Vehicle having vehicular seat device having occupant protection function

Abstract

To improve performance in protecting an occupant in a vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle having a vehicular seat device comprises an airbag device that can expand an airbag in front of the vehicular seat device. The vehicular seat device has: a seat cushion on which legs of an occupant are put; a seat back; a headrest; a frame-shape seat back frame for the seat back; a lumber back board provided inside the frame-shape seat back frame to support an upper body of the occupant from a back surface; and a movable member provided to movable along a vehicle longitudinal direction of the vehicle, behind the lumber back board. The movable member moves from a position at a rear side of the vehicle to a position at a front side thereof behind the lumber back board, to push a lower part of the lumber back board forward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle having an occupant protection function by a vehicle seat device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Vehicles such as automobiles are provided with vehicle seat apparatuses for passengers to sit in. In the vehicle seat device, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, a lumbar support for supporting the seated state is provided on the seat back. Moreover, Patent Documents 1 to 3 begin to move the lumbar support itself. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2000-517200 [Patent Document 2] JP 2016-210405 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2020-055500 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Meanwhile, performance tests of passenger protection devices such as seat belt devices and airbag devices are generally carried out using dummies that imitate human beings. However, the actual behavior of an occupant during a vehicle frontal collision does not necessarily match the behavior of a dummy during a performance test.

[0005] For example, unlike a dummy doll simply placed on a vehicle seat device, an occupant may operate the vehicle pedals with his / her feet or press his / her feet against the floor of the vehicle during a frontal collision of the vehicle. In these cases, the occupant's lower limbs are tense. When a frontal collision occurs in this state, the occupant's entire body is less likely to move forward as in the case where the lower limbs are not tense, and instead, the upper body and head are likely to instantly rotate significantly forward and downward and fall. In particular, when the upper body is restricted from moving forward and downward by the pretension of the seat belt device, only the occupant's head is likely to instantly rotate excessively forward and downward. There is a possibility that a strain may be placed on the occupant's neck.

[0006] In addition, when an occupant's upper body and head enter the deployed airbag during a frontal collision, the occupant's head enters the airbag while rotating excessively forward and downward above the upper body, which may cause strain on the occupant's neck.

[0007] Thus, there is a need for improvements in vehicle occupant protection. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A vehicle having an occupant protection function by a vehicle seat device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle having a function of protecting an occupant of the vehicle seated in the vehicle seat device, and has an airbag device capable of deploying an airbag at the front side of the vehicle seat device, the vehicle seat device having a seat cushion on which the lower legs of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat device rest, a seat back against which the upper body of the occupant seated on the seat cushion rests, a headrest provided on the upper side of the vehicle with respect to the seat back, a frame-shaped seat back frame that follows the upper, lower, left and right edges of the vehicle with respect to the seat back, a lumbar back plate provided inside the frame-shaped seat back frame and that supports the upper body of the occupant from behind by bending due to the weight of the occupant leaning against the seat back, and a movable member provided on the rear side of the lumbar back plate and movable along the front-rear direction of the vehicle, the movable member being movable from a rear position to a front position of the vehicle at the rear side of the lumbar back plate, thereby pushing a lower part of the lumbar back plate forward. Effect of the Invention

[0009] In the present invention, a seat back that supports the upper body of an occupant is provided with a lumbar back plate on the inside of a frame-shaped seat back frame. The lumbar back plate supports the upper body of the occupant from the back by bending due to the weight of the occupant leaning against the seat back. In addition, a movable member that is provided separately from the lumbar back plate and is movable along the front-rear direction of the vehicle is provided on the rear side of the lumbar back plate. The lower part of the lumbar back plate is pushed forward by the movable member. Therefore, for example, when an occupant operates a vehicle pedal with his / her foot or presses his / her foot against the floor of the vehicle and exerts force on the lower legs of the occupant, the pelvis of the occupant sitting on the seat cushion is pushed forward and upward while the occupant is still sitting on the seat cushion, and is raised or pushed up. Moreover, in the present invention, the lumbar back panel itself, which is in direct contact with the occupant's body, is not moved, but the movable member behind the lumbar back panel is moved. Therefore, even when the occupant exerts force on the lower legs and the weight of the occupant acts on the lumbar back panel itself, the occupant's pelvis can be raised without putting a strain on the occupant's body as would be the case if the lumbar back panel itself were moved. As the pelvis of the occupant seated on the seat cushion rises, the occupant's upper body above the pelvis tends to fall deeper into the seat back. As a result, as the occupant's pelvis rises while seated in the vehicle seat device, the occupant's upper body, for example from the shoulder blades to the feet, approaches a state in which it is aligned in a straight line, as if the occupant were standing upright. The occupant's lower limbs, which are exerted, tend to stretch the upper body, for example from the shoulder blades to the feet, making it easier to support the upper body. Furthermore, as the occupant's upper body leans further against the seat back, the occupant's head may be pressed against the headrest. The occupant's head, which is pressed against the headrest, rotates forward and downward before the frontal collision and is in a state where the chin is tucked, preparing the occupant in advance for the impact force of the frontal collision.

