Conflict Victim Protection Device

Abstract

To provide a collided person protection device capable of mitigating impacts at the joint of a collided person at the time of collision.SOLUTION: This collided person protection device comprises: collision determination units 10 and 20 that determine the possibility of collision with a collided person P of a vehicle 1; and a collided person restraining unit 300 that, when the collision determination units determine that the possibility of collision with the collided person is equal to or higher than expected, develops a collided person restraining member 310 net-shaped, sheet-like and flexible in a planar shape in which an upper end is disposed at a position higher than the front end of a front hood 210 oppositely to the collided person on a side closer to the front than the front end 240 of a vehicle body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a collision victim protection device provided in a vehicle such as an automobile to protect collision victims such as pedestrians.

Background Art

[0002] In a vehicle such as an automobile, it is desired to mitigate the impact applied to a collision victim such as a pedestrian or a cyclist at the time of a collision. As a technique related to the protection of pedestrians at the time of a collision, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a device (pop-up hood) that lifts the hood by a predetermined amount based on the output from a pedestrian collision sensor in order to secure the deformation stroke of the hood when the pedestrian's head collides with the surface of the hood. Patent Document 2 describes an airbag device that unfolds a plurality of bag bodies that stand up in a mountain shape and have an outer shape that is substantially triangular from the front end of the hood to the top of the hood in order to absorb the impact when the protected person collides and to prevent the protected person who has climbed onto the hood from sliding forward.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By using the above-described pop-up hood or the airbag device for protecting pedestrians or the like, it is possible to mitigate the impact when a pedestrian or the like collides with the vehicle body structure. However, the height of the front end of the front hood of a general passenger car is usually at the position from the waist to the vicinity of the legs of an adult. When a pedestrian's body is bent and falls onto the front hood during a collision, local impacts may be applied to the joints such as the waist, hip joints, and knee joints. In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a protection device for a collision victim that mitigates the impact on the joints of the collision victim during a collision.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the device for protecting a collision victim according to the present invention is a device for protecting a collision victim of a vehicle, comprising a collision determination unit that determines the possibility of a collision with the collision victim, and when the collision determination unit determines that the possibility of a collision with the collision victim is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, a collision victim restraint member that is net-shaped or sheet-shaped and has flexibility is deployed in a planar shape on the front side of the front end of the vehicle body and facing the collision victim, and the upper end of the collision victim restraint member is disposed at a position higher than the front end of the front hood. The collision victim restraint unit is provided with a support member to which the end of the collision victim restraint member is connected, and which is housed inside the exterior member of the vehicle body before the deployment of the collision victim restraint member, and is displaced so as to protrude outward from the exterior member when the collision victim restraint member is deployed. It has a hood lifting device that raises at least a part of the front hood by an actuator, and the support member performs the displacement by the actuator. characterized in that . According to this, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated actuator for deploying the collision victim restraint member, and the configuration of the device can be simplified.

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the device for protecting a collision victim according to the present invention is a device for protecting a collision victim of a vehicle, comprising a collision determination unit that determines the possibility of a collision with the collision victim, and when the collision determination unit determines that the possibility of a collision with the collision victim is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, a collision victim restraint member that is net-shaped or sheet-shaped and has flexibility is deployed in a planar shape on the front side of the front end of the vehicle body and facing the collision victim, and the upper end of the collision victim restraint member is disposed at a position higher than the front end of the front hood. The collision victim restraint part has a collision victim restraint member invalidation part that cuts and invalidates at least a part of the collision victim restraint member after the collision victim collides with the collision victim restraint member and a predetermined amount of energy absorption is performed. characterized in that . According to this, after energy absorption is performed by the collision victim restraint member, by cutting and invalidating a part of the collision victim restraint member, the collision victim can be made to fall onto the front hood, and the remaining energy can be absorbed by the deformation of the front hood. In order to solve the above problems, the device for protecting a collision victim according to the present invention is a device for protecting a collision victim of a vehicle, comprising a collision determination unit that determines the possibility of a collision with the collision victim, and when the collision determination unit determines that the possibility of a collision with the collision victim is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, a collision victim restraint member that is net-shaped or sheet-shaped and has flexibility is deployed in a planar shape on the front side of the front end of the vehicle body and facing the collision victim, and the upper end of the collision victim restraint member is disposed at a position higher than the front end of the front hood. The collision victim restraint unit is provided with a support member to which the end of the collision victim restraint member is connected, and which is housed inside the exterior member of the vehicle body before the deployment of the collision victim restraint member, and is displaced so as to protrude outward from the exterior member when the collision victim restraint member is deployed. The vehicle body has a front upper frame disposed adjacent to both ends of the front hood and extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and at least a part of the support member is housed inside the front upper frame before the deployment of the collision victim restraint member. The collision victim restraint part has a carriage that is movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the front upper frame along a rail provided on the front upper frame. characterized in that .

