Patent Publication Number: US-7721357-B2

Title: Wearable air bag device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-273880, filed Sep. 21, 2005, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a wearable air bag device, and more particularly to a wearable air bag device which incorporates an air bag used as a buffer device for buffering an impact to a rider of a motorcycle or the like. 
   2. Description of Background Art 
   Conventionally, there has been proposed a body wear, that is, a jacket which incorporates an air inflating chamber (air bag) as a buffer for attenuating an impact to a rider of a motorcycle or the like. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-open 2002-20907 discloses a jacket provided with an air bag which is developed to cover the whole body of a rider. Further, Japanese Utility Model Registration Publication 3048094 discloses an automatically inflatable vest which includes two air chambers having volumes different from each other and makes these two air chambers act as buffers in two stages. 
   These conventional jackets adopt the structure in which the rider and a vehicle body are connected with each other by a wire, and when the rider moves away from the vehicle body and a distance between the rider and the vehicle body exceeds a predetermined value, the air bag is developed. 
   The jackets described in JP-A-2002-20907 and Japanese Utility Model Registration (Publication) No. 3048094 are configured such that the device is operated when the distance between the rider and the vehicle body is elongated larger than a predetermined quantity and hence, when the rider forgets to separate the wire in a usual get-off operation or when the rider erroneously manipulates the wire during the wire winding manipulation, the wire may be elongated exceeding the predetermined quantity thus operating the device. 
   Further, in the air bag device, it is necessary to provide parts other than a device body, for example, a control device which controls the air bag device body, a power source and the like. However, depending on the arrangement of these parts, there exists a possibility that the electric connection between the air bag device and the vehicle body becomes cumbersome. 
   Accordingly, there has been a demand for an air bag device which allows a rider to relatively freely handle an operating wire of the device and ensures the free movement of the rider by preventing an operation of the rider from being extremely restricted. 
   SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a wearable air bag device which can allow the rider to perform a connecting operation between the vehicle body and the rider easily and can reduce restrictions imparted to an operation of a rider of a motorcycle or the like. 
   According to a first aspect of the present invention, a wearable air bag device incorporates an air bag, an inflator which supplies a gas to the air bag and develops the air bag, a reel, a wire which is wound around the reel and a terminal which is provided to an end of the wire and is connected to a receiving jig which is connected to a vehicle side into a rider&#39;s wear. The terminal and the receiving jig on the vehicle side are constituted in a state that the connection therebetween is released by a tension of a predetermined value or more applied to the wire. In addition, the wearable air bag device further includes a sensor which detects a rotational angular speed of the reel, a control device which outputs a command which operates the inflator when the rotational angular speed detected by the sensor exceeds a predetermined value, and a power source for the control device. 
   According to a second aspect of the present invention, the wearable air bag device further includes a main switch which supplies electricity to the control device. 
   According to a third aspect of the present invention, the sensor and the control device are mounted on a common substrate. 
   According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the wearable air bag device includes a means which detects the connection/separation of the terminal and the receiving jig. 
   According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the whole air bag device is incorporated into a rider&#39;s wear, an electrical connection portion or the like of the air bag device with a vehicle side becomes unnecessary thus eliminating the cumbersomeness. Further, since the necessity of an operation of the air bag device is determined based on a rotational angular speed of the reel, different from the determination based on a pulling quantity of the wire, there is no possibility that the air bag device is operated erroneously during handling the vehicle or due to a motion of a rider. 
   According to the second aspect of the present invention, the main switch is operated at a position closest to a rider and hence, an operability of the switch can be enhanced. 
   According to the third aspect of the present invention, with the provision of the common substrate, it is possible to easily incorporate the wearable air bag device into the rider&#39;s wear. 
   According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, for example, even when the rider forgets to release the connection between the terminal and the receiving jig and gets off the vehicle, it is possible to easily supply a detection signal to the warning device. 
   Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a front view of a jacket according to one embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a back view of a jacket according to one embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a constitutional view of an air bag device body which is separated jacket; 
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of a rider separation detecting part; 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged perspective view of a main switch; 
       FIG. 6  is a view showing a connection state detection device of a connecting terminal. 
       FIG. 7  is a flowchart of air bag developing processing; and 
       FIG. 8  is a view showing a connection state detecting circuit of the connecting terminal. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1  is a front view of a jacket which constitutes a rider-use air bag device of a motorcycle according to one embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 2  is a back view of the jacket, wherein both of these drawings are views in a state that the air bag is not developed.  FIG. 3  is a view showing the air bag device which is separated from the jacket.  FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of a rider separation detecting portion. 
