Method for operating an occupant protection means of an occupant protection device, and occupant protection device

Abstract

A method for operating an airbag of an occupant protection device of a vehicle moveable in autonomous driving mode involves positioning the airbag in an active position depending on at least one trigger condition. The airbag is automatically positioned and/or aligned within a vehicle interior depending on a positioning of a vehicle seat assigned to the airbag.

Claims

1. A method for operating an airbag of an occupant protection device of a vehicle, the method comprising: determining that the vehicle is being operated in an autonomous driving operation; automatically positioning or aligning the airbag, responsive to the determination that the vehicle is being operated in the autonomous driving operation, within an interior of the vehicle depending on an angle of a vehicle seat assigned to the airbag relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle by shifting the airbag in a direction of a transverse axis of the vehicle, or rotating the airbag at least about a vertical axis of the vehicle to change a direction of deployment of the airbag, wherein the automatic positioning or alignment of the airbag comprises automatically changing a position or alignment of the airbag within a steering wheel hub of a steering wheel of the vehicle depending on the positioning of the vehicle seat.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the airbag has a controllable moveable element via which a direction of deployment of the airbag is predetermined depending on a positioning of the vehicle seat.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning or aligning of the airbag comprises controlling an opening behavior of an airbag flap covering the airbag by setting a direction of deployment of the airbag depending on the positioning of the vehicle seat.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the airbag is automatically positioned or aligned within the vehicle interior depending on the positioning of the vehicle seat prior to detecting an imminent collision to the vehicle.

5. A method for operating an airbag of an occupant protection device of a vehicle, the method comprising: determining that the vehicle is being operated in an autonomous driving operation; automatically positioning or aligning the airbag, responsive to the determination that the vehicle is being operated in the autonomous driving operation, within an interior of the vehicle depending on an angle of a vehicle seat assigned to the airbag relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle by shifting the airbag in a direction of a transverse axis of the vehicle, or rotating the airbag at least about a vertical axis of the vehicle to change a direction of deployment of the airbag, wherein the airbag is arranged in a steering wheel hub, and wherein the automatic positioning or alignment of the airbag comprises automatically positioning a steering wheel of the vehicle depending on the positioning of the vehicle seat.

6. An occupant protection device for a vehicle, the occupant protection device comprising: an airbag that is automatically positioned or aligned within an interior of the vehicle depending on an angle of a vehicle seat assigned to the airbag relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle when the vehicle is operated in an autonomous driving operation by shifting the airbag in a direction of a transverse axis of the vehicle, or rotating the airbag at least about a vertical axis of the vehicle to change a direction of deployment of the airbag, wherein the airbag is arranged in a steering wheel hub, and wherein the automatic positioning or alignment of the airbag comprises automatically positioning a steering wheel of the vehicle depending on the positioning of the vehicle seat.

7. The occupant protection device of claim 6, wherein the airbag has a controllable moveable element via which a direction of deployment of the airbag is predetermined depending on a positioning of the vehicle seat.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

(1) Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below using drawings.

(2) Here are shown:

(3) FIG. 1 schematically a perspective view of a vehicle interior having a driver and a passenger,

(4) FIG. 2 schematically an occupant on a vehicle seat, which is rotated about 15° in relation to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, in a side view and a top view,

(5) FIG. 3 schematically the occupant on the vehicle seat, which is rotated about 30° in relation to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, in a side view and a top view,

(6) FIG. 4 schematically the occupant on the vehicle seat, which is rotated about 45° in relation to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, in a side view and a top view,

(7) FIG. 5 schematically a perspective view of a vehicle interior having a moveable element,

(8) FIGS. 6A-6C flowcharts of methods for operating an airbag of an occupant protection device of a vehicle.

(9) Parts corresponding to one another are provided with the same reference numerals in all figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a vehicle interior 1 of a vehicle 2 having two occupants I, a driver 3 and a passenger 4.

