Occupant protection device for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9452725-B2
Application number	US-201514671612-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2015
Priority date	Mar 28, 2014
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

An occupant protection device for a vehicle includes an airbag module arranged in a hub region of a vehicle steering wheel used for steering vehicle wheels about a steering angle when the steering wheel is turned to a rotary position. The airbag module has an airbag configured for deployment between a driver and the steering wheel in the event of a crash. An adjustment unit is provided to turn the steering wheel from the rotary position to a crash position while the steering angle of the vehicle wheels remains unchanged so as to align the airbag with a posture of the driver in the event of a crash.

First claim

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims and includes equivalents of the elements recited therein:

1. An occupant protection device for a vehicle, comprising:
an airbag module arranged in a hub region of a vehicle steering wheel used for steering vehicle wheels about a steering angle when the steering wheel is turned to a rotary position, said airbag module having an airbag configured for deployment between a driver and the steering wheel in the event of a crash; and
an adjustment unit configured to turn the steering wheel from the rotary position to a crash position while the steering angle of the vehicle wheels remains unchanged so as to align the airbag with a posture of the driver in the event of a crash, wherein the steering wheel is a component of a steer-by-wire steering system which includes a steering sensor issuing a steering command in response to the rotary position and/or rotary actuation of the steering wheel, an actuator operably connected to the vehicle wheels, and a controller electrically connected to the actuator and activating the actuator in response to the steering command received from the steering sensor for setting the steering angle of the vehicle wheels; and
a sensor element operably connected to the controller and configured to ascertain an actual posture of the driver, said controller configured to determine the crash position of the steering wheel so that a rotation angle position of the steering wheel is adjustable in dependence of the actual posture of the driver, when the actual posture of the driver is out-of-position.

2. The occupant protection device of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment unit is configured to allow execution of a force/path control of the steering wheel for providing a haptic feedback to the driver.

3. The occupant protection device of claim 1 , wherein the airbag has an asymmetric configuration, when being deployed.

4. The occupant protection device of claim 3 , wherein the airbag has a thorax portion and a head portion.

5. The occupant protection device of claim 1 , wherein the airbag module together with the airbag is rotatably coupled with the steering wheel.

6. The occupant protection device of claim 1 , wherein the crash position of the steering wheel is identical with a straight-ahead travel position of the vehicle so that the adjustment unit adjusts the steering wheel from the rotary position to the straight-ahead travel position in the event of a crash while the steering angle of the vehicle wheels remains unchanged.

7. The occupant protection device of claim 1 , further comprising a pre-crash sensor mechanism operably connected to the controller and configured to generate a pre-crash signal by which the adjustment unit is activated by the controller to execute an adjustment operation to move the steering wheel to the crash position.

8. The occupant protection device of claim 7 , wherein the airbag is activated after the adjustment unit has executed the adjustment operation of the steering wheel.

9. The occupant protection device of claim 8 , wherein the adjustment operation and the activation of the airbag are executed without any overlap in time.

10. The occupant protection device of claim 8 , wherein the adjustment unit is configured to lock the steering wheel in the crash position during activation of the airbag.

11. The occupant protection device of claim 7 , further comprising a sensor element operably connected to the controller and configured to determine the presence of a steering wheel intervention by the driver, when the adjustment unit has executed the adjustment operation of the steering wheel.

12. The occupant protection device of claim 11 , wherein the adjustment unit is configured to abort the adjustment operation in the presence of a steering wheel intervention by the driver.

13. The occupant protection device of claim 11 , wherein the sensor element is a camera or a humidity sensor to ascertain a contact of the driver with the steering wheel.

14. The occupant protection device of claim 11 , wherein the sensor element is a force measuring device configured to determine a resistance force upon the steering wheel during the adjustment operation.

15. A method for protecting an occupant in a vehicle, comprising:
arranging an airbag module in a hub region of a vehicle steering wheel used for steering vehicle wheels about a steering angle, when the steering wheel is turned to a rotary position;
controlling the steering wheel by an adjustment unit to align an airbag of the airbag module with a posture of a driver of the vehicle in the event of a crash by turning the steering wheel from the rotary position to a crash position in the absence of a change to the steering angle of the vehicle wheels, wherein the steering wheel is a component of a steer-by-wire steering system which includes a steering sensor issuing a steering command in response to the rotary position and/or rotary actuation of the steering wheel, an actuator operably connected to the vehicle wheels, and a controller electrically connected to the actuator and activating the actuator in response to the steering command received from the steering sensor for setting the steering angle of the vehicle wheels;
operably connecting a sensor element to the controller to ascertain an actual posture of the driver;
determining the crash position of the steering wheel by the controller; and
adjusting a rotation angle position of the steering wheel in dependence of the actual posture of the driver, when the actual posture of the driver is out-of-position.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the adjustment unit is configured to allow execution of a force/path control of the steering wheel for providing a haptic feedback to the driver.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising rotatably coupling the airbag module together with the airbag with the steering wheel.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the crash position of the steering wheel is identical with a straight-ahead travel position so as to adjust the steering wheel from the rotary position to the straight-ahead travel position in the event of a crash while the steering angle of the vehicle wheels remains unchanged.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising operably connecting a pre-crash sensor mechanism to the controller to generate a pre-crash signal by which the adjustment unit is activated by the controller to execute an adjustment operation to move the steering wheel to the crash position.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising activating the airbag after the adjustment unit has executed the adjustment operation of the steering wheel.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising executing the adjustment operation and activation of the airbag without any overlap in time.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein the adjustment unit is configured to lock the steering wheel during activation of the airbag.

23. The method of claim 19 , further comprising operably connecting a sensor element to the controller to determine the presence of a steering wheel intervention by the driver, when the adjustment unit has executed the adjustment operation of the steering wheel.

24. The occupant protection device of claim 19 , wherein the adjustment unit is configured to abort the adjustment operation in the presence of a steering wheel intervention by the driver.

25. The method of

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Lorenz Stephan
• Schütz Ingo
• Pfeiffer Ulrich
• Wilding Werner
• Tuschkan Alwin

Classifications

• B60R21/01512

  Passenger detection systems · CPC title

• B60R21/203

  in steering wheels or steering columns · CPC title

• B60R21/015

  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

• B60R21/01 Primary

  Electrical circuits for triggering {passive} safety arrangements, {e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners,} in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents {(electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343)} · CPC title

• B60R21/231

  characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration · CPC title