Passenger restraint system

• US 6,766,875 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Issued: 07/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Yukiteru
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordon, Charles T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAYES, BRET C
• Application Number:
  US10/183,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20030019679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 140/282, 140/271, 140/290, 280/734, 280/735, 340/429, 340/436, 340/438, 340/440, 340/665, 340/666, 307/10.1, 701/1, 701/36, 701/38, 701/45, 701/46
• US Class Current: 180/282
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0018 Roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01306 monitoring vehicle inclination
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01313 monitoring the vehicle steering system or the dynamic control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over

Abstract

A passenger restraint system actuates a passenger restraint device more appropriately in situations where a vehicle rolls over. When the steering is turned in the same direction as the roll direction before the roll angle of the vehicle exceeds a threshold value, the passenger restraint system assumes the vehicle is headed toward recovery from the rollover behavior and subtracts a predetermined angle successively from the roll angle in accordance with the steering angle. Thus, the passenger restraint device is not actuated when the steering operation will stop the rollover behavior. On the other hand, the passenger restraint device is actuated when the steering is not operated and the vehicle rolls over, and when operation of the steering begins to effect a recovery but ultimately the vehicle rolls over anyway. In this situation, the passenger restraint system bypasses executing subtraction from the roll angle after the roll angular velocity exceeds a prescribed angular velocity.

Claims

1. A passenger restraint system comprising:

a roll angular velocity detecting device configured to detect a roll angular velocity about a longitudinal axis of a vehicle;

a roll angle calculating device configured to calculate a roll angle of the vehicle based on the roll angular velocity detected by the roll angular velocity detecting device;

a steering angle detecting device configured to detect a steering angle;

a passenger restraint device configured to restrain a passenger; and

a control unit configured to actuate the passenger restraint device when the roll angular velocity detected by the roll angular velocity detecting device exceeds a prescribed angular velocity and the roll angle calculated by the roll angle calculating device exceeds a first prescribed angle,

the control unit being further configured to subtract a prescribed value from the roll angle successively, when the roll angular velocity detected by the roll angular velocity detecting device exceeds the prescribed angular velocity and the steering angle detecting device detects the steering angle to be oriented toward a side of the vehicle in which the vehicle is rolling before calculation of the roll angle by the roll angle calculating device exceeds the first prescribed angle, and

the control unit being further configured to reset a determination of whether or not the roll angular velocity is greater than or equal to the prescribed angular velocity and a determination of whether or not the roll angle is greater than or equal to the first prescribed angle, when the roll angle obtained after subtracting falls below a second prescribed angle.

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

the control unit is configured to vary the prescribed value that is subtracted from the roll angle depending on the steering angle.

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

the prescribed value equals 0 when the steering angle is between 0°

and less than or equal to a first prescribed steering angle A°

,

the prescribed value equals a first predetermined value X when the steering angle is between the first prescribed steering angle A° and

a second prescribed steering angle B°

, and

the prescribed value equals a second predetermined value Y that is greater than the first predetermined value X when the steering angle is larger than the second prescribed steering angle B°

.

4. A passenger restraint system comprising:

roll angular velocity detecting means for detecting a roll angular velocity about a longitudinal axis of a vehicle;

roll angle calculating means for calculating a roll angle of the vehicle based on the roll angular velocity detected by the roll angular velocity detecting device;

steering angle detecting means for detecting a steering angle;

passenger restraint means for restraining a passenger; and

control means for actuating the passenger restraint means based on the roll angular velocity detected by the roll angular velocity detecting means exceeding a prescribed angular velocity, the roll angle calculated by the roll angle calculating means exceeding a first prescribed angle,

the control means being programmed to subtract a prescribed value from the roll angle successively, when the roll angular velocity detected by the roll angular velocity detecting means exceeds the prescribed angular velocity and the steering angle detecting means detects the steering angle oriented toward a side of the vehicle in which the vehicle is rolling before calculation of the roll angle by the roll angle calculating means exceeds the first prescribed angle, and

the control means being programmed to reset a determination of whether or not the roll angular velocity is greater than or equal to the prescribed angular velocity and a determination of whether or not the roll angle is greater than or equal to the first prescribed angle, when the roll angle obtained after subtracting falls below a second prescribed angle.