[0010] If the vehicle crashes head-on under these conditions, the impact force acting on the occupant is likely to be transmitted from the upper body to the feet via the occupant's tense lower legs, thereby reducing the force that moves the occupant's head and other parts of the body forward. Furthermore, because the occupant's head is in a prepared position with his or her chin tucked in advance, the head can be prevented from rotating downward and forward due to the force of the impact during a subsequent frontal collision of the vehicle. As a result, the occupant's head is prevented from rotating excessively in the forward-downward direction due to the impact force during a frontal collision, and is less likely to enter the airbag in a state where it is rotated at a large angle relative to the upper body. In contrast, if the occupant is not prepared in advance with his / her chin tucked, the impact force of the vehicle's frontal collision is likely to cause the occupant's head to rotate excessively in a forward-downward direction instantaneously. The tense lower limbs are unlikely to move forward together with the upper body and head. As a result, the occupant's upper body and head are likely to rotate around the pelvis, which is relatively difficult to move forward. If the head rotates excessively and enters the airbag, the occupant's neck may be subjected to a force resulting from the sudden and large rotation in a forward-downward direction due to the impact force, and a large force resulting from the head rotating against the airbag. In the present invention, both of these forces can be effectively suppressed.

[0011] In this manner, the present invention provides improved occupant protection in a vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an automobile as a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a general passenger protection for a driver's seat device which is the vehicle seat device of the automobile shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the behavior of a driver in a frontal collision when the driver's lower legs are tense and tensed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the behavior of a seat device for a navigator, which is another vehicle seat device for an automobile, during a frontal collision when the navigator's lower legs are tense and tense. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of the vehicle seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the internal structure of the seat back of the vehicle seat device of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a state in which the pelvis support cross member in FIG. 5 has been moved to a position in front of the elongated hole. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the main parts of the control system of the automobile of FIG. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the passenger protection control executed by the control unit in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a state before an occupant sits in the vehicle seat device of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which an occupant is seated in the vehicle seat device of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the behavior of a passenger when a vehicle crashes head-on with the pelvis support cross-member remaining in the rear position. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the behavior of a passenger when a vehicle crashes head-on after the pelvis support cross member has been moved to a forward position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an automobile 1 as a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a general passenger protection for a driver's seat device 4 which is a vehicle seat device for the automobile 1 of FIG. 1 and 2, a vehicle 1 is provided with a vehicle compartment 3 provided in a vehicle body 2, and is provided with a plurality of vehicle seat devices, such as a driver's seat device 4. The vehicle seat devices are attached to a floor 5 of the vehicle compartment 3, and are intended for passengers of the vehicle 1 to sit on. In this embodiment, up, down, left, right, front and rear are used based on the automobile in FIG.

[0015] A driver or other passenger sits in a vehicle seat apparatus after getting into the passenger compartment 3 of the automobile 1. The driver or other passenger sits in the vehicle seat apparatus with a seat belt 6 fastened around the front of the waist and the front of the upper body. A vehicle such as an automobile 1 may collide with an object 99 such as another vehicle, as shown in Fig. 1. In this case, the body of an occupant seated in a vehicle seat device will generally move forward due to the impact of the frontal collision, as shown in Fig. 1. However, the occupant's body is restrained by a seat belt 6 as shown in Fig. 2, and an airbag 10 is deployed in front of the occupant, thereby absorbing the impact. The occupant can be protected from hitting the dashboard 9 or the steering wheel 7.

[0016] However, the riding conditions of the driver and other occupants and their behavior during a frontal collision do not necessarily result in the situation shown in FIG. The state of an occupant in a frontal collision shown in FIG. 2 is an example in which a dummy modeling a human is used in a performance test of occupant protection members such as the vehicle body 2, the seat belt device 38, the airbag device 37, etc. In contrast, the actual behavior of the occupants when the automobile 1 crashes head-on does not necessarily match the behavior of the dummies used in the performance test as shown in FIG.

[0017] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the behavior of a driver in a frontal collision when the driver's lower legs are tense and tensed. Unlike a dummy doll simply placed on a vehicle seat device, the driver in Figure 3 is seated in a driver's seat device 4 and operates the brake pedal 8 of the automobile 1 with his / her foot in the event of a frontal collision of the automobile 1. In this case, the driver's lower legs are tense because the driver presses the brake pedal 8 with his / her foot, as shown by the thick line in Fig. 3. If a frontal collision occurs with the driver's lower legs tense in this way, the driver's entire body is less likely to move forward as compared to the case in Fig. 2 where the driver's lower legs are not tense. Instead, the driver's upper body and head are likely to instantaneously rotate significantly forward and downward and fall. In particular, when the forward and downward rotation of the upper body is limited by the pretension of the seat belt device 38, only the driver's head is likely to instantaneously rotate excessively forward and downward relative to the upper body. Furthermore, when the driver's upper body and head enter the deployed airbag 10, the driver's head enters the airbag 10 while rotating in a forward and downward direction. This can put strain on the driver's neck.

[0018] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the behavior of a navigator seat device 19, which is another vehicle seat device of the automobile 1, during a frontal collision when the navigator's lower legs are tense and tense. When the automobile 1 is hit head-on, the navigator in FIG. 4 places his / her feet on a toe board 14, which is the front part of the floor 5 of the automobile 1, and braces himself / herself. In this case, the navigator's lower legs may be tense, as shown by the thick lines in Fig. 4, with the feet braced against the toe board 14. If a frontal collision occurs with the lower legs tense in this way, the navigator's entire body is less likely to move forward, as in the case of the navigator's lower legs not being tense in Fig. 2. Instead, the navigator's upper body and head are likely to instantaneously rotate significantly forward and downward and fall. In particular, if the forward and downward movement of the upper body is limited by the pretension of the seat belt device 38, only the navigator's head is likely to instantaneously rotate excessively forward and downward relative to the upper body. Furthermore, when the navigator's upper body and head enter the deployed airbag 10, the navigator's head enters the airbag 10 while rotating in a forward and downward direction. This can put strain on the navigator's neck.

