Occupant protection device and vehicle

Abstract

To provide an occupant protection device capable of protecting an occupant's upper and lower limbs without an air bag device.SOLUTION: An occupant protection device 10 comprises: a steering wheel 5 having a steering part 5a, a core grid 5b and a pad 5c; a receiving part 20a of a receiving member 20 for receiving lower limbs MN of an occupant M; and a regulating projection 20d of the receiving member 20, that is engaged with the steering shaft 7 to regulate forward movement of the steering shaft 7 and is moved by the load applied to the receiving part 20a and disengaged from the steering shaft 7 to allow forward movement of the steering shaft 7. The steering shaft 7, the steering part 5a and the core grid 5b are configured to be movable forward relative to the pad 5c when load on a front side is applied to the steering part 5a in a state where regulation on the forward movement of the steering shaft 7 by the regulating projection 20d has been released.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an occupant protection device that protects an occupant seated in a driver's seat of a vehicle, and a vehicle equipped with the occupant protection device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as in the configuration of Patent Document 1, a configuration in which an airbag device is mounted on a steering wheel has been widely known as an occupant protection device for protecting an occupant seated in the driver's seat of a vehicle. Patent Document 1 also describes a configuration in which a receiving member for receiving the lower legs of the occupant in the event of a vehicle collision is provided in front of the driver's seat. In this manner, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, the upper legs of the occupant are protected by the airbag device, and the lower legs of the occupant are protected by the receiving member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-100499 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When mounting an airbag device on a vehicle, it is necessary to mount not only an airbag that receives and protects an occupant, but also various components such as an inflator that releases inflation gas to inflate the airbag, a control member that controls the operation of the inflator, etc. Therefore, when mounting an airbag on a vehicle to protect the upper limbs of an occupant as in the configuration of Patent Document 1, there is a risk that the configuration of the vehicle will become complicated and the cost will increase.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide an occupant protection device capable of protecting the upper and lower limbs of an occupant without using an airbag device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A typical configuration of the occupant protection device of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is an occupant protection device for protecting an occupant seated in the driver's seat of a vehicle, comprising a steering wheel including a steering shaft, a steering section which is gripped and steered by the occupant, a core bar which connects the steering section and the steering shaft, and a cover section which covers the rear of at least the portion of the core bar which is connected to the steering shaft, the cover section being held by a holding member separate from the steering section, the core bar, and the steering shaft, a receiving section which is disposed in front of the driver's seat and receives the lower legs of the occupant, and a movement control section which engages with the steering shaft to restrict forward movement of the steering shaft, moves due to a load input to the receiving section to release engagement with the steering shaft, allowing the steering shaft to move forward, and is characterized in that when a load is input forward to the steering section when the restriction on forward movement of the steering shaft by the movement control section is released, the steering shaft, the steering section, and the core bar are configured to be movable forward relative to the cover member.

[0007] According to the present invention, in an occupant protection device, it is possible to protect the upper and lower limbs of an occupant without using an airbag device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a vehicle equipped with an occupant protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the periphery of an instrument panel of a vehicle. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a steering shaft and its surroundings in a vehicle. [Diagram 5] 4A and 4B are a perspective view and a perspective sectional view of a receiving member; [Figure 6] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing a protective operation of the passenger protection device when the vehicle crashes. [Figure 7] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing a protective operation of the passenger protection device when the vehicle crashes. [Figure 8] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing a protective operation of the passenger protection device when the vehicle crashes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The configuration of an occupant protection device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the following description, the left-right direction means the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 1 equipped with the occupant protection device 10, specifically the left and right directions as seen from an occupant M seated in the driver's seat 2. The front-rear direction means the front and rear directions of the vehicle 1, specifically the front and rear directions as seen from an occupant M seated in the driver's seat 2. The up-down direction means the vertical direction. Note that unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components in the following description are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to only those.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a front view of a vehicle 1 equipped with an occupant protection device 10. Fig. 2 is a left side view of the vehicle 1. Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an instrument panel 4 (hereinafter referred to as "instrument panel 4") of the vehicle 1 and its surroundings. Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a steering shaft 7 and its surroundings in the vehicle 1. In Figs. 1 to 4, an occupant M seated in the driver's seat 2 is indicated by a two-dot chain line.

[0011] 1 to 4, an occupant protection device 10 is mounted on a vehicle 1, and the vehicle 1 of this embodiment is a one-seater vehicle provided with only a driver's seat 2. The vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle powered by electricity.

