Occupant protection device

Abstract

To provide an occupant protection device simply configured and capable of appropriately protecting an occupant even in a vehicle of a type having no door.SOLUTION: An occupant protecting device S can protect an occupant seated on a seat 1 when external force going from a side to the inside of a vehicle acts. The occupant protecting device comprises: an occupant receiving part 15 that is fixed to the seat; an external force receiving part 20; and a moving mechanism 25 that can move the external force receiving part with respect to the occupant receiving part. The occupant receiving part is formed in a nearly plane shape, and the external force receiving part is formed in a nearly plane shape which is arranged in nearly parallel to the occupant receiving part. The moving mechanism moves connection arm parts 26 having a pair of arm main bodies 28 and 29 whose one ends are turnably connected to each other and whose other ends are turnably connected to the occupant receiving part or to the external force receiving part, nearly along a longitudinal direction, so that the parts are arranged in parallel at two positions in a vertical direction. The connection arm parts are arranged such that interconnection ends 28a and 29a separate from each other at a front side and at a rear side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an occupant protection device capable of protecting an occupant sitting on a seat when an external force acts during a vehicle collision.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, as a device for protecting an occupant sitting on a vehicle seat, an airbag device that protects the part of the occupant to be protected by an inflated airbag is used. In recent years, there is also a vehicle for single occupancy, without a door, and with the left and right sides of the occupant (driver) open (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Thus, in the case of a vehicle without a door, simply inflating the airbag makes it difficult to accurately protect the side of the occupant. Also, generally, in an airbag device, since the airbag is configured to be inflated using an inflater, there is room for improvement in protecting the occupant with a simple configuration.

[0005] The present invention solves the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an occupant protection device that can accurately protect an occupant even in a type of vehicle without a door with a simple configuration.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The occupant protection device according to the present invention is an occupant protection device capable of protecting an occupant sitting on a seat when an external force acts from the side of the vehicle inward, It is configured to include an occupant receiving part that is arranged on the side of the occupant, fixed to the seat, and can receive the protected part of the occupant, an external force receiving part that is arranged on the external force acting side and can receive the external force, and a moving mechanism that can move the external force receiving part relative to the occupant receiving part. The occupant receiving part is formed of a material having shape retention, and is arranged in a substantially flat plate shape along the vertical direction so as to block the space between the seat part and the backrest part of the seat and cover the side of the protected part. The external force receiving part is formed of a material having shape retention, and is configured in a substantially flat plate shape that is arranged substantially parallel to the occupant receiving part outside the occupant receiving part. The moving mechanism has a connecting arm part having a pair of arm bodies whose one ends are connected to be rotatable with respect to each other and whose other ends are connected to be rotatable with respect to the occupant receiving part or the external force receiving part, and is configured to be arranged in parallel at least at two positions on the vertical direction side so as to be substantially along the front-rear direction. Each connecting arm part is arranged such that the mutual connection ends that connect the arm bodies to be rotatable with respect to each other are separated from each other on the front side and the rear side when viewed from the vertical direction side. The external force receiving part is characterized in that it can be translated in parallel with respect to the occupant receiving part by the moving mechanism.

[0007] In the occupant protection device of the present invention, when an external force acts from the side of the vehicle inward, an occupant receiving portion and an external force receiving portion, both formed of a material having shape retention and being flat plate-shaped, are arranged so as to cover the side of the protected portion of the occupant in a state where they are overlapped with each other. Therefore, in the occupant protection device of the present invention, even when mounted on a vehicle of a type not equipped with a door that covers the side of the occupant and the external force receiving portion comes into contact with a vehicle or the like that applies the external force, further entry of the vehicle or the like that applies the external force can be suppressed, and the protected portion can be accurately restrained by the occupant receiving portion. In particular, in the occupant protection device of the present invention, the occupant receiving portion is fixed to the seat and closes the space between the seat portion and the backrest portion of the seat, covering the side of the protected portion of the occupant. Therefore, even if the occupant tries to move outward (toward the external force receiving portion side) due to recoil, such movement can be accurately regulated by the occupant receiving portion.

