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Apparatus for triggering a passive safety device

  • US 5,173,614 A
  • Filed: 05/16/1989
  • Issued: 12/22/1992
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1988
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for triggering a passive safety device in a vehicle in response to an impact, comprising at least two individual acceleration sensors (2, 3), each individual acceleration sensor having its own sensitivity axis (A2, A3) oriented differently than a respective sensitivity axis of the other individual acceleration sensor so that each sensor covers its own angular sensitivity range to discriminate between different impact directions, one signal evaluating and processing channel (5, 6) connected to each individual acceleration sensor (2, 3) respectively, each signal evaluating and processing channel comprising first signal recognizing circuit means (7, 8, 9) for determining the magnitude of an impact and second circuit means (10, 11, 12) for determining an impact duration, said first and second circuit means being connected to an output of the respective individual acceleration sensor (2, 3), and threshold circuit means (41, 41'"'"', 51, 51'"'"') connected to an output of a respective one of said signal recognizing circuit means, whereby each individual acceleration sensor (2, 3) is part of a respective series circuit with its own signal recognizing circuit means and with its own threshold circuit means for forming said signal evaluating and processing channels, to distinguish types of impacts from each other, and logic trigger circuit means (81, 82, 83) connected to said series circuit channels for triggering said passive safety device, each of said signal evaluating and processing channels comprising further threshold circuit means (13, 13'"'"';

  • 21, 21'"'"') comprising at least two threshold switches, each threshold switch having a different threshold value for enabling a triggering of said passive safety device in response to a signal exceeding the respective threshold value, said signal evaluating and processing channels further comprising means (34, 37,

         74) for discriminating minor impacts and generating respective blocking signals and triggering signals (81, 82,

         83) for the operation of said passive safety device (15) in response to signals from said signal evaluating and processing channels, said trigger circuit means comprising logic circuit means having first inputs connected to all threshold switches and further inputs connected to each signal recognizing circuit means, said logic circuit means having AND-gates and OR-gates interconnected to provide a circuit characteristic that passes signals only from certain threshold switches in response to said blocking signals and said triggering signals for triggering said passive safety device in response to one impact signal while suppressing other impact signals to avoid such triggering of said safety device in response to said other impact signals.

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