Control system for vehicle occupant restraint devices

• US RE37,466 E1
• Filed: 02/24/2000
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Murray, Michael P., Nakhla, Said Shafik, Roble, Craig Robert, Allen, Gary S., Husby, Harald Snorre
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US09/512,694
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.1, 280/734, 280/735
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors

Abstract

A vehicle occupant restraint device control system for use in a vehicle to selectively control the operation of safety devices such as one or more airbags includes a seat position sensor device which detects the position of a seat relative to a selected component of the vehicle, and a controller which receives signals from the seat position sensor device. A controller device processes the signals from the seat position sensor device and determines whether to activate, deactivate or modify the deployment of one or more vehicle occupant restraint devices, such as airbags or seat belt pretensioners, depending upon the position of the vehicle seat relative to a selected component of the vehicle structure, such as the steering wheel or instrument panel.

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant restraint device system comprising:

means for detecting a position of a vehicle seat relative to a component of a vehicle, said means being coupled to a vehicle occupant restraint device, said means generating a seat position indicator signal when the distance between the position of said vehicle seat and said vehicle component is in a predetermined range of values; and

means for controlling the operation of said vehicle occupant restraint device in response to said seat position indicator signal, said controlling means being coupled to said detecting means.

2. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 1, wherein said detecting means further includes a first means coupled to the floor of a vehicle and at least one second means coupled to said vehicle seat, for providing said seat position indicator signal upon cooperation between the first means and said at least one second means.

3. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 2, wherein said seat position indicator signal is generated when the distance between the first means and the at least one second means is greater than a first predetermined value.

4. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 21, wherein said first means comprises a magnetic actuator.

5. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 4, wherein said magnetic element comprises a magnetic strip of material.

6. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 5, wherein said first means is coupled to the floor of said vehicle.

7. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 2, wherein said first means is positioned along a path traversed by said at least one second means.

8. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 2, wherein said at least one second means further comprises a first position indicator sensor.

9. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 8, wherein said first position indicator sensor further comprises a first reed switch.

10. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 9, wherein said first reed switch is coupled to said vehicle seat and is positioned along a path traversed by said vehicle seat.

11. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 2, wherein said at least one second means further comprises a second position indicator sensor.

12. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 8, wherein said second position sensor is located relative to said first position indicator sensor and is positioned along a path traversed by said vehicle seat.

13. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 12, wherein said second position indicator sensor comprises a reed switch.

14. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 9, wherein said reed switch further includes a conductive element response to a magnetic flux enclosed within a housing such that when said reed switch is in cooperative position relative to said first means, said conductive element provides said seat position indicator signal.

15. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 11, wherein said second position indicator sensor generates a second seat position indicator signal based upon the distance between said vehicle seat and said vehicle component is in a second predetermined range of values.

16. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 6, wherein said first means is located along the length of guide means, said guide means coupled to the floor of said vehicle.

17. A vehicle occupant restraint device system compromising:

a sensor assembly operable to detect position of a vehicle seat relative to a selected component of the vehicle, said sensor assembly generating a seat position indicator signal in response to the distance between said vehicle seat and said selected vehicle component is in a predetermined range of values; and

a controller operative to control the deployment of said occupant restraint device in response to said seat position indicator signal.

18. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 17, wherein said controlling means further comprises:

circuitry operative to generate a control signal in response to said seat position indicator signal; and

an assembly to deploy said occupant restraint device in response to the detection of a predetermined condition and said control signal.

19. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 1817, wherein said predetermined condition is the detection of deceleration of a vehicle.

20. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 18, wherein said sensor assembly further includes a magnetic actuator, coupled to the floor of a vehicle and at least one device which is responsive to a magnetic field, coupled to said vehicle seat, said at least one device which is responsive to a magnetic field being operative to provide said seat position indicator signal upon cooperation between said magnetic actuator and said at least one device which is responsive to a magnetic field.

21. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 20, wherein said set position indicator signal is generated when the distance between the magnetic actuator and said at least one device which is responsive to a magnetic field is greater than a first predetermined value.

22. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 20, wherein said at least one device which is responsive to a magnetic field traverses the path traversed by said vehicle seat.

23. A vehicle occupant restraint device system comprising:

24. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 23, wherein said at least one device which is responsive to a magnetic field is operative to provide said seat position indicator signal upon cooperation between said magnetic actuator and said device which is responsive to a magnetic field.

25. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 23, wherein said at least one device which is responsive to a magnetic field traverses the path traversed by said vehicle seat.

26. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 23, wherein said device which is responsive to a magnetic field comprises a reed switch.

27. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 23, wherein said device which is responsive to a magnetic field comprises a GMR sensor.

28. The vehicle occupant restraint device system of claim 23, wherein said device which is responsive to a magnetic field comprises a Hall Effect sensor.