[0008] In addition, in the occupant protection device of the present invention, although the occupant receiving portion is fixed to the seat, the external force receiving portion is configured to be translatable in parallel with respect to the occupant receiving portion by a moving mechanism. As the moving mechanism, a configuration is adopted in which connecting arm portions are arranged in parallel at least at two locations on the vertical direction side so as to be substantially along the front-rear direction. Each connecting arm portion has a pair of arm bodies whose one ends are connected to each other rotatably and whose other ends are connected to the occupant receiving portion or the external force receiving portion rotatably. That is, in the occupant protection device of the present invention, since the occupant receiving portion and the external force receiving portion are connected by the connecting arm portion in a region that substantially faces each other on the inner-outer direction side (left-right direction side), it is possible to set the sizes of the external force receiving portion and the occupant receiving portion to be equal, and it is possible to secure as wide an area as possible for the area of the surface that actually receives the occupant and the area of the surface that actually receives the external force. Further, in the occupant protection device of the present invention, even if the external force receiving portion is arranged in a state separated from the occupant receiving portion, at the time of receiving the protected part by the occupant receiving portion (when an external force from a vehicle or the like acts on the external force receiving portion), it will move to the occupant receiving portion side. However, since the connecting arm portion is interposed at two locations vertically between the external force receiving portion and the occupant receiving portion and closes the gap between the external force receiving portion and the occupant receiving portion, the substantial plate thickness of the portion that receives the protected part while contacting a vehicle or the like can be increased by the connecting arm portion (arm body), enhancing the rigidity and ensuring stable protection performance for the occupant. Also, in the occupant protection device of the present invention, at the time of boarding or the like, the separation distance between the occupant receiving portion and the external force receiving portion can be appropriately set according to the preference of the occupant. Further, if the external force receiving portion is arranged in a state separated from the occupant receiving portion, even when the occupant contacts the external force receiving portion at the time of getting on or off, etc., the external force receiving portion moves in parallel with respect to the occupant receiving portion, thereby absorbing the energy due to such contact of the occupant, suppressing the movement of the occupant receiving portion itself with respect to the seat, and stably maintaining the fixed state of the occupant receiving portion with respect to the seat.

[0009] Therefore, in the occupant protection device of the present invention, with a simple configuration, even in a type of vehicle without a door, the occupant can be accurately protected.

[0010] In addition, in the occupant protection device of the present invention, if the connecting arm portion is arranged at the upper end side and the lower end side of the occupant receiving portion and at the upper and lower intermediate portions, at least three connecting arm portions will be interposed between the occupant receiving portion and the external force receiving portion. Compared with the case where the connecting arm portion is provided at two locations, the gap generated between the occupant receiving portion and the external force receiving portion can be reduced, and the protection performance of the occupant can be further increased, which is preferable.

[0011] Furthermore, in the occupant protection device having the above configuration, if the connecting arm portions are arranged in an even number such that the number of their respective interconnected ends arranged separately front and back is the same, the external force receiving portion can be moved in a well-balanced manner front and back, and the gap generated between the occupant receiving portion and the external force receiving portion can be further reduced. As a result, the protection performance of the occupant can be further increased, which is preferable.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The occupant protection device S of the embodiment is mounted on a single-seater vehicle V as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIG. 1, this vehicle V is not provided with a door, and when the driver MD as an occupant is seated on the seat 1, the left and right sides of the driver MD are open. Further, the occupant protection device S of the embodiment is configured to be able to protect the waist MW of the driver MD as an occupant as a protected part.

[0014] The seat 1 is configured to include a seat part 3 and a backrest part 2. Specifically, in the seat 1, the backrest part 2 is not directly connected to the seat part 3, and on both left and right edge sides, it is connected to the seat part 3 by using connecting pipes 5L and 5R arranged to extend downward substantially along the backrest part 2 (see FIG. 2). In detail, the backrest part 2 is configured such that the left edge side region and the right edge side region are each configured to have about the lower half cut out, and the connecting pipes 5L and 5R are arranged in the cut-out regions of the backrest part 2 substantially along the backrest part 2 in the vertical direction (specifically, slightly inclined with respect to the vertical direction so that the lower end side is positioned forward, see FIG. 1). These connecting pipes 5L and 5R will be arranged on the rear left side and the rear right side from the waist to the back of the driver MD when the driver MD is seated.

