Safety arrangement
First Claim
1. A safety arrangement for use in a motor vehicle, the safety arrangement comprising a deformable element which defines at least one interior chamber and which is adapted to be mounted on the vehicle in a position where the element may be deformed in a crash situation, the deformable element being configured to be deformed in a crash, a source of gas connected to inject gas into the chamber and a sensor to generate, from one or more sensed parameters, a crash severity signal representative of the expected severity of a crash, the sensor being connected through a processor to control the source of gas to supply the gas to the chamber in response to the crash severity signal representative of an expected severity of crash higher than a predetermined severity wherein the supply of the gas causes the stiffness of the deformable element to increase and the processor controls the source of gas such that the gas is supplied to the chamber before the deformable element starts to deform in an accident situation in which the crash severity signal is above the predetermined severity.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A safety arrangement for use in a motor vehicle comprises at least one plastically-deformable element, defining an interior chamber, which will deform only when subjected to at least a first predetermined force. A source of gas is connected to inject gas into the chamber and a signal generator is provided to generate a signal representative of crash severity which is to be applied to the element during a crash situation or in an anticipated crash situation. The signal generator is connected to a control unit so as to provide the control unit with the signal. The control unit is connected to the source of gas in order to control the source of gas and to inject gas into the interior chamber of the deformable element so as to increase the gas pressure in the chamber when the crash severity signal is substantially in excess of a predetermined threshold. The arrangement provides a structure whose energy absorption characteristics can be varied according to the severity of a crash situation.
53 Citations
25 Claims
- 1. A safety arrangement for use in a motor vehicle, the safety arrangement comprising a deformable element which defines at least one interior chamber and which is adapted to be mounted on the vehicle in a position where the element may be deformed in a crash situation, the deformable element being configured to be deformed in a crash, a source of gas connected to inject gas into the chamber and a sensor to generate, from one or more sensed parameters, a crash severity signal representative of the expected severity of a crash, the sensor being connected through a processor to control the source of gas to supply the gas to the chamber in response to the crash severity signal representative of an expected severity of crash higher than a predetermined severity wherein the supply of the gas causes the stiffness of the deformable element to increase and the processor controls the source of gas such that the gas is supplied to the chamber before the deformable element starts to deform in an accident situation in which the crash severity signal is above the predetermined severity.
- 21. A safety arrangement for use in a motor vehicle, the safety arrangement comprising a deformable element which defines at least one interior chamber and which is adapted to be mounted on the vehicle in a position where the element may be deformed in a crash situation, the deformable element being configured to be partially deformed in a crash, a source of gas connected to inject gas into the chamber and a sensor to generate, from one or more sensed parameters, a crash severity signal representative of the ejected severity of a crash, the sensor being connected through a processor to control the source of gas to supply the gas to the chamber in response to the crash severity signal representative of a severity of crash higher than a predetermined severity, wherein the supply of the gas causes the stiffness of the deformable element to increase, the deformable element has a predetermined range of deformation, and the sensor is connected to control the source of gas to supply gas to the chamber in response to the signal representative of a crash severity signal of a magnitude that would lead to the deformable element being deformed by at least 50% of its predetermined range of deformation.
Specification