Vehicle safety system

• US 20040267422A1
• Filed: 06/16/2004
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Bollinger, Christian, Bossler, Hans-Juergen, Hirzmann, Guido, Stegmann, Volker, Lefringhausen, Heinz-Joerg
• Granted Patent: US 8,095,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01528 mounted on the bag
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0154 in combination with seat heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01552 detecting position of specific human body parts, e.g. face, eyes or hands
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/046 Adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/06 Rims, e.g. with heating means; Rim covers B62D1/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/065 Steering wheels with heating and ventilating means heating and ventilation of steering wheel when connected to vehicle HVAC B60H1/00292
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

In a vehicle safety system with a vehicle steering wheel, which has a steering wheel rim, and with at least one capacitive sensor which detects an alteration to an electric or electromagnetic field, the sensor is arranged in or on the steering wheel rim.

Claims

1. A vehicle safety system, comprising

a vehicle steering wheel (10), which has a steering wheel rim (12),

and at least one capacitive sensor (14) which detects an alteration to an electric or electromagnetic field (16),

characterized in that said sensor (14) is arranged in or on said steering wheel rim (12).

2. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein several sensors (14) are arranged in or on said steering wheel rim (12).

3. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein in a section in radial direction in circumferential direction (U_K) several sensors (14) are arranged in or on said steering wheel rim (12).

4. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein in a section perpendicular to a rotation axis (R) of said steering wheel (10) several sensors (14) are arranged in said steering wheel rim (12) in circumferential direction (U_R).

5. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein said sensor (14) is arranged under a cover (30) closing off said steering wheel rim (12) to an exterior.

6. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein said sensor (14) is arranged above a cover (28) surrounding a skeleton (26) of said steering wheel rim (12).

7. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein said sensor (14) contains a flexible mat with elongated electric leads (34) held therein.

8. The vehicle safety system according to claim 7, wherein said sensor (14) contains a fleece mat (32).

9. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein said sensor (14) is formed by at least a section of a steering wheel heating arrangement.

10. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle safety system being constructed to detect at least one of a number and a position of hands (24) of a driver in contact with said steering wheel (10).

11. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein a gas bag system (11) and a control unit (18) are provided, said gas bag system (11) being controlled by means of said control unit (18) as a function of data detected by said sensor (14).

12. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein a control unit (18) is provided, which by means of data detected by said sensor (14) determines a position of at least one of a head (22) and an upper body (23) of a vehicle occupant (20).

13. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein a control unit (18) is provided, which by means of data detected by said sensor (14) determines at least one of a position and a number of hands (24) in contact with said steering wheel (10).