Vehicle air bag apparatus

• US 5,135,254 A
• Filed: 04/18/1991
• Issued: 08/04/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Mutoh, Masahito, Fujita, Koichi, Kondo, Akira, Masegi, Mitsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHACHER, RICHARD
• Application Number:
  US07/686,623
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 280/734, 280/735
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/017 including arrangements for providing electric power to safety arrangements or their actuating means, e.g. to pyrotechnic fuses or electro-mechanic valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0173 Diagnostic or recording means therefor

Abstract

Air bags are located at different positions within a vehicle. Squibs serve to fire and activate the air bags respectively. An acceleration detecting device is provided in common to the squibs for detecting an acceleration of the vehicle upon a collision of the vehicle and executing a switching operation in response to the detected vehicle acceleration. Constant-current circuits supplied with an electric power from a vehicle battery feed constant electric currents for a firing operation to the squibs respectively in response to the switching operation of the acceleration detecting device. An energy storage device serves to feed a backup electric power to the constant-current circuits when the supply of the electric power from the vehicle battery is cut off. Each of the constant-current circuits includes a first transistor for feeding an electric current to the related squib, a first resistor for detecting a level of the electric current fed to the squib, a second transistor conducting an electric current with a level which depends on the electric current level detected by the first resistor, and a second resistor for generating a voltage which depends on the electric current conducted by the second transistor and for controlling the first transistor in response to the generated voltage.

Claims

1. A vehicle air bag apparatus comprising:

first and second air bags located at different positions within a vehicle for protecting occupants of the vehicle;

first and second squibs for firing and activating the first and second air bags respectively;

acceleration detecting means provided in common to the first and second squibs for detecting an acceleration of the vehicle upon a collision of the vehicle and executing a switching operation in response to the detected vehicle acceleration;

first and second constant-current circuits supplied with an electric power from a vehicle battery and feeding constant electric currents for a firing operation to the first and second squibs respectively in response to the switching operation of the acceleration detecting means; and

energy storage means for feeding a backup electric power to the first and second constant-current circuits when the supply of the electric power from the vehicle battery to the first and second constant-current circuits is cut off;

wherein each of the first and second constant-current circuits comprises a first transistor for feeding an electric current to the related squib, a first resistor for detecting a level of the electric current fed to the squib, a second transistor conducting an electric current with a level which depends on the electric current level detected by the first resistor, and a second resistor for generating a voltage which depends on the electric current conducted by the second transistor and for controlling the first transistor in response to the generated voltage to control the electric current fed to the squib.

2. A vehicle air bag apparatus comprising:

first and second air bags located at different positions within a vehicle for protecting occupants of the vehicle;

first and second squibs for firing and activating the first and second air bags respectively;

acceleration detecting means for detecting an acceleration of the vehicle upon a collision of the vehicle and executing a switiching operation in response to the detected vehicle acceleration;

frist and second constant-current circuits supplied with an electric power from a vehicle battery and feeding constant electric currents for a firing operation to the first and second squibs respectively in response to the switching operation of the acceleration detecting means; and

energy storage means for feeding a backup electric power to the first and second constant-current circuits when the supply of the electric power from the vehicle battery to the first and second constant-current circuits is cut off;

wherein each of the first and second constant-current circuits comprises a first transistor for feeding an electric current to the related squib, a first resistor for detecting a level of the electric current fed to the squib, a second transistor conducting an electric current with a level which depends on the electric current level detected by the first resistor, a second resistor for generating a voltage which depends on the electric current conducted by the second transistor and for controlling the first transistor in response to the generated voltage to control the electric current fed to the squib, and a third transistor connected in parallel with the second transistor for ensuring an operation of the second transistor.

3. The vehicle air bag apparatus of claim 2 wherein the acceleration detecting means comprises a firing transistor provided in a power supply line to the first and second squibs, an acceleration sensor for detecting the acceleration of the vehicle and generating an acceleration signal representative thereof, and control means for detecting a collision of the vehicle in response to the acceleration signal from the acceleration sensor and activating the firing transistor upon a detection of the collision of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle air bag apparatus of claim 3 further comprising means for checking the power supply line to the first and second squibs to detect a malfunction of the power supply line to the first and second squibs.

5. The vehicle air bag apparatus of claim 4 further comprising means for inhibiting operations of the second and third transistor when the checking means detects the malfunction of the power supply line to the first and second squibs.

6. The vehicle air bag apparatus of claim 4 further comprising means for indicating the malfunction of the power supply line to the first and second squibs when the checking means detects the malfunction of the power supply line to the first and second squibs.

7. A vehicle air bag apparatus comprising:

first and second air bags;

first and second squibs for activating the first and second air bags respectively;

means for detecting a collision of a vehicle;

means for supplying first and second electric currents to the first and second squibs respectively when the detecting means detects the collision of the vehicle;

first regulating means for regulating the first electric current; and

second regulating means for regulating the second electric current;

wherein the first regulating means comprises varying means for varying the first electric current, sensing means for sensing a level of the first electric current, and first and second control means for controlling the varying means in response to the first electric current level sensed by the sensing means, the first and second control means backing up each other when one of the first and second control means fails.

8. A vehicle air bag apparatus comprising:

first and second air bags;

first and second squibs for activating the first and second air bags respectively;

means for detecting a collision of a vehicle;

means for supplying first and second electric currents to the first and second squibs respectively when the detecting means detects the collision of the vehicle;

first regulating means for regulating the first electric current; and

second regulating means for regulating the second electric current;

wherein the first regulating means comprises first varying means for varying the first electric current, first sensing means for sensing a level of the first electric current, and first and second control means for controlling the first varying means in response to the first electric current level sensed by the first sensing means, and the first and second control means backing up each other when one of the first and second control means fails;

wherein the second regulating means comprises second varying means for varying the second electric current, second sensing means for sensing a level of the second electric current, and third and fourth control means for controlling the second varying means in response to the second electric current level sensed by the second sensing means, the third and fourth control means backing up each other when one of the third and fourth control means fails.

9. The vehicle air bag apparatus of claim 8 wherein the collision-detecting means comprises acceleration detecting means for detecting an acceleration of the vehicle upon a collision of the vehicle and executing a switching operation in response to the detected vehicle acceleration, and wherein the acceleration detecting means comprises a firing transistor provided in a power supply line to the first and second squibs, an acceleration sensor for detecting the acceleration of the vehicle and generating an acceleration signal representative thereof, and control means for detecting a collision of the vehicle in response to the acceleration signal from the acceleration sensor and activating the firing transistor upon a detection of the collision of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle air bag apparatus of claim 9 further comprising means for checking the power supply line to the first and second squibs to detect a malfunction of the power supply line to the first and second squibs.

11. The vehicle air bag apparatus of claim 10 further comprising means for inhibiting operations of the first, second, third, and fourth control means when the checking means detects the malfunction of the power supply line to the first and second squibs.

12. The vehicle air bag apparatus of claim 10 further comprising means for indicating the malfunction of the power supply line to the first and second squibs when the checking means detects the malfunction of the power supply line to the first and second squibs.