[0015] The occupant protection device S is arranged on the side of the driver MD as the occupant, and in the embodiment, it is attached to the right connecting pipe 5R and arranged on the right side of the waist MW of the driver MD (see FIGS. 1 and 2). As shown in FIGS. 3 to 8, the occupant protection device S includes an occupant receiving portion 15 capable of receiving the waist MW as the protected part of the driver MD, an external force receiving portion 20 arranged on the external force acting side (in the case of the embodiment, the right side), a moving mechanism 25 that allows the external force receiving portion 20 to move relative to the occupant receiving portion 15, and a mounting member 10 that attaches the occupant receiving portion 15 to the seat 1 side. The occupant receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20 are formed from a material having shape retention properties, and in the embodiment, they are plate-like bodies made of synthetic resin. Further, in the occupant protection device S of the embodiment, the mounting member 10 and the connecting arm portions 26 (inner arm main body 28, outer arm main body 29) constituting the moving mechanism 25 are also made of synthetic resin, similar to the occupant receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20.

[0016] The attachment member 10 is attached to the connecting pipe 5R and includes a connecting wall portion 11 that connects the passenger receiving portion 15 so as to support the rear surface side of the passenger receiving portion 15, and attachment ring portions 13U and 13D that are disposed on the inner end side of the connecting wall portion 11 (the left end 11b side in the embodiment) and can be attached to the connecting pipe 5R. The attachment ring portions 13U and 13D are configured to be attachable to the connecting pipe 5R by inserting the connecting pipe 5R therethrough, and are formed at two positions on the upper end side and the lower end side of the connecting wall portion 11 so as to extend rearward from the connecting wall portion 11. The connecting wall portion 11 is disposed in a flat plate shape so as to extend rightward from the connecting pipe 5R substantially along the left-right direction and substantially along the up-down direction (see FIGS. 3 to 7). The passenger receiving portion 15 is fixed to the base portion side of the connecting wall portion 11 (the side of the attachment ring portions 13U and 13D, that is, the left end 11b side) so as to be substantially orthogonal to the connecting wall portion 11. Further, in the embodiment, the external force receiving portion 20 is configured to move parallel to the passenger receiving portion 15 by sliding the rear end surface 20f with respect to the front surface 11a of the connecting wall portion 11 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). And although detailed illustration is omitted, a stopper for restricting further rightward movement of the external force receiving portion 20 is disposed on the right edge 11c side of the connecting wall portion 11.

[0017] The occupant receiving portion 15 is configured to widely cover the lateral side (right side) of the waist MW of the driver MD as the protected part, by closing the space near the boundary between the seat portion 3 and the backrest portion 2 in the seat 1. In the case of the embodiment, the outer shape is a substantially rectangular plate shape with the front and rear sides being slightly wider (see FIG. 3). As described above, this occupant receiving portion 15 is fixed to the seat 1 by being fixed to the left end 11b side of the connecting wall portion 11 in the mounting member 10, and is disposed so as to project forward substantially along the front-rear direction from the connecting wall portion 11 while being substantially orthogonal to the connecting wall portion 11 and substantially along the vertical direction (see FIGS. 4 to 8). Specifically, the occupant receiving portion 15 is disposed at a position substantially directly above the right edge 3a of the seat portion 3 in the seat 1 (see FIG. 6). That is, the occupant receiving portion 15 is disposed so as to widely cover the right side of the waist MW in the vicinity of the waist MW of the driver MD seated on the seat 1, with the longitudinal direction substantially along the front-rear direction and substantially along the vertical direction so as to be substantially orthogonal to the moving direction of the driver MD. The vertical width dimension of the occupant receiving portion 15 is set to be substantially the same as the vertical width dimension of the connecting wall portion 11 (see FIGS. 6 and 7).

