Pedestrian protection device for vehicles

Abstract

To provide a pedestrian protection device for vehicle which can protect a pedestrian from a collision by efficient expansion of a cushioning material.SOLUTION: There is provided a pedestrian protection device for vehicle which is mounted on a vehicle. A pedestrian protection device for vehicle comprises: an impact sensor which is arranged on an exterior panel of the vehicle and can detect which section in the plurality of sections on the exterior panel is applied with an impact; and an expansion device which is arranged on the inner side of the vehicle with respect to the exterior panel and can expand a cushioning material to the inner side of each of the plurality of sections. The expansion device expands the cushioning material to the inner side of the first section when the impact sensor detects that the impact is applied to any first section in the plurality of sections.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pedestrian protection device for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, vehicles equipped with pedestrian protection devices have been put into practical use. Patent Document 1 describes a pedestrian protection device for a vehicle that deploys an airbag on the engine hood when a pedestrian collision with the front bumper is detected. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-217903 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned conventional pedestrian protection devices, the location where a pedestrian collision is detected and the location where the cushioning is deployed are different, so in order to effectively protect the pedestrian, the cushioning needs to be deployed over a very large area.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a pedestrian protection device for a vehicle that can protect a pedestrian from a collision by efficiently deploying a buffer material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) The present invention A pedestrian protection device for a vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention teeth, A pedestrian protection device for a vehicle that is mounted on a vehicle, an impact sensor disposed on an exterior panel of a vehicle and capable of detecting to which of a plurality of sections on the exterior panel an impact has been applied; a deployment device that is disposed inward of the vehicle relative to the exterior panel and that is capable of deploying buffer materials inward of the plurality of compartments; Equipped with the plurality of sections are sections divided into a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, the shock sensor is disposed in each of the plurality of compartments; When an impact is applied to any first section among the multiple sections, Located in the first compartment The deployment device deploys the buffer material inside the first compartment based on the detection by the impact sensor. (2) Another aspect of the present invention is a pedestrian protection device for a vehicle, A pedestrian protection device for a vehicle that is mounted on a vehicle, an impact sensor disposed on an exterior panel of a vehicle and capable of detecting to which of a plurality of sections on the exterior panel an impact has been applied; a deployment device that is disposed inward of the vehicle relative to the exterior panel and that is capable of deploying buffer materials inward of the plurality of compartments; Equipped with the deployment device includes an injection device that injects the cushioning material and a bag into which the cushioning material is injected, and a valve that controls the injection direction of the cushioning material and the bag, When the impact sensor detects that an impact has been applied to any first compartment among the multiple compartments, the deployment device changes the injection direction according to the compartment to which the impact detected by the impact sensor has been applied, and deploys the cushioning material inside the first compartment. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] There may be a gap between a vehicle's exterior panel and an internal vehicle component, and even if a pedestrian strikes the exterior panel, the gap prevents the pedestrian from immediately receiving a large impact. According to the present invention, by detecting which section of the exterior panel has been struck by an impact and deploying shock-absorbing material inside that section, the pedestrian can be protected with the shock-absorbing material before a large impact is received by the pedestrian. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the shock-absorbing material is deployed in the section struck by the pedestrian, so the shock-absorbing material can be deployed efficiently and effectively to protect the pedestrian. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a pedestrian protection device for a vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the exterior panel, the impact sensor, and the deployment device separated from each other. [Figure 3] 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating the movement of the pedestrian protection device of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing a control process executed by a control mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a pedestrian protection device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a control process executed by a control mechanism according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7A] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a first example of the movement of the pedestrian protection device of the second embodiment. [Figure 7B] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a second example of the movement of the pedestrian protection device of the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a pedestrian protection device for a vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 shows a see-through view of the structure under an exterior panel (hood) 101. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the exterior panel, impact sensor, and deployment device separated from each other.

[0011] The pedestrian protection device 1 according to the first embodiment is a device mounted on a vehicle 100, and includes an impact sensor 10 attached to the underside of an exterior panel (hood) 101 of the vehicle 100, and a cushioning material deployment device 20 provided below the exterior panel 101. The deployment device 20 includes a plurality of bags 21 into which cushioning material is injected, an injection device 22 that injects the cushioning material into the bags 21, and a control mechanism 23 that controls to which of the plurality of bags 21 the cushioning material is sent.

