Safety system for a closed compartment of a vehicle

• US 20030102688A1
• Filed: 11/21/2002
• Published: 06/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Koops, Roger L., Uhlmann, Eugenie V., Taylor, David W., Teowee, Gimtong, McCarthy, Kevin C., Schofield, Kenneth, Lynam, Niall R., Bingle, Robert L., Bos, Brent J., Hoekstra, Eric J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,783,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/76
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/30 for compartments other than passenger or driving compartments, e.g. luggage or engine compartments
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/10 Illuminating devices on or for locks or keys; Transparent or translucent lock parts; Indicator lights
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 79/20 using flexible connections, e.g. Bowden cables
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/54 Electrical circuits for locking several wings simultaneously E05B77/48
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/77 comprising sensors detecting the presence of the hand of a user
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/26 Emergency opening means for persons trapped in the luggage compartment
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/12 Inner door handles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19 using infrared-radiation detection systems G08B13/194 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/183 Single detectors using dual technologies G08B13/1672, G08B13/2448, G08B13/2494 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/43 Rear deck lid latches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/65 Emergency or safety

Abstract

A safety sensing and/or release assembly for a trunk or compartment of a vehicle is provided which is positionable within the trunk or compartment space of the vehicle so as to allow for opening of the trunk or compartment lid in response to an occupant detection or a manual actuation of the system from within the trunk or compartment. The safety assembly comprises a handle for activating a release mechanism of the lid in order to open the compartment, a release assist device, at least one illumination source, which is at least occasionally activated to provide illumination of the handle, and a control for activating the assist device or the illumination source in response to an occurrence of at least one activating event, such as when the deck lid is closed, motion is sensed by a sensor within the trunk/compartment, an object having a predetermined temperature is detected within the trunk/compartment, or the like. The assist device preferably is a gas powered assist device, such as a piston in communication with a compressed gas or a pyrotechnic device or the like. The assist device is operable to activate the handle or the release mechanism to ease the opening of the trunk or to automatically open the trunk in response to detection of an occupant within the trunk. The control is operable to activate the illumination source for a period of time following occurrence of at least one activating event, and subsequently to deactivate the illumination source upon completion of that time period. The handle of the present invention is designed for easy visibility in minimal lighting conditions and easy recognition even by a young child who may become trapped within the trunk space of the vehicle. This allows easy recognition and activation of the handle and release mechanism of the lid of the vehicle compartment in order to escape from within a trunk space. The system may be operable to sense ambient conditions in the vehicle compartment, and generates a control signal in response to the sensed conditions. This control signal actuates indicators to notify operators of the vehicle that there is a person trapped in the trunk. The control signal is also used to actuate a lamp inside the trunk to provide light for the trapped person. A trunk release is also actuated, by a control module, to free the trapped person. The trunk release of the automobile can be prevented from being actuated if the automobile is moving, which prevents the trunk lid from unexpectedly opening while the vehicle is in motion.

Claims

1. A release system adapted for use in opening a deck lid of a vehicle, said release system being positionable within a compartment at least partially closed by the deck lid, the compartment having a release mechanism for opening the deck lid, said release system being adapted for operation from the interior of the compartment and comprising:

a gas operable assist device connectable to the release mechanism; and

at least one of a manual input device and an occupant detector, said gas operable assist device being operable to actuate the release mechanism to open the deck lid in response to a user input to said manual input device or a detection of an occupant within the compartment by said occupant detector, said gas operable assist device including at least one of a compressed gas container and a pyrotechnic element.

2. The release system of claim 1, wherein said gas operable actuating device comprises a compressed gas container which includes a movable piston in communication with a compressed gas source.

3. The release system of claim 2, wherein said gas operable assist device comprises a compressed carbon dioxide container.

4. The release system of claim 1, wherein said gas operable assist device is actuable to generate a pulling action on a cable connected to the release mechanism.

5. The release system of claim 4, wherein said gas operable assist device is actuable to generate a force of at least approximately 10 Newtons at the release mechanism.

6. The release system of claim 4, wherein said gas operable assist device is actuable to generate a force of at least approximately 50 Newtons at the release mechanism.

7. The release system of claim 1, wherein said gas operable assist device comprises a pyrotechnic element.

8. The release system of claim 7, wherein said gas operable assist device includes a canister containing an explosive substance, which generates a high volume of gas when actuated.

9. The release system of claim 8, wherein the resultant gas generated by actuation of said explosive substance causes a mechanical element to move, thus exerting a force at a portion of the release mechanism to release the deck lid.

10. The release system of claim 7, wherein said gas operable assist device is operable to mechanically actuate the release mechanism irrespective of electrical power to said release system.

11. The release system of claim 1, wherein said gas operable assist device is selectably locked to limit unintentional actuation of said gas operable assist device.

12. The release system of claim 1, wherein said manual input device comprises a handle for activating the release mechanism for opening the deck lid, the user input being at least one of a movement and a contact of said handle by a user.

