Restraint system for an occupant in a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a restraint system for an occupant in a motor vehicle with a seat belt device (1) with a seat belt (2) with a diagonal belt section (4) crossing a chest of the occupant when the seat belt device (1) is fastened, wherein a dimensionally stable chest shield (5) is provided between the diagonal belt section (4) and the chest of the occupant, which has an enlarged contact surface (19) compared with the surface of the diagonal belt section (4) facing the occupant.

Description

[0001] Restraint system for an occupant in a motor vehicle

[0002] The present invention relates to a restraint system for an occupant in a motor vehicle with the features of the generic term of claim 1.

[0003] Restraint systems of the type according to the present invention serve to restrain the occupants sitting on a vehicle seat in a vehicle in the event of an accident and have, as a basic element, a seat belt device with a seat belt fixed to the vehicle. In the safety belt device, the safety belt is wound with a first end on a winding shaft of a belt retractor that can be fixed to the vehicle and is detachably or firmly connected to the vehicle structure with a second end on an end fitting. Furthermore, when the safety belt device is designed as a 3-point belt, a displaceably guided belt tongue is provided on the safety belt, which can be locked in a belt buckle and, in a locked state, divides the safety belt into a lap belt section crossing the occupant's pelvis and a diagonal belt section crossing the occupant's chest. It is also conceivable to design the seat belt device as a 2-point belt, in which the seat belt only has a diagonal belt section, which is fastened with a first end to the winding shaft of the belt retractor and is detachably fastened to the other end of the vehicle seat on the other side via a belt tongue in a belt buckle.

[0004] When fastened, the seat belt crosses the occupant's chest with the diagonal belt section and thus restrains the occupant in the event of a collision in relation to a forward displacement. The occupant load acting on the occupant can be limited to a maximum value by the provision of force limiting devices, provided that a sufficient forward displacement path is available. This forward displacement path can also be further increased by reversible or irreversible tensioning devices by pulling any remaining slack out of the seat belt when activated in an early phase of the impact or in a defined hazardous situation.

[0005] One problem with such restraint systems is that the safety belt devices must in principle provide restraint for all possible occupants, including the 120% man, so that the restraint systems must be designed to restrain a very large and heavy person, which in the case of smaller and lighter persons leads to a very high occupant load that is not necessary for their restraint. Furthermore, the available forward displacement path is limited, especially in small cars, by the small size of the interior and the reduced distance to the front of the vehicle. This means that the force limiting devices in the seat belt systems of small cars cannot be designed to a lower force limiting level as required due to the limited forward displacement path. Overall, there are therefore limits to the reduction in occupant load.

[0006] A further problem with the restraint of occupants is the restraint of older occupants, who have a weaker bone structure and in particular a weaker ribcage due to their age, so that they are particularly at risk of possible bone fractures in the chest area when restrained via the diagonal belt section.

[0007] Against this background, the invention is based on the task of providing a simple restraint system which enables the occupants to be restrained with a reduced chest load.

[0008] To solve the problem, a restraint system with the features of claim 1 is proposed. Further preferred developments of the invention can be found in the sub-claims, the figures and the associated description.

[0009] According to claim 1, a restraint system for an occupant in a motor vehicle with a seat belt device with a seat belt with a diagonal belt section crossing a chest of the occupant when the seat belt device is fastened is proposed for solving the problem, in which a dimensionally stable chest shield is provided which rests between the diagonal belt section and the chest of the occupant and which has a contact surface which is larger than the surface of the diagonal belt section facing the occupant.

[0010] The basic idea of the invention is therefore based on the fact that, in addition to the diagonal belt section, a chest shield is provided which has an enlarged contact surface compared to the contact surface of the diagonal belt section. This chest shield is designed to be dimensionally stable so that the forces exerted via the diagonal belt section are distributed over the larger contact surface and, due to the dimensional stability of the chest shield, are also transmitted to the occupant via the enlarged contact surface. As a result, the maximum occupant load in relation to the area of the occupant's chest can be reduced with the same restraining force exerted via the diagonal belt section. The chest shield is deliberately designed to be dimensionally stable and thus has a higher dimensional stability than the diagonal belt section made of a textile fabric, so that the diagonal belt section is supported on the occupant's chest via the chest shield.

[0011] It is further proposed that the chest shield is fixed or can be fixed to the diagonal belt section. This allows the occupant to put on the chest shield together with the diagonal belt section. Furthermore, the chest shield is thus fixed in its position relative to the occupant's chest in the applied position via the diagonal belt section.