[0018] In the occupant receiving portion 15, on the right side surface 15e side which is the side of the external force receiving portion 20, a rotation shaft portion 17 for pivotally supporting a connecting arm portion 26, which will be described later and constitutes the moving mechanism 25, is formed so as to project to the right (see FIGS. 4, 6, and 8). This rotation shaft portion 17 connects a bearing portion 28ba disposed at the separated end portion 28b of an inner arm main body 28, which will be described later, in each connecting arm portion 26. Corresponding to this separated end portion 28b, the rotation shaft portion 17 is formed at four locations in total, two locations each on the front end 15a side and the rear end 15b side of the occupant receiving portion 15. Each rotation shaft portion 17 includes, as shown in A of FIGS. 10 and 11, a connecting piece portion 17a that projects to the right from the occupant receiving portion 15, and a shaft main body 17b that is formed so as to project downward from the connecting piece portion 17a. The connecting piece portion 17a is in a flat plate shape, and the edge portion on the tip side is substantially semi-circular arc-shaped. The protruding amount from the occupant receiving portion 15 (the width dimension W3 in the left-right direction, see A of FIG. 11) is set to be substantially the same as the width dimension W2 of the inner arm main body 28 (see FIG. 9).

[0019] The external-force receiving portion 20 is disposed outside the occupant receiving portion 15 (on the right side in the embodiment), and has an outer shape that is a substantially flat plate shape arranged substantially parallel to the occupant receiving portion 15. Specifically, in the embodiment, the external-force receiving portion 20 has an outer shape that substantially coincides with the occupant receiving portion 15 and is a substantially rectangular plate shape with the front and rear sides being slightly wider (see FIGS. 3 and 8). This external-force receiving portion 20 is connected to the occupant receiving portion 15 via a moving mechanism 25 so as to be capable of parallel movement. In the external-force receiving portion 20, on the left side surface 20e side, which is the side of the occupant receiving portion 15, a bearing portion 22 for pivotally supporting a connecting arm portion 26 is formed so as to protrude leftward (see FIGS. 4, 6, and 8). The bearing portion 22 connects a rotation shaft portion 29ba provided at the separated end portion 29b of the outer arm main body 29 in each connecting arm portion 26, and corresponding to this separated end portion 29b, two locations each are formed at the front end 20a side and the rear end 20b side of the external-force receiving portion 20, for a total of four locations. Each bearing portion 22 is formed so as to protrude leftward from the external-force receiving portion 20, has a substantially flat plate shape, has a substantially semi-circular arc shape at the edge portion on the tip side, and has an insertion opening 22a at the center for inserting a shaft main body 29bb that protrudes at the rotation shaft portion 29ba of the separated end portion 29b of the outer arm main body 29, and is disposed so as to be recessed from above. The protruding amount of the bearing portion 22 from the external-force receiving portion 20 (the width dimension W4 in the left-right direction, see C in FIG. 11) is set to be substantially the same as the width dimension W2 of the outer arm main body 29 (see FIG. 9).

[0020] The moving mechanism 25 connects the external-force receiving portion 20 to the occupant receiving portion 15 so as to be capable of parallel movement with respect to the occupant receiving portion 15. In the embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 10, the connecting arm portions 26 are arranged in parallel at four locations: the upper end 15c, 20c sides and the lower end 15d, 20d sides of the occupant receiving portion 15 and the external-force receiving portion 20, and two locations at the upper and lower intermediate portions.

