JP2023154834A - Vehicle occupant protection device - Google Patents

Abstract

To obtain a vehicle occupant protection device which can inhibit rearward inclination of a neck of an occupant even if the occupant moves to the front upper side of a vehicle along a seat back during a frontal collision of the vehicle in a state that the occupant is seated in a rear-facing vehicle seat.SOLUTION: A vehicle occupant protection device 10 is included in a vehicle seat 12 including: a seat cushion 14 on which an occupant P is seated; a seat back 16 which supports a back part of the occupant P; and a headrest 20 which is provided at an upper end of the seat back 16 and supports a head Ph of the occupant P, the vehicle seat 12 arranged so that the occupant P faces the rear of the vehicle. The headrest 20 is provided with a head restraint surface 24 which moves to the seat upper side in conjunction with inclination of the seat back 16 when a vehicle frontal collision, in which the occupant P is moved along the seat back 16 to the front upper side of the vehicle by an inertial force, is detected or predicted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle occupant protection device.

In the event of a frontal vehicle collision with an occupant seated in a rear-facing vehicle seat, the lap belt locking mechanism restricts the length of the lap belt from changing, allowing the occupant to securely secure the seat back via the seat belt. A vehicle occupant protection device that suppresses or prevents the rider from sliding up along the vehicle has been known for some time (for example, see Patent Document 1).

In addition, a shoulder restraint part is provided on the upper end of the headrest or seatback that protrudes toward the passenger, so that the headrest will be placed along the seatback in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle with the passenger seated in a rear-facing vehicle seat. A vehicle seat structure that restrains both shoulders of an occupant who slides up to the side has also been known (for example, see Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-162951 JP2019-166860A

According to the above configuration, an occupant seated in a rear-facing vehicle seat is suppressed or prevented from sliding up (moving) along the seat back during a frontal collision of the vehicle. However, because the occupant's head continues to move toward the front and upper side of the vehicle due to inertia during a frontal collision, if the movement of the occupant's head below the shoulders toward the front and upper side of the vehicle is suppressed too much, the occupant's head may In other words, the neck is extended toward the front and upper side of the vehicle.

In addition, when a rear-facing vehicle seat is in a comfortable position, it is not possible to sufficiently restrain the occupant from moving toward the front of the vehicle, and the occupant may slide up while folding (deforming) the seat back. The head of the head may move downward and past the upper edge of the headrest. In this case, the backward tilt of the occupant's neck becomes large (the neck bends backward).

Therefore, the present invention prevents the occupant's neck from tilting backwards even if the occupant moves toward the front and upper side of the vehicle along the seat back in the event of a frontal collision with an occupant seated in a rear-facing vehicle seat. The object of the present invention is to obtain a vehicle occupant protection device that can suppress the noise.

In order to achieve the above object, the vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a seat cushion on which an occupant sits, a seat back that supports the back of the occupant, and an upper end of the seat back. a headrest for supporting the head of the occupant, provided on a vehicle seat arranged so that the occupant faces rearward of the vehicle; When a frontal collision of a vehicle that moves toward the front and upper side of the vehicle along the back due to inertia force is detected or predicted, a head restraint that moves toward the upper side of the seat or extends toward the upper side of the seat as the seat back tilts. A surface is provided.

According to the invention set forth in claim 1, when a frontal collision of a vehicle in which an occupant moves along the seat back toward the upper front side of the vehicle due to inertia force is detected or predicted, the head restraint surface provided on the headrest is activated. However, as the seat back is tilted, it moves toward the upper side of the seat or extends toward the upper side of the seat. Therefore, in the event of a frontal collision with an occupant seated in a rear-facing vehicle seat, even if the occupant moves along the seat back toward the front of the vehicle, the occupant's head may not move beyond the top of the headrest. It is suppressed from moving downward. In other words, backward tilting of the occupant's neck is suppressed.

As described above, according to the present invention, in the event of a frontal collision of a vehicle with an occupant seated in a rear-facing vehicle seat, even if the occupant moves toward the upper front of the vehicle along the seat back, the occupant's Posterior tilt of the neck can be suppressed.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing the state of the vehicle occupant protection device according to the first embodiment at the time of a frontal collision. FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing the state of the vehicle occupant protection device according to the second embodiment at the time of a frontal collision. FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing a state of a vehicle occupant protection device according to a third embodiment at the initial stage of a frontal collision. FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing the state of the vehicle occupant protection device according to the third embodiment in the latter stage of a frontal collision. FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing a state of a vehicle occupant protection device according to a fourth embodiment at the time of a frontal collision.

Embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, the arrow UP shown as appropriate in each figure is the upward direction of the seat, and the arrow FR is the forward direction of the seat. Therefore, in the following description, when directions such as up and down, front and rear, and left and right are described without special mention, the directions are meant to indicate the up and down, front and rear, and left and right directions of the vehicle seat. Further, the left-right direction has the same meaning as the sheet width direction.

Further, a vehicle (not shown) to which the vehicle occupant protection device 10 according to the present embodiment is applied is a vehicle capable of automatic driving. Since a vehicle capable of autonomous driving does not require a driver during autonomous driving, the occupant P seated on the front vehicle seat 12 is seated in a rear vehicle seat (not shown) facing forward. Sometimes it faces towards the rear so that it is facing the person.

Therefore, the vehicle occupant protection device 10 according to the present embodiment is provided in a front vehicle seat 12 that can be arranged so that the occupant P faces the rear of the vehicle. That is, the vehicle occupant protection device 10 according to the present embodiment is designed to function when the occupant P is seated on the front vehicle seat 12 that is arranged to face rearward. Therefore, FIGS. 1 to 5 show the vehicle seat 12 in which the occupant P is seated facing the rear side.

Note that the "occupant P" in this embodiment is, for example, a passenger corresponding to the human body dummy AM50 (50th percentile of American adult males). In addition, "backward tilt" hereinafter means that the head Ph of the occupant P tilts toward the back, regardless of the direction of the occupant P. Furthermore, the vehicle is provided with a detection device (not shown) that detects (or predicts) a frontal collision.

<First embodiment>
First, a vehicle occupant protection device 10 according to a first embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle seat 12 equipped with a vehicle occupant protection device 10 includes a seat cushion 14 on which an occupant P sits (supports the buttocks and thighs of the occupant P), and a seat cushion 14 on which an occupant P sits (supports the buttocks and thighs of the occupant P); It has a seat back 16 that supports.

The seat cushion 14 includes a cushion material made of urethane foam and a cloth or leather skin material that covers the surface of the cushion material. The seat cushion 14 is configured to be slidable in the front-rear direction along a seat rail (not shown) and is configured to be rotatable with the up-down direction as an axial direction.

The seat back 16 includes a cushion material made of urethane foam and a cloth or leather skin material that covers the surface of the cushion material. The lower end of the seat back 16 is pivotally supported near the rear end of the seat cushion 14, and is configured to be rotatable in the front-rear direction. Note that the occupant P is restrained by the seat cushion 14 and the seat back 16 by the seat belt 18.

The vehicle seat 12 also includes a headrest 20 that supports the head Ph of the occupant P. The headrest 20 includes a cushioning material made of urethane foam and a cloth or leather skin material covering the surface of the cushioning material. The headrest 20 is provided at the center of the upper end of the seat back 16 in the seat width direction so as to be movable up and down (moveable in the vertical direction).

Specifically, a pair of left and right cylindrical headrest stays 22 extending downward are provided at the center of the lower surface of the headrest 20 in the seat width direction. Each headrest stay 22 is inserted into a pair of substantially cylindrical headrest supports (not shown) provided on the left and right in the center of the seat width direction at the upper end of the seatback 16 so that it can be raised and lowered and fixed at a plurality of positions. .

Thereby, the height position of the headrest 20 can be adjusted to match the position of the head Ph of the occupant P seated on the seat cushion 14. The headrest 20 is provided with a head restraining surface 24 that contacts the head Ph (mainly the back of the head) of the occupant P and supports the head Ph.

The head restraint surface 24 detects (or predicts) a frontal collision of a vehicle in which an occupant P seated facing backward moves forward and upward along the seat back 16 (indicated by arrow A) by inertia force. The seat back 16 is configured to move upward as the seat back 16 is tilted. Specifically, a moving mechanism 30 is provided inside the seat back 16 to move the headrest 20 upward when a frontal collision of the vehicle is detected (or predicted).

As the moving mechanism 30, for example, inside the seat back 16, a rack (not shown) is provided at the lower end of the headrest stay 22, and a pinion (not shown) that meshes with the rack is provided to rotate as the seat back 16 tilts. The force is transmitted to the pinion via a gear group (not shown) installed at the center of rotation of the seatback 16, or the driving force of the motor is transmitted to the pinion, so that the headrest stay 22 is moved upward. A possible mechanism is that it is pushed out.

