Occupant protection apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10960839-B2
Application number	US-201716494077-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2017
Priority date	Mar 16, 2017
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

An occupant protection apparatus includes a seat arrangement determination unit that determines the arrangement of seats and a collision determination unit that determines information about collision occurring to a vehicle. A deployment control unit deploys an airbag when the direction of the seat and the direction of the seat determined by the scat arrangement determination unit (94) are opposed to each other, and the direction of the collision determined by the collision determination unit is on the front side of the seat, or on the front side of the seat.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle occupant protection device comprising:
an air bag configured to be deployed between two seats that are adjacent to each other;
a deployment control unit configured to deploy the air bag;
a seat disposition determination unit configured to determine directions of the two seats; and
a collision determination unit configured to determine information about a collision of a vehicle,
wherein if the direction of one of the seats and the direction of another of the seats that are determined by the seat disposition determination unit face each other, and if a direction of the collision that is determined by the collision determination unit is on a front side of the one seat or a front side of the other seat, the deployment control unit deploys the air bag.

2. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1 , wherein the air bag is configured to be deployed from a roof in a downward direction of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 2 , further comprising a first strap and a second strap, each having one end fixed to the air bag and another end fixed to the roof,
wherein a fixing part for the deployed air bag and the first strap is positioned above a fixing part for the deployed air bag and the second strap.

4. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a vehicle occupant determination unit configured to determine a physique of a vehicle occupant; and
a tension control unit configured to control tensions of the first strap and the second strap on a basis of the physique of the vehicle occupant that is determined by the vehicle occupant determination unit and/or impact of the collision that is determined by the collision determination unit.

5. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first strap and the second strap is connected to an energy absorption member.

6. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 3 , further comprising a sheet member configured to extend between the second strap and the roof.

7. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a timer configured to start time measuring when the air bag starts to be deployed;
a strap cutting device configured to cut the first strap and the second strap from the roof in accordance with a cutting instruction; and
a cutting instruction unit configured to output the cutting instruction to the strap cutting device if a time measured by the timer has exceeded a predetermined time.

8. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a seat support mechanism configured to support the seat in a state where the seat is movable in a horizontal direction; and
an air bag movement device configured to move the air bag in accordance with a movement operation of the seat.

9. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 2 , further comprising a monitor device protruding from the roof in the downward direction of the vehicle,
wherein when the air bag is deployed, the air bag is disposed at a position where the air bag is in contact with the monitor device.

10. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1 , wherein the air bag is configured to be deployed from a roof side rail or a pillar toward a center in a vehicle width direction.

11. A vehicle occupant protection device comprising:
an air bag configured to be deployed between a rearmost seat in a vehicle compartment and a rear end of the vehicle compartment;
a deployment control unit configured to deploy the air bag;
a seat disposition determination unit configured to determine a direction of the seat; and
a collision determination unit configured to determine information about a collision of a vehicle,
wherein if the direction of the seat that is determined by the seat disposition determination unit is a rear direction of the vehicle, and if a direction of the collision that is determined by the collision determination unit is on a rear side of the vehicle, the deployment control unit deploys the air bag.

12. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 11 , wherein the air bag is configured to be deployed from a roof in a downward direction of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 12 , further comprising a first strap and a second strap, each having one end fixed to the air bag and another end fixed to the roof,
wherein a fixing part for the deployed air bag and the first strap is positioned above a fixing part for the deployed air bag and the second strap.

14. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a vehicle occupant determination unit configured to determine a physique of a vehicle occupant; and
a tension control unit configured to control tensions of the first strap and the second strap on a basis of the physique of the vehicle occupant that is determined by the vehicle occupant determination unit and/or impact of the collision that is determined by the collision determination unit.

15. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first strap and the second strap is connected to an energy absorption member.

16. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 13 , further comprising a sheet member configured to extend between the second strap and the roof.

17. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a timer configured to start time measuring when the air bag starts to be deployed;
a strap cutting device configured to cut the first strap and the second strap from the roof in accordance with a cutting instruction; and
a cutting instruction unit configured to output the cutting instruction to the strap cutting device if a time measured by the timer has exceeded a predetermined time.

18. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a seat support mechanism configured to support the seat in a state where the seat is movable in a horizontal direction; and
an air bag movement device configured to move the air bag in accordance with a movement operation of the seat.

19. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 12 , further comprising a monitor device protruding from the roof in the downward direction of the vehicle,
wherein when the air bag is deployed, the air bag is disposed at a position where the air bag is in contact with the monitor device.

20. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 11 , wherein the air bag is configured to be deployed from a roof side rail or a pillar toward a center in a vehicle width direction.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Imura Kazuo
• Takemura Naotoshi
• Sugamata Yoshihisa
• Nakamura Yusuke

Classifications

• B60R21/213

  in vehicle roof frames or pillars · CPC title

• B60R21/0134

  responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle {, e.g. using radar systems} · CPC title

• B60R2021/0032

  Position of passenger · CPC title

• B60R21/214

  in roof panels · CPC title

• B60R21/01554 Primary

  Seat position sensors · CPC title