[0021] Each connecting arm portion 26 includes a pair of arm bodies 28 and 29 whose one ends are rotatably connected to each other and whose other ends are rotatably connected to the occupant receiving portion 15 or the external force receiving portion 20. In the case of the embodiment, each connecting arm portion 26 is configured such that the inner arm body 28 disposed on the inner side on the side of the occupant receiving portion 15 is positioned above the outer arm body 29 disposed on the outer side on the side of the external force receiving portion 20, and the one ends are rotatably connected to each other (see FIG. 8). At the mutually connected ends 28a of the inner arm body 28 that are mutually connected, a rotating shaft portion 28aa having a shaft body 28ab protruding downward from the lower surface side is formed. The mutually connected end 29a of the outer arm body 29 constitutes a bearing portion 29aa corresponding to the rotating shaft portion 28aa, and an insertion opening 29ab into which the shaft body 28ab formed at the mutually connected end 28a of the inner arm body 28 can be inserted is provided with its upper surface recessed from above (see B in FIGS. 10 and 11). At each inner arm body 28, a bearing portion 28ba connected to the rotating shaft portion 17 formed at the occupant receiving portion 15 is formed at the separated end 28b connected to the occupant receiving portion 15. Each bearing portion 28ba is formed with an insertion opening 28bb into which the shaft body 17b formed at the rotating shaft portion 17 can be inserted, with its upper surface recessed from above (see A in FIGS. 10 and 11). At each outer arm body 29, a rotating shaft portion 29ba connected to the bearing portion 22 formed at the external force receiving portion 20 is formed at the separated end 29b connected to the external force receiving portion 20. Each rotating shaft portion 29ba is formed such that a shaft body 29bb that can be inserted into the insertion opening 22a formed at the bearing portion 22 of the external force receiving portion 20 protrudes downward from the lower surface side (see C in FIGS. 10 and 11). In the embodiment, the inner arm body 28 and the outer arm body 29 are substantially rod-shaped with a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape that is wider on the left and right. As shown in FIG. 9, the width dimension W2 is made substantially the same as the plate thickness W1 of the occupant receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20, and the thickness dimension t is set to about 5 / 6 of the plate thickness W1 of the occupant receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the inner arm body 28 and the outer arm body 29 are configured such that the length dimension is substantially the same as the width dimension in the front-rear direction side of the occupant receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20.

[0022] In the occupant protection device S of the embodiment, when the external force receiving portion 20 moves toward the occupant receiving portion 15 during external force reception, it comes into contact with the occupant receiving portion 15 via the connecting arm portion 26 (inner arm main body 28, outer arm main body 29), and the movement toward the occupant receiving portion 15 can be stopped (see FIGS. 5 and 7). At this time, the inner arm main body 28 and the outer arm main body 29 constituting the connecting arm portion 26 have the same width dimension, and the length dimension is set to be substantially the same as the width dimension in the front-rear direction of the occupant receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20. Therefore, at four locations separated vertically, they are respectively interposed between the occupant receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20 over substantially the entire front-rear area (see FIGS. 5 and 10). Further, the rotation shaft portions 17 and the bearing portions 22 formed on the occupant receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20 are formed with the protruding amount being substantially the same as the width dimension of the inner arm main body 28 and the outer arm main body 29. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, the inner arm main body 28 and the outer arm main body 29 are interposed between the occupant receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20 so that the left side surfaces 28c, 29c and the right side surfaces 28d, 29d are respectively in contact with the right side surface 15e of the occupant receiving portion 15 and the left side surface 20e of the external force receiving portion 20. At this time, although detailed illustration is omitted, the outer peripheral surface 17aa (see A in FIG. 11) of the connecting piece portion 17a of each rotation shaft portion 17 is in contact with the left side surface 20e of the external force receiving portion 20, and the outer peripheral surface 22b (see C in FIG. 11) of each bearing portion 22 is in contact with the right side surface 15e of the occupant receiving portion 15.

