JP4600768B2 - Occupant protection device for side collision of vehicle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an occupant protection device for side collision of a vehicle.

  With regard to collision safety technology, front airbags aimed at protecting passengers from head-on collisions have become widespread in recent years, and as a device for protecting passengers from side-by-side collisions. Curtain airbags mainly intended to protect the head and side airbags mainly intended to protect the upper body are also becoming popular.

Regarding the side airbag for the rear seat, Patent Document 1 is known.
The vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a side member that is independent of the rear seat at the side of the outer end portion of the rear seat, and an airbag device including an insulator, an airbag, and the like is provided inside the side member. Has been placed. In the airbag device, the airbag is deployed in front of the side member between the rear seat occupant and the rear seat door at the time of a side collision. Since the side member is configured to protrude forward from the seat back of the rear seat, and the occupant is not configured to lean against the side member, the airbag that is deployed forward from the side member may harm the occupant. For example, the passenger is not pushed forward.

JP-A-8-40176

  By the way, in order to enlarge the cargo space of the cargo compartment provided behind the rear seat, the seat back of the rear seat can be moved forward to make the back of the seat back the cargo compartment floor surface, for example, It may be required to be able to achieve a so-called full flatness.

  In the vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1, it may be possible to configure the rear seat so that it can be fully flat, but the side member that houses the airbag or the like has the rear seat forward. Even if it is still protruding from the side of the vehicle to the inside of the room, even if the cargo compartment is enlarged as a whole, the side members interfere and the enlarged cargo compartment is used over the entire width. There is a problem that can not be.

  The present invention has been invented in order to solve the above-described problems, and protects the occupant of the rear seat while allowing the side airbag to be deployed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a side collision occupant protection device that can be used throughout.

To achieve the above object, an occupant protection device for a side collision of a vehicle according to the present invention, a rear side trim to form a side wall to the luggage compartment from the rear side door of the vehicle, it is arranged adjacent to the rear side trim The vehicle has a rear seat provided with a seat back that has a side end that can be moved forward, and an opening that is built in the side end of the seat back and formed in the seat back during a side collision. has a side air bag device having an air bag member inflates toward the front of the opening portion is formed on a side end surface of the side end portion of the seat back, further, the opening is formed opening forming part of the side end faces are spaced apart from the rear side trim, rear side trim, in the vicinity of the opening forming portion of the seat back, in the longitudinal direction of and vehicle recess in the vehicle width direction outer side Comprising a building ledge recess airbag member is guided in the recess is characterized in that it is configured to inflated and deployed in front of the vehicle.

In the present invention configured as described above, the side end portion of the rear seat is disposed adjacent to the rear side trim that forms the side wall of the cargo compartment of the vehicle, so the convenience of the cargo compartment at the time of full flatness is not impaired. Further, it is possible to suppress the Tei opening airbag member is inflated and deployed is formed on the side end surface of the side end portion of the seat back Runode, airbag member inflates interfere with occupant, further, the Rutotomoni opening forming portion is spaced from the rear side trim, rear side trim, in the vicinity of the opening forming portion of the seat back, comprising a shelf-like recess extending in the longitudinal direction of and vehicle recess in the vehicle width direction outer side Since the airbag member is configured to be inflated and deployed forward of the vehicle by being guided by the recess, the airbag member can be reliably inflated and deployed forward .

  Further, the opening forming portion is covered with a lid member having a hinge at a rear portion of the vehicle, and the lid member is located above the lower end portion of the concave portion and outward of the seat back around the hinge. Fields configured to rotate are preferred. Since the lid member is configured to rotate outwardly of the seat back around the hinge, the inflation and deployment of the airbag member to the rear of the seat bag can be restricted.

  Furthermore, the rear seat may be a bench seat for three people. Even when there is no side support on the front surface of the side end of the seat bag, the airbag member inflating and deploying is formed on the side end surface of the side end of the seat bag, so that the inflating and deploying airbag member interferes with the occupant Can be suppressed.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to use the cargo space expanded by the forward tilting of the rear seat over the entire width while protecting the rear seat occupant and allowing the side airbag to be deployed. An occupant protection device can be provided.

