KR20240048283A - Air bag apparatus for vehicle and operation control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an airbag device for a vehicle and a method for controlling its operation. When a collision accident occurs and the passenger seated in the passenger seat 1 is in a normal sitting position, only the first cushion 110 of the passenger seat airbag 100 is deployed and the passenger seated 100 is deployed. ), and in a relaxed sitting position, the first cushion 11 and the second cushions 110 and 210 of the support airbag 200 are deployed together to protect the passenger 1 in the passenger seat.

Description

Vehicle airbag device and its operation control method {AIR BAG APPARATUS FOR VEHICLE AND OPERATION CONTROL METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a vehicle airbag device and a method for controlling its operation, and more specifically, to a vehicle airbag device that can effectively protect both normal and relaxed passengers in the passenger seat and a method for controlling its operation. am.

Self-driving vehicles are smart vehicles incorporating autonomous driving technology that navigate to their destination on their own without the driver having to directly operate the steering wheel, accelerator pedal, or brakes. Development is progressing rapidly in recent years.

When autonomous driving situations are universally realized, the driver can select a relaxation mode in which the driver takes a break without directly driving the vehicle, and in the relaxation mode situation, the movement, rotation, and posture of the seat can be changed in various ways according to the needs of the passenger. It could be.

In other words, passengers in the passenger seat can choose a normal normal sitting posture or a relaxed sitting posture that allows them to move while comfortably resting in autonomous driving situations.

Normal seating and relaxed seating can be defined according to the angle of the seatback. Normal seating can be defined as a state in which the seatback is rotated backwards within 20 to 25 degrees based on the 90-degree upright state, and the seatback can be defined as This state of being rotated backwards more than 40 degrees can be defined as a relaxed sitting.

In this way, in a situation where the seating conditions of the passenger seat can be changed to normal seating and relaxed seating, it is difficult for the conventional airbag device installed in the vehicle to effectively protect the passenger seated comfortably in the passenger seat (passenger seat) in the event of an accident, and this causes This has the disadvantage of aggravating injuries to passengers sitting comfortably in the passenger seat.

The matters described as background technology above are only for the purpose of improving understanding of the background of the present invention, and should not be taken as recognition that they correspond to prior art already known to those skilled in the art.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication 10-2017-0002780

The present invention is a vehicle airbag device and an operation control method including a passenger airbag deployed from the cockpit module of the vehicle and a support airbag deployed from the side body of the vehicle, and when an accident occurs, when the passenger in the passenger seat is normally seated, the By ensuring that only the passenger-seat airbag is deployed, and when the passenger-seat passenger is in a relaxed seat, the passenger-seat airbag and support airbag are activated together, the protection function of the passenger-seat passengers, including those in relaxed seats, can be further strengthened. It has a purpose.

An airbag device for a vehicle according to the present invention for achieving the above object includes a passenger airbag mounted on the cockpit module of a vehicle and having a first cushion that is deployed toward the passenger in the passenger seat when an accident occurs; A support airbag that is mounted on the car body on the passenger side and has a second cushion that is deployed toward the passenger seat in the event of an accident; and an airbag controller that controls the operation of the passenger airbag and the support airbag.

The passenger airbag includes a first inflator fixed to the cockpit module on the front side of the passenger seat; The first cushion is characterized in that it is deployed toward the passenger seat located at the rear with respect to the first inflator.

The car body on the passenger side where the support airbag is installed is a center pillar.

The support airbag includes a second inflator fixed to the center pillar of the vehicle; The second cushion is characterized in that it is deployed toward the passenger seat located on the side with respect to the second inflator.

When the first cushion and the second cushion are deployed together, the second cushion is located in front of the passenger seat with respect to the passenger seat, and the first cushion is located in front of the second cushion.

The rear portion of the first cushion and the front portion of the second cushion are formed in a shape that matches each other, so that the rear portion of the first cushion is surrounded by the front portion of the second cushion. .

The second cushion includes side portions on both left and right sides; The side portion of the second cushion surrounds the left and right side portions of the deployed first cushion and presses the left and right side portions of the first cushion inward to prevent the first cushion from moving.

The airbag controller receives signals from a collision sensor and a seatback angle sensor to control the operation of the passenger airbag and support airbag.

