Airbag testing apparatus and a method therefor

• US 5,786,526 A
• Filed: 12/23/1996
• Issued: 07/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daewoo Electronics (Government of South Korea)
• Original Assignee: Daewoo Electronics (Government of South Korea)
• Inventors: Byon, Sung-Kwang
• Primary Examiner(s): RAEVIS, ROBERT R
• Application Number:
  US08/780,082
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 73/1 D, 73/1 DV, 73/12.01, 73/12.08, 73/865.8, 73/865.9, 73/1.37-1.39, 73/1.41
• US Class Current: 73/12.01
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/16 Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags protective garments with automatically inflatable shock-absorbing means A41D13/018; connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 99/008 by doing functionality tests
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus or devices covered by the preceding groups

Abstract

An airbag testing apparatus includes a digital crash signal generating unit for generating a digital crash signal connected with a shock controller, a shock generator connected to the shock controller for generating shock control pulses, an acceleration-sensor supporting unit for transmitting the vibration produced from the shock generator to an acceleration sensor of an airbag system to be tested, an ECU test unit for mounting an ECU of the airbag system to be tested to monitor the operation of said ECU, a tank tester internally having a gas generator and an airbag module of the airbag system to be tested to which a pressure sensor and a displacement sensor are installed for sensing a pressure and displacement of the airbag module, and an output unit connected with the pressure sensor and displacement sensor for outputting the monitored pressure value and displacement value. Also, an airbag testing method is provided, thereby enabling to test performance of the airbag system while requiring low cost.

Claims

1. In a testing apparatus for testing performance of an airbag system including an acceleration sensor, an electronic control unit (ECU) connected to said acceleration sensor for determining to deploy or not to deploy the air bag in accordance with an input acceleration signal, a gas generator connected to said ECU for generating gas for deploying said air bag in accordance with a deployment signal from said ECU and an airbag module expanding by said gas from said gas generator, said testing apparatus comprises:

digital crash signal generating means for processing crash pulse data obtained by an actual car-crash test, and generating a digital crash signal;

a shock controller connected to said digital crash signal generating means for generating a control pulse in response to said digital crash signal from said digital crash signal generating means;

a shock generator connected to said shock controller for being vibrated in accordance with said control pulse from said shock controller;

acceleration-sensor supporting means for supporting said acceleration sensor forming said airbag system to be tested for transmitting the vibration generated from said shock generator to said acceleration sensor;

an ECU test unit for mounting said ECU of said airbag system to be tested to monitor the operation of said ECU;

a tank tester integrally having a holder for installing said gas generator and airbag module of said airbag system to be tested;

a pressure sensor installed at said tank tester for sensing the pressure of said airbag when said deployment signal from said ECU is supplied to said gas generator to deploy said airbag module; and

an output unit connected with said ECU test unit and said pressure sensor for outputting monitored pressure values and data outputted from said ECU test unit,

wherein said ECU test unit comprises a main instruction processor for controlling the overall operation of said ECU test unit, an inflator squib driver connected to said main instruction processor for generating a squib ignition signal to said gas generator installed within said tank tester when said main instruction processor determines to deploy said airbag, an input output processor connected to said main instruction processor for outputting data to said output unit, an analog conversion module connected to said main instruction processor for converting an analog acceleration signal outputted from said acceleration sensor into a digital signal, a target module serving as a connecting port with which said ECU of said airbag contacts and being connected with said main instruction processor by a connecting line, and an external data acquisition module connected to said main instruction processor for receiving said acceleration signal outputted from said acceleration sensor.

2. The testing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a displacement sensor for sensing the displacement of said airbag when said deployment signal from said ECU which is controlled by said testing apparatus is supplied to said gas generator to deploy said airbag module.

3. The testing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said displacement sensor is a high speed camera of 80 to 120 frames/sec.

4. The testing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said output unit is a display unit which is connected to said input output processor.

5. The testing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ECU test unit further comprises a computer interface, and said output unit is a personal computer which is connected to said computer interface.

6. The testing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said digital crash signal generating means comprises input means for receiving said crash pulse data, a digital signal processor for processing said crash pulse data to generate a digital crash signal, and storage means for storing said digital crash signal.

7. The testing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shock generator comprises a DC motor connected to said shock controller and a vibrator operatively connected to said DC motor and having a vibrating rod which is vibrated in response to the actuation of said DC motor to transmit the vibration to said acceleration sensor by colliding with said acceleration-sensor supporting means.

8. The testing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tank tester has a transparent visible window in a full or partial portion of one side thereof for enabling to see the inside of said tank tester.

