Method and apparatus for sensing side impact crash conditions with an enhanced safing function
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling an actuatable restraint of a vehicle, comprising:
- a discrimination acceleration sensor mounted to the vehicle and having an axis of sensitivity oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and providing a discriminating crash signal when a transverse crash acceleration of the vehicle is sensed;
first safing acceleration sensor mounted at a substantially central location of the vehicle and having an axis of sensitivity oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and providing a first safing crash signal when crash acceleration is sensed in said transverse direction;
second safing acceleration sensor mounted at the substantially central location of the vehicle and having an axis of sensitivity oriented in a direction substantially parallel to the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and providing a second safing crash signal when crash acceleration is sensed as a result of a crash in the transverse direction; and
means for actuating said actuatable restraint when said discrimination acceleration sensor provides said discriminating crash signal indicating a deployment crash event and when either said first or said second safing acceleration sensors provide their associated safing crash acceleration signal indicating a deployment crash event.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for controlling side actuatable restraint (14, 16) includes a side acceleration sensor (22, 34) mounted to a vehicle at a side location and having an axis of sensitivity (24, 36) oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to a front-to-rear axis (25) of the vehicle. The side sensor provides a discriminating crash signal when a transverse crash acceleration of the vehicle is sensed indicating a deployment crash event. A first central safing acceleration sensor (52) is mounted at a substantially central location of the vehicle (11) and having an axis of sensitivity (58) oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front-to-rear axis (25) of the vehicle. The first safing sensor provides a first safing crash signal when a deployment crash acceleration is sensed in the transverse direction. A second central safing acceleration sensor (50) is mounted at the substantially central location of the vehicle (11) and having an axis of sensitivity (56) oriented in a direction substantially parallel to the front-to-rear axis (25) of the vehicle (11). The second safing sensor provides a second safing crash signal when crash acceleration is sensed in said first direction. An actuatable restraint is actuated when the side crash sensor (22, 34) provides the discriminating crash signal indicating a deployment crash event and when either said first (52) or said second (50) crash sensor provides a safing crash signal indicating a deployment crash event.
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Citations
5 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling an actuatable restraint of a vehicle, comprising:
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a discrimination acceleration sensor mounted to the vehicle and having an axis of sensitivity oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and providing a discriminating crash signal when a transverse crash acceleration of the vehicle is sensed; first safing acceleration sensor mounted at a substantially central location of the vehicle and having an axis of sensitivity oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and providing a first safing crash signal when crash acceleration is sensed in said transverse direction; second safing acceleration sensor mounted at the substantially central location of the vehicle and having an axis of sensitivity oriented in a direction substantially parallel to the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and providing a second safing crash signal when crash acceleration is sensed as a result of a crash in the transverse direction; and means for actuating said actuatable restraint when said discrimination acceleration sensor provides said discriminating crash signal indicating a deployment crash event and when either said first or said second safing acceleration sensors provide their associated safing crash acceleration signal indicating a deployment crash event. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for controlling actuation of an actuatable side restraint of a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:
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sensing a crash acceleration using a discriminating acceleration sensor, said discriminating acceleration sensor providing a deployment crash signal when a crash event is sensed in a first direction having a value greater than a first threshold value; sensing a first safing crash acceleration using a first safing crash acceleration sensor and providing a first safing crash signal when a deployment crash event is sensed in said first direction; sensing a second safing crash acceleration using a second safing crash acceleration sensor and providing a second safing crash signal when a deployment crash event is sensed in a second direction substantially perpendicular to said first direction as a result of a crash event in said first direction; and actuating said side actuatable restraint when said discriminating crash signal indicates a deployment crash event and either (i) said first safing crash signal indicates a deployment crash event is occurring or (ii) said second safing crash signal indicates a deployment crash event is occurring.
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Specification