The passenger airbag and the support airbag are individually operated by a control signal from an airbag controller.

When a collision accident occurs with the passenger seated in a normal position, only the passenger airbag is operated under the control of the airbag controller, and only the first cushion is deployed.

When a collision accident occurs while the passenger seat is in a relaxed position, the passenger airbag and the support airbag operate together under the control of the airbag controller, and the first cushion and the second cushion are deployed together.

In addition, a method for controlling the operation of a vehicle airbag device according to the present invention includes a detection step of detecting the sitting posture of a passenger seated in a passenger seat while the passenger seated in the vehicle passenger seat is in the vehicle; and an operation step in which the airbag controller operates the passenger airbag mounted on the cockpit module of the vehicle and the support airbag mounted on the center pillar according to the seating posture of the passenger when a collision occurs; In the operation step, only the first cushion of the passenger airbag is deployed, or the first cushion and the second cushion of the support airbag are deployed together.

The seating posture of the passenger in the passenger seat includes a normal seating posture and a relaxed seating posture detected by a seatback angle sensor.

The airbag controller receives signals from a collision sensor and a seatback angle sensor to individually control the operation of the passenger airbag and support airbag.

The airbag controller is characterized in that when a collision accident occurs with the passenger seated in a normal position, only the passenger seat airbag is activated so that only the first cushion is deployed.

The airbag controller is characterized in that when a collision accident occurs while the passenger seat is relaxed, the passenger seat airbag and the support airbag are operated together so that the first cushion and the second cushion are deployed together.

The vehicle airbag device according to the present invention protects the passenger by deploying only the first cushion of the passenger seat airbag when the passenger seat is in a normal sitting position when a collision accident occurs, and the first cushion and the second cushion of the support airbag are deployed when the passenger seat is in a relaxed seating position. The cushion is deployed together to protect the passenger in the passenger seat, and has the effect of effectively protecting both the passenger in the normal seating state and the passenger in the relaxed seating state.

1 is a diagram of a vehicle airbag device according to the present invention in which the passenger airbag and support airbag are operated together;
Figure 2 is a diagram of a state in which only the passenger seat air only operates when an accident occurs with the passenger seat in a normal seating position;
Figure 3 is a plan view of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a diagram showing the passenger seat airbag and support airbag operating together when an accident occurs with the passenger seat in a relaxed seating position;
Figure 5 is a plan view of Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation control method of the vehicle airbag device according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, identical or similar components will be assigned the same reference numbers regardless of reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions thereof will be omitted.

The suffixes “module” and “part” for components used in the following description are given or used interchangeably only for the ease of preparing the specification, and do not have distinct meanings or roles in themselves.

In describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, the detailed descriptions will be omitted.

In addition, the attached drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical idea disclosed in this specification is not limited by the attached drawings, and all changes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention are not limited. , should be understood to include equivalents or substitutes.

Terms containing ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

When a component is said to be "connected" or "connected" to another component, it is understood that it may be directly connected to or connected to the other component, but that other components may exist in between. It should be.

On the other hand, when it is mentioned that a component is “directly connected” or “directly connected” to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In this specification, terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but are not intended to indicate the presence of one or more other features. It should be understood that this does not exclude in advance the possibility of the existence or addition of elements, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

In addition, the unit or control unit included in names such as motor control unit (MCU) and hybrid control unit (HCU) is a control device that controls specific vehicle functions. It is only a term widely used in naming, and does not mean a generic function unit.

A controller is a communication device that communicates with other controllers or sensors to control the function it is in charge of, a memory that stores the operating system, logic commands, input/output information, etc., and a device that performs the judgments, calculations, and decisions necessary to control the function it is in charge of. It may include more than one processor.

Hereinafter, a vehicle airbag device and its operation control method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be discussed with reference to the attached drawings.

The vehicle airbag device according to the present invention is a passenger-seat airbag device that can protect the passenger seat (passenger seat) when activated. In particular, it can effectively protect the passenger seat passenger both when he or she is in a normal seated state and when he or she is in a relaxed seated state. It has a composition.