   The jacket  1  includes an air inflating chamber which is divided into a right from portion  11 , a left front portion  12 , a right rear portion  13 , a left rear portion  14 , a waist portion  15  and a collar portion  16 . These air inflating chambers are connected to an inflator  2  which supplies a gas for inflation. The inflator  2  which supplies the gas to the respective air inflating chambers when the air bag device is operated, an ECU  3  which controls the inflator  2 , a battery  4  for the ECU  3 , a sensor device, that is, a so-called rider separation detecting part  5  which detects a change of a distance between the rider and a vehicle body of the motorcycle, and a main switch  6  are mounted on the jacket  1 . A warning device  7  which indicates troubles of the respective parts mounted on the jacket  1  or an abnormal operation of the rider is mounted on the jacket  1 . Here, the warning device  7  is a buzzer or a vibrator. It may be possible to fix the respective parts and the warning device  7  by stitching them in the jacket  1  or by respectively accommodating them in a pocket-shaped accommodating portion. The inflator  2  is constituted of a carbon dioxide container and a starting device which breaks the sealing of the carbon dioxide container. 
   The rider separation detecting part  5  is mounted on a substrate  8  on which the ECU  3  is mounted. The substrate  8  may preferably be a flexible substrate. Essential parts of the rider separation detecting part  5  are constituted of a reel  9 , a wire  19  and a sensor  17  which are mounted on the substrate  8 . The reel  9  is rotatably supported on the substrate  8 , and the sensor  17  is arranged in a state that the sensor  17  faces an outer periphery of the reel  9  for detecting a rotational quantity of the reel  9 . 
   The wire  19  is wrapped around the reel  9  in a state that one end of the wire  19  is fixed to the reel  9 , and another end of the wire  19  is connected to a connecting terminal  18  which is used for connection with the vehicle body. The reel  9  is biased to be rotated in one direction by a coil spring or the like such that the wire  19  is wound around the reel  9  when the end portion of the wire  19  is in a free state. A tubular guide  10  which guides the wire  19  to an outer periphery of the reel  9  is mounted on the flexible substrate  8 . A plurality of projecting portions and recessed portions is formed on the outer periphery of the reel  9  at a fixed interval, wherein the sensor  17  detects the projecting portions or recessed portions, and the ECU  3  calculates the rotational angular speed of the reel  9  based on detection signals (pulse signals) of the projecting portions and recessed portions detected by the sensor  17 . When a magnetism-electricity converting element is adopted as the sensor  17 , at least an outer periphery of the reel  9  may preferably be formed of metal. Here, the sensor  17  may be a resistor element such as a potentiometer or the like which is mounted on a rotary shaft of the reel  9  and can detect the rotational angle of the rotary shaft. 
   The reel  9  includes a stopper, wherein when the reel  9  is rotated by a predetermined angle, the further rotation of the reel  9  is restricted by the stopper. The stopper may be constituted of a pin which is mounted on a flexible substrate  8  side and a member which is arranged to come into contact with the pin and projects from the reel  9  side. On the other hand, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the stopper may be constituted such that a large-diameter portion  19 A is formed on the wire  19  and the rotation of the reel  9  is stopped at a position where the large-diameter portion  19 A comes into contact with an end portion of the tubular guide  10 . 
   The connecting terminal  18  is constituted of a plug  18 A which is connected to the wire  19  and a receiving jig, that is, a socket  18 B which is connected to a wire  20  which has one end thereof connected to a vehicle body frame (a member which mounts a seat on an upper portion thereof) not shown in the drawing. These plug  18 A and socket  18 B are connected with each other by elasticity of an elastic member such as a spring or the like, and when the plug  18 A and the socket  18 B are pulled with a force larger than the elasticity, the plug  18 A and the socket  18 B are separated from each other. For example, a banana plug which is generally used as an audio part may be used as the plug  18 A. 
   One example of the main switch  6  is shown in  FIG. 5 . The main switch  6  includes a body side  6 B on which a push button  6 A is mounted and a foldable lid  6 C which prevents the push button  6 A on the body side  6 B from being manipulated erroneously. Here, the lid  6 C may include an indicator which is constituted of a lamp  6 D which is turned on when the switch  6  is turned on and a lamp  6 E which performs an error indication. 
