Safety device in the footwell of a motor vehicle

Abstract

Safety device in a footwell of a motor vehicle for the protection of vehicle occupants in the event of an accident, comprising an airbag system (2) comprising at least one inflatable airbag (4) which, when inflated, is shaped such that the airbag (4) protects the feet (5) and legs of the vehicle occupant in the event of an accident, wherein the airbag (4) is arranged in a damping element (7) which is located in the footwell of the motor vehicle below a cover (1), characterized by the fact that An intermediate part made of a soft plastic is arranged below the damping element (7) between it and the vehicle floor (9).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a safety device in the footwell of a motor vehicle of the type defined in more detail in the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Airbag systems for protecting vehicle occupants in the event of a collision or accident have been known for a long time. In addition to airbags located in the steering wheel of a motor vehicle, it is also known to install an airbag system in the footwell of a motor vehicle to protect the feet and legs of a vehicle occupant in the event of a collision or accident.

[0003] However, the known airbag systems in the footwell, such as those disclosed in DE 10 2009 055 837 A1, are only conditionally suitable for piloted or autonomous driving, i.e., driving in which the driver is in a relaxed position. In such situations, the driver can recline the seat backrest and slide it far back longitudinally. In this case, the driver faces an increased risk in an accident due to their reclined position. This position can cause them to slip under the lap belt and thus suffer abdominal injuries. In such cases, even the known restraint systems or airbags cannot adequately protect the occupant's feet and knees.

[0004] To improve protection, US 6 158 766 A, DE 199 33 396 A1 and DE 100 32 046 A1 have proposed arranging an airbag in a damping element located in the footwell of the motor vehicle below a cover.

[0005] The arrangement of the airbag in a damping element according to the invention provides protection for the vehicle occupant both when the airbag is activated and when the airbag is not activated.

[0006] In a serious accident where the airbag is deployed, the feet and legs of the vehicle occupant are protected in the usual way. If, during piloted driving with the pedal folded away, the vehicle occupant is in a reclining position and slides forward in an accident, their feet are braced against the damping element and thus protected from a hard impact. This protection of the vehicle occupant can, of course, also be achieved with the pedal not folded away.

[0007] The present invention is based on the objective of creating a safety device in the footwell of a motor vehicle that provides even better protection for the vehicle occupants or driver in the case of piloted driving, whereby this should be the case both with an activated and with a deactivated airbag.

[0008] According to the invention, this problem is solved by the features mentioned in claim 1.

[0009] According to the invention, in addition to the damping provided by the damping element, noise reduction is also achieved when the feet strike the ground. Furthermore, the use of a soft plastic for the intermediate part provides even better protection for the occupant's feet through the additional damping.

[0010] The airbag system can also include a fabric housing in which the airbag is located. This design simplifies installation in the vehicle.

[0011] For safety reasons, it should also be ensured that a gas generator required for the airbag system is located outside the reach of a vehicle occupant's feet.

[0012] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is described in principle below with reference to the drawing.

[0013] They show: Fig. 1. the footwell of a motor vehicle with an airbag system integrated into a floor covering with a gas generator Fig. 2 the footwell of a motor vehicle Fig. 1 with activated airbag Fig. 3 the footwell of a motor vehicle Fig. 1 with pedal folded away Fig. 4 an enlarged section through the safety device after the Fig. 1.

[0014] As from the Fig. As can be seen in Figure 1, an airbag system 2 with a gas generator 3 and an airbag 4 is arranged in a floor covering under a cover 1 in the footwell of a motor vehicle.

[0015] The gas generator 3 for activating an airbag 4 is located outside the reach of a driver's foot 5.

[0016] Fig. Figure 1 shows the position of a driver in the active driving state, with the driver's foot 5 operating a pedal 6.

[0017] Fig. Figure 2 shows the situation in the footwell of the vehicle with an activated airbag 4. As can be seen, this protects the driver's foot 5.

[0018] Fig. Figure 3 shows the situation in the vehicle's footwell during autonomous or piloted driving. The pedal 6 is folded away to provide sufficient legroom for the resting driver. In the event of a collision or accident where the airbag 4 has not been deployed, the driver's foot 5 can rest on a damping element 7. Independent of autonomous driving, the airbag can also be deployed depending on the leg position or the seat's longitudinal adjustment. The damping element 7 also allows for cushioned foot support even when the pedal is not folded away.

[0019] As can be seen from the figures, the airbag 4 is arranged inside the damping element 7 in a recess 8 in the damping element 7.

[0020] Below the damping element 7, an intermediate part 10 for noise reduction can be arranged between it and the vehicle floor, e.g., in the form of a sheet metal plate 9. This intermediate part can be made of a soft plastic foam.

[0021] For the damping element 7, in contrast to the usual hard sheet metal mounts for the folded airbag 4, plastics such as rigid foam are suitable. It is essential that the rigid foam is sufficiently flexible.

[0022] In this way, a hard impact of the foot 5 is avoided, because the damping element 7, in conjunction with the folded airbag 4, dampens the impact energy accordingly.

[0023] When the airbag 4 is activated, it unfolds from the damping element 7 in the usual manner.

[0024] The footwell of the vehicle is usually covered with a covering, e.g., in the form of a carpet. In this case, the damping element 7 is located beneath the carpet.

[0025] The safety device according to the invention can of course also be implemented on the passenger side.

Claims

[1] Safety device in a footwell of a motor vehicle for the protection of vehicle occupants in the event of an accident, comprising an airbag system (2) comprising at least one inflatable airbag (4) which, when inflated, is shaped such that the airbag (4) protects the feet (5) and legs of the vehicle occupant in the event of an accident, wherein the airbag (4) is arranged in a damping element (7) which is located in the footwell of the motor vehicle below a cover (1), characterized by , that Below the damping element (7) an intermediate part made of a soft plastic is arranged between it and the vehicle floor (9). [2] Safety device according to claim 1, characterized by that the soft plastic consists of a foam. [3] Safety device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by, that a gas generator (3) for activating the airbag (4) is arranged outside the reach of the feet (5) of the vehicle occupant. [4] Safety device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by , that the airbag (4) is arranged in a fabric housing.

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