[0019] Thus, further improvements in passenger protection in automobiles 1 are required.

[0020] Fig. 5 is an external perspective view of the vehicle seat device 18 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a view of the vehicle seat device 18 as seen obliquely from behind. A vehicle seat device 18 in FIG. 5 is provided in an automobile 1 and can be used as, for example, a driver's seat device 4 or a navigator's seat device 19. The vehicle seat device 18 in FIG. 5 includes a seat cushion 11, a seat back 12, and a headrest 13. The seat cushion 11 is a portion of the vehicle seat device 18 on which the lower legs of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat device 18 rest. The seat back 12 is erected on the rear edge portion of the automobile 1 with respect to the seat cushion 11 so as to extend in the rear-upward direction of the automobile 1. The seat back 12 is a portion of the vehicle seat device 18 against which the upper body of an occupant seated on the seat cushion 11 rests. The vehicle seat device 18 may be provided with a reclining mechanism for adjusting the angle of the seat back 12 with respect to the seat cushion 11. The headrest 13 is provided on the upper side of the seat back 12 of the automobile 1. The headrest 13 is a portion of the vehicle seat device 18 against which the head of an occupant seated on the seat cushion 11 rests.

[0021] FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the internal structure of the seat back 12 of the vehicle seat device 18 of FIG. The seat back 12 in FIG. 6 includes a seat back frame 21, a seat back cross member 22, a lumbar back plate 23, a pelvis support cross member 26, a plurality of wire members 27, a first wire cross member 28, and a second wire cross member 29.

[0022] The seatback frame 21 is made of a metal material and formed into a frame shape following the outline of the top, bottom, left and right edges of the seatback 12. A long hole 25 is formed in each of the lower parts of the right vertical section and the left vertical section of the frame-shaped seatback frame 21. The long hole 25 is formed so as to extend along the front-rear direction of the automobile 1. The long holes 25 are preferably formed in the right and left vertical portions of the frame-shaped seat back frame 21 so as to be lower than the height position that is lower than the upper end of the pelvis of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat device 18. Further, the long hole 25 may be formed in the right vertical portion and the left vertical portion of the frame-shaped seat back frame 21 so that the front side of the long hole 25 is higher than the rear side with respect to the lower end of the seat back frame 21 as a reference. However, the seat back 12 is generally used in a state in which it stands at an obtuse angle with respect to the seat cushion 11 as shown in FIG. 10 described later. Therefore, the long hole 25 may be formed so that the front side and the rear side are at the same height with respect to the lower end of the seat back frame 21 as a reference. Even in this case, the front side of the long hole 25 may be higher than the rear side when the seat back 12 is in a use state in which an occupant is seated.

[0023] The seatback cross member 22 connects the right vertical portion and the left vertical portion of the frame-shaped seatback frame 21 at the upper portion of the frame-shaped seatback frame 21. The seatback cross member 22 may be formed using the same metal material as the seatback frame 21. The seatback cross member 22 supports the upper body of the occupant from the rear side when the upper body of the occupant is swung forward and backward during a rear-end collision or the like, thereby making it difficult for the upper body of the occupant to move significantly rearward. In addition, as described below, when the upper body of the occupant is supported by the seatback cross member 22, the head of the occupant is supported from the rear side by the headrest 13. This is expected to lower the occupant's chin and make it difficult for the occupant to suffer neck injuries such as whiplash.

[0024] The lumbar back plate 23 is a plate-like member provided on the inside of the frame-shaped seat back frame 21. The lumbar back plate 23 is connected to the inside of the frame-shaped seat back frame 21 by a plurality of lumbar supports 24. The lumbar back plate 23 and the plurality of lumbar supports 24 may be formed using a flexible material. This allows the lumbar back plate 23 and the plurality of lumbar supports 24 to bend to conform to the shape of the occupant's back due to the load of the occupant leaning against the seat back 12. By deforming according to the load of the occupant, the lumbar back plate 23 can support the occupant's load in a planar manner and support the occupant's upper body from the back. The lumbar back plate 23 does not have to be a rectangular plate shape as shown in FIG. 6, but may be a shape that imitates, for example, the human skeleton of the spine and ribs.

[0025] The pelvis support cross member 26 is provided so as to span between the left and right long holes 25 provided in the right and left vertical portions of the frame-shaped seat back frame 21. The pelvis support cross member 26 is a movable member that is movable from the rear position of the left and right long holes 25 to the front position. The pelvis support cross member 26 is provided movably in the front-rear direction of the automobile 1 at the lower part of the frame-shaped seat back frame 21 behind the lumbar back panel 23. 6, the pelvis support cross member 26 is in a rear position in the slot 25. In FIG.

[0026] The first wire cross member 28 and the second wire cross member 29 are attached to the seatback frame 21. Specifically, the first wire cross member 28 is provided below the seatback cross member 22. The second wire cross member 29 is attached to a lower part of the seatback frame 21.