Further, as another moving mechanism 30, for example, a compression coil spring (not shown) is provided inside the seat back 16 as a biasing member that biases the lower end portion of the headrest stay 22 so as to protrude upward. A locking mechanism (not shown) is provided to lock the compression coil spring in a compressed state, and when the locking mechanism is unlocked by the rotational force accompanying the tilting of the seatback 16, the headrest stay 22 is pushed upward. There is a mechanism that can be considered.

Next, the operation of the vehicle occupant protection device 10 according to the first embodiment configured as described above will be explained.

As shown in FIG. 1, when a vehicle has a frontal collision (when a load F is input from the front side) while an occupant P is seated on a rearward-facing front vehicle seat 12, The occupant P moves forward and upward (slides up in the direction of arrow A) while pressing and tilting the seat back 16 due to inertia force. Here, in the case of a vehicle seat (not shown) that does not include the vehicle occupant protection device 10 according to the first embodiment, the head Ph of the occupant P may extend beyond the upper end of the headrest to the lower side of the headrest. There is a risk that the neck of the occupant P may tilt backward (bend backward).

In contrast, in the case of the vehicle seat 12 equipped with the vehicle occupant protection device 10 according to the first embodiment, when the detection device detects (or predicts) that the vehicle has had a frontal collision, the movement mechanism 30 is activated. However, as the seat back 16 is tilted, the headrest stay 22 is pushed upward. That is, the headrest 20 moves upward, and its head restraint surface 24 is placed at a predetermined upper position, as shown by the solid line in FIG.

Therefore, even if the occupant P presses the seat back 16 to tilt it and slides upward and forward due to the inertial force that acts during a frontal collision of the vehicle, the head Ph of the occupant P will not exceed the upper end of the headrest 20. , the headrest 20 is suppressed or prevented from moving downward.

In other words, the head Ph (back of the head) of the occupant P, which has slid upward and forward while pressing and tilting the seat back 16, is restrained by the head restraining surface 24 of the headrest 20. Therefore, backward tilting (backward bending) of the neck of the occupant P can be suppressed or prevented. As a result, the load on the neck of the occupant P is reduced, and the injury value to the occupant P is reduced.

<Second embodiment>
Next, a vehicle occupant protection device 10 according to a second embodiment will be described. Note that parts equivalent to those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations (including common operations) will be omitted as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the vehicle occupant protection device 10 according to the second embodiment, when the headrest 20 moves upward due to a frontal collision of the vehicle, the lower end of the headrest 20 and the seat back 16 The only difference in the first embodiment is that the flexible sheet 26 functions as a head restraint surface that covers the gap with the upper end portion (covers the area including the area between the pair of headrest stays 22 and the outside in the sheet width direction). It is different from the form.

The flexible sheet 26 is made of cloth or resin and has a length in the seat width direction that is at least approximately the same as the length of the headrest 20 in the seat width direction. It is installed between the lower end portion and the center portion of the upper end portion of the seat back 16 in the seat width direction. That is, the upper end of the flexible sheet 26 is joined to the lower end of the headrest 20, and the lower end of the flexible sheet 26 is joined to the upper end of the seat back 16.

When such a flexible sheet 26 is provided to cover the gap between the lower end of the headrest 20 and the upper end of the seat back 16, the headrest 20 can be positioned at an appropriate position relative to the head Ph of the occupant P. Even when the headrest 20 may not be able to properly catch the head Ph of the occupant P who tries to slide up forward and upward, such as when the seat is not in use, the head Ph of the occupant P can be caught by the flexible sheet 26. Can be done. Therefore, backward tilting (backward bending) of the neck of the occupant P can be suppressed or prevented.

<Third embodiment>
Next, a vehicle occupant protection device 10 according to a third embodiment will be described. Note that parts equivalent to those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations (including common operations) will be omitted as appropriate.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in the vehicle occupant protection device 10 according to the third embodiment, the pair of left and right headrest stays 22 are convex toward the front side when viewed from the seat width direction. The only difference from the first embodiment is that it is formed into a substantially curved shape. According to the headrest stay 22 having such a shape, the headrest 20 is extended toward the occupant P from the imaginary extension line K upward of the back restraining surface of the seatback 16 in side view.

Here, depending on the posture of the occupant P who is seated facing backwards, in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, even if the upper body of the occupant P begins to move forward and upward while pressing the seat back 16, only the head Ph of the occupant P will be affected. may be tilted toward the chest. In other words, although not shown in the drawings, at the initial stage of a frontal collision, the head Ph of the occupant P may not follow the upper body and may maintain a vertical posture with respect to the floor of the vehicle interior (not shown).

