Safety system for use in a vehicle

• US 20050184495A1
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Zerbe, Bernd
• Application Number:
  US11/004,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20050184495A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0053 relating to fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0084 relating to control modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/33 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01061 between the airbag system and other vehicle electronic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01068 between different sensors and airbag control unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A safety system for use in a vehicle having a fuel cell system with a fuel supply means and an electrical energy source, wherein a plurality of sensors are associated with the fuel cell system and deliver safety relevant signals, these sensors are connected to a safety control and the fuel cell system has at least one device for switching off the fuel supply device and also at least one device which can be actuated by the safety control for separating at least one component of the fuel cell system from the electrical energy source, is characterized in that the safety system stands in association with an airbag system having at least one airbag with at least one gas generator associated with the airbag for the inflation of the airbag, preferably also with at least one safety belt with a belt tensioner, with an airbag control controlling the gas generator and optionally also the belt tensioner and also a plurality of sensors which are connected via a circuit to the airbag control and deliver safety relevant signals for the triggering of the airbag and/or of the belt tensioner; and in that the safety control of the fuel cell system is either connected to the airbag control or the airbag control functionally replaces the safety control of the fuel cell system.

Claims

1. A safety system for use in a vehicle comprising a fuel cell system, a fuel supply means, an electrical energy source, said fuel cell system having at least one component connectable to said electrical energy source, a plurality of sensors associated with said fuel cell system and adapted to deliver safety relevant signals and a safety control for said fuel cell system, said sensors being connected to said safety control, said fuel cell system having at least one device for switching off said fuel supply means and also at least one device which can be actuated by said safety control for separating said at least one component from said electrical energy source, an airbag system having at least one airbag, at least one gas generator associated with said airbag for the inflation thereof, an airbag control controlling said gas generator, a plurality of sensors, a circuit connecting said sensors to said airbag control and adapted to deliver safety relevant signals for the triggering of said airbag, said safety control of said fuel cell system being one of connected to said airbag control and functionally replaced by said airbag control.

20. A safety system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising at least one coolant resistance sensor for said fuel cell system.

2. A safety system for use in a vehicle comprising a fuel cell system, a fuel supply means, an electrical energy source, said fuel cell system having at least one component connectable to said electrical energy source, a plurality of sensors associated with said fuel cell system and adapted to deliver safety relevant signals and a safety control for said fuel cell system, said sensors being connected to said safety control, said fuel cell system having at least one device for switching off said fuel supply means and also at least one device which can be actuated by said safety control for separating said at least one component from said electrical energy source, an airbag system having at least one airbag, at least one gas generator associated with said airbag for the inflation thereof, at least one safety belt with a belt tensioner, an airbag control controlling at least one of said gas generator and said belt tensioner, a plurality of sensors, a circuit connecting said sensors to said airbag control and adapted to deliver safety relevant signals for the triggering of said airbag and said belt tensioner, said safety control of said fuel cell system being one of connected to said airbag control and functionally replaced by said airbag control.

3. A safety system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said circuit comprises at least one data bus to which all sensors, the airbag control, the gas generator, the belt tensioner, the device for the switching off of the fuel supply means and the device for the separating of the fuel cell system from the electrical energy source are connected.

4. A safety system in accordance with claim 3, wherein said fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell safety control and said fuel system safety control being connected to said at least one data bus.

5. A safety system in accordance with claim 3, wherein said at least one data bus is a high speed data bus.

6. A safety system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said airbag control being adapted to carry out a check of the ability to function of at least one of said sensors of said fuel cell system.

7. A safety system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said airbag control being adapted to carry out a check of the ability to function of said device3 for the switching off of said fuel supply means.

8. A safety system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said airbag control being adapted to carry out a check of the ability to function of said device for the separation of said fuel cell system from said electrical energy source.

9. A safety system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said airbag control being adapted to calibrate at least one of said sensors of said fuel cell system.

10. A safety system in accordance with claim 3 and comprising a further control, said airbag control being adapted to pass on data of said fuel cell system to said further control via said data bus.

