Occupant protection device including lumbar support

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9889771-B2
Application number	US-201615140970-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2016
Priority date	May 7, 2015
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

An occupant protection device includes: a lumbar support section that is displaceable between an upper limit position and a lower limit position, and is displaceable between an advanced position pressing against the lumbar region and a retreated position further to a seatback rear side than the advanced position; a displacement mechanism that displaces a frontmost location of the lumbar support section; a rear collision prediction section that predicts a rear-end collision to a vehicle; and an actuation controller that, in cases in which a vehicle rear-end collision has been predicted by the rear collision prediction section in a state in which the frontmost location of the lumbar support section is not at the lower limit position, controls the displacement mechanism, and sets the frontmost location at the lower limit position and at the advanced position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An occupant protection device including a lumbar support comprising:
a lumbar support section that is provided at a seatback of a vehicle seat, that is configured to support a lumbar region of an occupant seated on a seat cushion of the vehicle seat, and that has a frontmost location disposed furthest to a seatback front side, the frontmost location is displaceable at least between an upper limit position in a seatback up-down direction and a lower limit position in the seatback up-down direction, the upper limit position being a position supporting an upper portion side of the lumbar region and the lower limit position being a position supporting a lower portion side of the lumbar region, and the frontmost location is also displaceable between an advanced position pressing against the lumbar region and a retreated position further to a seatback rear side than the advanced position;
a displacement mechanism that displaces the frontmost location of the lumbar support section;
a rear collision prediction section that predicts a rear-end collision to a vehicle; and
an actuation controller that, in cases in which a vehicle rear-end collision has been predicted by the rear collision prediction section in a state in which the frontmost location of the lumbar support section is not at the lower limit position, controls the displacement mechanism, and sets the frontmost location at the lower limit position and at the advanced position.

2. The occupant protection device including a lumbar support of claim 1 , wherein:
the lumbar support section is capable of moving in the seatback up-down direction; and
in cases in which a vehicle rear-end collision has been predicted by the rear collision prediction section, a movable range of the lumbar support section in the seatback up-down direction is extended further to a seatback lower side than a normal movable range of the lumbar support section in the seatback up-down direction.

3. The occupant protection device including a lumbar support of claim 1 , further comprising:
a three-point seatbelt device that is configured to restrain an upper body of the occupant seated on the seat cushion with shoulder webbing, and that is configured to restrain the lumbar region of the occupant with lap webbing; and
a pre-tensioner that actuates, and applies tension to the shoulder webbing in cases in which a vehicle rear-end collision has been predicted by the rear collision prediction section,
wherein, in cases in which a vehicle rear-end collision has been predicted by the rear collision prediction section in a state in which the frontmost location of the lumbar support section is not at the lower limit position, the actuation controller actuates the pre-tensioner and then controls the displacement mechanism, and sets the frontmost location at the lower limit position and at the advanced position.

4. The occupant protection device including a lumbar support of claim 1 , wherein:
the displacement mechanism includes a raising-and-lowering mechanism that moves the lumbar support section in the seatback up-down direction, and an advancing-and-retreating mechanism that moves the frontmost location in a seatback front-rear direction; and
in cases in which a vehicle rear-end collision has been predicted by the rear collision prediction section in a state in which the frontmost location of the lumbar support section is not at the lower limit position,
when the frontmost location is not disposed at the advanced position, the actuation controller controls the raising-and-lowering mechanism, moves the lumbar support section to a seatback lower side movement limit, then controls the advancing-and-retreating mechanism, and moves the frontmost location to the advanced position on the seatback front side, and
when the frontmost location is disposed at the advanced position, the actuation controller controls the raising-and-lowering mechanism, and moves the lumbar support section to the seatback lower side movement limit.

5. The occupant protection device including a lumbar support of claim 1 , wherein:
the displacement mechanism includes a raising-and-lowering mechanism that moves the lumbar support section in the seatback up-down direction, and an advancing-and-retreating mechanism that moves the frontmost location in a seatback front-rear direction; and
in cases in which a vehicle rear-end collision has been predicted by the rear collision prediction section in a state in which the frontmost location of the lumbar support section is not at the lower limit position,
when the frontmost location is not disposed at the advanced position, the actuation controller controls the raising-and-lowering mechanism and the advancing-and-retreating mechanism, and moves the frontmost location toward the advanced position at the seatback front side while moving the lumbar support section toward a seatback lower side movement limit.

6. The occupant protection device including a lumbar support of claim 1 , wherein:
the displacement mechanism includes a raising-and-lowering mechanism that moves the lumbar support section in the seatback up-down direction, and an advancing-and-retreating mechanism that moves the frontmost location in a seatback front-rear direction; and
in cases in which a vehicle rear-end collision has been predicted by the rear collision prediction section in a state in which the frontmost location of the lumbar support section is not at the lower limit position,
when the frontmost location is not disposed at the advanced position, the actuation controller controls the advancing-and-retreating mechanism, moves the frontmost location to the advanced position, then controls the raising-and-lowering mechanism, and moves the lumbar support section to a seatback lower side movement limit.

7. The occupant protection device including a lumbar support of claim 1 , wherein:
the lumbar support section includes an upper side air bladder, a lower side air bladder, and a dedicated rear collision air bladder provided at the seatback front side of the lower side air bladder;
the displacement mechanism is configured by increasing pressure and decreasing pressure of the upper side air bladder, the lower side air bladder, and the dedicated rear collision air bladder; and
in cases in which a vehicle rear-end collision has been predicted by the rear collision prediction section in a state in which the upper side air bladder is in an inflated state, and the lower side air bladder and the dedicated rear collision air bladder are each in a deflated state, and in which the frontmost location of the lumbar support section is neither at the lower limit position nor at the advanced position, the actuation controller controls the displacement mechanism such that the upper side air bladder adopts a deflated state, and the lower side air bladder and the dedicated rear collision air bladder adopt an inflated state.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ohno Mitsuyoshi
• Shimazu Katsuya

Classifications

• B60N2/4228

  due to impact coming from the rear · CPC title

• B60R2021/0273

  automatically movable to an operative position, e.g. in case of collision or impending collision · CPC title

• B60N2/6671

  with cable actuators · CPC title

• B60R2021/23107

  the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system · CPC title

• B60N2/0276 Primary

  reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash · CPC title