Occupant protection devices

Abstract

To provide an occupant protection device which can receive a lower limb of an occupant to protect the occupant and achieve space saving of a table storage space.SOLUTION: An occupant protection device 50 includes: a protection unit 51 which is configured to be movable from a storage position located forward of a driver seat 90 and a deployed position located at the rear relative to the storage position and close to the driver seat 90, moves from the storage position to the deployed position where a collision is detected or preliminarily detected by a vehicle 1, and receives a knee part MK of an occupant M to protect the occupant M in the deployed position during the collision of the vehicle 1; and a table 99 which is held by the protection unit 51 and can be stored into the protection unit 51 and taken out from the protection unit 51 when the protection unit 51 is located in the deployed position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an occupant protection device that protects an occupant by receiving the lower legs of the occupant seated in a vehicle seat. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as an occupant protection device, a configuration such as that described in Patent Document 1 has been known in which a device is provided in front of a vehicle seat and extends rearward in the event of a vehicle collision to receive the lower legs of an occupant seated in the seat to protect the occupant. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-11206 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] With the advancement of autonomous driving in vehicles, it is predicted that in the future, there will be an increasing number of occasions when occupants seated in seats will use tables to eat meals, etc. In such cases, if the storage space for an occupant protection device that protects the occupant by receiving their lower legs, as in the configuration of Patent Document 1, and the storage space for the table are located separately in front of the seat, the space in front of the seat may become narrower, which could have a negative impact on occupant comfort.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an occupant protection device that can protect an occupant by receiving the lower legs of the occupant, and that can also reduce the storage space required for the table. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A typical configuration of the occupant protection device according to the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is an occupant protection device for protecting an occupant seated in a vehicle seat, characterized in that it comprises a protection unit that is stored in a storage section in front of the seat, is configured to be movable in the fore-and-aft direction, and moves rearward and approaches the seat when a collision or pre-collision detection is performed by the vehicle, and receives the lower limbs of the occupant to protect the occupant in the event of a collision of the vehicle, and a table that is held in the protection unit, can be stored inside the protection unit, and can be removed from the protection unit when the protection unit moves rearward from the storage section.

[0007] According to the present invention, in an occupant protection device, it is possible to protect the occupant by receiving the lower legs of the occupant, and also to achieve space saving for storing the table. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a view of the area around a driver's seat of a vehicle equipped with an occupant protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the left side; [Figure 2] This is a view looking forward from the driver's seat. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the occupant protection device. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an occupant protection device when preliminary detection of a vehicle collision is performed; [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a view of the area around the driver's seat when the vehicle has collided, seen from the left side. [Figure 6] 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the occupant protection device showing the operation of removing the table from the protection unit. FIG. [Figure 7] This is a view of the area around the driver's seat from the left side when the table is removed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, the overall configuration of an occupant protection device 50 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the left-right direction means the left and right directions of a vehicle 1 equipped with the occupant protection device 50, specifically the left and right directions as seen from an occupant M seated in the driver's seat 90. The front-rear direction means the front and rear directions of the vehicle 1, specifically the front and rear directions as seen from an occupant M seated in the driver's seat 90. The up-down direction means the up and down directions in the vertical direction. Note that the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components described below are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to those alone, unless otherwise specified.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a view from the left side of the driver's seat 90 of a vehicle 1 equipped with an occupant protection device 50 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a view looking forward from the driver's seat 90. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the occupant protection device 50 is mounted on a lower part of an instrument panel (hereinafter referred to as "instrument panel") 12 in front of the driver's seat 90 (seat), which is the front seat of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the occupant protection device 50 is provided on a lower part of a column cover 9 of a steering column 6 that protrudes rearward from the instrument panel 12.

[0011] The steering column 6 is made up of a column shaft 7 that is connected to a steering wheel (not shown) of the vehicle 1, a column tube 8 that covers the outer periphery of the upper side of the column shaft 7 to support the column shaft 7, and a column cover 9 that covers the column shaft 7 and the column tube 8. The rear ends of the column shaft 7, column tube 8, and column cover 9 each protrude rearward from an opening (not shown) formed in the rear surface 12a of the instrument panel 12, and a steering wheel 15 is attached to the tip of this protruding column shaft 7.

