ELECTRONIC MODULE ASSEMBLY FOR INFLATABLE PERSONAL RESTRAINT SYSTEMS AND ASSOCIATED METHODS

• US 20130187646A1
• Filed: 09/10/2012
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AmSafe, Inc. (Transdigm Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: AmSafe, Inc. (Transdigm Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Baca, Andre, Shields, Ronald A., Hagan, Willard F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,176,202 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/262
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/062 Belts or other passenger restraint means for passenger seats
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/06205 Arrangements of airbags
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2201/00 Airbags mounted in aircraft for any use
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/0047 Housings or packaging of magnetic sensors packaging of semiconductor devices H01L23/00; Holders
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0256 injecting test signals and analyzing monitored process response, e.g. injecting the test signal while interrupting the normal operation of the monitored system; superimposing the test signal onto a control signal during normal operation of the monitored system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

Electronics module assemblies (“EMAs”) for inflatable personal restraints and associated systems are described herein. An EMA configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology can include, for example, a housing having a body portion, cover portion that attaches to the body portion to form an enclosure, and protrusion extending outwardly from the cover portion. The protrusion can have an outer boundary at which the protrusion projects away from the cover portion. The EMA can further include a crash sensor within the enclosure in an area defined by the outer boundary of the protrusion. The protrusion can form an envelope of space around the crash sensor that defines a minimum distance an external object with a magnetic field can come to the crash sensor without activating it. The EMA can optionally include a magnetic field configured to disable the crash sensor upon the detection of an external magnetic field.

Claims

1. An electronics control module assembly (EMA) for an inflatable personal restraint system, the EMA comprising:

a housing having a body portion, a cover portion that attaches to the body portion to form an enclosure, and a protrusion extending outwardly from the cover portion, wherein the protrusion has an outer boundary at which the protrusion projects away from the cover portion; and

a crash sensor positioned within the enclosure in an area defined by the outer boundary of the protrusion, wherein the protrusion forms an envelope of space around the crash sensor that defines a minimum distance that an external object with a magnetic field can come to the crash sensor without activating the crash sensor.

2. The EMA of claim 1, further comprising a magnetic field sensor positioned in the enclosure proximate the crash sensor, wherein the magnetic field sensor is operably coupled to the crash sensor and configured to disable the crash sensor upon detection of an external magnetic field above a predetermined threshold.

3. The EMA of claim 2 wherein the protrusion includes an inner concave surface having a support configured to fasten the magnetic field sensor to the inner concave surface.

4. The EMA of claim 1 wherein the crash sensor includes at least one of a reed switch and a Hall effects sensor.

5. The EMA of claim 1 wherein the protrusion has a domed shape that extends from a generally planar surface of the cover portion.

6. The EMA of claim 1 wherein the crash sensor is not protected by a magnetic shield.

7. The EMA of claim 1 wherein the envelope of space defines a generally uniform clearance envelope on one side of the crash sensor.

8. The EMA of claim 1, further comprising:

a printed circuit board positioned in the enclosure and having a first side opposite a second side, wherein the crash sensor is positioned on the first side of the printed circuit board; and

at least one power cell positioned on the second side of the printed circuit board, wherein the power cell is spaced laterally apart from the crash sensor.

9. The EMA of claim 1 wherein the protrusion includes an inner concave surface, and wherein the EMA further comprises:

a magnetic field sensor operably coupled to the crash sensor and configured to disable the crash sensor upon the detection of an external magnetic field above a predetermined threshold;

a plurality of supports configured to fasten the magnetic field sensor to the inner concave surface of the protrusion;

a printed circuit board positioned within the housing and having a first side opposite a second side, wherein the crash sensor is positioned on the first side and the magnetic field sensor is operably coupled to the printed circuit board;

at least one power cell positioned on the second side of the printed circuit board, wherein the power cell is spaced laterally apart from the crash sensor; and

a deployment circuit configured to initiate deployment of an airbag when the crash sensor detects a deceleration or acceleration above a predetermined magnitude, wherein the magnetic field sensor is configured to deactivate the deployment circuit upon the detection of an external magnetic field above a predetermined threshold.

10. An electronics control module assembly (EMA) for an inflatable personal restraint system, the EMA comprising:

a housing having a generally planar outer surface and protrusion extending outwardly from the generally planar outer surface;

a deployment circuit configured to initiate inflation of an airbag; and

a magnetically-activated crash sensor operably coupled to the deployment circuit and positioned within the housing, wherein the protrusion forms a clearance envelope around the crash sensor that defines a minimum distance that an external object with a magnetic field can come to the crash sensor without activating the crash sensor.

11. The EMA of claim 10 wherein the protrusion includes an inner surface facing the crash sensor, and wherein the EMA further comprises:

a magnetic field sensor supported by the inner surface of the protrusion and spaced apart from the crash sensor, wherein the magnetic field sensor is configured to disable the deployment circuit when the magnetic field sensor detects an external magnetic field that exceeds a threshold value at least large enough to trigger deployment of the airbag.

12. The EMA of claim 10 wherein the housing does not include Mu-metal.

13. The EMA of claim 10 wherein:

the housing includes a first portion releasably coupled to a second portion;

the protrusion extends from the first portion; and

the crash sensor is positioned at least partially within the second portion of the housing.

14. An inflatable personal restraint system, comprising:

a seatbelt having a deployable airbag;

an inflator operably coupled to the airbag; and

an electronics module assembly (EMA) operably coupled to the inflator and configured to initiate inflation of the airbag, the EMA having a housing and a crash sensor positioned in the housing, wherein the housing includes a generally planar surface and a protrusion extending from the generally planar surface, and wherein the crash sensor is positioned in an area defined by an outer boundary of the protrusion, the protrusion forming an envelope of physical space around the crash sensor that prevents activation of the crash sensor due to an external magnetic field.

15. The inflatable personal restraint system of claim 14 wherein the EMA further includes a magnetic field sensor supported by an inner surface of the protrusion, wherein the magnetic field sensor is configured to disable the crash sensor upon detection of an external magnetic field that exceeds a threshold value at least large enough to trigger deployment of the airbag.

16. The inflatable personal restraint system of claim 14 wherein the EMA further includes at least one power cell spaced laterally apart from and non-parallel to the crash sensor.

17. A method of manufacturing an electronics control module assembly (EMA), the method comprising:

providing a housing having a protrusion extending outwardly from a generally planar surface of the housing;

positioning a crash sensor in the housing within an area defined by an outer boundary of the protrusion, wherein the protrusion forms an envelope of physical space around the crash sensor to prevent activation of the crash sensor due to an external magnetic field; and

operably coupling the crash sensor to a deployment circuit configured to initiate inflation of an airbag.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:

providing the housing comprises providing a first portion and a second portion of the housing, wherein the first portion includes the protrusion and the second portion is configured to releasably couple to the first portion; and

positioning the crash sensor in the housing comprises positioning the crash sensor at least partially within the second portion of the housing.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising positioning at least one power cell within the housing, wherein the at least one power cell is spaced laterally apart from the crash sensor.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising positioning a magnetic field sensor on an inner surface of the protrusion, wherein the magnetic field sensor is configured to deactivate the deployment circuit when the magnetic field sensor detects an external magnetic field above a threshold value that is at least large enough to trigger the crash sensor.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein providing the housing does not comprise forming a magnetic shield around the crash sensor, and wherein positioning the crash sensor in the housing comprises positioning a magnetically activated crash sensor within the housing.