JPH0825446B2 - Safety device for car accident - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a safety device for an automobile accident, and more particularly to a safety device that operates when a rear-end collision or a side collision is received from another vehicle.

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, the safety of automobiles has become more and more important,
Various safety devices have been developed in case of an accident. For example, a braking control device that controls the braking action of the four wheels of a vehicle separately to stop the vehicle safely without slipping when a so-called sudden braking is already in practical use. Many vehicles are also equipped with airbags to protect passengers in the event of a collision.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

However, almost no conventional safety device has been developed that can appropriately control the vehicle braking system after an accident occurs. In particular, rear-end collisions account for a relatively high proportion of automobile accidents, and passengers often suffer from whiplash in a rear-end collision. Therefore, the conventional vehicle, which does not have a sufficient protection function against a rear-end collision, has a big problem in safety measures.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a safety device for an automobile accident capable of reducing damage to a vehicle or an occupant in a rear-end collision or the like.

[Means for solving the problem]

The present invention has a pressure sensor attached to the front of a bumper of an automobile and a pressure sensor attached to the side, and detects an impact force applied by a rear-end collision or an impact force applied by a side contact with the automobile. A first set value and a second set value that is larger than the first set value, and the detected value of the shock sensor is larger than the first set value. In addition, a safety device for an automobile accident is configured by an impact force determination device that outputs a brake operation signal when the value is smaller than the second set value and a brake actuator that drives the brake device based on the brake operation signal. is there.

[Work]

In the safety device according to the present invention, the occurrence of a rear-end collision or the like is detected by the impact sensor. When the detected value is between the first set value and the second set value, the impact force determiner outputs a brake operation signal to automatically drive the brake. The brake is not driven when an impact force equal to or less than the first set value is applied to the vehicle. Therefore, the safety device does not drive the brake until an impact force sufficient to apply the brake is applied. Therefore, it is possible to prevent malfunction due to detection of a slight impact. Further, even when an impact force of the second set value or more is applied to the vehicle, the brake is not driven by the safety device. Therefore, when an excessive impact is applied from the rear due to a rear-end collision with a large vehicle or the like, the brake is not applied and the vehicle is pushed forward. In this way, it is possible to reduce damage to the vehicle and the boarding vehicle by escaping forward without braking against excessive impact. Further, since the impact sensor has a pressure sensor attached to the front surface of the bumper and a pressure sensor attached to the side surface,
It is possible to detect the impact due to the rear-end collision as well as the impact due to the side contact, which enables safer operation.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on the illustrated implementation order.
FIG. 1 is a basic configuration diagram of a vehicle accident safety device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The impact sensor 1 has a function of detecting an impact force applied to the vehicle, and the detected impact force is output as an impact force detection signal in the form of an electric signal. As the impact sensor 1, any sensor may be used as long as it can detect an abnormal impact force generated due to a collision accident with another vehicle such as a rear-end collision. With multiple pressure sensors attached to the bumper,
An embodiment in which this impact sensor is constructed is shown in FIG. Second
The figure is a top view of the rear end portion of the automobile, and shows a state in which the bumper 20 is attached to the rear body 10.
In this embodiment, pressure sensors are provided at four locations on the bumper 20.
31 to 34 are attached. The pressure sensors 31 and 32 attached to the rear of the bumper 20 are for detecting the impact due to the rear-end collision, and the pressure sensors 33 and 34 attached to the side of the bumper 20 are from the side. It is for detecting the impact due to contact. If a pressure sensor using a piezo element or the like is used, the pressure value applied to the bumper 20 can be detected as an electric signal. That is, in this embodiment, the impact force detection signal output from the impact sensor 1 is an electric signal indicating the pressure value applied to the bumper 20. Although the example in which the pressure sensor is attached to the bumper at the rear of the vehicle has been described above, four pressure sensors are attached to the bumper at the front of the vehicle in exactly the same manner.

The impact force determiner 2 is an electric circuit having a function of outputting a brake operation signal when the value of the impact force detection signal given from the impact sensor 1 is within a predetermined range. This operation is shown in the graph of FIG. In the impact force determination device 2,
Two thresholds I1 and I2 are set. And
When the value of the impact force detection signal I is I1 <I <I2 (that is, in the region b in the graph of FIG. 3), the brake operation signal is output. In the areas a and c, the brake operation signal is not output.

The brake actuator 3 has a function of causing the brake device 4 to perform a braking operation when a braking operation signal is output. Generally, sudden operation of the braking device is dangerous because the vehicle body may slip. Therefore, it is preferable that the brake actuator 3 be programmed so that the most appropriate braking operation can be performed. For example, it is possible to input data on the vehicle speed so that a relatively rapid braking operation is performed when the vehicle speed is slow and a relatively slow braking operation is performed when the vehicle speed is fast.

