Patent Application
20250222893
The present invention relates to a vehicle including front seats and rear seats that can face each other.
As this type of vehicle, there is known a vehicle configured such that front seats and rear seats can face each other by rotating the front seats (see, for example, Patent Literature 1). The vehicle described in Patent Literature 1 is a vehicle capable of automatic driving, and it is possible to allow occupants seated on a driver seat and a passenger seat and occupants seated on rear seats to face each other during traveling in automatic driving.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-39400
However, in the vehicle described in Patent Literature 1, since the occupants travel in a state of facing each other, there is a possibility that their legs collide vigorously when an impact force acts on the subject vehicle.
An aspect of the present invention is a vehicle, including: a front seat capable of changing a posture between a first posture in which a seating surface of the front seat faces forward and a second posture in which the seating surface of the front seat faces backward; a rear seat disposed behind the front seat, a seating surface of the rear seat facing forward; and a protective device emerging between the front seat and the rear seat when impact force acts on the vehicle or when impact force is predicted to act on the vehicle.
According to the present invention, even when an impact force acts on the subject vehicle while the occupants are traveling while facing each other, it is possible to prevent the legs from vigorously colliding with each other.
An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
The vehicle having the above configuration is suitably used for a vehicle having an automatic driving function, that is, an automatic driving vehicle. In the case of the automatic driving vehicle, during traveling in the automatic driving, the occupants seated on the driver seat and the passenger seat and the occupants seated on the rear seats can enjoy conversation and the like in a state of facing each other. The vehicle may be any of an engine vehicle having an internal combustion engine as a traveling drive source, an electric vehicle having a traveling motor as a traveling drive source, and a hybrid vehicle having an engine and a traveling motor as traveling drive sources. However, in the case of an automatic driving vehicle, the vehicle is preferably an electric vehicle.
First, the configuration of the main parts of front seats 2 and rear seats 3 included in a vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment will be described.
As illustrated in
The front seats 2 each include a seat cushion 211 that supports the hip of the occupant, a seat back 212 that supports the back of the occupant, and a headrest 213 that supports the head of the occupant. The seat cushion 211 includes a pair of left and right engaging portions (not illustrated) slidably engaged with a pair of left and right slide rails 11 extending on the floor in the front-rear direction, and is configured to be movable on the slide rails 11. The seat back 212 is disposed at a rear end portion of the seat cushion 211 and is configured to be tiltable with respect to the seat cushion 211 via a reclining mechanism 214. The headrest 213 is provided at an upper end of the seat back 212, and is configured to change a height position with respect to the seat back 212 in accordance with a position of a head of an occupant.
The rear seats 3 constitutes a so-called bench seat in which a driver seat side rear seat 31 and a passenger seat side rear seat 32 are provided continuously on the left and right. The driver seat side rear seat 31 and the passenger seat side rear seat 32 are configured to be independently movable, and the passenger seat side rear seat 32 is longer in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) than the driver seat side rear seat 31.
More specifically, each of the driver seat side rear seat 31 and the passenger seat side rear seat 32 includes a seat cushion 311 that supports the hip of the occupant, a seat back 312 that supports the back of the occupant, and a headrest 313 that supports the head of the occupant. Each seat cushion 311 includes a pair of left and right engaging portions (not illustrated) slidably engaged with a pair of left and right slide rails 12 extending on the floor in the front-rear direction, and is configured to be movable on the slide rails 12. Each of the seat backs 312 is disposed at a rear end of the seat cushion 311 and is configured to be tiltable with respect to the seat cushion 311 via the reclining mechanism 314. Each of the headrests 313 is provided at an upper end of the seat back 312, and is configured to change a height position with respect to the seat back 312 in accordance with a position of the head of the occupant.
In the first seat layout illustrated in
In the second seat layout illustrated in
Next, a floor airbag module 4 included in the vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment will be described.
As illustrated in
The floor airbag 41 is accommodated in the floor airbag module 4, and the floor airbag module 4 constitutes a protective device that inflates and deploys the floor airbag 41 between the occupant seated on the front seat 2 in the second posture and the occupant seated on the rear seat 3 to protect the legs of the occupants when an impact force acts on the subject vehicle 1 or when an impact force is predicted to act on the subject vehicle 1.
The floor airbag module 4 is provided on the floor surface 14 in a vehicle interior 13 of the vehicle 1 so that the floor airbag 41 is inflated and deployed upward from the lower side. The floor surface 14 has a recess 14a formed in a recessed shape downward, and the floor airbag module 4 is accommodated in the recess 14a so as not to protrude from the floor surface 14. The recess 14a is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the left-right direction as a whole, and the floor airbag module 4 is formed in substantially the same shape as the recess 14a. By accommodating the floor airbag module 4 so as not to protrude from the floor surface 14, the legs of the occupants seated on the front seat 2 and the rear seat 3 do not come into contact with the floor airbag module 4, and the ride comfort of the occupants of the vehicle 1 is prevented from being impaired.
The recess 14a is covered with a lid 14b so that the floor airbag module 4 is not exposed from the floor surface 14. The lid 14b is provided with a rupture portion (not illustrated), which is ruptured when the floor airbag 41 is inflated and deployed, and the floor airbag 41 emerges in the vehicle interior 13 via the rupture portion.
