Dynamic control valve system adapted for inflatable restraint systems for vehicles

• US 6,231,077 B1
• Filed: 05/25/2000
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sturman/Tlx, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sturman/Tlx, LLC
• Inventors: Karolek, Neil C., Sturman, Oded E., Dahlgren, Derek A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Lanna
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fischer, Andrew J.
• Application Number:
  US09/579,408
• Time in Patent Office: 355 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 280/736, 280/737, 280/742, 251/129.1, 251/129.15, 137/625.34
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26094 characterised by fluid flow controlling valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/26 characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow arrangement or mounting thereof to the vehicle B60R21/20; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure in general F42B3/04; initiators or igniters therefor F42B3/10
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/0402 for linearly sliding valves, e.g. spool valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/0716 with fluid passages through the valve member F16K11/0704, F16K11/0708, F16K11/0712 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0606 fluid passing through the solenoid coil
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0613 with cylindrical slides
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0679 with more than one energising coil

Abstract

A dynamic control valve system adapted for inflatable restraint systems for vehicles includes a control valve having an inlet in fluid communication with a source of pressurized fluid, and an outlet in fluid communication with an inlet of the air bag. The control valve includes a valve member actuatable between a flow preventing position and a position spaced away from the flow preventing position. The control valve supplies the high pressure fluid through the control valve to the inflatable restraint for inflating the inflatable restraint when the valve member is moved away from its flow preventing position. The control valve includes a valve spool which cooperates with a valve casing to define a plurality of flow paths. Consequently, the actuation of the valve member between closed and open positions is substantially independent of forces produced by flow of the high pressure fluid through the valve. In one embodiment, the valve member, when unactuated, is maintained in its first position without mechanical bias. In another embodiment, the control valve includes a bias structure for biasing the valve member toward its closed position. In one embodiment, the valve member is moved between the first and second positions based upon at least one vehicle parameter or occupant parameter. Such parameters may be selected from, for example, vehicle deceleration, vehicle acceleration, and/or the presence, weight and/or position of an occupant of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A dynamic control valve system adapted for controlling the inflation of an inflatable restraint of an inflatable restraint systems for vehicles, the dynamic control valve system comprising:

a container at least temporarily containing a fluid under high pressure;

a control valve having a valve inlet in fluid communication with the container and a valve outlet in fluid communication with an inlet of the inflatable restraint, the control valve including a valve member actuatable between at least a first position in which the control valve is substantially closed and a second position in which the control valve is substantially open;

the control valve arranged to communicate the high pressure fluid through the control valve to the inflatable restraint inflating the inflatable restraint when the valve member is actuated between the first and second positions, and the control valve being constructed and arranged so that actuation of the valve member between the first and second positions is substantially independent of forces produced by flow of the high pressure fluid through the valve, and so that the valve member, when unactuated, is maintained in the first position without mechanical bias, and the control valve being constructed and arranged to be controlled to allow the flow rate of the high pressure fluid through the control valve from the valve inlet to the valve outlet to be modulated, thereby dynamically varying the rate of inflation of the inflatable restraint.

2. The dynamic control valve system according to claim 1, including a controller coupled to the control valve for electrically operating the control valve for actuating the valve member between the first and second positions based upon at least one parameter from the group consisting of a vehicle parameter and an occupant parameter.

3. The dynamic control valve system according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle parameter includes at least one of vehicle deceleration and vehicle acceleration, and wherein the occupant parameter includes at least one of presence of an occupant, position of an occupant, size of an occupant and weight of an occupant.

4. The dynamic control valve system according to claim 1, wherein the valve member of the control valve comprises a generally cylindrical valve spool, and wherein the valve spool includes a plurality of metering lands and a plurality of exhaust lands.

