JP7116569B2 - Occupant protection device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an occupant protection system.

2. Description of the Related Art Vehicles such as automobiles use seat belt devices and airbag devices to protect passengers from collisions and the like.
As such an airbag device, it is possible to respond to various types of collisions, such as a collision from the front of the vehicle (so-called frontal collision) and a collision from the side of the vehicle (so-called side collision). An occupant protection device has been proposed that inflates an airbag so as to cover the vehicle from all directions to protect the occupant from collisions from various angles.

For example, an automotive airbag device has been proposed that includes an inflator, a gas supply pipe, and a bag. In this automobile airbag device, a gas supply pipe is fixed to the seat back of a seat. The gas supply pipe projects upward from each end in the width direction of the seatback, extends above the head of the seated occupant, extends above the occupant on each side of the occupant, and Above the occupant, it extends horizontally across the front of the occupant and is installed above the occupant so as to surround the occupant. A flexible bag is wrapped around the gas supply pipe and stored. Therefore, when gas is sent from the inflator to the gas supply pipe and supplied to the bag from the gas supply pipe, the bag inflates so as to surround the front and both sides of the occupant seated on the seat, and the upper body of the occupant. It surrounds and protects the whole (see Patent Document 1).

In addition, in the airbag device for automobiles, the protruding gas supply pipe is unattractive and obstructive, so a diffuser pipe made of a metal pipe is arranged to supply gas to the inside of the multi-directional airbag. However, an occupant protection system has been proposed in which the diffuser pipe is moved from a retracted position inside the headrest to an operating position above the head of the occupant. In this occupant protection system, the airbag is normally stored in the upper part of the vehicle seat in a folded state. By moving upward and forward from the upper part of the seat), the multi-directional airbag is deployed in the area including the front and left and right sides of the occupant's head, so that it looks good and secures occupant protection function. (See Patent Document 2).

JP-A-2000-344044 JP 2017-094767 A

However, in order to cope with such many types of collisions, the airbag that protects many areas such as the front and sides of the occupant has a large capacity and requires a large inflator to inflate the airbag. becomes necessary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an occupant protection system capable of suppressing an increase in the size of an inflator while coping with many types of collisions. .

An occupant protection device according to the present invention is deployed at predetermined positions, and includes a plurality of airbags connected by a connecting portion, an inflator for supplying gas to the airbags, and the inflator and each of the air bags. an air guide path that individually connects the bag, a collision detection device that detects a collision of the vehicle and the collision direction, a movement direction prediction unit that predicts the movement direction of the occupant based on the collision direction, and a predicted a deployment control unit that determines the airbag to be deployed based on the movement direction of the occupant and controls the destination of gas supply from the inflator, wherein the airbag is controlled by the deployment control unit; A primary deployment airbag that is deployed by being directly supplied with gas from an inflator through the air guide passage, and movement of the occupant to the primary deployment airbag causes gas in the primary deployment airbag to flow through the connecting portion. and a secondary deployment airbag that is deployed by being moved by the airbag.

Further, a gas movement control section may be provided for controlling the flow of gas in the connecting portion that is moved from the primary deployment airbag to the secondary deployment airbag based on the movement direction of the occupant. .

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an occupant protection device capable of suppressing an increase in the size of an inflator while coping with many types of collisions.

1 is a plan view schematically showing an airbag deployed by an occupant protection system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an occupant protection device according to this embodiment; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the deployed state of the airbags assuming that all three airbags are deployed. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the deployment of the airbag when a collision object collides obliquely from the front left of the vehicle; FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the deployment of the airbag when a collision object collides with the left side of the vehicle; FIG. 10 is a plan view of the occupant protection system assuming that all five airbags are deployed;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an airbag deployed by an occupant protection system according to this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the occupant protection system according to this embodiment. FIG. 1(a) is a plan view showing the deployment position when the airbag is deployed, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the inflator and each airbag.
Also, in the present embodiment, a case where there are three airbags will be described as an example.

(Construction of the occupant protection device 1)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the occupant protection device 1 includes an inflator 10, an airbag 21, a connecting portion 31, an air guide passage 41, a switching valve 50, a collision detection device 60, an ECU 100, It has Note that the collision detection device 60 may be included in the ECU 100 .

