Electronics-Containing Airbag Module

• US 20080125940A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Technologies International Incorporated
• Inventors: Breed, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,774,115 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23153 specially adapted for rear seat passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/017 including arrangements for providing electric power to safety arrangements or their actuating means, e.g. to pyrotechnic fuses or electro-mechanic valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/30 with means to draw ambient air into the flow line and mix such air with the inflation fluid

Abstract

An airbag deployment system including at least one module housing, at least one deployable airbag associated with each housing, an inflator associated with each housing for inflating the airbag(s) to deploy into the passenger compartment, an airbag inflation determination unit for determining that deployment of the airbag(s) is/are desired, and respective electronic control units arranged within or proximate each housing and coupled to a respective inflator and the airbag inflation determination unit for initiating the inflator to inflate the airbag(s) in the respective housing upon receiving a signal from the airbag inflation determination unit. The control units include a power supply for enabling initiation of the inflator.

Claims

1. A vehicle having a passenger compartment and an airbag deployment system, the airbag deployment system comprising

a module housing,

at least one airbag associated with said housing and deployable into the passenger compartment,

an inflator associated with said housing for inflating said at least one airbag to deploy into the passenger compartment,

airbag inflation determining means for generating a signal indicative of whether deployment of said at least one airbag is desired, said airbag inflation determining means comprising crash sensor means arranged separate and at a location apart from said housing for determining the severity of a crash of the vehicle, and

electronic control means arranged within said housing and coupled to said inflator and to said airbag inflation determining means for initiating said inflator to inflate said at least one airbag in said housing upon receiving the signal from said airbag inflation determining means, said control means including a power supply for enabling initiation of said inflator.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said airbag inflation determining means are structured and arranged to generate a coded signal when deployment of said at least one airbag is desired and said control means are structured and arranged to receive said coded signal and initiate said inflator based thereon.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising position sensing means coupled to said control means of said housing for detecting the position of an occupant to be protected by the deployment of said at least one airbag from said housing, said control means being structured and arranged to initiate said inflator to inflate said at least one airbag in said housing in consideration of the detected position of the occupant.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein said position sensing means are arranged at least partially within or adjacent to said housing.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising

an additional module housing,

at least one additional airbag associated with said additional housing and deployable into the passenger compartment,

an additional inflator associated with said additional housing for inflating said at least one additional airbag associated with said additional housing to deploy into the passenger compartment,

said airbag inflation determining means being arranged to generate a signal when deployment of said at least one additional airbag is desired, said crash sensor means being arranged separate and at a location apart from said additional housing, and

additional electronic control means arranged within said additional housing and coupled to said additional inflator and to said airbag inflation determining means for initiating said additional inflator to inflate said at least one additional airbag upon receiving a signal from said airbag inflation determining means, said additional control means including a power supply for enabling initiation of said additional inflator, and

delay means arranged in association with at least one of said housings for providing a delay in the inflation of said at least one airbag in said at least one housing initiated by said control means associated with said at least one housing upon receiving the signal from said airbag inflation determining means.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein said delay means are arranged to provide variable delays in the inflation of said at least one airbag in said housing and said at least one airbag in said additional housing.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising

diagnostic means arranged within said housing for determining the status of said control means, and

monitoring means coupled to each of said diagnostic means for receiving the status of said control means associated with said housing and providing a warning if said control means of said housing fails.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said airbag inflation determining means and said control means associated with said housing are arranged on a single vehicle bus.

9. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein said position sensing means comprise a wave receiver for receiving waves from the passenger compartment, said wave receiver being coupled to said control means.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said position sensing means further comprise wave transmitter means coupled to said control means for transmitting waves into the passenger compartment, said control means being structured and arranged to send a signal to said wave transmitter means to cause said wave transmitter means to transmit the waves into the passenger compartment.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said inflator comprises

a gas generator for producing the pressurized gas to inflate said at least one airbag, and

aspiration means for combining gas from the passenger compartment with the pressurized gas from said gas generator and directing the combined flow of gas into said at least one airbag.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said housing is an elongate housing extending along a side of the vehicle, said at least one airbag being a single airbag structured and arranged to inflate along the side of the vehicle from a front of the vehicle to a rear of the vehicle such that said airbag is interposed between the side of the vehicle and spaces above front and rear seats of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, further comprising mounting means for mounting said housing to a ceiling of the vehicle in a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

14. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein said aspiration means comprise

a nozzle ending at a mixing chamber, the pressurized gas flowing from said gas generator through said nozzle into said mixing chamber, and

means defining an aspiration inlet port, the gas from the passenger compartment flowing through said aspiration inlet port into said mixing chamber.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein said nozzle is arranged relative to said aspiration inlet port such that only the pressurized gas from said gas generator flows through said nozzle and the pressurized gas is mixed with the gas from the passenger compartment only after the pressurized gas exits from said nozzle.

16. A vehicle having a passenger compartment and an airbag deployment system, the airbag deployment system comprising

a plurality of module housings,

an airbag associated with each of said housings and deployable into the passenger compartment,

an inflator associated with each of said housings for inflating said airbag to deploy into the passenger compartment,

airbag inflation determining means for generating a signal indicative of whether deployment of said at least one airbag is desired, said airbag inflation determining means comprising crash sensor means arranged separate and at a location apart from said housings for determining the severity of a crash of the vehicle, and

electronic control means arranged within or proximate each of said housings and coupled to a respective one of said inflator and to said airbag inflation determining means for initiating said inflator to inflate said at least one airbag upon receiving the signal from said airbag inflation determining means, said control means including a power supply for enabling initiation of said inflator.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein said airbag inflation determining means are structured and arranged to generate a coded signal when deployment of at least one of said airbags is desired and said control means are structured and arranged to receive said coded signal and initiate said inflator based thereon.

18. The vehicle of claim 16, further comprising position sensing means coupled to said control means of at least one of said housings for detecting the position of an occupant to be protected by the deployment of said airbag from said at least one housing, said control means being structured and arranged to initiate said inflator associated with said at least one housing to inflate said airbag associated with said at least one housing in consideration of the detected position of the occupant.

19. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein said position sensing means are arranged at least partially within or adjacent to said at least one housing.

20. A vehicle having a passenger compartment and an airbag deployment system, the airbag deployment system comprising

first and second module housings,

an airbag associated with each of said first and second housings and deployable in a crash involving the vehicle,

a first inflator associated with said first housing for inflating said airbag associated with said first housing,

a second inflator associated with said second housing for inflating said airbag associated with said second housing,

a crash sensor system for generating a signal when deployment of at least one of said airbags is desired,

first electronic control means arranged within or proximate said first housing and coupled to said first inflator and to said crash sensor system for initiating said first inflator to inflate said airbag in said first housing upon receiving the signal from said crash sensor system indicative of a desire to deploy said airbag in said first housing, said first control means including a power supply for enabling initiation of said first inflator, and

second electronic control means arranged within or proximate said second housing and coupled to said second inflator and to said crash sensor system for initiating said second inflator to inflate said airbags in said second housing upon receiving the signal from said crash sensor system indicative of a desire to deploy said airbag in said second housing, said second control means including a power supply for enabling initiation of said second inflator.