Airbag control assembly

• US 9,290,147 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adient US, LLC (Adient plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Rus, Liviu, Mazur, William A.
• Primary Examiner(s): VERLEY, NICOLE T
• Application Number:
  US14/577,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20150175112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors

Abstract

An airbag control assembly for an adjustable vehicle seat in a vehicle may include electrical wiring and an airbag mechanism. The electrical wiring may be configured to transmit electricity from a vehicle power supply of the vehicle to an airbag. The airbag mechanism may be configured to cause enabling and disabling of the airbag. The airbag mechanism may be configured to cause enabling of the airbag if the seat is in a usable position and may be configured to cause disabling of the airbag if the seat is in an unusable position.

Claims

1. An airbag control assembly for an adjustable vehicle seat in a vehicle, comprising:

electrical wiring forming at least a portion of a circuit configured to transmit electricity from a vehicle power supply of the vehicle to an airbag;

an airbag mechanism configured to cause enabling and disabling of the airbag,

wherein the airbag mechanism is configured to cause enabling of the airbag if the seat is in a usable position,

wherein the airbag mechanism is configured to cause disabling of the airbag if the seat is in an unusable position,

wherein the airbag mechanism includes a switch that controls the flow of electricity to the airbag,

wherein moving the seat to the usable position moves the switch to close the circuit such that electricity can flow to the airbag,

wherein moving the seat to the unusable position moves the switch to open the circuit such that electricity cannot flow to the airbag.

2. The airbag control assembly of claim 1, wherein the airbag mechanism includes a position sensor that causes a processor to enable or disable the airbag.

3. The airbag control assembly of claim 2, wherein the position sensor detects a current position of the seat and whether or not the seat is locked.

4. The airbag control assembly of claim 1, wherein the usable position is when a seat back of the seat is at least partially reclined or upright, the seat is locked to a floor of a vehicle, and the seat back and a seat cushion are locked.

5. The airbag control assembly of claim 1, wherein the unusable position is when at least a portion of the seat is at least one of at least partially collapsed, at least partially folded, at least partially stowed, unattached from a floor of the vehicle, or unlocked.

6. The airbag control assembly of claim 1, wherein the electrical wiring includes seat electrical wiring to connect the airbag mechanism to vehicle electrical wiring through an electrical connector.

7. The airbag control assembly of claim 1, wherein the airbag mechanism is located on or within the seat.

8. The airbag control assembly of claim 1, wherein the airbag is located within the seat.

9. The airbag control assembly of claim 1, wherein the airbag is located on a body of the vehicle near the seat such that the airbag is configured to protect an occupant within the seat.

10. A method of controlling an airbag for a vehicle seat in a vehicle comprising:

providing electrical wiring that forms at least a portion of a circuit and an airbag mechanism configured to cause enabling and disabling of the airbag, wherein the airbag mechanism includes a switch that controls the flow of electricity to the airbag;

detecting whether the seat is locked and a current position of the seat;

enabling the airbag if the seat is in a usable position; and

disabling the airbag if the seat is in an unusable position,

wherein moving the seat to the usable position moves the switch to close the circuit such that electricity can flow to the airbag,

wherein moving the seat to the unusable position moves the switch to open the circuit such that electricity cannot flow to the airbag.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing a position sensor in the airbag mechanism that causes a processor to enable or disable the airbag, wherein the position sensor detects a current position of the seat and whether or not the seat is locked.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting a signal from a vehicle processor to an airbag mechanism when a vehicle accident has been detected and deploying the airbag if the seat is in the usable position.