External air bag occupant protection system
First Claim
1. A method of protecting an occupant of a vehicle from a collision between the vehicle and an object external to the vehicle, comprising:
- a. predicting if the vehicle is likely to crash with the object at an impact location;
b. determining a prediction of said impact location on the vehicle;
c. determining a size of the object; and
d. controlling an inflation of a plurality of inflatable confinements external of the vehicle responsive both to said impact location and to said size of the object.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An occupant protection system (10) comprises an external air bag system (12) and an associated predictive collision sensing system (14). The external air bag system (12) comprises at least one external air bag inflator module (22) that is mounted in a door (24) proximate to the seating location of the of the occupant (18) to be protected, and which comprises a plurality of gas generator modules (28) that each provide for a controllable inflation characteristic for inflating an associated inflatable confinement (36), the plurality of which are arranged across the door (24) adjacent to one another, each associated with a different zone (I, II, III, IV, 43) having an associated structural stiffness and level of proximity to the occupant (18). The control of the actuation of various gas generator modules (28) is responsive to the prediction by the predictive collision sensor (26) of both 1) the size (i.e. lateral extent) of an object that is expected to collide with the vehicle (16), and 2) the expected location of the collision. Responsive to a collision with a pole-like object (64) impacting in a relatively less-stiff zone (II, III, 43) of the vehicle (16), the occupant protection system (10) inflates the external air bag system (12) so as to generate forces that cause the vehicle (16) to move relative to the pole-like object (64) so as to deflect the point of impact away from the occupant (18) towards a stiffer zone (I, IV). Responsive to a collision with a barrier-like object (68), the inflatable confinements (36) associated with relatively stiff zones (I, IV, 43), are each inflated to a relatively high level, whereas the inflatable confinements (36) associated with relatively less stiff zones (II, III, 43), are each inflated to a relatively low level, so as to transfer impact energy to the relatively stiff zones (I, IV, 43).
83 Citations
51 Claims
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1. A method of protecting an occupant of a vehicle from a collision between the vehicle and an object external to the vehicle, comprising:
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a. predicting if the vehicle is likely to crash with the object at an impact location;
b. determining a prediction of said impact location on the vehicle;
c. determining a size of the object; and
d. controlling an inflation of a plurality of inflatable confinements external of the vehicle responsive both to said impact location and to said size of the object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An occupant protection system, comprising:
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a. at least one external air bag inflator module, wherein said at least one external air bag inflator module comprises a plurality of inflatable confinements and an associated plurality of gas generator modules, wherein said plurality of inflatable confinements are located so as to cooperate with a common side or end of the vehicle;
b. a predictive collision sensing system, wherein said predictive collision sensing system comprises at least one predictive collision sensor operatively coupled to the vehicle, and said predictive collision sensing system is adapted to provide i) an indication of whether the vehicle is expected to collide with an external object, ii) a measure of a size of the object, and iii) a predicted location on the vehicle at which the object is expected to collide; and
c. a processor operatively coupled to said plurality of gas generator modules and to said predictive collision sensing system, wherein said processor controls an actuation of at least one gas generator module responsive to said indication of whether the vehicle is expected to collide with an external object, said measure of said size of the object, and said predicted location on the vehicle at which the object is expected to collide. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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Specification