[0012] A seat belt 13 for restraining an occupant M is installed in the driver's seat 2. An instrument panel 4 is provided in front of the driver's seat 2 across the entire left-right area of ​​the vehicle 1. A windshield 3 is provided above the instrument panel 4. A steering shaft 7 and the like are provided inside the instrument panel 4.

[0013] A steering wheel 5 for the occupant M to steer the vehicle 1 is provided behind the instrument panel 4. The steering wheel 5 has a steering portion 5a that the occupant M grips when steering, and a metal core 5b that connects the steering portion 5a to a steering shaft 7. The steering wheel 5 also has a pad 5c disposed on the rear end side of the steering wheel 5, two pad holders 5d that hold the pad 5c, and a lower cover 5e disposed on the front end side of the steering wheel 5.

[0014] The core metal 5b has a steering core metal portion 5b1 located inside the steering part 5a, a shaft connecting part 5b2 located near the center of the steering wheel 5 and connected to the rear end of the steering shaft 7 by fastening a bolt 14, and a spoke core metal portion 5b3 connecting the steering core metal portion 5b1 and the shaft connecting part 5b2. The steering core metal portion 5b1, the shaft connecting part 5b2, and the spoke core metal portion 5b3 are integrally molded by die casting. The core metal 5b is a part that is likely to be loaded when the occupant M steers the steering wheel 5, so it is formed of a relatively thick metal to increase rigidity. The outer periphery of the steering core metal portion 5b1 is covered with urethane resin, which makes it easier for the occupant M to grip the steering part 5a. In addition, the shaft connecting part 5b2 has two through holes 5b2a that penetrate in the rotation axis direction Z of the steering shaft 7 to insert the two pad holders 5d. Further, the lower cover 5e is fixed to the shaft connecting portion 5b2 of the core metal 5b by a bolt 19.

[0015] In this embodiment, the pad 5c (cover portion) is made of a resin such as olefin-based elastomer (TPO). The pad 5c has an occupant facing portion 5c1 that covers the rear of the shaft connecting portion 5b2 of the core metal 5b and is arranged facing the occupant M, and a connecting portion 5c2 that extends forward from the occupant facing portion 5c1 and is connected to the pad holder 5d. In this embodiment, the pad 5c covers the entire shaft connecting portion 5b2 from the rear, but it is sufficient that the pad 5c covers at least the rear of the portion of the core metal 5b that is connected to the steering shaft 7. In addition, another member may be interposed between the portion of the core metal 5b that is connected to the steering shaft 7 and the pad 5c. The occupant facing portion 5c1 is arranged to be contained inside the steering portion 5a when viewed from the rotation axis direction Z of the steering shaft 7. In this embodiment, both the steering section 5a and the occupant facing portion 5c1 of the pad 5c are substantially circular, and the outer diameter of the occupant facing portion 5c1 is set to be less than the inner diameter of the steering section 5a. The outer diameter of the occupant facing portion 5c1 may be larger than the inner diameter of the steering section 5a. In other words, the occupant facing portion 5c1 being disposed inside the steering section 5a when viewed from the rotation axis direction Z of the steering shaft 7 means that the outer diameter of the occupant facing portion 5c1 is less than the outer diameter of the steering section 5a.

[0016] The pad holder 5d (holding member) is formed by bending a thin metal plate having a thickness of about 1 mm. The pad holder 5d extends along the rotation axis direction Z of the steering shaft 7 and has a central portion 5d1 (bent portion) inserted into the through hole 5b2a of the shaft connecting portion 5b2. The pad holder 5d also has a pad connecting portion 5d2 formed by bending the rear end side of the central portion 5d1 and connected to the connecting portion 5c2 of the pad 5c by a bolt 32, and a vehicle connecting portion 5d3 formed by bending the front end side of the central portion 5d1 and connected to the bearing 9 supporting the steering shaft 7 by a bolt 35.

[0017] The rear end side of the steering shaft 7 protrudes rearward from the instrument panel 4. Of this protruding portion, the portion where the steering wheel 5 is not present is covered by a column cover 11. The column cover 11 is held by being fitted into the instrument panel 4. Inside the column cover 11, a reinforcement 8 that enhances the rigidity of the front side of the vehicle 1 and a bearing 9 that supports the steering shaft 7 are provided. The reinforcement 8 and the bearing 9 are connected by a bracket 6 that is welded to both of them.

