JP5092678B2 - Vehicle occupant protection device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention mainly relates to a vehicle occupant protection device that is mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile and controls the operation of various occupant restraint means to protect the occupant at the time of a collision, and in particular, according to the optimal occupant restraint depending on the collision condition. The present invention relates to a vehicle occupant protection device that enables occupant protection.

A conventional vehicle occupant protection device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-329878. This vehicle occupant protection device includes an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration acting on the seat of the vehicle, and by integrating twice the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor at the time of a vehicle collision by the movement amount calculating means, The amount of movement of the occupant seated in the seat is calculated, and is calculated by the occupant distance deriving means by the predetermined initial distance and movement amount calculating means preset as the distance between the occupant and the airbag at normal times. From the amount of movement, the occupant distance after movement between the occupant and the airbag is derived, and the airbag deployment control means controls the deployment of the airbag based on the occupant distance derived by the occupant distance derivation means, It protects the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle collision.
JP 2005-329878 A

  However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above, the occupant movement amount is calculated by integrating the detected value of the acceleration sensor twice without considering the vehicle movement amount at the time of collision, that is, the vehicle body collapse amount. Therefore, depending on the collision conditions such as the collision direction, the collision site, the offset rate, the collision speed, or the occupant's physique, the judgment of the operation control of the occupant restraint means (the airbag in Patent Document 1) is delayed, and the occupant is optimally restrained There was a possibility that it was not protected.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional circumstances, and enables occupant protection by more appropriate occupant restraint depending on the collision conditions such as the collision direction, the collision site, the offset rate, the collision speed, or the occupant physique. An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle occupant protection device.

  In order to solve the above-described object, the present invention determines a collision mode according to a collision site, a collision direction, and a collision scale at the time of a collision, and from among a plurality of load-crush amount characteristics set in advance according to the collision mode. Select one, estimate the final body collapse amount due to the collision, calculate the current body collapse amount based on the accumulation of the vehicle speed of the vehicle after the collision, and calculate the weight of the occupant and the Based on the moving speed, the kinetic energy of the occupant at the time of the collision is calculated, and the kinetic energy of the occupant at the time of the collision, the final body collapse amount, the current body collapse amount, and the distance between the passenger and the interior of the passenger compartment are calculated. The occupant restraint force is calculated based on the occupant restraint force, and the operation of various occupant restraint means is controlled according to the occupant restraint force.

  In the vehicle occupant protection device according to the present invention, occupant protection by more appropriate occupant restraint is possible depending on the collision conditions such as the collision direction, the collision site, the offset rate, the collision speed, or the occupant physique.

  Embodiments of the vehicle occupant protection device of the present invention will be described in detail below in the order of [Embodiment 1] and [Embodiment 2] with reference to the drawings.

[Example 1]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle occupant protection device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a specific schematic configuration of the vehicle occupant protection device of the present embodiment. .

  As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle occupant protection device according to the present embodiment includes a seat belt 12, an airbag 22, a knee bolster (including a below-knee airbag) 29, and an active seat cushion 30 as various occupant restraining means. Yes. In the event of a collision, the control unit (ECU) 40 activates these various occupant restraint means based on various detection signals from the various sensor groups (the first sensor group 35, the second sensor group 36, and the third sensor group 37). Control and protect occupants.

  FIG. 3 illustrates a more specific configuration of various sensor groups, various occupant restraint means, and a control mechanism in the occupant restraint means.

  As various sensor groups, a collision part detection sensor 41, a collision direction detection sensor 42, a collision scale detection sensor 43, a vehicle speed sensor 44, a G sensor 45, a seat position sensor 46, a weight sensor 47, an obstacle detection sensor 48, a vehicle behavior detection sensor 49 and an occupant position detection sensor 50 are provided.

  The occupant restraint means includes a seat belt module 10, an air belt 18, an airbag module 20, a knee bolster / knee airbag 29, and an active seat cushion 30.

  The seat belt module 10 has a seat belt 12 formed by attaching a shoulder belt that restrains the vicinity of the chest of an occupant in an oblique state and a lap belt that restrains the vicinity of the abdomen to the tongue, and at least at both ends of the seat belt 12. Either side is wound up by a seat belt winding device 13 attached to the vehicle body or the seat, and the tongue is engaged with the buckle provided on the vehicle body or the seat to restrain the occupant to the seat. It is like that.

  A seat belt tension adjusting mechanism 11 is attached to the seat belt retractor 13, and as a belt characteristic detecting means, a belt withdrawing amount detecting device for detecting an energy absorption amount of the seat belt, that is, a withdrawing amount of the seat belt, and a belt A belt tension detecting device for detecting the tension is provided.

  Here, as a belt drawing amount detection device, a known rotary encoder is incorporated in a reel shaft in the seat belt retractor 13. It is also possible to use a device that detects the rotational speed of the retractor spool with a photo interrupter and adjusts the counter. Further, as the belt tension detecting device, a device that detects an angular difference between both ends of a torsion bar provided as a load limiter mechanism in the retractor can be used.

  The belt tension adjusting mechanism 11 is a mechanism that adjusts the tension of the seat belt by changing the rotational resistance by a mechanism using a fluid, or a mechanism that uses the rotational cutting resistance by a blade attached to a retractor spool ( For example, US Patent No. 6,655,743). FIG. 3 illustrates a configuration including the load limiter 14, the shoulder belt pretensioner 15, and the lap belt pretensioner 16. Here, the road limiter 14 pulls the belt while the occupant wearing the seat belt moves forward due to inertial force at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle and the belt tension rises to a certain value. It is a device that prevents the belt tension from rising above that value by allowing the belt to rotate and feeding the belt. Further, the pretensioners 15 and 16 sag the belt by rotating the retractor shaft and winding the belt before the occupant wearing the seat belt starts moving forward due to inertial force in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle. It is a device that removes.

