MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY DEVICE

• US 3,774,714 A
• Filed: 10/01/1971
• Issued: 11/27/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Keizaburo Usui, Takashi Haruna
• Original Assignee: Keizaburo Usui, Takashi Haruna
• Inventors: Usui, Keizaburo, Haruna, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Betts, Kenneth H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Silverstrim, John P.
• Application Number:
  US05/185,538
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 180/91,92,93,94,95,96,97,103 280/15AB 340/61 102/7.2R,71,75,82
• US Class Current: 280/735
• 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: H01H 35/146 operated by plastic deformation or rupture of structurally associated elements

Abstract

A collision impact sensor and initiator circuit in which a front switch, made of two ribbon like contacts, is mounted on a car bumper from end to end and a similarly constructed rear or initiator switch is mounted behind the bumper on the car body. When a collision occurs at a low vehicle speed the front switch is closed feeding current into a delaying capacitor for preventing the initiator switch from causing actuation even if the initiator switch is closed in the collision after a preselected time interval, but in a collision at a high vehicle speed the bumper collapses and closes the initiator switch in a shorter time than the preselected interval and actuation of the safety device takes place.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle safety device for protecting vehicle occupants from injuries resulting from a collision of a motor vehicle, the improvement comprising an impact sensor comprising:

1. a first impact responsive switch means fixedly mounted on the outside surface of a vehicle bumper so as to extend along the same and adapted to be closed by an impact exerted thereon at the time of a collision to produce a first closed switch signal;

2. a second impact responsive switch means fixedly mounted on the surface of a vehicle body behind said first switch means and adapted to be closed at a time after closure of said first switch means to produce a second closed switch signal, said time of closure of said second switch means being dependent upon the vehicle speed at the moment of a collision;

3. an actuator electrically connected to said first and second switch means and the safety device for triggering the safety device in response to said second closed switch signal from said second switch means; and

4. an electronic circuitry including a time delay circuit means connected to said first and second switch means and said actuator for delaying said first closed switch signal for a fixed delay time to produce a delayed output signal which is supplied to said actuator to render it inoperative, said electronic circuitry controlling said actuator in such a manner that said actuator is initiated only when said second switch means is closed at a time prior to the production of said delayed output signal, whereby the safety device is triggered by said actuator.

2. A motor vehicle safety device according to claim 1, in which each of said first And second impact responsive switch means comprises two ribbon-like contacts facing each other.

3. an actuator electrically connected to said first and second switch means and the safety device for triggering the safety device in response to said second closed switch signal from said second switch means;

and

4. an electronic circuitry including a time delay circuit means connected to said first and second switch means and said actuator for delaying said first closed switch signal for a fixed delay time to produce a delayed output signal which is supplied to said actuator to render it inoperative, said electronic circuitry controlling said actuator in such a manner that said actuator is initiated only when said second switch means is closed at a time prior to the production of said delayed output signal, whereby the safety device is triggered by said actuator.