  Hereinafter, a vehicle side collision occupant protection device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 4 show an occupant protection device for side collision of a vehicle according to a first embodiment.
In this side collision occupant protection device, the vehicle 1 includes a second row of seats, that is, a rear seat 2 and a luggage compartment 3 provided behind the rear seat 2.

  The rear seat 2 includes a seat cushion 2A and a seat back 2B coupled to the seat cushion 2A via an existing rotation mechanism (not shown). The seat back 2B can be moved forward to a position where the occupant support surface 2Ba of the seat back 2B is in contact with the occupant support surface 2Aa of the seat cushion 2A via a turning mechanism (not shown). The back surface 2Bb of 2B can be substantially flush with the floor surface 3A of the cargo compartment 3 (full flattening). In addition, even if it is not flush, the seat back may be inclined forward to some extent and the cargo space may be enlarged.

  The rear seat 2 is a so-called bench seat in which the seat cushion 2A is not separated in the width direction, but the seat back 2B is divided in the width direction. The divided seat backs can be moved forward independently of each other and made fully flat with respect to the floor surface 3 </ b> A of the luggage compartment 3. Further, at both ends in the vehicle width direction of the seat cushion seat surface of the front seat, a portion protruding upward as a side support portion is formed, but the seat surface (upper surface) of the seat cushion 2A of the rear seat in the vehicle width direction outside the vehicle. There is no bulge on the side as large as the front seat, which improves the seating comfort when three people are seated on the rear seat, and the seat back rear surface is more horizontal when fully flattened Can be.

  The back surface 2Bb of the seat back 2B is provided with a catcher or latch 2C at each side end (see FIG. 2), and each latch 2C is a striker 4 attached to a rear side trim 3B that forms the side wall of the luggage compartment 3. It is designed to be releasably locked. The full flattening described above is performed by releasing the latch 2C from the striker 4, and the release of the latch 2C from the striker 4 is performed by an existing latch release mechanism (not shown) provided in the seat or the cargo compartment. .

  The rear seat 2 extends over substantially the entire width of the interior of the vehicle 1, and each side end of the seat back 2B is disposed adjacent to the rear side trim 3B. In the present application, unless otherwise specified, the seat back 2B is described as being engaged with the striker 4 of the rear side trim 3B via the latch 2C, that is, in a so-called standing state.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the seat back 2 </ b> B includes a rear support panel 10, a cushion member 11 attached to the rear support panel 10, and a seat skin 12 that wraps the panel 10 and the cushion member 11. The cushion member 11 and the seat skin 12 at the outer end in the vehicle width direction of the seat back 2B are raised forward, and form a side support portion SS of the seat back 2B.

  A side frame 13 is attached to each side end of the rear support panel 10, and each side frame 13 extends forward. An air bag member is provided between the inner space of each side end portion of the seat back 2B, specifically, between the outer side surface of each side frame 13 and the side end surface 12A of the seat cover 12 constituting the side end surface of the seat back 2B. 14 and an inflator 15 for inflating the airbag member 14 is installed.

  The air bag unit is entirely wrapped with a paper sheet S for the convenience of attachment and transportation, and the air bag unit is attached to the seat back 2B by attaching an inflator 15 with any known attachment means such as a bolt or nut. It is performed by attaching to the side frame 13 using.

  The airbag unit includes a sensor provided on the vehicle body for detecting or predicting a side collision, and a control device for operating the inflator 15 based on information from the sensor, as well as a side airbag device. Configure. Since the structure of the airbag device itself is known, a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  An opening (not shown) is formed on the side end surface 12A of the seat skin 12 adjacent to the airbag member 14, and the edge of the seat skin 12 constituting the opening is arranged on the outer periphery. A lid frame 16 to be gripped by the part is attached.

