Vehicle passenger protection system

• US 20060102413A1
• Filed: 11/07/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Pal, Chinmoy, Ootani, Ryuuji
• Granted Patent: US 7,556,116 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/274
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558

Abstract

A vehicle passenger restraining system is basically comprises a plurality of passenger restraining devices, a deformation detecting device and a passenger restraining device operating unit. The passenger restraining devices are configured and arranged to restrain a passenger inside a vehicle. The deformation detecting device is coupled to a vehicle body of the vehicle with the deformation detecting device being configured and arranged to detect a deformation condition of the vehicle body. The passenger restraining device operating unit is configured to obtain impact information of the vehicle based on the deformation condition detected by the deformation detecting device, and to selectively operate at least one of the passenger restraining devices in accordance with the impact information.

Claims

1. A vehicle passenger restraining system comprising:

a plurality of passenger restraining devices configured and arranged to restrain a passenger inside a vehicle;

a deformation detecting device coupled to a vehicle body of the vehicle with the deformation detecting device being configured and arranged to detect a deformation condition of the vehicle body; and

a passenger restraining device operating unit configured to obtain impact information of the vehicle based on the deformation condition detected by the deformation detecting device, and to selectively operate at least one of the passenger restraining devices in accordance with the impact information.

2. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 1, wherein

the deformation detecting device is further configured and arranged to detect a deformation location on the vehicle body where the vehicle body is deformed as the deformation condition of the vehicle body.

3. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 2, wherein

the passenger restraining device operating unit is further configured to determine at least an impact location on the vehicle where a collision impact occurred as the impact information by processing an output signal from the deformation detecting device in accordance with a prescribed algorithm using a reference database.

4. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 3, further comprising

a top reinforcing member disposed in an impact region of the vehicle body where a roof of the vehicle will contact the ground in a rollover event with the deformation detecting device being coupled to a top sensor mounting portion of the top reinforcing member.

5. The vehicle passenger restraining system recited in claim 4, wherein

the top reinforcing member includes

a first reinforcing frame extending between a front left top portion of the vehicle and an approximate longitudinal middle portion of a top right edge of the vehicle, and

a second reinforcing frame extending between a front right top portion of the vehicle and an approximate longitudinal middle portion of a top left edge of the vehicle,

the first and second reinforcing frames being coupled together at portions where the first and second reinforcing frames intersect each other to form the top sensor mounting portion with the top sensor mounting portion being disposed in an approximate center portion with respect to a widthwise direction of the vehicle, the first and second reinforcing frames being configured and arranged such that a bending strength of the top sensor mounting portion being larger than a bending strength of peripheral portions of the first and second reinforcing frames disposed adjacent to the top sensor mounting portion.

6. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 1, further comprising

a side reinforcing member disposed in an impact region of the vehicle body where a collision load will be imparted during a side collision with the deformation detecting device being coupled to the side reinforcing member.

7. The vehicle passenger restraining system recited in claim 6, wherein

the side reinforcing member includes

a lower longitudinal member extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle along a lower lateral side portion of the vehicle, the lower longitudinal member having a first mounting section formed in a longitudinally forward portion thereof and a second mounting section formed in a longitudinally rearward portion thereof,

a middle vertical member connecting an approximate longitudinal middle portion of the lower longitudinal member to an approximate longitudinal middle portion of a vehicle upper end side edge, the middle vertical member having a third mounting section formed in a vertically middle portion thereof and a forth mounting section formed in a vertically lower portion thereof,

a front door internal member spanning through inside of a front door member in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle with the front door member being coupled to a front opening formed in a front portion of a lateral side of the vehicle to selectively close and open the front opening,

the front door internal member having a fifth mounting section, and

a rear door internal member spanning through inside of a rear door member in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle with the rear door member being coupled to a rear opening formed in a rear portion of a lateral side of the vehicle to selectively close and open the rear opening the rear door internal member having a sixth mounting section, and

the deformation detecting device includes first to sixth detecting sections mounted to the first to sixth mounting sections of the side reinforcing member, respectively.

8. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 1, further comprising

a front reinforcing member disposed in an impact region of the vehicle body where a collision load will be imparted during a front collision with the deformation detecting device being mounted to the front reinforcing member.