[0012] The vehicle 1 is also provided with a control device 17 including a CPU, memory, a timer, etc., a distance detection sensor (not shown) that detects the distance between the vehicle 1 and an object outside the vehicle, and an acceleration sensor (not shown) that detects the acceleration of the vehicle 1. The distance detection sensor may be, for example, a millimeter-wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, or a camera. The acceleration sensor may be, for example, a piezoelectric or MEMS type. The distance detection sensor and the acceleration sensor are electrically connected to the control device 17. When signals are input from each sensor, the CPU of the control device 17 controls the controlled object according to a control program stored in the memory. Specifically, if the CPU determines based on the detection results of the distance detection sensor that the distance between the vehicle 1 and an object outside the vehicle is equal to or shorter than a predetermined value, the CPU determines that the possibility of a collision of the vehicle 1 is higher than normal, performs pre-collision detection, and performs predetermined control. If the CPU determines based on the detection results of the distance detection sensor and the acceleration sensor that the distance between the vehicle 1 and the object outside the vehicle is equal to or shorter than a predetermined value and that the vehicle 1 has suddenly decelerated, the CPU detects a collision between the vehicle 1 and the object outside the vehicle and performs predetermined control. The methods of preliminary collision detection and collision detection are not limited to those described above, and other sensors or control methods may be used to perform preliminary collision detection when the possibility of collision of vehicle 1 is higher than normal, and collision detection may be performed when vehicle 1 collides.

[0013] The vehicle 1 is also provided with a button 40 (operation unit) for moving the protection unit 51 of the occupant protection device 50. The button 40 is electrically connected to the control device 17, and when the button 40 is operated by the occupant M, the control device 17 performs control described below to move the protection unit 51. The configuration of the protection unit 51 and the operation of the protection unit 51 when the button 40 is operated by the occupant M will be described in detail later.

[0014] Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the occupant protection device 50. As shown in Fig. 3, the occupant protection device 50 includes a protection unit 51 that receives the lower legs of the occupant M to protect the occupant M, and a table 99 held by the protection unit 51. The protection unit 51 includes a drive shaft 53 that is disposed so that its rotation axis substantially coincides with the front-to-rear direction, and a motor 54 that serves as a drive source for the drive shaft 53. The protection unit 51 also includes a connecting plate 55 that is a substantially rectangular metal plate that is fitted and connected to the rear end of the drive shaft 53, a storage box 57 attached to the rear end of the connecting plate 55, and an exterior panel 58 attached to the rear end of the storage box 57.

[0015] The motor 54 is held on the body of the vehicle 1 via a bracket (not shown). The drive shaft 53 is journaled to two linear ball bearings 88 attached to the body of the vehicle 1 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The motor 54 is electrically connected to the control device 17. The drive shaft 53 is formed with a rack gear portion 53a that meshes with a pinion gear 54a of the motor 54. When the motor 54 is rotated forward under the control of the control device 17, the driving force of the motor 54 is transmitted to the drive shaft 53 via the pinion gear 54a and the rack gear portion 53a, causing the drive shaft 53 to move linearly backward. When the motor 54 is rotated reversely under the control of the control device 17, the driving force of the motor 54 is transmitted to the drive shaft 53 via the pinion gear 54a and the rack gear portion 53a, causing the drive shaft 53 to move linearly forward.

[0016] Storage box 57 (storage member) is a box-shaped member with an open top, having a substantially rectangular bottom wall 57a and side walls 57b1-57b4 extending upward from the edges of bottom wall 57a. Front side wall 57b1 of storage box 57 is provided with a plurality of metal bolts 57e. These bolts 57e are inserted into connecting plate 55, and nuts 73 are fastened to attach storage box 57 to connecting plate 55.

