Restraint system for a motor vehicle

• US 7,428,941 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2007
• Issued: 09/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Baur, Richard, Urbahn, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan; Ruth
• Application Number:
  US11/710,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20070200324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 280/806, 280/807, 701/45, 180/268, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 180/268
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01034 Controlling a plurality of restraint devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01272 Belt tensioners
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0173 Diagnostic or recording means therefor

Abstract

A restraint system for a vehicle having sensors for detecting a collision of the vehicle is described. The system has a control unit which analyzes the signals and, in the event of a recognized collision of the motor vehicle, transmits a first signal to a safety belt restraint, which then activates a belt tensioner using a predefined first restraint force, and subsequently transmits a second signal to a front airbag system, which then triggers an airbag. The system has a malfunction monitoring unit for one of the restraint devices such that the control unit transmits a third signal to a replacement restraint device in the event that a malfunction of the front airbag system is recognized by the malfunction monitoring unit.

Claims

1. A restraint system for a motor vehicle comprising:

sensors for detecting a collision of the motor vehicle;

a control unit for analyzing signals of the sensors, which, when recognizing a collision of the motor vehicle, transmits a first signal to a first restraint device comprising a safety belt restraint device that activates a belt tensioner using a predefined first restraint force, and subsequently transmits a second signal to a second restraint device comprising a front airbag system that triggers a front airbag; and

a malfunction monitoring unit for determining correct functioning of at least one of the restraint devices, wherein in the event a malfunction of the front airbag system is recognized by the malfunction monitoring unit after recognizing the collision, the control unit, following transmission of the first and second signals, transmits a third signal to the first restraint device that activates a replacement actuator.

2. The restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the replacement restraint device comprises the safety belt restraint device that, in response to the third signal of the control unit, activates the replacement actuator comprising the belt tensioner using a predefined second restraint force.

3. The restraint system according to claim 2, wherein the second restraint force is greater than the first restraint force.

4. The restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the malfunction monitoring unit comprises an airbag ignition circuit monitoring unit.

5. The restraint system according claim 1, wherein the malfunction monitoring unit comprises an interior sound pressure propagation monitoring unit.

6. A vehicle occupant restraint system, comprising:

a control unit operatively connected to vehicle sensors for recognizing from vehicle sensors signals a collision of the vehicle;

a first restraint device for restraining the occupant in response to a first signal of the control unit, the first signal being generated when recognizing the collision;

a second restraint device for restraining the occupant in response to a second signal of the control unit, the second signal being generated after the first signal; and

a replacement actuator of the first restraint device for restraining the occupant in response to a third signal of the control unit, the third signal being generated, following transmission of the first and second signals, upon determining a failure of one of the first and second restraint devices after recognition of the collision.

7. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 6, further comprising a malfunction monitoring unit operatively connected to the control unit for determining the failure of one of the first and second restraint devices.

8. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 7, wherein the malfunction monitoring unit comprises an airbag ignition circuit monitoring unit.

9. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 7, wherein the malfunction monitoring unit comprises a sound pressure propagation monitoring unit.

10. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 6, wherein the first restraint device comprises a safety belt restraint device having a belt tensioner applying a first restraint force.

11. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 6, wherein the second restraint device comprises an airbag system.

12. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 6, wherein the replacement restraint device comprises a safety belt restraint device having a belt tensioner applying a second restraint force.

13. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 12, wherein the second restraint force is greater than a first restraint force applied by the first restraint device.

14. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 7, wherein the malfunction monitoring unit determines the failure of the second restraint device comprising an airbag system.

15. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 6, wherein actuation of the second restraint system follows actuation of the first restraint system by a predefined time delay.

16. A method of restraining an occupant of a vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

recognizing in a control unit a vehicle collision;

upon recognizing the vehicle collision, generating a first signal in the control unit causing a first restraint device to restrain the occupant;

generating a second signal in the control unit causing a second restraint device to restrain the occupant, after a predefined time delay;

determining in a malfunction monitoring unit whether a failure of the second restraint system occurred, after recognition of the vehicle collision; and

if the failure occurred, generating a third signal in the control unit, after generation of the first and second signals, causing a replacement actuator of the first restraint device to restrain the occupant.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising causing a safety belt tensioner of the first restraint device to apply a first restraint force.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising causing the safety belt tensioner of the replacement restraint device to apply a second restraint force, greater than the first restraint force.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising causing an airbag system of the second restraint device to deploy.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising determining the failure of the second restraint system using one of an airbag ignition circuit monitoring unit and a sound pressure propagation monitoring unit.