Passenger protecting apparatus for vehicle
First Claim
1. A passenger protecting apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
- an air bag capable of inflating in either a first inflating mode where the air bag is inflated under a first pressure or a second inflating mode where the air bag is inflated under a second pressure, the second pressure being established to be smaller than the first pressure;
a collision impact detecting unit for detecting a degree of impact produced at the vehicle'"'"'s collision;
an abrupt brake detecting unit for detecting an abrupt braking of the vehicle;
a sitting position detecting unit for detecting the sitting position of a passenger;
an air bag inflation control unit for controlling the inflation of the air bag in either the first inflating mode or the second inflating mode;
wherein when the abrupt brake detecting unit detects the abrupt braking, the air bag inflation control unit estimates the position of the passenger at the time of air bag'"'"'s inflating on the basis of the detected sitting position and the degree of impact detected by the collision impact detecting unit; and
wherein, when the degree of impact exceeds a predetermined value and the passenger'"'"'s position estimated by the air bag inflation control unit is out of a designated zone defined by a predetermined distance from a deployment door, the air bag inflation control unit determines to inflate the air bag in the first inflating mode; and
when the passenger'"'"'s position estimated by the air bag inflation control unit is within the designated zone, the air bag inflation control unit determines to inflate the air bag in the second inflating mode.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A passenger protecting apparatus is provided for protecting a passenger on a front passenger'"'"'s seat at a vehicle'"'"'s collision. In the apparatus, it is carried out to appropriately select an inflating mode of an air bag on rapid estimation of the passenger'"'"'s position at the start of inflating the air bag. When a pre-crush brake G sensor 12 detects a driver'"'"'s pre-crush braking operation, it is executed to pick up a passenger'"'"'s sitting position that a passenger'"'"'s position detecting device 3 has been detecting and estimate the passenger'"'"'s position at the start of inflating the air bag on the basis of the passenger'"'"'s sitting position and a passenger'"'"'s displacement. The passenger'"'"'s displacement is obtained by double time integrating an acceleration detected by a collision detecting sensor 11 with respect to a degree of impact due to the vehicle'"'"'s collision. When the estimated passenger'"'"'s position is out of a designated zone defined by a predetermined distance from a deployment door, then a normal mode is selected to inflate the air bag at a normal speed. While, if the estimated position is within the designated zone, the air bag is unfolded at a moderate inflating mode.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. A passenger protecting apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
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an air bag capable of inflating in either a first inflating mode where the air bag is inflated under a first pressure or a second inflating mode where the air bag is inflated under a second pressure, the second pressure being established to be smaller than the first pressure;
a collision impact detecting unit for detecting a degree of impact produced at the vehicle'"'"'s collision;
an abrupt brake detecting unit for detecting an abrupt braking of the vehicle;
a sitting position detecting unit for detecting the sitting position of a passenger;
an air bag inflation control unit for controlling the inflation of the air bag in either the first inflating mode or the second inflating mode;
wherein when the abrupt brake detecting unit detects the abrupt braking, the air bag inflation control unit estimates the position of the passenger at the time of air bag'"'"'s inflating on the basis of the detected sitting position and the degree of impact detected by the collision impact detecting unit; and
wherein, when the degree of impact exceeds a predetermined value and the passenger'"'"'s position estimated by the air bag inflation control unit is out of a designated zone defined by a predetermined distance from a deployment door, the air bag inflation control unit determines to inflate the air bag in the first inflating mode; and
when the passenger'"'"'s position estimated by the air bag inflation control unit is within the designated zone, the air bag inflation control unit determines to inflate the air bag in the second inflating mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A passenger protecting apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
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an air bag capable of inflating in either a first inflating mode where the air bag is inflated under a first pressure or a second inflating mode where the air bag is inflated under a second pressure, the second pressure being established to be smaller than the first pressure;
collision impact detecting means for detecting a degree of impact produced at the vehicle'"'"'s collision;
abrupt brake detecting means for detecting an abrupt braking of the vehicle;
sitting position detecting means for detecting the sitting position of a passenger;
air bag inflation control means for controlling the inflation of the air bag in either the first inflating mode or the second inflating mode;
wherein when the abrupt brake detecting means detects the abrupt braking, the air bag inflation control means estimates the position of the passenger at the time of air bag'"'"'s inflating on the basis of the detected sitting position and the degree of impact detected by the collision impact detecting means; and
wherein, when the degree of impact exceeds a predetermined value and the passenger'"'"'s position estimated by the air bag inflation control means is out of a designated zone defined by a predetermined distance from a deployment door, the air bag inflation control means determines to inflate the air bag in the first inflating mode; and
when the passenger'"'"'s position estimated by the air bag inflation control means is within the designated zone, the air bag inflation control unit determines to inflate the air bag in the second inflating mode.
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Specification