Passenger inflatable restraint control apparatus

• US 5,866,954 A
• Filed: 09/05/1996
• Issued: 02/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Valeo Switches & Detection Systems Incorporated (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: ITT Automotive, Incorporated
• Inventors: Meldrum, Sean P., Daniel, Thomas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ganjian, Peter
• Application Number:
  US08/707,624
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 701/1, 701/36, 701/45, 340/438, 340/669, 70/158, 70/174, 70/237, 70/255, 70/258, 70/270, 70/336, 70/344, 70/434, 70/447, 70/449, 280/727, 280/728.1, 280/728.2, 280/735, 180/271, 180/273, 180/282
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01122 Prevention of malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01564 Manually or key-actuated inhibition switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01566 Devices for warning or indicating mode of inhibition
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 27/06 Key inserted and then turned to effect operation of the switch

Abstract

A key cylinder, upon receiving a valid key, inserted through the key cylinder, is disengaged from a cylinder lock enabling the key and the key cylinder to be rotated between two positions. During rotation, an arm on the key cylinder engages a contact carrier to switch a contactor mounted on the carrier between two positions breaking one contact and subsequently making another contact. The contacts provide output signals to a vehicle passenger restraint apparatus to selectively alternatively place the passenger restraint apparatus in an "on" or "off" state.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling the energizable state of an inflatable vehicle restraint system comprising;

a housing;

means, mounted in the housing, for receiving a valid key;

circuit means, mounted in the housing, for forming a circuit selectively providing on and off signals to an inflatable restraint system;

contactor means, mounted in the housing, for movement between on of first and second positions, the contact engaging the circuit means in the first and second position;

means, responsive to rotation of the key receiving means, for moving the contactor means between first and second positions respectively providing the on and off signals upon rotation of a valid key inserted into key receiving means;

means, mounted in the housing, for permitting rotation of the key receiving means only when a valid key is fully inserted through the key receiving means; and

means for illuminating a first illuminatable operator sensible status output in response to said on signal and for illuminating a second illuminatable operator sensible status output in response to said off signal, wherein one of said first and second illuminatable operator sensible status outputs is illuminated whenever the circuit means provides one of the on or off signals.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the key receiving means comprises:

a slot having a cross-section complementary to the cross-section of a valid key.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the contactor moving means comprises:

a contact carrier movably mounted in the housing;

means, mounted on the key receiving means, for engaging the contact carrier on rotation of the key receiving means to move the contact carrier between the first and the second positions.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

means for biasing the key receiving means to remain in one of the first and second positions.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second illuminatable operator sensible status outputs respectively comprise:

first indicator means, visibly mounted in the housing, for indicating, when energized, the key receiving means being in the first position; and

second indicator means, visibly mounted in the housing, for indicating, when energized, the key receiving means being in a second position.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the key receiving means comprises:

a slot configured to receive only a valid key;

cap means rotatably mounted in the housing and surrounding the slot, the cap means having an apex acting as a pointer extending toward one of the first and second indicator means.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the circuit means comprises:

means for varying the magnitude of current supplied to the first and second indicator means to vary the light intensity thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the circuit means comprises:

first and second contacts;

the contactor means breaking contact with one of the first and second contacts before making contact with the other of the first and second contacts when moved between the first and second positions.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the key receiving means comprises:

a key cylinder rotatably disposed in the housing;

a bore having an open end formed in the key cylinder, the bore having at least an end portion cross-section to a cross-section of a valid key.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the key receiving means and the lock means include releasibly interengagable means for non-rotatingly engaging the key receiving means and the lock means.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

means for non-rotatably, movably mounting the lock means in the housing.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the mounting means comprises:

at least one flange formed on the lock means;

a slot formed in the housing and non-rotatingly receiving the at least one flange on the lock means.

10. An apparatus for controlling the energizable state of an inflatable vehicle restraint system comprising:

a housing;

means, mounted in the housing, for receiving a valid key;

circuit means, mounted in the housing, for forming a circuit selectively providing on and off signals to an inflatable restraint system;

contactor means, mounted in the housing, for movement between one of first and second positions, the contactor engaging the circuit means in the first and second position;

means, responsive to rotation of the key receiving means, for moving the contactor means between first and second positions respectively providing the on and off signals upon rotation of a valid key inserted into the key receiving means;

means, mounted in the housing, for permitting rotation of the key receiving means only when a valid key is fully inserted through the key receiving means, said means for permitting rotation of the key receiving means including

lock means mounted in the housing,

biasing means for normally biasing the lock means into engagement with the key receiving means, and

a valid key fully inserted through the key receiving means disengaging the lock means from engagement with the key receiving means to permit rotation of the key receiving means between the first and second positions.

