JP7294221B2 - passenger protection device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an occupant protection system.

Conventionally, a pair of knee bolsters are arranged at intervals in the vehicle width direction on the back side of the instrument panel of a vehicle, corresponding to the pair of knees of an occupant seated on the seat (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ). A pair of support brackets forming the frame of the vehicle body are provided on the back side of the instrument panel. A mounting plate is supported at the rear end of each support bracket. A knee bolster is a hollow structure made of a blow molded body that is attached to a mounting plate.

In the event of a vehicle collision, when the occupant moves forward, the knee bolster is pressed by the occupant's knee and is compressed and deformed, thereby reducing the load acting on the occupant's knee.

Japanese Patent No. 6477060

By the way, in the event of a vehicle collision, when the occupant's knees move toward the knee bolster at an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the knee bolster is less likely to be compressed and deformed in the longitudinal direction, and acts on the occupant's knees. It becomes difficult to exhibit the effect of reducing the load.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an occupant protection system capable of appropriately compressing and deforming a knee bolster.

An occupant protection device for achieving the above object protects an occupant seated on a seat of a vehicle. a knee bolster that is attached to the rear end of the bracket and compressively deforms while supporting the knees of an occupant seated on the seat from the front in the event of a collision of the vehicle; and a restricting portion that restricts the knee bolster from being displaced in a direction that intersects the front-rear direction with the bracket as a fulcrum.

According to this configuration, the restricting portion restricts the knee bolster from being displaced in the cross direction with the bracket as a fulcrum when the vehicle collides. As a result, even when the occupant's knees move toward the knee bolster at an angle with respect to the front-rear direction, the knee bolster is likely to be compressed and deformed along the front-rear direction. Therefore, the knee bolster can be suitably compressed and deformed.

In the occupant protection device described above, it is preferable that an interior member is disposed between the knee bolster and the seat, and the restricting portion is provided on a front surface of the interior member.
According to this configuration, the restricting portion is provided at a position separated from the bracket in the front-rear direction. Therefore, in the event of a vehicle collision, it is possible to effectively restrict the knee bolster from being displaced in the cross direction with the bracket as a fulcrum. Therefore, even when the occupant's knees move toward the knee bolster at an angle to the front-rear direction, the knee bolster is more likely to be compressed and deformed in the front-rear direction.

In the occupant protection device described above, the restricting portion is configured by a projecting portion projecting from the interior member toward the knee bolster, and the projecting portion is provided on at least one side of the knee bolster in the cross direction. is preferred.

According to this configuration, when the interior member moves toward the knee bolster by being pressed by the occupant's knees in the event of a vehicle collision, the projecting portion faces the knee bolster on at least one side in the cross direction. This restricts the knee bolster from being displaced to at least one side in the cross direction with the bracket as a fulcrum. By providing the protrusion on the interior member in this manner, the restricting portion can be easily realized.

In the occupant protection device described above, it is preferable that the protrusions are provided on both sides of the knee bolster in the cross direction.
According to this configuration, even when the knee bolster tries to displace to either one side or the other side in the cross direction with the bracket as a fulcrum, such displacement is restricted by the protrusion. This makes it easier for the knee bolster to compress and deform more favorably along the front-rear direction. Therefore, the knee bolster can be more suitably compressed and deformed.

In the occupant protection device described above, it is preferable that a recess is provided in a rear end portion of the knee bolster, and the projecting portion is provided at a position facing the recess in the front-rear direction.

According to this configuration, when the vehicle collides, the knee bolster is compressed and deformed while the protrusion is positioned within the recess. As a result of such compressive deformation, the distance between the knee bolster and the protruding portion is reduced, and the knee bolster and the protruding portion are likely to come into close contact with each other. Therefore, displacement of the knee bolster in the cross direction with the bracket as a fulcrum is likely to be restricted. Therefore, the knee bolster can be more suitably compressed and deformed.

According to the present invention, the knee bolster can be suitably compressed and deformed.

