Vehicle with water detection

• US 10,086,793 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2017
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Farooq, S.M. Iskander, Faruque, Mohammed Omar, Jaradi, Dean M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US15/433,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20180229688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/327 using pyrotechnic means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/322 using automatic actuating means B60R22/321 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45461 Interlocking portion actuated or released responsive to preselected condition [e.g., heat, pressure]

Abstract

A vehicle includes an engine compartment and two rockers fixed relative to the engine compartment. The two rockers define a passenger cabin. A first water sensor is disposed in the engine compartment, and second and third water sensors are disposed in the passenger cabin at the rockers. A seatbelt buckle is disposed in the passenger cabin and has an actuator. A control module is in communication with the water sensors and the actuator. The control module is programmed to actuate the actuator based on signals from the water sensors.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an engine compartment and a first water sensor therein;

two rockers fixed relative to the engine compartment and defining a passenger cabin;

second and third water sensors disposed in the passenger cabin at the two rockers, respectively;

a seatbelt buckle in the passenger cabin having an actuator; and

a control module in communication with the water sensors and actuator and programmed to actuate the actuator based on signals indicating water presence from at least two of the water sensors.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control module is programmed to actuate the actuator based on signals indicating water presence from the first water sensor and from at least one of the second and third water sensors.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the actuator is a pyrotechnic actuator.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the actuator is a linear actuator.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the seatbelt buckle includes a buckle release tab, and the actuator is coupled to the buckle release tab.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the buckle release tab is movable between a latched position and a released position, and the actuator is attached to the buckle release tab to pull the buckle release tab to the released position when actuated.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control module is disposed at a rear of the passenger cabin.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the control module is disposed at an opposite end of the passenger cabin from the engine compartment.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the control module is disposed in a vehicle-upward direction relative to the seatbelt buckle.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the third water sensor is disposed in a vehicle-lateral direction from the second water sensor.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the second and third water sensors are disposed in a vehicle-downward direction relative to the first water sensor.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the first water sensor is disposed at an angle from the second and third water sensors relative to a vehicle-forward direction, and the angle is in a range from 10 degrees to 25 degrees.

13. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second and third water sensors are disposed in a vehicle-forward direction relative to the seatbelt buckle.

14. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second and third water sensors are disposed in a vehicle-downward direction relative to the seatbelt buckle.

15. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the actuator is configured to unlatch the seatbelt buckle.

16. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control module is programmed to activate an alarm based on signals from the water sensors.