Effects of the Invention

[0010] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a protection device for a collision victim that mitigates the impact on the joints of the collision victim during a collision.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle occupant protection device to which the present invention is applied will be described. The vehicle occupant protection device of the embodiment is provided, for example, in a so-called two-box or three-box type passenger vehicle having an engine compartment (power unit housing portion) protruding forward of the passenger compartment. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the system configuration of the vehicle occupant protection device of the embodiment. The vehicle occupant protection device includes a control unit 10, an environment recognition unit 20, a vehicle speed sensor 30, a hood pop-up actuator 40, a net cutting device 50, and the like.

[0013] The control unit 10 gives commands to the hood pop-up actuator 40 and the net disconnecting device 50 based on the information provided by the environment recognition unit 20 and the vehicle speed sensor 30. The environment recognition unit 20 recognizes the environment around the host vehicle based on the outputs of various sensors. The control unit 10 and the environment recognition unit 20 can be configured as a microcomputer having an information processing unit such as a CPU, a storage unit such as a RAM and a ROM, an input / output interface, and a bus connecting these.

[0014] Connected to the environment recognition unit 20 are a stereo camera device 21, a millimeter-wave radar device 22, a laser scanner device 23, etc. The stereo camera device 21 has a pair of cameras arranged at a predetermined interval (baseline length), and recognizes subjects such as pedestrians and bicycle riders, and also has a function of detecting the relative position of the subject with respect to the host vehicle by known stereo image processing. The millimeter-wave radar device 22 is a radar device using radio waves in a frequency band of, for example, 30 to 300 GHz, and has a function of detecting the presence or absence of an object and the relative position of the object with respect to the host vehicle. The laser scanner device (LIDAR) 23 irradiates, for example, near-infrared laser light in a pulsed manner to scan the periphery of the host vehicle, and has a function of detecting the presence or absence of an object and the relative position of the object with respect to the host vehicle based on the presence or absence of reflected light and the time difference until the reflected light returns. The control unit 10 and the environment recognition unit 20 function together as the collision determination unit of the present invention.

[0015] The vehicle speed sensor 30 detects the traveling speed of the host vehicle. The vehicle speed sensor 30 is provided, for example, at a hub portion that rotatably supports a wheel, and outputs a vehicle speed signal having a frequency proportional to the rotational speed of the wheel. The control unit 10 can calculate the vehicle speed based on the vehicle speed signal transmitted from the vehicle speed sensor 30.

[0016] The hood pop-up actuator 40 is a power source that drives a hood pop-up mechanism (hood lifting device) that raises the rear end of the front hood 210, which will be described later, by a predetermined amount and holds it in the raised state prior to a collision with a person to be collided with, such as a pedestrian or a cyclist. The hood pop-up actuator 40 has, for example, a chemical (gunpowder) gas generator, and raises the front hood 210 using the pressure of the gas generated by the gas generator. Also, a part of the gas generated by the gas generator is also used to drive the carriage 330 of the person to be collided with restraint unit 300, which will be described later.

[0017] The net cutting device 50 is a person to be collided with restraint member invalidating unit that cuts a part of the net 310 so as to invalidate the restraint of the person to be collided with P by at least a part of the net 310, which will be described later.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the front part of the vehicle body of the vehicle equipped with the person to be collided with protection device according to the embodiment, and shows the state before the collision. The vehicle 1 has a passenger compartment 100 and an engine compartment 200. The passenger compartment (cabin) 100 is a part having a space for accommodating passengers and the like, and is provided at the center of the vehicle body. The passenger compartment 100 has a windshield 110, an A pillar 120, a roof 130, a front side door 140, and the like.

[0019] The windshield 110 is provided above the front end of the passenger compartment 100. The A pillar 120 is arranged along the side end of the windshield 110 and is a columnar structural member having a closed cross section. The roof 130 forms the ceiling of the passenger compartment 100 and is arranged to extend from the upper end of the windshield 110 to the rear side of the vehicle. The front side door 140 is provided on the front side of the side surface of the passenger compartment 100 and is an opening and closing door body used for the front seat passenger to get on and off.

