Side impact sensor systems
First Claim
1. In a vehicle having doors, front and rear wheels and a longitudinal axis between a front and rear of the vehicle such that a lateral direction is defined perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the vehicle also having left and right sides, comprising:
- an occupant protection apparatus for protecting an occupant of the vehicle in the event of an impact into the left or right side of the vehicle;
a side impact, electronic crash sensor assembly for detecting impact into the left or right side of the vehicle and for controlling said occupant protection apparatus in response to the detected impact, said crash sensor assembly comprising;
a sensor housing arranged in a door or between inner and outer side panels along the left or right side of the vehicle;
a movable sensing mass arranged within and movable in the lateral direction relative to said sensor housing in response to lateral accelerations of said sensor housing;
a micro-processor containing an algorithm arranged to generate a time-varying signal representative of movement of said mass in the lateral direction, analyze the signal representative of the movement of said mass and generate a deployment signal based thereon; and
control means for receiving the deployment signal from said micro-processor and controlling deployment of said occupant protection apparatus based thereon;
said sensor housing being arranged in such a position and a direction in the door or between the inner and outer panels along the left or right side of the vehicle as to cause movement of said mass upon an impact into the left or right side of said vehicle resulting in lateral acceleration of said sensor housing.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Vehicle including an occupant protection apparatus for protecting an occupant during an impact into a side of the vehicle, and a side impact, electronic crash sensor assembly for detecting impact into the side of the vehicle and controlling the occupant protection apparatus responsive to the detected impact. The sensor assembly includes a sensor housing arranged in a door or between inner and outer side panels along a side of the vehicle, a movable sensing mass arranged within and movable in the lateral direction relative to the sensor housing in response to lateral accelerations thereof, a micro-processor containing an algorithm which generates a time-varying signal representative of lateral movement of the mass, analyzes the signal and generates a deployment signal based thereon, and a control unit for receiving the deployment signal from the micro-processor and controlling deployment of the occupant protection apparatus based thereon.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. In a vehicle having doors, front and rear wheels and a longitudinal axis between a front and rear of the vehicle such that a lateral direction is defined perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the vehicle also having left and right sides, comprising:
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an occupant protection apparatus for protecting an occupant of the vehicle in the event of an impact into the left or right side of the vehicle;
a side impact, electronic crash sensor assembly for detecting impact into the left or right side of the vehicle and for controlling said occupant protection apparatus in response to the detected impact, said crash sensor assembly comprising;
a sensor housing arranged in a door or between inner and outer side panels along the left or right side of the vehicle;
a movable sensing mass arranged within and movable in the lateral direction relative to said sensor housing in response to lateral accelerations of said sensor housing;
a micro-processor containing an algorithm arranged to generate a time-varying signal representative of movement of said mass in the lateral direction, analyze the signal representative of the movement of said mass and generate a deployment signal based thereon; and
control means for receiving the deployment signal from said micro-processor and controlling deployment of said occupant protection apparatus based thereon;
said sensor housing being arranged in such a position and a direction in the door or between the inner and outer panels along the left or right side of the vehicle as to cause movement of said mass upon an impact into the left or right side of said vehicle resulting in lateral acceleration of said sensor housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. In a vehicle having front and rear wheels and a longitudinal axis between a front and rear of the vehicle such that a lateral direction is defined perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the vehicle also having left and right sides, a side impact airbag system comprising:
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an airbag and inflator assembly including an airbag housing, at least one inflatable airbag arranged in said airbag housing such that when inflating, said at least one airbag is expelled from said airbag housing into a passenger compartment of the vehicle; and
a squib arranged to initiate inflation of said at least one airbag; and
an electronic sensor assembly arranged adjacent said airbag and inflator assembly for controlling inflation of said at least one airbag upon a determination of a crash into the left or right side of the vehicle requiring inflation of said at least one airbag and including a sensor having a sensor housing arranged in a door or between inner and outer side panels along the left or right side of the vehicle and a movable sensing mass arranged within and movable in the lateral direction relative to said sensor housing in response to lateral accelerations of said sensor housing; and
at least one electronic component responsive to the motion of said mass and arranged in a circuit with said squib for causing ignition of said squib;
said sensor housing being arranged in such a position and a direction in the door or between the inner and outer panels along the left or right side of the vehicle as to cause movement of said mass upon an impact into the left or right side of said vehicle resulting in lateral acceleration of said sensor housing. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. In a vehicle having front and rear wheels and a longitudinal axis between a front and rear of the vehicle such that a lateral direction is defined perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, a self-contained modular airbag system for the vehicle, comprising:
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an airbag and inflator assembly including an airbag housing, at least one inflatable airbag arranged in said housing and which inflates into a passenger compartment of the vehicle along a side of the vehicle and an inflator for inflating said at least one airbag;
a sensor assembly for detecting an impact into a side of the vehicle and controlling said inflator to inflate said at least one airbag, said sensor assembly including a power supply for supplying power to said inflator and a diagnostic module for diagnosing the ability of said inflator to inflate said at least one airbag, said airbag and inflator assembly and said sensor assembly being arranged in a self-contained module; and
said self-contained module being mounted onto a side door of the vehicle or onto a side of the vehicle between inner and outer panels of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification