JP2023044101A - shoulder restraint device - Google Patents

Abstract

To restrain a shoulder of a seated occupant moving forward.SOLUTION: In a shoulder restraint device 10, a micro-gas generator 22 is operated with a body 20 placed at an elevated position to place an arm part 50 at a protruding position. At the protruding position, the arm part 50 protrudes to the front side relative to a seat back 92 and is placed at an area above a shoulder P1 of a seated occupant P. Further, a shoulder restraint pad 52 is provided at a tip of the arm part 50 so as to be rotatable with its lateral direction set to an axial direction. The shoulder restraint pad 52 rotates from an initial position to a restraint position to be placed at an area in front of the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P when the shoulder restraint pad 52 is operated with the arm part 50 placed at the protruding position. Thus, at an initial stage of a frontal collision with a collision body of a vehicle, the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P who is about to move forward can be restrained by the shoulder restraint device 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to a shoulder restraint device.

At the initial stage of a frontal collision of a vehicle (automobile), the upper body of a seated occupant moving forward is restrained by a seat belt looped around the front of the chest of the seated occupant. There is a possibility that the restraint performance of the seat belt may be reduced due to such factors as On the other hand, by strongly restraining the chest of the seated occupant with the seat belt, it is possible to suppress the reduction in restraint performance of the seat belt. However, increasing the restraint on the seated occupant may exacerbate chest injury to the seated occupant. Therefore, for example, by restraining the shoulders of the seated occupant, it is possible to increase the degree of restraint on the seated occupant while suppressing aggravation of the chest injury of the seated occupant.

On the other hand, Patent Literature 1 listed below describes an occupant head restraint device for a side collision that receives the head and shoulders of a seated occupant in the event of a side collision of a vehicle. Specifically, the side collision occupant head restraint system includes a head restraint member that extends laterally of the head of a seated occupant and a shoulder that extends laterally of the shoulder of the seated occupant in the event of a side collision of the vehicle. and a restraining member. Thus, in the event of a side collision of the vehicle, the head and shoulders of the seated occupant who is about to move toward the collision side can be received by the head restraint member and the shoulder restraint member. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the difference in the amount of movement between the head and shoulders of the seated occupant in the event of a side collision of the vehicle.

JP 2010-125942 A

However, although the side collision occupant head restraint device described in Patent Document 1 can restrain the shoulders of a seated occupant in a side collision, the shoulders of a seated occupant trying to move forward in a frontal collision can be prevented. part cannot be restrained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a shoulder restraint device capable of restraining the shoulders of a seated occupant moving forward.

One or more embodiments of the present invention include a main body portion provided in a seat back of a vehicle seat, and a main body portion movably provided in the main body portion. A shoulder restraint device comprising an arm portion arranged above the seat over the shoulder of a seated occupant, and a shoulder restraint portion provided at the tip of the arm and arranged in front of the seat over the shoulder of the seated occupant. is.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, a moving mechanism is connected to the main body, and the moving mechanism moves the main body to a retracted position in the seat back, and to the seat back. and a raised position disposed at the upper end of the shoulder restraint device, wherein the arm operates in the raised position.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the main body tilts toward the front side of the seat before the raised position, and the shoulder restraint part is arranged above the seat above the shoulders of the seated occupant in the raised position. shoulder restraint device.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the moving mechanism includes rails provided on the seat back, racks provided on the rails, and fixed to the main body and movably connected to the rails. and a motor provided on the slider so as to be movable integrally with the slider and having an output shaft provided with a pinion meshed with the rack.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the main body is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and the main body is provided with a gas generator that supplies gas to the inside of the main body when operated. The arm portion is housed in the main body portion, and is a shoulder restraint device that is actuated by the pressure of gas supplied to the main body portion and extends from the main body portion.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a collision detector that detects a collision with a collision object of a vehicle on which the vehicle seat is mounted; a control unit for detecting a collision of the vehicle, when the control unit predicts that the vehicle will collide with a collision object, the control unit drives the motor to move the main body from the retracted position to the raised position, In the shoulder restraint device, the motor is driven by the control unit to move the main body from the raised position to the retracted position when the control unit determines that the collision with the collision object of the vehicle has been avoided.