  A lid member 17 is integrally formed in the lid frame 16. On the inner side surface of the lid member 17 facing the airbag member 14, a notch 18 is formed to extend toward the outer surface of the lid member 17 over the entire circumference of the lid member 17 adjacent to the lid frame 16. . The depth of the notch 18 varies depending on the portion of the lid member 17. That is, the notch 18B except for the notch 18A at the rear edge portion of the lid member 17 is such that the airbag member 14 is inflated at the time of a side collision, and the lid member 17 is pressed toward the outside of the seat back 2B by the inflated airbag member 14. When being done, the lid member 17 is configured to be cut at the cut 18B. On the other hand, the notch 18A in the rear edge portion of the lid member 17 is shallower than the depth of the notch 18B, and the rear edge portion of the lid member 17 is not cut by the notch 18A even when the airbag member 14 is inflated. The shape is determined. Accordingly, the rear edge portion of the lid member 17 constitutes a thin-walled hinge when the airbag member 14 is inflated, and the lid member 17 is centered on the thin-walled hinge of the lid member 17 when the airbag member 14 is inflated. The seat back 2B is rotated outward and rearward toward the rear side trim 3B of the luggage compartment 3.

  As best seen in FIG. 4, the airbag member 14 is inflated and deployed to the rear side trim 3 </ b> B of the luggage compartment 3 where the side end portions of the seat back 2 </ b> B are adjacently disposed. A recess 20 that is recessed outward in the width direction of the vehicle is formed across a height region facing the 2B lid frame 16 (or the rotating lid member 17), whereby the side end surface of the seat back 2B is a lid. The frame 16 is separated from the rear side trim 3B. The recess 20 provides a space for the lid member 17 to rotate outward and rearward of the seat back 2B between the rear side trim 3B. As a result, the airbag member 14 is interposed via the lid frame 16. It can be inflated and deployed from the seat back 2B into the vehicle compartment.

  The recess 20 formed in the rear side trim 3B of the cargo compartment 3 has a bottom 20A formed in a shelf shape so as to constitute a cargo compartment armrest. The luggage compartment armrest 20A is configured to be substantially smoothly continuous with the door armrest 31A formed on the trim 31 of the rear door 30 of the vehicle 1. That is, the front end 20a of the luggage compartment armrest 20A is positioned at substantially the same height as the rear end 31a of the door armrest 31A. With this configuration, the occupant can put his arms on the door armrest 31A and the luggage compartment armrest 20A without any discomfort and can improve the comfort of the occupant.

  As a modification, the front end 20 a of the luggage compartment armrest 20 </ b> A may be formed above the rear end of the door armrest 31. With this configuration, when the airbag member 14 is inflated and deployed toward the front of the vehicle along the recess 20, the deployment of the airbag member 14 is prevented from being hindered by the rear end portion of the door armrest 31. It can be avoided reliably.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the seat back 2B incorporates a substantially rectangular seat back frame SF when viewed from the front, and the outer end of the seat back frame SF in the vehicle width direction is an airbag. Above the unit, it is biased outward in the vehicle width direction to form an outward deflection portion SF1, and the latch mechanism portion 2C is fixed to the outward side of the outward deflection portion SF1.

  As can also be seen best in FIG. 4, the rear side trim 3 </ b> B of the cargo compartment 3 extends above the recess 20 and extends inward in the vehicle width direction so as to be close to the side end surface of the seat back 2 </ b> B. A portion 21 is formed. The bulging portion 21 may be configured to contact the side end surface of the seat back 2B.

By providing the bulging portion 21 above the recess 20 in which the airbag member 14 is inflated and deployed, the bulging portion 21 restricts the airbag member 14 from being biased to the upper side in the initial stage of deployment, for example. This enables stable and early deployment of the airbag member 14.
Further, since the upper body of the occupant is supported by the bulging portion against the rolling while traveling, the rider's posture can be reliably maintained and the riding comfort can be improved. The bulging portion 21 is particularly effective in the bench seat 2 of the present embodiment, in which the side support portion is lower than that of the front seat and the lateral movement of the occupant is difficult to suppress.

  Furthermore, at the time of a side collision, the occupant's upper body (excluding the arm) is restricted by the bulging portion, so that the upper body is prevented from blocking the front of the recess, and the airbag member does not significantly interfere with the upper body. Can be deployed reliably. In this case, in the use state of the armrest where the occupant's arm is positioned in the recess, the airbag member can be deployed while pushing the arm portion forward, and the deployment and expansion of the airbag member is not significantly hindered.

