VEHICLE OCCUPANT PROTECTION APPARATUS

• US 20110040452A1
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsunekawa, Jun, Iyoda, Motomi
• Granted Patent: US 8,494,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01027 Safing sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0119 Plausibility check
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems

Abstract

A vehicle occupant protection apparatus includes a first collision detection mechanism provided for a vehicle and that detects a collision of the vehicle; a second collision detection mechanism provided closer to a middle of the vehicle than the first collision detection mechanism and that detects a collision of the vehicle; a first protection mechanism that protects an occupant from a collision of the vehicle; a controller that activates the first protection mechanism at the time when the first and second collision detection mechanisms detect a collision of the vehicle; and a collision prediction mechanism that predicts a collision of the vehicle. Every time the collision prediction mechanism predicts a collision of the vehicle in a direction from the first collision detection mechanism toward the middle of the vehicle, the controller activates the first protection mechanism at the time when the first collision detection mechanism detects the collision of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant protection apparatus comprising:

a first collision detection portion that is provided at a side of a vehicle and that detects a collision of the vehicle;

a second collision detection portion that is provided closer to a middle of the vehicle than the first collision detection portion and that detects a collision of the vehicle;

a protection portion that protects an occupant from a collision of the vehicle, the protection portion being an air-bag device;

a control portion adapted to activate the protection portion at the time when the first collision detection portion and the second collision detection portion detect a collision of the vehicle; and

a collision prediction portion adapted to predict a collision of the vehicle, wherein

every time the collision prediction portion predicts a collision of the vehicle in a direction from the first collision detection portion toward the middle of the vehicle, the control portion activates the protection portion at the time when the first collision detection portion detects the collision of the vehicle,

the protection portion includes a first protection portion that is provided at a right side of the vehicle and that protects the occupant from the collision of the vehicle and a second protection portion that is provided at a left side of the vehicle and that protects the occupant from the collision of the vehicle,

the first collision detection portion includes a first right side collision detection portion that is provided at a right side of the vehicle and a first left side collision detection portion that is provided at a left side of the vehicle,

the second collision detection portion includes a second right side collision detection portion that is provided closer to a middle of the vehicle than the first right side collision detection portion and that detects a right side collision of the vehicle and a second left side collision detection portion that is provided closer to a middle of the vehicle than the first left side collision detection portion and that detects a left side collision of the vehicle,

the collision prediction portion includes a right side collision prediction portion that is provided at a front right of the vehicle and a left side collision prediction portion that is provided at a front left of the vehicle,

the control portion is adapted to cancel collision detection by the second right side collision detection portion when the right side collision prediction portion predicts a collision of the vehicle in the direction from front right of the vehicle, and to activate the first protection portion at the time when the first right side collision detection portion detects the collision of the vehicle, and

the control portion is adapted to cancel collision detection by the second left side collision detection portion when the left side collision prediction portion predicts a collision of the vehicle in the direction from front left of the vehicle, and to activate the second protection portion at the time when the first left side collision detection portion detects the collision of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle occupant protection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first collision detection portion is a G sensor that detects an acceleration in the direction from the first collision detection portion toward the middle of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle occupant protection apparatus according to claim 1, by further comprising a seat adjusting portion that adjusts the condition of a seat when the collision prediction portion predicts a collision of the vehicle.

2-5. -5. (canceled)

8-11. -11. (canceled)