  Next, in the airbag module 20, the airbag 22 is stored in the center pad of the steering wheel, and the airbag 22 is inflated and deployed to protect the occupant when the vehicle collides. The airbag module 20 is provided with an internal pressure detection device that detects the internal pressure of the airbag 22 as an airbag characteristic detection unit, and an inflator output variable unit that varies the inflator output as the airbag characteristic control device 21. 25 and a mechanism for adjusting the exhaust amount of the airbag 22 is provided.

  Here, as the inflator output variable means 25, a structure in which the inflator output is variable by a valve at the output port is known, but for example, the one in US Patent No. 6,871,871 or US Patent No. 6,889,613 can be used. It is.

  Further, as a mechanism for adjusting the exhaust amount of the airbag 22, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent No. 3656080, a vent hole formed in a retainer in the airbag module 20 and an actuator are operated to open and close the vent hole. Although a mechanism for adjusting the exhaust amount by the control valve can be used, in FIG. 3, a vent hole diameter varying means 23 for adjusting the vent hole diameter of the airbag, a bag capacity varying means 24 for changing the capacity of the airbag, The structure provided with is illustrated. As the vent hole diameter changing means 23, for example, two discs with holes formed in the vent hole are stacked, and the diameter of the hole is changed by rotating the disc relatively, or attached to the vent hole. There are those that use the breakage due to a thin film.

  Next, the air belt 18 is intended to reduce the load on the chest due to the impact force at the time of the collision. The shoulder belt of the seat belt is used as an inflatable belt, and the inflator for inflating the shoulder belt and the airbag module 20 are used. In addition, an inflator output varying means for varying the inflator output and a mechanism for adjusting the exhaust amount are provided.

  Next, the knee bolster / under-knee airbag 29 causes the knee bolster to protrude toward the occupant at the time of a collision, supports the occupant's knee by inflating and deploying the under-knee airbag, and restrains forward movement. . The knee bolster / under-knee airbag 29 has a knee bolster actuator for projecting the knee bolster at the time of an impact, an inflator, an inflator output varying means for making the inflator output variable, and an exhaust amount adjusted in the same manner as the airbag module 20. A mechanism is provided.

  Further, the active seat cushion 30 is intended to prevent a submarine phenomenon (a phenomenon in which the occupant's body sinks by being pressed against the seat surface of the seat against a strong impact from the front) at the time of collision. Thus, the seat is moved rearward at the time of collision, and the front portion of the seat cushion is lifted. The active seat cushion 30 is provided with a seat retracting device 31 that moves the seat rearward and a seat front seat surface raising device 32 that lifts the front portion of the seat cushion.

  Next, the specific configuration of the control unit (ECU) 40 and the relationship between the control unit (ECU) 40, various sensor groups, and various occupant restraint means will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, various sensor groups will be specifically described. First, the collision part detection means (collision part detection sensor) 41 detects the part of the host vehicle where the collision has occurred. For example, load sensors are installed at the tips of the left and right side members of the vehicle, and pressure sensors are installed at each of the structural members of the vehicle (such as the skeleton members of the engine compartment), and the location of the collision is detected based on these detection signals. To do. The collision direction detection means (collision direction detection sensor) 42 detects the direction of the collision with respect to the front-rear direction of the host vehicle. For example, a method of installing a plurality of pressure sensors or the like on a front bumper or the like of a vehicle and detecting the direction of a collision based on detection signals thereof, a forward monitoring radar (obstacle detection sensor 48 using light, electromagnetic waves, ultrasonic waves, or the like). ) Can be considered.

  The collision scale detection means (collision scale detection sensor) 43 detects the scale of the collision. The collision scale here corresponds to the magnitude of the collision energy, and the relative speed between the vehicle and the collision object is detected by a method of judging based on the rise of the deceleration by the G sensor 45 or the front monitoring radar, and the relative A method of calculating the collision energy from the speed and the size of the vehicle and the collision target can be considered.

  Vehicle speed detecting means (vehicle speed sensor) 44 detects the vehicle speed of the host vehicle. An occupant weight detection means (weight sensor) 47 is installed on the seat (third sensor group 37 in FIG. 2) to detect the weight of the occupant. For example, a configuration in which the pressure at the seating portion of the seat is directly detected, or a configuration in which a load sensor is installed in the suspension device portion to detect is conceivable. The occupant movement speed detection means 50 detects the movement speed of the occupant at the time of collision. For example, there is a method of detecting the movement speed of an occupant by processing an image showing the occupant's behavior by a CCD camera (occupant position detection sensor 50) installed in the passenger compartment (second sensor group 36 in FIG. 2). Conceivable. In addition to the CCD camera, an infrared camera, a sensor using ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves, or the like can be used.

  The pressure sensor 51 is installed on each structural member of the vehicle, for example, to detect contact between the structural members at the time of a collision, and determines a load path (load transmission path) at the time of the collision. Used. The angular acceleration detection means 52 (vehicle behavior detection sensor 49) detects the vehicle body angular acceleration of the host vehicle. Specifically, as the angular acceleration detection means 52 (vehicle behavior detection sensor 49), a steering angle sensor, a pitch sensor, or a yaw rate sensor is assumed, and the steering angle of the steering, the pitching angular velocity of the vehicle, or the yaw angular velocity of the vehicle, respectively. Detect the vehicle body angular acceleration of the host vehicle.

  Next, a specific configuration of the control unit (ECU) 40 will be described. Specifically, the control unit (ECU) 40 is realized by a processor such as a CPU, MPU (microprocessor) or DSP (digital signal processor) and a memory (storage means 57) such as a RAM and a ROM.