[0012] It is further proposed that the chest shield has a guide in which the diagonal belt section is slidably guided. The guide allows the diagonal belt section to move in its longitudinal direction relative to the chest shield, so that movements of the occupant or even the breathing of the occupant, i.e. movements of the chest, do not cause the chest shield to move. Furthermore, the diagonal belt section can be tightened, for example when a tensioning device is activated, without the chest shield being displaced at the same time.

[0013] It is further proposed that the diagonal belt section is positively fixed in the guide against displacement transverse to its longitudinal axis, so that the chest shield is fixed against lateral displacement relative to the diagonal belt section despite the displaceability of the diagonal belt section in the guide.

[0014] It is further proposed that the chest shield has a curved shape adapted to the occupant's chest in the contact surface facing the occupant. The curved shape adapted to the occupant's chest can further increase the contact surface and further reduce the maximum surface load on the chest. The shape of the chest shield can be adapted to different occupant types in the form of a size system, or the chest shield can also be custom-made for the specific occupant by means of an individual shape, e.g. with the aid of orthopaedic expertise.

[0015] It is also proposed that the breast shield is strip-shaped. The strip shape of the chest shield allows the restraining force of the diagonal belt section to be distributed over a widened strip of the chest. It is further proposed that the chest shield is shaped and arranged in such a way that its longitudinal direction is aligned parallel to the diagonal belt section when it is put on.

[0016] It is further proposed that the chest shield is cross-shaped with two strip sections crossing the chest diagonally. The proposed shape allows the restraining force to be distributed over two strips crossing the chest diagonally, whereby the shoulder and the two halves of the chest in particular are loaded more evenly or, conversely, the maximum load on one shoulder or half of the chest is reduced.

[0017] It is further proposed that the strip-shaped chest shield is shaped and positioned by its arrangement on the diagonal belt section in such a way that it is symmetrical to a sagittal plane of the occupant when the belt is fastened. The proposed arrangement and orientation of the strip-shaped chest shield allows the restraining force to be distributed symmetrically over both halves of the chest.

[0018] It is also proposed that the chest shield is designed in the form of a vest or integrated into a vest. The proposed design or arrangement of the chest shield as a vest or in a vest makes it particularly easy to put on the chest shield. In addition, a particularly high wearing comfort can be achieved, since the occupant no longer perceives the chest shield as a separate attachment part and the chest shield is also better fixed in relation to the occupant's upper body.

[0019] It is also proposed that the chest shield has a stiffening rib structure. Due to the stiffening rib structure, the chest shield can be additionally stiffened without increasing the weight, or in other words, the chest shield can be made thinner and thus lighter to fulfill a predetermined rigidity with the rib structure.

[0020] It is also proposed that the breastplate is made of a fiber-reinforced plastic or a light metal. Fiber- reinforced plastics are a suitable material because they can achieve very high strength with a low weight and also allow very complex shapes. Light metals are a suitable material insofar as they also enable high dimensional stability with a low weight and a very thin-walled shape. The invention is explained below with reference to preferred embodiments with reference to the attached figures. Fig.

[0021] Fig. 1 shows a restraint system according to the invention with a safety belt device and a chest shield according to a first embodiment in the applied state; and

[0022] Fig. 2 shows a restraint system according to the invention with a safety belt device and a chest shield according to a second embodiment in the fastened state; and

[0023] Fig. 3 a restraint system according to the invention with a safety belt device and a chest shield according to a third embodiment in the applied state; and

[0024] Fig. 4 a restraint system according to the invention with a safety harness device and a chest shield according to a fourth embodiment in the applied state; and

[0025] Fig. 5a, b a vest with an integrated chest shield in various views; and

[0026] Fig. 6a-c the strip-shaped chest shield of the third embodiment in different views.

[0027] Figure 1 shows a passenger sitting on a vehicle seat with a restraint system according to the invention with a safety belt device 1 and a chest shield 5 according to a first embodiment. The safety belt device 1 has a safety belt 2 on which a belt tongue, which cannot be recognized, is slidably guided. The upper end 10 of the safety belt 2 can be wound onto a winding shaft of a belt retractor not shown, which is fixed to the vehicle, and its lower end 11 is attached to an end fitting not shown, which is fixed to the vehicle. The belt retractor and / or the end fitting can additionally be provided with force limiting devices and / or reversible and / or irreversible tensioning devices. Furthermore, a belt buckle 6 is provided on the other side of the vehicle seat in relation to the end fitting, in which the belt tongue, which is slidably guided on the seat belt 2, can be locked. In its locked position in the buckle, the belt tongue divides the seat belt 2 into a lap belt section 3 that crosses the occupant's pelvis and a diagonal belt section 4 that crosses the occupant's chest to form a 3-point geometry.