Also, the airbag 21 has an airbag 21a, an airbag 21b, and an airbag 21c. Further, the connecting portion 31 has a connecting portion 31ab, a connecting portion 31ac, and a connecting portion 31bc. Further, the air guide passage 41 has an air guide passage 41a, an air guide passage 41b, and an air guide passage 41c.
The ECU 100 also includes a movement direction prediction section 110 , a deployment control section 120 and a gas movement control section 130 .

(Inflator 10)
The inflator 10 ignites gunpowder based on a signal sent from the collision detection device 60 when an abnormality occurs due to collision prediction or collision detection with respect to the vehicle, generates gas by chemical reaction due to combustion, and releases the gas to the airbag 21. It supplies

(Airbag 21)
The airbag 21 is a bag into which gas is injected by the inflator 10, and is folded into a small size when not in operation. Further, when the airbag 21 is supplied with gas by the inflator 10, the airbag 21 inflates and deploys from the front to the rear of the vehicle. The airbag 21 receives the occupant P when inflated and deployed.

Further, as described above, the airbag 21 has the airbag 21a, the airbag 21b, and the airbag 21c, which are deployed at predetermined positions.
The airbag 21a is provided in front of the passenger P seated on the seat S so as to be deployable. Further, the airbag 21b is provided on the left side surface of the occupant P so as to be deployable. Further, the airbag 21c is provided on the right side of the occupant P so as to be deployable.

In the present embodiment, the occupant protection system 1 is provided in front of the vehicle (for example, the steering center pad or instrument panel), and the airbag 21 deploys toward the rear of the vehicle. However, the occupant protection device 1 may be provided on the seat S, the upper portion of the vehicle, or the like.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the deployed state of the airbag 21 when the occupant protection device 1 is provided on the seat S and all three airbags 21a, 21b, and 21c are assumed to be deployed. be.

(Connecting portion 31)
The connecting portion 31 connects the respective airbags 21a to 21c, and is provided therein with a flow path for circulating gas. The connecting portion 31 is controlled by the gas movement control portion 130 to enable movement of gas between the respective airbags 21a to 21c.

Further, as described above, the connecting portion 31 has the connecting portion 31ab, the connecting portion 31ac, and the connecting portion 31bc, and connects the airbags 21a to 21c individually.
In the present embodiment, the flow of gas between the airbags 21a to 21c is controlled by the gas movement control section 130 via the connection section 31. The airbags 21a to 21c (primary deployment airbags, which will be described later) that have been deployed to the airbags 21a to 21c (primary deployment airbags, which will be described later) are in contact with the airbags 21a to 21c (secondary deployment airbags, which will be described later). You may make it move.

The connection portion 31ab connects the airbag 21a and the airbag 21b, and transfers the gas in the airbag 21a to the airbag 21b through the internal flow path, or transfers the gas in the airbag 21b to the airbag. 21a. Further, the connecting portion 31ab is controlled by the gas movement control portion 130 as to whether or not the gas is allowed to flow. For example, a valve is provided in the connecting portion 31ab, and the opening and closing of this valve is controlled by the gas movement control portion 130 .

Here, when the connecting portion 31ab is opened by the gas movement control portion 130 while the airbag 21a is being inflated and deployed, the gas in the airbag 21a moves to the airbag 21b, and the airbag 21b is inflated. , will be expanded. Conversely, when the connecting portion 31ab is opened by the gas movement control portion 130 while the airbag 21b is being inflated and deployed, the gas in the airbag 21b moves to the airbag 21a, and the airbag 21a will expand and expand.

The connection part 31ac connects the airbag 21a and the airbag 21c, and transfers the gas in the airbag 21a to the airbag 21c through the internal flow path, or transfers the gas in the airbag 21c to the airbag. 21a. Further, in the connecting portion 31ac, similarly to the connecting portion 31ab, the gas movement control portion 130 controls whether or not the gas is allowed to flow.

Similarly to the above, when the connecting portion 31ac is opened while the airbag 21a is being inflated and deployed, the airbag 21c is inflated and deployed. When the connecting portion 31ac is opened during deployment, the airbag 21a is inflated and deployed.

The connection portion 31bc connects the airbag 21b and the airbag 21c, and transfers the gas in the airbag 21b to the airbag 21c through the internal flow path, or transfers the gas in the airbag 21c to the airbag. 21b. Further, the connecting portion 31bc is controlled by the gas movement control portion 130 in the same manner as the connecting portion 31ab and the connecting portion 31ac as to whether or not the gas is allowed to flow.