11. The testing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said display unit is a monitor.

9. In a testing apparatus for testing performance of an airbag system including an acceleration sensor, an electronic control unit (ECU) connected to said acceleration sensor for determining to deploy or not to deploy an airbag in accordance with an inputted acceleration signal, a gas generator connected to said ECU for generating gas for deploying said airbag in accordance with a deployment signal from said ECU and an airbag module having said airbag for expanding by said gas from said gas generator, said testing apparatus comprises:

digital crash signal generating means for processing real crash pulse data to generate a digital crash signal;

a shock controller connected to said digital crash signal generating means for generating shock control pulses in response to said digital crash signal outputted from said digital crash signal generating means;

a shock generator connected to said shock controller for vibrating in accordance with said shock control pulses outputted from said shock controller;

acceleration-sensor supporting means for supporting said acceleration sensor of said airbag system to be tested to transmit the vibration generated from said shock generator to said acceleration sensor;

an ECU test unit for mounting said ECU of said airbag system to be tested to monitor the operation of said ECU;

a tank tester internally having a holder for installing said gas generator and airbag module of said airbag system to be tested;

a pressure sensor installed at said tank tester for sensing the pressure of said airbag when said deployment signal from said ECU is supplied to said gas generator to deploy said airbag module;

a displacement sensor for sensing the displacement of said airbag when said deployment signal from said ECU is supplied to said gas generator to deploy said airbag module; and

an output unit connected with said ECU test unit and said pressure sensor for outputting monitored pressure values and data outputted from aid ECU test unit,

wherein said ECU test unit comprises a main instruction processor for controlling the overall operation of said ECU test unit, an inflator squib driver connected to said main instruction processor for generating a squib ignition signal to said gas generator installed within said tank tester when said main instruction processor determines to deploy said airbag, an input output processor connected to said main instruction processor for outputting data to said output unit, an analog conversion module connected to said main instruction processor for converting an analog acceleration signal outputted from said acceleration sensor into a digital signal, a target module connected to said main instruction processor for mounting said ECU, and an external data acquisition module connected to said main instruction processor for receiving said acceleration signal outputted from said acceleration sensor,

wherein said displacement sensor is a high speed camera of 80 to 120 frames/sec,

wherein said ECU test unit further comprises a computer interface, and said output unit is a personal computer which is connected to said computer interface,

wherein said digital crash signal generating means comprises input means for receiving said crash pulse data, a digital signal processor for processing said crash pulse data to generate a digital crash signal, and storage means for storing said digital crash signal,

wherein said shock generator comprises a DC motor connected to said shock controller and a vibrator operatively connected to said DC motor and having a vibrating rod which is vibrated in response to the actuation of said DC motor to transmit the vibration to said acceleration sensor by colliding with said acceleration-sensor supporting means,

wherein said tank tester has a transparent visible window in a full or partial portion of one side thereof for enabling to see the inside of said tank tester.

10. In a method for testing an airbag system by use of a testing apparatus comprising digital crash signal generating means having input means, and a digital signal processor for processing crash pulse data to generate a digital crash signal;

a shock controller connected to said digital crash signal generating means for generating a control pulse;

a shock generator connected to said shock controller and including a DC motor and a vibrator for being vibrated in accordance with said control pulse from said shock controller;

acceleration-sensor supporting means for supporting an acceleration sensor to transmit the vibration generated from said shock generator to said acceleration sensor;

an ECU test unit for mounting an ECU of said airbag system to be tested to monitor the operation of said ECU;

a tank tester internally having a holder for installing a gas generator and an airbag module of said airbag system to be tested;

a pressure sensor for sensing pressure of said airbag module when said airbag module is deployed;

a displacement sensor for sensing displacement of said airbag module when said airbag module is deployed; and

an output unit connected with said pressure sensor and said displacement sensor for outputting the monitored pressure value and displacement value, said testing method comprising the steps of;

receiving said crash pulse data obtained by an actual car-crash test;

processing said crash pulse data to generate a digital crash signal suitable for said shock controller in said digital signal processor;

generating shock control pulses in said shock controller in response to said digital crash signal outputted from said digital signal processor and providing said shock control pulses to said shock generator;

generating crash pulses in said acceleration sensor in response to the collision between said vibrator and said acceleration-sensor supporting means and providing said crash pulses to said ECU test unit;

determining whether said airbag module is to be deployed in accordance with said crash pulses from said acceleration sensor;

returning to said step of receiving said crash pulse data when said airbag module is determined not to be deployed;

deploying said airbag module by generating a trigger signal to provide said trigger signal to said gas generator when said airbag module is determined to be deployed;

sensing the pressure and displacement of said airbag module by means of said pressure sensor and displacement sensor when said airbag is deployed; and

outputting the pressure value and displacement value monitored in said step of sensing said pressure and displacement to said output unit.

12. The method for testing the airbag system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said output unit is a monitor.