  The control unit (ECU) 40 is preset according to the collision mode determined by the collision mode determination unit 55 and the collision mode determination unit 55 that determines the collision mode according to the collision site, the collision direction, and the collision scale at the time of the collision. One of the plurality of load-crush amount characteristics is selected, and the vehicle body collapse amount estimation means 56 for estimating the final vehicle body collapse amount due to the collision, and the current vehicle speed based on the accumulated vehicle speed after the collision. A vehicle body collapse amount calculation means 59 for calculating the vehicle body collapse amount, an energy calculation means 61 for calculating the kinetic energy of the occupant at the time of collision based on the weight of the occupant and the movement speed of the occupant at the time of collision, Restraint force calculation means 60 for calculating the occupant restraint force based on the kinetic energy possessed by the occupant, the final body collapse amount, the current body collapse amount, and the distance between the passenger and the interior of the passenger compartment. The control means 62 controls the operation of various occupant restraint means according to the occupant restraint force calculated by the restraint force computing means 60, and the correction means 65. These means are stored in the memory (storage means 57). A program that is stored and executed on a processor.

  The control unit (ECU) 40 includes a seat belt operation control unit 71, an air belt operation control unit 72, an airbag operation control unit 73, an active seat cushion operation control unit 75, and a knee bolster / knee airbag operation control unit 76. Based on the operation control commands for various occupant restraining means from the control means 62, control signals are output to the seat belt module 10, the air belt 18, the airbag module 20, the knee bolster / knee airbag 29, and the active seat cushion 30, respectively. To control the operation.

  In the various sensor groups described above, a process for obtaining a desired physical quantity based on detection signals from the various sensor groups, for example, the relative speed between the vehicle and the collision object is detected by the front monitoring radar (obstacle detection sensor 48). Then, a process for calculating the collision energy from the relative speed and the size of the vehicle and the collision object, a process for obtaining the movement speed of the occupant by performing image processing on the behavior of the occupant by the CCD camera (occupant position detection sensor 50), etc. Is not specifically indicated as a configuration means, but is executed by a program in the control unit (ECU) 40.

  Next, an occupant protection processing procedure by the vehicle occupant protection device of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a flow chart for explaining a processing procedure for occupant protection at the time of collision in the control unit (ECU) 40 of the vehicle occupant protection device of this embodiment.

  First, the occupant weight is acquired by the occupant weight detection means (weight sensor) 47 at the normal time before the collision (step S101).

  Next, when a collision is detected (step S102), a collision site is detected based on a detection signal from the collision site detection means (collision site detection sensor) 41 (step S103). The collision detection may be performed by the collision part detection means (collision part detection sensor) 41, or when the collision scale detection means (collision scale detection sensor) 43 is a forward monitoring radar (obstacle detection sensor 48). Alternatively, the collision may be predicted from the detection result of the front monitoring radar.

  Next, based on the detection results of the collision site detection means (collision site detection sensor) 41, the collision direction detection means (collision direction detection sensor) 42, and the collision scale detection means (collision scale detection sensor) 43, the collision form determination means 55 The collision mode is determined, and the load-crush amount characteristic corresponding to the collision mode is selected from the load-crush amount characteristics stored in advance in the storage unit 57 (step S104).

  Here, the load-crush amount characteristic is a characteristic in which the vertical axis is a load and the horizontal axis is a vehicle body crush amount (stroke). FIG. 5A shows a case where a single structural member absorbs collision energy. And (b) a case where collision energy is absorbed by two structural members. For example, when a load is applied to the left and right side members with a load sensor at the tip of the left and right side members of the vehicle, if the load is applied to the left and right side members, it is determined that there is a full wrap collision, and the load-crush amount characteristic of FIG. When a load is applied to any one of the side members, it is determined that the collision is an offset collision, and the load-crush amount characteristic shown in FIG. 5A is selected.

  That is, the area of the characteristic curve (shaded area in the figure) is the collision energy, and the final body collapse amount (stroke) Send due to the collision is predicted by selecting the load-crush amount characteristic according to the collision mode. can do. The load-crush amount characteristic is digitized by a simulation experiment or the like performed in advance for each vehicle type, and is stored in the storage unit 57 in a table format, for example.

  There are several other methods for determining the collision mode. For example, when the G sensor 45 attached to the front end of the front site member is used as the collision scale detection means (collision scale detection sensor) 43, the threshold G1 when the deceleration detected by the G sensor 45 exceeds the threshold G1. When the deceleration detected by the G sensors 45 on both sides exceeds the threshold G1, the time difference between the timings at which the G sensors 45 on both sides exceed the threshold G1 is equal to or less than the threshold T1. Is judged as a full wrap collision, otherwise it is judged as an offset collision on one side.

  In addition, when a plurality of piezoelectric sensors are installed side by side at the front end of a structural member (bumper reinforcement) at the front of the vehicle, the collision target object wraps and collides with the host vehicle by turning on / off the piezoelectric sensors at each portion. For example, the collision mode is determined by obtaining the lap ratio with respect to the full width of the vehicle.

  Further, when the forward monitoring radar (obstacle detection sensor 48) is used, the relative speed between the own vehicle and the collision object is detected, and the collision energy is calculated from the relative speed and the size of the own vehicle and the collision object. Then, the collision mode is determined. Further, when using captured image processing means for processing the captured image by capturing the periphery of the host vehicle, the collision mode is determined from the image processing result. When a forward monitoring radar and / or captured image processing means are used, it is possible to predict the collision mode by estimating the collision site, the collision angle, and the collision scale (collision energy) immediately before the collision.

  Next, the final body collapse amount (stroke) Send is estimated by the vehicle body collapse amount estimation unit 56 based on the load-crush amount characteristic selected by the collision mode determination unit 55 (step S105).