[0027] One end of the wire member 27 is connected to the upper part of the lumbar back plate 23, and the other end is connected to the pelvis support cross member 26 as a movable member. The wire member 27 is connected between the upper part of the lumbar back plate 23 and the pelvis support cross member 26. The wire member 27 is hung on the first wire cross member 28 and the second wire cross member 29 and is folded back by the first wire cross member 28 and the second wire cross member 29.

[0028] FIG. 7 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a state in which the pelvis support cross member 26 in FIG. The pelvic support cross member 26 is movable from a rearward position in the slot 25 of FIG. 6 to a forward position in the slot 25 of FIG. A pelvis support cross member 26, which is movable from a rear position to a front position of the automobile 1 behind the lumbar back plate 23, pushes the lower part of the lumbar back plate 23 forward. When the pelvis support cross member 26 moves from the rear position to the front position, the other end of the wire member 27 also moves forward. The wire member 27, which is hung on the first wire cross member 28 and the second wire cross member 29, pulls the upper part of the lumbar back panel 23 in the rearward and upward direction toward the first wire cross member 28. The first wire cross member 28 is provided below the seat back cross member 22. As a result, the upper edge of the lumbar back panel 23 moves upward and rearward so as to approach the seatback cross member 22, and the lower edge moves forward and upward. Such upward and rearward movement along the surface of the lumbar back panel 23 is easy to achieve even when the weight of the occupant's upper body is applied. In addition, since the lumbar back panel 23 basically moves rearward away from the occupant's upper body, it is unlikely to cause strong rubbing stress against the occupant's back, etc. In addition, since the pelvis support cross member 26 located on the rear side of the lumbar back panel 23 is movable, it is unlikely that strong stress will be placed on the occupant's bones, as would occur if the lumbar back panel 23 itself were driven forward directly by the actuator 43.

[0029] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a main part of the control system 30 of the automobile 1 of FIG. The control system 30 of the automobile 1 in Figure 8 includes an exterior camera 31, an acceleration sensor 32, a timer 33, an interior camera 34, a pedal sensor 35, a control unit 36, an airbag device 37, a seat belt device 38, a seat device 39, and a vehicle network 40 to which these are connected. Other sensors and devices may be connected to the vehicle network 40. The sensors and the like may be connected to the vehicle network 40 through a sensor control device. The vehicle network 40 may be, for example, a vehicle network such as a Controller Area Network (CAN) or a Local Interconnect Network (LIN), or a communication network such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3.

[0030] The exterior camera 31 is an imaging device that detects the outside of the automobile 1 by capturing images. The exterior camera 31 may be, for example, a monocular camera with a wide angle of view, a compound eye camera, or a 360-degree camera. The automobile 1 may be provided with multiple exterior cameras 31. When predicting a head-on collision or the like, it is desirable for the exterior camera 31 to capture at least an image of the front side, which is the traveling direction of the automobile 1. Furthermore, the exterior camera 31 may detect objects 99, such as other moving bodies or structures, around the automobile 1 that are included in the captured image by image analysis or the like. In this case, the exterior camera 31 may detect the relative direction and distance from the vehicle for each detected object 99. The detection and relative direction and distance of objects 99 around the vehicle can also be detected by other external sensors such as Lidar, radar, etc.

[0031] The acceleration sensor 32 detects the acceleration of the automobile 1. The acceleration sensor 32 may detect acceleration in three axial directions, i.e., forward / backward, left / right, and up / down, or may detect acceleration in the roll, pitch, and yaw directions. When detecting a frontal collision, it is desirable for the acceleration sensor 32 to detect acceleration at least along the forward / backward direction of the automobile 1.

[0032] The timer 33 measures a time, a period or an instant of time.

[0033] The in-vehicle camera 34 captures an image of the passenger compartment 3 of the automobile 1. In this embodiment, the in-vehicle camera 34 preferably captures an image of the lower legs of a driver seated in the driver's seat device 4, an operating state of the brake pedal 8, and the lower legs of a navigator seated in the navigator's seat device 19. The captured image of the in-vehicle camera 34 may contain infrared components. The in-vehicle camera 34 may detect the riding state of the occupant contained in the captured image by image analysis or the like. For example, when the occupant's lower limbs are tense, the image of the lower limbs may contain blood flow components different from when the lower limbs are not tense. The state of tension in the lower limbs of an occupant in the passenger compartment 3 of the automobile 1 can also be detected by other sensors, such as an infrared sensor, a seat pressure sensor, a sweat sensor on the steering wheel 7, and the like. These in-vehicle sensors can detect the state of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat device 18.

[0034] The pedal sensor 35 detects the operation states of various pedals such as the brake pedal 8 operated by the driver. The pedal sensor 35 may detect the depression amount of the brake pedal 8. In this case, a depression amount of 0 means that the pedal is not being depressed. The pedal sensor 35 serves as an operation sensor and detects the operation of the brake pedal 8 that is operated by the driver seated in the driver's seat device 4 with his / her foot.

[0035] The airbag device 37 has an airbag 10 and an inflator 41. The airbag device 37 is provided in front of the vehicle seat device 18. The airbag device 37 in Figs. 2 and 3 is provided on the steering wheel 7 of the automobile 1 in front of the driver's seat device 4. The airbag device 37 in Fig. 4 is provided on the dashboard 9 of the automobile 1 in front of the navigator seat device 19. When a frontal collision of the automobile 1 is detected, the airbag device 37 activates the inflator 41 by an ignition signal from the control unit 36, and deploys the airbag 10 with high-pressure gas generated by the inflator 41.