[0028] The chest shield 5 is strip-shaped and more dimensionally stable than the seat belt 2 and has a greater width than the diagonal belt section 4. The chest shield 5 is aligned with its longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the diagonal belt section 4 and is arranged between the diagonal belt section 4 and the occupant. As a result, the chest shield 5 has a larger contact surface 19 on the occupant, which can be seen in Fig. 6c, than the surface of the diagonal belt section 4 facing the occupant. Since the chest shield 5 also has a higher dimensional stability than the seat belt 2 or the diagonal belt section 4. Since the chest plate 5 also has a higher dimensional stability than the seat belt 2 or the diagonal belt section 4, it forms a dimensionally stable support surface for the diagonal belt section 4 and thus distributes the restraining force exerted via the diagonal belt section 4 over a much larger contact surface 19. This in turn considerably reduces the maximum surface-related occupant load, in particular the load on the occupant in the area of the ribcage.

[0029] Figure 2 shows a second example of a restraint system according to the invention, in which the chest shield 5 is cross-shaped with two intersecting strip sections 7 and 8. The chest shield 5 lies with a first strip section 8 between the diagonal belt section 4 and the occupant, the first strip section 8 thus corresponds in shape to the strip-shaped chest shield 5 of the first embodiment example. This first strip section 8 is then supplemented by a second strip section 7 to form the cross-shaped chest shield 5. The strip sections 7 and 8 each extend from one shoulder of the occupant downwards diagonally across the chest of the occupant to the other lower side of the chest area. In this way, the restraining force exerted by the diagonal belt section 4 in the restraint case is distributed over the two strip sections 7 and 8 on both sides of the chest area, thus further reducing the maximum surface load on the occupant.

[0030] Figure 3 shows a restraint system according to the invention in a third embodiment, in which the chest shield 5 is also strip-shaped but in this case is aligned across the occupant's chest and perpendicular to the sagittal plane of the occupant. This allows the occupant's load to be evenly distributed, thus reducing the maximum load on the occupant on both sides of the chest. Figure 3 shows a fourth embodiment of a restraint system according to the invention, in which the chest shield 5 is integrated into or arranged in a vest 9. In this case, the occupant can put on the chest shield 5 by simply putting on the vest 9, whereby the chest shield 5 itself is in this case fixed to the occupant by the vest 9. It is therefore not necessary to fix or connect the chest shield 5 to the diagonal belt section 4. The vest 9 with the chest shield 5 thus forms an independent component of the restraint system, which can be designed to suit the individual occupant. When the seat belt 2 of the seat belt system 1 is fastened, the diagonal belt section 4 automatically comes into contact with the chest shield 5, whereby the diagonal belt section 4 can otherwise move freely in relation to the vest 9 and the chest shield 5.

[0031] In the first embodiment example of Fig. 1, in the second embodiment example of Fig. 2 and in the third embodiment example of Fig. 3, the chest shield 5 is in each case positively fixed to the diagonal belt section 4 via a guide arranged thereon to prevent lateral displacement, the diagonal belt section 4 being simultaneously guided in its longitudinal direction in the guide of the chest shield 5 so as to be displaceable. This allows the diagonal belt section 4 to make movements in its longitudinal direction relative to the chest plate 5 or the chest plate 5 to make movements in the longitudinal directions of the diagonal belt section 4, so that breathing movements, i.e. slight movements of the chest or longitudinal movements of the diagonal belt section 4, e.g. during the tightening process, do not lead to a displacement of the chest plate 5.

