Pillarless car seat belt system and pillarless car

Abstract

The objective is to provide a seat belt system that can suppress the reduction in occupant restraint force by the seat belt during a frontal collision in a pillarless vehicle, and a pillarless vehicle equipped with such a system. [Solution] The seat belt device 30 for a pillarless vehicle 10 comprises a shoulder anchor 40 whose upper part is rotatably attached to a roof rail 20 and which has a buckle 44 at its lower part, a seat belt 32 which has a tongue 38 that is detachably attached to the buckle 44, and a rotation restricting member 46 which connects the roof rail 20 on the rearward side of the vehicle from the upper part of the shoulder anchor 40 to the shoulder anchor 40.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat belt device for a pillarless vehicle and a pillarless vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] In a center pillarless vehicle, the upper part of a shoulder anchor with a buckle provided at the lower part is rotatably attached to a roof rail, a retractor and a lap anchor are attached to a floor panel at a lower position on the door opening side, a separation tongue inserted into the seat belt is detachably attached to the buckle of the shoulder anchor, and a wearing tongue inserted into the seat belt is detachably attached to a buckle on the vehicle interior center side. Such a seat belt device has been conventionally known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Also, in a center pillarless vehicle, a seat belt structure in which a retractor and a lap anchor are provided on a floor panel at the lower part of a door, and a shoulder anchor that slidably supports a seat belt fed out from the retractor is provided on a roof rail at the upper part of the door has also been conventionally known (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, with the above configuration, there is a concern that in the event of a frontal collision in a center pillarless vehicle, the excessive rotation of the shoulder anchor toward the front of the vehicle may reduce the occupant restraint force provided by the seat belt. Thus, there is still room for improvement in structures that suppress the reduction in occupant restraint force provided by the seat belt in the event of a frontal collision in a center pillarless vehicle.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a seat belt device that can suppress the reduction in occupant restraint force by the seat belt during a frontal collision in a pillarless vehicle, and a pillarless vehicle equipped with the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, a seat belt device for a pillarless vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a shoulder anchor having a rotatable upper part attached to a roof rail and a buckle at its lower part, a seat belt having a tongue that is detachably attached to the buckle, and a rotation restricting member that connects the shoulder anchor to the roof rail on the vehicle rearward side of the upper part of the shoulder anchor.

[0008] According to the first embodiment of the invention, the upper part of a shoulder anchor having a buckle at its lower end is rotatably attached to the roof rail, and the seat belt has a tongue that is detachably attached to the buckle. The roof rail on the rear side of the vehicle from the upper part of the shoulder anchor and the shoulder anchor are connected by a rotation restricting member. Therefore, in the event of a frontal collision in a pillarless vehicle, the rotation of the shoulder anchor is restricted by the rotation restricting member. In other words, the movement of the seat belt toward the front of the vehicle is restricted by the rotation restricting member. This suppresses a reduction in the occupant restraint force provided by the seat belt.

[0009] Furthermore, a second embodiment of the pillarless vehicle seat belt device according to the present invention is a seat belt device for a pillarless vehicle according to the first embodiment, wherein the shoulder anchor is configured to move from a retracted state along the roof rail to a usable state rotated downward toward the vehicle in conjunction with the closing of the side door or the occupant being seated, and to move from the usable state to the retracted state in conjunction with the detachment of the tongue from the buckle.

[0010] According to the second embodiment of the invention, the shoulder anchor transitions from a retracted state along the roof rail to a usable state rotated downwards towards the vehicle in conjunction with the closing of the side door or the occupant being seated. Then, in conjunction with the release of the tongue from the buckle, the shoulder anchor transitions from the usable state to the retracted state. Therefore, the appearance of the passenger compartment and ease of entry and exit to and from pillarless vehicles (vehicle seats) are ensured, while making it easy to attach and detach the tongue of the shoulder anchor from the buckle.

[0011] Furthermore, a third embodiment of the pillarless vehicle seat belt device according to the present invention is a seat belt device for a pillarless vehicle according to the first or second embodiment, wherein the shoulder anchor is configured to transition from a stored state along the roof rail to a usable state rotated downward toward the vehicle, and the rotation angle downward toward the vehicle is adjusted according to the front-to-back position of the seat cushion of the vehicle seat and the backward tilt angle of the seat back.