5. The dynamic control valve system according to claim 4, further including a valve body having a generally cylindrical bore, and wherein the valve spool is located in the bore for axial movement, the valve spool including a substantially circular section and grooves in the circular section of the valve spool for communicating the valve inlet with the valve outlet when the valve spool is moved towards its second position, and wherein the high pressure fluid flows through the grooves in the circular section of the control valve when the valve spool is moved toward its second position.

6. The dynamic control valve system according to claim 5, wherein the valve inlet includes at least first and second valve inlet ports formed in the valve body, said inlet ports arranged to cause the high pressure fluid to be introduced into the control valve at diametrically opposed locations, and wherein the valve outlet includes at least first and second valve outlet ports disposed in the valve body to cause the high pressure fluid to flow out of the control valve at diametrically opposed locations.

7. The dynamic control valve system according to claim 6, wherein the inlet ports are defined by inlet bores formed through a sidewall of the valve body to intersect the metering lands, and wherein the valve outlet ports are defined by outlet bores formed through a sidewall of the valve body to intersect the metering lands.

8. The dynamic control valve system according to claim 1, wherein the control valve member defines at least one fluid leakage path, said leakage path arranged to allow a predetermined volume of the high pressure fluid to leak through the control valve upon actuation of the control valve, to thereby control the rate of inflation of the inflatable restraint.

9. A dynamic control valve system adapted for controlling the inflation of an inflatable restraint of an inflatable restraint system for vehicles, the dynamic control valve system comprising:

a container at least temporarily containing a fluid under high pressure;

a control valve having a valve inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the container and a valve outlet in fluid communication with an inlet of the inflatable restraint, the control valve including a valve member moving between at least a first position in which the control valve is substantially closed and a second position in which the control valve is substantially open; and

a controller coupled to the control valve actuating the control valve based upon at least one of vehicle parameter and occupant parameter;

the control valve arranged to communicate the high pressure fluid to the inflatable restraint inflating the inflatable restraint with the high pressure fluid when the valve member is moved between the first and second positions, and the control valve being constructed and arranged to be controlled by the controller to allow the flow rate of the high pressure fluid through the control valve from the valve inlet to the valve outlet to be modulated, thereby dynamically varying the rate of inflation of the inflatable restraint as a function of said at least one parameter from the group consisting of a vehicle parameter and an occupant parameter.

10. The dynamic control valve system according to claim 9, wherein vehicle parameter includes at least one of, vehicle deceleration and vehicle acceleration, and wherein the occupant parameter includes at least one of presence of an occupant, position of an occupant, size of an occupant, and a weight of an occupant.

11. The dynamic control valve system according to claim 9, wherein the control valve includes a first solenoid operable for moving its valve member toward the first position and a second solenoid operable for moving its valve member toward the second position.

12. The dynamic control valve system according to claim 11, wherein the controller provides drive signals for driving the first solenoid independently of the second solenoid for varying the rate of flow of the high pressure fluid through the control valve during the inflation of the inflatable restraint.

13. The dynamic control valve system according to claim 11, wherein the controller provides first and second modulated drive signals for the first and second solenoids, respectively, for varying the flow rate of high pressure fluid through the control valve.

14. The dynamic control valve system according to claim 10, further including at least one sensing device coupled to an input of the controller for supplying to the controller an input based upon at least one of occupant parameters.

15. The dynamic control valve system according to claim 9, wherein the control valve includes a bias structure for biasing the valve member toward its first position, and a solenoid operable for moving the valve member, against the force of the bias structure, toward the second position.

16. The dynamic control valve system according to claim 9, wherein the inflatable restraint includes a major axis and the container is arranged to communicate the high pressure fluid into the inflatable restraint along at least one flow path that extends substantially normal to the major axis of the inflatable restraint.

17. The dynamic control valve system according to claim 9, wherein the high pressure fluid flows through the control valve along at least one fluid flow axis, and wherein the high pressure fluid is directed into the inflatable restraint along at least one flow path that extends at approximately ninety degrees relative to said one fluid flow axis of the control valve.