Inflator for safety air bag in an automotive vehicle

• US 4,166,641 A
• Filed: 08/19/1977
• Issued: 09/04/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Okada, Motohiro, Ohmori, Taiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Silverstrim, John P.
• Application Number:
  US05/826,045
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 280/734, 280/735, 180/103 A
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01006 Mounting of electrical components in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• 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 21/33 Arrangements for non-electric triggering of inflation electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01

Abstract

An inflating device for safety air bag for an automotive vehicle is basically constructed with an air bag inflating implement, a first sensor which is installed in the neighborhood of the vehicle cabin and generates an actuating signal when a change in the running speed of the vehicle within a sampling time exceeds a predetermined value, a second sensor which is provided in a position forward of the first sensor and which detects the change in the vehicle speed at the initial stage of the collision, a third sensor which is provided within the vehicle cabin, the third sensor having no sampling time relative to a predetermined speed reduction value in the vehicle, and a memory device which is composed of an electronic circuit or mechano-electric components, in which construction the actuating signal is made to be applied to the air bag inflating implement when output signals are generated from the memory device and the first sensor simultaneously.

Claims

1. A device for inflating a safety air bag in an automotive vehicle which comprises in combination:

(a) means for inflating said air bag;

(b) first sensor means which is installed in the neighborhood of a cabin of the automotive vehicle, and which generates an actuating signal when a change in the running speed of the vehicle within a sampling time exceeds a predetermined value, said sampling time being the maximum delay in detection time permitted to said sensor means to impart the actuating signal to said air bag inflating means after vehicle collision takes place so that the safety air bag may exhibit satisfactory performance to protect the vehicle riders from unexpected danger of accident, said first sensor being composed of;

1. an accelerated speed detector;

2. a signal conditioner connected in series with said detector and for amplifying an output signal from said detector to a certain definite level;

3. a plurality of integration circuits to receive the amplifier signals from said signal conditioner, each said integration circuit being composed of an amplifier, a capacitor, and a resistor;

4. a plurality of differentiation circuits, each being composed of a capacitor, a resistor, and a diode;

5. a multi-vibrator for generating reset pulses, outputs therefrom in rectangular waveforms being applied to each of said integration circuits through each of said differentiation circuits with a predetermined lag in phase between them;

6. a plurality of comparators for generating output signals when an integration voltage to be imparted to the input terminals (-)of said integration circuits becomes higher than established voltages which have already been imparted to the input terminals (+) of each of the comparators; and

7. "NOR" gate circuit for generating, at the output terminal thereof, a control signal of a predetermined level to actuate the safety air bag actuating means, when such output signal from any one of said comparators assumes a certain definite level;

(c) second sensor means which is installed in front of said first sensor means, and which detects the change in the vehicle speed at the intial stage of collision;

(d) third sensor means which is installed in said vehicle cabin, said sensor having no sampling time relative to a predetermined speed reduction value in the vehicle; and

(e) memory means to store therein an output from said second sensor means, said air bag inflating means being actuated, upon collision, in response to either the presence of both said control signal generated from said "NOR" gate circuit in said first sensor means and the stored output from said second sensor, or only said third sensor.