   Further, means which detects a connecting state of the connecting terminal  18  and an indicator which indicates the connecting state of the connecting terminal  18  may be provided to the vehicle body side. For example, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the ECU  3  is configured to supply a reference voltage Vcc to the wire  19  or the plug  18 A. When the main switch  6  is turned on, an anode of a light emitting diode D 1  which has a cathode thereof grounded is connected to the vehicle-body-side socket  18 B or the wire  20 . When the plug  18 A and the socket  18 B of the connecting terminal  18  are connected with each other, due to the reference voltage Vcc, an electric current flows in the light emitting diode D 1  which constitutes the indicator mounted on the vehicle body side and hence, the light emitting diode D 1  emits light. Here, when a connection failure occurs in the connecting terminal  18  or the plug  18 A and the socket  18 B are separated from each other, the light emitting diode D 1  does not emit light. 
     FIG. 7  is a flowchart showing an essential processing of the ECU  3  which is mounted on the jacket  1 . 
   In this processing, the rotational angle of the reel  9  during a predetermined time is detected. When the detected rotational angle is larger than a predetermined value, the air bag is developed by operating the inflator. In step S 1 , a counter C and a timer T are initialized (to zero). In step S 2 , the timer T is started. In step S 3 , pulse signals which are generated in response to the projection portions and the recessed portions formed on the outer periphery of the reel  9  are read by the sensor  17 , and the counter C is updated. In step S 4 , the ECU  3  determines whether the predetermined time t has lapsed or not. When the timer T assumes a value indicative of a time t, the processing advances to step S 5  and the ECU  3  reads a value of the counter C. In step S 6 , the ECU  3  determines whether the value of the counter C is larger than a predetermined value Cref or not, and when the determination in step S 6  is affirmative, the processing advances to step S 7  and the inflator is operated. 
   When an abnormal operation of the rider is detected by detecting a connection state of the connecting terminal  18 , the warning device  7  on the jacket  1  side may also be operated.  FIG. 8  is a detection circuit which is provided to the jacket  1  side for detecting the connection of the connecting terminal  18 . 
   In  FIG. 8 , the connecting terminal  18  is configured to include an electric contact. A power source Vdd from the battery  4  is connected to the connecting terminal  18 , and the power source Vcc is also connected to a base of a transistor Q 1  via a resistance R 1 . A collector voltage VCE of the transistor Q 1  is inputted to the ECU  3 . In such a constitution, when the connecting terminal  18  is connected, the collector voltage VCE of the transistor Q 1  assumes a low (L) potential, while when the connecting terminal  18  is separated, the collector voltage VCE assumes a high (H) potential. The ECU  3  may detect the connection state of the connecting terminal  18  based on this potential. 
   As one function of the warning device  7 , the warning device  7  may also have a function which gives a warning when the rider stops the vehicle and, thereafter, intends to leave from the vehicle without releasing the connection of the connecting terminal  18  to the vehicle. For example, the ECU  3  determines the connection state of the connecting terminal  18  when a predetermined time lapses after the rider turns off the switch  6 . When the voltage between the base and the collector of the transistor Q 1  assumes an L potential, the ECU  3  determines that the connecting terminal  18  is not released and operates the warning device  7 . 
   Further, the same warning may be performed as follows. The reel  9  is biased to be rotated in one direction and hence, when the connecting terminal  18  is separated from the vehicle, the wire  19  is wound around the reel  9  until the stopper is operated. Accordingly, in such a state, the reel  9  is not rotated. However, when the rider intends to leave the vehicle without releasing the connecting terminal  18 , the wire  19  is pulled and the reel  9  is rotated and hence, the ECU  3  detects the pulse signals generated from the sensor  17 . Accordingly, when the pulse signals are detected in spite of the fact that the main switch  6  is turned off, the ECU  3  determines that the rider intends to leave the vehicle while leaving the connecting terminal  18  in the connection state and operates the warning device  7 . The warning device  7  may use vibrations, electronic sounds or both of them. 
   Here, the above-mentioned warning may be performed when the rider turns off the main switch  6  and intends to get off the vehicle. Accordingly, to ensure the power source for the ECU  3 , the ECU  3  is configured such that even when the main switch  6  is turned off, the supply of the electricity from a battery is stopped after the predetermined time lapses. 
   Further, even when the connecting terminal  18  is separated and the rider intends to get off the vehicle while holding the main switch  6  in an ON state, the ECU  3  may operate the warning device  7 . 
   In this embodiment, the case in which the air bag device is incorporated into the jacket, that is, an upper wear is exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example and the air bag device may be incorporated into wear which is suitable for a ride on the motorcycle such as a vest, overalls or the like. 
   The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.