Process for triggering side airbags of a passive safety device for motor vehicles

• US 5,544,915 A
• Filed: 07/19/1995
• Issued: 08/13/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Temic Telefunken Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Temic Telefunken Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Wetzel, Guido, Fendt, Gunter, Steurer, Helmut, Watzka, Willibald, Spies, Hans, Hora, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US08/504,249
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 280/730.2
• 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

Abstract

To trigger driver and passenger airbags as well as side airbags, the sensor signals generated by collision sensors will be fed into a central control unit for processing. According to this invention, side airbags will be activated by evaluating sensor signals generated by a collision sensor for detecting head-on and side collisions, centrally located within the motor vehicle, as well as by a left-hand and right-hand collision sensor each detecting side collisions, by the control unit generating a triggering signal whenever the centrally located collision sensor and at least one of the two side collision sensors generate a collision signal, with one of these two collision sensors having a greater value, or if the centrally located collision sensor as well as one of the two side collision sensors provide a signal of equal value, with the other side collision sensor simultaneously generating a collision signal with a value either equal or lower than the value of the collision signal generated by the central collision sensor. The process according to this invention will lead to a very high degree of triggering certainty for the entire occupant protection system, and advantageously does not require the use of a mechanical safety switch to trigger the side airbags.

Claims

1. A process for triggering side airbags of a passive safety device for motor vehicles, which additionally comprises a driver as well as a passenger airbag, a collision sensor located centrally inside the motor vehicle for detecting head-on and side collisions, and left-hand and right-hand side collision sensors, as well as a control unit evaluating the sensor signals generated by these collision sensors;

and, for evaluating the force of a side collision impact, threshold values are specified for the sensor signals of the centrally located collision sensor as well as for the sensor signals of the side collision sensors; and

a collision signal will be generated whenever a sensor signal exceeds the lowest threshold value specified, and wherein a triggering signal for an airbag will be generated if

a) the centrally located collision sensor as well as at least one side collision sensor simultaneously generate a collision signal each, indicating a side crash, with one of the two sensor signal values when compared to the other value exceeding the next higher threshold value, or both values exceeding the next higher value, or

b) the centrally located collision sensor as well as one side collision sensor simultaneously provide a collision signal each of equal force, indicating a side crash, with the value of these signals being lower than the largest threshold value, and if at the same time the other side collision sensor provides a collision signal indicating the same side crash event;

the force of the latter signal either corresponds to the force of the collision signal generated by the centrally located collision sensor or is lower than that force.

2. Process according to claim 1 wherein a triggering signal for triggering a side airbag will be generated if the centrally located collision sensor as well as one side collision sensor simultaneously provide a collision signal each of equal force, and indicating a side crash, with the values of these signals exceeding the largest threshold value.

3. Process according to claim 1 wherein, for evaluating the force of the collision signals generated by the side collision sensors, a lower number of threshold values each will be provided than for the collision signals generated by the centrally located collision sensor.

4. Process according to claim 1 wherein a triggering signal for a side airbag will be generated if it is only the centrally located collision sensor which generates a collision signal whose value exceeds the largest threshold value.