[0012] The impact sensor 10 has a sensor area that covers a wide area of ​​the exterior panel 101. As shown in FIG. 2, the sensor area is divided into multiple sections d, and the impact sensor 10 can detect which section d an impact has occurred in. The multiple sections d can also be considered as multiple sections on the exterior panel 101. The multiple sections d may be divided into a matrix of multiple rows and columns. The impact sensor 10 is configured by arranging multiple sensor elements, such as pressure-sensitive elements or vibration sensors, in each of the multiple sections d. The impact sensor 10 may have any configuration as long as it can detect which of the multiple sections d an impact has occurred in.

[0013] The impact sensor 10 may further be configured to detect the magnitude of the impact (such as the magnitude of the load). The configuration for detecting the magnitude of the impact can be realized by a circuit or the like that determines the magnitude of the detection signal output from the sensor element.

[0014] The impact sensor 10 may further be configured to detect the area to which an impact has been applied, which can be achieved by closely arranging multiple sensor elements vertically and horizontally and adding a circuit or the like that determines the number of sensor elements that have detected an impact.

[0015] The buffer material may be a gel, a gas, or the like. The buffer material may be stored in tank 22t. If the buffer material is a gas, the buffer material may be stored in a compressed state, or the buffer material may be generated by a chemical reaction. The buffer material may be any material that, when injected into bag 21, provides a buffering effect against an impact applied to bag 21.

[0016] The bag 21 is disposed between the exterior panel 101 and a component 111 located inside the exterior panel 101. The component 111 is provided in the vehicle 100, and may be any of a variety of components, such as an internal combustion engine, an auxiliary machine, an electric motor, an on-board charger, an inverter, a battery, or the like.

[0017] 2, the multiple bags 21 are arranged in multiple regions corresponding to the multiple sections d of the impact sensor 10. The arrangement corresponding to the multiple sections d is not limited to a one-to-one arrangement, but may be an arrangement in which one bag 21 corresponds to some of the multiple sections d of the impact sensor 10, or an arrangement in which one bag 21 overlaps part of one section d and another bag 21 overlaps another section d. The multiple bags 21 may be configured separately from one another, or may be integrated by connecting the periphery of each bag 21 to the periphery of an adjacent bag 21, or may be some separate and some integrated.

[0018] The injection device 22 may be configured in any way as long as it can inject cushioning material into the bag 21 at high speed, such as a configuration in which cushioning material is pushed out by driving an electric pump, a configuration in which cushioning material is pushed out using the expansion energy of compressed gas, a configuration in which gas is pushed out from an inflator (gas generating device), or a configuration in which cushioning material separate from gas is pushed out using the energy of gas generated by the inflator.

[0019] Injection device 22 may further be configured to be able to control the amount of cushioning material injected into bag 21 at one time. The amount can be controlled, for example, by controlling the drive amount of an electric pump, or by preparing multiple cylinders or inflators for storing compressed gas and controlling the number of cylinders or inflators used at one time. Any other configuration may be employed as long as it is possible to control the amount of cushioning material injected into bag 21.

[0020] Based on the detection result of the impact sensor 10, the control mechanism 23 operates to operate the injection device 22 so that cushioning material is injected into the bag 21 corresponding to the section d where the impact was applied. The bag 21 corresponding to the section d means one or more bags 21 that provide a cushioning effect below the section d. As shown in FIG. 2 , the control mechanism 23 has, for example, a branch path 23a located between the injection device 22 and the multiple bags 21, multiple valves 23b that can switch the path of the branch path 23a, and a sequencer 23c that switches the multiple valves 23b and operates the injection device 22 in response to a signal from the impact sensor 10.

[0021] The control mechanism 23 may be controlled to change the amount of cushioning material injected from the injection device 22 into the bag 21 depending on whether there is one or multiple bags 21 corresponding to the compartment d, or depending on the size of the bag 21 corresponding to the compartment d (i.e., more if the total capacity of the bags 21 supplying the cushioning material is large, and less if the total capacity is small).

[0022] When the impact sensor 10 detects an impact in multiple compartments d (i.e., a large area), the control mechanism 23 may control the amount of cushioning material injected from the injection device 22 into the bag 21 according to the total capacity of the bag 21 corresponding to the multiple compartments d.

[0023] The control mechanism 23 may further control the amount of cushioning material injected from the injection device 22 into the bag 21 depending on the magnitude of the impact, when the impact sensor 10 is configured to be able to detect the magnitude of the impact.

[0024] Note that the injection device 22 may have multiple outlets, and may be configured so that the outlet from which the cushioning material is discharged can be selected. For example, the injection device 22 may include multiple injection units, each of which has a separate outlet for the cushioning material and can be operated separately. In such a configuration, the branch path 23a and the multiple valves 23b can be omitted by connecting the multiple outlets to multiple bags. In this configuration, instead of controlling the opening and closing of the valve 23b described below, control may be adopted to select the outlet of the injection device 22 from which the cushioning material is discharged. An example having the branch path 23a and the valve 23b will be described below.

