A vehicle safety system includes an actuatable restraint for helping to protect a vehicle occupant and a controller for controlling actuation of the actuatable restraint in response to a vehicle rollover event. The controller is configured to execute a discrimination algorithm comprising at least one classification metric that utilizes at least one of vehicle pitch rate (P_RATE) and vehicle roll acceleration (D_RATE) to discriminate at least one of a ramp rollover event and a soil rollover event from an embankment rollover event. The discrimination algorithm determines a classification of the vehicle rollover event as one of a ramp rollover event, a soil rollover event, and an embankment rollover event. The controller is also configured to select a deployment threshold for deploying the actuatable restraint. The deployment threshold corresponds to the classification of the vehicle rollover event.

An occupant protection system has a component in question reduced in size and cost. The occupant protection system includes: a rollover airbag device provided in a vehicle interior; a battery configured to supply power to the rollover airbag device; a controller configured to determine a rollover of a vehicle and, if a rollover of the vehicle is determined, activate the rollover airbag device using power supplied from the battery; and a backup power source configured to charge power to be used if the battery fails. The controller determines a collision of the vehicle and examines the battery for any failure and, if a collision of the vehicle is determined and the battery is examined to have a failure, activates the rollover airbag device using the power charged in the backup power source.

This vehicle includes a roll bar (15) assembled to an upper portion of a vehicle body (11) and configured to separate off a passenger space (12C), the roll bar (15) includes a pair of left and right front roll bars (31) and a cross member (16) configured to connect the pair of left and right front roll bars (31), the front roll bars (31) include windshield bars (42) extending on both sides of a front portion of the roll bar (15) in an upward/downward direction, respectively, and the cross member (16) has a front panel portion (52) along a reference surface that bridges between center axes of the pair of left and right windshield bars (42), a groove portion (56) recessed rearward from a flat portion along the reference surface and extending in a vehicle width direction is formed in the front panel portion (52), and the groove portion (56) is located lower in an outer end portion in the vehicle width direction than in a center portion in the vehicle width direction.

Various examples are provided related to tip or rollover protection mechanisms for ground vehicles. In one example, a vehicle includes a vehicle frame and one or more protection mechanism(s) secured to the vehicle frame. The protection mechanism can allow the vehicle to “land” right-side up after tipping or rolling over for continuing operation. This can be beneficial for, but not limited to, autonomous or remotely controlled vehicles. The protection mechanism can include protection mechanisms secured to opposite sides of the vehicle frame. The protection mechanism can be passive, active, actuated or a combination thereof.

A vehicle safety system for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a frontal collision includes a controller, one or more crash sensors for sensing a frontal collision, and an active sensor for detecting objects in the path of the vehicle. The controller is configured to implement crash discrimination metrics that detect the occurrence of a frontal collision in response to signals received from the crash sensors. The crash discrimination metrics implement thresholds for determining whether the signals received from the crash sensors indicate the occurrence of a frontal collision. The controller is configured to implement an algorithm that uses information obtained from the active sensor to detect an object in the path of the vehicle and to select the thresholds implemented in the crash discrimination metrics in response to detecting the object.

A method for controlling the actuation of an actuatable restraint to help protect a vehicle occupant in response to a rollover event is implemented in a controller of a vehicle safety system that includes the actuatable restraint. To implement the method, the controller is configured to execute a roll discrimination metric that discriminates the occurrence of a ramp rollover event or an embankment rollover event in response to a vehicle roll rate (R_RATE) having a magnitude that exceeds a predetermined threshold roll rate (R_RATE). The controller is also configured to execute a switching metric that is operative to reduce the predetermined threshold roll rate (R_RATE) in response to a vehicle pitch rate (P_RATE) having a magnitude that exceeds a predetermined threshold pitch rate (P_RATE).

An airbag device for a panorama roof including: a panorama roof; a blind disposed under the panorama roof, and configured to open/close the panorama roof; and a roof airbag embedded in a head liner, and deployed under the blind so as to cover the panorama roof

A vehicle configuration wherein the center of mass of the vehicle is approximately superimposed upon the passenger and driver centers of mass when seated within the vehicle. An occupant's center of mass can be approximated using a standard center of mass position approximation, or a combination of any number of standard center of mass position approximations. The vehicle's center of mass can be approximately superimposed upon the occupant's center of mass in at least the longitudinal and vertical directions.

A recreational off-highway vehicle includes side-by-side passenger and driver seats held within a chassis that is approximately 50 inches wide. The seats sit low in the chassis and are covered by a roll cage. Grab handles are positioned on the sides of the passenger seat. Select large round tubing protects the vehicle, while rectangular tubing frames the portions of the vehicle beneath body panels. The vehicle is powered by an engine rearward of the seats that is connected to a transaxle. The engine and transaxle are isolation mounted together with a portion of the air intake assembly. The vehicle is suited for rough terrain travel.

An airbag device for a panorama roof may include: a roller disposed under a panorama roof and having a blind wound therearound, the blind serving to cover the panorama roof; a head liner covering the roller; an inflator disposed at sides of the panorama roof; a guide tunnel connected to the inflator to guide gas; and a cushion connected to the guide tunnel, and deployed by gas guided through the guide tunnel so as to cover the panorama roof.