OCCUPANT PROTECTION DEVICE FOR A VEHICLE

• US 20150274106A1
• Filed: 03/27/2015
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Schtz, Ingo, Wilding, Werner, Lorenz, Stephan, Pfeiffer, Ulrich, Tuschkan, Alwin
• Granted Patent: US 9,452,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01013 Means for detecting collision, impending collision or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01231 control of expansion timing or sequence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01252 Devices other than bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0273 automatically movable to an operative position, e.g. in case of collision or impending collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01 Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01538 for image processing, e.g. cameras or sensor arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01564 Manually or key-actuated inhibition switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/203 in steering wheels or steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/16 Steering columns

Abstract

An occupant protection device for a vehicle includes an airbag module arranged in a hub region of a vehicle steering wheel used for steering vehicle wheels about a steering angle when the steering wheel is turned to a rotary position. The airbag module has an airbag configured for deployment between a driver and the steering wheel in the event of a crash. An adjustment unit is provided to turn the steering wheel from the rotary position to a crash position while the steering angle of the vehicle wheels remains unchanged so as to align the airbag with a posture of the driver in the event of a crash.

Claims

1. An occupant protection device for a vehicle, comprising:

an airbag module arranged in a hub region of a vehicle steering wheel used for steering vehicle wheels about a steering angle when the steering wheel is turned to a rotary position, said airbag module having an airbag configured for deployment between a driver and the steering wheel in the event of a crash; and

an adjustment unit configured to turn the steering wheel from the rotary position to a crash position while the steering angle of the vehicle wheels remains unchanged so as to align the airbag with a posture of the driver in the event of a crash.

2. The occupant protection device of claim 1, wherein the steering wheel is a component of a steer-by-wire steering system which includes a steering sensor issuing a steering command in response to the rotary position and/or rotary actuation of the steering wheel, an actuator operably connected to the vehicle wheels, and a controller electrically connected to the actuator and activating the actuator in response to the steering command received from the steering sensor for setting the steering angle of the vehicle wheels.

3. The occupant protection device of claim 2, wherein the adjustment unit is configured to allow execution of a force/path control of the steering wheel for providing a haptic feedback to the driver.

4. The occupant protection device of claim 1, wherein the airbag has an asymmetric configuration, when being deployed.

5. The occupant protection device of claim 4, wherein the airbag has a thorax portion and a head portion.

6. The occupant protection device of claim 1, wherein the airbag module together with the airbag is rotatably coupled with the steering wheel.

7. The occupant protection device of claim 1, wherein the crash position of the steering wheel is identical with a straight-ahead travel position of the vehicle so that the adjustment unit adjusts the steering wheel from the rotary position to the straight-ahead travel position in the event of a crash while the steering angle of the vehicle wheels remains unchanged.

8. The occupant protection device of claim 2, further comprising a sensor element operably connected to the controller and configured to ascertain an actual posture of the driver, said controller configured to determine the crash position of the steering wheel so that a rotation angle position of the steering wheel is adjustable in dependence of the actual posture of the driver, when the actual posture of the driver is out-of-position.

9. The occupant protection device of claim 2, further comprising a pre-crash sensor mechanism operably connected to the controller and configured to generate a pre-crash signal by which the adjustment unit is activated by the controller to execute an adjustment operation to move the steering wheel to the crash position.

10. The occupant protection device of claim 9, wherein the airbag is activated after the adjustment unit has executed the adjustment operation of the steering wheel.

11. The occupant protection device of claim 10, wherein the adjustment operation and the activation of the airbag are executed without any overlap in time.

12. The occupant protection device of claim 10, wherein the adjustment unit is configured to lock the steering wheel in the crash position during activation of the airbag.

13. The occupant protection device of claim 9, further comprising a sensor element operably connected to the controller and configured to determine the presence of a steering wheel intervention by the driver, when the adjustment unit has executed the adjustment operation of the steering wheel.

14. The occupant protection device of claim 13, wherein the adjustment unit is configured to abort the adjustment operation in the presence of a steering wheel intervention by the driver.

15. The occupant protection device of claim 13, wherein the sensor element is a camera or a humidity sensor to ascertain a contact of the driver with the steering wheel.

16. The occupant protection device of claim 13, wherein the sensor element is a force measuring device configured to determine a resistance force upon the steering wheel during the adjustment operation.

17. A method for protecting an occupant in a vehicle, comprising:

arranging an airbag module in a hub region of a vehicle steering wheel used for steering vehicle wheels about a steering angle, when the steering wheel is turned to a rotary position; and

controlling the steering wheel by an adjustment unit to align an airbag of the airbag module with a posture of a driver of the vehicle in the event of a crash by turning the steering wheel from the rotary position to a crash position in the absence of a change to the steering angle of the vehicle wheels.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the steering wheel is a component of a steer-by-wire steering system which includes a steering sensor issuing a steering command in response to the rotary position and/or rotary actuation of the steering wheel, an actuator operably connected to the vehicle wheels, and a controller electrically connected to the actuator and activating the actuator in response to the steering command received from the steering sensor for setting the steering angle of the vehicle wheels.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the adjustment unit is configured to allow execution of a force/path control of the steering wheel for providing a haptic feedback to the driver.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising rotatably coupling the airbag module together with the airbag with the steering wheel.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the crash position of the steering wheel is identical with a straight-ahead travel position so as to adjust the steering wheel from the rotary position to the straight-ahead travel position in the event of a crash while the steering angle of the vehicle wheels remains unchanged.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

operably connecting a sensor element to the controller to ascertain an actual posture of the driver,

determining the crash position of the steering wheel by the controller, and

adjusting a rotation angle position of the steering wheel in dependence of the actual posture of the driver, when the actual posture of the driver is out-of-position.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising operably connecting a pre-crash sensor mechanism to the controller to generate a pre-crash signal by which the adjustment unit is activated by the controller to execute an adjustment operation to move the steering wheel to the crash position.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising activating the airbag after the adjustment unit has executed the adjustment operation of the steering wheel.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising executing the adjustment operation and activation of the airbag without any overlap in time.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the adjustment unit is configured to lock the steering wheel during activation of the airbag.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising operably connecting a sensor element to the controller to determine the presence of a steering wheel intervention by the driver, when the adjustment unit has executed the adjustment operation of the steering wheel.

28. The occupant protection device of claim 23, wherein the adjustment unit is configured to abort the adjustment operation in the presence of a steering wheel intervention by the driver.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the sensor element is a camera or a humidity sensor to ascertain a contact of the driver with the steering wheel.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the sensor element is a force measuring device configured to determine a resistance force upon the steering wheel during the adjustment operation.