The floor airbag module 4 includes the floor airbag 41 and an inflator 42, and the floor airbag 41 and the inflator 42 are accommodated in a module case 43. Both the floor airbag 41 and the inflator 42 are wrapped in a wrap material or the like and accommodated in the module case 43.
The inflator 42 is a device that generates gas in response to an input signal from a harness (not illustrated in the drawings). An airbag ECU 5 to be described later outputs an operation signal to the inflator 42 when acceleration detected by an acceleration sensor 15 to be described later is equal to or greater than a preset threshold, or when a monitoring target object whose collision probability calculated by a collision prediction unit 16 to be described later is equal to or greater than a predetermined value is detected. When the operation signal is input to the inflator 42, the inflator 42 generates gas to inject the gas into the floor airbag 41. As a result, the floor airbag 41 bulges upward from the floor surface 14 and is deployed between the front seat 2 in the second posture and the rear seat 3.
The floor airbag 41 is configured to bulge and deploy between legs of an occupant seated in the front seat 2 (driver seat 21, passenger seat 22) in the second posture and legs of an occupant seated in the rear seat 3 (driver seat side rear seat 31, passenger seat side rear seat 32). For example, the floor airbag 41 is accommodated in the module case 43 by being folded so as to be able to expand and deploy between the front seat 2 in the second posture and the rear seat 3, and is inflated when gas is injected, and bulges and deploys from a rupture portion formed in the lid 14b.
Next, the airbag ECU 5 that controls the floor airbag module 4 will be described.
As illustrated in
A camera 17 and a radar device 18 are connected to the collision prediction unit 16. The camera 17 is provided on the vehicle interior side at the upper portion of the windshield of the vehicle 1, acquires imaging information around the subject vehicle 1 by capturing an external situation of the subject vehicle 1, and outputs the acquired imaging information to the collision prediction unit 16.
The radar device 18 detects objects such as pedestrians and other vehicles present around the subject vehicle 1, such as the front, rear, left, and right of the subject vehicle 1. The radar device 18 transmits radio waves (for example, millimeter waves) around the vehicle 1 and detects an object by receiving radio waves reflected by obstacles. The radar device 18 acquires the relative position and the relative speed between the detected object and the subject vehicle 1, and outputs the acquired relative position information and relative speed information to the collision prediction unit 16.
The collision prediction unit 16 detects the position of the object on the image input from the camera 17 on the basis of the relative position information and the relative speed information input from the radar device 18. In addition, the collision prediction unit 16 determines the type of the object (pedestrian, vehicle, or the like) from the characteristics of the detected object. The collision prediction unit 16 repeats the processing described above at a predetermined cycle, monitors the objects existing around the subject vehicle 1, and calculates the collision probability with the subject vehicle 1 for each monitor target object.
When detecting a monitored object having a collision probability with the subject vehicle 1 of a preset value or more, the collision prediction unit 16 predicts that the subject vehicle 1 and the monitored object will collide, and outputs a collision prediction signal to the airbag ECU 5. That is, the collision prediction signal is output before the collision is detected by the acceleration sensor 15. The collision prediction signal also includes information indicating the collision mode (frontal collision, side collision, and rear collision) between the subject vehicle 1 and the collision object.
The airbag ECU 5 includes a computer including a memory unit 51 such as a ROM, a RAM, and a hard disk, a processing unit 52 such as a CPU, and other peripheral circuits (not illustrated). The memory unit 51 stores various programs executed by the processing unit 52, various data, and the like. The memory unit 51 stores control data and the like for controlling the floor airbag module 4 on the basis of the acceleration information detected by the acceleration sensor 15. For example, a threshold of acceleration or the like when an operation signal is output to the inflator 42 of the floor airbag module 4 is stored.
The processing unit 52 includes an information reception unit 521 and an information output unit 522 as functional configurations. The information reception unit 521 receives the acceleration information transmitted from the acceleration sensor 15, the collision prediction signal transmitted from the collision prediction unit 16, and the like. The information output unit 522 outputs a predetermined signal to each unit on the basis of various types of information, signals, and the like received by the information reception unit 521. For example, when the collision prediction signal is input from the collision prediction unit 16, the information output unit 522 outputs an operation signal to the inflator 42. In addition, the information output unit 522 outputs an operation signal to the inflator 42 in a case where the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 15 is equal to or greater than a preset threshold.
Next, an example of deployment processing of the floor airbag 41 executed by the airbag ECU 5 included in the vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment configured as described above will be described.
First, in step S1, the acceleration information output from the acceleration sensor 15 is received by the processing in the information reception unit 521. Next, in step S2, it is determined whether or not the collision prediction signal output from the collision prediction unit 16 has been received by processing in the information reception unit 521. When affirmative determination is made in step S2, the processing proceeds to step S3, and the operation signal is output to the inflator 42 of the floor airbag module 4 by the processing in the information output unit 522, and the processing is terminated.