1 is a perspective view showing the interior of a vehicle provided with an occupant protection device according to one embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a bracket and a knee bolster in the occupant protection device; FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing an occupant protection device before a vehicle collision; FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the occupant protection device after a vehicle collision; The top view which shows typically the passenger protection device of the 1st modification. The top view which shows typically the passenger protection device of the 2nd modification. The top view which shows typically the passenger protection device of the 3rd modification. The top view which shows typically the passenger protection device of the 4th modification. The side view which shows typically the passenger protection device of the 5th modification.

An embodiment of an occupant protection system will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG.
In each drawing, part of the configuration may be exaggerated or simplified for convenience of explanation. Also, the dimensional ratio of each part may differ from the actual one.

As shown in FIG. 1, the occupant protection device 10 of the present embodiment is provided in front of a seat 20 on which an occupant P sits in the vehicle interior. The seat 20 of this embodiment is a driver's seat.
Hereinafter, the front-rear direction of the seat 20 will be referred to as the front-rear direction L, and the vehicle width direction will be referred to as the vehicle width direction W. Further, the front in the front-rear direction L is simply referred to as the front, and the rear in the front-rear direction L is simply referred to as the rear. In this embodiment, the front-rear direction L of the seat 20 and the front-rear direction of the vehicle match. The occupant P seated on the seat 20 faces forward.

A metal reinforcement 30 extending along the vehicle width direction W is provided at the front of the vehicle in front of the seat 20 . Both ends of the reinforcement 30 are connected to frames (not shown) provided on both sides in the vehicle width direction W. As shown in FIG.

A pair of metal brackets 40 are provided in the vehicle width direction W at a distance from each other in a portion of the reinforcement 30 corresponding to the front of the seat 20 . Each bracket 40 extends rearward at positions corresponding to the pair of knees of the occupant P. As shown in FIG. A steering column (not shown) extending rearward and obliquely upward is arranged between the brackets 40 .

As shown in FIG. 2 , the bracket 40 has an extension portion 41 extending in the front-rear direction L and a mounting portion 42 provided at the rear end of the extension portion 41 . A front end of the extension portion 41 is connected to the reinforcement 30 . The bracket 40 is formed by bending and welding a metal plate.

A pair of through holes 43 are provided in the mounting portion 42 at intervals in the vertical direction.
A knee bolster 50 is attached to the attachment portion 42 of each bracket 40 . The knee bolster 50 is compressed and deformed while supporting the knees of the occupant P seated on the seat 20 from the front at the time of a vehicle collision. As a result, the load acting on the knees of the occupant P during a vehicle collision is reduced.

The knee bolster 50 has a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape. The knee bolster 50 is made of, for example, a resin material such as rigid urethane foam. The length of the knee bolster 50 in the front-rear direction L is longer than the length in the vehicle width direction W.

A pair of clips 51 are provided on the front end surface of the knee bolster 50 so as to protrude from each other in the vertical direction. The knee bolster 50 is attached to the bracket 40 by engaging the clip 51 with the through hole 43 of the attachment portion 42 .

Groove portions 52 extending in the front-rear direction L are provided on both side surfaces of the knee bolster 50 in the vehicle width direction W. As shown in FIG. A pair of grooves 52 are vertically aligned on each side surface of the knee bolster 50 . Each groove 52 extends over the entire front-rear direction L of the knee bolster 50 . The rigidity of the knee bolster 50 is moderately increased by such grooves 52 . As a result, the load acting on the knees of the occupant P is preferably reduced.

A pair of recessed portions 53 are provided at a rear end portion of the knee bolster 50 at intervals in the vehicle width direction W. As shown in FIG. Each concave portion 53 is formed by notching an upper corner portion of the rear end portion in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. A portion of the knee bolster 50 between the concave portions 53 has a narrower width in the vehicle width direction W than other portions.