[0020] The engine compartment 200 is a part having a space for accommodating various components constituting a so-called power unit such as an engine, or in the case of an electric vehicle, an inverter, a motor, etc. The engine compartment 200 is provided so as to protrude forward from the lower part of the front end of the passenger compartment 100 (the area below the windshield 100). Around the engine compartment 200, a front hood 210, front fenders 220, wheel houses 230, bumper faces 240, front combination lamps 250, front grilles 260, etc. are provided.

[0021] The front hood 210 is an exterior member provided on the upper part of the engine compartment 200. The front hood 210 is configured as a lid body capable of opening and closing the upper opening of the engine compartment 200. The front hood 210 has, for example, an alligator type configuration in which the front end rises in a direction around the axis of a hinge provided near the rear end during normal times. Also, the front hood 210 becomes a pop-up hood in which the rear end is raised by a predetermined amount by a hood pop-up actuator 40 in response to a precursor of a pedestrian collision (establishment of pre-crash determination). At this time, the hood 210 rotates (swings) around a predetermined axis provided near the front end.

[0022] The front fenders 220 are exterior members provided on the side surfaces of the engine compartment 200. The upper ends of the front fenders 220 are arranged adjacent to the side ends of the front hood 210. Near the inner side of the upper end of the front fender 220, a front upper frame F (see FIG. 2), which is a part of the vehicle body structure member, is provided. The front upper frame F is formed to protrude forward in a beam shape substantially along the side end of the front hood 210 from near the A pillar 120. Near the base of the front upper frame F (near the end on the passenger compartment 100 side), a strut housing that supports the strut upper mount of a front suspension (not shown) is coupled. At the front end of the front upper frame F, a front end module including a radiator core, a front combination lamp, etc. is coupled.

[0023] The wheelhouse 230 is a space for accommodating the front wheel FW. The wheelhouse 230 is provided at the side of the engine compartment 200. The wheelhouse 230 opens at the center of the front fender 220.

[0024] The bumper face 240 is an exterior member provided at the front end of the vehicle body. The bumper face 240 is formed of a resin-based material such as polypropylene. The side end of the bumper face 240 projects toward the side surface of the engine compartment 200, and the rear end forms the front edge of the opening of the wheelhouse 230. The upper part at the side end of the bumper face 240 is arranged adjacent to the edge of the front fender 220. The upper end of the bumper face 240 is arranged adjacent to the front end of the front hood 210.

[0025] The front combination lamp 250 is an exterior member that unitizes various lights such as a headlamp for driving and oncoming vehicle lighting, a turn signal lamp, a side marker lamp, and a daytime running light, by housing them in a common housing. A pair of front combination lamps 250 are provided at the front end of the vehicle body, spaced apart in the vehicle width direction. The upper end of the front combination lamp 250 is arranged adjacent to the front edge of the front hood 210. The side end of the front combination lamp 250 is arranged adjacent to the edge of the front fender 220. The lower end of the front combination lamp 250 is arranged adjacent to the upper edge of the bumper face 240.

[0026] The front grille 260 is an exterior member provided at the front end of the vehicle body. The front grille 260 is arranged between the left and right front combination lamps 250 and is fitted into an opening provided in the upper part of the bumper face 240.

[0027] The vehicle of the embodiment includes a collision victim restraint part 300 described below. The collision victim restraint part 300, in response to the establishment of pre-crash determination with a collision victim P such as a pedestrian, unfolds a net 310, which is a collision victim restraint member, in a planar shape facing the collision victim P on the front side of the front end of the vehicle body (the front end of the bumper face 240).

[0028] The collision victim restraint part 300 is configured to include a net 310, upper struts 320, a carriage 330, lower struts 340, etc. A pair of upper struts 320, a carriage 330, and lower struts 340 are provided symmetrically on the left and right. The net 310 is a collision victim restraint member that first receives and restrains the collision victim P at the time of collision with the collision victim P. The net 310 is configured by arranging and combining a plurality of wire materials (ropes) such as fibers having flexibility as longitudinal threads and transverse threads orthogonal to each other in the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction, for example. The net 310 has a strength capable of restraining the collision victim P at the time of collision with the collision victim P.

[0029] Normally (before collision and before the net 310 is deployed), the net 310 is folded in a strip shape (strip-like) or wound, and is housed inside the interval (character line) of each exterior member provided at the front part of the vehicle body. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the net 310 can be configured to be sequentially accommodated between the front hood 210 and the bumper face 240, between the front hood 210 and the front combination lamp 250, between the front combination lamp 250 and the front fender 220, between the front fender 220 and the bumper face 240, and in the inner portion of the wheel house 230 adjacent to the bumper face 240.

