APPARATUS FOR SELECTIVELY ACTUATING PASSENGER SAFETY DEVICES IN VEHICLES

• US 3,720,426 A
• Filed: 06/28/1971
• Issued: 03/13/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harry R. Johnston
• Original Assignee: Harry R. Johnston
• Inventors: Johnston, Harry R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Betts, Kenneth H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mitchell, D. M.
• Application Number:
  US05/157,569
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 280/15AB 180/82,103 200/61.45,61.46-61.53 340/262
• US Class Current: 280/735
• 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: G01P 15/135 by making use of contacts which are actuated by a movable inertial mass

Abstract

An automobile having a series of passenger-restraint devices including electrically-actuated inflatable air bags mounted at preselected locations in the passenger compartment is provided with apparatus which operates to actuate selected ones of the restraint-devices in response to front, rear or side collisions. The apparatus comprises an inverted hollow conical housing which contains a free ball and which is divided into quadrants by separate arcuate electrical contacts mounted inside and along the rim of the housing. The contacts are connected by means of circuits to the restraint devices so that in a collision the ball rolls up the conical wall of the housing and engages the contacts to close the circuits and thereby to actuate the devices. In one embodiment, the housing is divided by a diametrically-extending partition which bisects opposed ones of the contacts and a ball is mounted on each side of the partition so that when the apparatus is mounted in an automobile with the partition extending sideward of the vehicle, each ball is capable of engaging contacts corresponding either to the left or the right and the front or rear bags.

Claims

1. For use in conjunction with a vehicle capable of accelerating in at least two directions and having at least two electricallyactuated passenger safety devices operable to minimize injury to a passenger in response to acceleration in said directions, apparatus for actuating selected ones of said devices in response to accelerations of predetermined magnitudes in corresponding ones of said directions, comprising:

a housing having surface means inclined in said directions from a lower level to an upper level, said surface means inclining outwardly and in opposite directions from said lower level, a partition disposed transversely to said opposite directions in said housing, means for mounting said housing to said vehicle, mass means mounted in said housing for movement upwardly on said surface means in response to acceleration of said vehicle in said directions, said mass means including a pair of moveable masses with the masses being located on opposite sides of the partition, contact means mounted at said upper level in said housing and disposed in the normal path of movement of the mass means, said contact means being separated into segments corresponding in number to said directions, and circuit means for connecting each segment of said contact means to its corresponding safety device, whereby acceleration of the vehicle in one of said directions displaces the mass means up one of the surface means to engage the contact means for actuating the safety devices associated therewith.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said mass means includes a metal ball and including an inverted hollow cone providing said surface means with said lower level corresponding substantially to the apex of the cone and said upper level corresponding substantially to the rim of the cone.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 including a cover mounted on said housing and spaced from said inclined surface means to permit passage of said mass means therebetween but to prevent substantial random upward displacement of said mass means in the housing.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said inclined surface means and said mass means are of electrically-conductive materials and said contact means includes electrically conductive elements disposed transversely to the path of movement of the mass means, insulator means mounting said elements to said housing, said circuit means connecting said inclined surface means and said contact elements to their respective safety devices so that a circuit is established between the inclined surface means and the contact elements by the mass means for actuating the safety devices when the mass means engages the elements.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said contact means includes a pair of electrically-conductive contact members disposed in spaced parallel relation with one another and transversely to the path of movement of the mass means, said circuit means connecting said members to said safety deVices so that a circuit is established between the contact members for actuating the safety devices when the mass means engages across the members.