[0023] In the embodiment, each connecting arm portion 26 constituting the moving mechanism 25 is arranged such that the mutual connection ends 28a and 29a that rotatably connect the inner arm main body 28 and the outer arm main body 29 are separated from each other on the front side and the rear side when viewed from the vertical direction side along the front-rear direction. Specifically, in the case of the embodiment, the upper connecting arm portion 26U arranged on the upper end side and the intermediate lower connecting arm portion 26CD arranged third from the top are arranged such that the mutual connection ends 28a and 29a are positioned on the front side, and the intermediate upper connecting arm portion 26CU arranged second from the top and the lower connecting arm portion 26D arranged on the lower end side are arranged such that the mutual connection ends 28a and 29a are positioned on the rear side (see FIG. 8). That is, in the occupant protection device S of the embodiment, four connecting arm portions 26 are provided with the same number (two) of the mutual connection ends 28a and 29a arranged separately in the front and rear. And in the occupant protection device S of the embodiment, the external force receiving portion 20 is made to be capable of linearly moving relative to the occupant receiving portion 15 by sliding the rear end surface 20f with respect to the front surface 11a of the connecting wall portion 11 by the moving mechanism 25 (see FIGS. 4 to 7).

[0024] In the embodiment, although the shaft main bodies 17b, 28ab, and 29bb of the rotation shaft portions 17, 28aa, and 29ba that rotatably connect each connecting arm portion 26 to the occupant receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20 are all arranged to protrude downward as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, these shaft main bodies 17b, 28ab, and 29bb are inserted so as to be slightly forcibly fitted into the corresponding insertion openings 22a, 28bb, and 29ab so as to stably hold the connection state with the bearing portions 22, 28ba, and 29aa. The degree of fitting (fitting strength) of the shaft main bodies 17b, 28ab, and 29bb to the insertion openings 22a, 28bb, and 29ab is set such that the external force receiving portion 20 can be easily linearly moved relative to the occupant receiving portion 15 by pulling or pushing the external force receiving portion 20 with the hand of the driver MD or the like, and the stationary state of the external force receiving portion 20 can be maintained when the hand is released after the movement is completed.

[0025] In the occupant protection device S of the embodiment, when an external force T acting from the right side toward the inner side acts on the vehicle V, this external force T presses the external force receiving portion 20 inward as shown in FIG. 12. In the occupant protection device S of the embodiment, when an external force acts from the side of the vehicle V toward the inner side, the occupant receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20, which are formed of a material having shape retention and are flat plate-shaped, are arranged so as to cover the side of the waist MW, which is the protection target part of the driver MD as the occupant, in a state where they are overlapped with each other. Therefore, in the occupant protection device S of the embodiment, even when mounted on a vehicle V of a type not provided with a door for covering the side of the occupant (driver MD) and the external force receiving portion 20 comes into contact with a vehicle or the like applying the external force, further entry of the vehicle or the like applying the external force can be suppressed, and the waist MW as the protection target part can be accurately restrained by the occupant receiving portion 15. In particular, in the occupant protection device S of the embodiment, since the occupant receiving portion 15 is fixed to the seat 1 and closes the space between the seat portion 3 and the backrest portion 2 of the seat 1 to cover the side of the waist MW of the driver MD, even if the driver MD tries to move outward (toward the external force receiving portion 20 side) due to recoil, such movement can be accurately regulated by the occupant receiving portion 15.

