Airbag door with an electromagnetic field

• US 6,726,240 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2003
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Textron Autmotive Company Inc.
• Original Assignee: Textron Automotive Company Inc. (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Riha, Keith A.
• Primary Examiner(s): CULBRETH, ERIC D
• Application Number:
  US10/221,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20030205886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 280/734, 280/728.1, 280/728.3
• US Class Current: 280/728.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01504 detecting bag displacement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2165 characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening

Abstract

An airbag deployment safety device (25) is provided comprising a first conductive path (48a) for receiving an input signal, a second conductive path (48b) for receiving an induced signal through electromagnetic coupling of the first conductive path (48a) and the second conductive path (48b), and a processor circuit (79) configured to control deployment of the airbag (25a) in response to a comparison of the induced signal to a predetermined path.

Claims

1. An airbag deployment safety device comprising:

a first conductive path for receiving an input signal;

a second conductive path for receiving an induced signal through electromagnetic coupling of the first conductive path and the second conductive path; and

a processor circuit configured to control deployment of an airbag in response to a comparison of the induced signal to a predetermined signal, and an airbag deployment door, wherein at least a portion of one of the first conductive path and the second conductive path are located on the airbag deployment door.

2. The airbag deployment safety device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of one of the first conductive path and the second conductive path are located on a trim panel.

3. The airbag deployment safety device of claim 2 wherein the trim panel comprises a substrate;

and

at least a portion of one of the first conductive path and the second conductive path are located on the substrate.

4. The airbag deployment safety device of claim 3 wherein the trim panel further comprises a skin at least partially covering the substrate;

and

at least a portion of one of the first conductive path and the second conductive path are located on either the skin or the substrate, or at a location in between.

5. The airbag deployment safety device of claim 4 wherein the trim panel further comprises a foam located between the skin and the substrate;

and

at least a portion of one of the first conductive path and the second conductive path are at least partially surrounded by the foam.

6. The airbag deployment safety device of claim 2 wherein the trim panel comprises a skin;

and

at least a portion of one of the first conductive path and the second conductive path are located in the skin.

7. The airbag deployment safety device of claim 2 wherein the trim panel comprises a skin;

and

the skin comprises at least a portion of one of the first conductive path and the second conductive path.

8. The airbag deployment safety device of claim 7 wherein the skin comprises at least a portion of the first conductive path and the second conductive path comprises an electrically conductive polymer.

9. The airbag deployment safety device of claim 2 wherein the trim panel comprises a substrate;

and

the substrate comprises at least a portion of one of the first conductive path and the second conductive path.

10. The airbag deployment safety device of claim 2 wherein the trim panel comprises an instrument panel.

11. The airbag deployment safety device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the first conductive path and second conductive path are laterally displaced and substantially parallel to one another along at least a portion of their respective lengths.

12. The airbag deployment safety device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of one of the first conductive path and the second conductive path are adjacent a boundary of an airbag deployment door.

13. The airbag deployment safety device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the first conductive path and second conductive path are separated by a boundary of an airbag deployment door.

14. The airbag deployment safety device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of one of the first conductive path and the second conductive path form a serpentine pattern.

15. The airbag deployment safety device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of one of the first conductive path and the second conductive path comprise a flat conductor.

16. The airbag deployment safety device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of one of the first conductive path and the second conductive path comprise a flexible printed circuit.

17. A method of controlling the deployment of an airbag comprising:

providing an input signal to a first conductive path;

receiving an induced signal at a second conductive path through electromagnetic coupling of the first conductive path and the second conductive path;

providing a processor circuit configured to control deployment of an airbag in response to a comparison of the induced signal to a predetermined signal;

comparing the induced signal with a predetermined signal; and

controlling deployment of the airbag in response to the comparison of the induced signal to the predetermined signal.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:

the predetermined signal comprises a range of predetermined signals having an upper limit and a lower limit; and

the step of controlling deployment of the airbag in response to the comparison of the induced signal to the predetermined signal further comprises;

permitting deployment of the airbag in response to the comparison of the induced signal to the predetermined signal when the induced signal is within the range of predetermined signals; and

preventing deployment of the airbag in response to the comparison of the induced signal to the predetermined signal when the induced signal is outside the range of predetermined signals.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein at least a portion of one of the first conductive path and the second conductive path are located on an airbag deployment door.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein at least a portion of one of the first conductive path and the second conductive path are located on a trim panel.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the trim panel comprises an instrument panel.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the trim panel comprises an air bag deployment door.

23. The method of claim 17 an electromagnetic field overlies at least a portion of an outer surface of an airbag deployment door.

24. A trim panel for a motor vehicle comprising:

a first conductive path for receiving an input signal;

a second conductive path for receiving an induced signal through electromagnetic coupling of the first conductive path and the second conductive path; and

an airbag deployment door.

25. An airbag deployment door comprising:

at least a portion of one of a first conductive path and a second conductive path, the first conductive path for receiving an input signal and the second conductive path for receiving an induced signal through electromagnetic coupling of the first conductive path and the second conductive path.

26. An airbag deployment door having an outer surface, an electromagnetic field overlying at least a portion of the outer surface of the airbag deployment door, the electromagnetic field configured to control deployment of an airbag.