Motor vehicle with a safety belt and an airbag system

• US 5,174,600 A
• Filed: 10/16/1991
• Issued: 12/29/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Brambilla, Luigi, Jahn, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Marmor, Charles A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Graysay, Tamara L.
• Application Number:
  US07/777,582
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 180/268, 180/282, 280/733, 280/734
• US Class Current: 280/733
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors

Abstract

A motor vehicle is disclosed having a safety belt assigned to a seat and having an airbag system which is assigned to the same seat and has a pressure gas source which can be actuated by means of a deceleration sensor. In order to optimize protection for the seat user in the event of an accident, the invention proposes that at least two pressure gas sources which can be actuated independently of one another are provided, and in that in the event of an accident only one pressure gas source can be actuated by means of the deceleration sensor when the safety belt is being worn, while when the safety belt is not being worn all the pressure gas sources can be actuated so that it is only in this case that the maximum airbag internal pressure is available.

Claims

1. Motor vehicle having a safety belt assigned to a seat and having an airbag system which is assigned to the same seat and has a pressure gas source which can be actuated by means of a deceleration sensor,

wherein at least two pressure gas sources which can be actuated independently of one another are provided, and wherein, in the event of an accident only one pressure gas source can be actuated by means of the deceleration sensor when the safety belt is being worn, whilst when the safety belt is not being worn all the pressure gas sensors can be actuated so that it is only in this case that the maximum airbag internal pressure is available.

2. Safety belt and airbag system for protecting a passenger in a vehicle seat in the event of an accident, comprising:

airbag means assigned to a passenger seat,

a plurality of pressure gas sources which can be actuated independently of one another and serve to inflate the airbag means,

a deceleration sensor for sensing vehicle decelerations above a predetermined value which correspond to a vehicle collision and for emitting a control signal to activate the pressure gas sources,

a seatbelt detection switch for detecting whether a passenger seatbelt at the passenger seat is being worn,

and a control circuit for actuating the pressure gas sources such that less airbag inflation pressure is supplied to the airbag means when the seatbelt is being worn than when the seatbelt is not being worn.

3. System according to claim 2, wherein the airbag means is a single airbag, wherein two of said gas generators are provided, and wherein only one of the gas generators is actuated when the seatbelt is being worn and both gas generators are actuated when the seatbelt is not being worn.