Passenger protecting apparatus and actuating apparatus therefor

• US 5,657,831 A
• Filed: 11/28/1995
• Issued: 08/19/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Furui, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberleitner, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US08/563,601
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 280/734, 180/282, 180/274, 307/10.1, 340/436, 340/438, 340/669, 364/424.055, 364/424.056, 200/61.49
• US Class Current: 180/282
• 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 21/0133 by integrating the amplitude of the input signal
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01332 by frequency or waveform analysis
• 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: G01P 15/135 by making use of contacts which are actuated by a movable inertial mass

Abstract

An actuating apparatus for a passenger protecting apparatus the characteristics of which are easily adjusted, and which is small in size, and the cost of which can be suppressed to be inexpensive, has a comparatively simple construction, that is to say, is constructed to combine a mechanical acceleration switch having no mechanism for holding the states of the contacts thereof with electric circuits such as an integrating circuit, a comparing circuit and the like for controlling a semiconductor switch in the igniting circuit thereof.

Claims

1. An actuating apparatus for a passenger protecting device, comprising:

a first deceleration detecting circuit comprising an analog acceleration sensor connected to a microprocessor, the output of said microprocessor controlling a first switch;

a second deceleration detecting circuit having response characteristics different from the first deceleration detecting circuit, comprising;

a mechanical acceleration sensor;

an integrator receiving and integrating the output of the mechanical acceleration sensor;

a comparator receiving and comparing the output of the integrator to a reference signal, the output of the comparator controlling a second switch;

wherein a squib is serially connected between said first and second switches.

2. The actuating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output of said comparator further controls a third switch, and wherein a second squib is serially connected between said first and third switches.

3. An actuating apparatus for a passenger protecting device, comprising:

a first deceleration detecting circuit comprising;

an analog acceleration sensor connected to a microprocessor, the output of said microprocessor controlling a first switch;

a second deceleration detecting circuit having response characteristics different from the first deceleration detecting circuit, comprising;

a mechanical acceleration sensor;

an integrator receiving and integrating the output of the mechanical acceleration sensor;

a comparator receiving and comparing the output of the integrator to a reference signal;

a one-shot timer circuit receiving the output of the comparator and controlling a second switch in accordance with the output of the comparator;

wherein a squib is serially connected between said first and second switches.

4. The actuating apparatus of claim 3, wherein the output of said comparator further controls a third switch, and wherein a second squib is serially connected between said first and third switches.

5. An actuating apparatus for a passenger protecting device, comprising:

a first deceleration detecting circuit comprising an analog acceleration sensor connected to a microprocessor;

a second deceleration detecting circuit having response characteristics different from the first deceleration detecting circuit, comprising;

a mechanical acceleration sensor;

an integrator receiving and integrating the output of the mechanical acceleration sensor;

a comparator receiving and comparing the output of the integrator to a reference signal;

wherein said actuating apparatus further comprises;

an AND gate receiving the outputs of the first and second deceleration detecting circuits and controlling a first switch in accordance with said outputs;

a NAND gate receiving the outputs of the first and second deceleration detecting circuits and controlling a second switch in accordance with said outputs;

a squib serially connected between said first and second switches.

6. The actuating apparatus of claim 5, wherein said second deceleration detecting circuit further comprises a one-shot timer circuit receiving the output of the comparator and sending an output to said AND and NAND gates.