[0026] In addition, in the passenger protection device S of the embodiment, although the passenger receiving portion 15 is fixed to the seat 1, the external force receiving portion 20 can be translated in parallel with respect to the passenger receiving portion 15 by the moving mechanism 25. As the moving mechanism 25, the connecting arm portions 26 are arranged in parallel at least at two locations on the vertical direction side so as to be substantially along the front-rear direction. Each connecting arm portion 26 has a pair of arm bodies 28 and 29 whose one ends are rotatably connected to each other and whose other ends are rotatably connected to the passenger receiving portion 15 or the external force receiving portion 20. That is, in the passenger protection device S of the embodiment, since the passenger receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20 are connected by the connecting arm portion 26 in a region that substantially faces each other on the inner-outer direction side (left-right direction side) (in the case of the embodiment, the rotation shaft portion 17 and the bearing portion 22, which are arranged to substantially face each other left and right), it is possible to set the sizes of the external force receiving portion 20 and the passenger receiving portion 15 to be equal, and it is possible to ensure as wide an area as possible for the area of the surface that actually receives the passenger (driver MD) and the area of the surface that actually receives the external force. Further, in the passenger protection device S of the embodiment, even if the external force receiving portion 20 is arranged in a state separated from the passenger receiving portion 15, when the waist portion MW is received by the passenger receiving portion 15 (when an external force is applied to the external force receiving portion 20 by a vehicle or the like), it will move to the passenger receiving portion 15 side. However, since the connecting arm portion 26 is interposed between the external force receiving portion 20 and the passenger receiving portion 15 at least at two locations (in the case of the embodiment, four locations) in the vertical direction and closes the gap between the external force receiving portion 20 and the passenger receiving portion 15, the substantial plate thickness of the portion that receives the waist portion MW as the protected part while contacting the vehicle or the like can be increased by the amount of the connecting arm portion 26 (arm bodies 28 and 29), enhancing the rigidity and ensuring stable protection performance for the passenger (driver MD). Also, in the passenger protection device S of the embodiment, the separation distance between the passenger receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20 can be appropriately set according to the preference of the passenger when boarding or the like.Furthermore, if the external force receiving portion 20 is arranged at a distance from the occupant receiving portion 15, even when the occupant (driver MD) contacts the external force receiving portion 20 during boarding or alighting, etc., the external force receiving portion 20 moves parallel to the occupant receiving portion 15, so that the energy due to such contact with the occupant can be absorbed, and the occupant receiving portion 15 itself can be suppressed from moving with respect to the seat 1, and the fixed state of the occupant receiving portion 15 with respect to the seat 1 can be stably maintained.

[0027] Therefore, in the occupant protection device S of the embodiment, with a simple configuration, even in a vehicle of a type without a door, the driver MD as an occupant can be accurately protected.

[0028] Also, in the occupant protection device S of the embodiment, the connecting arm portion 26 is arranged on the upper end 15c side and the lower end 15d side of the occupant receiving portion 15 and at the upper and lower intermediate portions. In particular, in the embodiment, the connecting arm portion 26 has the same number (2) of each of the mutually connected ends 28a, 29a arranged separately in the front-rear direction, and is arranged in an even number (4). Therefore, the external force receiving portion 20 can be moved in a well-balanced manner in the front-rear direction, and compared with the case where the connecting arm portion 26 is arranged at two upper and lower locations, the gap generated between the external force receiving portion 20 in the completed movement state and the occupant receiving portion 15 can be reduced, and the protection performance of the occupant (driver MD) can be further increased. If such a point is not considered, the connecting arm portion may be configured to be arranged only at two upper and lower locations, or may be configured to be arranged in an odd number including the upper and lower intermediate portions. Of course, the number of connecting arm portions arranged is not limited to 4, and may be 4 or more (desirably, an even number such as 6 or 8).

[0029] In particular, in the occupant protection device S of the embodiment, the inner arm main body 28 and the outer arm main body 29 that constitute the connecting arm portion 26 have the same width dimension, and the length dimension is set to be substantially the same as the width dimension on the front-rear direction side of the occupant receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20. The rotation shaft portion 17 and the bearing portion 22 formed on the occupant receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20 are formed with a protruding amount substantially the same as the width dimension of the inner arm main body 28 and the outer arm main body 29. That is, in the occupant protection device S of the embodiment, the connecting arm portion 26 (inner arm main body 28, outer arm main body 29) interposed between the occupant receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20 is in a state where both side surfaces (left side surfaces 28c, 29c, right side surfaces 28d, 29d) are abutted against the occupant receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20 in the state where the movement of the external force receiving portion 20 is completed, and is interposed between the occupant receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20 (see FIG. 9). Further, the connecting arm portion 26 (inner arm main body 28, outer arm main body 29) is arranged over the entire width direction of the occupant receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20 (see FIG. 10). Therefore, the left side surface 20e of the external force receiving portion 20 that has received the external force can be received by the entire right side surfaces 28d, 29d of the inner arm main body 28 and the outer arm main body 29 arranged in parallel at four locations up and down. More specifically, the inner arm main body 28 and the outer arm main body 29 are set to have a thickness dimension of about 5 / 6 of the plate thickness of the occupant receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20. In the case of the embodiment, in the state where the occupant protection device S is viewed from the front-rear direction side, in the state where the movement of the external force receiving portion 20 is completed, the four connecting arm portions 26 (inner arm main body 28, outer arm main body 29) and the rotation shaft portion 17 and the bearing portion 22 that connect each connecting arm portion 26 to the occupant receiving portion 15 side or the external force receiving portion 20 side are disposed between the external force receiving portion 20 and the occupant receiving portion 15 with substantially no gap (see FIG. 7). That is, in the occupant protection device S of the embodiment, except for the gap corresponding to the thickness of the connecting piece portion 17a in the rotation shaft portion 17 and the thickness of the bearing portion 22, the space between the occupant receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20 is blocked by the inner arm main body 28 and the outer arm main body 29 that constitute the connecting arm portion 26 (see FIG. 10).Therefore, a member approximated to a plate material with the same plate thickness is interposed between the occupant receiving portion and the external force receiving portion, so that the rigidity can be further increased and stable protection performance for the occupant (driver MD) can be ensured.