(11) The vehicle 2 has an assistance system (not explained in more detail here), by means of which the vehicle 2 can be moved in an autonomous driving mode. In the autonomous driving mode of the vehicle 2, the driver 3 surrenders his/her driving task completely to the vehicle 2, such that the driver 3 can devote himself/herself to other activities during the autonomous driving mode.

(12) In such an autonomously moveable vehicle 2, a vehicle seat 5 of the driver 3 and a vehicle seat 6 of the passenger 4 are mounted so as to be rotatable in relation to the vehicle vertical axis z. This makes it possible for the two vehicle seats 5, 6 to be able to be positioned in the vehicle interior 1 in such a way that the driver 3 and the front passenger 4 sit facing each other.

(13) By rotating the vehicle seats 5, 6 about the vehicle vertical axis z, the occupants I on the vehicle seats 5, 6 are not optimally positioned in relation to a respective airbag A1, A2 depicted with a dotted line, as occupant protection means S of an occupant protection device SV of the vehicle 2.

(14) In particular, an airbag A1, a so-called driver's airbag, is assigned to the vehicle seat 5 of the driver 3, wherein the airbag A1 is usually located in a steering wheel hub 7.1 of a steering wheel 7 of the vehicle 2.

(15) If the vehicle seat 5 is rotated relative to its usual driving position, there is a risk that, in the event of a collision of the vehicle 2, in particular a frontal collision, the driver 3 will not hit the airbag A1 centrally with his head, such that a protective effect of the airbag A1 cannot be ensured.

(16) The same applies to a further airbag A2 assigned to the passenger 4 and arranged in a cladding part 8 located in front of the passenger 4 in the direction of travel x when the vehicle seat 6 is rotated in relation to the longitudinal axis x of the vehicle corresponding to the direction of travel x.

(17) In accordance with the prior art, the airbags 5, 6 are integrated into the steering wheel 7 and the cladding part 8 in a fixed position, in particular with respect to the transverse axis y of the vehicle.

(18) In the case of a seat rotation of the vehicle seats 5, 6, they are not optimally aligned with the airbags A1, A2, such that a restraining of the driver 3 or the passenger 4 by means of the correspondingly activated airbags A1, A2, which are positioned in their active position, is not ensured.

(19) If the vehicle seat 5 of the driver 3 is turned by 15° in relation to the longitudinal axis x of the vehicle, as is shown in FIG. 2, a deviation of the head position of the driver 3 in relation to the airbag A1 is comparatively small, wherein the driver 3 does not hit his/her head optimally.

(20) An optimal head position K of the occupant I in relation to the airbag A1 in its active position is shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 by means of dotted lines.

(21) In FIGS. 2 to 4, a side view and a top view of a driver 3 on his vehicle seat 5 are respectively shown, wherein the latter is rotated by 30° in FIG. 3 and by 45° in FIG. 4 in relation to the longitudinal axis x of the vehicle.

(22) The greater the angle of rotation of the vehicle seat 5 to the longitudinal axis x of the vehicle, the greater the lateral shifting of a head center of gravity relative to the airbag A1 in the event of a collision of the vehicle 2. This displacement of the head center of gravity relative to the airbag A1 can result in the head of the occupant I, in the present exemplary embodiments of the driver 3, slipping off the airbag A1, whereby the load on the head and neck of the driver is increased.

(23) In order to increase the safety level for the driver 3 of the vehicle 2 in the event of a collision, in particular a frontal collision, when the vehicle seat 5 is rotated in relation to the longitudinal axis x of the vehicle, it is provided to position and/or align the airbag A1 within the vehicle interior 1 depending on the positioning of the vehicle seat 5.

(24) In a possible embodiment, the airbag A1 is shifted in the direction of the transverse axis y of the vehicle when the seat is rotated correspondingly.

(25) Here, the shifting of the airbag A1 can occur when the vehicle seat 5 is rotated or when it is determined that the vehicle 2 is about to have a collision, based on signals detected by a collision sensor system of the vehicle 2. The airbag A1 is thus shifted when a dangerous situation for the vehicle 2 is determined based on the signals.