Similarly to the above, when the connecting portion 31bc is opened while the airbag 21b is being inflated and deployed, the airbag 21c is inflated and deployed. When the connecting portion 31bc is opened during deployment, the airbag 21b is inflated and deployed.
In addition, each connection part 31ab, the connection part 31ac, and the connection part 31bc may be provided not only in one but in multiple numbers. By providing a plurality of connecting portions 31ab, connecting portions 31ac, and connecting portions 31bc, gas flow can be facilitated. Further, the number of connecting portions 31ab, connecting portions 31ac, and connecting portions 31bc may be changed. For example, by increasing the number of locations where it is difficult to circulate gas or where it is desired to increase the amount of gas circulation, it is possible to facilitate gas circulation only in specific locations.

(Air guidance passage 41)
The air guide passage 41 connects the switching valve 50 and the airbag 21 and supplies the gas output from the inflator 10 to the airbag 21 .

Further, as described above, the air guide passage 41 has the air guide passage 41a, the air guide passage 41b, and the air guide passage 41c, and the inflator 10 and the respective air It connects the bags 21a to 21c individually.
The air guide passage 41a connects the switching valve 50 and the airbag 21a, and supplies the gas output from the inflator 10 to the airbag 21a. The air guide passage 41b connects the switching valve 50 and the airbag 21b, and supplies the gas output from the inflator 10 to the airbag 21b. The air guide passage 41c connects the switching valve 50 and the airbag 21c, and supplies the gas output from the inflator 10 to the airbag 21c.

(Switching valve 50)
The switching valve 50 switches the output destination of the gas supplied from the inflator 10, and based on information specified by the deployment control unit 120 (information on the primary deployment airbags 21a to 21c described later) The supplied gas is switched to the air guide passage 41 connected to the designated airbag 21 and output.

Specifically, when gas is output from the inflator 10 in response to a collision detection signal from the collision detection device 60, the switching valve 50 operates based on the designation of the airbags 21a to 21c to be deployed sent from the deployment control unit 120. , the air guide passages 41a to 41c, which are output destinations, are switched to supply gas to predetermined airbags 21a to 21c.
Note that the switching valve 50 is not limited to one that supplies gas to any one of the airbags 21a to 21c (air guide paths 41a to 41c), and a plurality of airbags 21a to 21c (air guide paths 41a to 41c). 41c) may be supplied with gas.

(Collision detection device 60)
The collision detection device 60 predicts a collision of an object against the vehicle and detects the collision. The collision detection device 60 also predicts the direction of collision or detects the direction of collision when the collision is predicted or detected. When a collision is predicted or detected, the collision detection device 60 sends a collision detection signal to the inflator 10, and also sends information on the collision detection signal and the collision direction to the ECU 100 (moving direction prediction unit 110). . Instead of sending the collision detection signal to the ECU 100 (moving direction prediction unit 110), information on the collision direction may also be sent to the ECU 100, thereby serving as the transmission of the collision detection signal.
Here, prediction of a collision by the collision detection device 60 means, for example, whether or not the object will come into contact with the vehicle according to the moving direction of the object approaching the vehicle, the relative acceleration with the object, and the like. By determining whether or not, a collision can be predicted. Also, the collision detection device 60 detects a collision with the vehicle based on a detection signal from an acceleration sensor or the like.

In the present embodiment, the collision detection device 60 performs both prediction of a collision with the vehicle and detection of the collision. It may be one that only predicts a collision, or one that only detects a collision with a vehicle.

(ECU 100)
The ECU 100 is for controlling the entire vehicle. The ECU 100 also includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as a central processing unit, a control program executed by the CPU, a data table, a ROM (Read Only Memory) for storing commands and data, and a ROM (Read Only Memory) for temporarily storing data. It is equipped with RAM (random access memory) for storage, EEPROM (electrically erasable and programmable read only memory) consisting of rewritable non-volatile memory, and an input/output interface circuit, and is designed to integrate vehicle control.

Further, the ECU 100 controls switching of the gas output destination by the switching valve 50 based on the information of the collision direction detected or predicted by the collision detection device 60 . Further, the ECU 100 controls the opening and closing of the connecting portion 31 based on the information on the collision direction.

