Air bag system

• US 5,868,423 A
• Filed: 09/30/1997
• Issued: 02/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Takimoto, Masahiro, Asaoka, Michihisa, Takahashi, Toshinori, Tatewaki, Yasumasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Application Number:
  US08/941,076
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 280/736, 701/45, 340/436, 180/271, 180/274, 180/282
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01522 using fluid means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01526 using piezoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors

Abstract

In an air bag system according to the invention, there is employed a control device which can control the internal pressure of an air bag after expanded in such a manner that a buffer distance, for which the air bag after expanded can be compressed when it is contacted with an occupant, can be kept constant regardless of an increase or a decrease in the weight or the like of the occupant. In operation, the control device firstly takes out the acceleration data of the occupant corresponding to the degree of a collision in accordance with a signal from an acceleration sensor. Next, in accordance with the thus taken-out acceleration, a distance from the air bag before expanded to the head and bosom portion of the occupant obtained based on a signal from a distance sensor, and the weight of the occupant head and bosom portion obtained based on a signal from a weight sensor, the control device calculates a proper value of the internal pressure of the air bag according to a velocity/distance/power balancing condition equation, and controls a gas generation device in such a manner it can produce a generated gas pressure corresponding to the thus calculated proper value.

Claims

1. An air bag system comprising:

(1) an air bag including a vent hole;

(2) a gas generation device for generating expansion gas to thereby be able to expand the air bag;

(3) a distance sensor for measuring a distance from the air bag to a head and bosom portion of an occupant;

(4) a weight sensor for measuring a weight of the occupant;

(5) an acceleration sensor for measuring an acceleration of a vehicle; and

(6) a control device for controlling an internal pressure of the air bag when it is expanded;

wherein (A) the protrusion distance of said air bag with the expansion thereof completed, (B) a contact area between said expanded air bag and said occupant, and (C) a buffer distance for which said expanded air bag is compressed when it is contacted with said occupant, are previously input into said control device as constant values, and further (D) the acceleration function of said occupant according to the degree of a collision is also previously input into said control device, and also wherein said control device calculates a proper value of the internal pressure of said air bag according to a speed/distance/power balancing condition equation based on a behavior of said air bag and said occupant in a collision, using an acceleration of said occupant calculated from said (D) acceleration function based on a signal from said acceleration sensor, a distance from said air bag before it is expanded to the head and bosom portion of said occupant based on a signal from said distance sensor, a weight of said head and bosom portion of said occupant based on a signal from said weight sensor, and said (A) to (C) constant values previously input into said control device.

2. The air bag system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said gas generation device is prepared in the plural number, and said control device staggers the ignition timings of said respective gas generation devices from each other to thereby be able to control the internal pressure value of said air bag.

3. The air bag system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said gas generation devices includes an electromagnetic type of flow rate control valve for adjusting the release amount of said expansion gas, and said control device controls said flow rate control valve to thereby be able to control the internal pressure value of said air bag.

4. An air bag system as set forth in claim 1, wherein a plurality of said gas generation devices differing in the generated gas pressure from each other are prepared, and said control device controls the combination of said gas generation devices to be ignited to thereby be able to control the internal pressure of said air bag.