[0017] An outer rail 92a and a middle rail 92b of the slide rail 92 are attached to the left and right sidewalls 57b3, 57b4 of the storage box 57, respectively. The outer rails 92a are inclined relative to the horizontal plane so that their positions become higher from the front to the rear, and are positioned in corresponding positions. The outer rails 92a are fixed to the left and right sidewalls 57b3, 57b4 of the storage box 57 with screws (not shown). The middle rail 92b engages with the outer rail 92a and is movable relative to the outer rail 92a and is configured to be extendable from inside the outer rail 92a diagonally upward, which is the direction in which the outer rail 92a extends.

[0018] A table 99 is also stored inside the storage box 57. The table 99 is a generally rectangular parallelepiped plate-like member whose left-right dimension is slightly smaller than the left-right inner diameter dimension of the storage box 57, and in this embodiment, is made of resin. Inner rails 92c of the slide rails 92 are attached to the left and right end faces of the table 99 with screws (not shown), respectively. The inner rails 92c of the table 99 engage with middle rails 92b attached to the left and right side walls 57b3, 57b4 of the storage box 57, thereby holding the table 99 to the left and right side walls 57b3, 57b4 of the storage box 57. The inner rails 92c are movable relative to the middle rails 92b and are tiltable so that a rear end 99a of the table 99 moves downward on the rear end side of the middle rails 92b.

[0019] The exterior panel 58 (abutment member) is a plate-shaped member attached to the rear side wall portion 57b2 of the storage box 57 with screws (not shown). The exterior panel 58 is formed of a material that easily bends forward and absorbs kinetic energy when struck by the knees MK of the occupant M during a collision of the vehicle 1, and in this embodiment, is made of a synthetic resin such as ABS resin or polypropylene. Before the occupant protection device 50 is activated, the rear surface 58a of the exterior panel 58 is accommodated in an opening 12b formed in a lower portion of the column cover 9 of the instrument panel 12 so as to be generally flush with the rear surface 12a of the instrument panel 12, taking design into consideration. Furthermore, before the occupant protection device 50 is activated, the rear surface 58a of the exterior panel 58 is inclined relative to the horizontal plane so as to slope rearward from top to bottom when viewed from the left and right. Furthermore, the width L (FIG. 2) in the left-right direction of the rear surface 58a of the exterior panel 58 is set so that even if the occupant M is not in a normal seated position and at least one of the left and right knees MK is spread outward to increase the distance between the knees, both the left and right knees MK will be positioned in a position that overlaps with the exterior panel 58 in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the width L is set to 550 mm.

[0020] Next, the protective operation of the occupant protection device 50 for the occupant M will be described. First, when the control device 17 of the vehicle 1 preliminarily detects a collision of the vehicle 1 based on a signal input from the distance detection sensor, the control device 17 rotates the motor 54 forward. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4 , the drive shaft 53 moves rearward, and accordingly, the exterior panel 58 connected to the drive shaft 53 via the connecting plate 55 and the storage box 57 moves to just forward of the knees MK, which are the lower legs of the occupant M. In other words, when the vehicle 1 preliminarily detects a collision, the protection unit 51 moves from a position (stored position) in front of the driver's seat 90, where it is stored in the opening 12b serving as a storage section formed in the instrument panel 12, to a position (extended position) rearward of the stored position and close to the driver's seat 90. This position close to the driver's seat 90 is a position between the instrument panel 12 and the driver's seat 90 in the fore-and-aft direction, and is a position rearward of the position of the protection unit 51 before the preliminarily detected collision of the vehicle 1. In addition, the storage area for the protection unit 51 is the location where the protection unit 51 is located before it moves rearward in response to a collision pre-detection of the vehicle 1, and does not necessarily have to be enclosed and stored by any kind of member.

[0021] Next, if a predetermined time has passed without detecting a collision of the vehicle 1 after detecting a pre-collision of the vehicle 1, the control device 17 reverses the rotation of the motor 54. This causes the drive shaft 53 to move forward, and the exterior panel 58 connected to the drive shaft 53 via the connecting plate 55 and the storage box 57 also moves forward. In this way, the protection unit 51 returns to the initial position shown in FIG. 3.

