AIRBAG SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE

• US 20170129442A1
• Filed: 02/17/2016
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Choi, Jun Yeol
• Granted Patent: US 9,862,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0276 reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01286 Electronic control units
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23153 specially adapted for rear seat passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/214 in roof panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

An airbag system for a vehicle is provided that prevents a passenger seated in each seat from being struck and injured by a roof airbag when the roof airbag is deployed in the event of vehicle collision. In addition, the airbag system for a vehicle secures safety by effectively protecting the passenger using the roof airbag.

Claims

1. An airbag system for a vehicle, comprising:

a surrounding vehicle detection unit configured to sense a surrounding vehicle and detect driving information regarding the surrounding vehicle;

a passenger detection unit configured to detect whether a passenger or baggage is present in each of front and rear seats;

an impact detection unit configured to detect an impact applied to a vehicle;

a seat adjustment unit configured to detect and adjust positions of the front and rear seats;

a center airbag mounted to a roof between the front and rear seats; and

a controller configured to operate the seat adjustment unit to dispose each of the front and rear seats at a predetermined set position when the controller predicts that the vehicle collides based on a signal detected by the surrounding vehicle detection unit and determines that the passenger or baggage is present in the rear seat using the passenger detection unit, and configured to transmit a signal to the center airbag to deploy the center airbag when the controller determines that the impact is applied to the vehicle using the impact detection unit.

2. The airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the set position pre-stored in the controller is an initial seat design position at which the center airbag does not interfere with the front seat when the center airbag is deployed.

3. The airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to detect the position of the front seat using the seat adjustment unit when the vehicle is predicted to collide and the passenger or baggage is located in the rear seat, and operate the seat adjustment unit to move the front seat to the set position when the front seat is not located at the set position.

4. The airbag system according to claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to decrease a deployment time of the center airbag when the front seat is located in front of the set position, and delay the deployment time of the center airbag when the front seat is located behind the set position.

5. The airbag system according to claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to pre-store a limit position of the front seat, and transmit a signal to the center airbag to prevent the center airbag from deploying when the front seat is located behind the limit position.

6. The airbag system according to claim 1, wherein:

the seat adjustment unit is configured to detect an angle of each seat back of the front and rear seats to adjust a position of the seat back; and

when the vehicle is predicted to collide and the passenger or baggage is located in the rear seat, the controller is configured to operate the seat adjustment unit to adjust the seat back of the front seat to a predetermined reference angle.

7. The airbag system according to claim 6, wherein the reference angle pre-stored in the controller is an initial design angle at which the center airbag does not interfere with the seat back of the front seat when the center airbag is deployed.

8. The airbag system according to claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to decrease a deployment time of the center airbag when the seat back of the front seat is inclined forward at an angle greater than the reference angle, and delay the deployment time of the center airbag when the seat back of the front seat is inclined rearward at an angle greater than the reference angle.

9. The airbag system according to claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to pre-store a limit angle of the seat back of the front seat, and transmit a signal to the center airbag to prevent the center airbag from deploying when the seat back of the front seat is inclined rearward at an angle greater than the limit angle.

10. The airbag system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pre-tensioning unit configured to pull each safety belt of the front and rear seats in response to a signal received from the controller,

wherein the controller is configured to transmit an operational signal to the pre-tensioning unit to cause the safety belt to be pulled when the vehicle is predicted to collide.

11. The airbag system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a warning notification unit configured to provide a collision warning in response to a signal received from the controller,

wherein the controller is configured to provide a notification to the passenger of a warning message using the warning notification unit when the vehicle is predicted to collide.

12. The airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the center airbag is located adjacent to a rear of a seat back of the front seat in a state in which the front seat is located at the set position when the center airbag is deployed.

13. The airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to operate the seat adjustment unit to move the rear seat rearward when the vehicle is predicted to collide.