[0030] The upper support column 320 is a support member that is the upper end portion of the net 310 and supports the left and right side end portions when the net 310 is deployed. Normally, the main portion of the upper support column 320 is accommodated inside the front upper frame F. When the net 310 is deployed, the protruding end portion (front end portion) of the upper support column 320 that is connected to the net 310 protrudes from the outer surface of the vehicle body toward the front side of the vehicle and outward in the vehicle width direction. The upper support column 320 supports the upper end portion of the deployed net 310 at a position higher than the front end portion of the front hood 210.

[0031] The upper support column 320 is provided with a link 321. Normally, the link 321 is accommodated in a state along the front portion of the upper support column 320. The front end portion of the link 321 is swingably connected to the vehicle body (for example, the front upper frame F) via, for example, a ball joint or the like. The rear end portion of the link 321 is swingably connected to the middle portion of the upper support column 320 via, for example, a ball joint or the like. With the above configuration, when the carriage 330 moves forward and the rear end portion is pushed toward the front side of the vehicle, the front end portion of the upper support column 320 swings in an upward direction.

[0032] The carriage 330 is a member that is movable (runs) in the front-rear direction with respect to the front upper frame F along the rails 331 and 332 provided on the front upper frame F. The front end of the carriage 330 is connected to the rear end of the upper support 320 so as to be relatively rotatable about a rotation axis arranged, for example, substantially along the vehicle width direction. The carriage 330 is normally arranged at the rear part of the front upper frame F. When the net 310 is deployed, the carriage 330 moves forward with respect to the vehicle body by the pressure of the gas supplied from the gas generator of the hood pop-up actuator 40, and propels the rear end of the upper support 320 forward.

[0033] FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the arrangement of the rails for running the carriage in the occupant protection device of the embodiment. FIG. 6(a) shows a state of the rails 331 and 332 for running the left carriage 330 as viewed from the left side in the vehicle width direction. FIG. 6(b) is a view taken along the line b-b of FIG. 6(a). The rails 331 and 332 are provided on both sides sandwiching the carriage 330 in the vehicle width direction. The rails 331 and 332 are respectively attached to the left and right side faces of the front upper frame F, for example. The rail 331 is provided outside the carriage 330 in the vehicle width direction. The rail 332 is provided inside the carriage 330 in the vehicle width direction. The rail 331 is arranged relatively inclined so that the front end side is lower than the rear end side when viewed from the vehicle width direction with respect to the rail 332.

[0034] The carriage 330 is supported by the rails 331 and 332 so as to be movable in the vehicle longitudinal direction with respect to the front upper frame F in a state where the rotation (roll rotation) about the axis along the vehicle longitudinal direction is restricted. When the net 310 is deployed, the carriage 330 moves forward with respect to the front upper frame F. At this time, due to the relative inclination of the above-described rails 331 and 332, the left carriage 330 inclines counterclockwise when viewed from the rear side of the vehicle, and the right carriage 330 inclines clockwise when viewed from the rear side of the vehicle. As a result, the upper support column 320 is in an inclined state (see Fig. 5) in a front view of the vehicle such that the upper end portion is on the outside in the vehicle width direction with respect to the lower end portion.

[0035] The lower support column 340 is a support member that supports the lower end portion and the left and right side end portions of the net 310 when the net 310 is deployed. Normally, the lower support column 340 is housed inside the side end portion of the bumper face 240 (the front portion of the wheel house 230). When the net 310 is deployed, the protruding end portion of the lower support column 340 is in a state of protruding from the outer surface of the vehicle body toward the front side of the vehicle and the outside in the vehicle width direction. The protruding end portion of the lower support column 340 can be configured to be disposed, for example, directly below the protruding end portion of the upper support column 320. The deployment of the lower support column 340 may be performed in conjunction with the deployment of the upper support column 320 by providing an interlocking mechanism such as a link mechanism between the upper support column 320 and the lower support column 340, for example. Alternatively, an independent drive device may be provided on the lower support column 340, and the lower support column 340 may be deployed by the power of the drive device.