  Next, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is acquired from the vehicle speed detection means (vehicle speed sensor) 44 (step S106), and the movement speed of the occupant at the time of collision is acquired from the occupant movement speed detection means 50 (step S107). Based on the accumulated vehicle speed of the host vehicle after the collision by means 59, the current vehicle body collapse amount is calculated (step S108). Here, the current vehicle body collapse amount Sv (t) is calculated by the following equation when the vehicle speed is V (t).

(Equation 1)
Sv (t) = ∫V (t) (1)
Next, the energy calculation means 61 calculates the kinetic energy of the occupant at the time of the collision based on the weight of the occupant and the moving speed at the time of the collision, and the restraint force calculation means 60 calculates the movement of the occupant at the time of the collision. The occupant restraint force is calculated based on the energy, the final collapse amount of the vehicle body, the current collapse amount of the vehicle body, and the distance between the occupant and the interior of the vehicle interior (step S109).

  Here, the kinetic energy Ep (t) possessed by the occupant at the time of collision is calculated by the following equation, where m is the weight of the occupant and Vp (t) is the moving speed at the time of the occupant's collision.

(Equation 2)
Ep (t) = (1/2) × m × Vp (t) ² (2)
In place of the movement speed Vp (t) at the time of the collision of the occupant detected by the occupant movement speed detection means 50, the pull-out amount of the seat belt detected by the belt pull-out amount detection device can also be used.

  The occupant restraining force F (t) is given by the following equation, where Send is the final body collapse amount, Sv (t) is the current body collapse amount, and D (t) is the distance between the passenger and the interior of the vehicle interior. Is calculated by

(Equation 3)
F (t) = Ep (t) / {(Send−Sv (t)) + D (t)} (3)
Next, the operation of various occupant restraint means is controlled by the control means 62 in accordance with the occupant restraint force F (t) calculated by the restraint force computing means 60 (step S110).

  When the operation of the seat belt module 10 is controlled via the seat belt operation control unit 71, the retracting force of the retractor of the seat belt tension adjusting mechanism 11 is controlled according to the occupant restraining force F (t), and the seat belt is controlled. Adjust the tension when pulling out.

  Further, when the operation of the airbag module 20 is controlled via the airbag operation control unit 73, the pressure of the airbag 22 is changed by changing the inflator output by the inflator output variable means 25 in accordance with the occupant restraining force F (t). The vent hole diameter of the airbag 22 is changed by the vent hole diameter varying means 23 to adjust the pressure of the airbag 22.

  Further, when controlling the operation of the air belt 18 via the air belt operation control unit 72, the pressure of the air belt 18 is adjusted by changing the inflator output by the inflator output variable means according to the passenger restraining force F (t), The pressure of the air belt 18 is adjusted by changing the vent hole diameter of the air belt 18 by the vent hole diameter varying means.

  When the active seat cushion 30 is controlled via the active seat cushion operation control unit 75, the seat retracting device 31 is operated when the occupant restraining force F (t) exceeds a predetermined threshold, The seat front seat elevation device 32 is operated when the occupant restraint force F (t) exceeds a predetermined threshold.

  Further, when the knee bolster / knee airbag 29 is controlled to operate via the knee bolster / knee airbag operation control unit 76, the knee bolster / knee airbag 29 is controlled in synchronism with the seat belt module 10 according to the occupant restraint force F (t). The bolster is actuated, and the inflator output is changed by the inflator output varying means in accordance with the occupant restraining force F (t) to adjust the pressure of the below-knee airbag, and the vent hole diameter changing means is used to adjust the vent hole of the below-knee airbag. Adjust the pressure of the lower knee airbag by changing the diameter.

  The processes from step S106 to step S110 are repeated until the end determination (step S111) determines the end (for example, the vehicle speed becomes zero).

  In the above description, FIG. 5A shows a case where the collision energy is absorbed by one structural member, and FIG. 5B shows a case where the collision energy is absorbed by two structural members. For example, it is assumed that either one is selected according to the collision mode. However, the load in the load-crush amount characteristic is not uniform and varies depending on the load transmission path (load path) in the collision.

  Therefore, based on the detection signal from the pressure sensor 51 installed in each structural member of the vehicle, for example, the skeletal member of the engine compartment, the front site member, the dash box, etc., the transmission path of the load in the collision by the correcting means 65 If the load-collapse amount characteristic stored in advance in the storage means 57 (or selected by the body collapse amount estimation means 56) is corrected based on the load transmission path, the body collapse amount is corrected. The estimation accuracy of the final body collapse amount (stroke) Send by the estimating means 56 can be further improved, and occupant protection can be achieved by more optimal occupant restraint according to the collision mode. The correction amount obtained by the correction means 65 is obtained for each load transmission path by, for example, a simulation experiment assuming various load transmission paths for each vehicle type.

  Further, when the body of the host vehicle is at an angle with respect to the collision target at the time of the collision, the collision energy remains as it is, the vehicle speed V (t) of the host vehicle, the moving speed Vp (t) at the time of the passenger's collision, and the final In order to improve the accuracy of the occupant restraining force F (t) without being reflected in the body collapse amount Send, it is necessary to correct these physical quantities based on the vehicle body angular acceleration.

  Therefore, as various sensors, an angular acceleration detection means 52 (vehicle behavior detection sensor 49) for detecting the vehicle body angular acceleration of the host vehicle is further provided. Based on the vehicle body angular acceleration of the host vehicle by the correction unit 65, the vehicle speed, A plurality of load-crush amount characteristics stored in the storage means 57 in advance and / or a movement speed at the time of an occupant's collision are corrected.

