Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Special application – Change of inclination or of rate of motion responsive
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-16
2003-11-11
Enad, Elvin (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Special application
Change of inclination or of rate of motion responsive
C200S06145M
Reexamination Certificate
active
06646213
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an acceleration detector for detecting impact acceleration that exceeds reference acceleration for driving and controlling a vehicle occupant protection system.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 19
is a top view showing a vehicle occupant protection system such as an air bag system. In this figure, the reference numeral
1
designates the body of a vehicle;
2
designates an occupant protection system against right-side crashes, which is mounted on the right side in the vehicle in its traveling direction; and
3
designates an occupant protection system against left-side crashes, which is mounted on the left side in the vehicle in its traveling direction.
The reference numeral
4
designates a right-side collision sensor unit for detecting the impact in right side crashes;
5
designates a left-side collision sensor unit for detecting the impact in left side crashes; and
6
designates a controller mounted on the vehicle, for controlling the occupant protection system
2
against the right-side crashes and the occupant protection system
3
against the left-side crashes.
FIG. 20
is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the occupant protection system of FIG.
19
. In this figure, the reference numeral
11
designates a semiconductor type right-side collision acceleration sensor for producing an electric signal proportional to the acceleration the vehicle undergoes on the right side in its traveling direction; and
12
designates a microcomputer that recognizes the acceleration from the electric signal supplied from the right-side collision acceleration sensor
11
, and outputs a control signal for closing a semiconductor switch
19
when the acceleration exceeds impact acceleration (acceleration beyond reference acceleration). Likewise, the reference numeral
13
designates a semiconductor type left-side collision acceleration sensor for producing an electric signal proportional to the acceleration the vehicle undergoes on the left side in its traveling direction; and
14
designates a microcomputer that recognizes the acceleration from the electric signal supplied from the left-side collision acceleration sensor
13
, and outputs a control signal for closing a semiconductor switch
20
when the acceleration exceeds the impact acceleration.
The reference numeral
15
designates a power supply;
16
designates a mechanical right-side collision acceleration sensor that is mounted inside a controller
6
for detecting the impact acceleration the vehicle undergoes on the right side in its traveling direction; and
17
designates a mechanical left-side collision acceleration sensor that is mounted inside the controller
6
for detecting the impact acceleration the vehicle undergoes on the left side in its traveling direction. The reference numeral
18
designates a microcomputer that outputs a control signal for closing a semiconductor switch
21
when the right-side collision acceleration sensor
16
detects the impact acceleration, and that outputs a control signal for closing a semiconductor switch
22
when the left-side collision acceleration sensor
17
detects the impact acceleration. Reference numerals
19
-
22
each designate a semiconductor switch. The reference
23
designates a driving circuit for driving an occupant protection system
24
when the semiconductor switches
19
and
21
are closed; and
24
designates the occupant protection system such as an air bag against the right-side crashes. Likewise, the reference numeral
25
designates a driving circuit for driving an occupant protection system
26
when the semiconductor switches
20
and
22
are closed; and
26
designates the occupant protection system such as an air bag against the left-side crashes.
Next, the operation of the conventional occupant protection system will be described.
For example, when another vehicle collides with the right side in the traveling direction of the vehicle, the right-side collision acceleration sensor
11
supplies the microcomputer
12
with the electric signal proportional to the acceleration applied on the right side of the vehicle. At the same time, the right-side collision acceleration sensor
16
detects the impact acceleration beyond the reference acceleration, and supplies the detection signal to the microcomputer
18
.
Receiving electric signal from the right-side collision acceleration sensor
11
, the microcomputer
12
recognizes the acceleration from the electric signal, and when the acceleration exceeds the impact acceleration, it recognizes the right side collision, and outputs the control signal to close the semiconductor switch
19
.
Likewise, receiving the detection signal from the right-side collision acceleration sensor
16
, the microcomputer
18
recognizes the right side collision, and outputs the control signal to close the semiconductor switch
21
.
Thus, the power supply
15
supplies a current to the driving circuit
23
through the semiconductor switches
19
and
21
, so that the driving circuit
23
drives the occupant protection system
24
against the right-side crashes.
On the other hand, when another vehicle collides with the left side in the traveling direction of the vehicle, the left-side collision acceleration sensor
13
supplies the microcomputer
14
with the electric signal proportional to the acceleration applied on the left side of the vehicle. In addition, the left-side collision acceleration sensor
17
detects the impact acceleration beyond the reference acceleration, and supplies the detection signal to the microcomputer
18
.
Receiving electric signal from the left-side collision acceleration sensor
13
, the microcomputer
14
recognizes the acceleration from the electric signal, and when the acceleration exceeds the impact acceleration, it recognizes the left side collision, and outputs the control signal to close the semiconductor switch
20
.
Likewise, receiving the detection signal from the left-side collision acceleration sensor
17
, the microcomputer
18
recognizes the left side collision, and outputs the control signal to close the semiconductor switch
22
.
Thus, the power supply
15
supplies a current to the driving circuit
25
through the semiconductor switches
20
and
22
, so that the driving circuit
25
drives the occupant protection system
26
against the left-side crashes.
FIG. 21
is a plan view showing a conventional acceleration detector (right-side collision acceleration sensor
16
or left-side collision acceleration sensor
17
) disclosed in Japanese patent application laid-open No. 9-211023/1997, for example. In this figure, the reference numeral
31
designates a weight;
32
designates a shaft on which the weight
31
slides when the weight
31
undergoes an inertial force by the crash of the vehicle;
33
designates a spring;
34
designates a moving contact; and
35
designates a fixed contact.
As clearly shown in
FIG. 21
, the conventional acceleration detector has its fixed contact
35
and moving contact
34
separated apart in a normal mode where no collision takes place.
If the weight
31
undergoes a large inertial force beyond the force of the spring
33
by the collision of the vehicle, it moves to the left in
FIG. 21
, so that the moving contact
34
comes into contact with the fixed contact
35
.
Thus, when the fixed contact
35
makes contact with the moving contact
34
, the acceleration detector
16
or
17
supplies the detection signal to the microcomputer
18
.
With the foregoing arrangement, it is necessary for the conventional acceleration detector
16
or
17
to have the fixed contact
35
and moving contact
34
disposed in such a manner that they are spaced by a rather large distance so that they do not come to contact with each other in the normal mode. The rather large distance between the fixed contact
35
and moving contact
34
offers a problem of reducing the response sensitivity to the impact acceleration.
In addition, it has another problem in that the dete
Enad Elvin
Fishman M.
Mitsubishi Denki & Kabushiki Kaisha
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
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