(26) A length of a shifting path of the airbag A1 can, for example, be determined based on the optimum head position K, wherein the head center of gravity of the occupant I in the optimum head position K and a center of the airbag A1, in particular with regard to its width, are in line.

(27) Alternatively, or additionally, the length of the shifting path can be determined based on a calculated flight curve of the head, for example, by considering a phase before the accident and/or a direction of impact of the collision.

(28) In order to adapt a direction of deployment of the airbag A1 depending on the rotation of the vehicle seat 5 on which the driver 3 sits, it is provided in an embodiment that the position of the airbag A1 within the steering wheel hub 7.1 is changed accordingly.

(29) Alternatively, or additionally, it can be provided that the steering wheel 7 with the airbag A1 is shifted in the direction of the transverse axis y of the vehicle by the determined shifting distance.

(30) For this purpose, the steering wheel 7 is shiftably mounted, for example, by means of a guide rail arranged parallel to the transverse axis y of the vehicle.

(31) In an alternative or additional design of the occupant protection device SV, a position of the airbag A1 in relation to the vertical axis z of the vehicle can be changed in order to change the direction of deployment of the airbag A1. By way of example, an angle between the airbag A1 and the vertical axis z of the vehicle and/or an angle between the airbag A1 and a vertical axis of the steering wheel 7 is changed such that, in the case of a changed seating position, the airbag A1 deploys in the direction of the occupant I, i.e. the driver 5.

(32) Again, alternatively or additionally, the airbag A1, in particular an airbag module of which the airbag A1 is a component, can have a moveable element 10 (FIG. 5), in particular a so-called positioning element.

(33) This moveable element 10 can be controlled, such that a position of the moveable element 10 can be changed depending on the seat rotation in order to determine the direction of deployment of the airbag A1.

(34) It is also conceivable that the opening behavior of an airbag flap covering the airbag A1 (not shown in more detail here) is controlled as an alternative or in addition to the above-mentioned designs, such that the direction of deployment of the airbag A1 is changed and thereby set.

(35) The airbag flap can thus only be partially opened, for example, in order to predetermine the direction of deployment of the airbag A1 depending on the rotation of the vehicle seat 5 of the driver 3.

(36) Furthermore, it can be provided that the additional airbag A2 assigned to the passenger 4 is also positioned depending on the rotation of the vehicle seat 6 of the passenger 4 in order to change the direction of deployment of the additional airbag A2 and thus increase the level of protection for the passenger 4, in particular in the autonomous driving mode of the vehicle 2.

(37) Referring now to FIG. 6A, the method involves determining that the vehicle is being operated in an autonomous driving operation (step 605). The method also involves automatically positioning or aligning the airbag, responsive to the determination that the vehicle is being operated in the autonomous driving operation, within an interior of the vehicle depending on an angle of a vehicle seat assigned to the airbag relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle (step 610A). The automatic positioning or alignment can be achieved by shifting the airbag in a direction of a transverse axis of the vehicle, or rotating the airbag at least about a vertical axis of the vehicle to change a direction of deployment of the airbag. As illustrated in FIG. 6B, the automatic positioning or alignment of the airbag can comprise automatically changing a position or alignment of the airbag within a steering wheel hub of a steering wheel of the vehicle depending on the positioning of the vehicle seat (step 610B). As illustrated in FIG. 6C, the positioning or aligning of the airbag comprises controlling an opening behavior of an airbag flap covering the airbag by setting a direction of deployment of the airbag depending on the positioning of the vehicle seat (step 610C).

(38) Although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail by way of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the examples disclosed, and other variations can be derived from these by the person skilled in the art without leaving the scope of the invention. It is therefore clear that there is a plurality of possible variations. It is also clear that embodiments stated by way of example are only really examples that are not to be seen as limiting the scope, application possibilities or configuration of the invention in any way. In fact, the preceding description and the description of the figures enable the person skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments in concrete manner, wherein, with the knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept, the person skilled in the art is able to undertake various changes, for example, with regard to the functioning or arrangement of individual elements stated in an exemplary embodiment without leaving the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description.