Protection Device and Protection Method

The present application is a Continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2024/007317, filed on Feb. 28, 2024, which claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-029845, filed on Feb. 28, 2023, the entire contents of each are incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention relates to a protection device and a protection method.

Patent Document 1 discloses an airbag device including an airbag storage component, a brim portion, a chin strap, an airbag, and a device storage portion. The airbag of this device includes a frontal coverage portion capable of covering the user's forehead, a pair of left and right temporal coverage portions capable of covering the user's left and right temporal regions, an occipital coverage portion capable of covering the user's occipital region, and a crown coverage portion capable of covering the user's crown.

In the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, where the airbag is designed to cover the entire circumference of the head upon inflation, the airbag has a large size, requiring a larger amount of gas to inflate. As a result, there is a problem in that it takes time to supply the gas and complete the inflation.

The technique according to the present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique that enables the prompt inflation of an airbag.

To solve the above-mentioned problems, a protection device of the present disclosure is configured to protect at least a part of a body of a user as a protection target portion, the protection device including: a wearable portion configured to be worn by the user; an airbag configured to be attached to the wearable portion in a contracted state during standby, and configured to inflate to surround the protection target portion in a spiral form at completion of expansion, the airbag including one end fixed to the wearable portion, and the other end located on an opposite side to the one end, the airbag being configured to inflate with the other end separated from the wearable portion when the airbag is expanded; a fluid supply unit configured to supply fluid for expanding the airbag into the airbag; and a control unit configured to control activation of the fluid supply unit when a state of the user satisfies a predetermined condition.

The protection device may include an elastic member configured to urge the airbag in a direction in which the other end of the airbag is separated from the wearable portion upon the activation of the fluid supply unit, or urge the airbag in a direction in which the airbag is contracted toward the wearable portion after the airbag is expanded.

In the protection device, the airbag may include a neck cover portion configured to cover a neck of the user at the completion of expansion, and a head cover portion configured to cover a head of the user when the airbag is expanded.

In the protection device, the airbag may be connected to a helmet configured to be worn on the head of the user, and the airbag connected to the helmet may inflate to surround the head of the user at the completion of expansion, thereby suppressing displacement of the helmet.

In the protection device, during standby, the airbag may be folded in a spiral form, a bellows-like form, or a flat form, and attached to the wearable portion, and the airbag may surround the neck and the head of the user in a spiral form when the airbag is expanded.

In the protection device, the airbag may include: a main path configured to inflate around a center axis of the spiral form when the fluid is supplied, and expand to surround the protection target portion in a spiral form at the completion of expansion, and a sub path through which a plurality of portions of the main path inflating in the spiral form communicate with each other in an axial direction of the center axis.

In the protection device, the wearable portion may be an enclosure configured to accommodate the fluid supply unit or the control unit, and the airbag may be provided outside the enclosure.

To solve the above-mentioned problems, a protection method of the present disclosure is a method performed by a protection device configured to protect at least a part of a body of a user as a protection target portion, the protection device including: a wearable portion to be worn by the user, an airbag to be attached to the wearable portion in a contracted state during standby, a fluid supply unit configured to supply fluid for expanding the airbag into the airbag, and a control unit configured to control the fluid supply unit, in which the control unit activates the fluid supply unit when a state of the user satisfies a predetermined condition, the fluid supply unit supplies fluid into the airbag by the activation, and upon receiving a supply of the fluid, the airbag including one end fixed to the wearable portion and the other end located on an opposite side to the one end inflates with the other end separated from the wearable portion, and surrounds the protection target portion in a spiral form at completion of expansion.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a technique that enables the prompt inflation of an airbag.

