EP-4737208-A1 - OCCUPANT PROTECTION DEVICE

EP4737208A1EP 4737208 A1EP4737208 A1EP 4737208A1EP-4737208-A1

Abstract

An occupant protection device that contributes to improving the restraint performance of a waist part of an occupant is disclosed. The occupant protection device (30) includes a push-up member (40) that can pivot to push up the seat surface (26) of the seat cushion (2), and a drive device (50) that applies a force to pivot the push-up member (40) in the event of a vehicle emergency. The push-up member (40) has a front part (42) located forward of the pivot center (41) in the front-to-back direction of the vehicle seat (100). The drive device (50) is positioned below the front part (42) of the push-up member (40) between the front part (42) of the push-up member (40) and the pivot center (41), and applies the force to the front part (42) of the push-up member (40).

Inventors

ISHIGAKI, Ryota
ABE, KAZUHIRO

Assignees

Autoliv Development AB

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20240628

Claims (20)

An occupant protection device provided inside or below a seat cushion of a vehicle seat, the occupant protection device comprising: a push-up member that is pivotable so as to push up a seat surface of the seat cushion; and a drive device that applies, during a vehicle emergency, a force that causes the push-up member to pivot, wherein the push-up member includes a front part located forward of a pivot center in the front-to-back direction of the vehicle seat, and the drive device is disposed, of a space between the front part of the push-up member and the pivot center, below the front part of the push-up member, and is configured to apply the force to the front part of the push-up member.
The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the drive device includes: an airbag cushion that is expandable and deployable; and an inflator that supplies gas for expansion and deployment into an internal space of the airbag cushion during a vehicle emergency, and the airbag cushion is configured to start expansion and deployment below the front part of the push-up member and to apply the force to the front part of the push-up member.
The occupant protection device according to claim 2, wherein the airbag cushion is disposed on a mounting surface of a seat pan and configured to expand and deploy upward with the mounting surface serving as a reaction force surface.
The occupant protection device according to claim 2, wherein the airbag cushion is configured to be guided to expand and deploy upward with a front wall of a seat pan serving as a reaction surface.
The occupant protection device according to claim 3, wherein the push-up member is bent once between the front part and the pivot center, and a portion from the bent location to a front end of the front part extends parallel to the mounting surface.
The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the drive device includes: a power source; and a power transmission part that connects the power source and the push-up member and transmits power from the power source to the push-up member in order to apply the force to the front part of the push-up member.
The occupant protection device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6, wherein the push-up member has a bent location above an imaginary line connecting a front end of the front part and the pivot center.
An occupant protection device provided inside or below a seat cushion of a vehicle seat, the occupant protection device comprising: an airbag cushion that can be expanded and deployed; an inflator that supplies gas for expansion and deployment into an internal space of the airbag cushion during a vehicle emergency; and an inclined part that is disposed on a rearward side when the seat cushion is divided into front and rear portions at a central position in a front-to-back direction, the inclined part being inclined upward toward a front side, wherein the airbag cushion is disposed on one or both of an upper side or a lower side of the inclined part, and the airbag cushion and/or the inclined part is configured to push up a seating surface of the seat cushion in a diagonally rearward direction by expansion and deployment of the airbag cushion.
The occupant protection device according to claim 8, wherein the airbag cushion is disposed on an upper side of the inclined part and is configured to expand and deploy with the inclined part serving as a reaction surface so as to push up a seating surface of the seat cushion.
The occupant protection device according to claim 8, wherein the airbag cushion is disposed on a lower side of the inclined part, and the inclined part is configured to be moved by the airbag cushion that has expanded and deployed such that an inclination angle of the inclined part with respect to a horizontal plane becomes larger, thereby pushing up a seat surface of the seat cushion.
The occupant protection device according to claim 8, wherein the airbag cushion includes an upper airbag cushion disposed on an upper side of the inclined part and a lower airbag cushion disposed on a lower side of the inclined part, the upper airbag cushion is configured to expand and deploy with the inclined part serving as a reaction surface so as to push up a seat surface of the seat cushion, and the lower airbag cushion is configured to move the inclined part by expansion and deployment such that an inclination angle of the inclined part increases with respect to a horizontal plane.
The occupant protection device according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the inclined part is part of a seat pan.
The occupant protection device according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the inclined part is a separate member from the seat pan and is configured as a plate attached to the seat pan.
The occupant protection device according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein a plurality of the airbag cushions are provided in the front-to-back direction.
The occupant protection device according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein, when an occupant is seated on the seat cushion in a normal posture and has a seat belt fastened, expansion and deployment of the airbag cushion promote rearward bending rotation of a waist of the occupant.
