Vehicle Occupant Restraint Gap Control Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing occupant restraining devices for vehicles face challenges in effectively managing the kinetic energy of vehicle occupants during front collisions, particularly when the collision velocity or occupant mass is high, leading to insufficient energy absorption due to premature activation of actuator systems that fail to adequately increase the gap between the occupant and the seatback before impact.
Innovation Solution
An occupant restraining device that includes a time-to-collision estimating section, a force imparting portion, a gap enlarging portion, and a control section to precisely control the timing of the force imparting operation based on estimated time to collision and gap size, using a braking device, reclining device, or seat sliding mechanism to enlarge the gap and an explosive-type pretensioner or electric motor to impart force rearward, ensuring the occupant and seatback do not become integral before the collision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the actuator is operated a given time before the predicted collision time regardless of the gap size, then the occupant is pulled back toward the vehicle rear side, but the timing becomes too early when the gap is small, causing the occupant and seatback to become integral before collision and energy absorption to be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by operating the actuator before collision, but the timing is dynamically adjusted based on the detected gap size. When the gap is large, the actuator operates earlier; when the gap is small, the operation timing is delayed. This ensures the occupant is pulled back appropriately without becoming integral with the seatback before collision, optimizing energy absorption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from fixed timing control to dynamic timing control based on real-time gap detection. The control section adjusts the actuator operation timing according to the detected gap size, making the system adaptive to different occupancy conditions and ensuring optimal energy absorption across various scenarios.
2Reliability
If the gap between the vehicle occupant and the seatback is enlarged by operating the brake or pulling in the seatbelt, then the initial kinetic energy is reduced, but when the collision velocity or occupant mass is large, the energy absorption remains insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the restraining force parameters based on the detected gap size and collision conditions. By controlling the actuator operation timing according to the gap, the system optimizes the restraining force application to maximize energy absorption effectiveness across different collision scenarios.
3Reliability
If the seat is tilted rearward to enlarge the distance between the vehicle occupant and the steering wheel, then the occupant protection is improved, but when the kinetic energy is large, the energy absorption will be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by tilting the seat rearward before collision occurs. This preliminary seat tilting enlarges the distance between the occupant and the steering wheel, providing better protection during the collision event by reducing the impact force on the occupant.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enhances the protection of vehicle occupants by preventing insufficient energy absorption and ensuring the occupant is safely moved away from the seatback during a collision, thereby improving the overall performance of the occupant restraining system.
Implementation Method 1
a braking device that decelerates the own vehicle and tilts the vehicle occupant forward by inertia
Implementation Method 2
an explosive-type pretensioner that pulls in a seatbelt applied to a vehicle occupant seated in a vehicle seat
Implementation Method 3
an electric motor that pulls in a seatbelt applied to a vehicle occupant seated in a vehicle seat
Data Source
AI summary
An occupant restraining device for a vehicle has: a time to collision estimating section that estimates a time to collision, the time to collision being a time until a front collision with a vehicle ahead; a force imparting portion that imparts force toward a vehicle rear side to a vehicle occupant of an own vehicle; a gap enlarging portion that enlarges a gap between the vehicle occupant and a seatback of a vehicle seat; a gap estimating section that estimates a size of the gap between the vehicle occupant and the seatback; and a control section that, in a case in which the gap enlarging portion operates, controls a timing of a start of operation of the force imparting portion on the basis of the time to collision estimated by the time to collision estimating section and the size of the gap estimated by the gap estimating section.