[0012] According to the third embodiment of the invention, the shoulder anchor is configured to transition from a stored state along the roof rail to a usable state rotated toward the lower side of the vehicle. The rotation angle toward the lower side of the vehicle of the shoulder anchor is adjusted according to the fore-aft position of the seat cushion and the backward tilt angle of the seat back of the vehicle seat. Therefore, occupant restraint performance suitable for the fore-aft position of the seat cushion and the backward tilt angle of the seat back of the vehicle seat is ensured.

[0013] Furthermore, the fourth embodiment of the pillarless vehicle seat belt device according to the present invention is a pillarless vehicle seat belt device according to any one of the first to third embodiments, wherein the shoulder anchor is configured to be changeable in length.

[0014] According to the fourth embodiment of the invention, the length of the shoulder anchor is adjustable. Therefore, compared to the case where the length of the shoulder anchor is not adjustable (i.e., the length of the shoulder anchor cannot be increased), not only is occupant restraint performance suitable for the seatback's reclining angle ensured, but occupant restraint performance suitable for smaller occupants is also ensured.

[0015] Furthermore, a pillarless vehicle according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention is equipped with a seat belt device of a pillarless vehicle according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments, wherein when the vehicle is shifted to the D range without the tongue being attached to the buckle, or when the vehicle speed exceeds a predetermined speed, one of the following is performed: a warning sound is generated, the maximum speed is limited, or the acceleration is limited, or the vehicle is configured to be unable to shift to the D range without the tongue being attached to the buckle.

[0016] According to the fifth embodiment of the invention, when the vehicle is shifted to the D range without the tongue attached to the buckle, or when the vehicle speed exceeds a predetermined speed, either a warning sound is emitted, the maximum speed is limited, or the acceleration is limited, or it is impossible to shift to the D range without the tongue attached to the buckle. Therefore, it is possible to encourage occupants seated in the vehicle seat to fasten their seat belts. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] As described above, the present invention makes it possible to suppress the reduction in occupant restraint force by seat belts during a frontal collision in a pillarless vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is a schematic side view illustrating the seat belt device and pillarless vehicle according to this embodiment. [Figure 2]It is a schematic side view showing an enlarged view of a shoulder anchor of a seat belt device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a schematic side view showing an enlarged view of a state of a shoulder anchor according to this embodiment before a frontal collision. [Figure 4] It is a schematic side view showing an enlarged view of a state of a shoulder anchor according to this embodiment during a frontal collision. [Figure 5] It is a schematic side view showing an enlarged view of a modified example of a shoulder anchor according to this embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. For convenience of explanation, in each figure, the arrow UP shown as appropriate is the upward direction of the vehicle, and the arrow FR is the forward direction of the vehicle. Also, in the following description, when the directions of up and down, front and back, and left and right are described without special mention, they indicate up and down, front and back, and left and right in a pillarless vehicle. Also, the left and right directions are synonymous with the vehicle width direction and the seat width direction.

[0020] Also, the vehicle according to this embodiment is a pillarless vehicle (center pillarless vehicle) 10 in which at least one of the center pillars (B pillars) on either the left or right side is abolished. However, in each figure, for easy understanding of the positions of the vehicle seat 12 and the seat belt device 30 (shoulder anchor 40 described later) according to this embodiment, the center pillar CP is intentionally shown by a virtual line.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle seat 12 is provided on the floor 22 of the pillarless vehicle 10. The vehicle seat 12 includes a seat cushion 14, a seat back 16 provided rotatably (reclining and tilting forward) with the seat width direction as the axial direction at the rear end of the seat cushion 14, and a headrest 18 provided vertically movably at the center in the seat width direction at the upper end of the seat back 16.

[0022] The vehicle seat 12 is supported so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction by a slide rail (not shown) or the like provided on the floor 22, and the position of the seat cushion 14 is detected by a position detection device 24 such as a position sensor. In addition, the vehicle seat 12 is provided with an angle detection device 26 such as an angle sensor so as to detect the backward tilt angle of the seat back 16.

[0023] Furthermore, the vehicle seat 12 is equipped with a seating detection device 25 that detects when an occupant (not shown) is seated on the seat cushion 14, and the pillarless vehicle 10 is equipped with a closing detection device 27 that detects when a side door (not shown) is closed. The pillarless vehicle 10 is also equipped with a control device 28, and the position detection device 24, seating detection device 25, angle detection device 26, and closing detection device 27 are each electrically connected to the control device 28.