As shown in FIG. 1, an instrument panel 60 extending along the vehicle width direction W is arranged between the seat 20 and the reinforcement 30 . The instrument panel 60 has an upper panel 61 and a pair of lower panels 62 . For example, various devices are assembled to the upper panel 61 . A pair of lower panels 62 are attached to the upper panel 61 with a space therebetween in the vehicle width direction W. As shown in FIG. The lower panel 62 is arranged in front of the seat 20 . More specifically, the lower panel 62 is arranged to face the lower legs of the occupant P seated on the seat 20 . Therefore, the lower panel 62 is arranged between each knee bolster 50 and the seat 20 . The lower panel 62 is an example of an interior member.

As shown in FIG. 3 , a restricting portion 63 is provided on the front surface of the lower panel 62 , that is, the surface located on the side opposite to the seat 20 in the front-rear direction L. As shown in FIG. The restricting portion 63 restricts the knee bolster 50 from being displaced in the intersecting direction intersecting the front-rear direction L with the bracket 40 as a fulcrum when the vehicle collides. The crossing direction in this embodiment is the vehicle width direction W perpendicular to the front-rear direction L. As shown in FIG.

The restricting portion 63 of this embodiment is composed of a pair of protruding portions 64 protruding from the lower panel 62 toward the knee bolster 50 . The projecting portion 64 is provided integrally with the lower panel 62 . The pair of projecting portions 64 are spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction W. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the pair of protrusions 64 are provided on both sides of the knee bolster 50 in the vehicle width direction W. As shown in FIG.

The projecting portion 64 is provided at a position facing the recessed portion 53 of the knee bolster 50 in the front-rear direction L. As shown in FIG. Each projecting portion 64 and the knee bolster 50 are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction W. As shown in FIG. Note that the protrusion 64 does not contact the inner surface of the recess 53 .

In this embodiment, the occupant protection device 10 is configured by the bracket 40 provided in front of the seat 20, the knee bolster 50 attached to the attachment portion 42 of the bracket 40, and the restriction portion 63 provided on the lower panel 62. there is

The operation of this embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the restricting portion 63 restricts the knee bolster 50 from being displaced in the vehicle width direction W with the bracket 40 as a fulcrum when the vehicle collides. As a result, even when the knees of the occupant P move toward the knee bolster 50 at an angle with respect to the front-rear direction L, the knee bolster 50 is likely to be compressed and deformed along the front-rear direction L.

Effects of the present embodiment will be described.
(1) The occupant protection device 10 is attached to a bracket 40 provided in front of the seat 20 and to the rear end of the bracket 40, and supports the knees of the occupant P seated on the seat 20 from the front in the event of a vehicle collision. a knee bolster 50 that compresses and deforms while being compressed, and a restricting portion 63 that restricts the knee bolster 50 from being displaced in the vehicle width direction W intersecting the front-rear direction L with the bracket 40 as a fulcrum when the vehicle collides.

With such a configuration, the knee bolster 50 can be suitably compressed and deformed because of the above-described effects. Therefore, the effect of reducing the load acting on the knees of the occupant P can be favorably exhibited.

(2) A lower panel 62 is arranged between the knee bolster 50 and the seat 20 . The restricting portion 63 is provided on the front surface of the lower panel 62 .
According to such a configuration, the restricting portion 63 is provided at a position apart from the bracket 40 in the front-rear direction L. As shown in FIG. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the knee bolster 50 from being displaced in the vehicle width direction W with the bracket 40 as a fulcrum at the time of a vehicle collision. Therefore, even when the knees of the occupant P move toward the knee bolster 50 at an angle with respect to the front-rear direction L, the knee bolster 50 is more likely to be compressed and deformed along the front-rear direction L.

(3) The restricting portion 63 is composed of a protruding portion 64 protruding from the lower panel 62 toward the knee bolster 50 . The projecting portion 64 is provided on at least one side of the knee bolster 50 in the vehicle width direction W. As shown in FIG.

