Device and method for supplying the triggering device of an occupant restraint system with power

• US 7,352,080 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2001
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Grasshoff, Helge
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherry; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUTLAND WALLIS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US10/296,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20040099460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,532 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 361/91.1, 361/247, 361/93.1, 180/282, 180/274, 280/735
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/017 including arrangements for providing electric power to safety arrangements or their actuating means, e.g. to pyrotechnic fuses or electro-mechanic valves

Abstract

The invention relates to a device that comprises a plurality of energy stores and a driver circuit. Said driver circuit is supplied by at least two of the energy stores via a selecting circuit in such a manner that the driver circuit is always supplied by the energy store that has the highest voltage as compared to the remaining energy stores.

Claims

1. A device for supplying power to a firing unit of a vehicle-occupant restraint system, comprising:

a plurality of switches formed as MOS transistors having gate terminals;

a plurality of energy storage devices;

a control device;

a driver circuit for the vehicle-occupant restraint system, the driver circuit coupled to the gate terminals of the MOS transistors;

a selector circuit supplying the driver circuit with a voltage from one of the energy storage devices that is higher than a voltage of any other one of the energy storage devices; and

a charge pump connected between the selector circuit and the driver circuit.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the selector circuit includes a diode matrix.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

one of the energy storage devices is a part of a firing circuit of a front airbag of the vehicle-occupant restraint system.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

one of the energy storage devices is a part of a firing circuit of a side airbag of the vehicle-occupant restraint system.

5. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step-up converter for generating a firing voltage for the vehicle-occupant restraint system;

the step-up converter including one of the energy storage devices.

6. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step-up converter for generating a supply voltage for the control device;

the step-up converter including one of the energy storage devices.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the charge pump includes an energy storage device.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the energy storage devices are capacitors.

9. A method for supplying power to a firing unit of a vehicle-occupant restraint system, comprising:

using switches to feed energy to the firing unit from a first storage device, the switches being MOS transistors having gate terminals;

providing a driver circuit for actuating the MOS transistors and coupling the driver circuit to the gate terminals of the MOS transistors;

using a selector circuit to supply the driver circuit with a voltage from one of the energy storage devices that is higher than a voltage of any other one of the energy storage devices.