[0030] In the occupant protection device S of the embodiment, the fitting degree (fitting strength) of the shaft main bodies 17b, 28ab, 29bb of the rotation shaft portions 17, 28aa, 29ba that rotatably connect the respective connecting arm portions 26 to the occupant receiving portion 15 and the external force receiving portion 20 with respect to the insertion openings 22a, 28bb, 29ab is such that the external force receiving portion 20 can be easily translated relative to the occupant receiving portion 15 by pulling or pushing with the hand or the like of the driver MD. However, the fitting strength between the two can also be set high. For example, a configuration can be adopted in which energy is absorbed by utilizing the frictional resistance generated between the shaft main body and the insertion opening when the external force receiving portion that has received an external force moves (when the connecting arm portion rotates).

Description of Reference Numerals

[0031] 1... Seat, 2... Backrest portion, 3... Seat portion, 15... Occupant receiving portion, 15c... Upper end, 15d... Lower end, 20... External force receiving portion, 25... Moving mechanism, 26 (26U, 26CU, 26CD, 26D)... Connecting arm portion, 28... Inner arm main body, 28a... Mutually connecting end, 28b... Separated side end portion, 29... Outer arm main body, 29a... Mutually connecting end, 29b... Separated side end portion, MD... Driver (occupant), MW... Waist (portion to be protected), S... Occupant protection device, V... Vehicle.

Claims

1. An occupant protection device capable of protecting an occupant sitting on a seat when an external force acts from the side to the inside of a vehicle, comprising: an occupant receiving portion disposed on the side of the occupant, fixed to the seat, and capable of receiving a protected portion of the occupant; an external force receiving portion disposed on the external force acting side and capable of receiving the external force; and a moving mechanism capable of moving the external force receiving portion relative to the occupant receiving portion. The occupant receiving portion is formed of a material having shape retention, and is disposed substantially in a flat plate shape along the vertical direction so as to block between the seat portion and the backrest portion of the seat and cover the side of the protected portion. The external force receiving portion is formed of a material having shape retention, and is configured in a substantially flat plate shape disposed substantially parallel to the occupant receiving portion outside the occupant receiving portion. The moving mechanism has a connecting arm portion having a pair of arm bodies whose one ends are rotatably connected to each other and whose other ends are rotatably connected to the occupant receiving portion or the external force receiving portion, and is configured to be arranged in parallel at least at two positions on the vertical side substantially along the front-rear direction. Each of the connecting arm portions is arranged such that the mutually connecting ends for rotatably connecting the arm bodies to each other are separated from each other on the front side and the rear side when viewed from the vertical side. The occupant protection device, wherein the external force receiving portion is capable of being translated relative to the occupant receiving portion by the moving mechanism.

2. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting arm portion is disposed at an upper end side and a lower end side of the occupant receiving portion and at an upper and lower intermediate portion.

3. The occupant protection device according to claim 2, wherein the connecting arm portions are arranged in an even number such that the number of the mutually connecting ends arranged separately in the front and rear directions is the same.

Images