Two-wheeler airbag system

• US 9,862,341 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2015
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nitin Govind Ram
• Original Assignee: Nitin Govind Ram
• Inventors: Ram, Nitin Govind
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Karen
• Application Number:
  US14/735,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20150353047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 2807301
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0088 Cycles, e.g. motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01306 monitoring vehicle inclination
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23176 specially adapted for foot protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/20 Arrangements for storing inflatable members in their non-use or deflated condition; Arrangement or mounting of air bag modules or components
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 27/20 Airbags specially adapted for motorcycles or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 45/4151 for sensing lateral inclination of the cycle
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/04 characterised by the engine being between front and rear wheels

Abstract

The present invention provides an airbag apparatus for a two-wheeler vehicle. The airbag apparatus includes at least one front airbag mounted near each leg of a rider of the two-wheeler vehicle, the at least one front airbag to be deployed and inflated for protecting the knees, legs and feet of the rider during emergency conditions. Further, the airbag apparatus includes at least one rear airbag mounted near each leg of a pillion rider of the two-wheeler vehicle, the at least one rear airbag to be deployed and inflated for protecting the knees, legs and feet of the pillion rider during emergency conditions. Yet further, the airbag apparatus includes at least one inflator configured to supply inflation gas to the at least one front airbag and the at least one rear airbag when activated. Finally, the airbag apparatus includes at least one sensor configured to track at least one safety parameter of the two-wheeler vehicle and activate the inflator, when a predetermined threshold of the at least one safety parameter is reached.

Claims

1. An airbag apparatus for a two-wheeler vehicle, the airbag apparatus comprising:

a. a plurality of front airbags mounted on the two-wheeler vehicle configured to be near each leg of a rider of the two-wheeler vehicle, wherein the plurality of front airbags corresponds to a left side and a right side of the vehicle, wherein at least one front airbag of the plurality of front airbags is configured to be deployed and inflated for protecting the knees, legs and feet of the rider on one of the left side and the right side of the two-wheeler vehicle during emergency conditions;

b. a plurality of rear airbags mounted on the two-wheeler vehicle configured to be near each leg of a pillion rider of the two-wheeler vehicle, wherein the plurality of rear airbags corresponds to the left side and the right side of the vehicle, wherein at least one rear airbag of the plurality of rear airbags is configured to be deployed and inflated for protecting the knees, legs and feet of the pillion rider on one of the left side and the right side of the two-wheeler vehicle during emergency conditions;

c. at least one selected inflator configured to supply inflation gas to the at least one front airbag and the at least one rear airbag when activated, wherein each of the at least one front airbag and the at least one rear airbag corresponds to only one of the left side and the right side of the two-wheeler vehicle;

d. at least one tilt sensor configured to determine a direction of tilt and a critical angle of tilt of the two-wheeler vehicle and produce a trigger signal to activate the at least one selected inflator selected based upon a direction of tilt registered by the tilt sensor and the tilt sensor exceeding a predetermined threshold critical angle;

e. wherein the at least one front airbag is mounted on either sides of the two-wheeler vehicle configured to be next to the rider'"'"'s shin; and

f. wherein the at least one rear airbag comprises a fin shape mounted on either side of the two-wheeler vehicle is configured to be next to the pillion rider'"'"'s shin and configured to protect knees, legs and feet of the rider when deployed.

2. The airbag apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one front airbag and the at least one rear airbag is mounted on the frame of the two-wheeler vehicle.

3. The airbag apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one front airbag and the at least one rear airbag is shaped and sized such that a fully inflated airbag shields the knees, legs and feet of one of the rider and the pillion rider.

4. The airbag apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one inflator includes a trigger mechanism and one of a gas cartridge storing compressed gas and a chemical cartridge storing one or more chemicals capable of generating gas through a chemical reaction.

5. The airbag apparatus of claim 1, the at least one sensor is a tilt sensor that activates the at least one inflator, when a tilt of the two-wheeler vehicle measured by the tilt sensor exceeds a threshold dependent upon characteristics of a road surface.

6. The airbag apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one front airbag and the at least one rear airbag is inflated based on the direction of tilt determined by the tilt sensor that is dependent upon characteristics of the two wheeler vehicle.

7. The airbag apparatus of claim 6, the at least one sensor includes an impact sensor that detects a collision and activates the at least one inflator, when a detection value of the impact sensor is greater than a predetermined threshold indicating a collision of the two wheeler vehicle with an object comprising one of:

another vehicle, a pedestrian, an obstacle and a guardrail.

8. The airbag apparatus of claim 7, wherein all airbags in the at least one front airbag and the at least one rear airbag are inflated when the impact sensor detects a collision.