An occupant protection device provided inside or below a seat cushion of a vehicle seat, including at least a spring disposed inside the seat cushion, the occupant protection device comprising: a bridge member that extends in a seat width direction so as to bridge, at least at a front portion of the spring, either a pair of side frames disposed inside the seat cushion or vehicle body structural portion located on both sides in the seat width direction outside the seat cushion; a recess part provided in a rear portion of the bridge member; an airbag cushion that is folded and is expandable and deployable; and an inflator that supplies gas for expansion and deployment into an internal space of the airbag cushion during a vehicle emergency, wherein the inflator is provided in the recess part, the airbag cushion, in a folded state, includes a stowing portion provided in the recess part and a main expansion portion disposed outside the recess part and extending toward a rear of the seat cushion, and the main expansion portion is configured to expand and deploy from an upper part of the bridge member toward a rear of the seat so as to push up a seat surface of the seat cushion.
The occupant protection device according to claim 16, further comprising: a reinforcing beam that extends in a seat width direction at a rear portion of the bridge member and is supported by the pair of side frames or the vehicle body structural portion, wherein the recess part is provided in the reinforcing beam.
The occupant protection device according to claim 17, wherein the reinforcing beam has a portion that overlaps an upper part of the bridge member.
The occupant protection device according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the bridge member is a seat pan, and a plate thickness of the reinforcing beam is thinner than a plate thickness of the seat pan.
The occupant protection device according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the reinforcing beam is provided with a bead.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an occupant protection device provided inside or below a seat cushion of a vehicle seat. BACKGROUND ART In the event of a vehicle frontal collision, an occupant will move forward due to inertia. Patent Document 1 describes an occupant protection device which, in the event of such a frontal collision, raises a front-end portion of a seat cushion by instantaneously expanding an airbag in a vehicle seat, thereby suppressing forward movement of the waist part of an occupant. RELATED ART DOCUMENTS PATENT DOCUMENTS Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application 2007-118820 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION In Patent Document 1, the airbag is secured to a seat pan and, when expanded, directly pushes up the lower front end of the seat cushion. However, depending on the characteristics of the seat cushion (such as softness or thickness), the force or amount of upward pressure exerted by the airbag may be insufficient, and the behavior or direction of the upward pressure may be unstable. Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, when the airbag is expanded, the front-end part of the seat cushion pushes up the knees of the occupant. However, due to the manner in which the airbag is attached to the vehicle seat and arrangement position thereof, the knees of the occupant are not sufficiently raised. In order to effectively lift the occupant's knees, rather than pushing up only the occupant's knees as in Patent Document 1, pushing up the area around the thighs near the occupant's buttocks is preferable, lifting the entire area from the occupant's thighs to the knees, thereby applying a force that rotates the occupant's pelvis in a clockwise direction. An object of the present invention is to provide an occupant protection device that contributes to improving the waist part restraining performance of an occupant. MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM An occupant protection device according to an aspect of the present invention is provided inside or below a seat cushion of a vehicle seat, the occupant protection device including: a push-up member that is pivotable so as to push up a seat surface of the seat cushion; anda drive device that applies, during a vehicle emergency, a force that causes the push-up member to pivot, whereinthe push-up member includes a front part located forward of a pivot center in the front-to-back direction of the vehicle seat, andthe drive device is disposed, of a space between the front part of the push-up member and the pivot center, below the front part of the push-up member, and is configured to apply the force to the front part of the push-up member. With this aspect, the drive device is positioned near (below) the portion of the push-up member that receives the force (front part), so that the force from the drive device can be applied immediately (in other words, directly or without dissipating the force) to the front part of the push-up member. This facilitates ensuring the force/amount of push-up on the seat surface. In addition, the push-up is not caused by the airbag itself, as was done conventionally, but by the rotating push-up member, so the push-up occurs along the path of rotation. This facilitates stabilizing the behavior or direction of the push-up. This rotation direction may be a direction in which a force acts to pivot the pelvis of the occupant in a clockwise direction. Therefore, when the push-up member is positioned to push up the area around the thighs near the buttocks of the occupant who is sitting on the seat cushion in a normal posture with a seat belt fastened, the entire area from the occupant's thighs to the knees can be lifted, and a rotational force in the clockwise direction can be applied to the occupant's pelvis. Therefore, forward movement of the waist part of the occupant can be reduced, and the occurrence of the submarine phenomenon can be suppressed, thereby improving the waist part restraint performance of the occupant. An occupant protection device according to another aspect of the present invention is provided inside or below a seat cushion of a vehicle seat, the occupant protection device including: an airbag cushion that can be expanded and deployed;an inflator that supplies gas for expansion and deployment into an internal space of the airbag cushion during a vehicle emergency; andan inclined part that is disposed on a rearward side when the seat cushion is divided into front and rear portions at a central position in a front-to-back direction, the inclined part being inclined upward toward a front side, whereinthe airbag cushion is disposed on one or both of an upper side or a lower side of the inclined part, andthe airbag cushion and/or the inclined part is configured to push up a seating surface of the seat cushion in a diagonally rearward direction by expansion and deployment of the airbag cushion. With such an aspect, since the inclined part is disposed on a relatively re