[0036] Hereinafter, the operation of the impactee protection device according to the embodiment will be described. Based on the outputs of the stereo camera device 21, the millimeter-wave radar device 22, the laser scanner device 23, etc., the environment recognition unit 20 recognizes the presence or absence of pedestrians and bicycle riders in front of the host vehicle, and if they exist, the relative position and relative speed with respect to the host vehicle. When there are pedestrians, bicycle riders, etc. whose possibility of collision is equal to or more than a predetermined level, the environment recognition unit 20 recognizes such pedestrians, etc. as the impactee P assuming that the collision is inevitable.

[0037] When the impactee P is recognized by the environment recognition unit 20, the control unit 10 establishes a pre-crash determination indicating that there is a sign of collision, pops up the front hood 210, and starts control to deploy the net 310. The control unit 10 gives an operation command to the hood pop-up actuator 40, generates gas from the gas generator to pop up the front hood 210, and moves the carriage 330 forward with respect to the front upper frame F by some of the gas. Thereby, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the deployment of the net 310 is started. The deployment of the net 310 is controlled to be completed before the collision with the impacted person P. The impacted person P collides with the net 310 deployed in a planar shape with the vehicle longitudinal direction as the normal direction, that is, in a planar shape perpendicular to the road surface, in front of the front end of the vehicle body, and is restrained while absorbing energy. Thereby, the impacted person P is accelerated in the traveling direction of the vehicle without significant bending deformation occurring in the waist, hip joints, knee joints, etc., and the relative speed difference with the vehicle body is reduced.

[0038] After a predetermined amount of energy absorption by the net 310, the control unit 10 gives a command to the net cutting device 50 to cut a part (for example, the vertical yarn) of the net 310 to invalidate the net 310. The timing for invalidating the net 310 is set in consideration of, for example, the energy absorption being performed to such an extent that the impacted person P does not receive serious injuries when colliding with the vehicle body (front hood 210, etc.). For example, in the case of a vehicle in which so-called pre-crash brake control is performed to automatically brake and decelerate by the brake device according to the pre-crash determination, when the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 30 drops below a predetermined value, it can be configured to invalidate (cut) the net 310 assuming that sufficient energy absorption has been performed.

[0039] FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of the front part of the vehicle body of the vehicle provided with the impacted person protection device according to the embodiment, showing the state where the net has been invalidated. As shown in FIG. 7, when the vertical yarns of the net 310 are cut and the net 310 is deactivated, the impacted person P is received on the front hood 210 with the upper body falling forward, and further energy absorption is performed by the plastic deformation of the front hood 210.

[0040] As described above, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) By receiving the impacted person P with the net 310 that expands flatly on the front side of the front end portion of the vehicle body, the impact locally applied to the joints of the impacted person P can be mitigated. (2) By supporting the net 310 with the upper support column 320 and the lower support column 340 that are normally housed inside the exterior member of the vehicle body and protrude outward from the exterior member when the net is deployed, the above-described effects can be obtained without impairing the design and aerodynamic performance of the vehicle 1 during normal times. (3) By housing the upper support column 320 inside the front upper frame F, the installation space of the upper support column 320 can be reduced. (4) By advancing the carriage 330 by the gas generated by the hood pop-up actuator 40 that raises the front hood 210 and displacing the upper support column 320 and the lower support column 340, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated actuator for deploying the net 310, and the configuration of the device can be simplified. (5) After receiving the impacted person P with the net 310, by deactivating the net 310 after the vehicle speed has decreased, the impacted person P can be made to fall forward onto the front hood 210, and the remaining energy can be absorbed by the deformation of the front hood 210. (6) By using the net 310 as the impacted person restraint member, unlike, for example, an airbag that cannot be reused once it is deployed and inflated, it can be reused by being folded and housed again after deployment. Also, even when the net 310 is deployed, the visibility of the driver and other occupants is ensured, so the driving operation for avoiding danger is not hindered.