[0022] On the other hand, if the vehicle 1 collides with an object outside the vehicle after the control device 17 has performed preliminary detection of a collision of the vehicle 1, the knees MK of the occupant M, which move forward due to the collision of the vehicle 1, come into contact with the exterior panel 58 located immediately in front of the knees MK of the occupant M, as shown in Fig. 5. When the knees MK of the occupant M collides with the exterior panel 58, the exterior panel 58 bends forward, thereby absorbing kinetic energy and suppressing the impact on the knees MK of the occupant M and the thighs and waist connected to the knees MK. In this way, the protection unit 51 receives the lower legs of the occupant M and protects the occupant M when the vehicle 1 collides.

[0023] In this embodiment, the configuration in which the protection unit 51 is moved rearward when the control device 17 performs preliminary detection of a collision of the vehicle 1 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the protection unit 51 may be moved rearward when the control device 17 detects a collision of the vehicle 1. However, even if the distance between the initial position of the protection unit 51 and the driver's seat 90 is large, it is preferable to configure the protection unit 51 to be moved rearward when preliminary detection of a collision of the vehicle 1 is performed in order to prevent delay in the timing of contact between the knees MK of the occupant M and the protection unit 51.

[0024] Next, the operation of removing the table 99 from the protection unit 51 will be described. First, when the occupant M operates the button 40, the control device 17 rotates the motor 54 in the forward direction. This causes the drive shaft 53 to move rearward, and the storage box 57 connected to the drive shaft 53 via the connecting plate 55 moves from the position where it is stored in the opening 12b of the instrument panel 12 to a position rearward of that position and close to the driver's seat 90. In other words, the protection unit 51 moves from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 4. This allows the occupant M to access the table 99 inside the storage box 57.

[0025] In this embodiment, the amount of rearward movement of the protection unit 51 when preliminary detection of a collision of the vehicle 1 is performed by the control device 17 is set to be the same as the amount of rearward movement of the protection unit 51 when the button 40 is operated by the occupant M. However, as long as the protection unit 51 moves rearward at least to a position where the occupant M can access the table 99 inside the storage box 57, the amount of movement of the protection unit 51 when the button 40 is operated may be less or greater than the amount of movement of the protection unit 51 when preliminary detection of a collision of the vehicle 1 is performed. Also, the amount of movement may be adjustable by the occupant M operating the button 40.

[0026] Next, the occupant M grasps the table 99 stored inside the storage box 57 with his or her hands and pulls it out upward and backward, that is, diagonally upward. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6(a), the table 99 and the middle rail 92b connected to the table 99 via the inner rail 92c move relative to the outer rails 92a attached to the left and right sidewalls 57b3, 57b4 of the storage box 57, and the table 99 is pulled out diagonally upward from the outer rails 92a.

[0027] Next, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the occupant M pulls out the table 99 to the outside of the storage box 57, and then tilts the inner rail 92c attached to the table 99 relative to the middle rail 92b so that the rear end 99a of the table 99 moves downward. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, the table 99 becomes approximately horizontal and can be used by the occupant M. In this manner, the table 99 is removed from the storage box 57.

[0028] Furthermore, when storing the table 99, the occupant M performs the reverse operation of the operation for removing the table 99 described above. That is, the occupant M first tilts the inner rail 92c attached to the table 99 relative to the middle rail 92b so that the rear end 99a of the table 99 moves upward. Next, the occupant M moves the table 99 forward and downward, that is, diagonally downward. As a result, the table 99 and the middle rail 92b connected to the table 99 via the inner rail 92c move along the outer rail 92a into the storage box 57, and the table 99 is stored inside the storage box 57. Then, the occupant M operates the button 40. This causes the control device 17 to reverse the motor 54, and the protection unit 51 moves forward and returns to its initial position.

[0029] As described above, according to the occupant protection device 50 of this embodiment, the table 99 can be stored inside the protection unit 51. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the storage space for the occupant protection device 50 and the storage space for the table 99 are separate, it is possible to reduce the space required for storing the table 99. Therefore, a large space can be secured in front of the driver's seat 90, improving the comfort of the occupant M.

