Blasting cap apparatus for vehicle airbag and control method

• US 7,651,127 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Choi, Kee Hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): VERLEY, NICOLE T
• Application Number:
  US11/648,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20080100047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01231 control of expansion timing or sequence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26029 Ignitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558

Abstract

A complex blasting cap apparatus of an airbag for a vehicle includes: a detector detecting impact acting on a vehicle body during a vehicle accident; a controller receiving a signal detected by the detector, computing the received signal, and applying different voltages so as to operate an inflator depending on a pre-input impact force; and a complex blasting cap formed as integration of a first blasting cap which is operated by a control signal of the controller and is exploded by a first voltage signal applied from the controller and a second blasting cap which is connected to a circuit to which the first blasting cap is connected and is exploded by a second voltage signal applied from the controller.

Claims

1. A control method for a blasting cap apparatus of a vehicle airbag, comprising:

detecting an impact force on a vehicle body in a state that a driver seat or a front passenger seat is occupied by an occupant; and

comparing the impact force to a predetermined value, and operating a first blasting cap, sequentially operating the first blasting cap and a second blasting cap, or simultaneously operating the first blasting cap and the second blasting cap based on different output signals by a comparison of the impact force and the predetermined value,

wherein the different output signals are applied to the first blasting cap and/or the second blasting cap via a signal output of a controller which is connected to a detector detecting the impact force.

2. The control method of claim 1, wherein detecting the impact force comprises a first impact step where the predetermined impact value is set for the case that impact caused by a vehicle crash at a speed less than a speed of 14 mph acts, a second impact step where impacts successively act on a vehicle body, and a third impact step where the predetermined impact value is set for the case that impact caused by a vehicle crash at a speed higher than a speed of 20 mph acts.

3. The control method of claim 2, wherein in the case of the first impact step, electric power is applied only to the first blasting cap so as to explode the first blasting cap.

4. The control method of claim 2, wherein in the case of the second impact step, electric power is firstly applied to the first blasting cap and is then applied to the second blasting cap so as to explode the first blasting cap and the second blasting cap.

5. The control method of claim 2, wherein in the case of the third impact step, electric power is simultaneously applied to the first blasting cap and the second blasting cap so as to explode the first blasting cap and the second blasting cap.

6. A control method for a blasting cap apparatus of a vehicle airbag, comprising:

providing (i) an impact force detector disposed in a vehicle such that the impact force detector measures impact forces acting on the vehicle and generates a measured impact force signal, (ii) a controller having an input and an single output, the input being in electrical communication with the impact force detector such that the controller receives the measured impact force signal from the impact force detector, computes the measured impact force signal, and applies an output signal to the single output of the controller based on the measured impact force signal, and (iii) a blasting cap that comprises, a first blasting cap in electrical communication with the single output of the controller such that the first blasting cap is activated by a first output signal applied by the controller to the single output of the controller, and a second blasting cap in electrical communication with the first blasting cap and the single output of the controller such that the second blasting cap is activated by a second output signal applied by the controller to the single output of the controller;

detecting an impact force on a vehicle body in a state that a driver seat or a front passenger seat is occupied by an occupant; and

comparing the impact force to a predetermined value, and operating the first blasting cap, sequentially operating the first blasting cap and the second blasting cap, or simultaneously operating the first blasting cap and the second blasting cap based on different output signals of the single output of the controller by a comparison of the impact force and the predetermined value.

7. The control method of claim 6, wherein detecting the impact force comprises a first impact step where the predetermined impact value is set for the case that impact caused by a vehicle crash at a speed less than a speed of 14 mph acts, a second impact step where impacts successively act on a vehicle body, and a third impact step where the predetermined impact value is set for the case that impact caused by a vehicle crash at a speed higher than a speed of 20 mph acts.

8. The control method of claim 7, wherein in the case of the first impact step, electric power is applied only to the first blasting cap so as to explode the first blasting cap.

9. The control method of claim 7, wherein in the case of the second impact step, electric power is firstly applied to the first blasting cap and is then applied to the second blasting cap so as to explode the first blasting cap and the second blasting cap.

10. The control method of claim 7, wherein in the case of the third impact step, electric power is simultaneously applied to the first blasting cap and the second blasting cap so as to explode the first blasting cap and the second blasting cap.