  Incidentally, at least, as shown in FIG. 4, the upper part of the outer end in the vehicle width direction of the seat back frame SF is formed to be biased toward the rear side trim 3B, or the outer end in the vehicle width direction of the seat back frame SF. Since the latch is fixed to the upper part of the rear side trim 3B so as to protrude toward the rear side trim 3B, a striker that is fixed to a high rigidity portion of the vehicle body panel and a seat back frame SF that is a high rigidity portion of the seat back at the time of a side collision are provided. Since the provided latch 2C is engaged, it is possible to prevent the seat back side end portion and the concave portion of the rear side trim from being greatly deformed. Therefore, the airbag member can be surely inflated and deployed through the recess. The latch 2C may be fixed via a bracket (not shown) that extends outward with respect to the seat back frame SF.

  In the first embodiment, a seat belt winding mechanism (not shown) constituting the seat belt device is provided inside the rear side trim 3B, and extends from the seat belt winding mechanism (not shown). Is fixed to the lower portion of the seat cushion 2A via a shoulder anchor 41 attached to the rear pillar 1C. A hook member 42 is attached to the seat belt 40 between the seat cushion 2A and the shoulder anchor 41, and the hook member 42 is detachably attached to a buckle (not shown) fixed to the seat cushion 2A. ing.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the bulging portion 21 and the seat back side end portion are close to each other. Thus, the seat belt 40 is bulged with the seat back 2 </ b> B standing upright. It can suppress that it falls in the clearance gap between 21 and a seat back side edge part. In addition, it is preferable that this gap does not exist. Further, due to the proximity of the bulging portion 21 and the seat back side end portion, the striker 4 can be prevented from protruding inward in the vehicle width direction, and the appearance can be improved.

Next, the operation of the side collision occupant protection device having the above-described structure will be described.
First, in order to move the seat back 2B of the rear seat 2 forward and flatten it, a latch release mechanism (not shown) is operated to release the latch 2C of the seat back 2B from the striker 4 of the luggage compartment 3. In the side collision occupant protection device according to the present invention, since the fixing member including the airbag unit formed separately from the rear seat 2 does not exist on the side of the rear seat 2, the cargo space that has been enlarged by full flattening. Can be used over the entire width.

  Next, at the time of a side collision, the inflator 15 is operated according to a command from a control device (not shown), and the airbag member 14 is inflated.

  As can be clearly seen in FIG. 3, the inflation and deployment of the airbag member 14 in the front-rear direction is blocked by the cushion member 11 and the inflator 15, and the inflation and deployment of the seat back 2 </ b> B inward is blocked by the side frame 13. On the other hand, when the airbag member 14 is inflated and deployed outward from the seat back 2B and a pressure of a predetermined level or more is applied to the lid member 17, the lid member 17 is cut along the cut 18B. The seat back 2B is rotated outwardly and rearwardly (in the clockwise direction when viewed in FIG. 3) around the hinge formed by 18A.

  By this rotation of the lid member 17, an opening is formed in the side end surface of the seat back 2B along the lid frame 16, and the airbag member 14 is further expanded outward from the side end surface of the seat back 2B from this opening. It becomes possible to expand.

  The airbag member 14 inflated and deployed from the opening of the seat back 2 </ b> B, that is, the opening formed in the lid frame 16, is then inflated and deployed in the recess 20 facing the lid frame 16. Although the airbag member 14 further tries to inflate in all directions, the rearward inflation and deployment is blocked by the lid member 17, the upward inflation deployment is blocked by the bulge 21, and downward Inflation and deployment are prevented by the cargo compartment armrest 20A, so that the airbag member 14 is guided to inflate and deploy substantially only forward, thereby protecting the upper body of the occupant between the occupant and the rear door 30. The airbag member 14 can be deployed so as to be suitable. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 14 ′ indicates the deployed airbag member 14. The rear seat can be tilted rearward (reclining), and the airbag member 14 is positioned above the armrest 20A of the recess 20 even when the seat back is inclined about 30 ° with respect to the vertical. Yes.

