Apparatus for controlling smart airbag system using dual chamber structure

• US 9,079,561 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2014
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agency For Defense Development (Government of The Republic of China)
• Original Assignee: Agency For Defense Development (Government of The Republic of China)
• Inventors: Oh, Seung-Jong, Ha, Jaehoon, Lee, Kyung-Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, TOAN C
• Application Number:
  US14/486,135
• Time in Patent Office: 302 Days
• Field of Search: 280/736, 280/740, 280/741, 280/742, 102/530, 102/531
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26017 a cooling agent being added to the inflation fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/261 with means other than bag structure to diffuse or guide inflation fluid

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling a smart airbag system using a dual chamber structure may include a gas generator to eject hot gas at the time of a car crash, a gas chamber which receives the hot gas ejected from the gas generator and transfers the hot gas into an airbag, and a fluid chamber which cools the hot gas by spraying stored fluid, before it is introduced into the airbag.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a smart airbag system using a dual chamber structure, the apparatus comprising:

a gas generator which ejects hot gas when a crash occurs;

a gas chamber which is supplied with the hot gas ejected from the gas generator and transfers the supplied gas into an airbag;

a fluid chamber which cools the hot gas by spraying stored fluid before the hot gas is introduced into the airbag;

a piston which is installed in the chamber and compresses the fluid using the hot gas;

a safety bursting disk which is burst by being pressed by the piston so that the fluid is sprayed and the hot gas is cooled;

a gas hole size adjusting unit which changes a size of a gas hole which is a factor to determine an amount of the cooled gas injected into the airbag; and

a controller which controls operation of the gas generator or the gas hole size adjusting unit according to an inflation force for the airbag, which is calculated using occupant information generated by a sensor.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas generator includes a plurality of gas generators.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas hole size adjusting unit comprises:

a fixed plate with a plurality of holes;

a rotating plate with a plurality of holes which is arranged to correspond to the holes of the fixed plate and through which the cooled gas moves to the airbag; and

a motor which drives the rotating plate via a gear.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the occupant information includes at least one information item selected from among:

information about presence and absence of an occupant, information about whether an occupant is wearing a seat belt, information about presence and absence of a child seat, information about a height of an occupant, information about a weight of an occupant, and information about a seating posture of an occupant.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the occupant information is generated from a detection value measured by at least one sensor selected from among:

a seat position sensor, a seat belt buckle sensor, a child seat detection sensor, an occupant position sensor, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and an occupant weight sensor.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fluid is a coolant.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the safety bursting disk comprises a plurality of safety bursting disks.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a stand pipe which separates the gas chamber and the fluid chamber from each other and functions to guide motion of the piston.

9. An apparatus for controlling a smart airbag system using a dual chamber structure, the apparatus comprising:

a gas generator which ejects hot gas when a crash occurs;

a fixed body which is supplied with the hot gas ejected from the gas generator;

a rotating body which cools the hot gas by spraying stored fluid before the hot gas is introduced into an airbag, by rotating along an outside surface of a portion of the fixed body in a circumferential direction;

a safety bursting disk which is burst by pressing force from the rotating body as the rotating body rotates;

a gas hole size adjusting unit which varies a size of a gas hole which is a factor to determine an amount of the cooled gas injected into the airbag; and

a controller which controls operation of the gas generator or the gas hole size adjusting unit according to an inflation force for the airbag which is generated from occupant information generated by a sensor.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the gas hole size adjusting unit comprises:

a fixed plate with a plurality of holes;

a rotating plate with a plurality of holes which is arranged to correspond to the holes of the fixed plate and through which the cooled gas moves to the airbag; and

a motor which drives the rotating plate via a gear.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein an outside surface of a portion of the fixed body and an inside surface of a portion of the rotating body have respective screw threads.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a motor,

a first gear connected to the motor; and

a second gear formed on an outside surface of a portion of the rotating body.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the first gear and the second gear are worm gear type or pulley-and-belt type.

14. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a stand pipe disposed inside the rotating body, the stand pipe functioning as a guide to guide the fixed body.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a sealing element is installed between the fixed body and the inside surface of the rotating body in order to seal a portion between the stand pipe and the fixed body or a portion between the fixed body and the rotating body.