INFLATION APPARATUS FOR SAFETY DEVICE

• US 3,758,131 A
• Filed: 01/11/1972
• Issued: 09/11/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald G. Radke, Robert L. Stephenson
• Original Assignee: Donald G. Radke, Robert L. Stephenson
• Inventors: Stephenson, Robert L., Radke, Donald G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Betts, Kenneth H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Silverstrim, John P.
• Application Number:
  US05/217,052
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 280/15AB 180/103,105 102/37.7,71,74
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2633 with a plurality of inflation levels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01558 monitoring crash strength
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01562 by speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/272 with means for increasing the pressure of the gas just before or during liberation, e.g. hybrid inflators
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/135 by making use of contacts which are actuated by a movable inertial mass

Abstract

Safety apparatus disposed within a motor vehicle subject to impact for transmitting an electrical current from a power source to a gas releasing means connected to a gas containing portion of a gas source during a fixed time interval and to a plurality of gas generating charges within a gas generating portion of the gas source during successive time intervals at least two of which are caused to vary in inverse proportion to the impact velocity of the vehicle by means differently responsive to the impact velocity. Pressurized gas is released from the gas containing portion upon receipt of the electrical current by the gas releasing means. Gas generated by each charge receiving an electrical current enters the gas containing portion and admixes with the pressurized gas therein. As a result, the combined pressurized and generated gases pass into a bag, which inflates during a controlled time interval varying inversely with the impact velocity to a controlled pressure varying directly with the impact velocity.

Claims

1. Safety apparatus disposed within a vehicle subject to impact for inflating a bag during a controlled time interval which varies inversely with the impact velocity of the vehicle to a controlled pressure which varies directly with the impact velocity, comprising:

a. a power source for supplying an electrical current;

b. a gas source having a gas containing portion and a gas generating portion;

c. a pressurized gas contained within the gas containing portion;

d. a plurality of gas generating charges disposed within the gas generating portion;

e. a plurality of actuating means, each such actuating means being connected to one of the gas generating charges, for igniting the charges upon receipt of the electrical current;

f. means for permitting gas developed by combustion of the gas generating charges to flow into the gas containing portion;

g. gas releasing means connected to the gas containing portion for permitting the pressurized gas, the generated gas, and mixtures thereof to flow into an inflatable bag upon receipt of the electrical current;

h. a first circuit means for transmitting the electrical current from the power source to the gas releasing means during a fixed time interval;

i. an impact detecting means for causing the electrical current to pass to the first circuit means upon impact of the vehicle;

j. a plurality of additional circuit means, each such circuit means being connected to one of the actuating means for transmitting the current from the power source to said actuating means during successive time intervals;

k. a plurality of control elements, each such control element being associated with one of said additional circuit means and being independently responsive to the impact velocity of the vehicle, for varying each of said successive time intervals in inverse proportion to said impact velocity; and

i. at least two of said control elements having means differently responsive to said impact velocity for varying the number of charges ignited.

2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the impact detecting means comprises a movable electroconductive material electrically connected to the power source and means for displacing said material against a preselected resisting force and into contact with an electroconductive element electrically connected to the gas releasing means.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein each control element comprises a movable electroconductive material electrically connected to the power source, a resistance element connected at one end to one of the additional circuit means, an electroconductive component connected to the other end of the resistance element, said electroconductive component being connected to said one of the additional circuit means, and means for displacing the electroconductive material against a preselected resisting force and into contact with the electroconductive component and a variable portion of the resistance element, the portion contacted varying in direct proportion to the distance that the electroconductive material is displaced by forceS resulting from impact of the vehicle.

4. Apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the resisting force against which the electroconductive material of each control element is displaced has a magnitude at least as great as the resisting force against which the electroconductive material of the impact detecting means is displaced.

5. Apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein the electroconductive material of at least one of the control elements is displaced against a preselected resisting force having a magnitude greater than the magnitude of the preselected resisting force against which another of the control elements is displaced, whereby at least two of said control elements have means differently responsive to the impact velocity.

6. Apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein the electroconductive material of the impact detecting means and the electroconductive material of each of the control elements are each displaced against a resisting force of different magnitude.

7. Apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein at least one of the control elements includes an electroconductive member electrically connected to the power source, means for displacing the electroconductive material of the control element into contact with said member, and means for holding the member in contact with a preselected portion of the resistance element for at least the time interval during which the current is transmitted through the additional circuit means associated therewith.

8. Apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein each of the additional circuit means includes a transmission circuit connected to a control element, said transmission circuit comprising a variable resistor in series with means for transmitting an electrical current to an actuating means associated therewith.

9. Apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein the electrical current is transmitted by means which include a unijunction transistor and a rectifier in series with the resistor and a bridge wire connected to the actuating means, and a capacitor connected in parallel with the power source.

10. Apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein at least one of the control elements includes means for transmitting the current from the power source to the actuating means associated therewith upon contact of the electroconductive material with the resistance element, the time interval for said transmission being of at least the same duration as the time interval during which the electroconductive material contacts the resistance element.

11. Apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the gas source includes a housing enclosing the gas containing and generating portions, and the gas releasing means comprises a plug removably mounted in the housing, said plug extending through a full thickness of the housing and into contact with the pressurized gas, a detonator located adjacent to the plug, and a bridge wire structurally connected to the detonator and electrically connected to the impact detecting means, for detonating the detonator upon passage of the electrical current through the bridge wire, whereby the plug is removed from the housing.

12. Apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein each of the actuating means comprises a squib disposed adjacent to the gas generating charge connected thereto, and a bridge wire structurally connected to the squib and electrically connected to one of the additional circuit means, for igniting the squib upon receipt of the electrical current, whereby the squib ignites the gas generating charge.

13. Apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the gas containing portion and each gas generating charge are respectively disposed within separate compartments of the housing, and at least one compartment in which one of the gas generating charges is housed includes a pressure sensitive barrier, said barrier providing the compartment with a wall separating the charge from the pressurized gas, whereby means are provided for permitting gas generated within the compartment to flow into the gas containing Portion.

14. Safety apparatus disposed within a vehicle subject to impact for inflating a bag during a controlled time interval which varies inversely with the impact velocity of the vehicle to a controlled pressure which varies directly with the impact velocity, comprising a gas source having a gas contained within a gas containing portion, a plurality of gas generating charges disposed within a gas generating portion, means for igniting the charges, means for permitting gas developed by combustion of the gas generating charges to flow into the gas containing portion, and gas releasing means connected to the gas containing portion and responsive to impact of the vehicle for permitting the pressurized gas and the generated gas to flow into an inflatable bag, said means for igniting the charges being responsive to the impact velocity of the vehicle for varying the time interval in inverse proportion to the impact velocity and for varying the number of charges ignited.