Multiple inflation rate occupant restraint system

• US 3,966,224 A
• Filed: 11/03/1971
• Issued: 06/29/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Klove, Edwin H. Jr., Campbell, David D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wood, Jr., M. H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Silverstrim, John P.
• Application Number:
  US05/195,310
• Time in Patent Office: 1,700 Days
• Field of Search: 280/150 AB, 180/103, 180/104
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle includes an inflatable occupant restraint cushion inflated from an inflater. The inflater is of the air-augmented type and includes a pressure vessel containing gas under pressure and a gas generator. The outlet of the vessel to the cushion is sealed by a diaphragm rupturable by electrically fired detonators. The gas generator is actuated by either an electrically fired pyrotechnic delay squib or by a nondelay pyrotechnic squib. A pair of low level acceleration responsive sensors connect the detonators and the delay squib across a source of power. When the vehicle is subjected to an impact generating a pulse above a predetermined minimum amplitude and time and below a predetermined maximum, the sensors fire the delay squib and the detonators. The gas is immediately released to initiate partial inflation of the cushion. After a predetermined time interval, the delay squib actuates the gas generator to complete inflation of the cushion. A high level acceleration responsive sensor, actuated by a pulse equal to or above the predetermined maximum, is in series with one of the low level sensors and the nondelay squib across the source of power. When an impact generates an acceleration pulse equal to or above the predetermined maximum, the low level sensors fire the detonators to release the gas to the cushion and one low level sensor and the high level sensor fire the nondelay squib to substantially simultaneously actuate the gas generator. The time interval is interrupted any time that a pulse equal to or exceeding the predetermined maximum is generated, such as during a multiple impact situation.

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant restraint system comprising, in combination, source means actuatable to provide first and second volumes of pressure fluid, an occupant restraint cushion inflatable from the source means, first control means responsive to the vehicle being subjected to an initial impact of predetermined minimum intensity not exceeding a predetermined maximum intensity to release the first volume of pressure fluid to the cushion and including time delay means providing a predetermined fixed time interval for actuating the source means to sequentially release the second volume of pressure fluid to the cushion after said predetermined fixed time interval, and second control means responsive to the occurrence within the predetermined time interval of the vehicle being subjected to a subsequent impact of intensity equal to or exceeding the predetermined maximum for actuating the source means to release the second volume of pressure fluid to the cushion within said predetermined fixed time interval.