  That is, when a steering angle sensor is used as the angular acceleration detection unit 52 (vehicle behavior detection sensor 49), the vehicle body angular acceleration of the host vehicle is obtained by detecting the steering angle of the steering, and the vehicle speed, load − Correct the crushing amount characteristics and / or the movement speed at the time of occupant collision. When a pitch sensor is used, the vehicle body angular acceleration of the host vehicle is obtained by detecting the pitching angular velocity of the vehicle, and these are corrected by the correcting means 65. When a yaw rate sensor is used, the yaw angular velocity of the vehicle is detected to obtain the vehicle body angular acceleration, and these are corrected by the correcting means 65.

  The correction by the correction means 65 is performed by obtaining a relationship table between the vehicle body angular acceleration and the vehicle speed, the load-crush amount characteristic, and the movement speed at the time of the occupant's collision by a simulation experiment or the like performed in advance for each vehicle type. Correct by referring to the table. Alternatively, when there is a certain correlation, such as a decrease in these physical quantities approximately in proportion to the magnitude of the vehicle body angular acceleration, the vehicle body angular acceleration and vehicle speed, load-crush amount characteristics, It is also possible to obtain a correlation coefficient with the moving speed at the time of the collision and correct the correlation coefficient by multiplying the vehicle body angular acceleration.

  As described above, in the vehicle occupant protection device of the present embodiment, as various sensors, the vehicle speed detecting means 44 for detecting the vehicle speed of the host vehicle, the collision part detecting means 41 for detecting the part of the collision, and the direction of the collision A collision direction detection means 42 for detecting a collision, a collision scale detection means 43 for detecting the size of a collision, an occupant weight detection means 47 for detecting the weight of the occupant, and an occupant movement speed detection for detecting the movement speed of the occupant during the collision. Means 50 for determining the collision type according to the collision site, the collision direction and the size of the collision at the time of the collision, and the collision type determining means 55 for determining the collapsing amount estimating means 56. According to the collision mode, one of a plurality of load-collapse amount characteristics stored in advance in the storage means 57 is selected to estimate the final body collapse amount due to the collision, and the vehicle body collapse amount calculating means 9 is used to calculate the current body collapse amount based on the accumulated vehicle speed of the host vehicle after the collision, and the energy calculation means calculates the kinetic energy of the occupant at the time of the collision based on the weight of the occupant and the movement speed of the occupant. The occupant restraint force is calculated by the restraint force computing means 60 based on the kinetic energy of the occupant at the time of collision, the final body collapse amount, the current body collapse amount, and the distance between the passenger and the interior of the passenger compartment. The control means 62 controls the operation of various occupant restraint means according to the occupant restraint force calculated by the restraint force computing means 60.

  As described above, since the occupant restraint force is accurately calculated based on the collision form, the collision direction and the collision scale at the time of the collision, and the operation of various occupant restraint means is controlled based on the occupant restraint force, As described above, there is no risk that the judgment of the operation control of the occupant restraint means will be delayed depending on the collision conditions such as the collision direction, the collision site, the offset rate, the collision speed or the occupant physique, and the occupant protection by the optimum occupant restraint is possible. . Further, it is possible to effectively protect the occupant with the restraining force by the minimum occupant restraining means.

  Further, in the vehicle occupant protection device of this embodiment, as various sensors, a collision object recognition means for recognizing the shape and size of the collision object, and a relative speed for detecting the relative speed between the collision object and the host vehicle. Detection means (for example, a forward monitoring radar (obstacle detection sensor 48) or a captured image processing means), and the collision scale detection means 43 detects the shape and size of the collision target and the relative position to the host vehicle. Based on the speed, the size of the collision is determined by predicting the energy absorbed by the vehicle during the collision.

  Accordingly, accurate occupant restraint force can be calculated immediately before the collision, and occupant protection by optimal occupant restraint is possible without delaying the determination of the operation control of the occupant restraint means.

  Further, the vehicle occupant protection device according to the present embodiment further includes, as various sensors, a pressure sensor 51 installed in each component of the host vehicle, and the correction means 65 causes a collision based on a detection signal from each pressure sensor 51. The load transmission path is determined, and a plurality of load-collapse amount characteristics stored in advance in the storage means 57 are corrected based on the load transmission path.

  Thereby, the estimation accuracy of the final body collapse amount by the vehicle body collapse amount estimation means 56 can be further improved, and occupant protection can be achieved by more optimal occupant restraint according to the collision mode.

  In addition, the vehicle occupant protection device according to the present embodiment further includes angular acceleration detection means 52 (vehicle behavior detection sensor 49) for detecting the vehicle body angular acceleration of the host vehicle as various sensors. Based on the vehicle body angular acceleration, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle, a plurality of load-crush characteristics stored in the storage means 57 in advance, or the movement speed at the time of a passenger collision are corrected.

  Thereby, the estimation accuracy of the final vehicle collapse amount by the vehicle body collapse amount estimation means 56 can be further improved, and the calculation accuracy of the occupant restraining force F (t) can be further improved. The passenger can be protected by the more optimal passenger restraint.

[Example 2]
Next, FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle occupant protection device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. As in the first embodiment, a specific schematic configuration is illustrated in FIG. 2, and a more specific configuration of various sensor groups, various occupant restraint means, and a control mechanism in the occupant restraint means are illustrated in FIG. Therefore, detailed description of various occupant restraint means and various sensor groups described in the first embodiment is omitted.