One or more embodiments of the present invention is a shoulder restraint device in which the gas generator is activated by the controller when the controller determines that a collision with a vehicle collision object cannot be avoided. .

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the shoulders of a seated occupant moving forward can be restrained.

(A) is a front view showing the upper part of the seat back of the vehicle seat to which the shoulder restraint device according to the present embodiment is applied, and (B) is a left side of the seat back in (A). is a side view seen from . FIG. 2 is a side view seen from the left side showing the shoulder restraint device arranged inside the seat back shown in FIG. 1(B); FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the interior of the main body and shoulder restraint pad of the shoulder restraint device shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from the left side; 3 is a side view seen from the left side showing a connection state between a slider and a rail of the moving mechanism shown in FIG. 2; FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 4) of the connecting state of the slider and the rail shown in FIG. 4, viewed from the longitudinal direction of the rail; FIG. 4 is a side view schematically showing a state in which the arm portion of the shoulder restraint device according to the present embodiment is arranged at the projecting position; 3 is a side view seen from the left side showing a modification in which the posture of the main body is changed in the raised position of the main body shown in FIG. 2; FIG.

A shoulder restraint device 10 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The shoulder restraint device 10 is provided in a vehicle seat 90 of a vehicle (automobile), and the vehicle seat 90 is configured as a driver's seat or a passenger's seat. An arrow FR, an arrow UP, and an arrow LH appropriately shown in the drawings indicate the seat front side, the seat upper side, and the seat left side (one side in the seat width direction) of the vehicle seat 90 to which the shoulder restraint device 10 is applied. , the seat front side, the seat upper side, and the seat left side correspond to the vehicle front side, the vehicle upper side, and the vehicle left side of the vehicle. In the following description, when the up/down, front/rear, and left/right directions are used, the up/down direction of the seat, the front/rear direction of the seat, and the left/right direction of the seat are indicated unless otherwise specified.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the shoulder restraint devices 10 are provided at both left and right ends of a seat back 92 of a vehicle seat 90 . The left and right shoulder restraint devices 10 are configured symmetrically with respect to the widthwise center of the vehicle seat 90 . Therefore, in the following description, the shoulder restraint device 10 provided at the left end of the seat back 92 will be described, and the description of the shoulder restraint device 10 provided at the right end of the seat back 92 will be omitted. A headrest 94 for supporting the head of a seated occupant P seated on the vehicle seat 90 is provided at the center of the upper end of the seat back 92 in the width direction. 94 are integrally formed.

(Regarding shoulder restraint device 10)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the shoulder restraint device 10 includes a body portion 20, a movement mechanism 30, an arm portion 50, a shoulder restraint pad 52 as a shoulder restraint portion, a lock mechanism 60, a detection and a shoulder detection sensor 70 as a part. The configuration of the shoulder restraint device 10 will be described below.

(Regarding main unit 20)
The body portion 20 extends substantially in the vertical direction and is formed in a substantially rectangular tubular shape with a closed bottom end. The main body portion 20 is arranged inside the seat back 92 and is movably connected to a seat back frame 92</b>A forming the skeleton of the seat back 92 by a moving mechanism 30 described later. Specifically, the body portion 20 moves upward from the storage position (the position of the body portion 20 indicated by the solid line in FIG. 2) stored in the seat back 92 and the upper end of the seat back 92 . 2 (the position of the main body portion 20 indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 2) located in the upper portion of the main body portion 20 . At the retracted position, the body portion 20 is slightly inclined forward as it goes upward in a side view viewed from the left side. exist. Further, at the raised position of the main body 20, the skin of the seat back 92 is split so that the shoulder restraint device 10 is exposed to the outside of the seat back 92, for example.

A micro gas generator 22 as a gas generator is provided on the bottom wall of the main body 20 . The micro gas generator 22 is electrically connected to an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 80 as a control unit, and the micro gas generator 22 is operated under the control of the ECU 80 . The gas generated by the micro gas generator 22 is supplied into the main body 20 when the micro gas generator 22 is activated.