[0024] Furthermore, a retractor 34 is provided on the floor 22 on the side door side (outside in the vehicle width direction), which biases and houses the seat belt 32 in the winding direction. A lap outer anchor 36 is provided on the side of the vehicle seat 12 on the outside in the vehicle width direction, through which the seat belt 32 extended from the retractor 34 is inserted. Additionally, the seat belt 32 extended from the retractor 34 is provided with a movable shoulder tongue 38 and a lap tongue 37.

[0025] In other words, one end of the seat belt 32 is attached to the winding shaft (not shown) of the retractor 34, and that end is biased in the winding direction and wound up. The other end of the seat belt 32, which has been unwound from the retractor 34, is then inserted sequentially through the insertion hole 38A of the shoulder tongue 38 (see Figures 3 to 5) and the insertion hole (not shown) of the wrap tongue 37, and further inserted through the insertion hole (not shown) of the wrap outer anchor 36, folded back, and fixed in a predetermined position inside the retractor 34.

[0026] As a result, the seat belt 32 that is stretched between the retractor 34 and the lap outer anchor 36, specifically the portion of the seat belt 32 that is inserted through the insertion hole 38A of the shoulder tongue 38 and the insertion hole of the lap tongue 37, can be manually extended from the retractor 34 against the biasing force by an occupant seated in the vehicle seat 12. A lap buckle (not shown) is provided on the floor 22, located on the inner side of the vehicle seat 12 in the vehicle width direction or below it, to which the lap tongue 37 can be attached and detached.

[0027] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the roof rails 20 of the pillarless vehicle 10 are provided with shoulder anchors 40. The shoulder anchors 40 are formed in the shape of an elongated plate of a predetermined thickness, and their upper part (one end in the longitudinal direction) is rotatably attached to a predetermined position on the roof rail 20.

[0028] Specifically, a cylindrical pivot shaft 42 with its axis oriented in the vehicle width direction is fixed to the upper part of the shoulder anchor 40, and an electric motor (not shown) and a gear mechanism (not shown) for rotating the pivot shaft 42 are installed inside the roof rail 20. Therefore, the shoulder anchor 40 can be rotated from a stowed state along the roof rail 20 (see Figure 2) to a usable state rotated downward (see Figure 3), and from the usable state rotated downward to a stowed state along the roof rail 20, by the rotational driving force of the electric motor in the forward and reverse directions.

[0029] This electric motor is electrically connected to the control device 28. In other words, the shoulder anchor 40 is configured to transition from a stowed position along the roof rail 20 to a usable position rotated downwards by the control device 28 when the electric motor is driven to rotate in the forward direction in conjunction with the detection of the side door closing by the closing detection device 27 or the seating detection device 25.

[0030] Furthermore, at this time, the amount of rotational drive of the electric motor is adjusted by the control device 28 according to the front-to-back position of the seat cushion 14 of the vehicle seat 12 and the rearward tilt angle of the seat back 16 (based on the detection results of the position detection device 24 and the angle detection device 26). In other words, the downward rotation angle of the shoulder anchor 40 (the front-to-back position of the shoulder buckle 44, which will be described later) is adjusted.

[0031] Furthermore, a shoulder-side buckle 44 is provided at the lower part (the other end in the longitudinal direction) of the shoulder anchor 40. The shoulder-side tongue 38 is detachably attached to this shoulder-side buckle 44. The attachment and detachment of the shoulder-side tongue 38 to the shoulder-side buckle 44 is detected by an attachment / detachment detection device (not shown), and this attachment / detachment detection device is also electrically connected to the control device 28.

[0032] In other words, the shoulder anchor 40 is configured to transition from a downward-rotated, in-use state to a retracted state along the roof rail 20 when the attachment / detachment detection device detects the detachment of the shoulder tongue 38 from the shoulder buckle 44, and the control device 28 controls the electric motor to rotate in the reverse direction.

[0033] Furthermore, a wire member (rotation strength-maintaining wire) 46, which acts as a rotation restricting member, connects a predetermined position on the roof rail 20 rearward of the upper part (rotation axis 42) of the shoulder anchor 40 to the longitudinal middle part 40A of the shoulder anchor 40 (the part close to the shoulder-side buckle 44).

