Occupant protection device and control method thereof

• US 8,157,045 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2009
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakai, Morio, Hashimoto, Syuzo
• Primary Examiner(s): ROCCA, JOSEPH M
• Application Number:
  US13/130,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20110221247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 180/268, 180/271, 180/272, 180/274, 180/282, 280/804, 280/806, 280/807, 701/45, 701/49, 307/10.1, 297/216.1, 297/216.16, 297/216.17
• US Class Current: 180/268
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0268 using sensors or detectors for adapting the seat or seat part, e.g. to the position of an occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0276 reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/06 slidable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2209 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/16 height-adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/22 the back-rest being adjustable B60N2/2878 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42736 of the whole seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42745 of the back-rest B60N2/433 takes precedence; higher part of the back-rest moving together with the headrest B60N2/888
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4279 electric or electronic triggering
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01272 Belt tensioners
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems

Abstract

An occupant protection device includes a seat belt that restrains an occupant, an adjusting device that relatively adjusts a positional relationship between the seat belt and the occupant, a collision predicting portion that predicts a collision, and a control portion that controls the adjusting device when the collision is predicted by the collision predicting portion. The control portion first operates the adjusting device at a first speed to restrain the occupant by the seat belt, and then operates the adjusting device to increase the distance between the seat belt and the occupant at a second speed that is slower than the first speed.

Claims

1. An occupant protection device comprising:

a seat belt for restraining an occupant;

an adjusting device that relatively adjusts a positional relationship between the seat belt and the occupant;

a collision predicting portion that predicts a collision;

a control portion that controls the adjusting device when the collision is predicted by the collision predicting portion;

a collision detecting portion that detects the collision; and

an adjustment amount detecting portion that detects an adjustment amount of the adjusting device,

wherein the control portion first makes the adjusting device to operate at a first speed to restrain the occupant by the seat belt, and then makes the adjusting device to increase a distance between the seat belt and the occupant at a second speed that is slower than the first speed, and

wherein the control portion first makes the adjusting device to operate at the first speed when the collision is predicted, and then makes the adjusting device to operate at the second speed until a predetermined adjustment amount is detected by the adjustment amount detecting portion when the collision is detected by the collision detecting portion, a movement with the second speed is directed to increasing a distance between the seat belt and the occupant by adjusting a reclining angle of a seatback.

2. The occupant protection device according to, claim 1,

wherein the adjustment amount is an amount adjusted by the adjusting device from a time that the adjusting device starts being operated at the first speed until a time that the adjusting device stops being operated at the first speed;

and

wherein the control portion makes the adjusting device to operate by the adjustment amount at the second speed.

3. The occupant protection device according to, claim 2,

wherein the control portion makes the adjusting device to operate at the second speed when a predetermined period of time passes from a time that the collision is predicted by the collision predicting portion and the collision is not detected by the collision detecting portion.

4. The occupant protection device according to, claim 2, wherein the control portion first makes the adjusting device to operate at the first speed, and then prohibits the adjusting device from making an adjustment at the second speed when the adjustment amount of the adjusting device at the first speed that is detected by the adjustment amount detecting portion is less than a predetermined adjustment amount.

5. The occupant protection device according to, claim 1, wherein the control portion makes the adjusting device to operate at the second speed when a predetermined period of time passes from a time that the collision is predicted by the collision predicting portion.

6. The occupant protection device according to, claim 1, further comprising a vehicle seat having a seat back and a seat cushion,

wherein the adjusting device makes an adjustment to increase the distance between the seat belt and the occupant by increasing a reclining angle of the seat back of the vehicle seat;

and the reclining angle is an angle between the seat back and the seat cushion.

7. The occupant protection device according to, claim 1, further comprising a vehicle seat,

wherein the adjusting device makes an adjustment to increase the distance between the seat belt and the occupant by sliding the vehicle seat rearward.

8. The occupant protection device according to, claim 1, further comprising a vehicle seat,

wherein the adjusting device makes an adjustment to increase the distance between the seat belt and the occupant by moving a vehicle seat downward.

9. The occupant protection device according to, claim 1, further comprising a vehicle seat having a seat back,

wherein the adjusting device makes an adjustment to increase the distance between the seat belt and the occupant by moving a vertically mid portion of the seat back of the vehicle seat rearward.

10. The occupant protection device according, claim 1, wherein the adjusting device makes an adjustment to increase the distance between the seat belt and the occupant by moving a fixed portion of the seat belt upward.

11. A control method for an occupant protection device, comprising:

predicting a collision;

operating an adjusting device that relatively adjusts a positional relationship between a seat belt for restraining an occupant and the occupant at a first speed when the collision is predicted; and

operating the adjusting device to increase a distance between the seat belt and the occupant at a second speed that is slower than the first speed,

wherein the adjusting device is operated at the first speed when the collision is predicted, and then the adjusting device is made to operate at the second speed until a predetermined adjustment amount is detected when the collision is detected, a movement with the second speed is directed to increasing a distance between the seat belt and the occupant by adjusting a reclining angle of a seatback.