Method for airbag inflation control

• US 20050248136A1
• Filed: 02/24/2005
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: David S. Breed, Wendell C. Johnson, Wilbur E Du Vall
• Inventors: Breed, David S., Johnson, Wendell C., Du Vall, Wilbur E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,147,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01225 control of expansion volume
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0153 using field detection presence sensors

Abstract

Method for controlling deployment of an airbag into a passenger compartment of a vehicle including detecting a position of an occupant whose forward-facing surface will be the surface which interacts with the airbag upon its deployment, determining a desired amount of gas within the airbag during inflation of the airbag based at least in part on the detected position of the occupant, and adjusting the amount of gas within the airbag during inflation of the airbag to provide the airbag with the desired amount of gas during its inflation. Adjustment of the amount of gas within the airbag may entail varying the amount of gas being directed into the airbag based on the morphology of the occupant (inflow control) and/or controlling the outflow of gas from the airbag based on the morphology of the occupant (outflow control).

Claims

1. A method for controlling deployment of an airbag into a passenger compartment of a vehicle, comprising:

detecting a position of an occupant whose forward-facing surface will be the surface which interacts with the airbag upon its deployment;

determining a desired amount of gas within the airbag during inflation of the airbag based at least in part on the detected position of the occupant; and

adjusting the amount of gas within the airbag during inflation of the airbag to provide the airbag with the desired amount of gas during its inflation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the amount of gas within the airbag comprises varying the amount of gas being directed into the airbag based on the size of the occupant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the amount of gas within the airbag comprises reducing the amount of gas being directed into the airbag when the detected position of the occupant is indicative of a small occupant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the amount of gas within the airbag comprises increasing the amount of gas being directed into the airbag when the detected position of the occupant is indicative of a large occupant.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the amount of gas within the airbag comprises reducing the amount of gas being directed into the airbag when the detected position of the occupant is indicative of an occupant positioned close to a compartment in which the airbag is stored.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the amount of gas within the airbag comprises controlling the outflow of gas from the airbag based on the size of the occupant.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the amount of gas within the airbag comprises reducing the size of at least one gas exit passage formed in association with the airbag when the detected position of the occupant is indicative of a large occupant.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the amount of gas within the airbag comprises increasing the size of at least one gas exit passage formed in association with the airbag when the detected position of the occupant is indicative of a small occupant.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the amount of gas within the airbag comprises venting the airbag through at least one gas exit passage formed in the airbag material.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the amount of gas within the airbag comprises arranging an exit control valve adjacent the inflator and in fluid communication with the airbag and controlling the valve to provide an opening through which gas flows.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting a position of the occupant comprises transmitting waves toward the occupant, receiving waves reflected from the occupant and analyzing the received waves.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the desired amount of gas within the airbag during inflation of the airbag based in least in part on at least one morphological characteristic of the occupant.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one morphological characteristic is the weight of the occupant.

14. A method for controlling deployment of an airbag into a passenger compartment of a vehicle, comprising:

detecting a position of an occupant whose forward-facing surface will be the surface which interacts with the airbag upon its deployment;

obtaining information about an amount of energy the airbag needs to absorb during impact of the occupant with the airbag; and

adjusting the amount of gas within the airbag during inflation of the airbag based at least in part on the information about the amount of energy the airbag needs to absorb during impact of the occupant with the airbag to thereby provide the airbag with the ability to absorb the needed amount of energy.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of obtaining information comprises determining at least one morphological characteristic of the occupant and deriving the information from the determined at least one morphological characteristic.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the determination of the at least one morphological characteristic enables an approximation of the size of the occupant, the step of adjusting the amount of gas within the airbag comprising varying the amount of gas being directed into the airbag based on the size of the occupant.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the determination of the at least one morphological characteristic enables an approximation of the size of the occupant, the step of adjusting the amount of gas within the airbag comprising controlling the outflow of gas from the airbag based on the size of the occupant.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one morphological characteristic is the weight of the occupant.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of adjusting the amount of gas within the airbag comprises reducing the amount of gas being directed into the airbag when the detected position of the occupant is indicative of an occupant positioned close to a compartment in which the airbag is stored.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of adjusting the amount of gas within the airbag comprises venting the airbag through at least one gas exit passage formed in material of the airbag.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of adjusting the amount of gas within the airbag comprises arranging an exit control valve adjacent the inflator and in fluid communication with the airbag and controlling the valve to provide an opening through which gas flows.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of detecting a position of the occupant comprises transmitting waves toward the occupant, receiving waves reflected from the occupant and analyzing the received waves.