On the other hand, when negative determination is made in step S2, the processing proceeds to step S4, and by the processing in the information output unit 522, it is determined whether or not the acceleration information received by the information reception unit 521 is greater than or equal to a preset threshold. When negative determination is made in step S4, the processing returns to step S2, and when affirmative determination is made in step S4, the processing proceeds to step S3. In the same manner as described above, the operation signal is output to the inflator 42 of the floor airbag module 4 by the processing in the information output unit 522, and the processing is terminated.
According to the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
With this configuration, the protective device emerges between the occupants facing each other when an impact force acts on the subject vehicle 1 during traveling in a state where the occupants face each other, so that it is possible to prevent the legs from vigorously colliding with each other. In addition, since the protective device emerges even when the action of the impact force on the subject vehicle 1 is predicted, it is possible to prevent the legs from vigorously colliding with each other when the impact force acts on the vehicle 1 thereafter. In particular, since the protective device emerges before the impact force acts on the subject vehicle 1, it is possible to prevent the legs from vigorously colliding with each other regardless of the timing at which the subsequent impact force acts.
With this configuration, the floor airbag 41 emerges between the front seat 2 in the second posture and the rear seat 3 when an impact force acts on the subject vehicle 1 during traveling in a state where the occupants face each other, so that it is possible to prevent the legs from vigorously colliding with each other. In particular, since the floor airbag 41 emerges before the impact force acts on the subject vehicle 1, it is possible to prevent the legs from vigorously colliding with each other regardless of the timing at which the subsequent impact force acts.
The above-described first embodiment can be modified into various modes. Hereinafter, modifications of the first embodiment will be described. Note that, in the following modifications, the same reference signs are given to the same configurations as those of the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted, and differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.
Although the floor airbag module 4 is accommodated in the recess 14a of the floor surface 14 in the first embodiment described above, the floor airbag module 4 accommodated in the recess 14a may be configured to move integrally with the rear seat 3 or in conjunction with the movement of the rear seat 3. For example, the floor airbag module 4 and the rear seat 3 may be connected to each other, and the recess 14a may extend in the front-rear direction so that the floor airbag module 4 can move in the front-rear direction in the recess 14a.
More specifically, the seat cushion 311 of the rear seat 3 is mounted on the upper end of each of the pair of left and right second arms 62, and the upper end is connected to a seat cushion frame (not illustrated) serving as a skeleton of the seat cushion 311. The seat cushion frame is formed along an outer shape of the seat cushion 311, and upper ends of the pair of left and right second arms 62 extend in the front-rear direction and are connected to a pair of left and right side frames constituting left and right side portions of the seat cushion frame.
The recess 14a provided in the floor surface 14 is formed in a recessed shape extending in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, the length in the front-rear direction corresponds to the slidable length of the seat cushion 311, and the length in the left-right direction is slightly longer than the length in the left-right direction of the floor airbag module 4 connected to the connecting part 6. In this manner, the recess 14a is formed in a size that allows the floor airbag module 4 connected to the connecting part 6 to move integrally with the rear seat 3. The lid 14b is formed in a substantially rectangular shape extending in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, and is formed in a plate shape covering the recess 14a. The lid 14b is provided with a plurality of rupture portions so that the floor airbag 41 can emerge from the rupture portion even when the floor airbag module 4 moving integrally with the rear seat 3 moves to any position.
Since the floor airbag module 4 is configured to move integrally with the rear seat 3, the floor airbag 41 can always emerge under the feet of the occupants each seated on the rear seat 3, and it is possible to more reliably prevent the legs of the occupants from vigorously colliding with each other.
In the first embodiment described above, the floor airbag module 4 that emerges from the floor surface 14 in the vehicle interior 13 has been described as the protective device. However, a foot airbag module 7 that emerges from the seat cushion 311 of the rear seat 3 and deploys between the front seat 2 in the second posture and the rear seat 3 may be used.
The foot airbag module 7 accommodated in the airbag accommodation part 315 is inflated and deployed when an impact force acts on a subject vehicle 1B or when an impact force is predicted to act on the subject vehicle 1B, thereby constituting a protective device that protects the legs of the occupants. The foot airbag module 7 may be a caseless airbag module without a module case or may be a module case that includes a module case. In
The foot airbag module 7 includes a foot airbag 71 and an inflator 72. Both the foot airbag 71 and the inflator 72 are wrapped in a wrap material or the like and accommodated in the module case 73. The inflator 72 is a device that generates gas in response to an input signal from a harness (not illustrated in the drawings). The airbag ECU 5 outputs an operation signal to the inflator 72 when the collision prediction signal is input from the collision prediction unit 16 or in a case where the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 15 is equal to or greater than a preset threshold. When the operation signal is input to the inflator 72, the inflator 72 generates gas to inject the gas into the foot airbag 71. As a result, the foot airbag 71 emerges at the feet of the occupants and protects both legs of the occupant. At this time, the foot airbag 71 is inflated and deployed so as to wrap both legs of the occupant.
In the second modification, the foot airbag 71 is inflated and deployed in a substantially T shape. However, the foot airbag 71 is not limited to be inflated and deployed in a substantially T shape, and may be configured to be inflated and deployed in front of both legs 101 of the occupant 100. For example, the foot airbag 71 may be configured to emerge from the side surface of the seat cushion 311A, wrap around the front surfaces of both legs 101 of the occupant 100 so as to be inflated and deployed.
In the first embodiment described above, the floor airbag module 4 is accommodated in the recess 14a formed in the floor surface 14. However, the floor airbag module 4 may be disposed between the front seat 2 in the second posture and the rear seat 3. For example, the floor airbag module 4 may be disposed on the floor surface 14 between the front seat 2 in the second posture and the rear seat 3.
In the first embodiment described above, the floor airbag module 4 is used as the protective device. However, the protective device only needs to be configured to emerge between the front seat 2 and the rear seat 3 when an impact force acts on the subject vehicle 1 or when an impact force is predicted to act on the subject vehicle 1. For example, with the above configuration, the legs of the occupants sitting on the front seat 2 and the rear seat 3 may be protected, or at least one leg of each of the occupants sitting on the front seat 2 and the rear seat 3 may be protected. By protecting at least one leg, it is possible to prevent the legs of the occupants facing each other from vigorously colliding with each other.
In the first embodiment described above, the vehicle 1 has been described in which the front seat 2 is rotated by 180 degrees so that the front seat 2 and the rear seat 3 can face each other. However, it may be used in a vehicle configured such that the front seat 2 and the rear seat 3 can face each other by rotating the seat back 212 of the front seat 2 from the rear to the front.
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
More specifically, the pair of left and right slide rails 11-2 is provided on each of the driver seat 21 side and the passenger seat 22 side so as to extend in the front-rear direction from the front portion to the rear portion in the vehicle interior 13 in the floor surface 14. The driver seat 21 and the driver seat side rear seat 31 are configured to be slidable on the pair of left and right slide rails 11-2 on the driver seat 21 side, and the passenger seat 22 and the passenger seat side rear seat 32 are configured to be slidable on the pair of left and right slide rails on the passenger seat 22 side. The floor airbag module 4 on the driver seat 21 side is provided between the slide rails 11-2 and 11-2 between the driver seat 21 and the driver seat side rear seat 31. On the other hand, the floor airbag module 4 on the passenger seat 22 side is provided between the slide rails 11-2 and 11-2 between the passenger seat 22 and the passenger seat side rear seat 32.
In this manner, the pair of left and right slide rails 11-2 on the driver seat 21 side and the passenger seat 22 side are shared by the front seat 2 and the rear seat 3, so that the floor airbag module 4 is disposed between the slide rails 11-2 and 11-2, and it is possible to suppress an increase in size of the floor airbag module 4 in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction).
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
More specifically, the roof airbag module 8 includes a roof airbag 81 and an inflator 82, and the roof airbag 81 and the inflator 82 are accommodated in the module case 83. The roof airbag module 8 each is provided on the ceiling 19 in the vehicle interior 13 so that the roof airbag 81 is inflated and deployed downward from the upper side between the driver seat 21 in the second posture and the driver seat side rear seat 31, and between the passenger seat 22 in the second posture and the passenger seat side rear seat 32.
The ceiling 19 has a recess 19a formed in a recessed shape upward, and the roof airbag module 8 is accommodated in the recess 19a so as not to protrude from the ceiling 19. The recess 19a is covered with a lid 19b so that the roof airbag module 8 is not exposed from the ceiling 19. The lid 19b is provided with a rupture portion (not illustrated), which is ruptured when the roof airbag 81 is inflated and deployed, and the roof airbag 81 emerges in the vehicle interior 13 via the rupture portion.
Similarly to the floor airbag module 4, the roof airbag module 8 is controlled by the airbag ECU 5. As described above, by providing the roof airbag module 8 instead of the floor airbag module 4, it is easy to secure a space for disposing a battery or the like beneath the floor surface 14 of the vehicle 1-3.
The above-described third embodiment can be modified into various modes. Hereinafter, modifications of the third embodiment will be described. Note that, in the following modifications, the same reference signs are given to the same configurations as those of the third embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted, and differences from the third embodiment will be mainly described.
In the third embodiment described above, the roof airbag 81 is provided to be inflated and deployed downward from the upper side between the driver seat 21 in the second posture and the driver seat side rear seat 31 and between the passenger seat 22 in the second posture and the passenger seat side rear seat 32. However, the roof airbag 81 may be configured such that the distal end portion is brought into contact with the floor surface 14 when inflated and deployed downward from the upper side. By bringing the roof airbag 81 into contact with the floor surface 14 when the roof airbag 81 is deployed, it is easy to partition the occupant seated on the front seat 2 and the occupant seated on the rear seat 3.
In the third embodiment described above, the roof airbag module 8 is accommodated in the recess 19a of the ceiling 19, but the roof airbag module 8 accommodated in the recess 19a may be moved in conjunction with or integrally with the movement of the front seat 2 or the rear seat 3. Since the roof airbag module 8 moves in conjunction with or integrally with the movement of the front seat 2 or the rear seat 3, the roof airbag 81 can be deployed at an appropriate position between the front seat 2 and the rear seat 3.
In the third embodiment described above, when the action of the impact force on the subject vehicle 1 by the airbag ECU 5 or the action of the impact force on the subject vehicle 1 is predicted, the roof airbag 81 is simply deployed downward from the upper side. However, a detection device capable of detecting the state of the occupant may be provided on the ceiling 19, and the operation amount and the like of the roof airbag 81 may be controlled on the basis of the detected state of the occupant.
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
The above-described fourth embodiment can be modified into various modes. Hereinafter, modifications of the fourth embodiment will be described. Note that, in the following modifications, the same reference signs are given to the same configurations as those of the fourth embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted, and differences from the fourth embodiment will be mainly described.
In the fourth embodiment described above, the floor airbag module 4 and the roof airbag module 8 are provided between the front seat 2 in the second posture and the rear seat 3, but the roof airbag module 8 may be provided on the front side in the vehicle interior 13.
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
In the fifth embodiment described above, two floor airbag modules 4 are arranged in the front-rear direction so as to sandwich the table T, but may be provided in the table T.
In the first modification described above, the floor airbag modules 4 and 4 are provided in the table T, the floor airbag modules 4 and 4 being deployed toward the occupants sitting on the front seat 2 and the rear seat 3, respectively. However, the table T may be moved in conjunction with or integrally with the movement of the front seat 2 or the rear seat 3. The floor airbag modules 4 and 4 may be provided in two tables arranged side by side in the front-rear direction, and the tables may be moved in conjunction with or integrally with the movement of the front seat 2 or the rear seat 3.
Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
The cabin 20-6 is provided with a first seat 21a-6 on which a pilot is seated and a second seat 21b-6 on which a passenger is seated. The first seat 21a-6 is disposed on the front side of the cabin 20-6, the second seat 21b-6 is disposed on the rear side of the first seat 21a-6, and a control stick 22-6 for controlling the flight vehicle 1-6 is disposed in front of the first seat 21a-6. Note that, since the first seat 21a-6 and the second seat 21b-6 have the same configuration, hereinafter, the first and second seats 21a-6 and 21b-6 are referred to as seats 21-6, and a pilot and a passenger seated on the seats 21-6 are described as occupants.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The seat cushion frame 61-6 includes a front frame 611-6 extending in the left-right direction and constituting a front portion of the seat cushion frame 61-6, a pair of left and right side frames 612-6 extending in the front-rear direction and constituting left and right side portions of the seat cushion frame 61-6, and a rear frame 613-6 extending in the left-right direction and constituting a rear portion of the seat cushion frame 61-6. The front frame 611-6, the pair of left and right side frames 612-6, and the rear frame 613-6 are integrally coupled by welding or the like, and the seat cushion frame 61-6 is formed in a frame shape as a whole. Inside the frame-shaped seat cushion frame 61-6, a plurality of spring members 614-6 are provided so as to extend between the front frame 611-6 and the rear frame 613-6. The plurality of spring members 614-6 is formed in an elastically deformable bent shape and is formed by bending a wire or the like. The seat cushion frame 61-6 is attached to the four leg parts 5-6 and slidably engaged with a pair of left and right seat rails 44-6 extending in the front-rear direction, so that the seat cushion 41-6 is movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the fuselage 2-6.
The seat back 42-6 is composed by mounting a back pad 421-6 made of a cushion material on a seat back frame 62-6 serving as a skeleton, and by further covering the outside thereof with a skin material 422-6 made of synthetic leather or fabric. The back pad 421-6 is supported by the seat back frame 62-6 and functions as a pressure-receiving part that receives a load from the back of the occupant. More specifically, the back pad 421-6 has a central portion 421a-6 in the left-right direction and side portions 421b-6 on both left and right sides thereof, and receives a downward load at the central portion 421a-6 and a side load at the side portions 421b-6.
The seat back frame 62-6 extends in the left-right direction and includes an upper frame 621-6 that constitutes the upper part of the seat back frame 62-6, a pair of left and side frames 622-6 that are erected in the up-down direction and constitute the left and right side portions of the seat back frame 62-6, and a lower frame 623-6 that extends in the left-right direction and constitutes the lower part of the seat back frame 62-6. The upper frame 621-6, the pair of left and right side frames 622-6, and the lower frame 623-6 are integrally connected by welding or the like, and the seat back frame 62-6 is formed in a frame shape as a whole.
A back panel 624-6 is disposed inside the frame-shaped seat back frame 62-6. The back panel 624-6 is an elastically deformable plate-shaped member extending in the up-down direction and the left-right direction and is made of resin or the like. Behind the back panel 624-6, an upper connecting wire 625-6 and a lower connecting wire 626-6 extending each in the left-right direction are arranged. The upper connecting wire 625-6 and the lower connecting wire 626-6 are provided so as to be stretched between the left and right side frames 622-6, and the back panel 624-6 is supported by the pair of left and right side frames 622-6 via the upper connecting wire 625-6 and the lower connecting wire 626-6.
A lower portion of the seat back frame 62-6 is tiltably connected to a rear end portion of the seat cushion frame 61-6 via a reclining mechanism 45-6, whereby the seat back 42-6 can tilt with respect to the seat cushion 41-6.
The headrest 43-6 is composed by mounting a headrest pad 431-6 made of a cushion material on a core member serving as a skeleton, and by further covering the outside thereof with a skin material 432-6 made of synthetic leather or fabric. The headrest 43-6 is attached to the seat back frame 62-6 by inserting a pair of pipes 433-6 attached to the core member into a support bracket 627-6 provided on the upper frame 621-6 of the seat back frame 62-6.
In the seat 21-6, the seat cushion 41-6 includes a cushion airbag module 7-6 deployed on a seat surface of the seat cushion 41-6 and a foot airbag module 8-6 deployed at feet of an occupant seated on the seat 21-6.
As illustrated in
The cushion airbag module 7-6 accommodated in the first airbag accommodation part 413-6 constitutes a device that absorbs an impact from below the seat 21-6 and protects the occupant seated on the seat 21-6. The cushion airbag module 7-6 may be a caseless airbag module having no module case, or may have a module case. In
The cushion airbag module 7-6 includes a cushion airbag 71-6 and an inflator 72-6. Both the cushion airbag 71-6 and the inflator 72-6 are wrapped in a wrap material or the like and held. The inflator 72-6 is a device that generates gas in response to an input signal from a harness (not illustrated in the drawings). The airbag ECU 9-6 outputs an operation signal to the inflator 72-6 when the acceleration in the up-down direction detected by the acceleration sensor (impact detection unit) 93-6 becomes equal to or greater than a preset threshold. When an operation signal is input to the inflator 72-6, the inflator 72-6 generates gas and injects the gas into the cushion airbag 71-6. As a result, the cushion airbag 71-6 bulges and deploys between the cushion pad 411-6 and the seat cushion frame 61-6. The cushion airbag 71-6 is configured to bulge and deploy to the entire seating surface of the seat cushion 41-6. For example, the cushion airbag 71-6 is folded and accommodated in the first airbag accommodation part 413-6 so as to be able to bulge and deploy over the entire seat surface, and when gas is injected, the cushion airbag bulges and deploys over the entire seat surface along the lower surface of the cushion pad 411-6. Since the cushion airbag 71-6 bulges and deploys over the entire seat surface of the seat cushion 41-6, an impact can be absorbed in a wide range from the lower direction, and the impact can be further reduced.
The cushion airbag module 7-6 is attached to an airbag holding part 615-6 attached to the seat cushion frame 61-6. The airbag holding part 615-6 is a plate-like member extending in the up-down direction and the left-right direction, and is formed by bending a steel plate. The airbag holding part 615-6 is integrally joined to the front frame 611-6 of the seat cushion frame 61-6 by welding or the like.
The second airbag accommodation part 414-6 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the left-right direction as a whole, and is disposed along the left-right direction at the front end portion of the seat cushion 41-6. More specifically, the second airbag accommodation part 414-6 is disposed obliquely below and in front of the first airbag accommodation part 413-6, and is disposed slightly below the back of the knee of the occupant seated on the seat 21-6.
The foot airbag module 8-6 accommodated in the second airbag accommodation part 414-6 constitutes a device that absorbs an impact from below the seat 21-6, particularly an impact applied to the legs of the occupant, and protects the legs of the occupant. The foot airbag module 8-6 may be a caseless airbag module without a module case or may include a module case. In
The foot airbag module 8-6 includes a foot airbag 81-6 and an inflator 82-6. Both the foot airbag 81-6 and the inflator 82-6 are wrapped and held in a wrap material or the like, and are accommodated in the module case 83-6. The inflator 82-6 is a device that generates gas in response to an input signal from a harness (not illustrated in the drawings). The airbag ECU 9-6 outputs an operation signal to the inflator 82-6 when the acceleration in the up-down direction detected by the acceleration sensor 93-6 becomes equal to or greater than a preset threshold. When an operation signal is input to the inflator 82-6, the inflator 82-6 generates gas and injects the gas into the foot airbag 81-6. As a result, the foot airbag 81-6 bulges and deploys at the feet of the occupant to protect both legs of the occupant. At this time, the foot airbag 81-6 bulges and deploys so as to wrap both legs of the occupant.
Note that, from the viewpoint of further reducing the impact applied to both the legs 11-6, it is preferable to provide the knee airbag 25-6 (see, for example,
One end of each of the four leg parts 5-6 is connected to four sides of the pair of left and right seat rails 44-6, and the other end thereof is connected to a floor surface 20a-6 of the cabin 20-6. That is, the seat part 4-6 is not directly installed on the floor surface 20a-6 of the cabin 20-6, but is installed on the floor surface 20a-6 of the cabin 20-6 via the four leg parts 5-6. In the seat 21-6, each of the four leg parts 5-6 is configured by a damper (shock absorber). Since the leg parts 5-6 supporting the seat part 4-6 is configured by the damper, the impact can be absorbed by the leg parts (damper) when the impact is received from the lower direction, and the impact received by the occupant can be reduced. The configuration can be simplified by using dampers as the leg parts 5-6 instead of providing dampers for the leg parts 5-6.
In the seat 21-6, the leg parts 5-6 are formed of friction dampers. More specifically, each of the leg parts 5-6 includes a cylindrical sliding portion 51-6, an accommodation part 52-6 configured to be able to accommodate the sliding portion 51-6 therein, and a friction generating portion 53-6 that generates a frictional force when the sliding portion 51-6 slides in the accommodation part 52-6. The sliding portion 51-6 is formed of a cylindrical piston rod, and has one end connected to a floor surface 20a-6 of the cabin 20-6. The accommodation part 52-6 is formed of a bottomed cylindrical cylinder, and a bottom portion thereof is connected to the seat rail 44-6. The friction generating portion 53-6 is provided at an insertion side end of the accommodation part 52-6 into which the sliding portion 51-6 is inserted. The friction generating portion 53-6 includes a pedestal portion 53a-6 having a plurality of through holes 53b-6 formed in the radial direction, a plurality of abutting portions 53c-6 inserted into the plurality of through holes 53b-6, and a plurality of urging portions 53d-6 that urge the plurality of abutting portions 53c-6 toward the sliding portion 51-6 accommodated in the accommodation part 52-6, and generates a frictional force by bringing the abutting portions 53c-6 into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the sliding portion 51-6.
The four rotary wings 3-6 are disposed around the cabin 20-6 in four directions of front, rear, left, and right of the fuselage 2-6. More specifically, the four rotary wings 3-6 include a first rotary wing 31-6 disposed on the right front side of the fuselage 2-6, a second rotary wing 32-6 disposed on the right rear side, a third rotary wing 33-6 disposed on the left front side, and a fourth rotary wing 34-6 disposed on the left rear side. Note that, since the first to fourth rotary wings 31-6 to 34-6 have the same configuration, the first rotary wing 31-6 will be described here, and the description of the second to fourth rotary wings 32-6 to 34-6 will be omitted.
The first rotary wing 31-6 is connected to a rotary shaft 35a-6 of a motor 35-6 attached to distal end portions of a pair of arms 23-6 and 23-6 extending rightward from a right side surface of the fuselage 2-6, and rotates by driving of the motor 35-6 to generate thrust. The motor 35-6 has an output capable of carrying the occupant 10-6, and is configured to be driven by receiving power supplied from a battery (not illustrated). Note that, as the first rotary wing 31-6 and the motor 35-6, those having the same configurations as those used for the electric flight vehicle such as the eVTOL can be used, and thus, a specific description thereof will be omitted here.
Next, an airbag ECU 9-6 that controls the cushion airbag module 7-6 and the foot airbag module 8-6 will be described.
As illustrated in
The airbag ECU 9-6 includes a computer including a memory unit 91-6 such as a ROM, a RAM, and a hard disk, a processing unit 92-6 such as a CPU, and other peripheral circuits (not illustrated). The memory unit 91-6 stores various programs executed by the processing unit 92-6, various data, and the like. The memory unit 91-6 stores control data and the like for controlling the cushion airbag module 7-6 and the foot airbag module 8-6 on the basis of the acceleration in the up-down direction detected by the acceleration sensor 93-6. For example, a threshold of acceleration or the like when an operation signal is output to the inflators 72-6 and 82-6 of the cushion airbag module 7-6 and the foot airbag module 8-6, are stored.
The processing unit 92-6 includes an information reception unit 92a-6 and an information output unit 92b-6 as functional configurations. The information reception unit 92a-6 receives various types of information and the like transmitted from the sensor group. For example, the information reception unit 92a-6 receives the acceleration information input from the acceleration sensor 93-6, the first and second seating signals input from the first and second seating sensors, and the like. The information output unit 92b-6 outputs a predetermined signal to each unit on the basis of various types of information or the like received by the information reception unit 92a-6. For example, the information output unit 92b-6 outputs an operation signal to the inflators 72-6 and 82-6 when the acceleration in the up-down direction detected by the acceleration sensor 93-6 is equal to or greater than a preset threshold. At this time, when the information reception unit 92a-6 receives only the first seating signal, the information output unit 92b-6 outputs the operation signal only to the inflators 72-6 and 82-6 of the cushion airbag module 7-6 and the foot airbag module 8-6 provided in the first seat 21a-6. When the information reception unit 92a-6 receives the first and second seating signals, the information output unit 92b-6 outputs operation signals to the inflators 72-6 and 82-6 of the cushion airbag module 7-6 and the foot airbag module 8-6 provided in the first and second seats 21a-6 and 21b-6, respectively.
Next, an example of deployment processing of the cushion airbag 71-6 and the foot airbag 81-6 executed by the airbag ECU 9-6 included in the flight vehicle 1-6 configured as described above will be described.
First, in step S11, the acceleration information in the up-down direction output from the acceleration sensor 93-6 is received by the processing in the information reception unit 92a-6. Next, in step S12, it is determined whether or not the received acceleration information is equal to or more than a preset threshold by processing in the information output unit 92b-6. When negative determination is made in step S12, the processing returns to step S11.
On the other hand, when affirmative determination is made in step S12, the processing proceeds to step S13, and the information output unit 92b-6 determines whether or not the information reception unit 92a-6 has received the second seating signal by the processing in the information output unit 92b-6. When affirmative determination is made in step S13, the processing proceeds to step S14, and the operation signal is output to the inflators 72-6 and 82-6 of the cushion airbag module 7-6 and the foot airbag module 8-6 provided in the first and second seats 21a-6 and 21b-6 by the processing in the information output unit 92b-6 and the processing is terminated.
