Device comprising gas cushion, in particular for a motor vehicle

• US 20040183277A1
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Zecha, Stephan
• Granted Patent: US 7,036,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/728.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01504 detecting bag displacement

Abstract

The invention relates to a device comprising a gas cushion (3) that can be inflated with gas by means of a filling device, in addition to a transceiver (5) for electromagnetic waves (6) and an evaluation device (8) that is connected to the latter. At least one interrogation unit (4), which can be interrogated in a contactless manner by the transceiver (5), is located on the gas cushion (3). This permits the provision of information in the evaluation device (8) concerning the degree of deployment and/or the deployment speed of the gas cushion (3).

Claims

1. A device comprising a gas cushion (3) which can be inflated with gas by means of a filling device, as well as a transceiver (5) for electromagnetic waves (6) and an evaluation device (8) connected to this transceiver, wherein there is disposed on the gas cushion (3) at least one interrogation unit (4) which can be interrogated in a contactless manner by the transceiver (5) and as a result information about the degree of deployment and/or the deployment velocity of the gas cushion (3) is provided in the evaluation device (8).

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that an interrogation unit (3) is implemented by means of a reflector.

3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the reflector is a polarizing reflector.

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that an interrogation unit (3) is implemented by means of a transponder.

5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that a transponder is implemented by means of a logic circuit which enables an encoded wave (7) to be transmitted back to the transceiver (5).