Airbag system for a motor vehicle

• US 6,736,424 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2002
• Issued: 05/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Specht, Martin, Heckmayr, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Carone, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RICHARDSON, JOHN A
• Application Number:
  US10/135,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20030052479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 280/733, 280/729, 280/743.1, 701/1, 701/45, 701/47, 73/310.4, 340/438, 340/436, 200/61.45 M
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01081 Transmission medium
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01231 control of expansion timing or sequence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01 Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343

Abstract

An airbag system for a motor vehicle has an airbag that is deployed upon inflation with a gas from a folded state into the vehicle interior. An inflation device supplies gas for inflating the airbag. A sensing device senses deployment of the airbag to the effect that the temporal and spatial sequence involved in opening the folds of the airbag is detected. A control device controls the inflation process as a function of deployment sensing.

Claims

1. An airbag system for a motor vehicle comprising:

a fabric airbag that is deployed upon inflation with a gas from a folded state into an interior of the vehicle, wherein at least one electrical conductor is disposed completely on an outside of the fabric airbag, wherein passage of an electrical signal through the entire length of the electrical conductor is monitored by a sensing device;

an inflation device that supplies the gas for inflating the airbag;

an electronic memory device for storing a desired temporal and spatial deployment sequence; and

a control device that controls the inflation process as a function of deployment sensing, wherein the sensing device senses the temporal and spatial sequence involved in opening the folds of the airbag and compares the sensed temporal and spatial sequence to the desired temporal and spatial deployment sequence for controlling the inflation process.

2. The airbag system according to claim 1 wherein the electrical conductor is in the form of an elongate electrical track.

3. The airbag system according to claim 1 wherein further comprising jumpers disposed between successive folds of the fabric airbag whereby each jumper is connected on both ends to the electrical conductor, wherein each jumper short circuits a portion of the electrical conductor.

4. The airbag system according to claim 1 wherein the jumpers are disposed on the outside of the fabric airbag whereby the jumpers successively broken as the airbag deploys.