Therefore, if the headrest stay 22 is formed into a substantially curved shape, as shown in FIG. The head Ph can be brought close to the head Ph, and the head Ph can be restrained by the head restraining surface 24. Therefore, backward tilting (backward bending) of the neck of the occupant P can be suppressed or prevented.

Note that in the later stages of the frontal collision, the head Ph of the occupant P gradually tilts toward the back side due to inertia force. That is, after the headrest 20 restrains the head Ph of the occupant P, it is pressed forward by the head Ph, so that the headrest stay 22 is plastically deformed forward.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, even if the head Ph of the occupant P slides up due to inertia force in the latter stage of a frontal collision, the head Ph can be restrained by the head restraint surface 24 of the headrest 20. . Therefore, backward tilting (backward bending) of the neck of the occupant P can be suppressed or prevented.

<Fourth embodiment>
Finally, a vehicle occupant protection device 10 according to a fourth embodiment will be described. Note that parts equivalent to those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations (including common operations) will be omitted as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the vehicle occupant protection device 10 according to the fourth embodiment, the headrest 20 is divided into two parts, front and back (front and back), and the upper end of the back half (hereinafter referred to as "extension part 20B") The only difference from the first embodiment is that the main body section is rotatably supported at the upper end of the front half (hereinafter referred to as "main body section 20A") with the seat width direction as the axial direction.

That is, a pair of left and right protrusions 20C that protrude upward are integrally formed at both ends in the seat width direction of the extension portion 20B, and each protrusion 20C extends outward in the seat width direction at the upper end of the main body 20A. The main body portion 20A is rotatably supported by a shaft portion 28 at the upper end portion of the main body portion 20A.

Therefore, the extension part 20B is arranged above the main body part 20A by having its lower end rotate upward about the shaft part 28 that pivotally supports the protrusion part 20C. . That is, the head restraint surface 25 of the extension part 20B is arranged above the head restraint surface 24 of the main body part 20A. Thereby, the head restraining surface of the headrest 20 is configured to extend upward.

Note that a torsion spring (not shown) serving as a biasing member is inserted into the shaft portion 28, and the extension portion 20B is always biased in the direction of rotating upward. The main body 20A of the headrest 20 is provided with a locking mechanism (not shown) that locks its rotation, and when a frontal collision of the vehicle is detected (or predicted), the lock is released and the extension is extended. The portion 20B is configured to rotate upward by the biasing force of a torsion spring.

According to the headrest 20 having such a configuration, without pushing the headrest stay 22 upward by the moving mechanism 30, the head Ph of the occupant P who is trying to slide up forward and upward is restrained by the head restraining surface of the extension portion 20B. 25. Therefore, backward tilting (backward bending) of the neck of the occupant P can be suppressed or prevented.

In the fourth embodiment, instead of dividing the headrest 20 into two, a plate member (not shown) that can protrude upward is slidably provided inside the headrest 20 to detect (or detect) a frontal collision of the vehicle. The plate-like member may be configured to protrude upward when the prediction is made. As the mechanism for protruding the plate-like member, a mechanism including a rack and a pinion, for example, can be considered, as in the first embodiment described above.

The vehicle occupant protection device 10 according to the present embodiment has been described above based on the drawings, but the vehicle occupant protection device 10 according to the present embodiment is not limited to what is shown in the drawings. The design can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the moving mechanism 30 in the first embodiment is not limited to the one described above.

Further, the configuration of the second embodiment may be combined with the configuration of the third embodiment. Further, in the fourth embodiment, the extension part 20B of the headrest 20 may be configured to slide upward with respect to the main body part 20A, and by sliding the extension part 20B upward, the The restraint surface 25 may be arranged above the head restraint surface 24 (the head restraint surface in the headrest 20 is extended upward).

10 Vehicle Occupant Protection Device 12 Vehicle Seat 14 Seat Cushion 16 Seat Back 20 Headrest 24 Head Restraint Surface 25 Head Restraint Surface 26 Flexible Seat (Head Restraint Surface)

Claims (1)

a seat cushion on which an occupant sits; a seat back that supports the back of the occupant; and a headrest provided at an upper end of the seat back to support the occupant's head; It is equipped with a vehicle seat arranged so that
The headrest is configured to move upward in accordance with the tilting of the seatback when a frontal collision of the vehicle is detected or predicted, in which the occupant moves upward in front of the vehicle along the seatback due to inertia. Or a vehicle occupant protection device that is provided with a head restraint surface that extends toward the upper side of the seat.