(Movement direction prediction unit 110)
The movement direction prediction unit 110 predicts the movement direction of the occupant P based on the collision detection signal and the information on the collision direction (or only the information on the collision direction that also serves as the collision detection signal) sent from the collision detection device 60. , the primary movement direction). The movement direction prediction unit 110 then sends information on the predicted primary movement direction to the deployment control unit 120 .

Further, the movement direction prediction unit 110 predicts that the occupant P moves in the primary movement direction due to the collision, comes into contact with the predetermined airbags 21a to 21c, and reacts to the next movement direction (hereinafter referred to as the secondary movement direction). ) is also predicted. Then, the movement direction prediction unit 110 sends information on the predicted secondary movement direction to the gas movement control unit 130 . Here, the movement direction prediction unit 110 receives information from the deployment control unit 120 as to which airbags 21a to 21c (hereinafter referred to as the primary deployment airbags 21a to 21c) are contacted by the primary movement of the occupant P.

Note that the movement direction prediction unit 110 may calculate the information of the primary deployment airbags 21a to 21c by itself. In this case, information on the primary deployment airbags 21a to 21c may be directly transmitted from the movement direction prediction section 110 to the switching valve 50 without using the deployment control section 120. FIG. Based on the predicted secondary movement direction, the movement direction prediction unit 110 determines which of the airbags 21a to 21c (hereinafter referred to as secondary deployment airbags 21a to 21c) abuts due to the secondary movement of the occupant P. information may also be calculated.

(Deployment control unit 120)
The deployment control unit 120 calculates which of the airbags 21a to 21c the occupant P will contact based on the information on the primary movement direction of the occupant P sent from the movement direction prediction unit 110. It determines the bags 21a to 21c (primary deployment airbags 21a to 21c). Then, the deployment control section 120 transmits information on the determined primary deployment airbags 21 a to 21 c to the switching valve 50 . The deployment control unit 120 also sends information on the primary deployment airbags 21 a to 21 c to the movement direction prediction unit 110 and the gas movement control unit 130 . That is, the deployment control section 120 determines the airbags 21a to 21c to be deployed based on the predicted moving direction of the occupant P, and controls the gas supply destination of the inflator 10. FIG.

(Gas movement control unit 130)
The gas movement control unit 130 performs secondary deployment based on the information on the primary deployment airbags 21a to 21c transmitted from the deployment control unit 120 and the information on the secondary movement direction transmitted from the movement direction prediction unit 110. It determines the airbags 21a to 21c. Then, the gas movement control unit 130 determines the connection portions 31ab, 31ac, and 31bc to be opened based on the information on the primary deployment airbags 21a to 21c and the information on the secondary deployment airbags 21a to 21c. The connecting portions 31ab, 31ac, and 31bc are opened after the primary deployment airbags 21a to 21c are deployed.

As a method for opening the predetermined connecting portions 31ab, 31ac, and 31bc, the gas movement control section 130 may directly open the target connecting portions 31ab, 31ac, and 31bc, or may open the primary deployment airbag 21a. By making it difficult to open the non-target connecting portions 31ab, 31ac, and 31bc connected to .about.21c, the target connecting portions 31ab, 31ac, and 31bc may be indirectly opened. For example, by applying pressure to the non-target connection portions 31ab, 31ac, and 31bc connected to the primary deployment airbags 21a to 21c and increasing the pressure, the non-target connection portions 31ab, 31ac, and 31bc are not opened. In this way, pressure may be applied to the target connecting portions 31ab, 31ac, and 31bc to open them.

Therefore, when the target connecting portions 31ab, 31ac, and 31bc are opened by the gas movement control section 130, the gas in the primary deployment airbags 21a to 21c is released via the target connecting portions 31ab, 31ac, and 31bc. It is possible to move to the secondary deployment airbags 21a to 21c and inflate and deploy the secondary deployment airbags 21a to 21c.
Even if the function of the gas movement control unit 130 is turned off, the predetermined secondary airbags 130 can be operated only by the force of the occupant P coming into contact with the primary deployment airbags 21a to 21c (without specifying the deployment destination). It is also possible to move the gas to the deployment airbags 21a-21c.