Next, a side collision occupant protection device according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
This side collision occupant protection device is provided in the side collision of the first embodiment only in the structure for forming the opening that is formed on the side end surface of the seat back at the time of the side collision and through which the airbag member is inflated and deployed. It is only different from the passenger protection device.

  Accordingly, only the configuration and operation different from those in the side collision occupant protection device of the first embodiment will be described here. For convenience of explanation, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as those of the side collision occupant protection device of the first embodiment.

  In the side collision occupant protection device according to the second embodiment, the portion of the side end surface 12A of the seat skin 12 of the seat back 2B facing the recess 20 formed in the rear side trim 3B of the luggage compartment 3 is a side end cushion member. 50.

  The side end cushion member 50 is configured such that the outer surface 50A is the seat skin 12 and the inner surface 50B is a cushion material.

  A belt-like low-extension member LE that is harder to extend than the seat skin 12 is provided. The low-extension member LE includes an outer portion LE1 that extends forward through the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the airbag unit, and the airbag unit. The inner portion LE2 extends forward through the inner side in the vehicle width direction.

  The seat skin 12 that covers the side end surface of the seat back 2B and the seat skin 12 that covers the occupant support surface 2Ba are stitched together with a fragile thread T at the front portion of the side support portion to constitute a fragile fracture portion. In each of the fragile fracture portions, each sheet skin 12 has its end folded back toward the inner side of the sheet, and the folded-back portion has the front end of each of the outer portion LE1 and the inner portion LE2 of the low extension member LE. The part is stitched.

  If the airbag member 14 is inflated during a side collision, the airbag member 14 is inflated and deployed in the front-rear direction and the seat back 2B in the same manner as in the side collision occupant protection device of the first embodiment. Further, they are blocked by the cushion member 11, the inflator 15, and the side frame 13, respectively. On the other hand, the inflation and deployment of the airbag member 14 outward of the seat back 2B presses the outer portion LE1 of the low extension member LE toward the outside of the seat back 2B. Since the low-stretch member LE is made of a low-stretch material, the sheet skin 12 that covers the occupant support surface 2Ba of the fragile fracture portion and the sheet skin 12 that covers the side end surface of the seat back 2B are each provided with a fragile fracture portion. Is pulled from the opposite direction to cut the thread T, whereby the side end cushion member 50 is directed outward and rearward of the seat back 2B around the rear end (when viewed in FIG. 5). In the clockwise direction, it is rotated into the recess 20.

  By the rotation of the side end cushion member 50, an opening is formed on the side end surface of the seat back 2B, and the airbag member 14 is further inflated and deployed outward from the side end surface of the seat back 2B from this opening. Is possible. Further, similarly to the side collision occupant protection device of the first embodiment, the airbag member 14 is restrained from expanding toward the upper side at the initial stage of deployment by the bulging portion 21, for example. Stable early deployment is possible, and downward expansion is regulated by the luggage compartment armrest 20A. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 14 ′ indicates the deployed airbag member 14.

FIG. 6 shows a side collision occupant protection device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
In this side collision occupant protection device, the bulging portion 21 in the side collision occupant protection device of the first embodiment is eliminated, and instead, the upper portion of the side end portion of the seat back 2B is close to the rear side trim 3B of the luggage compartment 3. Thus, the extended side portion 70 is formed. The extended side portion 70 can regulate the unstable and uneven expansion of the airbag member 14 upward.

  Further, the side end portion of the seat back 2B can be expanded to the rear side trim 3B, and the seating comfort of the occupant can be improved. Further, at the time of a side collision, the occupant's upper body is restricted by the rear side trim 3B. However, since the opening of the airbag is located in the vicinity of the recess 20, the upper body can block the front of the recess 20 significantly. The airbag can be reliably deployed without significantly interfering with the upper body.