9. The vehicle passenger restraining system recited in claim 8, wherein

the front reinforcing member includes

an upper transverse member arranged extending in a widthwise direction of the vehicle along an upper portion of a front end of the vehicle, the upper transverse member having a first mounting section in a transversely middle portion thereof and second and third mounting sections on both transverse ends thereof, respectively, and

a lower transverse member extending in the widthwise direction of the vehicle along an lower portion of the front end of the vehicle, the lower transverse member having a fourth mounting section in a transversely middle portion thereof and fifth and sixth mounting sections on both transverse ends thereof, respectively, and

the deformation detecting device includes first to sixth detecting sections mounted to the first to sixth mounting sections of the front reinforcing member.

10. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 3, wherein

the passenger restraining device operating unit is further configured to process the output signal from the deformation detecting device using fast Fourier transformation and to use a processed output signal and the reference database to determine the impact information including the impact location and an impact acceleration, the passenger restraining device operating unit being further configured to select the at least one of the passenger restraining devices to be initially operated in accordance with the impact location and to operate the at least one of the passenger restraining devices in accordance with the impact acceleration.

11. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 3, wherein

the passenger restraining device operating unit is further configured to process the output signal from the deformation detecting device using zero crossing analysis and to used a processed output signal and the reference database to determine the impact information including the impact location, an impact acceleration and an impact velocity, the passenger restraining device operating unit being further configured to select the at least one of the passenger restraining devices to be initially operated in accordance with the impact location and to operate the at least one of the passenger restraining devices in accordance with the impact acceleration and the impact velocity.

12. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 3, wherein

the passenger restraining device operating unit is further configured to process the output signal from the deformation detecting device using an autocorrelation function and to use a processed output signal and the reference database to determine the impact information including the impact location, an impact acceleration and an impact velocity, the passenger restraining device operating unit being further configured to select the at least one of the passenger restraining devices to be initially operated in accordance with the impact location and to operate the at least one of the passenger restraining devices in accordance with the impact acceleration and the impact velocity.

13. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 3, wherein

the passenger restraining device operating unit is further configured to process the output signal from the deformation detecting device using a covariance function and to use a processed output signal and the reference database to determine the impact information including the impact location, an impact acceleration, an impact velocity and an impact load input angle, the passenger restraining device operating unit being further configured to select the at least one of the passenger restraining devices to be initially operated in accordance with the impact location and to operate the at least one of the passenger restraining devices in accordance with the impact acceleration, the impact velocity, and the impact load input angle.

14. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 3, wherein

the passenger restraining device operating unit is further configured to process the output signal from the deformation detecting device using a combination of fast Fourier transformation, zero crossing analysis, an autocorrelation function and a covariance function and to use a processed output signal and the reference database to determine the impact information including the impact location, an impact acceleration, an impact velocity and an impact load input angle, the passenger restraining device operating unit being further configured to select the at least one of the passenger restraining devices to be initially operated in accordance with the impact location and to operate the at least one of the passenger restraining devices in accordance with the impact acceleration, the impact velocity, and the impact load input angle.

15. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 3, wherein

the deformation detecting device includes a stress/strain sensor configured and arranged to detect a change in stress or strain resulting from deformation of the vehicle body.

16. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 1, further comprising

a top reinforcing member disposed in an impact region of the vehicle body where a roof of the vehicle will contact the ground in a rollover event with the deformation detecting device being coupled to a top sensor mounting portion of the top reinforcing member,

the passenger restraining device operating unit being further configured to determine a contact location on the roof of the vehicle that contacts the ground in the rollover event as the impact information based on the deformation condition detected by the deformation detecting device.

17. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recite in claim 16, wherein

the top reinforcing member includes

a first reinforcing frame extending between a front left top portion of the vehicle and an approximate longitudinal middle portion of a top right edge of the vehicle, and

a second reinforcing frame extending between a front right top portion of the vehicle and an approximate longitudinal middle portion of a top left edge of the vehicle,

the first and second reinforcing frames being coupled together at an intersection joint section where the first and second reinforcing frames intersect each other with the intersection joint section being disposed in an approximate center portion with respect to a widthwise direction of the vehicle.

18. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 17, wherein

the top sensor mounting portion of the top reinforcing member is formed in the intersection joint section.

19. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 18, wherein

the first and second reinforcing frames being configured and arranged such that a bending strength of the top sensor mounting portion being larger than a bending strength of peripheral portions of the first and second reinforcing frames disposed adjacent to the top sensor mounting portion.

20. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 19, wherein

the deformation detecting device is arranged as a stress/strain sensor configured to detect stress or strain of the first and second reinforcing frames.

21. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 20, wherein

the first reinforcing frame includes a generally linear first front frame part located forward of the top sensor mounting portion and a generally linear first rear frame part located rearward of the top sensor mounting portion with respect to the vehicle, and

the second reinforcing frame includes a generally linear second front frame part located forward of the top sensor mounting portion and a generally linear second rear frame part located rearward of the top sensor mounting portion with respect to the vehicle.

22. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 21, wherein

the first reinforcing frame is arranged such that the first front frame part and the first rear frame part form a generally linear shape, and

the second reinforcing frame is arranged such that the second front frame part and the second rear frame part form a generally linear shape.

23. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 22, wherein

the deformation detecting device includes first and second detecting sections disposed on top and bottom surfaces of a center portion of the top sensor mounting portion, respectively.

24. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 21, wherein

the first and second reinforcing frames are arranged such that the first rear frame part of the first reinforcing frame and the second rear frame part of the second reinforcing form a generally linear shape extending in a widthwise direction of the vehicle.

25. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 24, wherein

the top sensor mounting portion includes first and second mounting sections facing toward the first and second front frame parts of the first and second reinforcing frames, respectively, and a third mounting section disposed between the first and second rear frame parts of the first and second reinforcing frames,

the deformation detecting device includes first, second and third detecting sections mounted to the first, second and third mounting sections, respectively.

26. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 22, wherein

the top sensor mounting portion includes a closed cross sectional structure in a vertical direction of the vehicle, and

the deformation detecting device includes a switch-type sensor with a switch section that is configured and arranged to output an electric signal when the switch section is depressed, the deformation detecting device is disposed in the closed cross sectional structure of the top sensor mounting portion such that an operating direction of the switch section is oriented in a generally vertical direction of the vehicle.

27. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 17, wherein

the first and second reinforcing frames include a closed space structure, and

the deformation detecting device is disposed in the closed space structure with the deformation detecting device including a pressure detecting sensor that is configured and arranged to detect a change in pressure inside the closed space structure.

28. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 22, wherein

the top reinforcing member includes a weak section formed in the first and second reinforcing frames in portions adjacent to the top sensor mounting portion, and

the deformation detecting device is disposed near the weak section such that the deformation detecting device straddles across the weak section with the deformation detecting device including a strain gauge that is configured and arranged to detect strain of the first and second reinforcing frames.

29. The vehicle passenger restraining system as recited in claim 22, wherein

the first reinforcing frame includes front and rear deformable sections formed in an approximate lengthwise middle portions of the first front frame part and the first rear frame part, respectively,

the second reinforcing frame includes front and rear deformable sections formed in an approximate lengthwise middle portions of the second front frame part and the second rear frame part, respectively, and

the deformation detecting device includes a potentiometer that is configured and arranged to detect changes in lengths of the first front and rear frame parts and the second front and rear frame parts of the first and second reinforcing frames, respectively.

30. A vehicle passenger restraining method comprising:

detecting a deformation condition including at least an impact location of a vehicle body of a vehicle where the vehicle body is deformed;

determining an impact information of the vehicle based on the deformation condition detected; and

selectively operating at least one of a plurality of passenger restraining devices in accordance with the impact information.

31. The vehicle passenger restraining method as recited in claim 30, wherein

the determining of the impact information of the vehicle includes processing an output signal from a deformation detecting device coupled to the vehicle body in accordance with a prescribed algorithm using a reference database.

32. The vehicle passenger restraining method as recited in claim 31, further comprising

the detecting of the deformation condition includes detecting the deformation condition of an impact region of the vehicle body where a collision load will be imparted to deform the vehicle body during a collision.

33. A vehicle passenger restraining system comprising:

deformation detecting means for detecting a deformation condition including at least an impact location of a vehicle body of a vehicle where the vehicle body is deformed;

impact information determining means for determining an impact information of the vehicle based on the deformation condition detected; and

restraining device operating means for selectively operating at least one of a plurality of passenger restraining devices in accordance with the impact information.

34. A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body structure;

a plurality of passenger restraining devices configured and arranged to restrain a passenger inside the vehicle;

a deformation detecting device coupled to the vehicle body structure with the deformation detecting device being configured and arranged to detect a deformation condition of the vehicle body structure; and

a passenger restraining device operating unit configured to obtain impact information of the vehicle body structure based on the deformation condition detected by the deformation detecting device, and to selectively operate at least one of the passenger restraining devices in accordance with the impact information.