(Operation of occupant protection device 1)
Next, the operation of the occupant protection system 1 when a collision object collides obliquely from the front left of the vehicle will be described.
FIG. 4 is a plan view showing deployment of an airbag when an object collides obliquely from the front left of the vehicle. 4(a) is a plan view when the airbag 21b on the left side of the occupant P is deployed as a primary deployment airbag, and FIG. 4(b) is a plan view of the occupant P as a secondary deployment airbag. FIG. 4 is a plan view when the front airbag 21a is deployed.

In the occupant protection system 1, when there is an object approaching the vehicle, the collision detection device 60 predicts a collision.
The collision detection device 60 determines whether or not an object will come into contact with the vehicle according to the moving direction of the object approaching the vehicle from the left front, the relative acceleration with the object, and the like. Here, when it is determined that the collision with the object cannot be avoided, the collision detection device 60 performs collision prediction (prediction that the vehicle will collide) and prediction of the collision direction. As the prediction of the collision direction, for example, information such as an oblique collision from the left front and an angle of "30°" (relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle) is predicted. Then, the collision detection device 60 sends a collision detection signal to the inflator 10, and also sends information on the collision detection signal and the collision direction to the ECU 100 (moving direction prediction unit 110).

In the ECU 100 , the movement direction prediction unit 110 receives the collision detection signal and the collision direction information sent from the collision detection device 60 .
The movement direction prediction unit 110 predicts the primary movement direction and the secondary movement direction of the occupant P upon receiving the collision detection signal and the information on the collision direction. Here, the movement direction prediction unit 110 predicts that the primary movement direction of the occupant P is left "30°" with respect to the vehicle traveling direction (same hereafter), and the occupant P's secondary movement direction is right "30°". °”.

Then, the movement direction prediction unit 110 sends information on the predicted primary movement direction to the deployment control unit 120 and sends information on the predicted secondary movement direction to the gas movement control unit 130 . When predicting the secondary movement direction of the occupant P, the movement direction prediction unit 110 sends the information on the primary movement direction to the deployment control unit 120 if the information on the primary deployment airbag is necessary. After receiving information on the primary deployment airbag from 120, the secondary movement direction of the occupant P is predicted.

The deployment control unit 120 calculates that the occupant P will come into contact with the airbag 21b based on the information on the primary movement direction of the occupant P (“30°” to the left) sent from the movement direction prediction unit 110. The airbag 21b is determined as the deployment airbag. Next, the deployment control unit 120 obtains the air guide path 41b as the air guide path 41 for supplying gas from the information on the determined primary deployment airbag 21b, and determines the air guide path 41b as the switching destination of the switching valve 50. . Then, the deployment control unit 120 transmits information about the determined air guide passage 41b to the switching valve 50 as switching destination information.
Note that the deployment control unit 120 may transmit information on the determined primary deployment airbag 21 b to the switching valve 50 . In this case, the switching valve 50 calculates the air guide path 41b as the switching destination from the received information on the primary deployment airbag 21b, and switches the output destination of the gas supplied from the inflator 10 to the air guide path 41b. The deployment control unit 120 also sends information on the primary deployment airbag 21 b to the movement direction prediction unit 110 and the gas movement control unit 130 .

The gas movement control unit 130 operates based on the information on the primary deployment airbag 21b transmitted from the deployment control unit 120 and the information on the secondary movement direction (right "30°") transmitted from the movement direction prediction unit 110. to determine the secondary deployment airbag 21a. Then, the gas movement control unit 130 determines the connection portion 31ab to be opened based on the primary deployment airbag 21b and the secondary deployment airbag 21a, and places the determined connection portion 31ab on the primary deployment airbag 21b. Open after deployment.

On the other hand, when the inflator 10 receives a collision detection signal from the collision detection device 60, the inflator 10 ignites the explosive based on the received collision detection signal, generates gas by a chemical reaction due to combustion, and supplies the gas to the switching valve 50. supply.

The switching valve 50 switches the output destination of the gas supplied from the inflator 10 to the air guide path 41b based on the switching destination information (air guide path 41b) received from the deployment control unit 120, and outputs the gas.
Note that the switching valve 50 does not output gas to the other air guide paths 41a and 41c that are not specified. When the switching valve 50 receives information on the primary deployment airbag 21b from the deployment control unit 120, the switching valve 50 searches for the air guide passage 41b as a switching destination based on this information, and selects the gas supplied from the inflator 10. is switched to the air guide passage 41b to supply gas to the airbag 21b.

