition is encountered, and (c) the center seat back 16 is in the horizontal console position of . Fig. 3, in which the center seat backrest 30 does not hinder the deployment of the airbag 54. Of course, steps 72, 74, 76 and 78 do not have to be carried out in the Fig. 5. In fact, the controller 60 constantly monitors the conditions at each of the sensors and simultaneously processes these inputs to arrive at the decision to deploy the airbag 54.

[0020] Fig. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an alternative deployment logic implemented by the controller 60 of Fig. 4 can be carried out. In Fig. 6, steps 70, 72, 74, 76 and 78 are the same as in Fig. 5. In step 84, the controller 60 examines the input from the side impact sensor 64 and determines whether the side impact occurred on the driver's side of the vehicle or the passenger's side of the vehicle. If the impact occurred on the driver's side of the vehicle, the controller 60 decides whether to deploy the airbag in step 86 depending on the specific conditions sensed and the severity of such conditions, as well as the behavior of other occupant restraint systems such as seatbelt pretensioners and front airbags. For example, the deployment logic may decide not to deploy the airbag 54 because deploying the airbag 54, which is mounted on the inside of the driver's seat, will not provide much benefit to the occupant sitting in the driver's side seat 12.Or, the deployment logic may deploy with a deployment delay in step 86, since providing deployment with a delay may best align this restraint with other restraints in the vehicle for the driver occupant and may provide some benefit to the driver occupant. The decision to deploy or not deploy is made depending on the specific detected conditions and the severity of such conditions, as well as the behavior of other occupant restraint systems such as seat belt pretensioners and front airbags.

[0021] On the other hand, if the impact occurred on the passenger side of the vehicle, in step 84, the controller 60 proceeds to deploy the airbag 54 in step 86 for the benefit of the occupant seated in the driver side seat 12.

[0022] Fig. Figure 7 is another flowchart showing another alternative deployment logic implemented by the controller 60 of Fig. 4 can be carried out. In Fig. 6, steps 70, 72, 74, 76, 78 and 84 are the same as in Fig. 5. In step 90, after determining in step 84 that the impact occurred on the driver's side of the vehicle, the controller 60 examines the passenger-side occupant sensor 68 to determine if a passenger is seated in the passenger-side seat 14. If no passenger is seated in the passenger-side seat 14, the controller 60 does not deploy the airbag. On the other hand, if a passenger is seated in the passenger-side seat 14, the controller deploys the airbag 54 in step 92 because it is beneficial to deploy the airbag into the space between the occupant seated in the passenger-side seat 14 and the occupant seated in the driver-side seat 12. The deployment of the airbag 54 may be performed in conjunction with the deployment of other airbags in the vehicle, or the deployment of the airbag 54 may be performed with a deployment delay that may best coordinate this restraint with other restraints.The preceding description of the flow charts is intended to explain the general logic involved in the deployment of the airbag system. Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Of course, additional logic according to the state of the art is used to calibrate the actual deployment times and delays, as appropriate, to coordinate deployment with the various detected impact or rollover conditions, as well as to coordinate airbag deployment with other systems such as built-in seatbelt pretensioners, other side airbags, and front airbags.

[0023] With further reference to Fig. 2, the passenger-side seat back 24 may be equipped with an airbag assembly 98 mounted on the inside surface of the passenger seat back 24 for deployment through a tear seam 100. The deployment logic described here may control the deployment of both airbag assemblies 44 and 98. In particular, as shown in Fig. 5, the airbag assembly 98 will not deploy when the center seat backrest 30 is in its raised vertical position of Fig. 1. In addition, the passenger-side occupant sensor 68 may be used to permit activation of the airbag assembly 98 only when an occupant is present in the passenger seat 14. Alternatively, of course, the airbag assembly 44 may be omitted, and the airbag assembly 98 may be used to provide restraint for the driver-side occupant even when the passenger-side seat 14 is unoccupied.

