Vehicle air bag minimum distance enforcement apparatus, method and system

• US 6,634,669 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2001
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vehicle Safety Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vehicle Safety Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Levine, Richard W.
• Primary Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US09/897,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20020074785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 701/49, 745/12, 745/13, 745/14, 296/68.1
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 23/02 for main transmission clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 26/02 of initiating means or elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0028 of a body part, e.g. of an arm or a leg
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/266 with detection or alerting means responsive to presence or absence of children; with detection or alerting means responsive to improper locking or installation of the child seats or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4221 due to impact coming from the front
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42736 of the whole seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4279 electric or electronic triggering
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/888 with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/20 using a deterministic algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0027 Post collision measures, e.g. notifying emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0153 using field detection presence sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20528 Foot operated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20534 Accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2054 Signal

Abstract

A vehicle safety device includes a seat mounted within a passenger compartment of the vehicle, in which the seat is movably connected to a vehicle frame by a seat position adjusting mechanism that allows the seat to move along an axis between a forward-most position and a rearward-most position. An air-bag is mounted within the passenger compartment in front of the forward-most position of the seat, with the forward-most position of the seat defined as a position of the seat in which a distance between a passenger seated in the seat and the air-bag is equal to a minimum safe clearance. In addition, an exemplary method of maintaining a minimum safe clearance between an air-bag mounted in a vehicle and a vehicle passenger includes the steps of preventing motion of a seat toward the air-bag beyond a forward-most position, in which, when in the forward-most position, a passenger seated in the seat is separated from the air-bag by a predetermined minimum safe clearance, and providing a position adjusting mechanism for at least one vehicle control pedal to allow a passenger seated in the seat to adjust a distance between the seat and the at least one pedal by moving the at least one pedal toward and away from the seat. An automatic seat positioning system, which takes into account both seat to air-bag distance and eye height, may be used to optimally and automatically position a passenger to maximize safety and comfort.

Claims

1. A vehicle safety device comprising:

a first air-bag mounted within a passenger compartment of a vehicle; and

a first seat mounted within the passenger compartment, the first seat being movably connected to a frame of the vehicle by a first seat position adjusting mechanism, the first seat position adjusting mechanism allowing the first seat to move relative to the first air-bag along a first axis between a forward-most position and a rearward-most position,

the forward-most position being defined as a position of the first seat in which a distance between a passenger seated in the first seat and the first air-bag is equal to a minimum safe clearance, displacement of the first seat away from the forward-most position increasing the distance between the first seat and the first air-bag;

wherein;

the first air-bag is fixedly positioned with respect to one of a steering wheel assembly for a driver and a dashboard arrangement for a passenger other than the driver; and

the first seat position adjusting mechanism includes a seat position switch so that actuation of the seat position switch causes a corresponding motion of the first seat using a control unit.

2. The vehicle safety device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a computer, further comprising:

a distance sensor which detects a distance between a passenger seated in the first seat and the first air-bag, the distance sensor being coupled to the computer;

wherein the computer determines the location of the forward-most position of the first seat so that, when the first seat is in the forward-most position, a distance between a passenger seated in the first seat and the first air-bag is equal to the minimum safe clearance.

3. The vehicle safety device according to claim 2, further comprising a pedal mount to which at least one vehicle control pedal is mounted, wherein, when the first seat is in the forward-most position, upon actuation of the seat position switch to request forward motion of the first seat, the pedal mount is movable toward the first seat.

4. The vehicle safety device according to claim 3, further comprising a memory in which preferred first seat and pedal mount positions are stored.

5. The vehicle safety device according to claim 3, further comprising an override switch which allows a passenger to select a personal forward-most position so that, when the first seat is in the personal forward-most position, actuation of the seat position switch to request further forward motion of the first seat initiates rearward motion of the at least one vehicle control pedal.

6. The vehicle safety device according to claim 2, further comprising a pedal switch, operation of the pedal switch causing a corresponding motion of a pedal mount.

7. The vehicle safety device according to claim 2, wherein the first seat is movable vertically.

8. The vehicle safety device according to claim 7, further comprising a height sensor for sensing a height of eyes of a passenger in the first seat, wherein the height sensor is coupled to the computer for use in moving the first seat vertically until an optimum eye height is achieved.

9. The vehicle safety device according to claim 2, wherein, when the distance sensor indicates that a passenger seated in the first seat has encroached within the minimum safe clearance, the computer controls operation of the first air-bag in a reduced clearance mode.

10. The vehicle safety device according to claim 9, wherein the reduced clearance mode, the computer prohibits deployment of the first air-bag.

11. The vehicle safety device according to claim 9, wherein in the reduced clearance mode, the computer reduces an inflation pressure of the first air-bag.

12. The vehicle safety device according to claim 9, wherein in the reduced clearance mode, the computer directs staged inflation of the air-bag.

13. A vehicle safety device comprising:

a first air-bag mounted within a passenger compartment of a vehicle; and

a first seat mounted within the passenger compartment, the first seat being movably connected to a frame of the vehicle by a first seat position adjusting mechanism, the first seat position adjusting mechanism allowing the first seat to move relative to the first air-bag along a first axis between a forward-most position and a rearward-most position,

the forward-most position being defined as a position of the first seat in which a distance between a passenger seated in the first seat and the first air-bag is equal to a minimum safe clearance, displacement of the first seat away from the forward-most position increasing the distance between the first seat and the first air-bag;

wherein the first seat is movable vertically, and the first air-bag is fixedly positioned with respect to one of a steering wheel assembly for a driver and a dashboard arrangement for a passenger other than the driver.