That is, the vehicle airbag device according to the present invention is equipped with a first cushion 110 that is mounted on the cockpit module 10 of the vehicle and is deployed toward the passenger 1 in the event of an accident, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5. Passenger seat airbag (100); A support airbag (200) mounted on the car body on the side of the passenger seat and equipped with a second cushion (210) that is deployed toward the passenger seat (1) when an accident occurs; and an airbag controller (300, ACU) that controls the operation of the passenger airbag (100) and the support airbag (200).

The vehicle's cockpit module (10) is a module that forms the interior space system of the front half of the vehicle, which consists of the driver's seat and passenger seat, and includes the cowl cross member, instrument panel, and defroster & duct system. , Center Facia & Air Vent, Glove Box, Steering Wheel & Column, HVAC & Wiring Harness.

The cockpit module 10 on the front side of the passenger seat 1 may be an instrument panel at the point where the glove box is located.

The passenger airbag 100 includes a first cushion 110 and a first inflator 120 fixed to the front cockpit module 10 of the passenger seat 1.

An airbag housing is fixed inside the cockpit module 10, and the first inflator 120 is fixedly installed in the airbag housing.

The first cushion 110 receives the airbag gas generated when the first inflator 120 operates and is deployed to protrude outward from the cockpit module 10, and the deployment direction is located at the rear with respect to the first inflator 120. It is deployed toward the passenger seat (1) and protects the passenger seat (1).

The body of the car on the side of the passenger seat where the support airbag 200 is installed becomes the center pillar 20 located on the side of the passenger seat 1.

The support airbag 200 includes a second cushion 210 and a second inflator 220 fixed to the center pillar 20.

An airbag housing is fixed inside the center pillar 20, and a second inflator 220 is fixedly installed in the airbag housing.

The second cushion 210 receives the airbag gas generated when the second inflator 220 operates and is deployed to protrude outward from the center pillar 20, and the development direction is located on the side with respect to the second inflator 220. It is deployed toward the passenger seat (1) and protects the passenger seat (1).

The airbag controller 300 receives signals from the collision sensor 400 and the seatback angle sensor 500 and individually controls the operation of the passenger airbag 100 and the support airbag 200.

The signal from the collision sensor 400 serves as a standard for determining airbag operation, and the signal from the seatback angle sensor 500 serves as a standard for determining the seating posture of the passenger 1 in the front seat.

Whether the passenger 1 in the passenger seat is seated is detected by a seat sensor, and the seat sensor may include a weight sensor.

Based on the seated state of the passenger seat passenger (1), the sitting posture of the passenger seat passenger (1) is determined using the signal from the seatback angle sensor 500, and according to the seating posture of the passenger seat passenger (1) in the event of a collision. The airbag controller 300 individually controls the operation of the passenger airbag 100 and the support airbag 200.

The seating posture of the passenger seat passenger (1) includes a normal seating posture and a relaxed seating posture. The normal seating posture and the relaxed seating posture are determined by the seatback angle of the passenger seat, and the seatback angle is determined by the seatback angle sensor 500. is detected by

Typically, a state in which the seatback is rotated rearward within a range of 20 to 25 degrees based on a 90-degree angle can be defined as a normal sitting posture, and a state in which the seatback is rotated backward more than 40 degrees can be defined as a relaxed sitting posture.

The seatback angle of the passenger seat is detected by the seatback angle sensor 500, and the signal from the seatback angle sensor 500 is transmitted to the airbag controller 300, and the airbag controller 300 transmits the signal from the seatback angle sensor 500. And the signal from the collision sensor 400 is received to control the operation of the first and second inflators (120, 220).

2 and 3 show a situation in which the passenger seat passenger 1 maintains a normal seating position, and when a collision accident occurs in a normal seating situation, only the passenger seat airbag 100 operates under the control of the airbag controller 300. , As a result, only the first cushion 110 is deployed, and the passenger 1 in the passenger seat can be sufficiently protected by the deployed first cushion 110.

The passenger seat in the normal seating position (1) is located in an area where he can be sufficiently protected by the deployed first cushion 110, and therefore, when the passenger seat in the passenger seat (1) is in the normal seating position, the airbag controller 300 Under the control of , only the first cushion 110 is deployed to protect the passenger 1 in the passenger seat.

4 and 5 show a situation in which the passenger seat passenger (1) maintains a relaxed seating posture, and when a collision accident occurs in a relaxed seating situation, the passenger seat airbag (100) and the support airbag are controlled by the airbag controller (300). (200) operates together, and as a result, the first cushion (110) and the second cushion (210) are deployed together, and the passenger seat (1) is deployed with the first cushion (110) and the second cushion (210). is protected by.

Since the passenger 1 in the relaxed sitting position is located outside the deployment area of the first cushion 110, he cannot be sufficiently protected by the deployed first cushion 110 alone.

Therefore, when the passenger (1) in the passenger seat is in a relaxed sitting position, the first cushion (110) and the second cushion (210) are deployed together under the control of the airbag controller (300), and the deployed first cushion (110) and the second cushion (210) are deployed together. The cushion 210 effectively protects the passenger (1) in the passenger seat.

When the first cushion 110 and the second cushion 210 are deployed together, the second cushion 210 is located first in front of the passenger seat passenger 1 with respect to the passenger seat passenger 1, and the second cushion 210 is positioned first in front of the passenger seat passenger 1. The first cushion 110 is located in front of the cushion 210.

In addition, referring to Figure 5, the rear portion of the first cushion 110 and the front portion of the second cushion 210 are formed in a shape that matches each other, so that the rear portion of the first cushion 110 is the second cushion. It is surrounded by the front part of (210), and through this, it is possible to prevent the first cushion (110) and the second cushion (210) from moving, thereby protecting the passenger (1) in the passenger seat more effectively. There will be.

In particular, the second cushion 210 is configured to include side portions 211 on both left and right sides, and the side portion 211 of the second cushion 210 surrounds the left and right side portions of the deployed first cushion 110 and provides By pressing the left and right side parts of the first cushion 110 inward (arrow F1) to prevent the first cushion 110 from moving, the passenger 1 in the front seat can be protected more effectively.

In the drawing, unillustrated reference numerals 30 and 40 denote windshield glass and roof panel, respectively.

A method for controlling the operation of an airbag device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

A method for controlling the operation of an airbag device according to the present invention includes a detection step of detecting the sitting posture of a passenger in the passenger seat (1) while the passenger (1) in the passenger seat is riding in a vehicle; And when a collision occurs, the airbag controller 300 is installed in the passenger seat airbag 100 mounted on the cockpit module 10 of the vehicle and the support airbag 200 mounted on the center pillar 20 according to the sitting posture of the passenger seat passenger 1. ) and an operating step of operating; In the operation step, only the first cushion 110 of the passenger airbag 100 is deployed, or the first cushion 100 and the second cushion 210 of the support airbag 200 are deployed together.

When the logic of the present invention starts, the boarding of the passenger seat 1 is detected by the seat sensor (step S1), and the seating posture of the passenger 1 in the passenger seat 1 is detected by the seatback angle sensor 500. (Step S1) S2)

The seating posture of the passenger seat 1 includes a normal seating posture and a relaxed seating posture.

Based on the state in which the passenger in the passenger seat (1) is on board, it is determined whether a collision has occurred using the collision sensor 400 (step S3), and the seating position of the passenger in the passenger seat (1) when it is determined that a collision has occurred. Accordingly, the airbag controller 300 individually controls the operation of the passenger airbag 100 and the support airbag 200.

That is, if a collision occurs with the passenger seat passenger 1 in a normal seating position (step S4), only the passenger seat airbag 100 operates under the control of the airbag controller 300 (step S5), and this causes Only the first cushion 110 is deployed (step S6), and the passenger 1 in the passenger seat can be sufficiently protected by the deployed first cushion 110.

However, if a collision occurs with the passenger seat passenger (1) in a relaxed seating position (step S7), the passenger seat airbag (100) and the support airbag (200) operate together under the control of the airbag controller (300). (Step S8), and as a result, the first cushion 110 and the second cushion 210 are deployed together (step S9), and the passenger 1 in the passenger seat is placed on the deployed first cushion 110 and the second cushion 210. ) is protected by.

As described above, the vehicle airbag device according to the embodiment of the present invention deploys only the first cushion 110 of the passenger seat airbag 100 when the passenger seat 1 is in a normal sitting position when a collision accident occurs, so that the passenger seat 1 ), and in a relaxed sitting position, the first cushion 110 and the second cushion 210 of the support airbag 200 are deployed together to protect the passenger seat (1), and the passenger seat in the normal seated state is configured to protect the passenger seat (1). It has the advantage of effectively protecting both the passenger (1) and the passenger (1) sitting in a relaxed seat.

