Occupant protecting device

• US 10,093,266 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2017
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sugie, Kazuki, Ohmi, Masanobu, Yamamoto, Seiji, Matsumura, Yoshiaki, Sakakibara, Kosuke, Kinoshita, Misato
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Drew J
• Application Number:
  US15/429,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20170297524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0048 Head
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01231 control of expansion timing or sequence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2074 in head rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23308 the individual compartments defining the external shape of the bag
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence

Abstract

An occupant protecting device including: a seat provided in a vehicle, the seat including a seat cushion, a seat back, and a headrest, and the seat being provided with an air bag that inflates and deploys at least to a front and both of left and right sides of a head of a seated occupant; and a control device that in the case of having detected or predicted a collision of the vehicle, causes the air bag to inflate and deploy, and in the case that the seat is facing an opposite side to a collision side when the collision has been detected or predicted, delays a timing of causing the air bag to inflate and deploy more compared to in the case that the seat is facing the collision side.

Claims

1. An occupant protecting device comprising:

a seat provided in a vehicle, the seat including a seat cushion, a seat back, and a headrest, and the seat being provided with an air bag that inflates and deploys at least to a front and both of left and right sides of a head of a seated occupant; and

a control device that in the case of having detected or predicted a collision of the vehicle, causes the air bag to inflate and deploy, and in the case that the seat is facing an opposite side to a collision side when the collision has been detected or predicted, delays a timing of causing the air bag to inflate and deploy more compared to in the case that the seat is facing the collision side, wherein

the device comprises a plurality of the seats, at least one of the plurality of seats is configured such that at least its front-rear orientation can be changed with respect to the vehicle, and

the control device includes a seat direction detecting sensor that detects the orientation of the at least one seat with respect to the vehicle.

2. The occupant protecting device according to claim 1, further comprising a collision sensor electrically connected to the control device, wherein

the control device detects or predicts the collision of the vehicle based on a signal from the collision sensor.

3. The occupant protecting device according to claim 1, wherein

the timing is a timing that internal pressure of the air bag becomes maximum.

4. An occupant protecting device comprising:

a seat provided in a vehicle, the seat including a seat cushion, a seat back, and a headrest, and the seat being provided with an air bag that inflates and deploys at least to a front and both of left and right sides of a head of a seated occupant; and

a control device that in the case of having detected or predicted a collision of the vehicle, causes the air bag to inflate and deploy, and in the case that the seat is facing an opposite side to a collision side when the collision has been detected or predicted, delays a timing of causing the air bag to inflate and deploy more compared to in the case that the seat is facing the collision side, wherein

the control device delays the timing of causing the air bag to inflate and deploy by delaying an actuation timing of an inflator supplying a gas for inflation to the air bag.

5. The occupant protecting device according to claim 4, wherein

the seat is configured such that at least its front-rear orientation can be changed with respect to the vehicle, and

the control device includes a seat direction detecting sensor that detects the orientation of the seat with respect to the vehicle.

6. The occupant protecting device according to claim 4, further comprising a collision sensor electrically connected to the control device, wherein

the control device detects or predicts the collision of the vehicle based on a signal from the collision sensor.

7. The occupant protecting device according to claim 4, wherein

the timing is a timing that internal pressure of the air bag becomes maximum.

8. An occupant protecting device comprising:

a seat provided in a vehicle, the seat being provided with an air bag that inflates and deploys at least to a front and both of left and right sides of a head of a seated occupant; and

a control device that in the case of having detected or predicted a collision of the vehicle, causes the air bag to inflate and deploy, and changes a timing of causing the air bag to inflate and deploy depending on an orientation of the seat with respect to a direction of the detected or predicted collision.

9. The occupant protecting device according to claim 8, further comprising a collision sensor electrically connected to the control device, wherein

the control device detects or predicts the collision of the vehicle based on a signal from the collision sensor.

10. The occupant protecting device according to claim 8, wherein

the timing is a timing that internal pressure of the air bag becomes maximum.