[0025] The sequencer 23c may be an electrical or mechanical configuration. Furthermore, the sequencer 23c may be replaced by an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that executes a program. The configuration in which the sequencer 23c operates the injection device 22 may be a configuration in which the injection device 22 (e.g., a pump) is electrically started, or a configuration in which compressed air is electrically or mechanically output from the injection device 22 (e.g., a cylinder). Alternatively, the above configuration may be a configuration in which the injection device 22 (e.g., an inflator) is electrically or mechanically ignited.

[0026] <Example of operation> 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the pedestrian protection device of Embodiment 1. When a pedestrian hits any one of the sections d1 (corresponding to the first section according to the present invention) of the exterior panel 101, the impact sensor 10 outputs a signal to the control mechanism 23 indicating that an impact has been applied to the section d1.

[0027] There is a gap between the exterior panel 101 and the component 111 of the vehicle 100, and immediately after a pedestrian hits the exterior panel 101, the exterior panel 101 bends, so the impact on the pedestrian is small. On the other hand, if the amount of bending of the exterior panel 101 increases due to the load from the pedestrian and the exterior panel 101 comes into contact with the component 111 inside the vehicle 100, a large impact will be applied to the pedestrian from the component 111 through the exterior panel 101.

[0028] Therefore, according to the pedestrian protection device 1 of the first embodiment, when a pedestrian hits the exterior panel 101, a detection signal from the impact sensor 10 is sent to the control mechanism 23 before the exterior panel 101 bends and comes into contact with the component 111. Then, based on the detection signal, the control mechanism 23 controls the injection device 22 to inject cushioning material into the bag 21 corresponding to the section d1 where the impact was applied, and drives the injection device 22. Then, cushioning material is delivered from the injection device 22 and injected into the bag 21 corresponding to the section d1 where the collision occurred. Therefore, the cushioning material injected into the bag 21 below the exterior panel 101 absorbs the impact of the pedestrian and prevents the pedestrian from receiving a strong impact from the component 111 via the exterior panel 101. This makes it possible to effectively protect the pedestrian.

[0029] Furthermore, according to the pedestrian protection device 1 of this embodiment 1, cushioning material is deployed in the section d1 where the pedestrian hits, which reduces the amount of cushioning material used and allows the cushioning material to be deployed efficiently and effectively to protect the pedestrian.

[0030] Furthermore, in the pedestrian protection device 1 of the first embodiment, when a pedestrian collides relatively hard with the exterior panel 101, the impact sensor 10 sends a detection signal indicating that a large impact has been applied to the control mechanism 23. Based on the detection signal, the control mechanism 23 controls the injection device 22 to inject an amount of cushioning material into the bag 21 corresponding to the section d1 where the impact was applied, in a quantity corresponding to the magnitude of the load. Injecting a larger amount of cushioning material into one bag 21 increases the pressure exerted by the bag 21 on the protected object through the cushioning effect. Meanwhile, the bag 21 can prevent the amount of displacement of the protected object from increasing. Therefore, even if the exterior panel 101 bends significantly due to a large load from the pedestrian, the bag 21, into which a large amount of cushioning material has been injected, can absorb the impact on the pedestrian while preventing the exterior panel 101 from bending significantly and hitting the component 111. Therefore, the application of a strong impact from the component 111 to the pedestrian through the exterior panel 101 is prevented, thereby effectively protecting the pedestrian.

[0031] Furthermore, in the pedestrian protection device 1 of the first embodiment, when a pedestrian hits a wide surface of the exterior panel 101, the impact sensor 10 sends a signal indicating the multiple sections d1 where the impact was applied (i.e., a signal indicating the area) to the control mechanism 23. Then, based on the detection signal, the control mechanism 23 controls the injection device 22 so that an amount of cushioning material corresponding to the multiple sections d1 is injected into the bag 21. Then, the cushioning material is injected into the multiple bags 21 corresponding to the multiple sections d1. Therefore, even when the pedestrian hits the exterior panel 101 over a wide area, the impact on the pedestrian can be absorbed while preventing the exterior panel 101 from bending significantly and hitting the component 111. Therefore, the application of a strong impact from the component 111 to the pedestrian via the exterior panel 101 is prevented, and the pedestrian can be effectively protected.

