Side airbag system

• US 20040041377A1
• Filed: 08/06/2003
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nagai, Makoto, Kojima, Mikihito, Kumakiri, Naotaka, Shindo, Toyohiko, Yanagihara, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,063,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats

Abstract

The present invention relates to a side airbag system. This side airbag system has a side airbag unit, a posture detector, a weight detector, and a deployment controller. The side airbag unit includes an airbag to be deployed with respect to the sideward of the occupant sitting on a vehicle seat. The posture detector determines the posture of the occupant. The weight detector measures the weight of the occupant. The deployment controller controls the deployment of the airbag based on the posture checked by the posture detector and weight measured by the weight detector of the occupant.

Claims

1. A side airbag system comprising:

a side airbag unit, which deploys an airbag to the sideward with respect to an occupant sitting on a vehicle seat;

a posture detector, which determines a posture of said occupant;

a weight detector, which measures a weight of said occupant; and

a deployment controller, which controls the deployment of said airbag based on said posture and weight of said occupant.

2. A side airbag system according to claim 1, wherein

said deployment controller allows the deployment of said airbag irrespective of the posture of said occupant, when said weight measured by said weight detector exceeds a threshold value.

3. A side airbag system according to claim 1, wherein

said side airbag unit is provided on one side of a seat back of said vehicle seat, and

said posture detector includes:

a plurality of first sensors, which are placed on said seat back and are lined up at regular interval along the up-and-down direction with respect to said seat back, and

a second sensor, which is placed on the one side of said seat back.

4. A side airbag system according to claim 3, wherein

said posture detector categorizes said posture of said occupant into one of posture categories based on the detection result of said first sensor and second sensor, and said posture detector outputs a posture information, which indicates said posture category, to said deployment controller,

said weight detector categorizes said weight of said occupant into one of weight categories, and said weight detector outputs a weight information, which indicates said weight category, to said deployment controller, and

said deployment controller controls the deployment of said airbag based on said posture information and said weight information.

5. A side airbag system according to claim 3, wherein

said posture detector categorizes said posture of said occupant into one of three types of posture categories of “

VACANT”

, “

LEANING”

, and “

NORMAL”

, and said posture detector outputs a posture information, which indicates said posture category, to said deployment controller,

said weight detector categorizes said weight of said occupant into one of four types of weight categories of “

EMPTY”

, “

LOW”

, “

HIGH”

, and “

FAULT”

, and said weight detector outputs a weight information, which indicates said weight category, to said deployment controller, and

said deployment controller controls the deployment of said airbag based on said posture information and said weight information.

6. A side airbag system according to claim 5, wherein

said deployment controller forbids the deployment of said airbag if said weight category is “

EMPTY” and

said posture category is “

VACANT”

.

7. A side airbag system according to claim 5, wherein said deployment controller determines whether or not to allow the deployment of said airbag based on said posture information when said weight category is “

FAULT”

.