Although the present invention has been shown and described in relation to specific embodiments, it is known in the art that various improvements and changes can be made to the present invention without departing from the technical spirit of the invention as provided by the following claims. This will be self-evident to those with ordinary knowledge.

1 - Front passenger 10 - Cockpit module
20 - Center pillar 30 - Windshield glass
40 - Roof panel 100 - Passenger seat airbag
110 - 1st cushion 120 - 1st inflator
200 - Support airbag 210 - 2nd cushion
211 - side part 220 - second inflator
300 - Airbag controller 400 - Collision sensor
500 - Seatback angle sensor

Claims (16)

A passenger airbag installed in the cockpit module of the vehicle and having a first cushion that is deployed toward the passenger seat in the event of an accident;
A support airbag that is mounted on the car body on the passenger side and has a second cushion that is deployed toward the passenger seat in the event of an accident; and
An airbag device for a vehicle comprising: an airbag controller that controls the operation of the passenger airbag and the support airbag. In claim 1,
The passenger airbag includes a first inflator fixed to the cockpit module on the front side of the passenger seat;
The first cushion is an airbag device for a vehicle, characterized in that the first cushion is deployed toward the passenger seat located at the rear with respect to the first inflator. In claim 1,
An airbag device for a vehicle, characterized in that the body of the car on the side of the passenger seat on which the support airbag is mounted is a center pillar. In claim 1,
The support airbag includes a second inflator fixed to the center pillar of the vehicle;
The second cushion is an airbag device for a vehicle, characterized in that the second cushion is deployed toward the passenger seat located on the side with respect to the second inflator. In claim 1,
When the first cushion and the second cushion are deployed together, the second cushion is located in front of the passenger seat with respect to the passenger seat, and the first cushion is located in front of the second cushion. Airbag device. In claim 5,
The rear portion of the first cushion and the front portion of the second cushion are formed in a shape that matches each other, so that the rear portion of the first cushion is surrounded by the front portion of the second cushion. Vehicle airbag device. In claim 5,
The second cushion includes side portions on both left and right sides;
The side portion of the second cushion surrounds the left and right side portions of the deployed first cushion and presses the left and right side portions of the first cushion inward to prevent movement of the first cushion. In claim 1,
The airbag controller is a vehicle airbag device characterized in that it receives signals from a collision sensor and a seatback angle sensor to control the operation of the passenger airbag and support airbag. In claim 1,
An airbag device for a vehicle, wherein the passenger airbag and the support airbag are individually operated by a control signal from an airbag controller. In claim 1,
An airbag device for a vehicle, characterized in that when a collision accident occurs with the passenger seated normally, only the passenger seat airbag is operated under the control of the airbag controller and only the first cushion is deployed. In claim 1,
A vehicle airbag device characterized in that when a collision accident occurs while the passenger seat is in a relaxed position, the passenger airbag and the support airbag operate together under the control of the airbag controller, and the first cushion and the second cushion are deployed together. A detection step of detecting the sitting posture of the passenger seat while the passenger seat is in the vehicle; and
An operation step in which the airbag controller operates the passenger airbag mounted on the cockpit module of the vehicle and the support airbag mounted on the center pillar according to the seating posture of the passenger when a collision accident occurs;
In the operation step, only the first cushion of the passenger airbag is deployed, or the first cushion and the second cushion of the support airbag are deployed together. In claim 12,
A method for controlling the operation of an airbag device for a vehicle, wherein the seating posture of the passenger seat includes a normal seating posture and a relaxed seating posture detected by a seatback angle sensor. In claim 12,
A method of controlling the operation of an airbag device for a vehicle, wherein the airbag controller receives signals from a collision sensor and a seatback angle sensor to individually control the operation of the passenger airbag and the support airbag. In claim 12,
The airbag controller is a method of controlling the operation of an airbag device for a vehicle, wherein when a collision occurs with a passenger seated normally, the airbag controller operates only the passenger seat airbag and deploys only the first cushion. In claim 12,
The airbag controller operates the passenger seat airbag and the support airbag together when a collision occurs while the passenger seat is relaxed, so that the first cushion and the second cushion are deployed together. Control method.

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