Occupant protective apparatus

• US 6,398,285 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2000
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Motozawa, Yasuki, Arimura, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Pape, Joseph D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGLE, PATRICIA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US09/732,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20010015565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 296/68.1, 296/189, 296/188, 296/65.02, 297/216.1, 297/216.15, 297/216.16, 297/216.18
• US Class Current: 296/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4221 due to impact coming from the front
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42736 of the whole seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42781 mechanical triggering
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/00 Wheel guards; Radiator guards, e.g. grilles; Obstruction removers; Fittings damping bouncing force in collisions reinforcement elements for side doors B60J5/0412; mudguards B62D
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/152 Front or rear frames
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 39/00 Vehicle bodies not otherwise provided for , e.g. safety vehicles safety equipment B60R21/00

Abstract

The occupant protective apparatus includes one or more seats 1 respectively supported on a car body so as to be movable along the direction of a force acting on the car body in the case of a car collision and each including a seat belt 3 for restricting an occupant 2 seated on the seat 1, a fluid container 14, the capacity of which can be reduced as the car body is deformed in the car collision, and a force generating unit 5 for applying a force to the seat 1 in the back-and-forth direction of the car body in response to generation of the pressure of fluid filled in the fluid container, such pressure generation occurring when the capacity of the fluid container is reduced. According to the present occupant protective apparatus, for example, in case where a forward running car collides head on with a structure on the road, the fluid container disposed in the front end portion of the car body is compressed and the fluid filled in the fluid container is thereby charged into the force generating unit such as a liquid pressure cylinder. Due to this, backward going acceleration is applied to the seat at the same time with the occurrence of the car head-on collision to thereby generate in the seat higher deceleration than the deceleration of the car body, which makes it possible to enhance the restricting force of the seat belt for restricting the forward movement of the occupant.

Claims

1. An occupant protective apparatus, comprising:

at least one seat supported on a car body to be movable along a direction of a force acting on the car body in the case of a car collision, said seat including a seat belt for restricting an occupant seated thereon;

a first fluid container, the capacity of which is reduced in conjunction with the deformation of the car body in the car collision;

a first force generating unit for applying to said at least one seat a force directed to the backward of the car body in response to the pressure occurring by fluid filled in said first fluid container when the capacity thereof is reduced; and

a second force generating unit for applying to said at least one seat a force directed to the forward of the car body after the force directed to the backward thereof is applied to said seat by said first force generating unit.

2. The occupant protective apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said first fluid container is a first fluid tank disposed between a front bumper beam and an engine.

3. The occupant protective apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said first force generating unit is a first cylinder device including:

a first cylinder disposed on a car body side;

a first piston slidable with said first cylinder; and

a first piston rod connected to said first piston and said seat such that said seat moves toward the backward of the car body in the car collision, and

wherein said first fluid container is connected to said first cylinder by a pipe.

4. The occupant protective apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said first fluid container includes a cylinder for receiving the fluid and a ram for pressing the fluid within said cylinder.

5. The occupant protective apparatus, according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second fluid container, the capacity of which is reduced in conjunction with the deformation of said car body in the car collision,

wherein said second force generating unit is a second cylinder device including;

a second cylinder disposed on a car body side;

a second piston slidable within said cylinder; and

a second piston rod connected to said piston and said seat for causing said seat to move toward the forward of the car body in the car collision,

wherein said second fluid container is connected to said second cylinder by a pipe.

6. The occupant protective apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said second fluid container is a second fluid tank disposed between an engine and a front dashboard.

7. The occupant protective apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second force generating unit is a deformable member being plastically deformable by a thrust applied to said seat in the car collision.