[0032] Figures 5a and 5b show a very simplified vest 9 in the form of a carrying belt, which is formed by two strip-shaped carrying sections 17 and 18. The carrying sections 17 and 18 form two engagement openings for the occupant's arms and are connected to each other at their ends 15 and 16 via an alignment buckle 14. The chest shield 5 is fixed via the support sections 17 and 18, whereby additional openings 12 and 13 are provided in the support sections 17 and 18 for attachment to the struts of a headrest of the vehicle seat. The vest 9 can thus be pre-fixed via the struts of the headrest for donning and held on the vehicle seat after removal, even if no occupant is sitting on the vehicle seat. The height of the alignment lock 14 can be adjusted so that the geometry of the support sections 17 and 18 and thus the position of the chest shield 5 can be adjusted within a predetermined adjustment range. In figures 6a to 6c, the strip-shaped chest shield 5 of the third embodiment of the restraint system can be seen enlarged as an individual part in various views. The strip-shaped chest shield 5 can be seen in Fig. 6a from the front and has a strip-shaped base body 23 with a ribbed structure 20 facing the viewer in Fig. 6a and two upright extensions 21 and 22 arranged at its ends. In Fig. 6b, the same breast shield 5 can be seen corresponding to the sectional direction A-A of Fig. 6a. Fig. 6c shows the same breast shield 5 as seen from above. In the area of its base body 23, the chest shield 5 has an ergonomically shaped, curved contact surface 19 for contact with the occupant's ribcage, the shape of which is adapted to the shape of the ribcage and the surface of the occupant's ribs. The chest shield 5 is symmetrical to a central axis and thus rests against the rib cage on both sides and symmetrically to the sagittal plane of the occupant when in the applied position. The rib structure 20 protrudes from the front of the base body 23 of the chest shield 5 and thus forms the contact surface for the diagonal belt section 4. The chest shield 5 is thus stiffened against the compressive forces exerted by the diagonal belt section 4 and thus distributes the restraining forces better over the entire width of the occupant's chest. Tests have shown that with a chest shield 5 of this type, the probability of a rib fracture in occupants over 65 years of age can be reduced from 99% without the use of a chest shield 5 to 16% with the use of a chest shield 5 according to the proposed solution. Depending on the height of the base body 23, the ribs of the insula can be protected individually, in pairs or in groups of more ribs by a corresponding covering with the breast shield 5.

[0033] In principle, the chest shield 5 is dimensionally stable, for example by being formed from a fiber- reinforced plastic or from a thin-walled metal part, whereby the rib structure 20 is preferably integrally formed during the manufacturing process of the chest shield 5.

[0034] Safety belt device Safety belt Lap belt section Diagonal belt section Chest shield Belt buckle Strip section Strip section Vest Upper end Lower end Opening Opening Alignment lock End End Support section Support section Contact surface Rib structure Extension Extension Main body

Claims

Claims:

1. Restraint system for an occupant in a motor vehicle with a seat belt device (1) with a seat belt (2) with a diagonal belt section (4) crossing a chest of the occupant when the seat belt device (1) is fastened, characterized in that a dimensionally stable chest shield (5) is provided between the diagonal belt section (4) and the chest of the occupant, that a dimensionally stable chest shield (5) is provided between the diagonal belt section (4) and the chest of the occupant, which shield has an enlarged contact surface (19) compared with the surface of the diagonal belt section (4) facing the occupant.

2. Restraint system according to claim 1, characterized in that the chest shield (5) is fixed or fixable to the diagonal belt section (4).

3. Restraint system according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the chest shield (5) has a guide in which the diagonal belt section (4) is slidably guided.

4. Restraint system according to claim 3, characterized in that the diagonal belt section (4) is positively fixed in the guide against displacement transversely to its longitudinal axis.

5. Restraint system according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the chest shield (5) has a curved shape adapted to the chest of the occupant in the contact surface (19) facing the occupant.

6. Restraint system according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the chest shield (5) is strip-shaped.

7. Restraint system according to claim 6, characterized in that the strip-shaped chest shield (5) is shaped in such a way that its longitudinal direction is aligned parallel to the diagonal belt section (4) in the applied state.

8. Restraint system according to one of claims 6 or 7 , characterized in that the chest shield (5) is cross-shaped with two strip sections (7 , 8) crossing the chest diagonally.

9. Restraint system according to claim 6, characterized in that the strip-shaped chest shield (5) is shaped and positioned by its arrangement on the diagonal belt section (4) in such a way that it is symmetrical to a sagittal plane of the occupant in the applied state.

10. Restraint system according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the chest shield (5) is designed in the form of a vest (9) or is integrated into a vest (9).

11. Restraint system according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the chest shield (5) has a stiffening rib structure (20).

12. Restraint system according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the chest shield (5) is made of a fibre-reinforced plastic or a light metal.

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