Vehicle passenger restricting system for vehicle rollover condition

• US 20070107969A1
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Watanabe, Tsuneyuki, Saito, Katsushi, Pal, Chinmoy, Ootani, Ryuuji
• Granted Patent: US 7,604,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/282
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0276 reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/067 by linear actuators, e.g. linear screw mechanisms
• 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 2/688 Particular seat belt attachment and guiding
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0018 Roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01327 Angular velocity or angular acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4666 characterised by electric actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/4604 characterised by arrangements in vehicle or relative to seat belt

Abstract

A vehicle passenger restricting system is provided to restrict passenger movement so that a space between a passenger'"'"'s head and the ceiling of the vehicle is effectively enlarged when a rollover condition occurs. The vehicle passenger restricting system has a passenger seat, a rollover detector, a seat tilting device and a controller. The rollover detector detects a vehicle rollover condition. The vehicle passenger restricting device restricts passenger movement on the passenger seat. The seat tilting device tilts the seat in a backward direction. The controller activates the seat tilting device to recline the seat backwards when the rollover detector detects the vehicle rollover condition exists. Preferably, the controller also operates the restricting device when it determines that a rollover condition exists.

Claims

1. A vehicle passenger restricting system comprising:

a passenger seat;

a rollover detector configured to detect a vehicle rollover condition;

a vehicle passenger restricting device configured to restrict passenger movement on the passenger seat;

a seat tilting device configured to tilt the seat in a backward direction; and

a controller configured to activate the seat tilting device to tilt the seat backwards when the rollover detector detects the vehicle rollover condition exists.

2. The vehicle passenger restricting system as recited in claim 1, wherein

the passenger seat has a seat back and a seat cushion,

the seat tilting device is further configured to recline the seat back in the backward direction relative to the seat cushion;

and

the controller is further configured to activate the seat tilting device to recline the seat back backwards when the rollover detector detects the vehicle rollover condition exists.

3. The vehicle passenger restricting system as recited in claim 2, wherein

the vehicle passenger restricting device includes a seat belt system having a shoulder belt and a lap belt.

4. The vehicle passenger restricting system as recited in claim 3, wherein

the vehicle passenger restricting device further includes a seat belt retractor build into one of the seat back and the seat cushion to retract the shoulder belt, with the shoulder belt being guided to the retractor from an upper end of the seat back.

5. The vehicle passenger restricting system as recited in claim 4, wherein

the seat belt retractor includes a retractable motor configured to be used during normal driving and an explosive retractor configured to be used during an emergency situation.

6. The vehicle passenger restricting system as recited in claim 1, further comprising

a retractable device configured to return the passenger restricting device and the seat tilting device to pre-activation states existing before the rollover condition was detected.

7. The vehicle passenger restricting system as recited in claim 2, further comprising

a coupling device configured to synchronize operation of the seat tilting device and the passenger restricting device in a coordinated manner.

8. The vehicle passenger restricting system as recited in claim 7, wherein

the vehicle passenger restricting device includes a seat belt system having a seat belt retractor;

and

the coupling device further includes a rotating part of the seat belt retractor, a pulley attached to a pivot shaft of the seat back, and an endless belt transmitting rotation movement between the rotating part and the pivot shaft.

9. The vehicle passenger restricting system as recited in claim 7, wherein

the vehicle passenger restricting device includes a seat belt and a seat belt retractor operatively coupled to the seat belt;

and

the coupling device further includes a rotary member that is configured to rotate pivot shaft of the seat back, with the pivot shaft being moved by the seat belt that is connected the seat belt retractor, during detection of the vehicle rollover condition existing.

10. The vehicle passenger restricting system as recited in claim 7, wherein

the vehicle passenger restricting device includes a seat belt and a seat belt retractor operatively coupled to the seat belt;

and

the coupling device further includes a roller arranged to guide the seat belt along a rear side of the seat back to the seat belt retractor that is attached the seat cushion, and a roller moving device arranged to move the roller forwardly relative to the seat back to convert a retracting force acting against the seat belt by the seat belt retractor into a reclining force acting against the seat back, during detection of the vehicle rollover condition existing.

11. The vehicle passenger restricting system as recited in claim 2, wherein

the seat back further includes a reclining device disposed between the seat back and the seat cushion for adjusting a reclining angle of the seat back relative to the seat cushion.

12. The vehicle passenger restricting system as recited in claim 1, wherein

the rollover detector further includes a sensor configured to detect both a vehicle roll angle and a vehicle roll rate, and

the controller is further configured determine the vehicle rollover condition exists when at least one of the vehicle roll angle and roll rate detected by the rollover detector exceeds a prescribed value.

13. The vehicle passenger restricting system as recited in claim 1, wherein

the rollover detector further includes an accelerator configured to detect both a vehicle roll angle and a vehicle roll rate, a seat pressure sensor configured to detect a passenger reaction force against the passenger seat, a door trim contact pressure sensor configured to detect a door trim contact pressure distribution, and a passenger movement sensor configured to detect a head and upper torso movement of the passenger;

and

the controller is further configured determine the vehicle rollover condition exists when at least one detected value of the sensors exceeds a prescribed value.

14. The vehicle passenger restricting system as recited in claim 1, wherein

the rollover detector further includes a passenger movement sensor configured to detect an upper torso movement of the passenger;

and

the controller is further configured determine the vehicle rollover condition exists when the upper torso movement of the passenger a prescribed value.

15. The vehicle passenger restricting system as recited in claim 2, wherein

the seat tilting device further includes a plate disposed between the seat back and the seat cushion, the plate including a guide arranged to tilt the seat back in the backward direction, and an automatic actuator powered to produce the backward movement following to the guide of the plate.

16. The vehicle passenger restricting system as recited in claim 2, wherein

the passenger restricting device further includes a seat cushion lowering device configured to lower a position of the passenger seat cushion, a seat cushion traveling device configured to produce backward movement of the passenger seat cushion, and an airbag expanded by an inflator activated by a rollover signal from the rollover detector.

17. The vehicle passenger restricting system as recited in claim 16, wherein

the passenger seat cushion lowering device further includes an electric actuator configured to lower a height of a surface of the seat cushion relative to a vehicle floor to prescribed value, during detection of the vehicle rollover condition existing.

18. The vehicle passenger restricting system as recited in claim 16, wherein

the passenger seat cushion lowering device further includes a gas discharging device configured to lower a height of a surface of the passenger seat cushion from a vehicle floor to a prescribed value, during detection of the vehicle rollover condition existing.

19. The vehicle passenger restricting system as recited in claim 16, wherein

the passenger seat cushion traveling device further includes an electric actuator configured to produce the backward movement of the passenger seat cushion from a selected position by the passenger to a preliminary decided certain position, during detection of the vehicle rollover condition existing.

20. A method for restricting a passenger on a passenger seat comprising:

detecting whether a vehicle rollover condition exists;

restricting movement of the passenger on the passenger seat, and

reclining the passenger seat to increase a clearance between a passenger'"'"'s head and a vehicle roof.