A protection device according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that each of configurations, combinations thereof, and the like in the embodiments are an example, and various additions, omissions, substitutions, and other changes of the configurations may be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited by the embodiments and is limited only by the claims.

is a side view of a protection deviceaccording to the first embodiment.is a schematic sectional view of the protection deviceaccording to the first embodiment.is a front view of the protection deviceaccording to the first embodiment.is a plan view of the protection deviceaccording to the first embodiment. Note thatillustrate a state before an airbagis inflated (before activation).is a side view of the protection devicewith the airbaginflated (upon activation). In the present specification, the up-down direction is referred to also as the Y-axis direction, the left-right direction as the X-axis direction, and the depth direction as the Z direction. It should be noted that, in the present specification, the up-down direction and the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions of the protection devicemerely indicate exemplary relative positional relationships among the elements in the protection devicefor convenience of description of the embodiments, and this is not limitative. For example, the orientation when the protection deviceis used is not limited to the direction illustrated in the drawing. In addition, the size of the protection devicefor the human body is not limited to that illustrated in the drawing.

The protection deviceincludes a base portion (wearable structure), the airbag, an inflator, a detection unit, a control unit, and a power supply. The protection deviceis worn by the user of the protection device(hereinafter referred to also simply as “user”), and inflates the airbagto protect at least a part of the body of the user as a protection target portion. For example, the protection deviceprotects the protection target portion of the user by inflating the airbagwhen the state of the user detected by the detection unitsatisfies a predetermined condition for protection (hereinafter referred to also as an emergency) such as when the user falls down or a collision cannot be avoided.

The base portionis worn by the user, and includes a main body portionaccommodating the airbag, the inflator (fluid supply unit), the detection unit, the control unit, and the power supply, and a lid portionthat is openable and closable with respect to the main body portion. The base portionof the present embodiment is substantially formed in an O-shape surrounding the user's head in plan view, and a space (protection target side space)near the center of the O shape is formed larger than the user's head and smaller than the user's shoulder width. Therefore, when the user's head passes through the inner spaceof the base portion, a lower surface of the base portioncomes into contact with the user's shoulders and stops, and thus the base portionis worn in the state where it hangs around the user's neck. In other words, the protection deviceis disposed above the user's shoulders and substantially on the lower side of the user's head. In this manner, the protection deviceof the present embodiment is of a neck-hanging type to be used by being worn around the user's neck. Note that the protection deviceis not limited to the neck-hanging type, and it may also be worn on the user's upper body like a jacket or secured to the user with a belt or the like. In addition, the protection deviceis not limited to being worn on the neck, and it may also be attached to other parts of the user's body such as the lower body, arms, legs, wrists, or head. In addition, the protection devicemay be indirectly worn by the user, with the base portionattached to gear such as a helmet, harness, or safety belt that the user wears, and with the gear being worn by the user.

The base portionis a housing (enclosure) forming the outer shell of the protection device, and accommodating therein the airbag, the inflator, the control unit, and the power supply. Note that the base portiononly needs to be configured to accommodate at least one of the airbag, the inflator, the control unit, and the power supply, and some of these components may be provided outside the base portion.

The airbagis formed into a bag shape by joining sheets of fabric or synthetic resin together. The airbaginflates by receiving a fluid supply from the inflatorinto the internal space of the bag. The airbag, kept in its initial state, or in other words a state before it is expanded (hereinafter referred to also as during standby), is provided in a contracted state in the base portion. When expanded with the fluid supplied from the inflator(hereinafter referred to also as when expanded), the airbagof the present embodiment inflates in a spiral form to surround the protection target portion. Note that the airbagincludes one end (first end)fixed to the base portion, and the other end (second end)provided on an opposite side to the first end, and inflates in such a manner that the other endis separated from the base portionwhen expanded. In the present embodiment, the user's neck and head are the protection target portion, and the airbagis wound around the neck and head multiple times in a spiral form about a virtual axis extending through the approximate center of the neck and head as the winding center. Specifically, the airbagis formed in an elongated shape along the winding direction, and includes a peripheral wall defining a continuous internal space along the winding direction. When the internal space is filled with fluid, the peripheral wall is shaped into a spiral form with the pressure of the fluid. In addition, as illustrated in, the airbagincludes a neck cover portionthat covers the user's neck when expanded, and a head cover portionthat covers the user's head when expanded.

The contracted state of the airbagis not particularly limited; for example, it may be a flat folded state or a bellows-folded state.is a diagram illustrating a process in which the airbagchanges from a flat folded state to an inflated state. In a state before inflation (contracted state) illustrated in, the airbaghas no fluid inside, and is compressed vertically, i.e., folded in a flat form, with the spirally wound portions stacked vertically on top of one another. When the inflatoris activated and fluid supply from the inflatorbegins, the airbagstarts expanding from the first endside and is brought into an inflated state as the fluid fills its interior. Note that while the airbagis instantly inflated from the contracted state to the inflated state,illustrates an intermediate process in which the first endside is expanded whereas the second endside is not completely expanded for the sake of description of the inflation process.

Further, in the contracted state of the airbag, the airbagin a flat form may be wound from the second endside and wound up to the first endside such that the side surface has a spiral form as illustrated in. Specifically, the airbagmay contract in a spiral form like a so-called blowback whistle and inflate (expand) upon receiving a supply of fluid.is a diagram illustrating a process in which the airbagchanges from a folded spiral state to an inflated state. In a state before inflation illustrated in, the airbaghas no fluid inside, and is compressed vertically, i.e., folded in a flat form, in a state (contracted state) where the airbagis wound along the longitudinal direction (winding direction) from the second endside to the first endin a spiral form. Then, when the inflatoris activated and fluid supply from the inflatorbegins, the interior of the airbagis filled with the fluid from the first endside, and the wound spiral portion is expanded to a cylindrical form, thus extending the spiral portion in the winding direction. Note that while the airbagis instantly inflated from the contracted state to the inflated state,illustrates an intermediate process in which the first endside is expanded whereas the second endside is in a spiral form without being completely expanded for the sake of description of the inflation process. When the wound portion is unwound and completely expanded in this manner, the airbagis inflated into a spiral form as in.

is a diagram illustrating a process in which the airbagchanges from a bellows-folded state to an inflated state. In a state before inflation illustrated in, the airbaghas no fluid inside, and is folded in a flat form and further folded vertically with a predetermined width WA, thereby forming a ridge fold portion. Subsequently, adjacent portions to the ridge fold portionof the airbagare folded vertically in the opposite direction with the same width WA, thereby forming a trough fold portion. By alternately forming the ridge fold portionand the trough fold portion, the airbagis folded in a bellows-like manner, and brought into a contracted state in a longitudinal direction (winding direction). When the inflatoris activated and fluid supply from the inflatorbegins, the airbagstarts expanding from the first endside and is brought into an inflated state as the fluid fills its interior as in. The airbagmay include not only a supply port for receiving fluid supply from the inflator, but also a discharge port for discharging the fluid. After inflation, the airbagmay be configured to discharge fluid from the discharge port, and return to the contracted state for reuse.

The inflatoris connected to the airbagthrough an air supply tube, and supplies fluid to the airbagwhen activated under the control of the control unit. For example, the inflatorignites an explosive powder upon activation to generate combustion gas, and supplies this combustion gas (fluid) to the airbag. The inflatoris not limited thereto, and may be equipped with a tank containing compressed gas and supply the released gas (fluid) from the tank to the airbag. It is also possible for the inflatorto combine these and supply both the combustion gas and the released gas to the airbag. For example, the inflatormay be configured in the form of a cartridge including an explosive powder and a compressed gas tank as a fluid supply source so as to be replaceable.

The detection unitis a unit that detects a state of the user or a state around the user, and includes, for example, a sensing unit such as an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor (angular velocity sensor), a positioning device, a camera, a radar, light detection and ranging, laser imaging detection and ranging (LIDAR), a three-dimensional scanner, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a contact sensor, or an infrared sensor. Note that in the present embodiment, the state around the user, such as the state of vehicles moving around the user, is also referred to as the state of the user. The detection unitmay detect a state change of the user such as a case where the user falls down or a case where the user is hit by another object, or may predict that the user will receive an impact. In addition, the detection unitmay detect a state change of an object existing around the user, such as an object approaching the user and likely to collide with the user or an object having collided with the user. Examples of the positioning device may include a satellite positioning system such as a global positioning system (GPS). The radar and the LIDAR obtain a distance to an object existing around the protection device(user) and a moving speed of the object.

In the present embodiment, an acceleration sensorthat senses the acceleration of the protection device, that is, the acceleration of the user wearing the protection deviceis provided as a first detection unit. The acceleration sensorsenses a rate of change in the speed on a predetermined axis (for example, three axes in the X, Y, and Z directions) and a direction thereof as the acceleration of each axis. The acceleration sensormay be a so-called six-axis sensor also serving as a sensor that senses angular speeds on these axes. A camerais provided as a second detection unitat a front side portion of the base portion, and captures an image in front of the user and inputs the captured image as information indicating a state around the user into the control unit. Note that the cameramay be a stereo camera that can capture an image of the same subject (object) with a pair of imaging units disposed at a predetermined distance (baseline length) from each other and detect, for example, a distance to the subject from a parallax therebetween. Further, a camerais provided as a third detection unitat a rear side portion of the base portion, and captures an image of the rear side of the user, and outputs the captured image as information indicating a state around the user to the control unit. The cameramay be a stereo camera like the camera. The camerasanddisposed at the front and the rear as described above each capture an image at an angle of view of, for example, 180 degrees or more, thereby capturing an image of the entire circumference around the user. Note that although not illustrated in the drawing, a detection unitother than the acceleration sensorand the camerasandmay be provided.

The control unitoperates with the power supplied from the power supply, and controls the detection unitand the inflator. For example, the control unitacquires the detection result by the detection unit, and when the detection result satisfies a predetermined condition, controls the inflatorto activate the protection device.is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the control unit. The control unitincludes a processor, a storage unit, and an input/output unit. The processorintegrally executes a variety of arithmetic processing in the control unit. The processoris an arithmetic processing unit such as a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA).

The storage unitincludes, for example, a main storage unitand an auxiliary storage unit. The main storage unitincludes a main storage unit such as a random access memory (RAM) or a read only memory (ROM), and, for example, temporarily stores information such as programs and data used for arithmetic processing by the processor. Note that the main storage unitmay be formed integrally with the processor.

The auxiliary storage unitincludes a storage medium, for example, a volatile memory such as a RAM, a nonvolatile memory such as a ROM, an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), or a removable medium. Note that the removable medium is, for example, a recording medium that can be attached from the outside and is computer-readable, such as a universal serial bus (USB) memory or a memory card.

The auxiliary storage unitcan store an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, various databases, user data, and the like for performing the operation of the protection device.

The input/output unitis, for example, an interface that inputs information (detection results or the like) from the detection unitand outputs information (a control signal or the like) to the detection unitor another device. Further, the input/output unitmay be a communication module that performs input (reception) of information from another device and output (transmission) of information to another device. Furthermore, the input/output unitmay be a user interface that performs input of operation information by the user with an operation button or a touch screen and output (display, sound output, or the like) to the user with a display or a speaker.

is a diagram illustrating a processing flow of a protection method executed by the control unitof the protection device. The protection devicerepeatedly executes the processing (activation step) inin the period in which the power supply is ON, or when an activation instruction is received.

In step S, the control unitacquires the state of the user and the state of the surroundings from the detection unit. For example, the control unitacquires the acceleration of the user from the acceleration sensorand detects the captured image of the surroundings from the camerasand.

In step S, the control unitanalyzes the state of the user and the state around the user based on the detection result of the detection unitacquired in step S. For example, the control unitobtains, based on the acceleration on each axis sensed by the acceleration sensor, information indicating the state of the user, such as a moving direction, a moving speed, a rate of change in the acceleration (jerk) per unit time, and an inclination with respect to the direction of gravitational force of the user. Further, the control unitextracts an object existing around the user by performing image processing on the image captured by the camerasand, and obtains a position, a moving direction, a moving speed, and the like of the object as information on the surroundings. Furthermore, the control unitmay detect a motion of the user, such as walking, sitting, running, riding on a bicycle, or stopping, based on the image captured by the camerasand. Note that a known technique can be used as a method of obtaining the position, the speed, the moving direction, and the like of the object from the captured image, and thus the detailed description will be omitted. Additionally, the position, the speed, and the moving direction of the object are not necessarily acquired by the camerasandand may be acquired by a radar, a LIDAR, a three-dimensional scanner, or a combination thereof.

In step S, the control unitdetermines whether to activate the protection devicedepending on whether the information indicating the state of the user and the state of the surroundings obtained in step Ssatisfies a predetermined condition. For example, when the user collides with something or is hit by a vehicle or the like and thus receives an impact, the impact is detected as a sudden change in the acceleration. Therefore, when the jerk obtained in step Sexceeds a predetermined threshold value, the control unitdetermines that the user has received an impact and the protection deviceis to be activated (affirmative determination). Further, when the user falls down, the user's head (the protection device) falls down with an acceleration close to that of free fall. Therefore, when it is determined in step Sthat the user has moved downward with the acceleration exceeding the predetermined threshold value, the control unitmakes an affirmative determination that the user has fallen down, that is, the user's head is likely to receive an impact. Furthermore, when the position of the user after a predetermined time coincides with the position of an object around the user, that is, when the object collides with the user, the control unitmakes an affirmative determination based on the position, the moving direction, the moving speed, and the like of the object obtained in step S. Note that the conditions and threshold values may be set by operation of the user. Alternatively, when a vehicle or the like is moving toward the user and a collision can be predicted to be unavoidable in consideration of a speed, an acceleration, a traveling direction, and the like of the vehicle, an affirmative determination may be made. Here, the control unitmay determine based on the detection result of the detection unitsuch as a contact sensor or an infrared sensor whether the protection deviceis worn by the user, and the protection deviceneed not be activated regardless of the presence or absence of an impact in a case where the protection deviceis not worn. In addition, the control unitmay determine based on the detection result of the detection unitsuch as a positioning device or an acceleration sensor whether the protection device(user) is moving, and the protection deviceneed not be activated in a case where the protection deviceis not moving.

In step S, when the information indicating the state of the user and the state of the surroundings does not satisfy the predetermined condition, and a negative determination is made, the control unitterminates the processing in. On the other hand, when an affirmative determination is made in step S, the control unitshifts to step S, and activates the inflator. In this manner, the inflatorsupplies fluid to the airbagto separate the second endof the airbagfrom the base portionand inflate the airbagin a spiral form, that is, activate the protection device.

Note that after the activation, the user may replace the fluid supply source of the inflatorand fold and accommodate the airbagin the base portion, thereby allowing the protection deviceto be reused.

As described above, the protection devicecan protect the protection target portion of the user by inflating the airbagin a spiral form and surrounding the protection target portion when the user falls down, when the user is likely to be hit by a vehicle, or when the user is expected to receive an impact. Here, since the airbagof the present embodiment is configured to inflate in a spiral form, the volume of the airbagcan be reduced and the amount of fluid for inflating the airbagcan be reduced compared to a configuration that entirely covers the periphery of the protection target portion. As a result, the time required from the start of fluid supply to the airbaguntil the completion of fluid supply necessary for inflation can be reduced, thereby improving the inflation speed of the airbag. Further, by reducing the volume of the airbag, the supply source of the inflatorcan be reduced, allowing for a reduction in the size of the device.

In addition, in the protection deviceof the present embodiment, the airbagincludes the neck cover portionthat covers the user's neck when expanded, and the head cover portionthat covers the user's head when expanded. Accordingly, the protection deviceof the present embodiment can appropriately protect the user's neck and head. For example, the neck cover portionand the head cover portionthat are inflated in a spiral form wrap around the user's neck and head, respectively, thereby restraining movement of the neck and head and helping reduce injuries to the cervical spine, surrounding muscles, ligaments, and the like.