(Regarding the moving mechanism 30)
As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, the moving mechanism 30 includes rails 32, sliders 34, and motors . The rail 32 is formed in an elongated shape and extends substantially vertically along the seat back 92 in a side view. Further, the upper end portion of the rail 32 is bent in a substantially curved shape, and the upper end portion of the rail 32 inclines forward as it goes upward in a side view. The rail 32 is formed in a substantially T-shape when viewed in cross section from its longitudinal direction (see FIG. 5). Specifically, the rail 32 includes a first rail portion 32A extending in the front-rear direction, and a second rail portion 32B extending leftward from an intermediate portion in the front-rear direction of the first rail portion 32A. It is configured. A rail 32 is arranged on the left side of the vertically extending seatback frame 92A and fixed to the seatback frame 92A.

A pair of front and rear rail key portions 32C are provided on the front and rear surfaces of the left end portion of the second rail portion 32B. The rail key portion 32</b>C is formed in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the rail 32 and extends along the longitudinal direction of the rail 32 . A guide groove 32D opened to the left is formed on the left surface of the second rail portion 32B, and the guide groove 32D extends along the longitudinal direction of the rail 32. As shown in FIG. A rack 32E is provided at the front end of the first rail portion 32A. The rack 32E is composed of a plurality of rack teeth aligned in the longitudinal direction of the rail 32 and extends along the longitudinal direction of the rail 32. As shown in FIG.

The slider 34 includes a slider body 36 and a pair of bearings 38 . The slider body 36 is formed in a substantially J-shaped plate shape that is open rearward when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the rail 32 . Specifically, the slider body 36 has an outer wall 36A extending in the front-rear direction with the left-right direction as the plate thickness direction, a front wall 36B extending rightward from the front end of the outer wall 36A, and a front wall 36B. and an inner wall 36C extending rearward from the right end of the . The outer wall 36A is arranged close to the left side of the rail 32, and the front wall 36B and the inner wall 36C are arranged in front of the rail 32 (second rail portion 32B). A guide projection 36D is provided on the outer wall 36A at a position corresponding to the guide groove 32D of the rail 32. As shown in FIG. The guide projection 36D is formed in a substantially columnar shape with an axis extending in the left-right direction, protrudes rightward from the outer wall 36A, and is inserted into the guide groove 32D of the rail 32 so as to be relatively movable.

The bearing 38 is formed in a cylindrical shape whose axial direction is the left-right direction, and is rotatably supported by a support shaft 40 extending in the left-right direction. The left end of the support shaft 40 is fixed to the outer wall 36A of the slider body 36, and the bearing 38 is arranged on the right side of the outer wall 36A. A groove portion 38</b>A that opens radially outward is formed in the outer peripheral portion of the bearing 38 , and the groove portion 38</b>A extends along the circumferential direction of the bearing 38 . The pair of bearings 38 are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction so as to sandwich the left end of the second rail portion 32B in the front-rear direction. As a result, the slider 34 is connected to the rail 32 so as to be movable (slidable) in the longitudinal direction of the rail 32 while the bearing 38 and the rail 32 are engaged with each other in the left-right direction.

The slider 34 is arranged adjacent to the right side of the body portion 20 , and the slider body 36 is fixed to the body portion 20 . Thereby, the body part 20 is configured to be movable between the retracted position and the raised position by the moving mechanism 30 . The slider 34 is arranged at the lower end of the rail 32 when the main body 20 is in the retracted position, and the slider 34 is arranged at the upper end of the rail 32 when the main body 20 is in the raised position. More specifically, the body portion 20 is raised from the storage position while maintaining the posture of the storage position (see the body portion 20 indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2), and before the raised position, the moving mechanism 30 It is tilted forward (to the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2) and placed in the raised position.

The motor 42 is arranged with the left-right direction as its axial direction, and is arranged above the front bearing 38 . The motor 42 is fixed to the inner wall 36C of the slider body 36, and the output shaft 42A of the motor 42 protrudes rightward from the inner wall 36C and is arranged in front of the rack 32E of the rail 32. As shown in FIG. A pinion 44 is rotatably provided at the tip of the output shaft 42A, and the pinion 44 is meshed with the rack 32E. The motor 42 is electrically connected to the ECU 80 and operates under the control of the ECU 80 .