Next, the operation of this safety device will be described. During normal operation, the impact sensor 1 does not detect an impact and therefore does not output an impact detection signal. In reality, however, a weak signal is output as an impact force detection signal due to wind pressure during traveling and other disturbances. However, this signal value I
While is within the area a in the graph of FIG. 3, the braking force signal is not output by the impact force determination device 2. In order to prevent malfunctions during normal driving, the set value I1
Is preferably set as high as possible.

Now, suppose that this car was hit by a different car from the rear while waiting for a signal at an intersection. When such a sudden accident occurs, it is usually impossible for the driver to take appropriate measures. That is,
The operation of stepping on the brake pedal may not be able to be performed immediately, and even if the brake pedal is stepped on while waiting for a signal, the impact of a rear-end collision often releases the foot from the pedal. If this safety device is installed, the following safety measures are automatically taken in such a case. That is, if a suitable value assuming such a rear-end collision is set as the set value I1 in the rear-end collision determiner 2, the value of the impact-force detection signal I at the time of the rear-end collision is within the range b in FIG. Then, the impact force stabilizer 2 outputs a brake operation signal. Thus, the braking operation is performed by the brake actuator 3, and the braking device 4 automatically operates even if the driver does not perform the braking operation. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the vehicle from being pushed forward due to the impact of a rear-end collision.
In FIG. 1, since the signal transmission up to the impact sensor 1, the impact force determination device 2, and the brake actuator 3 is all performed by electric signals, the brake device 4 operates after an accident actually occurs. It takes a very short time to perform, and practically effective braking operation is possible.

The safety device according to the present embodiment operates even when a side impact accident occurs. As shown in FIG. 2, since pressure sensors 33 and 34 are attached to the side surface of the bumper 20, even if a side collision accident occurs at the intersection at the intersection,
A brake operation signal is output from the impact force determination device 2 and the brake device 4 operates. In general, even in such a side collision accident, the driver cannot take appropriate measures in many cases because it is an unexpected accident. If the safety device of the present embodiment is installed, it is possible to prevent a secondary accident such as a collision accident on a structure that is induced from this side collision accident.

By the way, it is not always the best way to protect the occupant when the rear-end collision occurs, and the brake is always operated. For example, when a rear-end collision is caused by a vehicle such as a large dump truck, activating the brakes often causes a great deal of damage to passengers. In other words, if you operate the brake,
All the big impacts from the rear impact will hit the vehicle. In such a case, it is more appropriate to take measures to allow the vehicle to be naturally pushed forward by the impact of a rear-end collision without activating the brake so as to release the impact received by the vehicle. This is the reason why region c is provided in FIG. That is, when the value of the impact force detection signal I given from the impact sensor 1 is larger than the predetermined set value I2, the impact force determiner 2 does not output the brake operation signal. When an impact accident with a very large impact force occurs in this way, the automatic braking operation by the safety device is not performed.

As described above, in this safety device, as shown in FIG. 3, the automatic braking operation is performed only when the value of the impact force detection signal I is I1 <I <I2. The values of the set values I1 and I2 are set to optimum values in consideration of the type of impact sensor used and the type of vehicle mounted.

The present invention has been described above based on the embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment and can be implemented in various modes other than this. For example, impact sensor 1
As an example, in the above-described embodiment, the pressure sensor attached to the bumper is used, but an acceleration sensor or the like currently used to activate the airbag may be used.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the automobile accident safety device of the present invention, when the impact force applied to the vehicle is within the predetermined range,
Since the brake is automatically actuated, damage to the vehicle and passengers due to a car accident can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a basic configuration diagram of a safety device for rear-end collision according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a top view showing an embodiment in which an impact sensor is configured by a plurality of pressure sensors attached to a bumper, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the impact force determination device in the device shown in FIG. 10 …… rear body, 20 …… bumper, 31-34 …… pressure sensor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim: What is claimed is: 1. A shock having a pressure sensor mounted on a front surface and a pressure sensor mounted on a side surface of a bumper of an automobile, for detecting an impact force applied by a rear-end collision or an impact force applied by a side contact with the automobile. A sensor and a detection value by the impact sensor, a first setting value and a second setting value larger than the first setting value are held, and the detection value by the impact sensor is higher than the first setting value. An automobile comprising: an impact force determiner that outputs a brake operation signal when the value is large and smaller than a second set value; and a brake actuator that drives a brake device based on the brake operation signal. Safety equipment for accidents.