Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9308882-B2
Application number	US-201414478212-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2014
Priority date	Sep 30, 2013
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle has a front seat in which an airbag is deployed so as to inflate in an interior of a seat back in response to a collision, and a rear seat disposed behind the front seat. The vehicle includes: a rear occupancy detector that detects the presence of a seat occupant in the rear seat; and a controller that controls deployment/inflation of the airbag. The airbag in the seat back elastically supports an upper body of a seat occupant of the front seat, and elastically receives an impact force exerted on a back surface of the seat back. The controller cancels deployment/inflation of the airbag when a seat occupant is not present in the rear seat.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle that has a front seat in which an airbag is deployed so as to inflate in an interior of a seat back in response to a collision, and a rear seat disposed behind the front seat, the vehicle comprising:
a rear occupancy detector that detects the presence of a seat occupant in the rear seat; and
a controller that controls deployment/inflation of the airbag,
wherein the deployment/inflation within the seat back is performed such that the deployed/inflated airbag elastically supports an upper body portion that extends from the waist to chest of a front seat occupant and elastically receives an impact force exerted on a back surface of the seat back; and
the controller cancels the deployment/inflation when a seat occupant is not present in the rear seat.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the deployment/inflation such that the airbag expands between a suspended elastic support member supported by a seat back frame structure and seat back covering material facing the rear seat.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the air bag is positioned in a storage state below a headrest supported by the seat back frame structure.

4. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the seat back frame structure includes an upper frame section extending above an expansion zone of the air bag, and a pair of side frame sections positioned on opposite sides, in the vehicle width direction, of the expansion zone.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle further comprises a collision sensor for predicting or detecting a rear collision; and
the deployment/inflation is performed after the collision sensor predicts or detects a rear collision.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the front seat is a front passenger seat, and the vehicle further comprises a front passenger seat occupancy detector for detecting the presence of a seat occupant in the front passenger seat; and
the deployment/inflation is canceled when a seat occupant is not present in the front passenger seat.

7. A vehicle that has a front seat in which an airbag is deployed so as to inflate in an interior of a seat back in response to a collision, and a rear seat disposed behind the front seat, the vehicle comprising:
a child seat attachment detector that detects attachment of a child seat to the rear seat; and
a controller that controls deployment/inflation of the airbag, wherein

the deployment/inflation within the seat back is performed such that the deployed/inflated airbag elastically supports an upper body of a front seat occupant and elastically receives an impact force exerted on a back surface of the seat back; and
the controller cancels the deployment/inflation when a child seat is attached to the rear seat.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein
the vehicle further comprises a collision sensor for predicting or detecting a rear collision; and
the deployment/inflation is performed after the collision sensor predicts or detects a rear collision.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein
the front seat is a front passenger seat, and the vehicle further comprises a front passenger seat occupancy detector for detecting the presence of a seat occupant in the front passenger seat; and
the deployment/inflation is canceled when a seat occupant is not present in the front passenger seat.

10. The vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein
the front seat is a front passenger seat, and the vehicle further comprises a front passenger seat occupancy detector for detecting the presence of a seat occupant in the front passenger seat; and
the deployment/inflation is canceled when a seat occupant is not present in the front passenger seat.

11. A vehicle that has a front seat in which an airbag is deployed so as to inflate in an interior of a seat back in response to a collision, and a rear seat disposed behind the front seat, the vehicle comprising:
a rear seat occupant type detector that detects a body type of a seat occupant of the rear seat; and
a controller that controls deployment/inflation of the airbag, wherein

the deployment/inflation within the seat back is performed such that the deployed/inflated airbag elastically supports an upper body of a front seat occupant and elastically receives an impact force exerted on a back surface of the seat back; and
the controller cancels the deployment/inflation when the type of the seat occupant is a predetermined body type.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein
the vehicle further comprises a collision sensor for predicting or detecting a rear collision; and
the deployment/inflation is performed after the collision sensor predicts or detects a rear collision.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein
the front seat is a front passenger seat, and the vehicle further comprises a front passenger seat occupancy detector for detecting the presence of a seat occupant in the front passenger seat; and
the deployment/inflation is canceled when a seat occupant is not present in the front passenger seat.

14. The vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein
the front seat is a front passenger seat, and the vehicle further comprises a front passenger seat occupancy detector for detecting the presence of a seat occupant in the front passenger seat; and
the deployment/inflation is canceled when a seat occupant is not present in the front passenger seat.

15. A vehicle that has a front seat in which an airbag is deployed so as to inflate in an interior of a seat back in response to a collision, and a rear seat disposed behind the front seat, the vehicle comprising:
a rear seat load detector that detects a condition of a load carried on the rear seat; and
a controller that controls deployment/inflation of the airbag, wherein

the deployment/inflation within the seat back is performed such that the deployed/inflated airbag elastically supports an upper body of a front seat occupant and elastically receives an impact force exerted on a back surface of the seat back; and
the controller cancels the deployment/inflation when the load carried on the rear seat is in a predetermined condition.

16. The vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein
the vehicle further comprises a collision sensor for predicting or detecting a rear collision; and
the deployment/inflation is performed after the collision sensor predicts or detects a rear collision.

17. The vehicle according to claim 16 , wherein
the front seat is a front passenger seat, and the vehicle further comprises a front passenger seat occupancy detector for detecting the presence of a seat occupant in the front passenger seat; and
the deployment/inflation is canceled when a seat occupant is not present in the front passenger seat.

18. The vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein
the front seat is a front passenger seat, and the vehicle further comprises a front passenger seat occupancy detector for detecting the presence of a seat occupant in the front passenger seat; and
the deployment/inflation is canceled when a seat occupant is not present in the front passenger seat.

19. A vehicle that has a front seat in which an airbag is deployed so as to inflate in an interior of a seat back in response to a collision, and a rear seat disposed behind the front seat, the vehicle comprising:
a rear occupancy detector that detects the presence of a seat occupant in the rear seat; and
a controller that controls deployment/inflation of the airbag,
wherein th

Assignees

• Fuji Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Nagasawa Isamu

Classifications

• B60R21/015 Primary

  including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats {, and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use} · CPC title

• B60R21/01556

  Child-seat detection systems · CPC title

• B60R21/013

  including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over · CPC title

• B60R21/207

  in vehicle seats · CPC title

• B60R2021/23153

  specially adapted for rear seat passengers · CPC title