[0024] The vehicle seats can be individual seats, such as bucket seats or comfort seats, which are Fig. 8 are shown. In Fig. 8, the driver's seat 112 is located next to the passenger's seat 114, and each seat is attached to its own seat adjustment mechanism. If desired, a bearing bracket, not shown, may be mounted on the vehicle floor between the driver's seat 112 and the passenger's seat 114. As shown in Fig. 8, the driver's seat 112 has an armrest 118 mounted on a driver's side seat backrest 120 for pivoting movement about a pivot axis 124 between the horizontal armrest forming position of Fig. 8 and a vertically stowed position in which the armrest 118 lies along an inner edge surface 128 of the passenger-side seat back 120. An airbag assembly 132 is mounted within the driver-side seat back 120 for deployment through an airbag seam 134 provided on the inner edge surface 128 of the driver-side seat back 120.

[0025] In Fig. 8, it can be seen that the armrest 118 would interfere with the deployment of an airbag 138 when the armrest 118 is in its vertically stowed position. Accordingly, an armrest position sensor 142 is associated with the armrest 118 to detect the position of the armrest 118. The armrest position sensor 142 replaces the center seat back position sensor 62 in the diagram of Fig. 4, so that the deployment of the airbag 138 of Fig. 8 is partially controlled by the position of the armrest 118. The airbag 138 will not deploy when the armrest 118 is in its vertically stowed position and will otherwise be deployed according to the various Fig. 5, Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 described logic steps unfolded or not unfolded. In Fig. 8, both the armrest 118 and the airbag assembly 132 are mounted on the inside of the driver's seat 112. However, both the armrest and the airbag assembly may be mounted on the outside of the driver's seat 112 and the deployment logic of Fig. 5 can be used to control the deployment of the airbag 138.

[0026] The terms "armrest" and "console" describe the use of the pivot member as variously shown at 30 or 118 and are used interchangeably herein to describe the use of the pivot member as either an armrest or a console, either of which may be convenient for the vehicle user.

Claims

[1] A method for controlling an airbag mounted in a seat back of a vehicle seating system in which both the airbag and a pivoting armrest are provided on the same side of the occupant seating position, the armrest pivoting between a vertical position and a horizontal position and the airbag being mounted within an inside surface of the seat back, comprising: Detecting a position of the pivoting armrest to determine the vertical position or the horizontal position; Detecting vehicle conditions that indicate a need to deploy the airbag; and non-deployment of the airbag when the armrest is in the vertical position. [2] The method of claim 1, further comprising the vehicle seating system including a driver-side seat and a passenger-side seat, and the pivotable armrest is mounted on the inside of the driver-side seat back, the airbag being mounted within the inside surface of the driver-side seat back. [3] The method of claim 1, further comprising the vehicle seating system including a driver side seat, a passenger side seat, and a center passenger seat, and the pivoting armrest provides a backrest for the center passenger seat when pivoted to the vertical position. [4] The method of claim 1, further comprising the armrest being on the inside of the driver side seat and sensing the vehicle conditions comprising sensing the presence of a driver side impact and not deploying the airbag if the impact occurs on the driver side. [5] The method of claim 1, further comprising the armrest being on the inside of the driver side seat and sensing the vehicle conditions comprising sensing the presence of a driver side impact and deploying the airbag with a delay when the driver side impact occurs. [6] The method of claim 1, further comprising the armrest being located on the inside of the driver side seat, and sensing vehicle conditions comprising sensing the presence of an impact on the driver side of the vehicle, sensing the presence of an occupant sitting in a passenger side seat, and, if the impact occurs on the driver side and an occupant is sitting in the passenger side seat, deploying the airbag such that the airbag is deployed between a driver side occupant and a passenger side occupant. [7] The method of claim 6, further comprising the armrest being located on the inside of the driver's side seat and sensing the vehicle conditions comprising sensing the presence of a driver's side impact and deploying the airbag with a delay when the driver's side impact occurs. [8] The method of claim 1, wherein the airbag is activated for deployment when the armrest is in the horizontal position and other vehicle detection criteria are met.

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