14. The vehicle safety device according to claim further comprising:

a height sensor for sensing a height of eyes of a passenger in the first seat; and

a seat position controller for use in moving the first seat vertically until an optimum eye height is achieved.

15. A vehicle safety device comprising:

a first air-bag mounted within a passenger compartment of a vehicle;

a first seat mounted within the passenger compartment, the first seat being movably connected to a frame of the vehicle by a first seat positiQn adjusting mechanism, the first seat position adjusting mechanism allowing the first seat to move relative to the first air-bag along a first axis between a forward-most position and a rearward-most position, the forward-most position being defined as a position of the first seat in which a distance between a passenger seated in the first seat and the first air-bag is equal to a minimum safe clearance, displacement of the first seat away from the forward-most position increasing the distance between the first seat and the first air-bag; and

a height sensor to sense a position of a portion of a passenger seated in the first seat corresponding to a height of the eyes of the passenger;

wherein;

the first air-bag is fixedly positioned with respect to one of a steering wheel assembly for a driver and a dashboard arrangement for a passenger other than the driver, and

the height sensor is operable to provide data for use by a control unit for use in vertically adjusting a height of the first seat to attain an optimum eye height of a passenger seated in the first seat.

16. A vehicle safety device comprising:

a first air-bag mounted within a passenger compartment of a vehicle;

a first seat mounted within the passenger compartment, the first seat being movably connected to a frame of the vehicle by a first seat position adjusting mechanism, the first seat position adjusting mechanism allowing the first seat to move relative to the first air-bag along a first axis between a forward-most position and a rearward-most position,

the forward-most position being defined as a position of the first seat in which a distance between a passenger seated in the first seat and the first air-bag is equal to a minimum safe clearance, displacement of the first seat away from the forward-most position increasing the distance between the first seat and the first air-bag; and

a distance sensor to sense a position of a passenger seated in the first seat corresponding to a distance between the passenger and the first air-bag;

wherein;

the first air-bag is fixedly positioned with respect to one of a steering wheel assembly for a driver and a dashboard arrangement for a passenger other than the driver, and

the distance sensor is operable to provide data to a control unit for use in horizontally moving the first seat along the first axis until the distance sensor indicates that the first seat is in the forward-most position.

17. A vehicle safety device comprising:

a first air-bag mounted within a passenger compartment of a vehicle;

a first seat mounted within the passenger compartment, the first seat being movably connected to a frame of the vehicle by a first seat position adjusting mechanism, the first seat position adjusting mechanism allowing the first seat to move relative to the first air-bag along a first axis between a forward-most position and a rearward-most position,

the forward-most position being defined as a position of the first seat in which a distance between a passenger seated in the first seat and the first air-bag is equal to a minimum safe clearance, displacement of the first seat away from the forward-most position increasing an actual distance between the first seat and the first air-bag;

a pedal position adjusting mechanism for moving at least one pedal toward and away from the first seat, the first seat being a driver seat;

a distance sensor for use in determining the actual distance and for providing it to a control unit for defining the forward-most position based on a distance between a passenger seated in the first seat and the first air-bag; and

a passenger notification device coupled to the control unit for notifying the passenger, when the passenger moves forward within the minimum safe clearance, that the minimum safe clearance has been encroached upon;

wherein the first air-bag is fixedly positioned with respect to one of a steering wheel assembly for a driver and a dashboard arrangement for a passenger other than the driver.

18. A method of maintaining a minimum safe clearance between an air-bag mounted in a vehicle and a vehicle passenger to be protected by the air-bag, wherein the vehicle includes a seat which may be moved toward and away from the air-bag, the method comprising the steps of:

limiting motion of the seat toward the air-bag to prevent motion of the seat beyond a forward-most position wherein, when in the forward-most position, a passenger seated in the seat is separated from the air-bag by a predetermined minimum safe clearance; and

adjusting a position of at least one vehicle control pedal to achieve a desired distance between the seat and the at least one pedal;

wherein;

the air-bag is fixedly positioned with respect to one of a steering wheel assembly for a driver and a dashboard arrangement for a passenger other than the driver; and

the vehicle includes a computer and a sensor for detecting a distance between a passenger seated in the seat and the air-bag, the step of limiting motion of the seat being performed to prohibit further forward directed movement of a seat when the sensor indicates that the distance between a passenger seated in the seat and the air-bag is equal to the minimum safe clearance.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the vehicle further includes a pedal moving arrangement for moving the at least one pedal toward and away from the seat, the method further comprising the step of:

operating the pedal moving arrangement to move the at least one pedal rearward toward the seat while the seat is in the forward-most position.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of:

preventing the air-bag from deploying when the sensor indicates that a passenger seated in the seat has encroached within the minimum safe clearance.

21. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of:

reducing an inflation rate of the air-bag when the sensor indicates that a passenger seated in the seat has encroached within the minimum safe clearance.

22. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of:

inflating the air-bag in stages when the sensor indicates that a passenger seated in the seat has encroached within the minimum safe clearance.