11. A safety system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said airbag control being adapted to actuate said device for the switching off of said fuel supply means and said device for the separation of said fuel cell system from the electrical energy source as a result of the signal of at least one sensor of said airbag system.

12. A safety system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said airbag control being adapted to actuate said device for the switching off of said fuel supply means and said device for the separation of said fuel cell system from said electrical energy source using a signal which brings about the triggering of at least one of said gas generator and said belt tensioner.

13. A safety system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said energy source being connected to at least one load of at least one of said vehicle and said fuel cell system via a switch actuated electrically or electronically which is closed when power is being supplied and is opened in the absence of power being supplied.

14. A safety system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said energy source being connected to at least one load of said fuel cell system via a switch actuated electrically or electronically which is closed when power is being supplied and opened when power is not being supplied, there being in addition an electrically or electronically controlled valve associated with said fuel supply means, said valve being opened when power is being supplied and being closed when power is not being supplied.

15. A safety system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said energy source being connected to at least one load of at least one of said vehicle and said fuel cell system via a switch actuated electrically or electronically which is closed when power is being supplied and is open when power is not being supplied;

there being a switching means for interrupting the power supply to said electrically or electronically actuated switch and to said electrically or electronically controlled valve, said switching means being capable of being actuated via a control signal of said airbag control.

16. A safety system in accordance with claim 2, further comprising at least one gas detector for said fuel cell system.

17. A safety system in accordance with claim 2, further comprising at least one temperature sensor for said fuel cell system.

18. A safety system in accordance with claim 2, further comprising at least one pressure sensor for said fuel cell system.

19. A safety system in accordance with claim 2, further comprising at least one current sensor for said fuel cell system.

21. A safety system in accordance with claim 2, wherein each said sensor being adapted to deliver one of an analogue signal and a binary signal.

22. A safety system in accordance with claim 21 and further comprising a data bus and an analogue/digital converter associated with any said sensor which delivers an analogue signal.

23. A safety system in accordance with claim 2, wherein at least one of said safety control of said fuel cell system and said airbag control including a safety logic.

24. A safety system in accordance with claim 2, wherein at least one of said safety control of said fuel cell system and said airbag control including a microprocessor.

25. A safety system in accordance with claim 24, wherein said microprocessor having an input side and an output side, there being a multiplexer associated with the microprocessor at least one of said input side and said output side.

26. A safety system for use in a vehicle comprising a powerplant driven with a gaseous fuel, a fuel supply means for said gaseous fuel, an electrical energy source, said powerplant having at least one component connectable to said electrical energy source, a plurality of sensors associated with said power plant and adapted to deliver safety relevant signals, a safety control for said powerplant, said sensors being connected to said safety control, at least one device for the switching off said fuel supply means and also preferably at least one device which can be actuated by said safety control for the separation of said at least one component from said electrical energy source, there being furthermore an airbag system having at least one airbag, at least one gas generator associated with said airbag for the inflation thereof, an airbag control controlling said gas generator, a plurality of sensors, a circuit connecting said sensors to said airbag control and adapted to deliver safety relevant signals for the triggering of said airbag, said safety control of said powerplant being one of connected to said airbag control and functionally replaced by said airbag control.

27. A safety system for use in a vehicle comprising a powerplant driven with a gaseous fuel, a fuel supply means, an electrical energy source, said powerplant having at least one component connectable to said electrical energy source, a plurality of sensors associated with said power plant and adapted to deliver safety relevant signals, a safety control for said powerplant, said sensors being connected to said safety control, at least one device for the switching off said fuel supply means and also preferably at least one device which can be actuated by said safety control for the separation of said at least one component from said electrical energy source, an airbag system having at least one airbag, at least one gas generator associated with said airbag for the inflation thereof, at least one safety belt with a belt tensioner, an airbag control controlling at least one of said gas generator and said belt tensioner, a plurality of sensors, a circuit connecting said sensors to said airbag control and adapted to deliver safety relevant signals for the triggering of the airbag and said belt tensioner, said safety control of said powerplant being one of connected to said airbag control and functionally replaced by said airbag control.