13. The release system of claim 12, wherein said assist device is operable to increase the mechanical advantage of said handle such that a lesser force is required on said handle to activate the release mechanism.

14. The release system of claim 12, wherein said manual input device is operable to activate the release mechanism independent of said assist device.

15. The release system of claim 1, wherein said occupant detector comprises at least one of a motion sensor and a temperature sensor.

16. The release system of claim 1, wherein said occupant detector comprises a first sensor, disposed in the compartment, for generating an alert signal responsive to sensed conditions in the compartment, and a controller, coupled to the sensor, for receiving the alert signal and generating a control signal in accordance with the alert signal, said gas operable assist device being actuable by said controller.

17. The release system of claim 16, wherein said controller receives a motion signal, generated by the vehicle, indicative of vehicle motion.

18. The release system of claim 17, wherein the control signal will not actuate said gas operable assist device while the vehicle is in a non-stationary state.

19. The release system of claim 18 further comprising an output indicator, coupled to said controller, for receiving the control signal and outputting an indication in accordance with the alert signal.

20. The release system of claim 19, wherein said output indicator is selected from the group consisting of headlamp, horn, siren, pager, mirror indicator and dashboard indicator.

21. The release system of claim 16, wherein the alert signal is generated by the first sensor sensing a predetermined quantity of stimuli within a predetermined period of time.

22. The release system of claim 21 further comprising a temperature sensor, coupled to said controller, for sensing compartment ambient temperature, wherein said control generates the control signal based on a lower quantity of stimuli when the compartment ambient temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature.

23. The release system of claim 1 further comprising a control which is operable to actuate said gas operable assist device in response to said manual input device or said occupant detector.

24. The release system of claim 23 further comprising at least one illumination source, said control being operable to at least occasionally activate said at least one illumination source to provide illumination of said manual input device.

25. The release system of claim 24, wherein said control is operable to deactivate said at least one illumination source a period of time following activation of said at least one illumination source.

26. An apparatus adapted for use in opening a deck lid of a vehicle, said apparatus being positionable within a compartment substantially enclosed by the deck lid, the compartment having a release mechanism for opening the deck lid, said apparatus adapted for operation from the interior of the compartment and comprising:

a gas operable assist device connectable to the release mechanism; and

a control circuit for activating said gas operable assist device when the deck lid is closed in response to an occurrence of at least one activating event.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 further including a manual input device for manually activating the release mechanism for opening the compartment, said manual input device having an attachment for interconnection with the release mechanism of the compartment.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 further including at least one illumination source which is at least occasionally activated to provide illumination of said manual input device.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said manual input device is movable to actuate the release mechanism.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said at least one activating event is movement of said manual input device.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 further including at least one of a motion sensor and a temperature sensor, said at least one activating event being at least one of a movement of said manual input device, a detection of a movement within the compartment by said motion sensor and a detection of a predetermined temperature of an object within the compartment by said temperature sensor.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said control circuit further activates at least one of an alarm, a lock release, a horn and at least one auxiliary illumination source on the vehicle in response to at least one of a movement of said handle, an output of said motion sensor and an output of said temperature sensor.

33. The apparatus of claim 26 further including at least one of a motion sensor and a temperature sensor, said at least one activating event being at least one of a detection of a movement within the compartment by said motion sensor and a detection of a predetermined temperature of an object within the compartment by said temperature sensor.

34. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said occupant detector comprises a first sensor, disposed in the compartment, for generating an alert signal responsive to sensed conditions in the compartment, said control circuit being coupled to the sensor and operable to receive the alert signal and generate a control signal in accordance with the alert signal.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said control circuit receives a motion signal, generated by the vehicle, indicative of vehicle motion.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the control signal will not actuate said gas operable assist device while the vehicle is in a non-stationary state.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 further comprising an output indicator, coupled to said control circuit, for receiving the control signal and outputting an indication in accordance with the alert signal.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said output indicator is selected from the group consisting of headlamp, horn, siren, pager, mirror indicator and dashboard indicator.

39. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the alert signal is generated by the first sensor sensing a predetermined quantity of stimuli within a predetermined period of time.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 further comprising a temperature sensor, coupled to said control circuit, for sensing compartment ambient temperature, wherein said control circuit generates the control signal based on a lower quantity of stimuli when the compartment ambient temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature.

41. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said gas operable actuating device comprises a compressed gas container which includes a piston in communication with a compressed gas source.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said gas operable assist device comprises a compressed carbon dioxide container.

43. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said gas operable assist device is actuable to generate movement of a cable connected to the release mechanism.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein said gas operable assist device is actuable to generate a force of at least approximately 10 Newtons at the release mechanism.

45. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein said gas operable assist device is actuable to generate a force of at least approximately 50 Newtons at the release mechanism.

46. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said gas operable assist device comprises a pyrotechnic device.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein said gas operable assist device includes a canister containing an explosive substance, which generates a high volume of gas when actuated.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the resultant gas generated by actuation of said explosive substance causes a mechanical element to move, thus exerting a force on a portion of the release mechanism to release the deck lid.