Further, in the protection deviceof the present embodiment, the airbagis folded in a bellows-like form or a flat form and attached to the base portionduring standby, and surrounds the user's neck and head in a spiral form when expanded. This allows the protection deviceof the present embodiment to ensure that the airbagis sufficiently large to surround the neck and head upon activation, and the airbagis accommodated compactly during standby, thereby achieving a reduction in the size of the device.

is a front view illustrating a state where an airbagA of a protection deviceA according to a second embodiment is in a folded orientation.is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the protection deviceA according to the second embodiment.is a side view illustrating a state where the airbagA of the protection deviceA according to the second embodiment is inflated.

The protection deviceA of the present embodiment is different from the above first embodiment in that the airbagA is disposed outside the base portionA, and that the airbagA in a contracted state is worn around the user's neck, while the other configuration is the same as the above first embodiment. Accordingly, the same elements as those of the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference signs, and the descriptions thereof will not be repeated.

The base portionA is worn by the user, and includes the main body portionA accommodating the inflator, the detection unit, the control unit, and the power supply. The airbagA includes the first endconnected to the inflatorthrough the air supply tube. That is, the airbagA is attached to the user through the base portionA with the first endconnected to the base portionA. The airbagA is brought into a contracted state where it is folded in a flat form, and the portions wound in a spiral form are stacked vertically on top of one another.

Then, as in the above first embodiment, when the control unitdetermines that the protection deviceA is to be activated, and controls the inflatorto supply fluid to the airbagA, the airbagA expands in a spiral form and inflates to surround the user's neck and head as illustrated in. In this manner, the protection deviceA of the present embodiment can protect the protection target portion of the user (neck and head). In addition, in the protection deviceA of the present embodiment, the base portionA and the airbagA are separately formed. This can increase flexibility for the position at which the base portionA can be worn, and thus enhance usability.

is a side view illustrating a state where an airbagB of a protection deviceB according to a third embodiment is in a folded orientation.is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the protection deviceB according to the third embodiment.is a side view illustrating a state where the airbagB of the protection deviceB according to the third embodiment is inflated.

The protection deviceB of the present embodiment is different from the above first embodiment in that a base portionB is attached to a helmet, and that the protection deviceB is worn by the user through the helmet, while the other configuration is the same as the above first embodiment. Accordingly, the same elements as those of the above first embodiment are denoted by the same reference signs, and the descriptions thereof will not be repeated.

The base portionB is attached to the lower portion of the helmet, and includes the main body portionaccommodating the airbagB, the inflator, the detection unit, the control unit, and the power supply, and the lid portionthat is openable and closable to the main body portion. Compared to the protection deviceof the first embodiment, the protection deviceB of the present embodiment is disposed upside down, and the airbagB inflates downward from the base portionB by activation. Thus, the head cover portionis disposed on the first endside of the airbagB connected to the inflator, and the neck cover portionis disposed on the second endside.

As in the above first embodiment, when the control unitdetermines that the protection deviceB is to be activated, and controls the inflatorto supply fluid to the airbagB, the airbagB expands in a spiral form and inflates to surround the user's neck and head as illustrated in. In this manner, the protection deviceB of the present embodiment can protect the protection target portion of the user (neck and head). In addition, in the protection deviceB of the present embodiment, the airbagB connected to the helmet through the base portionB inflates to surround the user's neck and head, and thus displacement of the helmetfrom the user's head can be suppressed.

Note that in the present embodiment, the base portionB accommodates the airbagB during standby, but this is not limitative. Alternatively, as described in the second embodiment, the base portionB may not accommodate the airbagB, and the airbagB may be disposed outside the base portionB. In this case, the first endof the base portionB is fixed to the lower portion of the helmet, and the airbagB in a contracted state may be attached to the lower portion of the helmetusing fasteners such as snap buttons or hook-and-loop fasteners during standby. The fasteners lock the airbagB in the contracted state to the helmetto prevent the airbagB from falling downward, and unlock when a predetermined amount of force or more is applied in the direction in which the airbagB inflates. In other words, when fluid is supplied to the airbagB, and the airbagB begins to inflate, a force applied to the fasteners causes the fasteners to release, thus allowing the airbagB to inflate downward.