(Regarding arm portion 50)
As shown in FIG. 3, the arm portion 50 is formed in a substantially rectangular tubular shape whose axial direction is the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 20, and is inserted into the main body portion 20 so as to be relatively movable in the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 20. ing. Specifically, the arm portion 50 has a storage position (the position shown in FIG. 3) stored in the main body portion 20, and a projecting position (the position shown in FIG. position) and . A tip opening of the arm portion 50 is configured as a gas outlet 50A, and the gas outlet 50A is closed by a shoulder restraint pad 52, which will be described later.

When the micro gas generator 22 is activated, the gas generated by the micro gas generator 22 is supplied into the body portion 20 and the arm portion 50, and the pressure of this gas moves the arm portion 50 from the retracted position to the projecting position. It is configured. Although the details will be described later, the micro gas generator 22 is designed to operate only when the body portion 20 is raised, and when the arm portion 50 protrudes, the arm portion 50 protrudes from the seated occupant P's shoulder P1. is arranged above (see FIG. 6). In addition, the movement of the body portion 20 toward the base end side of the retracted position of the arm portion 50 is restricted by a shoulder restraint pad 52, which will be described later. On the other hand, when the arm portion 50 protrudes, the arm portion 50 and the main body portion 20 are engaged with each other at a position (not shown) so that the movement of the arm portion 50 toward the distal end side of the main body portion 20 is restricted. ing.

(Regarding shoulder restraint pad 52)
As shown in FIG. 3 , the shoulder restraint pad 52 is formed in a substantially hollow triangular box shape and arranged adjacent to the upper end (tip) of the arm section 50 on the upper side. In the raised position of the body portion 20, the shoulder restraint pad 52 is arranged above the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P (see FIG. 2), and in the protruding position of the arm portion 50, the shoulder restraint pad 52 is positioned above the seated occupant P. It is arranged in front of the shoulder P1 (see FIG. 6). The shoulder restraint pad 52 is rotatably connected to the arm portion 50 near the front and lower corners by a rotation shaft 54 whose axial direction is the left-right direction. Specifically, the shoulder restraint pad 52 has an initial position (position shown in FIGS. 3 and 6) that closes the gas outlet 50A of the arm portion 50, and a counterclockwise rotation from the initial position (FIG. 6) as viewed from the left side. (arrow B direction side)) and the restraint position (the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 6). Accordingly, in the restraining position of the shoulder restraint pad 52, the shoulder restraint pad 52 is arranged in a state of being bent downward with respect to the arm portion 50, and is arranged in front of the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P.

Further, a lock mechanism 60, which will be described later, prevents the rotation of the shoulder restraint pads 52 from the initial position to the restraint position. is now allowed. More specifically, when the micro gas generator 22 is activated while the shoulder restraint pad 52 is allowed to rotate, the pressure of the gas acting on the shoulder restraint pad 52 from the gas outlet 50A of the arm portion 50 causes the shoulder restraint pad 52 to move. It is configured to rotate from the initial position to the restrained position.

The shoulder restraint pad 52 has a ratchet mechanism (not shown). When the shoulder restraint pad 52 rotates from the initial position to the restraint position, the rotation of the shoulder restraint pad 52 toward the initial position is restricted by the ratchet mechanism. A cushioning pad portion 52A is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the shoulder restraint pad 52, and the pad portion 52A is covered with a cover 52B. In addition, the front surface of the shoulder restraint pad 52 is configured as a shoulder receiving surface 52C, and the shoulder receiving surface 52C is inclined forward in a substantially curved shape toward the lower side in a side view.

(Regarding lock mechanism 60)
As shown in FIG. 3 , the lock mechanism 60 includes a lock pin 62 (in a broader sense, an element grasped as a lock member) and an actuator 64 . The lock pin 62 is formed in a substantially columnar shape whose axial direction is substantially the front-rear direction. Lock pin 62 connects the open end of arm 50 and the wall of shoulder restraint pad 52 to prevent rotation of shoulder restraint pad 52 in the initial position.