14. An apparatus for controlling the energizable state of an inflatable vehicle restraint system comprising:

a housing;

means, mounted in the housing, for receiving a valid key;

circuit means, mounted in the housing, for forming a circuit selectively providing on and off signals to an inflatable restraint system;

contactor means, mounted in the housing, for movement between one of first and second positions, the contactor engaging the circuit means in the first and second position;

means, responsive to rotation of the key receiving means, for moving the contactor means between first and second positions respectively providing the on and off signals upon rotation of a valid key inserted into the key receiving means;

means, mounted in the housing, for permitting rotation of the key receiving means only when a valid key is fully inserted through the key receiving means;

the key receiving means including a key cylinder rotatably disposed in the housing, and a bore having an open end formed in the key cylinder, the bore having at least an end portion cross-section to a cross-section of a valid key; and

the contactor moving means including a contact carrier mounted in the housing, and means, carried on the key cylinder, for engaging the contact carrier on rotation of the key cylinder to move the contact carrier between first and second positions.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the engaging means comprises:

a hook arm carried on the key cylinder and movable between engaged and disengaged positions relative to the contact carrier upon bi-directional rotation of the key cylinder.

16. An apparatus for controlling the energizable state of an inflatable vehicle restraint system comprising:

a housing;

means, mounted in the housing, for receiving a valid key;

circuit means, mounted in the housing, for forming a circuit selectively providing on and off signals to an inflatable restraint system;

contactor means, mounted in the housing, for movement between one of first and second positions, the contactor engaging the circuit means in the first and second position;

means, responsive to rotation of the key receiving means, for moving the contactor means between first and second positions respectively providing the on and off signals upon rotation of a valid key inserted into the key receiving means;

means, mounted in the housing, for permitting rotation of the key receiving means only when a valid key is fully inserted through the key receiving means; and

means for biasing the key receiving means to remain in one of the first and second positions including a cam carried on the key receiving means, and cam plunger means, biasingly mounted in the housing, for engaging the cam to limit rotation of the key receiving means only to one of the first and second position.

17. An apparatus for controlling the energizable state of an inflatable vehicle restraint system comprising:

a housing;

means, mounted in the housing, for receiving a valid key;

circuit means, mounted in the housing, for forming a circuit selectively providing on and off signals to an inflatable restraint system;

contactor means, mounted in the housing, for movement between one of first and second positions, the contactor engaging the circuit means in the first and second position;

means, responsive to rotation of the key receiving means, for moving the contactor means between first and second positions respectively providing the on and off signals upon rotation of a valid key inserted into the key receiving means;

means, mounted in the housing, for permitting rotation of the key receiving means only when a valid key is fully inserted through the key receiving means;

the circuit means including first and second contacts, and the contactor means breaking contact with one of the first and second contacts before making contact with the other of the first and second contacts when moved between the first and second positions; and

the contactor means mounted in the housing for movement between the first and second positions in a path transverse to a longitudinal axis of a vehicle in which the housing is mounted.

18. An apparatus for controlling the energizable state of an inflatable vehicle restraint system comprising:

a housing;

means, mounted in the housing, for receiving a valid key;

circuit means, mounted in the housing, for forming a circuit selectively providing on and off signals to an inflatable restraint system;

contactor means, mounted in the housing, for movement between one of first and second positions, the contactor engaging the circuit means in the first and second position;

means, responsive to rotation of the key receiving means, for moving the contactor means between first and second positions respectively providing the on and off signals upon rotation of a valid key inserted into the key receiving means;

means, mounted in the housing, for permitting rotation of the key receiving means only when a valid key is fully inserted through the key receiving means;

the key receiving means including a key cylinder rotatably disposed in the housing, and a bore having an open end formed in the key cylinder, the bore having at least an end portion cross-section to a cross-section of a valid key;

lock means mounted on the housing and releasibly engagable with the key cylinder, for permitting rotation of the key cylinder only when a valid key is inserted through the bore in the key cylinder to disengage the lock means from the key cylinder; and

an aperture formed in the lock means, the aperture having a cross-section smaller than the cross-section of the bore in the key cylinder and communicating with the bore.