  A specific configuration of the control unit (ECU) 40 will be described with reference to FIG. The control unit (ECU) 40 is preset according to the collision mode determined by the collision mode determination unit 55 and the collision mode determination unit 55 that determines the collision mode according to the collision site, the collision direction, and the collision scale at the time of the collision. One of the plurality of load-crush amount characteristics is selected, and the vehicle body collapse amount estimation means 56 for estimating the final vehicle body collapse amount due to the collision, and the current vehicle speed based on the accumulated vehicle speed after the collision. A vehicle body collapse amount calculation means 59 for calculating the vehicle body collapse amount, an energy calculation means 61 for calculating the kinetic energy of the occupant at the time of collision based on the weight of the occupant and the movement speed of the occupant at the time of collision, Restraint force calculation means 60 for calculating the occupant restraint force based on the kinetic energy possessed by the occupant, the final body collapse amount, the current body collapse amount, and the distance between the passenger and the interior of the passenger compartment. The remaining stroke calculation means 63 for calculating the remaining stroke of the vehicle body, which is the difference between the current vehicle collapse amount and the final vehicle collapse amount, based on the vehicle speed and the deceleration of the vehicle, and the occupant at the time of the collision A second restraint force calculating means 64 for calculating the occupant restraint force based on the kinetic energy, the remaining stroke of the vehicle body, and the distance between the occupant and the interior of the passenger compartment, and until the deceleration of the host vehicle after the collision reaches a predetermined value. Then, the operation of various occupant restraint means is controlled in accordance with the occupant restraint force calculated by the restraint force computing means 60, and after the deceleration of the host vehicle after the collision reaches the predetermined value, the second restraint force computing means. 64 includes a control means 62 for controlling the operation of various occupant restraint means according to the occupant restraint force calculated by 64, and a correction means 65. These means are stored in a memory (storage means 57) and are stored on the processor. Is a program to be executed.

  The control unit (ECU) 40 includes a seat belt operation control unit 71, an air belt operation control unit 72, an airbag operation control unit 73, an active seat cushion operation control unit 75, and a knee bolster / knee airbag operation control unit 76. Based on the operation control commands for various occupant restraining means from the control means 62, control signals are output to the seat belt module 10, the air belt 18, the airbag module 20, the knee bolster / knee airbag 29, and the active seat cushion 30, respectively. To control the operation.

  Next, an occupant protection processing procedure by the vehicle occupant protection device of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a flow chart for explaining a processing procedure for occupant protection at the time of collision in the control unit (ECU) 40 of the vehicle occupant protection device of this embodiment.

  First, the occupant weight is acquired by the occupant weight detection means (weight sensor) 47 at the normal time before the collision (step S201). Next, when a collision is detected (step S202), a collision site is detected based on a detection signal from the collision site detection means (collision site detection sensor) 41 (step S203). The collision detection may be performed by the collision part detection means (collision part detection sensor) 41, or when the collision scale detection means (collision scale detection sensor) 43 is a forward monitoring radar (obstacle detection sensor 48). Alternatively, the collision may be predicted from the detection result of the front monitoring radar.

  Next, based on the detection results of the collision site detection means (collision site detection sensor) 41, the collision direction detection means (collision direction detection sensor) 42, and the collision scale detection means (collision scale detection sensor) 43, the collision form determination means 55 The collision mode is determined, and the load-collapse amount characteristic corresponding to the collision mode is selected from the load-collapse amount characteristics stored in advance in the storage unit 57 (step S204). Next, the final body collapse amount (stroke) Send is estimated by the vehicle body collapse amount estimation unit 56 based on the load-collapse amount characteristic selected by the collision mode determination unit 55 (step S205).

  Next, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is acquired from the vehicle speed detection means (vehicle speed sensor) 44 (step S206), the movement speed of the occupant at the time of collision is acquired from the occupant movement speed detection means 50 (step S207), and the G sensor 45 The deceleration G (t) of the host vehicle is acquired (step S208).

  Next, based on the value of the deceleration G (t) of the host vehicle, if the deceleration G (t) is less than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step S210, and if the deceleration G (t) is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step S212. (Step S209). That is, until the deceleration G (t) of the host vehicle in the initial stage of the collision rises to the threshold value, the restraint force calculating means 60 calculates the passenger restraining force F (t) as in the first embodiment, and the host vehicle deceleration G After (t) rises to the threshold value, the occupant restraint force F (t) is computed by the second restraint force computing means 64 described below.

  First, when the deceleration G (t) is less than the threshold value, the vehicle body collapse amount calculation means 59 calculates the current vehicle body collapse amount based on the accumulation of the vehicle speed of the host vehicle after the collision (step S210). ). Here, the current vehicle body collapse amount Sv (t) is calculated by the equation (1) as in the first embodiment, when the vehicle speed is V (t).

  Next, the energy calculation means 61 calculates the kinetic energy of the occupant at the time of the collision based on the weight of the occupant and the moving speed at the time of the collision, and the restraint force calculation means 60 calculates the movement of the occupant at the time of the collision. The occupant restraining force is calculated based on the energy, the final vehicle collapse amount, the current vehicle collapse amount, and the distance between the passenger and the interior of the vehicle interior (step S211).

  Here, the kinetic energy Ep (t) possessed by the occupant at the time of collision is calculated by the equation (2) as in the first embodiment, where m is the weight of the occupant and Vp (t) is the moving speed at the time of the occupant's collision. Is done. In place of the movement speed Vp (t) at the time of the collision of the occupant detected by the occupant movement speed detection means 50, the pull-out amount of the seat belt detected by the belt pull-out amount detection device can also be used. Further, the occupant restraint force F (t) is determined when the final vehicle collapse amount is Send, the current vehicle collapse amount is Sv (t), and the distance between the passenger and the interior of the vehicle is D (t). Similar to 1, it is calculated by equation (3).

  If the deceleration G (t) is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the remaining stroke calculation means 63 determines the current vehicle body collapse amount Sv (t) and the final vehicle body based on the vehicle speed of the vehicle and the vehicle deceleration. The remaining stroke Sres (t) of the vehicle body, which is the difference between the crushing amounts Send, is calculated (step S212).

  Here, the remaining stroke Sres (t) of the vehicle body is calculated by the following equation based on the vehicle speed V (t) and the deceleration G (t).

