Air bag device

• US 7,543,846 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nagatsuyu, Toshiya, Makabe, Takumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; John Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VERLEY, NICOLE T
• Application Number:
  US11/528,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20070075528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.1, 280/730.1, 280/735, 340/425.5, 340/432, 340/438, 340/435, 340/436, 340/439, 340/539.21, 340/539.23, 340/539.1, 340/539.15
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/018 inflatable automatically
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 2600/102 Motorcycling
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0088 Cycles, e.g. motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01088 wireless
• 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 air bag, a control device and a rider or operator removal detecting part are disposed in an operator'"'"'s jacket. An air bag device body includes air inflating chambers, an ECU, a battery, a radio receiver, a main switch and a warning device incorporated into the jacket. In response to a synchronizing signal transmitted from a vehicle-body-side radio transmitter, a vehicle-body-side electric wave signal generating part and a rider-side reference waveform signal generating part, respectively, generate an electric wave signal and a comparison signal in a synchronized state with a signal comparing part determining a phase difference between both signals. When a delay quantity or a change of the delay quantity of the electric wave signal from the electric wave signal generating part is increased, the ECU detects a removal of a rider for informing an air bag drive part.

Claims

1. An air bag device comprising:

a radio transmitter mounted on a vehicle body for transmitting an electric wave signal of a predetermined frequency;

a radio receiver mounted on an operator'"'"'s clothing for receiving the electric wave signal; and

a control device mounted on the operator'"'"'s clothing for detecting a delay quantity or a change in the delay quantity of the electric wave signal which is received by the radio receiver;

wherein the control device determines a removal of an operator depending on whether the delay quantity or the change of the delay quantity exceeds one of threshold values which correspond to the delay quantity and the change of the delay quantity respectively or not, and operates an air bag mounted on the operator based on the determination.

2. An air bag device according to claim 1, and further including an inflator operatively connected to said air bag for selectively deploying said air bag upon receipt of a signal from the control device.

3. An air bag device according to claim 1, and further including a warning device operatively connected to the operator'"'"'s clothing for warning of any problems with respect to the air bag device.

4. An air bag device according to claim 3, wherein the warning device is a buzzer or a vibrator.

5. An air bag device according to claim 1, and further including a main switch for activating the control device, said main switch including a cover for preventing the erroneous actuation of the main switch.

6. An air bag device according to claim 1, and further including a synchronizing signal outputting unit for periodically outputting a pulse signal as a synchronized signal to the radio receiver mounted on the operator'"'"'s clothing.

7. An air bag device comprising:

an air bag incorporated in an operator clothing; and

an inflator for supplying a gas to the air bag so as to deploy the air bag;

wherein the air bag device further comprises;

a radio receiver for receiving a radio signal of a predetermined frequency transmitted from a vehicle-body-side radio transmitter;

a means for detecting a delay quantity of a reception phase of the radio signal or a change quantity of the delay quantity;

a control device for generating an instruction to deploy the air bag when the delay quantity or the change quantity of the delay quantity exceeds one of threshold values which are set corresponding to the delay quantity and the change quantity of the delay quantity respectively; and

a battery for supplying a power source to the radio devices, the control device and the air bag device.

8. An air bag device according to claim 7, wherein the air bag device further includes a main switch for supplying the power source to the control device.

9. An air bag device according to claim 8, wherein the control device includes a map for setting an operator removal determination region as a function of the delay quantity or the change quantity of the delay quantity, wherein when the delay quantity or the change quantity of the delay quantity falls within a rider removal region, the control device generates an instruction to deploy the air bag.

10. An air bag device according to claim 7, wherein the control device includes a map for setting an operator removal determination region as a function of the delay quantity or the change quantity of the delay quantity, wherein when the delay quantity or the change quantity of the delay quantity falls within a rider removal region, the control device generates an instruction to deploy the air bag.

11. An air bag device according to claim 7, and further including an inflator operatively connected to said air bag for selectively deploying said air bag upon receipt of a signal from the control device.

12. An air bag device according to claim 7, and further including a warning device operatively connected to the operator'"'"'s clothing for warning of any problems with respect to the air bag device.

13. An air bag device according to claim 12, wherein the warning device is a buzzer or a vibrator.

14. An air bag device according to claim 7, and further including a main switch for activating the control device, said main switch including a cover for preventing the erroneous actuation of the main switch.

15. An air bag device according to claim 7, and further including a synchronizing signal outputting unit for periodically outputting a pulse signal as a synchronized signal to the radio receiver mounted on the operator'"'"'s clothing.

16. An air bag device comprising:

a radio transmitter adapted to be mounted on a vehicle body for transmitting an electric wave signal of a predetermined frequency;

a radio receiver adapted to be mounted on an operator'"'"'s clothing for receiving the electric wave signal; and

a control device adapted to be mounted on the operator'"'"'s clothing for detecting a delay quantity or a change in the delay quantity of the electric wave signal received by the radio receiver, said control device determining a removal of an operator from the vehicle depending on whether the delay quantity or the change of the delay quantity exceeds threshold values which correspond to the delay quantity and the change of the delay quantity respectively or not, for deploying an air bag mounted on the operator based on the determination.

17. An air bag device according to claim 16, and further including an inflator operatively connected to said air bag for selectively deploying said air bag upon receipt of a signal from the control device.

18. An air bag device according to claim 16, and further including a warning device operatively connected to the operator'"'"'s clothing for warning of any problems with respect to the air bag device.

19. An air bag device according to claim 18, wherein the warning device is a buzzer or a vibrator.

20. An air bag device according to claim 16, and further including a main switch for activating the control device, said main switch including a cover for preventing the erroneous actuation of the main switch.