[0034] To explain in more detail, a small retractor 48 having the same function as the retractor 34 (a function to lock sudden extension) is installed in a predetermined position on the roof rail 20, and one end of the wire member 46 is attached to the winding shaft (not shown) of the retractor 48, and the end of the wire member is biased in the winding direction and wound up.

[0035] The other end of the wire member 46 is attached to the midpoint 40A in the longitudinal direction of the shoulder anchor 40. This configuration restricts excessive forward rotation of the shoulder anchor 40 (shoulder-side buckle 44) during a frontal collision of the pillarless vehicle 10.

[0036] As described above, the seat belt device 30 according to this embodiment is composed of a seat belt 32, a retractor 34, a lap outer anchor 36, a lap tongue 37, a shoulder tongue 38, a lap buckle, a shoulder anchor 40 (with a pivot shaft 42 and a shoulder buckle 44), an electric motor, a gear mechanism, a wire member 46, a retractor 48, and the like.

[0037] Furthermore, the pillarless vehicle 10 according to this embodiment is equipped with a warning sound generating device (not shown) that emits a warning sound to the occupants, and this warning sound generating device is also electrically connected to the control device 28. When the pillarless vehicle 10 is shifted to D range or exceeds a predetermined vehicle speed while the attachment / detachment detection device detects that the shoulder tongue 38 is not attached to the shoulder buckle 44, the control device 28 is configured to execute one of the following actions: generate a warning sound, limit the maximum speed, or limit the acceleration.

[0038] It should be noted that the pillarless vehicle 10 according to this embodiment is not limited to the above configuration, and may be configured such that, when the attachment / detachment detection device detects that the shoulder tongue 38 is not attached to the shoulder buckle 44, the control device 28 prevents the vehicle from shifting to the D range.

[0039] The operation of the seat belt device 30 and pillarless vehicle 10 according to this embodiment, which are configured as described above, will now be explained.

[0040] As described above, the upper part (rotating shaft 42) of the shoulder anchor 40, which has a shoulder-side buckle 44 at its lower end, is rotatably attached to the roof rail 20, and the seat belt 32 has a shoulder-side tongue 38 that is detachably attached to the shoulder-side buckle 44. The roof rail 20 located behind the upper part (rotating shaft 42) of the shoulder anchor 40 and the longitudinal middle portion 40A of the shoulder anchor 40 are connected by a wire member 46.

[0041] Therefore, as shown in Figure 4, in the event of a frontal collision in the pillarless vehicle 10, excessive forward rotation of the shoulder anchor 40 (shoulder-side buckle 44) is restricted by the wire member 46. In other words, the forward movement of the seat belt 32 is restricted by the wire member 46. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in the occupant restraint force provided by the seat belt 32.

[0042] Furthermore, the shoulder anchor 40 moves from a retracted state along the roof rail 20 to a usable state by rotating downwards in conjunction with the closing of the side door or the occupant taking a seat. Then, the shoulder anchor 40 moves from the usable state to the retracted state in conjunction with the detachment of the shoulder tongue 38 from the shoulder buckle 44. Therefore, the shoulder tongue 38 of the shoulder anchor 40 can be easily attached to and detached from the shoulder buckle 44 while ensuring the appearance of the passenger compartment and ease of entry and exit to the pillarless vehicle 10 (vehicle seat 12).

[0043] Furthermore, when the shoulder anchor 40 transitions from a stored position along the roof rail 20 to a usable position rotated downward, the downward rotation angle (the forward / backward position of the shoulder buckle 44) is adjusted according to the forward / backward position of the seat cushion 14 of the vehicle seat 12 and the backward tilt angle of the seat back 16. Therefore, it is possible to ensure occupant restraint performance appropriate to the forward / backward position of the seat cushion 14 of the vehicle seat 12 and the backward tilt angle of the seat back 16.

[0044] Furthermore, in this pillarless vehicle 10, when the vehicle is shifted to D range or exceeds a predetermined vehicle speed while the shoulder tongue 38 is not attached to the shoulder buckle 44, one of the following will be triggered: a warning sound will be emitted, the maximum speed will be limited, or the acceleration will be limited. Alternatively, the vehicle will be unable to shift to D range while the shoulder tongue 38 is not attached to the shoulder buckle 44. Therefore, the vehicle can encourage occupants seated in the vehicle seat 12 to fasten their seat belts 32.