[0041] (Modification example) The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and changes are possible, and they are also within the technical scope of the present invention. (1) The configurations of the struck person protection device and the vehicle are not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be changed as appropriate. For example, the structure, shape, material, arrangement, manufacturing method, quantity, etc. of each member constituting these can be changed as appropriate. (2) In the embodiment, the vehicle is provided with a pop-up hood, and the struck person restraint member (net) is deployed using the output of the hood pop-up actuator, but the present invention is not limited to such a mode. For example, in a vehicle having a struck person protection (pedestrian protection) airbag device, a configuration may be adopted in which the struck person restraint member is deployed using a part of the gas generated by an inflator (gas generator) that deploys and inflates the airbag. Also, a configuration having a dedicated actuator may be adopted to deploy the struck person restraint member. For example, an actuator using a chemical gas generator, an electric actuator, a spring, etc. can be used to deploy the struck person restraint member. In this case, it can also be applied to a vehicle that does not have a pop-up hood or a pedestrian protection airbag. (3) In the embodiment, as the struck person restraint member, for example, a net in which warp and weft are arranged in the orthogonal direction is used, but it is not limited to this, and for example, a member in which single-directional wire rods (ropes) are arranged in parallel or other types of struck person restraint members may be used. For example, a flexible sheet-like struck person restraint member may be used. (4) The configuration of the sensors for determining whether or not to deploy the struck person restraint member is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment and can be changed as appropriate. (5) In the embodiment, the struck person restraint member is invalidated in response to a decrease in the vehicle speed, but the conditions for invalidating the struck person restraint member are not limited to this and can be changed as appropriate. For example, after a collision with a person to be collided with, after a lapse of a predetermined time, assuming that a predetermined amount of energy has been absorbed, the restraint member for the person to be collided with may be deactivated. (6) In the embodiment, the restraint member for the person to be collided with is deployed in a planar shape, but it is not limited thereto, and for example, it may be deployed in a curved surface shape. Further, for example, it may be deployed in a shape combining a plurality of surfaces such as a plurality of planes arranged in a bent manner.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0042] 1 Vehicle 10 Control Unit 20 Environment Recognition Unit 21 Stereo Camera Device 22 Millimeter-Wave Radar Device 23 Laser Scanner Device 30 Vehicle Speed Sensor 40 Hood Pop-Up Actuator 50 Net Cutting Device 100 Passenger Compartment 110 Windshield 120 A-Pillar 130 Roof 140 Front Side Door 200 Engine Compartment 210 Front Hood 220 Front Fender 230 Wheelhouse 240 Bumper Face 250 Front Combination Lamp 260 Front Grill 300 Restraint Portion for Person to be Collided with 310 Net 320 Upper Strut 321 Link 330 Cart 331 Rail 332 Rail 340 Lower Strut F Front Upper Frame FW Front Wheel

Claims

Claim 1. A vehicle occupant protection device, comprising: a collision determination unit that determines the possibility of a collision with an occupant; a occupant restraint unit that, when the collision determination unit determines that the possibility of a collision with the occupant is equal to or greater than a predetermined level, unfolds in a planar shape a net-like or sheet-like, flexible occupant restraint member on the front side of the front end of the vehicle body, facing the occupant and with an upper end positioned higher than the front end of the front hood; and the occupant restraint unit has a support member to which an end of the occupant restraint member is connected, and which is housed inside an exterior member of the vehicle body before the occupant restraint member unfolds, and is displaced to protrude outward from the exterior member when the occupant restraint member unfolds; a hood lift device that raises at least a part of the front hood by an actuator; wherein the support member is displaced by the actuator characterizing the occupant protection device. Claim 2. A vehicle occupant protection device, comprising: a collision determination unit that determines the possibility of a collision with an occupant; a occupant restraint unit that, when the collision determination unit determines that the possibility of a collision with the occupant is equal to or greater than a predetermined level, unfolds in a planar shape a net-like or sheet-like, flexible occupant restraint member on the front side of the front end of the vehicle body, facing the occupant and with an upper end positioned higher than the front end of the front hood; and the occupant restraint unit has an occupant restraint member invalidation unit that cuts and invalidates at least a part of the occupant restraint member after the occupant has collided with the occupant restraint member and a predetermined amount of energy absorption has occurred. characterizing the occupant protection device. Claim 3. A vehicle occupant protection device, comprising: a collision determination unit that determines the possibility of a collision with an occupant; a occupant restraint unit that, when the collision determination unit determines that the possibility of a collision with the occupant is equal to or greater than a predetermined level, unfolds in a planar shape a net-like or sheet-like, flexible occupant restraint member on the front side of the front end of the vehicle body, facing the occupant and with an upper end positioned higher than the front end of the front hood; and The colliding person restraint part has a support member to which an end portion of the colliding person restraint member is connected, which is housed inside the exterior member of the vehicle body before the deployment of the colliding person restraint member, and which is displaced so as to protrude outward from the exterior member when the colliding person restraint member is deployed. The vehicle body has a front upper frame that is disposed adjacent to both ends of the front hood and extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction. At least a part of the support member is housed inside the front upper frame before the deployment of the colliding person restraint member. The colliding person restraint part has a carriage that is movable in the longitudinal direction with respect to the front upper frame along a rail provided on the front upper frame. A protection device for a colliding person, characterized by the above.

Images