The air guide path 41b connects the switching valve 50 and the airbag 21b, and supplies the gas output from the inflator 10 to the airbag 21b via the switching valve 50. As shown in FIG.
As a result, the airbag 21b can be deployed as a primary deployment airbag, as shown in FIG.

Next, as described above, the connecting portion 31ab is opened by the gas movement control portion 130 after the primary deployment airbag 21b is deployed.
When the connecting portion 31ab is opened, the gas in the deployed airbag 21b flows out to the airbag 21a through the connecting portion 31ab.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the airbag 21a is supplied with gas and is deployed as the secondary deployment airbag 21a. Therefore, the occupant P who moves primarily due to the impact of the collision is received by the primary deployment airbag 21b, and the occupant P who moves secondarily is received by the secondary deployment airbag 21a, so that the protection function of the occupant P can be enhanced. In addition, since the secondary deployment airbag 21a can be deployed using the gas supplied to the primary deployment airbag 21b, it is possible to use a small inflator while coping with many types of collisions. An increase in the size of the inflator can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, the primary deployment airbags 21a to 21c are deployed at predetermined positions by the gas pressure of the inflator 10, and the secondary deployment airbags 21a to 21c are output from the primary deployment airbags 21a to 21c. Although the airbags 21a to 21c are deployed at predetermined positions by gas pressure, a guide mechanism may be provided so that the airbags 21a to 21c are deployed at predetermined positions. In particular, the guide mechanism is effective for the secondary deployment airbags 21a to 21c because the gas pressure tends to be low. As a result, the airbags 21a to 21c can be reliably deployed to desired positions.

(Operation of the occupant protection device 1 in other collision modes)
Next, the operation of the occupant protection system 1 when a collision object collides from the left side of the vehicle will be described.
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing deployment of the airbag when a collision object collides with the left side of the vehicle. FIG. 5(a) is a plan view when the airbag 21b on the left side of the occupant P is deployed as a primary deployment airbag, and FIG. 5(b) is a secondary deployment airbag for the occupant P. FIG. 11 is a plan view when the airbag 21c on the right side is deployed.

In the occupant protection system 1, similarly to the above, when there is an object approaching the vehicle, the collision detection device 60 predicts a collision.
The collision detection device 60 determines whether or not an object will come into contact with the vehicle according to the moving direction of the object approaching the vehicle from the left side, the relative acceleration with the object, and the like. Here, when the collision detection device 60 determines that the collision with the object cannot be avoided, the collision detection device 60 predicts the collision direction as well as the collision prediction. For prediction of the collision direction, for example, information such as a side collision from the left side and an angle of "80°" (relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle) is predicted. Then, the collision detection device 60 sends a collision detection signal to the inflator 10, and also sends information on the collision detection signal and the collision direction to the ECU 100 (moving direction prediction unit 110).

In the ECU 100, the movement direction prediction unit 110 receives the collision detection signal and the collision direction information sent from the collision detection device 60, and the movement direction prediction unit 110 predicts the primary movement direction and the secondary movement direction of the occupant P. conduct. Here, the movement direction prediction unit 110 predicts that the primary movement direction of the occupant P is left "80°" with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle, and the occupant P's secondary movement direction is predicted to be right "80°". .

Then, the movement direction prediction unit 110 sends information on the predicted primary movement direction to the deployment control unit 120 and sends information on the predicted secondary movement direction to the gas movement control unit 130 .

The deployment control unit 120 calculates that the occupant P will come into contact with the airbag 21b based on the information on the primary movement direction of the occupant P ("80°" to the left) sent from the movement direction prediction unit 110. The airbag 21b is determined as the deployment airbag. Then, the deployment control unit 120 transmits information on the determined primary deployment airbag 21 b to the switching valve 50 . The deployment control unit 120 also sends information on the primary deployment airbag 21 b to the movement direction prediction unit 110 and the gas movement control unit 130 .

The gas movement control unit 130 operates based on the information on the primary deployment airbag 21b transmitted from the deployment control unit 120 and the information on the secondary movement direction (right "80°") transmitted from the movement direction prediction unit 110. to determine the secondary deployment airbag 21c. Then, the gas movement control unit 130 determines the connection portion 31bc to be opened based on the primary deployment airbag 21b and the secondary deployment airbag 21c, and places the determined connection portion 31bc on the primary deployment airbag 21b. Open after deployment.