(Equation 4)
^{Sres (t) = V (t} ) 2/2 × G (t) (4)
When the weight of the vehicle is M, the kinetic energy of the vehicle “(1/2) × M × V (t) ² ” is the characteristic curve area “M” in the load-crush amount characteristic (see FIG. 5). It is derived from being equivalent to “× G (t) × Sres (t)”.

  Next, by the second restraining force calculation means 64, the kinetic energy Ep (t) possessed by the occupant at the time of collision, the remaining stroke Sres (t) of the vehicle body, and the distance D (t) between the occupant and the interior of the vehicle interior are obtained. Based on this, the occupant restraining force F (t) is calculated (step S213).

  Here, the occupant restraining force F (t) is calculated by the following equation.

(Equation 5)
F (t) = Ep (t) / ((Sres (t) + D (t)) (5)
Next, the operation of various occupant restraint means is controlled by the control means 62 in accordance with the occupant restraint force F (t) computed by the restraint force computing means 60 or the second restraining force computing means 64 (step S214). The operation control of various occupant restraint means via the various operation control units 71 is the same as in the first embodiment.

  The above-described processing from step S206 to step S214 is repeated until the end determination (step S215) determines that the process is ended (for example, the vehicle speed becomes zero).

  Also in this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, based on the detection signal from the pressure sensor 51, the correction means 65 determines the load transmission path in the collision, and the storage means in advance based on the load transmission path. If the load-collapse amount characteristic stored in 57 (or selected by the body collapse amount estimation means 56) is corrected, the final body collapse amount (stroke) Send by the body collapse amount estimation means 56 is assumed. The estimation accuracy can be further improved.

  Further, based on the vehicle body angular acceleration detected by the angular acceleration detection means 52 (vehicle behavior detection sensor 49), the correction means 65 causes the vehicle speed of the host vehicle and a plurality of loads stored in the storage means 57 in advance. If the collapse amount characteristic and / or the movement speed at the time of the occupant's collision are corrected, the estimation accuracy of the final collapse amount of the vehicle body by the vehicle body collapse amount estimation means 56 can be further improved, and the occupant restraining force can be improved. The calculation accuracy of F (t) can be further improved, and occupant protection can be achieved by more optimal occupant restraint according to the collision mode.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the remaining stroke Sres (t) of the vehicle body is corrected by the correction unit 65 based on the vehicle body angular acceleration detected by the angular acceleration detection unit 52 (vehicle behavior detection sensor 49). ing. As a result, the calculation accuracy of the occupant restraint force F (t) can be further improved, and occupant protection can be achieved by more optimal occupant restraint according to the collision mode. The correction by the correction means 65 is performed by obtaining a relationship table between the vehicle body angular acceleration and the remaining stroke of the vehicle body by a simulation experiment or the like performed in advance for each vehicle type, or by obtaining a coefficient and correcting it.

  As described above, in the vehicle occupant protection device of the present embodiment, as various sensors, the vehicle speed detecting means 44 for detecting the vehicle speed of the host vehicle, the collision part detecting means 41 for detecting the part of the collision, and the direction of the collision A collision direction detection means 42 for detecting a collision, a collision scale detection means 43 for detecting the size of a collision, an occupant weight detection means 47 for detecting the weight of the occupant, and an occupant movement speed detection for detecting the movement speed of the occupant during the collision. Means 50 for determining the collision type according to the collision site, the collision direction and the size of the collision at the time of the collision, and the collision type determining means 55 for determining the collapsing amount estimating means 56. In accordance with the collision mode, one of a plurality of load-crush amount characteristics stored in advance in the storage means 57 is selected to estimate the final vehicle collapse amount due to the collision, and the vehicle collapse amount calculation means 59 Based on the accumulation of the vehicle speed of the vehicle after the collision, the current body collapse amount is calculated, and the energy calculation means calculates the kinetic energy of the passenger at the time of the collision based on the weight of the passenger and the moving speed at the time of the passenger's collision. The occupant restraint force is calculated by the restraint force computing means 60 based on the kinetic energy of the occupant at the time of collision, the final body collapse amount, the current body collapse amount, and the distance between the passenger and the interior of the passenger compartment. The remaining stroke calculation means 63 calculates the remaining stroke of the vehicle body, which is the difference between the current vehicle body collapse amount and the final vehicle body collapse amount, based on the vehicle speed and the deceleration of the host vehicle. The means 64 calculates the occupant restraint force based on the kinetic energy of the occupant at the time of the collision, the remaining stroke of the vehicle body, and the distance between the occupant and the interior of the passenger compartment, and the control means 62 Until the deceleration of the host vehicle after the collision reaches a predetermined value, the operation of various occupant restraint means is controlled according to the occupant restraint force calculated by the restraint force computing means 60, and the deceleration of the host vehicle after the collision is reduced. After reaching the predetermined value, the operation of various occupant restraint means is controlled according to the occupant restraint force calculated by the second restraint force computing means 64.

  As described above, since the occupant restraint force is accurately calculated based on the collision form, the collision direction and the collision scale at the time of the collision, and the operation of various occupant restraint means is controlled based on the occupant restraint force, As described above, there is no risk that the judgment of the operation control of the occupant restraint means will be delayed depending on the collision conditions such as the collision direction, the collision site, the offset rate, the collision speed or the occupant physique, and the occupant protection by the optimum occupant restraint is possible. . Further, it is possible to effectively protect the occupant with the restraining force by the minimum occupant restraining means.

  In the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, the configurations of various sensor groups and various occupant restraining means on the premise of a frontal collision with a collision target such as a vehicle ahead of the traveling direction of the vehicle are illustrated. The present invention is not limited to this, and can also be applied to a side collision with a collision target in the side direction of the vehicle, a rear collision (including rear-end collision) with a collision target behind the vehicle, and the like.

