Method for occupant protection of a motor vehicle comprising a steer-by-wire steering system
View Patent ↗Methods and systems for operating a vehicle occupant protection device of a steer-by-wire steering system. The system includes a steering wheel and an adjustable steering column connected to the steering wheel which can be adjusted between a retracted position and a deployed position via an adjustment mechanism. The steer-by-wire steering system has a feedback actuator to which a driver's request for a steering angle can be applied by a driver via the steering wheel, and which outputs a feedback signal to the steering wheel in response to the driver's request and a driving state of the motor vehicle. The method includes detecting an accident, detecting a hands-off situation or a hands-on situation, and when a hands-off situation has been detected, moving the steering column into an accident position by means of the adjustment mechanism, and triggering a steering wheel airbag during or after the adjustment process.
1. A method for operating a vehicle occupant protection device of a steer-by-wire steering system, wherein the steer-by-wire steering system comprises a steering wheel and an adjustable steering column connected to the steering wheel and is configured to adjust between a retracted position and a deployed position via an adjustment mechanism, and wherein the steer-by-wire steering system has a feedback actuator to which a request for a steering angle can be applied via the steering wheel, the feedback actuator configured to output a feedback signal to the steering wheel in response to the request and a driving state of the motor vehicle, the method comprising:
detecting an accident,
detecting a hands-off situation or a hands-on situation, and
when a hands-off situation has been detected, moving the steering column into an accident position via the adjustment mechanism and triggering a steering wheel airbag during or after the adjustment process and rotating of the steering wheel into an advantageous rotational position via the feedback actuator.
2. The method of claim 1 comprising:
when a hands-on situation has been detected after detection of an accident, triggering the steering wheel airbag in the current position of the steering column.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the accident position comprises the retracted position of the steering column.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the detected accident is a vehicle head-on impact.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the advantageous rotational position is a neutral position of the steering wheel.
6. The method of claim 1 comprising:
absorbing energy input into the steering wheel when the driver impacts against the steering wheel via an energy absorption device.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the adjustment mechanism has an electric motor with a threaded rod drive which shifts an inner steering column tube of the steering column with respect to an outer steering column tube of the steering column.
8. A steer-by-wire steering system for a motor vehicle, comprising:
an electronically controllable steering actuator which acts on steered wheels,
a feedback actuator to which a request for a steering angle can be applied via a steering wheel and which outputs a feedback signal to the steering wheel in response to the request and a driving state of the motor vehicle, and
an adjustable steering column which is configured to adjust between a retracted position and a deployed position via an adjustment mechanism,
wherein the steer-by-wire steering system is configured to carry out the method of claim 1 .