On the other hand, when the inflator 10 receives a collision detection signal from the collision detection device 60, the inflator 10 ignites the explosive based on the received collision detection signal, generates gas by a chemical reaction due to combustion, and supplies the gas to the switching valve 50. supply.

The switching valve 50 switches the output destination of the gas supplied from the inflator 10 to the air guide passage 41b in order to deploy the airbag 21b based on the information on the primary deployment airbag 21b received from the deployment control unit 120. Output.

The air guide path 41b connects the switching valve 50 and the airbag 21b, and supplies the gas output from the inflator 10 to the airbag 21b via the switching valve 50. As shown in FIG.
As a result, the airbag 21b can be deployed as a primary deployment airbag, as shown in FIG.

Next, as described above, the connecting portion 31bc is opened by the gas movement control portion 130 after the primary deployment airbag 21b is deployed.
When the connecting portion 31bc is opened, the gas in the deployed airbag 21b flows out to the airbag 21c through the connecting portion 31bc.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 5B, the airbag 21c is supplied with gas and is deployed as the secondary deployment airbag 21c. Therefore, even in the case of a side collision, the occupant P who moves primarily due to the impact of the collision is received by the primary deployment airbag 21b, and the occupant P who moves secondarily is received by the secondary deployment airbag 21c, thereby protecting the occupant P. function can be enhanced. Also in this case, the secondary deployment airbag 21c can be deployed using the gas supplied to the primary deployment airbag 21b. It can be used, and an increase in the size of the inflator 10 can be suppressed.

(Configuration of occupant protection device 2 having five airbags)
Next, an occupant protection system having five airbags will be described.
FIG. 6 is a plan view of the occupant protection system assuming that all five airbags are deployed.

As shown in FIG. 6, the occupant protection device 2 includes an airbag 22, a connecting portion 32, an air guide passage (not shown), an inflator 10 similar to the above embodiment, a switching valve 50, and a collision detection device. 60 and an ECU 100 . Note that the switching valve 50 and the ECU 100 correspond to five airbags.
Also, descriptions of the same configurations as in the above-described embodiment are omitted. Further, the occupant protection device 2 may be provided in front of the vehicle as in the above-described embodiment, but is preferably provided above the seat S or the like.

The airbag 22 has an airbag 22a, an airbag 22b, an airbag 22c, an airbag 22d, and an airbag 22e. Further, the connecting portion 32 has a connecting portion 32ab, a connecting portion 32ac, a connecting portion 32bd, a connecting portion 32cd, and the like. Further, the air guide passages have air guide passages corresponding to the airbags 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d, and 22e, respectively. 22a to 22e are connected respectively.
Further, the ECU 100 includes a movement direction prediction section 110 corresponding to the five airbags 22, a deployment control section 120, and a gas movement control section 130, as in the above embodiment.

(Airbag 22)
As described above, the airbag 22 has the airbag 22a, the airbag 22b, the airbag 22c, the airbag 22d, and the airbag 22e.
The airbag 22a is provided in front of the occupant P seated on the seat S so as to be deployable. Further, the airbag 22b is provided on the left side surface of the occupant P so as to be deployed. Further, the airbag 22c is provided on the right side of the occupant P so as to be deployed. Further, the airbag 22d is provided on the rear surface of the occupant P so as to be deployable. Moreover, the airbag 22e is provided above the occupant P so that it can be deployed.

(Connecting portion 32)
As described above, the connecting portion 32 has the connecting portion 32ab, the connecting portion 32ac, the connecting portion 32bd, the connecting portion 32cd, and the like.
The connecting portion 32ab connects the airbag 22a and the airbag 22b, and transfers the gas in the airbag 22a to the airbag 22b through the internal flow path, or transfers the gas in the airbag 22b to the airbag. 22a. Further, the connecting portion 32ab is controlled by the gas movement control portion 130 as to whether or not the gas is allowed to flow.

Similarly, the connecting portion 32ac connects the airbag 22a and the airbag 22c, the connecting portion 32bd connects the airbag 22b and the airbag 22d, and the connecting portion 32cd connects the airbag. 22c and the airbag 22d are connected. Further, the other airbags 22 are similarly connected by connecting portions 32 .
Each connecting portion 32 is controlled by the gas movement control portion 130 as to whether or not the gas is allowed to flow.