According to this configuration, when the lower panel 62 moves toward the knee bolster 50 by being pressed by the knees of the occupant P in the event of a vehicle collision, the protruding portion 64 is positioned at least on one side in the vehicle width direction W to prevent the knee bolster 50 from moving toward the knee bolster 50 . Oppose. This restricts the knee bolster 50 from being displaced to at least one side in the vehicle width direction W with the bracket 40 as a fulcrum. By providing the projecting portion 64 on the lower panel 62 in this way, the restricting portion 63 can be easily realized.

(4) The protrusions 64 are provided on both sides of the knee bolster 50 in the vehicle width direction W. As shown in FIG.
According to such a configuration, even when the knee bolster 50 attempts to displace to either one side or the other side in the vehicle width direction W with the bracket 40 as a fulcrum, such displacement is restricted by the projecting portion 64 . This makes it easier for the knee bolster 50 to compress and deform in the longitudinal direction L more favorably. Therefore, the knee bolster 50 can be more suitably compressed and deformed.

(5) A recess 53 is provided at the rear end of the knee bolster 50 . The projecting portion 64 is provided at a position facing the recessed portion 53 in the front-rear direction L. As shown in FIG.
According to such a configuration, when the vehicle collides, the knee bolster 50 is compressed and deformed while the projecting portion 64 is positioned within the recessed portion 53 . With such compressive deformation, the distance between the knee bolster 50 and the protrusion 64 becomes smaller, and the knee bolster 50 and the protrusion 64 are more likely to come into close contact with each other. Therefore, displacement of the knee bolster 50 in the vehicle width direction W with the bracket 40 as a fulcrum is easily restricted. Therefore, the knee bolster 50 can be more suitably compressed and deformed.

(6) The projecting portion 64 and the knee bolster 50 are provided side by side in the vehicle width direction W.
According to this configuration, when the vehicle does not collide, the protrusion 64 and the knee bolster 50 are aligned in the vehicle width direction W, so that the knee bolster 50 is prevented from being displaced in the vehicle width direction W with the bracket 40 as a fulcrum. The projecting portion 64 can be regulated at an early stage. Therefore, the knee bolster 50 can be more suitably compressed and deformed.

<Change example>
This embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. This embodiment and the following modified examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically consistent range.

- The projecting portion 64 and the knee bolster 50 do not have to be arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction W. That is, the protruding portion 64 may be positioned rearward of the knee bolster 50 . Even in this case, when the vehicle collides, the projecting portion 64 moves to a position aligned with the knee bolster 50 in the vehicle width direction W, so that the above-described effects (1) to (5) can be achieved. can.

The recessed portion 53 of the present embodiment is formed by cutting out a portion of the rear end portion of the knee bolster 50 , but instead of this, the recessed portion 53 is provided with a projecting portion 64 at the rear end portion of the knee bolster 50 . It is also possible to provide holes into which are inserted.

- The groove portion 52 does not have to extend over the entire length of the knee bolster 50 in the front-rear direction L. The groove portion 52 may extend from the front edge of the knee bolster 50 to the central portion in the front-rear direction L, for example.

- As shown in FIG. 5, the concave portion 53 may be omitted, and the protruding portion 64 may be arranged outside the knee bolster 50 in the vehicle width direction W.
- The restriction portion 63 may be provided only on one side of the knee bolster 50 in the vehicle width direction W.

- The vertical position of the projecting portion 64 can be changed as appropriate.
- A plurality of projecting portions 64 may be provided at intervals in the vertical direction.
- The projecting portion 64 may not be provided integrally with the lower panel 62 . That is, the projecting portion 64 may be provided separately from the lower panel 62 . For example, if the lower panel 62 is provided with a bracket for attaching a device or the like, the bracket can be used as the projecting portion 64 .

- As shown in FIG. 6, a projection 65 that pierces the knee bolster 50 in the event of a vehicle collision may be employed as the restricting portion 63 . The projection 65 protrudes toward the knee bolster 50 from a portion of the lower panel 62 facing the knee bolster 50 . According to such a configuration, the projection 65 moves toward the knee bolster 50 and sticks into the knee bolster 50 when the vehicle collides. This restricts the knee bolster 50 from being displaced in the vehicle width direction W with the bracket 40 as a fulcrum.