[0018] The steering shaft 7 is disposed so as to extend obliquely upward from the front to the rear. The front end of the steering shaft 7 is connected to the rear end of an intermediate shaft 16 via a universal joint 15. The front end of the intermediate shaft 16 is connected to a gear box 18 via a universal joint 17. The gear box 18 is connected to the body of the vehicle 1 via a bracket (not shown), and is also connected to tires 31 of the vehicle 1 via a ball joint (not shown). In this way, the steering wheel 5 is connected to the tires 31 via the steering shaft 7, etc., and the tires 31 are turned by the steering wheel 5 by the occupant M, thereby changing the traveling direction of the vehicle 1.

[0019] Further, a receiving member 20 is provided below the column cover 11 in front of the driver's seat 2 to receive and protect the lower legs MN, such as the knees and thighs, of the occupant M, which move forward due to the impact when the vehicle 1 collides. In this embodiment, the receiving member 20 is made of a resin such as polypropylene, and is housed in an opening 4a formed in the instrument panel 4. When the occupant M is seated in the driver's seat 2, the receiving member 20 is disposed in front of the lower legs MN of the occupant M.

[0020] Fig. 5A is a perspective view of the receiving member 20. Fig. 5B is a perspective cross-sectional view of the receiving member 20 cut along the line AA shown in Fig. 5A. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the receiving member 20 is disposed at a position facing the driver's seat 2 in the front-rear direction, and has a plate-shaped receiving portion 20a that receives the lower leg MN of the occupant M. The receiving portion 20a is disposed so as to substantially close the opening 4a when viewed from the rear, and is disposed so as to protrude slightly from the instrument panel 4 toward the driver's seat 2 when viewed from the left-right direction.

[0021] The receiving member 20 also has an insertion hole 20b through which the steering shaft 7 is inserted, and positioning grooves 20c formed on the left and right end faces of the receiving member 20. The grooves 20c have their upper walls 20c1 engaged with the protrusions 4b formed on the instrument panel 4 so as to be hooked from above. This determines the vertical and lateral positions of the receiving member 20 relative to the instrument panel 4. As will be described later, when the receiving member 20 receives the lower legs MN of the occupant M and moves upward, the grooves 20c move upward relative to the protrusions 4b of the instrument panel 4. In other words, the protrusions 4b of the instrument panel 4 move relatively from the position where they contact the upper wall 20c1 of the grooves 20c toward the lower wall 20c2. The width between the upper wall 20c1 and the lower wall 20c2 of the grooves 20c is set to a width dimension that does not hinder the vertical movement of the receiving member 20.

[0022] Further, a restricting protrusion 20d (movement control portion) protruding downward toward the steering shaft 7 is provided on the upper inner circumferential portion 20b1 of the insertion hole 20b. In a normal state in which no load is input from the lower limbs MN of the occupant M to the receiving portion 20a of the receiving member 20, the restricting protrusion 20d engages with a recess 7a formed in the steering shaft 7. The recess 7a is formed on the side surface of the steering shaft 7 and is a recessed portion such that the diameter of the steering shaft 7 is smaller than its circumference. As a result, the rear end face of the restricting protrusion 20d comes into contact with the inner wall of the recess 7a of the steering shaft 7, and the forward movement of the steering shaft 7 is restricted. In other words, the restricting protrusion 20d engages with the recess 7a of the steering shaft 7 to restrict the forward movement of the steering shaft 7.

[0023] Further, a spring seat 20f for holding one end 25a of a spring member 25 (biasing member) is provided on the upper surface of the receiving member 20. The other end 25b of the spring member 25 is held by a spring seat 4c of the instrument panel 4. The spring member 25 biases the receiving member 20 downward, and in this embodiment, a compression coil spring is used. The biasing force of the spring member 25 biases the restricting protrusion 20d toward the steering shaft 7, thereby making the engagement between the restricting protrusion 20d and the recess 7a of the steering shaft 7 strong. Note that, instead of a compression coil spring as in this embodiment, other types of springs or elastic bodies other than springs may be used as the biasing member.

