Side Impact Sensor Systems

• US 20090132129A1
• Filed: 01/12/2009
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1993
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Technologies International Incorporated
• Inventors: Breed, David S.
• Application Number:
  US12/352,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20090132129A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/00 Sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0276 reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2863 backward facing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/483 with obstacle sensors of electric or electronic type
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0011 Rear collision or recoiling bounce after frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01325 Vertical acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01558 monitoring crash strength
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/20 Arrangements for storing inflatable members in their non-use or deflated condition; Arrangement or mounting of air bag modules or components
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/21 in vehicle side panels, e.g. doors pillar mounted arrangements B60R21/213
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/33 Arrangements for non-electric triggering of inflation electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/146 operated by plastic deformation or rupture of structurally associated elements

Abstract

Vehicle including an occupant protection apparatus for protecting an occupant in the event of an impact into a side of the vehicle and an electronic side impact crash sensor for detecting the side impact and which includes a sensor housing positioned to cause lateral movement of the sensor housing responsive to the side impact, a movable sensing mass within the sensor housing and move laterally relative to the sensor housing in response to the side impact, and a control unit connected to the crash sensor for activating the occupant protection apparatus. The crash sensor generates a signal representative of the movement of the sensing mass. The control unit includes a micro-processor and an algorithm processed by the micro-processor and configured to analyze the signal representative of the movement of the sensing mass and generate a deployment signal based thereon to initiate deployment of the occupant protection apparatus.

Claims

1. In a vehicle having 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 a side defined by inner and outer side panels, comprising:

an occupant protection apparatus for protecting an occupant of the vehicle in the event of an impact into the side of the vehicle;

an electronic side impact crash sensor for detecting an impact into the side of the vehicle, comprising;

a sensor housing located between the inner and outer panels of the side of the vehicle and positioned so as to cause lateral movement of the sensor housing in response to an impact into the side of the vehicle,

a movable sensing mass located within the sensor housing, the sensing mass arranged so as to cause lateral movement of the sensing mass relative to the sensor housing in response to an impact into the side of the vehicle, and

the crash sensor configured to generate a signal representative of the movement of the sensing mass; and

a control unit operatively connected to the crash sensor and the occupant protection apparatus for activating the occupant protection apparatus in response to the impact detected by the crash sensor, the control unit comprising;

a micro-processor, and

an algorithm processed by the micro-processor configured to analyze the signal representative of the movement of the sensing mass and generate a deployment signal based thereon to initiate deployment of the occupant protection apparatus.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the occupant protection apparatus comprises an airbag module.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the crash sensor is located apart from the airbag module.

4. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the crash sensor is located proximate to the airbag module.

5. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the crash sensor is located within the airbag module.

6. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the crash sensor and the control unit are located within the airbag module to form a self-contained airbag module.

7. In a vehicle having 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 a side defined by inner and outer side panels, comprising:

an occupant protection apparatus for protecting an occupant of the vehicle in the event of an impact into the side of the vehicle;

an electronic side impact crash sensor for detecting an impact into the side of the vehicle, comprising;

a sensor housing mounted to a structural member of the vehicle configured to transmit lateral force from the side of the vehicle to the sensor,

a movable sensing mass located within the sensor housing, the sensing mass arranged so as to cause lateral movement of the sensing mass relative to the sensor housing in response to an impact into the side of the vehicle, and

the crash sensor configured to generate a signal representative of the movement of the sensing mass; and

a control unit operatively connected to the crash sensor and the occupant protection apparatus for activating the occupant protection apparatus in response to the impact detected by the crash sensor, the control unit comprising;

a micro-processor, and

an algorithm processed by the micro-processor configured to analyze the signal representative of the movement of the sensing mass and generate a deployment signal based thereon to initiate deployment of the occupant protection apparatus.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the occupant protection apparatus comprises an airbag module.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the crash sensor is located apart from the airbag module.

10. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the crash sensor is located proximate to the airbag module.

11. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the crash sensor is located within the airbag module.

12. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the crash sensor and the control unit are located within the airbag module to form a self-contained airbag module.

13. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the structural member of the vehicle comprises a main structural beam of the vehicle door in the side of the vehicle.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the structural member of the vehicle further comprises a plate mounted to the main structural beam of the vehicle.