The actuator 64 is composed of, for example, a solenoid or the like, is fixed to the shoulder restraint pad 52 inside the shoulder restraint pad 52 , and is electrically connected to the ECU 80 . The actuator 64 includes an actuator body 64A and a plunger 64B extending from the actuator body 64A. The lock pin 62 is connected to the plunger 64B. When the actuator 64 is actuated, the plunger 64B is pulled together with the lock pin 62 toward the actuator main body 64A, so that the arm portion 50 and the shoulder restraint pad 52 are disconnected from each other by the lock pin 62, and the shoulder restraint pad 52 rotates. is configured to transition to a permitted state.

(Regarding the shoulder detection sensor 70)
The shoulder detection sensor 70 is configured as, for example, a sheet-like pressure sensor and provided at the lower end of the shoulder receiving surface 52C of the shoulder restraint pad 52 . Specifically, the shoulder detection sensor 70 is arranged between the pad portion 52A of the shoulder restraint pad 52 and the cover 52B. Shoulder detection sensor 70 is electrically connected to ECU 80 . When the arm portion 50 moves from the retracted position to the projecting position in the body portion 20 at the raised position, the shoulder receiving surface 52C of the shoulder restraint pad 52 contacts the shoulder portion P1 of the seated occupant P, and the shoulder restraint pad 52 is moved. It moves to the front side of the seated occupant P's shoulder P1. Therefore, the shoulder detection sensor 70 detects a pressure change acting on the shoulder detection sensor 70 due to the contact of the shoulder restraint pad 52 with the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P, and the shoulder detection sensor 70 outputs a detection signal to the ECU 80. It is designed to output to The shoulder detection sensor 70 for detecting the contact of the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P is not limited to a pressure sensor. For example, the shoulder detection sensor 70 may be composed of an acceleration sensor, an optical sensor, or the like.

(Regarding the ECU 80)
The ECU 80 is electrically connected to the micro gas generator 22, the motor 42, the actuator 64, and the shoulder detection sensor 70 described above. A collision detection sensor 82 as a collision detection section is electrically connected to the ECU 80 . The collision detection sensor 82 is composed of an acceleration sensor, a stereo camera, or the like. The acceleration sensor is provided at the front end of the vehicle and configured as a sensor that detects the acceleration of the vehicle. The stereo camera is provided at the upper end of the windshield glass of the vehicle and is configured as a sensor that captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle. The ECU 80 is configured to detect a vehicle collision (including vehicle collision prediction) based on the output signal from the collision detection sensor 82 .

(Effect)
Next, while describing the operation of the shoulder restraint device 10, the action and effect of this embodiment will be described.

In the initial state (non-operating state) of the shoulder restraint device 10 configured as described above, the body portion 20 is disposed in the retracted position within the seat back 92, and the arm portion 50 is retracted within the body portion 20. in the closed storage position. Also, the shoulder restraint pad 52 is arranged at the initial position, and the gas outlet 50A of the arm portion 50 is blocked by the shoulder restraint pad 52 . When the ECU 80 predicts a frontal collision between the vehicle and the collision object based on the output signal from the collision detection sensor 82, the motor 42 of the moving mechanism 30 is driven to rotate forward. As a result, the main body 20 moves upward along the longitudinal direction of the rail 32 together with the slider 34 of the moving mechanism 30 and is placed at the raised position. Specifically, the main body 20 is lifted while maintaining the posture of the retracted position, and is tilted forward before reaching the lifted position to be disposed at the lifted position. At the elevated position, the body portion 20 is arranged substantially in the longitudinal direction above the seat back 92 in a side view, and the shoulder restraint pad 52 is arranged above the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P. .

Here, when the ECU 80 determines that the frontal collision with the collision object of the vehicle has been avoided based on the output signal from the collision detection sensor 82, the motor 42 of the moving mechanism 30 is reversely driven under the control of the ECU 80. be done. As a result, the main body 20 moves along the longitudinal direction of the rail 32 together with the slider 34 of the moving mechanism 30 and is arranged at the retracted position. Accordingly, the body portion 20 is placed at the retracted position, and the shoulder restraint device 10 returns to its initial state.

On the other hand, when the ECU 80 determines based on the output signal from the collision detection sensor 82 that a frontal collision with the collision object of the vehicle cannot be avoided, the ECU 80 operates the micro gas generator 22 . Thereby, the gas generated by the micro gas generator 22 is supplied to the inside of the body portion 20 and the arm portion 50 . In this state, the actuator 64 of the lock mechanism 60 is in a non-operating state, so the lock pin 62 prevents the rotation of the shoulder restraint pad 52 in the initial position. That is, the gas outlet 50A of the arm portion 50 is kept closed by the shoulder restraint pad 52 . Therefore, due to the pressure of the gas supplied to the inside of the body portion 20 and the arm portion 50, the arm portion 50 and the shoulder restraint pad 52 are instantaneously moved forward from the retracted position and placed in the projecting position ( See Figure 6). Accordingly, the arm portion 50 is arranged above the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P, and the shoulder restraint pad 52 is arranged in front of the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P.

When the shoulder restraint pad 52 is moved from the retracted position to the protruded position, the shoulder receiving surface 52C of the shoulder restraint pad 52 contacts the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P. As a result, the shoulder detection sensor 70 provided on the shoulder restraint pad 52 outputs to the ECU 80 a detection signal corresponding to the pressure change caused by the contact between the shoulder restraint pad 52 and the shoulder P1. Based on the output signal of 70, it is detected that the shoulder restraint pad 52 has moved together with the arm portion 50 to the projecting position. That is, the ECU 80 determines that the shoulder restraint pad 52 passes above the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P and is arranged forward of the shoulder P1.

After the shoulder restraint pad 52 is moved to the projecting position, the ECU 80 operates the actuator 64 . As a result, the plunger 64B of the actuator 64 moves relative to the actuator main body 64A. Therefore, the connection state between the arm portion 50 and the shoulder restraint pad 52 by the lock pin 62 is released. As a result, the rotation of the shoulder restraint pad 52 at the initial position is permitted. When the rotation of the shoulder restraint pad 52 is permitted, the shoulder restraint pad 52 is rotated from the initial position to the restraint position by the pressure of the gas acting on the shoulder restraint pad 52 from the gas outlet 50A of the arm portion 50 (see FIG. 6). See shoulder restraint pad 52 shown in dashed line). As a result, the shoulder restraint pad 52 is bent downward with respect to the arm portion 50 and arranged in front of the shoulder portion P1 of the seated occupant P. Therefore, the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P who is about to move forward can be received by the shoulder support surface 52C of the shoulder restraint pad 52 at the beginning of the frontal collision of the vehicle with the collision object. Further, the gas outlet 50A of the arm portion 50 is opened by rotating the shoulder restraint pad 52 from the initial position to the restraint position. Therefore, the gas in the body portion 20 is discharged to the outside of the body portion 20 (see the dotted arrow G in FIG. 6).

As described above, in the shoulder restraint device 10, the micro gas generator 22 is operated when the body portion 20 is in the raised position, so that the arm portion 50 is arranged at the projecting position. , protrudes forward from the seat back 92 and is arranged above the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P. As shown in FIG. In addition, a shoulder restraint pad 52 is provided at the tip of the arm portion 50 so as to be rotatable with the left-right direction as an axial direction. is rotated from the initial position to the restrained position and arranged in front of the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P. Therefore, as described above, the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P who is about to move forward can be restrained by the shoulder restraint pad 52 at the beginning of the frontal collision of the vehicle with the collision object. Therefore, it is possible to improve the restraint property for the seated occupant P at the time of a frontal collision, and to improve the protection performance for the seated occupant P.

A shoulder detection sensor 70 is provided on the shoulder restraint pad 52 . The shoulder detection sensor 70 detects contact of the shoulder restraint pad 52 with the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P when the arm 50 and the shoulder restraint pad 52 move from the retracted position to the protruding position. Accordingly, the ECU 80 can detect that the shoulder restraint pad 52 has passed over the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P based on the detection signal from the shoulder detection sensor 70 . Further, the shoulder restraint pad 52 is provided with a lock pin 62 and an actuator 64 that constitute a lock mechanism 60 . The lock pin 62 connects the arm portion 50 and the shoulder restraint pad 52 , and prevents the shoulder restraint pad 52 from rotating with respect to the arm portion 50 in the initial position. When the ECU 80 detects that the shoulder restraint pad 52 has passed over the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P, the ECU 80 operates the actuator 64 to release the connection state between the arm portion 50 and the shoulder restraint pad 52 by the lock pin 62. Then, rotation of the shoulder restraint pad 52 with respect to the arm portion 50 is permitted. As a result, before the shoulder restraint pad 52 passes over the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P, the shoulder restraint pad 52 is prohibited from rotating from the initial position to the restraint position. Therefore, the shoulder restraint pad 52 can be bent downward with respect to the arm portion 50 in a state where the shoulder restraint pad 52 is arranged forward of the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P.

