Method for crash testing a motor vehicle

• US 20060175807A1
• Filed: 01/05/2006
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Allen, Brian T., Miller, Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 7,912,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/728.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/0078 Shock-testing of vehicles

Abstract

A method for crash testing a motor vehicle is disclosed. The method provides a crash test routine where an inflatable restraint is deployed using a single deployment pattern throughout at least one government regulation zone. This helps to prevent overlap of a transition zone and can help make the deployment of the inflatable restraint more predictable. This can increase occupant safety and simply testing.

Claims

1. A method of deploying an inflatable restraint wherein a single deployment pattern is used throughout at least one government regulation zone.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a single deployment pattern is used throughout every government regulation zone.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the government regulation zone extends from 32 km/h to 40 km/h.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the single deployment pattern is a delayed deployment pattern.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a second government regulation zone extends from 0 km/h to 48 km/h.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein a second deployment pattern is used throughout the second government regulation zone.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a second deployment pattern is substantially similar to the single deployment pattern.

8. A method of deploying an inflatable restraint having at least one transition zone is disposed between a first deployment pattern and a second deployment pattern;

wherein the transition zone includes probabilities of deploying the inflatable restraint using either the first deployment pattern or the second deployment pattern; and

wherein a government regulation zone is separated from every transition zone.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the transition zone includes a lower end and an upper end and wherein the government regulation zone includes a lower end and an upper end;

and wherein the upper end of the transition zone is less than the lower end of the government regulation zone.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the second deployment pattern is a delay deployment pattern.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein first deployment pattern is a no deploy pattern.

12. A method of crash testing a motor vehicle wherein a first crash test validates the results for an entire government regulation zone.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first crash test is conducted at a speed corresponding to an upper end of the government regulation zone.

14. A method of simultaneously deploying an inflatable device comprising the steps of:

determining that a first charge configured to inflate the inflatable device;

deploying the inflatable device using the first charge;

providing a delay;

determining whether a second charge configured to inflate the inflatable device should be deployed; and

using the second charge in conjunction with the first charge if the inflatable device should be deployed.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the second charge has less power than the first charge.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the delay is about 0 to 10 milliseconds.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the delay is about 5 milliseconds.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein information from a sensor is retrieved during the delay.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein an additional computation is made during the delay.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of determining whether a second charge configured to inflate the inflatable device should be deployed, is made during the delay.