FIG. 7 shows a side collision occupant protection device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
In this side collision occupant protection device, the structure of the seat belt device for the rear seat 2 is only different from that of the side collision occupant protection device of the first embodiment. That is, in this side collision occupant protection device, the seat belt retracting mechanism of the seat belt device, that is, the retractor RE is provided inside the seat back 2B, and the seat belt 40 extending from the retractor RE is provided at the side end of the seat back 2B. The belt is drawn out from a belt drawing opening 80 provided at the upper part of the belt. The seat back frame SF is fixed to the upper part of the outer end in the vehicle width direction at the upper side and the outer side of the retractor RE and the corner of the seat back frame SF in order to fix the retractor RE. A bracket BR is provided.

  According to this configuration, since the belt pull-out opening 80 is close to the occupant, the exposed bending of the seat belt 40 can be reduced, and the movement of the occupant during a side collision can be further suppressed. Further, when the seat belt 40 extends from the shoulder anchor 41 of the rear pillar 1C, the seat belt 40 falls between the seat back 2B and the rear side trim 3B when the seat back 2B is moved forward. In the present invention, since the concave portion 20 is formed in the rear side trim 3B, the seat belt 40 is caught in the concave portion 20 when the seat back 2B is returned to the standing state, and the seat belt 40 is shown in FIG. It is possible that the product will not return to use. In this regard, according to the configuration of the present embodiment in which the seat belt 40 is pulled out from the belt pull-out opening 80, the problem of the seat belt 40 being caught when the seat back 2B is rotated can be eliminated. In addition, a bracket BR for fixing the retractor RE is provided at the upper portion of the outer end of the seat back frame SF, and the rigidity of this portion can be improved. As in the first embodiment, the ride comfort is improved. The airbag can be surely inflated and deployed through the recess 20 while improving the above.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications as described below are possible.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the lid member 17 is temporarily fastened to the lid frame 16 over the entire circumference thereof, and is hinged to the lid frame 16 by the “thin hinge” 16A. 17 may be temporarily fastened to the lid frame 16 by “only a part” of the outer peripheral part, or may be hinged by a “hinge”.

  Further, any known occupant seating sensor for detecting that the occupant is seated, for example, that the hook member 42 of the seat belt 40 is locked to a buckle (not shown) fixed to the seat cushion 2A. A sensor for detection may be additionally provided in the vehicle, and the control device for the side airbag device may be configured so that the inflator 15 is not operated when the seating of the occupant is not detected.

  In the present embodiment, the recess 20 and the bulging portion 21 are formed in the front half of the rear side trim 3B. However, the recess 20 and the bulging portion 21 may be formed only in the portion immediately behind the rear door, that is, only in the front end of the rear side trim 3B. good.

1 is a schematic perspective view of a rear section of a vehicle including an occupant protection device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a rear section of the vehicle of FIG. 1 shown with the rear seat tilted forward. It is a schematic sectional drawing in the III-III line of FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic partial front view of a rear section of the vehicle of FIG. 1. It is a general | schematic fragmentary sectional view which shows the seat back vicinity of the passenger | crew protection apparatus by 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic partial front view of a rear section of a vehicle including an occupant protection device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic partial front view of a rear section of a vehicle including an occupant protection device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Vehicle 2 Rear Seat 2B Seat Back 3 Loading Room 3B Rear Side Trim 14 Airbag Member

Claims (3)

A rear side trim that forms a side wall from the rear of the vehicle side door to the cargo compartment;
A rear seat having a side end disposed adjacent to the rear side trim and having a seat back that can be moved forward;
Yes The built in the end of the seat back, a side air bag device having an air bag member inflates toward the opening formed in the seat back when the side collision to the front of the vehicle, a And
The opening, wherein formed on the side end surface of the side end portion of the seat back, further, the opening forming portion of the opening formed side end face are spaced apart from the rear side trim,
The rear side trim includes a shelf-like recess that is recessed outward in the vehicle width direction and extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle in the vicinity of the opening forming portion of the seat back, and the airbag member is guided by the recess. A side collision occupant protection device for a vehicle, characterized in that the vehicle is inflated and deployed in front of the vehicle. The opening forming portion is covered with a lid member having a hinge at a rear side portion of the vehicle, and the lid member is turned above the lower end portion of the recess and outward of the seat back around the hinge. The occupant protection device for a side collision of a vehicle according to claim 1, which is configured to do so. The occupant protection device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the rear seat is a bench seat for three people.

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