[0045] In particular, in such a pillarless vehicle 10, it may be difficult to attach the shoulder tongue 38 to the shoulder buckle 44 after the vehicle has started moving, so the above configuration is effective. Furthermore, a locking mechanism may be provided on the shoulder buckle 44, etc., to prevent the shoulder tongue 38 from detaching from the shoulder buckle 44 while the pillarless vehicle 10 is in motion.

[0046] <Variation> Finally, a modified version of the shoulder anchor 40 will be described. As shown in Figure 5, the shoulder anchor 40 may be configured to have a changeable length. That is, a holder 50 and a protruding member 52 whose protrusion amount from the holder 50 can be adjusted may be provided at the bottom of the shoulder anchor 40, and a shoulder-side buckle 44 may be provided at the tip of the protruding member 52 on the side facing the protrusion.

[0047] With this configuration, compared to the case where the length of the shoulder anchor 40 is not configured to be adjustable (i.e., the length of the shoulder anchor 40 cannot be increased), it becomes possible to ensure not only occupant restraint performance suitable for the reclining angle of the seat back 16, but also occupant restraint performance suitable for smaller occupants.

[0048] In this context, "small occupant" refers to an occupant equivalent to, for example, AF05 (the 5th percentile of an adult American woman) of a human dummy used for frontal crash tests. In this case as well, the other end of the wire member 46 can be attached to the middle portion 40A of the shoulder anchor 40 in the longitudinal direction (the part close to the holder 50).

[0049] The seat belt device 30 and pillarless vehicle 10 according to this embodiment have been described above based on the drawings. However, the seat belt device 30 and pillarless vehicle 10 according to this embodiment are not limited to those shown, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0050] For example, the rotation restricting member is not limited to a string-like member represented by the wire member 46, but may be a strip-like member having a predetermined width. Also, the shoulder anchor 40 may be configured to be manually rotated from the stored state to the used state, and from the used state to the stored state. Furthermore, the retractor 34 may be provided on the vehicle seat 12 instead of on the floor 22, and the wrap-out anchor 36 may be provided on the floor 22 instead of on the vehicle seat 12.

[0051] Furthermore, the seat belt device 30 according to this embodiment is not only effectively applicable to a normal forward-facing vehicle seat 12, but is also effectively applicable to a front seat swivel seat (not shown) that can face the rear seat, which is installed in autonomous vehicles and the like. In addition, the seat belt device 30 according to this embodiment is also effectively applicable to a rear seat (not shown) in a sliding door vehicle in which the center pillar CP has been eliminated. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0052] 10 Pillarless cars 12 Vehicle seats 14 Seat Cushions 16 Seatback 20 Roof rails 30. Seat belt system 32 seat belts 38 Shoulder side tongue (tongue) 40 Shoulder Anchor 44. Shoulder buckle (buckle) 46 Wire component (rotation restricting component)

Claims

1. A shoulder anchor that is rotatably mounted to the roof rail at the top and has a buckle at the bottom, A seat belt having a tongue that is detachable from the buckle, A rotation restricting member connects the shoulder anchor to the roof rail located further rear of the vehicle than the upper part of the shoulder anchor, A seatbelt system for pillarless cars equipped with [a specific feature / feature].

2. The seat belt device for a pillarless vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder anchor is configured to move from a retracted state along the roof rail to a usable state rotated downward toward the vehicle in conjunction with the closing of the side door or the occupant taking a seat, and to move from the usable state to the retracted state in conjunction with the tongue detaching from the buckle.

3. The seat belt device for a pillarless vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder anchor is configured to transition from a stored state along the roof rail to a usable state rotated downward toward the vehicle, and the angle of rotation downward toward the vehicle is adjusted according to the front-to-back position of the seat cushion of the vehicle seat and the backward tilt angle of the seat back.

4. The seat belt device for a pillarless vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder anchor is configured to be able to change its length.

5. A seat belt device for a pillarless vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A pillarless vehicle in which, when the vehicle is shifted to the D range without the tongue being attached to the buckle, or when the vehicle speed exceeds a predetermined speed, one of the following is performed: a warning sound is emitted, the maximum speed is limited, or the acceleration is limited, or the vehicle is configured in such a way that it is not possible to shift to the D range without the tongue being attached to the buckle.

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