[0036] The seat belt device 38 includes a seat belt 6, a tensioner 42, and the like. The seat belt 6 may be in the form of a long belt. The tensioner 42 may be, for example, a motor that drives a reel around which the seat belt 6 is wound. When a collision such as a frontal collision of the automobile 1 is predicted or detected, the seat belt device 38 activates the tensioner 42 in response to an activation signal from the control unit 36. As a result, the remaining part of the seat belt 6 is wound onto the reel, and the occupant seated in the vehicle seat device 18 can be restrained in the vehicle seat device 18.

[0037] The seat device 39 has a movable mechanism 44 and an actuator 43. Here, the movable mechanism 44 may be the pelvis support cross member 26 that is movable from a rear position to a front position of the long hole 25. In this case, the actuator 43 drives the pelvis support cross member 26 as a movable member from a rear position to a front position. The actuator 43 may be a motor, an airbag device, or the like.

[0038] The control unit 36 ​​executes control for protecting passengers of the automobile 1 from a collision such as a frontal collision of the automobile 1. The control unit 36 ​​may basically have a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory (not shown). The memory may store programs and data used by the control unit 36 ​​for passenger protection control. In this case, the CPU functions as the control unit 36 ​​for passenger protection by reading and executing the programs from the memory. When protecting the occupant, the control unit 36 ​​outputs an ignition signal to an inflator 41 of an airbag device 37, outputs an activation signal to a tensioner 42 of a seat belt device 38, and outputs an activation signal to an actuator 43 of a seat device 39.

[0039] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the passenger protection control executed by the control unit 36 ​​in FIG. The control unit 36 ​​repeatedly executes the passenger protection control shown in FIG. In the following description, a case in which the control unit 36 ​​protects a driver seated in the driver's seat device 4 will be described as an example. However, the control unit 36 ​​may also perform protection control for other occupants, such as a navigator seated in another seat device 39 of the automobile 1, for example, a navigator seated in the navigator seat device 19, by repeatedly executing the occupant protection control of Figure 9.

[0040] In step ST1, the control unit 36 ​​predicts the possibility of a frontal collision of the automobile 1 based on the detection results of the external sensors. For example, the control unit 36 ​​may obtain the detection result of the exterior camera 31 as an exterior sensor, and determine whether or not an object 99 is present ahead of the path of the vehicle, or whether or not an object 99 is present crossing the path of the vehicle. If there is no object 99 ahead of the path of the vehicle, and if there is no object 99 crossing the path of the vehicle, the control unit 36 ​​predicts that there is no possibility of a head-on collision of the automobile 1, and repeats this process. On the other hand, if there is an object 99 ahead of the vehicle's path, or if there is an object 99 crossing the vehicle's path, the control unit 36 ​​predicts the possibility of a head-on collision of the automobile 1, and proceeds to step ST2.

[0041] In step ST2, the control unit 36 ​​determines whether or not the lower legs of the driver seated in the driver's seat device 4 are in a tense state, based on the detection results of the in-vehicle sensors or the operation sensors. For example, the control unit 36 ​​may obtain the detection result of the in-vehicle camera 34 as an in-vehicle sensor, and determine whether or not the driver's lower legs included in the captured image of the in-vehicle camera 34 are tense. When the driver is aware of the possibility of a frontal collision, he or she may tense up his or her lower legs as if pushing the feet against the floor 5. In this case, the driver's lower legs may be tense and tense. Additionally, for example, the control unit 36 ​​may obtain a detection result of the pedal sensor 35 as an operation sensor and determine whether or not the driver is operating the brake pedal 8. When the driver is aware of the possibility of a frontal collision, he or she may apply force to his or her foot in order to operate the brake pedal 8. In this case, force is applied to the driver's lower legs, which may cause tension in the driver's lower legs. Then, when it is determined that the driver's lower legs are in a tense state based on the detection result of an in-vehicle sensor or the detection result of an operation sensor, for example, the control unit 36 ​​advances the process to step ST3. On the other hand, when it is not determined that the driver's lower legs are in a tense state, the control unit 36 ​​advances the process to step ST4.

[0042] Step ST3 is a process that is executed when a frontal collision of the automobile 1 is predicted and the driver's lower legs are in a tense state. 6 to the front position in FIG. 7. As a result, the pelvis support cross member 26, which serves as a movable member, is movable from the rear position in FIG. A pelvis support cross member 26, which is movable from a rear position to a front position of the automobile 1 behind the lumbar back plate 23, pushes the lower part of the lumbar back plate 23 forward. When the pelvis support cross member 26 moves from the rear position to the front position, the other end of the wire member 27 also moves forward. The wire member 27 pulls the upper part of the lumbar back panel 23 rearward and upward toward the first wire cross member 28. The first wire cross member 28 is provided below the seat back cross member 22. As a result, the upper edge of the lumbar back plate 23 moves upward and rearward toward the seatback cross member 22, and the lower edge moves forward and upward. The lumbar back plate 23 can be pulled upward along the surface of the lumbar back plate 23 even when the weight of the driver's upper body is applied. It is expected that such movement of the pelvis support cross member 26 will cause the driver's pelvis to rise upward and forward, and the upper body on the pelvis to lean backward toward the seat bag. The driver's upper body will lean deeply toward the seat bag, and will be supported by the seatback cross member 22. Thereafter, the control unit 36 ​​advances the process to step ST4.