[0024] The above-mentioned steering wheel 5, steering shaft 7, receiving member 20, and spring member 25 are members that constitute the passenger protection device 10. The protective operation of the passenger protection device 10 that is configured from these members will be described below with reference to Figures 6, 7, and 8. Figures 6 to 8 are schematic diagrams sequentially showing the protective operation of the passenger protection device 10 when the vehicle crashes.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 6, when the vehicle 1 collides, the impact causes the occupant M to move forward, and the lower legs MN of the occupant M are received by the receiving portion 20a of the receiving member 20 disposed in front of the driver's seat 2. This protects the lower legs MN of the occupant M, and a forward and upward load is input from the lower legs MN of the occupant M to the receiving member 20. Since the forward movement of the receiving member 20 is almost restricted by the contact between the front end surface 20g of the receiving member 20 and the instrument panel 4, the receiving member 20 moves upward as if being lifted by the lower legs MN of the occupant M by this input load. At this time, the receiving member 20 moves upward against the biasing force of the spring member 25, so that the force that the lower legs MN of the occupant M receive from the receiving member 20 is reduced by the spring member 25, and the lower legs MN of the occupant M are appropriately protected. In addition, as the receiving member 20 moves upward, the restricting protrusion 20d, which is a part of the receiving member 20, also moves upward against the biasing force of the spring member 25. This movement of the restricting protrusion 20d releases the engagement between the restricting protrusion 20d and the recess 7a of the steering shaft 7, allowing the steering shaft 7 to move forward. In other words, the restricting protrusion 20d engages with the recess 7a of the steering shaft 7 to restrict the forward movement of the steering shaft 7, and moves due to the load input to the receiving portion 20a to release the engagement with the recess 7a, allowing the steering shaft 7 to move forward. The relationship between the magnitude of the load input from the lower leg MN of the occupant M to the receiving member 20 and the amount of movement of the receiving member 20 can be adjusted by adjusting the biasing force of the spring member 25. In other words, the load for releasing the engagement between the restricting protrusion 20d and the recess 7a of the steering shaft 7 can be adjusted by adjusting the biasing force of the spring member 25.

[0026] Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the upper limbs MU of the occupant M, such as the abdomen, which moves forward due to the impact of the collision of the vehicle 1, collide with the steering part 5a of the steering wheel 5. As a result, a forward load is input from the upper limbs MU of the occupant M to the steering part 5a and the steering shaft 7 connected to the steering part 5a via the core metal 5b. Since the forward movement of the steering shaft 7 is permitted as described above, the steering shaft 7 and the steering part 5a, core metal 5b, and lower cover 5e of the steering wheel 5 connected thereto move forward due to this load. Specifically, these members rotate forward with the gear box 18 shown in FIG. 3 as the rotation center, and the rotation is restricted by the interference between the core metal 5b and the bearing 9, and the forward movement ends. At this time, the lower cover 5e is deformed by interference with the bearing 9. On the other hand, the pad 5c and pad holder 5d of the steering wheel 5 are not connected to the steering shaft 7 or the steering part 5a, so they do not move forward and remain in their current positions.

[0027] Next, as shown in Fig. 8, the upper limbs MU of the occupant M, such as the chest or face, collide with the pad 5c of the steering wheel 5. As a result, a forward load is input from the upper limbs MU of the occupant M to the pad 5c and the pad holder 5d that holds the pad 5c. This load causes the center portion 5d1 of the pad holder 5d to bend, and the pad 5c moves forward to receive the upper limbs MU of the occupant M. In this way, the upper limbs MU of the occupant M are protected by the pad 5c receiving the upper limbs MU of the occupant M. At this time, the center portion 5d1 of the pad holder 5d bends, thereby absorbing the impact when the upper limbs MU of the occupant M collide with the pad 5c, thereby reducing the impact that the upper limbs MU of the occupant M receive from the pad 5c.

[0028] As described above, when the occupant M moves forward due to the impact of the collision of the vehicle 1, the occupant protection device 10 protects the lower limbs MN of the occupant M by receiving the lower limbs MN of the occupant M with the receiving portion 20a of the receiving member 20. In addition, when a load is input forward to the steering portion 5a of the steering wheel 5 in a state where the forward movement restriction of the steering shaft 7 by the restricting protrusion 20d of the receiving member 20 is released, the steering shaft 7, the steering portion 5a, and the core metal 5b are configured to be able to move forward relative to the pad 5c. Therefore, the steering shaft 7, the steering portion 5a, and the core metal 5b, which are generally formed with high rigidity, can be moved away from the occupant M, and the upper limbs MU of the occupant M, which move forward due to the impact of the collision of the vehicle 1, can be received by the pad 5c. This suppresses the impact that the upper limbs MU of the occupant M receive from the steering wheel 5, and the upper limbs MU of the occupant M can be appropriately protected. In this way, the occupant protection device 10 of this embodiment can protect the upper limbs MU and lower limbs MN of the occupant M without using an airbag device.

