Occupant protection device for case of vehicle side collision

• US 9,434,340 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2014
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Egusa, Shinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): CONDRA, DARLENE P
• Application Number:
  US14/587,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20150203065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4235 transversal
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/753 movable to an inoperative position
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/793 for use as storage compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0213 mounted on floor
• 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 2021/23161 specially adapted for protecting at least two passengers, e.g. preventing them from hitting each other
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/02 Occupant safety arrangements or fittings , e.g. crash pads seat belts with crash pads B60R22/14; removable children's seats having a front guard or barrier B60N2/2839
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/08 automatically movable from an inoperative to an operative position, e.g. in a collision electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/20 Arrangements for storing inflatable members in their non-use or deflated condition; Arrangement or mounting of air bag modules or components
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/04 in driver or passenger space , e.g. using racks B60R7/005, B60R7/08 take precedence

Abstract

A occupant protection device for a case of a vehicle side collision includes: a center console which is provided on a side of a vehicular seat and at a central portion of a vehicle compartment in the vehicle width direction and in which a console box opposing an abdomen of an occupant seated in the vehicular seat in the vehicle width direction is movable to a retraction position where the console box does not oppose the abdomen in the vehicle width direction; and a moving device which when a vehicle side collision is detected or predicted, moves the console box to the retraction position.

Claims

1. An occupant protection device for a case of a vehicle side collision, the occupant protection device comprising:

a center console that is provided on a side of a vehicular seat and at a central portion of a vehicle compartment in a vehicle width direction, the center console including a console box; and

a moving device that is configured to move the console box, wherein

the console box is configured to move between a normal position and a retraction position;

the normal position is a position in which the console box is configured to oppose an abdominal region of a seated occupant in the vehicle width direction;

the retraction position is a position in which the console box is configured not to oppose the abdominal region of the seated occupant in the vehicle width direction; and

when a vehicle side collision is detected or predicted, the moving device moves the console box from the normal position to the retraction position.

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

the center console has a fixing portion fixed to a vehicle body floor portion;

and

an end portion of the console box in a vehicle front-rear direction is connected rotatably to the fixing portion, the console box being configured to rotate about an axis extending along the vehicle width direction.

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

the console box and the fixing portion are connected to each other via a connecting shaft;

and

the connecting shaft is arranged at a bottom end portion of a rear end portion of the console box in the vehicle front-rear direction and at a rear end portion of the fixing portion in the vehicle front-rear direction.

4. The occupant protection device according to claim 3, wherein

the fixing portion includes a stopper mechanism that restricts a rotation of the console box to a rear side of the vehicle when the console box is moved to the retraction position.

5. The occupant protection device according to claim 2, wherein

the console box and the fixing portion are connected to each other via a connecting shaft;

and

the connecting shaft is arranged at a front end portion of the console box in the vehicle front-rear direction and at a rear portion of the fixing portion in the vehicle front-rear direction.

6. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein

the center console has a fixing portion fixed to a vehicle body floor portion;

and

the console box is connected slidably to the fixing portion via a slide rail.

7. The occupant protection device according to claim 6, wherein

a longitudinal direction of the slide rail extends along a vehicle front-rear direction.

8. The occupant protection device according to claim 6, wherein

a longitudinal direction of the slide rail extends along a height direction of a seat back of the vehicular seat.

9. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein

the center console has a fixing portion fixed to a vehicle body floor portion;

and

the moving device is mounted on a front portion of the fixing portion, the moving device including;

a locking portion that locks the console box located at the normal position;

a driving device that releases a restraint of the locking portion when a side collision is detected or predicted; and

an urging member that urges the console box to the retraction position.

10. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein

the retraction position is a position where the console box is configured to oppose a shoulder region of the occupant in the vehicle width direction.

11. The occupant protection device according to claim 10, further comprising:

a far side airbag provided on a side portion on a central side of a seat back in the vehicle width direction in the vehicular seat, wherein

the far side airbag is interposed between the shoulder region of the occupant and the console box; and

the far side airbag is inflated and expanded when the vehicle side collision occurs.

12. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an airbag device that inflates and expands an airbag from a top surface of the console box when a vehicle side collision is detected or predicted.

13. The occupant protection device according to claim 12, wherein

the airbag device has three airbags arranged in line in the vehicle width direction;

and

an airbag in the center of the vehicle width direction is inflated and expanded higher than the airbags on either side.

14. The occupant protection device according to claim 13, wherein

the airbag in the center of the vehicle width direction is inflated and expanded earlier than the airbags on either side.

15. The occupant protection device according to claim 12, wherein

the airbag device is activated at a same time or earlier than a time when the moving device is activated.

16. The occupant protection device according to claim 12, wherein

a guide cloth is provided on an outer peripheral portion of a top face of the console box, the guide cloth being extended by an inflation and expansion of the airbag.

17. The occupant protection device according to claim 12, wherein

the center console is provided on a side portion of a front seat;

the console box is moved to the retraction position on a rear side of the vehicle; and

the airbag is provided so as to be directed to a rear seat side when the console box is moved to the retraction position.

18. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein

the center console has a fixing portion fixed to a vehicle body floor portion;

the moving device contains a console airbag device;

the console airbag device includes a console airbag which is accommodated between the fixing portion and the console box in a folded state at a normal time; and

when the console airbag is inflated and expanded, the console box is moved from the normal position to the retraction position.

19. The occupant protection device according to claim 18, wherein

the console airbag has a forward projecting portion which projects forward of the vehicle from a top portion of the vehicle when it is inflated and expanded;

and

the forward projecting portion is configured to be sandwiched between a driver'"'"'s seat airbag and a passenger seat airbag.

20. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a protective cloth which is extended between the console box, when the console box is in the retraction position, and a fixing portion of the center console fixed to a vehicle body floor portion.