[0043] In step ST4, the control unit 36 ​​activates the tensioner 42 of the seat belt device 38 based on the prediction of a frontal collision of the automobile 1. As a result, the driver seated in the driver's seat device 4 is restrained by the driver's seat device 4 so as to be less likely to move forward from the seating position. The movement of the pelvis support cross member 26 in step ST3 and the pretensioning operation of the seat belt 6 in step ST4 may be performed simultaneously. However, as in this embodiment, it is preferable that the movement of the pelvis support cross member 26 occurs slightly before the pretensioning operation. This makes it possible to reliably restrain the driver's pelvis and upper body after the driver's upper body starts to fall into the seatback cross member 22 due to the movement of the pelvis support cross member 26.

[0044] In step ST5, the control unit 36 ​​judges whether or not a frontal collision of the automobile 1 has been detected. For example, the control unit 36 ​​may determine that a frontal collision of the automobile 1 has been detected when the detection value of the acceleration sensor 32 exceeds a threshold value for a frontal collision. If a frontal collision of the automobile 1 is detected, the control unit 36 ​​advances the process to step ST6. On the other hand, if a frontal collision of the automobile 1 has not been detected, the control unit 36 ​​repeats this process. The control unit 36 ​​may use the timer 33 to measure the time that has elapsed since the prediction of a frontal collision of the automobile 1, and may end this control if a predetermined period of time has elapsed until the predicted time of the frontal collision without detecting a frontal collision. At this time, the control unit 36 ​​may return the pelvis support cross member 26 that was activated in step ST3 to the rear position, and release the tensioner 42 that was activated in step ST4.

[0045] In step ST6, the control unit 36 ​​activates the inflator 41 of the airbag device 37. As a result, the airbag 10 is deployed in front of the driver seated in the driver's seat device 4, as shown in FIG.

[0046] Next, a specific example of the above-mentioned passenger protection control will be described in detail.

[0047] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the vehicle seat device 18 of FIG. 5 in a state before an occupant such as a driver sits in the vehicle seat device 18. In FIG. 10, in the vehicle seat apparatus 18 before an occupant sits down, the pelvis support cross member 26 is in a rear position, and the lumbar back panel 23 is in a lowered front position in the seat bag.

[0048] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which an occupant is seated in the vehicle seat device 18 of FIG. As shown in Fig. 11, when an occupant sits in the vehicle seat device 18, the lumbar back panel 23 is deformed by the weight of the occupant's upper body. The lumbar back panel 23 moves rearward by a depth according to the weight of the occupant and deforms to fit the shape of the occupant's back. The driver operates the brake pedal 8 by placing his / her foot on the brake pedal 8 .

[0049] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the behavior of a passenger when the automobile 1 undergoes a frontal collision with the pelvis support cross member 26 remaining in the rear position. As shown by the thick line in FIG. 12, the occupant applies force to the lower leg in order to operate the brake pedal 8 with the foot. If the automobile 1 crashes head-on while the lower legs are in such a tense state, the occupant's head may move forward relative to the occupant's upper body which is restrained by the seat belt 6. Therefore, the occupant's head behaves in such a way that it rotates significantly in a forward and downward direction due to the impact of the collision. Thereafter, the occupant's head, while tilted forward relative to the upper body, enters the deploying airbag 10. The head may enter the deploying airbag 10 before the upper body of the occupant. The occupant's head enters the airbag 10 while rotating significantly forward and downward, which may put strain on the occupant's neck.

[0050] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the behavior of a passenger when the automobile 1 undergoes a frontal collision after the pelvis support cross member 26 has been moved to a front position. In FIG. 13, the occupant exerts force on his / her lower leg in order to operate the brake pedal 8 with his / her foot.

[0051] And because the pelvis support cross member 26 has been moved to a forward position, the pelvis of the occupant rises forward and upward compared to FIG. 12. The upper body on the pelvis rising forward and upward falls deeply against the seat back 12. The occupant's body approaches a straight line indicated by a dashed line extending from the occupant's neck to the occupant's feet. The force acting on the occupant in a frontal collision is more likely to be transferred to the occupant's feet. This may result in a force for operating the brake pedal 8 deeply. In addition, an occupant who has fallen backward and whose upper body is supported by the seatback cross member 22 is likely to apply force to the area from the upper body to the lower legs, as shown by the thick line in Fig. 13. The upper body is more likely to be supported by the lower legs. It is expected that the upper body will be less likely to fall forward relative to the lower legs due to the impact force of the collision.

[0052] Also, the lumbar back panel 23 moves rearward and upward from the position where it was deformed by the load of the occupant. The lumbar back panel 23 is pulled rearward and upward by the wire member 27, so that it moves further rearward from the position where it was deformed by the load of the occupant. As a result, the occupant's upper body falls deeply rearward, and the occupant's back can be supported by the seatback cross member 22. When the occupant falls deeply against the seatback 12 so as to be supported by the seatback cross member 22, the occupant's head is pushed forward by the headrest 13 and falls. The occupant's head may be in a state where the chin is lowered and prepared in advance for the impact of the subsequent frontal collision. By being prepared in advance before the occurrence of the frontal collision, the occupant's head can be prevented from rotating forward and downward due to the impact input of the frontal collision.