[0030] Although the present embodiment has been described with reference to a configuration in which the motor 54 is used as the drive source for moving the drive shaft 53, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the same effects as those described above can be obtained even if the drive shaft 53 is moved by the driving force of another drive source, such as a hydraulic cylinder or an electromagnetic solenoid.

[0031] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the table 99 is removed from the storage box 57 using the slide rails 92, and the table 99 is made substantially horizontal by tilting the inner rails 92c relative to the middle rails 92b. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the table 99 may be partially made substantially horizontal by providing a hinge or locking mechanism on the top plate of the table 99 and changing the shape of the top plate. Alternatively, the table 99 may be stored in the storage box 57 in a substantially horizontal position and then removed from the storage box 57 using the slide rails 92. Alternatively, the table 99 may be removed from the storage box 57 using another mechanism without using the slide rails 92.

[0032] Furthermore, although the present embodiment has been described with reference to a configuration in which the occupant protection device 50 is mounted in front of the driver's seat 90, the present invention is not limited to this, and the occupant protection device 50 may be mounted in front of another seat in the vehicle 1. For example, the same effects as those described above can be obtained by mounting the occupant protection device 50 on the instrument panel 12 in front of the passenger seat, which is the front seat of the vehicle 1, to protect the occupant sitting in the passenger seat. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1...vehicle, 12...instrument panel, 40...button (operating part), 50...occupant protection device, 51...protection unit, 57...storage box (storage member), 58...exterior panel (contact member), 90...driver's seat (seat, front seat), 92...slide rail, 99...table, M...occupant, MK...knee (lower limb)

Claims

1. An occupant protection device for protecting an occupant seated in a vehicle seat, a protection unit that is stored in a storage portion in front of the seat, is configured to be movable in a front-rear direction, and moves rearward and approaches the seat when a collision or pre-collision detection is performed by the vehicle, and receives the lower legs of the occupant to protect the occupant in the event of a collision of the vehicle; a table that is held by the protection unit, that can be stored inside the protection unit, and that can be removed from the protection unit when the protection unit moves rearward from the storage section; Equipped with The passenger protection device is characterized in that the protection unit is movable in the front-rear direction by a motor and a drive shaft.

2. An occupant protection device for protecting an occupant seated in a driver's seat of a vehicle, a protection unit that is stored in a storage section in front of the driver's seat, is configured to be movable in a front-rear direction, and moves rearward and approaches the driver's seat when a collision or pre-collision detection is performed by the vehicle, and receives the lower legs of the occupant to protect the occupant in the event of a collision of the vehicle; a table that is held by the protection unit, that can be stored inside the protection unit, and that can be removed from the protection unit when the protection unit moves rearward from the storage section; An occupant protection device comprising:

3. The protection unit comprises: a contact member that contacts the lower legs of the occupant to receive the occupant when the vehicle collides; a box-shaped storage member disposed in front of the contact member and holding the contact member; Equipped with 2. The passenger protection device according to claim 1, wherein the table is stored inside the storage member.

4. 2. The passenger protection device according to claim 1, wherein the table is held by the protection unit via a slide rail.

5. 2. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, further comprising an operating portion for moving the protection unit rearward from the storage portion.

6. An occupant protection device as described in Claim 5, characterized in that when the operating part is operated, the occupant can adjust the amount of movement of the protection unit.

7. The slide rail is composed of an outer rail arranged on the protection unit side and a middle rail arranged on the table side, The outer rail is disposed at an angle relative to a horizontal plane so that its position becomes higher from the front to the rear, The occupant protection device according to claim 4, characterized in that the middle rail is engaged with the outer rail, is movable relative to the outer rail, and is configured to be extendable from inside the outer rail diagonally upward in the direction in which the outer rail extends.

8. The occupant protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the occupant protection device is housed in an instrument panel of the vehicle and protects the occupant by receiving the lower legs of the occupant seated in the front seat of the vehicle.

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