Also, the arm portion 50 is formed in a rectangular tubular shape having a gas outlet 50A at the tip. That is, the arm portion 50 is formed in a hollow columnar shape and extends in the front-rear direction at the projecting position. Also, the gas outlet 50A is closed by the shoulder restraint pad 52 at the initial position. When the actuator 64 operates while the gas generated by the micro gas generator 22 is supplied to the inside of the arm portion 50, the pressure of the gas in the arm portion 50 causes the shoulder restraint pad 52 to rotate from the initial position to the restraint position. . As a result, the shoulder restraint pad 52 can be instantaneously rotated from the initial position and arranged at the restraint position. Further, the gas supplied into the arm portion 50 for driving the arm portion 50 and the shoulder restraint pad 52 can be discharged to the outside of the arm portion 50 from the gas outlet 50A after the shoulder restraint pad 52 is actuated. can.

Also, the arm portion 50 is housed in the body portion 20 . A slider 34 of a moving mechanism 30 is fixed to the body portion 20 , and the moving mechanism 30 is provided inside the seat back 92 . By operating the moving mechanism 30 , the body portion 20 moves between a storage position stored in the seat back 92 and a raised position arranged at the upper end portion of the seat back 92 . Accordingly, when the shoulder restraint device 10 is not in operation, the shoulder restraint device 10 can be stored in the seat back 92 by arranging the body portion 20 at the retracted position. Therefore, it is possible to improve the appearance of the vehicle seat 90 when the shoulder restraint device 10 is not operated. Further, in the event of a frontal collision with a collision object of the vehicle, the moving mechanism 30 moves the body portion 20 to the raised position, and by operating the arm portion 50, the arm portion 50 and the shoulder restraint pad 52 move the shoulder of the seated occupant P. P1 can be constrained from above and from the front.

Further, the body portion 20 tilts forward before the raised position, and the shoulder restraint pads 52 are arranged above the shoulders P1 of the seated occupant P in the raised position of the body portion 20 . As a result, the posture of the body portion 20 is changed between the retracted position and the raised position, and the arm portion 50 is moved forward in the raised position of the body portion 20, so that the shoulder restraint pads 52 are placed on the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P. It can be easily placed on the front side.

Further, the body portion 20 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape with a closed lower end, and a micro gas generator 22 is provided inside the body portion 20 . As the gas generated by the micro gas generator 22 is supplied to the inside of the main body 20, the pressure of the gas inside the main body 20 causes the arm 50 to move from the retracted position to the projecting position. Accordingly, when the ECU 80 determines that the collision with the collision object of the vehicle cannot be avoided, the arm portion 50 can be instantaneously moved from the retracted position to the projecting position.

Further, the moving mechanism 30 includes a rail 32 provided on the seat back 92 and a slider 34 movably connected to the rail 32 and fixed to the body portion 20 . A motor 42 is provided on the slider 34 , and a pinion 44 provided on an output shaft 42 A of the motor 42 is meshed with a rack 32 E provided on the rail 32 . Accordingly, the body portion 20 can be moved between the retracted position and the raised position with a simple configuration.

Further, the motor 42 is driven to move the body portion 20 between the retracted position and the raised position. Therefore, when the ECU 80 determines that the collision with the collision object of the vehicle has been avoided after moving the main body 20 to the raised position, the motor 42 is driven to return the main body 20 to the retracted position. , the shoulder restraint device 10 can be returned to its initial state.

Although the shoulder restraint device 10 includes the movement mechanism 30 in the present embodiment, the movement mechanism 30 may be omitted from the shoulder restraint device 10 . In this case, the body portion 20 may be placed in the raised position in advance and fixed to the seat back 92 .