Taking the connection portion 32ab as an example, when the connection portion 32ab is opened by the gas movement control portion 130 while the airbag 22a is being inflated and deployed, the gas in the airbag 22a is released into the airbag. 22b, and the airbag 22b is inflated and deployed. Conversely, when the connecting portion 32ab is opened by the gas movement control portion 130 while the airbag 22b is being inflated and deployed, the gas in the airbag 22b moves to the airbag 22a, and the airbag 22a will expand and expand.

With such a configuration, the occupant protection device 2 selects and deploys the primary deployment airbags 22a to 22e appropriate for the primary movement of the occupant P in the event of a vehicle collision, and deploys them for the secondary movement of the occupant P. On the other hand, desired connecting portions 32ab to 32cd and the like can be opened to move the gas in the primary deployment airbags 22a to 22e, thereby deploying appropriate secondary deployment airbags 22a to 22e.

Therefore, the primary movement and secondary movement of the occupant P can be appropriately received by the airbags 22a to 22e, and the occupant P protection function can be enhanced. Further, since the gas in the primary deployment airbags 22a to 22e is used to deploy the secondary deployment airbags 22a to 22e, the size of the inflator 10 can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the airbags 22a to 22e are provided on the front, rear, left, right, and upper portion of the occupant P, the occupant can be reliably protected against various forms of collision, such as a frontal collision, a side collision, an oblique collision, or a rollover. P can be protected.

As described above, the occupant protection devices 1 and 2 according to the present embodiment include the plurality of airbags 21a to 21c and 22a to 22e, and the movement direction prediction unit 110 predicts the movement direction of the occupant P in the event of a vehicle collision. Since only the desired airbags 21a-21c, 22a-22e are deployed in anticipation, the volume of the inflator 10 is suppressed because gas enough to deploy all the airbags 21a-21c, 22a-22e is not required. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the inflator 10 while coping with many types of collisions.

Further, in the occupant protection devices 1 and 2 according to the present embodiment, the movement direction prediction unit 110 predicts the secondary movement direction of the occupant P, and the gas supplied to the primarily deployed airbags 21b and 22b etc. Since the airbags 21a, 21c, 22a, and the like are moved to be deployed, the size of the inflator 10 can be suppressed while coping with many types of collisions.

Further, the occupant protection devices 1 and 2 are provided with a guide mechanism so that desired airbags 21a-21c and 22a-22e can be deployed at desired positions. In particular, by using the guide mechanism in the secondary deployment, the airbags 21a to 21c and 22a to 22e can be reliably deployed to appropriate locations, and the capacity of the inflator 10 is suppressed while protecting the occupant P. can increase

In this embodiment, three airbags 21a to 21c or five airbags 22a to 22e are provided as the airbags 21a to 21c and 22a to 22e. There may be two, four, six or more airbags.

1, 2 occupant protection device, 10 inflator, 21a-21c, 22a-22e airbag, 31ab, 31ac, 31bc, 32ab, 32ac, 32bd, 32cd connecting part, 41a-41c air guide path, 50 switching valve, 60 collision detection Apparatus 100 ECU 110 Movement direction prediction unit 120 Deployment control unit 130 Gas movement control unit

Claims (2)

a plurality of airbags that are deployed at predetermined positions and are connected by connecting portions;
an inflator that supplies gas to the airbag;
an air guide passage that individually connects the inflator and each of the airbags;
a collision detection device that detects a vehicle collision and detects the direction of the collision;
a movement direction prediction unit that predicts the movement direction of the occupant based on the collision direction;
a deployment control unit that determines the airbag to be deployed based on the predicted moving direction of the occupant and controls the destination of the gas supplied from the inflator;
with
Under the control of the deployment control unit, the plurality of airbags are primarily deployed by being directly supplied with the gas of the inflator through the air guide passage, and the occupant is moved to the primary deployment airbags. a secondary deployment airbag that deploys using gas in the primary deployment airbag,
An occupant protection device characterized by: a gas movement control unit configured to control the flow of gas in the connecting portion so that the gas in the primary deployment airbag moves from the primary deployment airbag to the secondary deployment airbag based on the movement direction of the occupant; ,
The occupant protection system according to claim 1, characterized by comprising:

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