[0032] <Control processing> FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a control process executed by the control mechanism of the first embodiment. This control process is executed repeatedly, for example. When the control process is started, the control mechanism 23 monitors a signal from the impact sensor 10 (step S1). As a result, if a signal indicating an impact is received, the control mechanism 23 determines one or more sections d1 corresponding to the signal, the strength of the signal, the number (area) of the sections d1, the total volume of the bag corresponding to the section d1, or the amount of cushioning material to be injected according to these multiple conditions (step S2). Then, based on the determination result of step S2, the control mechanism 23 opens and closes the multiple valves 23b (step S3). Next, based on the determination result of the amount of cushioning material to be injected in step S2, the control mechanism 23 drives the injection device 22 to inject cushioning material into the bag 21 (step S4). Through these processes, the operation of the pedestrian protection device 1 described above is realized.

[0033] When the sequencer 23c is replaced by an ECU, the program for the control process may be stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium and executed by the ECU. The ECU may be configured to read the program stored in a portable non-transitory recording medium and execute the program. The portable non-transitory recording medium may store the program for the control process.

[0034] According to the pedestrian protection device 1 of the first embodiment, since a plurality of bags 21 are arranged inside the exterior panel 101, there is an advantage that the area in which the cushioning material is deployed can be precisely controlled.

[0035] (Embodiment 2) 5 is a diagram showing a pedestrian protection device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. A pedestrian protection device 1A according to the second embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment mainly in a shock absorber deployment device 20A. Components similar to those of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0036] The pedestrian protection device 1A of the second embodiment includes an impact sensor 10 attached to the underside of an exterior panel 101, and a shock-absorbing material deployment device 20A provided below the exterior panel 101.

[0037] The deployment device 20A includes an injection device 22A that injects cushioning material and a bag to enclose the cushioning material in. The deployment device 20A also includes a valve 24A that can switch the injection direction of the cushioning material from the injection device 22A, and a control mechanism 23A that controls the valve 24A and the injection device 22A.

[0038] The injection device 22A may be configured to inject the cushioning material and the bag by driving an electric pump, or may be configured to inject the cushioning material and the bag by using the expansion energy of compressed gas. The injection device 22A may be configured to inject gas as cushioning material and a bag that confines the cushioning material by using an inflator (gas generating device), or may be configured to inject a cushioning material other than gas and a bag that confines the cushioning material by using the energy of gas generation by the inflator. Any other configuration may be used as long as it can inject the cushioning material and the bag that confines the cushioning material at high speed.

[0039] The valve 24A is a two-way valve, a three-way valve, a multi-way valve, etc. The valve 24A has a plurality of openings m1 and m2 corresponding to a plurality of injection directions, respectively, and is switchable so as to open one selected opening m1 (or opening m2) and close the other opening m2 (or opening m1).

[0040] Compared to the deployment device 20 of the first embodiment, the deployment device 20A of the second embodiment has difficulty in deploying the cushioning material in small areas. Therefore, compared to the first embodiment, the deployment device 20A of the second embodiment may have larger individual deployment areas, and the area in which the cushioning material can be deployed may be narrowed down to a specific area. For example, if there is a possibility of a large impact if a pedestrian hits only the parts 111a and 111b, the deployment device 20A of the second embodiment may be configured to deploy the cushioning material above the two parts 111a and 111b below the exterior panel 101. In this case, the impact sensor 10 may be configured to detect that an impact has occurred only in the specific section d of the exterior panel 101 where the deployment device 20A can deploy the cushioning material.

[0041] In addition, in embodiment 2, multiple deployment devices 20A are provided and are distributed inside the exterior panel 101, so that the cushioning material can be deployed in small compartments over a wide area of ​​the exterior panel 101, just like in embodiment 1.

[0042] The control mechanism 23A may be a sequencer or ECU that performs control operations electrically, or a sequencer that performs control operations mechanically. The control mechanism 23A executes the following control processing.

[0043] 6 is a flowchart showing the control process executed by the control mechanism of the second embodiment. The control process is executed, for example, continuously and repeatedly. When the control process is started, the control mechanism 23A monitors the signal from the impact sensor 10 (step S11). As a result, if a signal indicating that an impact has been applied is received, the control mechanism 23A switches the valve 24A so that the opening m1 (or opening m2) associated with the section d corresponding to the signal is opened (step S12). Next, the control mechanism 23A operates the injection device 22A (step S13).

[0044] 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating first and second examples of the movement of the pedestrian protection device of embodiment 2. As a result of the control process described above, as shown in FIG. 7A, when a pedestrian hits section da (corresponding to the first section according to the present invention) of exterior panel 101, opening m1 of valve 24A is opened, and cushioning material f1 and bag f2 are injected from opening m1 between section da and component 111a. As a result, cushioning material f1 absorbs the impact of the pedestrian and prevents the pedestrian from receiving a strong impact from component 111a via exterior panel 101, thereby effectively protecting the pedestrian.