Moreover, although the shoulder detection sensor 70 is provided on the shoulder restraint pad 52 in the present embodiment, the shoulder detection sensor 70 may be omitted from the shoulder restraint pad 52 . In this case, the actuator 64 may be operated by the ECU 80 after a predetermined period of time has passed since the micro gas generator 22 was operated. Further, in this case, for example, the time required for the arm portion 50 to move from the retracted position to the projecting position may be measured, and the predetermined time may be calculated based on the measured time.

Further, in the present embodiment, the body portion 20 is arranged along the seat front-rear direction in side view at the raised position of the body portion 20. You may arrange it so that it may incline a little to. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the positions of the rails 32 of the moving mechanism 30 may be appropriately changed so that the main body 20 may be arranged so as to be slightly inclined downward toward the front in a side view. That is, in the present invention, the main body portion 20 extending in the front-rear direction also includes the case where the main body portion 20 inclines upward or downward toward the front side in a side view.

In addition, when the body portion 20 is tilted downward toward the front side in a side view at the raised position of the body portion 20, as shown in FIG. is positioned in front of the shoulder P1 of the seated occupant P. That is, when viewed from the front-rear direction, a portion of the shoulder restraint pad 52 and the shoulder P1 can be arranged so as to overlap. Therefore, in this case, the shoulder restraint pad 52 may be connected to the arm portion 50 so as not to be relatively rotatable.

Further, in the present embodiment, an example in which the shoulder restraint device 10 is applied to a driver's seat or a front passenger seat of a vehicle has been described, but the shoulder restraint device 10 may be applied to a rear seat of a vehicle. good.

10 shoulder restraint device 20 main body 22 micro gas generator (gas generator)
30 moving mechanism 32 rail 32E rack 34 slider 42 motor 50 arm portion 52 shoulder restraint pad (shoulder restraint portion)
80 ECU (control unit)
82 Collision detection sensor (collision detector)
90 vehicle seat 92 seat back P seated occupant P1 shoulder of seated occupant

Claims (7)

a main body provided in the seat back of the vehicle seat;
an arm portion that is movably provided on the main body portion, extends from the main body portion toward the front side of the seat by being actuated, and is arranged on the upper side of the seat over the shoulders of a seated occupant;
a shoulder restraint portion provided at a tip portion of the arm portion and disposed on the seat front side of the shoulder portion of the seated occupant;
shoulder restraint device. A movement mechanism is connected to the main body,
The moving mechanism is configured to be movable between a retracted position in which the main body is stored in the seat back and a raised position disposed at the upper end of the seat back,
2. A shoulder restraint device according to claim 1, wherein said arm portion operates in said raised position. 3. The shoulder restraint device according to claim 2, wherein the main body tilts toward the front side of the seat before the raised position, and the shoulder restraint part is arranged above the seat above the shoulders of a seated occupant in the raised position. The moving mechanism is
a rail provided on the seat back;
a rack provided on the rail;
a slider fixed to the main body and movably connected to the rail;
a motor provided on the slider so as to be able to move integrally therewith, the motor having an output shaft provided with a pinion meshed with the rack;
4. A shoulder restraint device according to claim 2 or claim 3, comprising: The main body is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and the main body is provided with a gas generator that supplies gas to the inside of the main body when operated,
5. The shoulder restraint device according to claim 4, wherein the arm portion is housed in the main body portion and is operated by pressure of gas supplied to the main body portion to extend from the main body portion. a collision detection unit that detects a collision with a collision object of a vehicle on which the vehicle seat is mounted;
a control unit that detects a collision between the vehicle and the collision object based on the output signal of the collision detection unit;
with
When the control unit predicts that the vehicle will collide with a collision object, the control unit drives the motor to move the main body from the retracted position to the raised position,
6. The shoulder according to claim 5, wherein the motor is driven by the control unit to move the main body from the raised position to the retracted position when the control unit determines that the collision with the collision object of the vehicle has been avoided. Part restraint device. 7. The shoulder restraint device according to claim 6, wherein the gas generator is activated by the control unit when the control unit determines that the collision with the collision object of the vehicle cannot be avoided.

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