On the other hand, when negative determination is made in step S13, the processing proceeds to step S15, and the operation signal is output to the inflators 72-6 and 82-6 of the cushion airbag module 7-6 and the foot airbag module 8-6 provided in the first seat 21a-6 by the processing in the information output unit 92b-6, and the processing is terminated.
In the present embodiment, the following operations and effects are achievable.
The above-described sixth embodiment can be modified into various modes. Hereinafter, modifications of the sixth embodiment will be described. Note that, in the following modifications, the same reference signs are given to the same configurations as those of the sixth embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted, and differences from the sixth embodiment will be mainly described.
In the sixth embodiment described above, the flight vehicle 1-6 including the first and second seats 21a-6 and 21b-6 having the cushion airbag 71-6 and the foot airbag 81-6 has been described. However, the flight vehicle may include, in addition to the airbag, a cockpit airbag deployed in front of the occupant (pilot) 10-6 seated on the first seat 21a-6, a passenger seat airbag deployed in front of the occupant (passenger) 10-6 seated on the second seat 21b-6, a pair of side airbags deployed on both sides of each of the occupants 10-6 seated on the first and second seats 21a-6 and 21b-6, a pair of curtain airbags deployed on both side surfaces of the cabin 20-6, and the like. By providing these airbags, even with respect to an impact from a direction other than the downward direction of the first and second seats 21a-6 and 21b-6, an impact received by the occupants 10-6 seated on the first and second seats 21a-6 and 21b-6 can be reduced, and the occupants 10-6 can be prevented from being injured or the like.
When the cabin 20-6 has an openable and closable or detachable ceiling (for example, a transparent capsule-like lid), a head airbag that deploys above the head of the occupant 10-6 when subjected to an impact may be provided on the ceiling. The head airbag is preferably deployed so as to surround the head. For example, the head airbag may be deployed to the front, rear, left, and right of the head of the occupant 10-6. By providing the head airbag, the head of the occupant 10-6 can be protected when the fuselage 2-6 receives an impact from below.
Similarly, when the cabin 20-6 has a ceiling, the pair of curtain airbags described above may be deployed from the ceiling along the side surface of the cabin 20-6, or the airbag may be deployed from the ceiling to the front and rear of each of the first and second seats 21a-6 and 21b-6, and the front, rear, left, and right of each of the first and second seats 21a-6 and 21b-6 may be surrounded by the airbag deployed from the ceiling.
In the configuration in which the front, rear, left, and right sides of each of the first and second seats 21a-6, 21b-6 are surrounded by an airbag, the first and second seats 21a-6, 21b-6 may be deployed not from the ceiling but from the floor surface 20a-6 of the cabin 20-6. By deploying the airbag from the floor surface 20a-6, a gap between the deployed airbag and the floor surface 20a-6 is eliminated, and for example, an impact from obliquely below each of the first and second seats 21a-6, 21b-6 can be reduced.
In the sixth embodiment described above, the foot airbag 81-6 is provided inside the seat cushion 41-6 to protect both legs 11-6 of the occupant 10-6. However, the foot airbag 81-6 may be provided on the floor surface 20a-6 of the cabin 20-6 to bulge and deploy from the floor surface 20a-6 to protect both legs 11-6 of the occupant 10-6. In this case, it is preferable that the foot airbag is allowed to bulge and deploy in a substantially cylindrical shape, and both legs 11-6 of the occupant 10-6 are positioned in a space at the center of the foot airbag to protect the foot airbag so as to wrap both legs.
The sixth embodiment has been described using the flight vehicle 1-6 including the four rotary wings 3-6, but the number of rotary wings 3-6 is not limited thereto. In the above embodiment, flight vehicle 1-6 including first and second seats 21a-6, 21b-6 has been described. However, the number of seats 21-6 is not limited to this.
In the sixth embodiment described above, the friction damper is used as the damper used for each of the four leg parts 5-6, but the type of the damper is not limited thereto. The damper may be, for example, a damper using oil, gas, a spring, or the like.
In the sixth embodiment, an electric flight vehicle that rotates the rotary wings 3-6 by driving the motor 35-6 with electric power stored in advance in the battery has been described as the flight vehicle 1-6. However, the flight vehicle may be a flight vehicle that generates electric power with other power to supply electric power to the battery, and drives the motor with the electric power to rotate the rotary wings. The flight vehicle may not be an electric flight vehicle.
The above description is only an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and modifications, unless impairing features of the present invention. The above embodiment can be combined as desired with one or more of the above modifications. The modifications can also be combined with one another.
1 vehicle (subject vehicle), 2 front seat, 3 rear seat, 4 floor airbag module (protective device), 5 airbag ECU, 14 floor surface, 14a recess, 21 driver seat, 22 passenger seat, 41 floor airbag
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-052406 | Mar 2022 | JP | national |
| 2022-057898 | Mar 2022 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2023/012176 | 3/27/2023 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63489821 | Mar 2023 | US |