[0045] 7B, when a pedestrian hits another section db (corresponding to the first section according to the present invention) of the exterior panel 101, the opening m2 of the valve 24A is opened, and the cushioning material f1 and the bag f2 are injected from the opening m2 into between the section db and the component 111b. As a result, the cushioning material f1 absorbs the impact of the pedestrian and prevents the pedestrian from receiving a strong impact from the component 111b via the exterior panel 101, thereby effectively protecting the pedestrian.

[0046] In the pedestrian protection device 1A of embodiment 2, cushioning material is also deployed in the section d where the pedestrian hits, so the amount of cushioning material used can be reduced, and the cushioning material can be deployed efficiently and effectively to protect the pedestrian.

[0047] When the control mechanism 23A is configured by an ECU, the program for the control process may be stored in a non-transitory storage medium and executed by the ECU. The ECU may be configured to read the program stored in a portable non-transitory storage medium and execute the program. The portable non-transitory storage medium may store the program for the control process.

[0048] According to the pedestrian protection device 1A of embodiment 2, there is no need to place cushioning components such as bags in advance in the area where the cushioning material is deployed, which has the advantage that maintenance of the vehicle 100 can be carried out smoothly even with the deployment device 20A.

[0049] The above describes various embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, in the above embodiments, the exterior panel is described as a hood. However, the pedestrian protection device of the present invention can be similarly applied to exterior panels other than a hood, as long as there is a similar environment (a gap between the exterior panel and the internal components), and the same effect can be obtained. Furthermore, although the impact sensor is described as being attached to the back side of the exterior panel, it may be provided inside the exterior panel or may be disposed near the exterior panel. Other details shown in the embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1, 1A Pedestrian protection device 100 vehicles 101 Exterior Panel 111 parts 10 Impact Sensor d, d1, da, db partitions 20, 20A deployment device 21 bags 22 Injection device 23, 23A Control mechanism 23a Fork 23b Valve 23c sequencer 22A injection device 24A valve f1 buffer material f2 bag m1, m2 opening

Claims

1. A pedestrian protection device for a vehicle that is mounted on a vehicle, an impact sensor disposed on an exterior panel of a vehicle and capable of detecting to which of a plurality of sections on the exterior panel an impact has been applied; a deployment device that is disposed inward of the vehicle relative to the exterior panel and that is capable of deploying buffer materials inward of the plurality of compartments; Equipped with the plurality of sections are sections divided into a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, the shock sensor is disposed in each of the plurality of compartments; A pedestrian protection device for a vehicle, characterized in that the deployment device deploys the buffer material inside the first compartment based on the impact sensor located in the first compartment detecting that an impact has been applied to the first compartment among the multiple compartments.

2. 2. A pedestrian protection device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the exterior panel is a hood.

3. The impact sensor is capable of detecting the magnitude of the impact, the size of the area to which the impact is applied, or both; 3. The pedestrian protection device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the deployment device changes the amount of the cushioning material to be deployed based on the magnitude of the impact detected by the impact sensor, the size of the area to which the impact is applied, or both.

4. the deployment device includes a plurality of bags into which the cushioning material can be injected, and an injection device that can inject the cushioning material into a selected bag from the plurality of bags, 4. The pedestrian protection device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of bags are respectively arranged inside the plurality of compartments.

5. the deployment device includes an injection device that injects the cushioning material and a valve that controls the injection direction of the cushioning material, 3. The pedestrian protection device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the deployment device changes the direction of projection depending on the section to which the impact detected by the impact sensor has been applied.

6. A pedestrian protection device for a vehicle mounted on a vehicle, comprising: an impact sensor disposed on an exterior panel of a vehicle and capable of detecting to which of a plurality of sections on the exterior panel an impact has been applied; a deployment device that is disposed inward of the vehicle relative to the exterior panel and that is capable of deploying buffer materials inward of the plurality of compartments; Equipped with the deployment device includes an injection device that injects the cushioning material and a bag into which the cushioning material is injected, and a valve that controls the injection direction of the cushioning material and the bag, A pedestrian protection device for a vehicle, characterized in that, based on the impact sensor detecting that an impact has been applied to any first compartment among the multiple compartments, the deployment device changes the injection direction depending on the compartment to which the impact detected by the impact sensor has been applied, and deploys the buffer material inside the first compartment.

7. A pedestrian protection device for a vehicle as described in Claim 6, characterized in that the exterior panel is a hood.

Images