[0053] Furthermore, if the automobile 1 subsequently crashes head-on, the upper body of the occupant, which has been deeply reclined against the seat back 12, will enter the deploying airbag 10, as in the case of FIG. However, because the occupant's head is prevented from rotating in a forward-downward direction due to the impact input of the frontal collision, the occupant's head, together with the upper body, is likely to enter the deploying airbag 10. The occupant's head, together with the upper body, is likely to enter the deploying airbag 10 without being significantly rotated in a forward-downward direction due to the impact of the frontal collision. Moreover, in the case of Fig. 13, the force acting on the occupant in the event of a frontal collision is more likely to be transferred to the occupant's feet. Therefore, the force that moves the occupant's upper body and head forward in Fig. 13 is expected to be smaller than that in Fig. 12. As a result, even if the occupant's head enters the airbag 10 before the upper body, the forward movement of the upper body can be reduced. The load of the occupant's upper body acting on the occupant's neck can be reduced compared to Fig. 12.

[0054] As described above, in this embodiment, the lower portion of the lumbar back panel 23 that supports the upper body of an occupant such as a driver from the back is pushed forward by the movable member. Therefore, for example, when the occupant operates the brake pedal 8 of the automobile 1 with his / her foot or presses his / her foot against the floor 5 of the automobile 1, the pelvis of the occupant sitting on the seat cushion 11 is pushed forward and upward while the occupant is still sitting on the seat cushion 11, and is raised or pushed up. Moreover, in this embodiment, the lumbar back plate 23 itself, which is in direct contact with the occupant's body, is not moved, but a movable member separate from the lumbar back plate 23 behind the lumbar back plate 23 is moved to push up the lumbar back plate 23 and the pelvis. Therefore, even when the occupant's lower limbs are in force and the occupant's weight is acting on the lumbar back plate 23 itself, the occupant's pelvis can be raised without putting a burden on the occupant's body. On the other hand, if the lumbar back panel 23 itself were to move in a forward and upward direction, for example, the skin of the occupant that is in contact with the lumbar back panel 23 would be pulled by a direct driving force, which could result in a secondary strain being exerted on the occupant's body. As the pelvis of the occupant seated on the seat cushion 11 rises, the upper body of the occupant above the pelvis tends to fall deeper into the seat back 12. As a result, the pelvis of the occupant rises while seated in the vehicle seat device 18, and the upper body, for example, from the shoulder blades to the feet, approaches a state in which the occupant is aligned along a straight line as if standing upright. As shown by the thick line in FIG. 13, the occupant tends to apply force from the upper body to the lower legs supported by the seat back cross member 22. The occupant tends to apply force to the upper body, for example, from the shoulder blades to the feet, and tends to be in a state of being stretched by the feet. The occupant can support the upper body with the feet as if standing upright on the ground. The occupant's upper body is less likely to move forward due to the impact of a frontal collision. Moreover, as the upper body of the occupant leans further against the seat back 12, the occupant's head may be pressed against the head restraint 13. The head of the occupant pressed against the head restraint 13 rotates forward and downward before the frontal collision and is in a state where the chin is tucked, so that the occupant is prepared in advance for the impact force of the frontal collision.

[0055] If the automobile 1 crashes head-on under these conditions, the impact force of the frontal collision acting on the occupant is likely to be transmitted from the upper body of the occupant through the lower limbs that are being held in place to the feet, thereby suppressing the force that moves the occupant's head, etc., forward. Furthermore, since the occupant's head is in a prepared position with his / her chin tucked in advance, the head can be prevented from rotating downward and forward due to the impact force during a subsequent frontal collision of the automobile 1. As a result, the occupant's head is prevented from rotating excessively in the forward-downward direction due to the impact force at the time of a frontal collision, and is less likely to enter the airbag 10 in a state where it is rotated at a large angle relative to the upper body. In contrast, if the occupant is not prepared in advance with his / her chin tucked, the impact force of the frontal collision of the automobile 1 may cause the occupant's head to instantly rotate greatly in the forward-downward direction. The lower limbs, which are tense, are unlikely to move forward together with the upper body and head. Therefore, the occupant's upper body and head are likely to rotate around the pelvis, which is relatively difficult to move forward. If the head enters the airbag 10 in an excessively rotated state, the occupant's head is likely to enter the airbag 10 deeper than the upper body. The occupant's neck may be subjected to a force caused by an instantaneous large rotation in the forward-downward direction due to the impact force, and a force caused by the head hitting the airbag 10 while rotating. In this embodiment, both of these forces can be effectively suppressed. As a result, in this embodiment, when the occupant's lower legs are tense and tense, the occupant's lower legs can be well protected by a mechanism and control that are different from those when the lower legs are not tense. As a result, this embodiment can improve occupant protection in the automobile 1.

[0056] In this embodiment, one end of the wire member 27 is connected to the upper part of the lumbar back plate 23, and the other end is connected to the movable member. A wire cross member around which the wire member 27 is folded back is provided below the seatback cross member 22. Furthermore, the lumbar back plate 23 is not directly driven by itself, but is moved by a pelvis support cross member 26, which is a movable member separate from the lumbar back plate 23 and is located behind the lumbar back plate 23. Therefore, when the movable member is moved to the front position, the lumbar back plate 23, which is flexibly provided inside the frame-shaped seatback frame 21, is pulled up and rearward toward the seatback cross member 22. The upper body of the occupant supported by the lumbar back plate 23 leans deeply rearward toward the seatback cross member 22, and is easily supported by the seatback cross member 22.