9. The airbag apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one sensor activates the at least one inflator by sending a trigger signal, wherein the trigger signal is an electric signal used to ignite a chemical reaction in a chemical cartridge to generate gas or to release compressed gas in a gas cartridge that inflates at least one of the at least one front airbag and the at least one rear airbag.

10. The airbag apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one inflator may be deactivated to prevent activation during vehicle servicing.

11. A method to deploy an airbag for a two-wheeler vehicle, the two-wheeler vehicle comprising a plurality of front airbags mounted on the two-wheeler vehicle configured to be near each leg of a rider of the two-wheeler vehicle and a plurality of rear airbags mounted on the two-wheeler vehicle configured to be near each leg of a pillion rider of the two-wheeler vehicle, wherein each of the plurality of front airbags and the plurality of rear airbags corresponds to a left side and right side of the two-wheeler vehicle, the method comprising:

a. detecting an emergency condition, using at least one sensor configured to track at least one safety parameter comprising;

a critical angle of the two-wheeler vehicle based upon characteristics of the two-wheeler vehicle, and a direction of tilt;

b. sending a trigger signal, when a predetermined threshold critical angle in the direction of tilt is reached;

c. activating at least one inflator configured to supply inflation gas to at least one of at least one front airbag of the plurality of front airbags and at least one rear airbag of the plurality of rear airbags when the trigger signal is received, wherein each of the at least one front airbag and the at least one rear airbag corresponds to a direction of tilt and comprising only one of the left side and the right side of the two-wheeler vehicle;

d. deploying at least one of the at least one front airbag and the at least one rear airbag;

wherein the at least one rear airbag to be deployed and inflated for protecting the knees, legs and feet of the pillion rider on one of the left side and the right side of the two-wheeler vehicle during emergency conditions, wherein the at least one front airbag to be deployed and inflated for protecting the knees, legs and feet of the rider on one of the left side and the right side of the two-wheeler vehicle during emergency conditions; and

e. forming at least one of the at least one front airbag and the at least one rear airbag is fin shaped and mounted on the frame of the two-wheeler vehicle, wherein at least one of the at least one front airbag and the at least one rear airbag is shaped and sized so that a fully inflated airbag ins configured to shield the knees, legs and feet of at least one of the rider and the pillion rider.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one inflator includes a trigger mechanism and one of a gas cartridge storing compressed gas and a chemical cartridge storing one or more chemicals capable of generating gas through a chemical reaction.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one sensor is a tilt sensor that activates the at least one inflator, when a tilt of the two-wheeler vehicle exceeds a predetermined threshold, wherein the at least one front airbag and the at least one rear airbag is inflated based on the direction of tilt determined by the tilt sensor and the characteristics of a road surface.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one sensor includes an impact sensor and the method further detecting a collision;

and activating all airbags based upon the impact sensor detecting a collision.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one sensor activates the at least one inflator by sending a trigger signal, wherein the trigger signal is an electric signal used to ignite a chemical reaction in a chemical cartridge to generate gas or to release compressed gas in a gas cartridge that inflates at least one of the at least one front airbag and the at least one rear airbag.

16. An airbag apparatus for a two-wheel vehicle, the airbag apparatus comprising:

a. a left front airbag and a right front airbag, mounted to a frame of the two-wheel vehicle, on a left side and a right side of the two-wheel vehicle respectively, and positioned to protect knees, legs and feet of a driver of the two-wheel vehicle when the left front airbag and the right front airbag are deployed;

b. a left rear airbag and a right rear airbag, mounted to a frame of the two-wheel vehicle, each fin shaped and mounted on a left side and a right side of the two-wheel vehicle respectively, and positioned to protect knees, legs and feet of a pillion rider of the two-wheel vehicle when the left rear airbag and the right rear airbag deployed;

c. an inflator device configured in an activated state to supply inflation gas to one or more of the left front airbag, the right front airbag, the left rear airbag or the right rear airbag, the inflator device comprising one of one of;

a gas cartridge storing compressed gas and a chemical cartridge storing one or more chemicals capable of generating gas through a chemical reaction;

d. a tilt sensor configured to determine a direction of tilt and a critical angle of tilt of the two wheeled vehicle and produce a trigger signal to activate the inflator device and thereby supply gas to a selected airbag based upon a direction of tilt registered by the tilt sensor and the tilt sensor exceeding a predetermined threshold critical angle of tilt of the two wheeled vehicle, wherein the threshold critical angle may be based upon characteristics of a road surface and the two-wheel vehicle;

e. an impact sensor for detecting a collision and deploying each inflator via activation when a detection value of the impact sensor is greater than a predetermined threshold indicating a collision of the two wheel vehicle with an object comprising one of;

another vehicle, a pedestrian, an obstacle and a guardrail; and

f. a deactivation device deactivating the inflator during service of the two-wheel vehicle.