- As shown in FIG. 7, an adhesion portion 66 that is adhered and fixed to the knee bolster 50 in the event of a vehicle collision may be employed as the restriction portion 63 . The bonding portion 66 is provided at a portion of the lower panel 62 facing the knee bolster 50 . Examples of the adhesive portion 66 include an adhesive sheet. According to such a configuration, the bonding portion 66 moves toward the knee bolster 50 and is bonded to the knee bolster 50 when the vehicle crashes. This restricts the knee bolster 50 from being displaced in the vehicle width direction W with the bracket 40 as a fulcrum.

- As shown in FIG. 8 , a pair of restricting walls 67 projecting rearward from both ends in the vehicle width direction W of the mounting portion 42 of the bracket 40 may be employed as the restricting portions 63 . In this case, the interior member can be omitted and the knee bolster 50 can be exposed at any position in the vehicle interior. Even with these configurations, the above effect (1) can be achieved.

- As shown in FIG. 9, a bracket 40 and a knee bolster 50 can be provided inside the seat back 21 of another seat 20 arranged in front of the seat 20 . In this case, for example, the bracket 40 may be connected to the frame forming the seat back 21 and the restriction portion 63 may be provided on the inner surface of the seat back 21 .

The front-rear direction L of the seat 20 in this embodiment matches the front-rear direction of the vehicle, but the front-rear direction L of the seat 20 may match the vehicle width direction W, for example. That is, the present invention can also be applied to the seat 20 arranged so that the occupant P faces the side of the vehicle. At this time, the intersecting direction coincides with the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. In such a configuration, an interior member other than the instrument panel 60 may be arranged between the knee bolster 50 and the seat 20 .

- The seat 20 is not limited to the driver's seat, and may be a seat arranged at any position in the vehicle.
- As shown in FIG. 3, the projecting portion 64 may be a clip for fixing the lower panel 62 to the upper panel 61 indicated by a two-dot chain line. With this configuration, an existing clip can be used as the restricting portion 63 , so there is no need to separately provide the restricting portion 63 on the lower panel 62 . Therefore, the configuration of the occupant protection device 10 can be simplified.

L... Fore-and-aft direction P... Occupant W... Vehicle width direction 10... Occupant protection device 20... Seat 21... Seat back 30... Reinforcement 40... Bracket 41... Extension part 42... Mounting part 43... Through hole 50... Knee bolster 51... Clip 52 Groove 53 Recess 60 Instrument panel 61 Upper panel 62 Lower panel 63 Regulating portion 64 Protruding portion 65 Protrusion 66 Bonding portion 67 Regulating wall

Claims (4)

An occupant protection device for protecting an occupant seated on a vehicle seat,
When the front and rear of the seat in the front-rear direction are defined as front and rear,
a bracket provided in front of the seat;
a knee bolster that is attached to the rear end of the bracket and compressively deforms while supporting the knees of an occupant seated on the seat from the front in the event of a collision of the vehicle;
a restricting portion that restricts the knee bolster from being displaced in a direction that intersects the front-rear direction using the bracket as a fulcrum when the vehicle collides ;
An interior member is arranged between the knee bolster and the seat,
The restricting portion is provided on the front surface of the interior member, is not in contact with the knee bolster before the vehicle crashes, and is in contact with the knee bolster at the time of the vehicle crash, thereby moving in the cross direction. restricting displacement of the knee bolster;
Occupant protection device. The restricting portion is configured by a protruding portion protruding from the interior member toward the knee bolster,
The protrusion is provided on at least one side of the knee bolster in the cross direction,
The occupant protection device according to claim 1 . The protrusions are provided on both sides of the knee bolster in the cross direction,
The occupant protection device according to claim 2 . A recess is provided at the rear end of the knee bolster,
The projecting portion is provided at a position facing the recess in the front-rear direction,
The occupant protection device according to claim 2 or 3 .

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