  For example, in the case of application to a side collision, a collision site detection unit, a collision direction detection unit, and a collision scale detection unit that can handle the side direction are added as various sensors, and a side airbag is used as an occupant restraint unit. do it. Further, when the present invention is also applied to a rear collision, a collision site detection unit, a collision direction detection unit, and a collision scale detection unit that can deal with the rear surface direction may be added as various sensors.

1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle occupant protection device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a specific schematic configuration of a vehicle occupant protection device according to an embodiment. It is a block diagram of a more specific configuration of various sensor groups, various occupant restraint means, and a control mechanism in the occupant restraint means. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a processing procedure for occupant protection at the time of a collision in the control unit of the vehicle occupant protection device of Embodiment 1. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates the case where (a) collision energy is absorbed with one structural member as a load-crush amount characteristic, and the case where (b) collision energy is absorbed with two structural members. It is a block diagram of the passenger protection device for vehicles concerning Example 2 of the present invention. It is a flowchart explaining the passenger | crew protection processing procedure at the time of the collision in the control unit of the vehicle occupant protection device of Example 2.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Seatbelt module 11 Seatbelt tension adjustment mechanism 12 Seatbelt 13 Seatbelt retractor 14 Load limiter 15 Shoulder belt pretensioner 16 Lap belt pretensioner 18 Airbelt 20 Airbag module 21 Airbag characteristic control device 22 Airbag 23 Venthole Diameter variable means 24 Bag capacity variable means 25 Inflator output variable means 29 Knee bolster / under knee airbag 30 Active seat cushion 31 Seat retractor 32 Seat front seat lift device 35, 36, 37 Sensor group 40 Control unit (ECU)
41 Collision part detection means (collision part detection sensor)
42 Collision direction detection means (collision direction detection sensor)
43 Collision scale detection means (collision scale detection sensor)
44 Vehicle speed detection means (vehicle speed sensor)
45 G sensor 46 Seat position sensor 47 Crew weight detection means (weight sensor)
48 Obstacle detection sensor 49 Vehicle behavior detection sensor 50 Occupant position detection sensor 51 Pressure sensor 52 Angular acceleration detection means 55 Collision form determination means 56 Car body collapse amount estimation means 57 Storage means (memory)
59 Car body collapse amount calculation means 60 Restriction force calculation means 61 Energy calculation means 62 Control means 63 Remaining stroke calculation means 64 Second restriction force calculation means 65 Correction means 71 Seat belt operation control section 72 Air belt operation control section 73 Air bag operation control 73 75 Active seat cushion operation control unit 76 Knee bolster and knee airbag operation control unit

Claims (6)

Vehicle speed detection means for detecting the vehicle speed of the host vehicle;
A collision part detecting means for detecting a part of the host vehicle where the collision has occurred;
A collision direction detection means for detecting the direction of the collision with respect to the front-rear direction of the host vehicle;
A collision scale detecting means for detecting the scale of the collision;
Occupant weight detection means for detecting the weight of the occupant;
Occupant moving speed detecting means for detecting the moving speed of the occupant at the time of collision;
A collision mode judging means for judging a collision mode according to a collision part, a collision direction and a collision scale at the time of a collision;
Body collapse amount estimation for selecting one of a plurality of preset load-collapse amount characteristics according to the collision form determined by the collision form determining means and estimating a final vehicle collapse amount due to the collision Means,
Vehicle body collapse amount calculation means for calculating the current vehicle body collapse amount based on the cumulative vehicle speed of the host vehicle after the collision,
Energy calculating means for calculating the kinetic energy of the occupant at the time of the collision based on the weight of the occupant and the moving speed at the time of the collision of the occupant;
Constraint energy calculation means for calculating occupant restraint force based on the kinetic energy of the occupant at the time of the collision, the final body collapse amount, the current vehicle body collapse amount, and the distance between the passenger and the interior of the passenger compartment,
Control means for controlling the operation of various occupant restraint means according to the occupant restraint force calculated by the restraint force computing means;
A vehicle occupant protection device comprising: A G sensor for detecting the deceleration of the host vehicle;
Based on the vehicle speed of the host vehicle and the deceleration of the host vehicle, remaining stroke calculation means for calculating the remaining stroke of the vehicle body that is the difference between the current vehicle body collapse amount and the final vehicle body collapse amount;
Kinetic energy possessed by the occupant at the time of the collision, a remaining stroke of the vehicle body, and a second restraint force computing means for computing the occupant restraint force based on the distance between the occupant and the interior of the passenger compartment,
The control means controls the operation of various occupant restraint means according to the occupant restraining force calculated by the restraint force computing means until the deceleration of the own vehicle after the collision reaches a predetermined value. The operation of various occupant restraint means is controlled according to the occupant restraint force calculated by the second restraint force computing means after the deceleration reaches the predetermined value. Vehicle occupant protection device. A collision object recognition means for recognizing the shape and size of the collision object;
A relative speed detecting means for detecting a relative speed between the collision object and the host vehicle,
2. The collision scale detecting means predicts the energy absorbed by the host vehicle at the time of collision based on the shape and size of the collision object and the relative speed with the host vehicle, and determines the collision scale. Alternatively, the vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 2. It has a pressure sensor installed in each component including at least the framework parts of its own vehicle,
4. A load transmission path is determined based on a detection signal from each pressure sensor, and a plurality of preset load-crush amount characteristics are corrected based on the load transmission path. The vehicle occupant protection device according to any one of the above. Having angular acceleration detection means for detecting the vehicle body angular acceleration of the host vehicle,
The vehicle speed of the host vehicle, a plurality of preset load-crush amount characteristics, or a movement speed at the time of a passenger collision are corrected based on the vehicle body angular acceleration of the host vehicle. The vehicle occupant protection device according to any one of 4.   The vehicle occupant protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the various occupant restraint means includes at least one of a seat belt, an airbag, a knee bolster, and an active seat cushion. .

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