[0057] In this embodiment, when the control unit 36 ​​predicts a frontal collision of the automobile 1 based on the detection result of the external sensor, it operates the actuator 43 to move the movable member from the rear position to the front position before detecting the frontal collision of the automobile 1. As a result, the lower part of the lumbar back panel 23 is pushed forward by the movable member before the frontal collision is detected, and the pelvis of the occupant seated on the seat cushion 11 can be raised. An occupant with tense legs can prepare for the frontal collision before the frontal collision is detected.

[0058] In particular, when predicting a frontal collision of the automobile 1, the control unit 36 ​​judges whether or not the lower legs of the occupant seated in the vehicle seat device 18 are tense, based on the detection results of the in-vehicle sensor or the operation sensor. Then, only when the lower legs of the occupant are tense, the control unit 36 ​​actuates the actuator 43 to move the movable member from the rear position to the front position. As a result, when the occupant's lower limbs are not exerted with force, only the airbag 10 and the seat belt 6 are activated as usual, and the occupant can be protected in the same manner as with the dummy doll.

[0059] The above-described embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications and changes are possible without departing from the gist of the invention.

[0060] In the embodiment described above, the pelvis support cross member 26 is provided movably along the front-rear direction of the vehicle so as to push the lumbar back panel 23 forward. In addition to the above, for example, a cylinder member that is extendable along the front-rear direction of the vehicle may be provided as a movable member behind the lumbar back panel 23 and separately from the lumbar back panel 23. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1...automobile (vehicle), 2...vehicle body, 3...vehicle compartment, 4...driver's seat device (vehicle seat device), 5...floor, 6...seat belt, 7...steering wheel, 8...brake pedal, 9...dashboard, 10...airbag, 11...seat cushion, 12...seat back, 13...headrest, 14...toe board, 15...airbag, 18...vehicle seat device, 19...navigator seat device (vehicle seat device), 21...seat back frame, 22...seat back cross member, 23...lumbar Back panel, 24...lumbar support material, 25...long hole, 26...pelvis support cross member (movable mechanism), 27...wire member, 28...first wire cross member, 29...second wire cross member, 30...control system, 31...exterior camera, 32...acceleration sensor, 33...timer, 34...interior camera, 35...pedal sensor, 36...control unit, 37...airbag device, 38...seat belt device, 39...seat device, 40...vehicle network, 41...inflator, 42...tensioner, 43...actuator, 99...object

Claims

1. A vehicle having a function of protecting a vehicle occupant seated in a vehicle seat device, an airbag device capable of deploying an airbag in front of the vehicle seat device; The vehicle seat device includes: a seat cushion on which the lower legs of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat device are placed; a seat back against which an upper body of the occupant seated on the seat cushion rests; A headrest provided on an upper side of the seat back of the vehicle; A frame-shaped seat back frame that is aligned along the upper, lower, left, and right edges of the vehicle with respect to the seat back; A lumbar back panel is provided inside the frame-shaped seat back frame and is bent by the load of the occupant leaning against the seat back to support the upper body of the occupant from the back; A movable member is provided on the rear side of the lumbar back panel and is movable along the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The movable member is movable from a rear position to a front position of the vehicle behind the lumbar back plate, thereby pushing a lower portion of the lumbar back plate forward. A vehicle having an occupant protection function by a vehicle seat device.

2. a right vertical portion of the seat back frame and a left vertical portion of the seat back frame are provided at a lower portion of the right vertical portion and a lower portion of the left vertical portion of the seat back frame, the lower portion having a long hole extending along a front-rear direction of the vehicle; The movable member is a pelvis support cross member provided so as to span between the left long hole and the right long hole provided in the frame-shaped seat back frame, A vehicle having an occupant protection function provided by the vehicle seat device according to claim 1.

3. a seatback cross member that connects an upper portion of the frame-shaped seatback frame in the left-right direction of the vehicle; A wire member having one end connected to the upper portion of the lumbar back plate and the other end connected to the movable member; a wire cross member provided under the seat back cross member and around which the wire member is folded back; having A vehicle having an occupant protection function provided by the vehicle seat device according to claim 2.

4. an actuator that drives the movable member from the rear position to the front position; A control unit for controlling the operation of the actuator; an outside sensor for detecting an outside of the vehicle; an in-vehicle sensor that detects a state of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat device, or an operation sensor that detects an operation of a pedal operated by the foot of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat device; having The control unit is When a frontal collision of the vehicle is predicted based on the detection result of the external sensor, it is determined whether or not the lower limbs of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat device are in a tense state based on the detection result of the internal sensor or the operation sensor; when the lower limbs of the occupant are in a tense state, before a frontal collision of the vehicle is detected, the actuator is actuated to move the movable member from the rear position to the front position; A vehicle having an occupant protection function provided by the vehicle seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. a seat belt device for restraining an occupant seated in the vehicle seat device, The control unit is When a frontal collision of the vehicle is predicted, the actuator is operated and then the seat belt device is operated. A vehicle having an occupant protection function provided by the vehicle seat device according to claim 4.

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