Impact sensor configuration for a motor vehicle

• US 6,036,224 A
• Filed: 06/12/1998
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Wachter, Michael, Vogt, Richard, Mader, Gerhard, Swart, Marten, Anthofer, Anton, Paul, Klemens
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Application Number:
  US09/096,980
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 280/734, 280/735, 280/730.2, 180/282, 180/274, 340/436, 701/45
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01027 Safing sensors
• 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: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions

Abstract

An impact sensor configuration in a motor vehicle includes a sensor device in each vehicle half (relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle) for detecting an acceleration. Each sensor device has two acceleration sensors with differently directed sensitivity axes.

Claims

1. An impact sensor configuration for a motor vehicle having a first motor vehicle door and a second motor vehicle door and a longitudinal axis, the impact sensor configuration comprising:

a first device for detecting an acceleration and a second device for detecting an acceleration, said first device disposed adjacent a first motor vehicle door and said second device disposed adjacent a second motor vehicle door, the second motor vehicle door being opposite the first motor vehicle door, said first device and said second device each having two acceleration sensors with mutually differently oriented sensitivity axes.

2. The sensor configuration according to claim 1, wherein said two acceleration sensors include a longitudinal acceleration sensor for detecting a vehicle acceleration parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and a transverse acceleration sensor for detecting a vehicle acceleration transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

3. In combination with a control configuration for a restraining system in a motor vehicle having a first motor vehicle door and a second motor vehicle door, an impact sensor configuration, comprising:

a first device for detecting an acceleration and a second device for detecting an acceleration, said first device disposed adjacent a first motor vehicle door and said second device disposed adjacent a second motor vehicle door, the second motor vehicle door being opposite the first motor vehicle door, said first device and said second device each having two acceleration sensors with mutually differently oriented sensitivity axes and outputting acceleration signals; and

an evaluation system for evaluating the acceleration signals output by said first device and said second device and for generating a control signal for a restraining system of the motor vehicle in dependence on the acceleration signals.

4. The control configuration according to claim 3, wherein said evaluation system is disposed centrally in the motor vehicle.

5. The control configuration according to claim 3, wherein said evaluation system includes two evaluation units each assigned to a respective said device, and wherein said two evaluation units are connected to each other via a line for code signal transmission.

6. The control configuration according to claim 5, which further comprises:

two control devices each including one of said devices and one of said evaluation units; and

wherein one of said two control devices is disposed in the left-hand vehicle half and another of said two control devices is disposed in the right-hand vehicle half.

7. An occupant protection system for a motor vehicle with the control configuration according to claim 3, which comprises:

a restraining device for side impact protection and a restraining device for front impact protection disposed in a right-hand vehicle half, a restraining device for side impact protection and a restraining device for front impact protection disposed in a left-hand vehicle half, said restraining devices being electrically connected to said evaluation system.

8. The occupant protection system according to claim 7, wherein said evaluation system includes an evaluation unit disposed in the left-hand vehicle half and an evaluation unit disposed in the right-hand vehicle half, said restraining devices for side impact protection and for front impact protection in the left-hand vehicle half are electrically connected to said evaluation unit disposed in the left-hand vehicle half, and said restraining devices for side impact protection and for front impact protection in the right-hand vehicle half are electrically connected to said evaluation unit disposed in the right-hand vehicle half.

9. An occupant protection system for a motor vehicle with the control configuration according to claim 8, wherein said evaluation unit disposed in the left-hand vehicle half is electrically connected to said evaluation unit disposed in the right-hand vehicle half via a line for code signal transmission.