[0029] In addition, the pad 5c is disposed inside the steering unit 5a when viewed from the rotation axis direction Z of the steering shaft 7. Therefore, the upper limbs MU of the occupant M, which move forward due to the impact of a collision of the vehicle 1, are more likely to come into contact with the steering unit 5a than with the pad 5c. Therefore, the steering shaft 7, the steering unit 5a, and the core metal 5b are more likely to move forward before the pad 5c. This makes it easier for the upper limbs MU of the occupant M to be received by the pad 5c.

[0030] In this embodiment, the pad holder 5d is formed from a relatively thin metal plate, and the impact when the upper limbs MU of the occupant M collide with the pad 5c is absorbed by bending the center portion 5d1 of the pad holder 5d. However, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, for example, the pad 5c may be formed from an elastic body having excellent impact absorption properties such as sponge or rubber, and the pad 5c is elastically deformed to absorb the impact when the upper limbs MU of the occupant M collide with the pad 5c, and the same effect can be obtained. In this case, the pad holder 5d may be bent or not. In other words, as long as the steering shaft 7, the steering unit 5a, and the core metal 5b, which have high rigidity, are configured to be movable forward relative to the pad 5c, the method of absorbing the impact when the pad 5c receives the upper limbs MU of the occupant M is not limited to the configuration of this embodiment. However, by absorbing the impact by bending the pad holder 5d instead of elastically deforming the pad 5c as in this embodiment, the pad 5c can be easily made smaller, and the degree of freedom in arranging the members around the pad 5c can be increased.

[0031] In the present embodiment, the receiving portion 20a and the restricting protrusion 20d are integrally molded as the receiving member 20, so that the restricting protrusion 20d moves integrally when a load is input to the receiving portion 20a. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In other words, as long as the restricting protrusion 20d moves integrally when a load is input to the receiving portion 20a, they may be formed as separate bodies and fixed to each other, or they may be connected via another member. However, by forming the receiving portion 20a and the restricting protrusion 20d into a single member as in the present embodiment, no assembly tolerance occurs and the positional accuracy can be improved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1...vehicle, 2...driver's seat, 5...steering wheel, 5a...steering section, 5b...core, 5c...pad (cover section), 5d...pad holder (holding member), 5d1...central section (bent section), 7...steering shaft, 9...bearing, 10...occupant protection device, 20...receiving member, 20a...receiving section, 20d...regulating protrusion (movement control section), 25...spring member (biasing member), M...occupant, MU...upper limb, MN...lower limb

Claims

1. An occupant protection device for protecting an occupant seated in a driver's seat of a vehicle, A steering shaft; a steering wheel including a steering section which is gripped and steered by the occupant, a core metal which connects the steering section and the steering shaft, and a cover section which covers at least a rear part of the core metal which is connected to the steering shaft, the cover section being held by a holding member which is separate from the steering section, the core metal, and the steering shaft; A receiving portion disposed in front of the driver's seat and configured to receive the lower legs of the occupant; a movement control section that engages with the steering shaft to restrict a forward movement of the steering shaft and that moves in response to a load input to the receiving section to release the engagement with the steering shaft and allow the forward movement of the steering shaft; Equipped with An occupant protection device characterized in that when a forward load is input to the steering section while the restriction on the forward movement of the steering shaft by the movement control unit is released, the steering shaft, the steering section, and the core bar are configured to be able to move forward relative to the cover member.

2. 2. The passenger protection device according to claim 1, wherein the cover portion is disposed inside the steering portion when viewed from the direction of the rotation axis of the steering shaft.

3. 2. The passenger protection device according to claim 1, wherein the retaining member retains the cover portion by being connected to a bearing that supports the steering shaft and to the cover portion.

4. a biasing member that biases the movement control unit toward the steering shaft, 2. The passenger protection device according to claim 1, wherein the movement control portion is disengaged from the steering shaft by being moved against the biasing force of the biasing member due to a load input to the receiving portion.

5. The passenger protection device according to claim 1, wherein the retaining member has a bent portion that bends when a load is input forward to the cover portion.

6. The driver's seat and An occupant protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, for protecting an occupant seated in the driver's seat; A vehicle comprising:

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