Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-11
2001-07-17
Culbreth, Eric (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C180S268000, C701S045000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06260879
ABSTRACT:
Co-pending U.S. Application Ser. No. 08/993,701 entitled “Seat Weight Sensor Having Fluid Filled Bladder”, filed on Dec. 18, 1997, claiming benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/032,380 filed on Dec. 19, 1996, and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention discloses a hydrostatic weight sensor comprising a fluid filled bladder and a pressure sensor for sensing the weight of an occupant in a vehicle seat for controlling a safety restraint system. U.S. Application Ser. No. 08/993,701 also discloses a load distributor for distributing loads across the load bearing surface of the hydrostatic weight sensor. U.S. Application Ser. No. 08/993,701 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/032,380 are incorporated herein by reference.
Co-pending U.S. Application Ser. No. 09/003,672 entitled “Automotive Seat Weight Sensing System”, filed on Jan. 7, 1997, claiming benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/034,018 filed on Jan. 8, 1997, and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention discloses a seat weight sensing system comprising a plurality of hydrostatic weight sensors each of which is in accordance with U.S. Application Ser. No. 08/993,701. U.S. Application Ser. No. 09/003,672 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/034,018 are incorporated herein by reference.
Co-pending U.S. Application Ser. No. 09/003,870 entitled “Vehicle Seat Sensor Having Self-Maintaining Air Bladder”, filed on Jan. 7, 1997, claiming benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/035,343 filed on Jan. 16, 1997, and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention discloses an apparatus for automatically maintaining the supply of sensing fluid in a hydrostatic weight sensor. U.S. Application Ser. No. 09/003,870 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/035,343 are incorporated herein by reference.
Co-pending U.S. Application Ser. No. 09/003,868 entitled “Seat Weight Sensor with Means for Distributing Loads”, filed on Jan. 7, 1997, claiming benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/058,084 filed on Sep. 4, 1997, and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention discloses a load distributor for distributing sensed load across the load bearing surface of a hydrostatic weight sensor. U.S. Application Ser. No. 09/003,868 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/058,084 are incorporated herein by reference.
Co-pending U.S. Application Ser. No. 09/003,673 entitled “Seat Weight Sensor Having Self-Regulating Fluid Filled Bladder”, filed on Jan. 7, 1997, claiming benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/058,119 filed on Sep. 4, 1997, and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention discloses a hydrostatic weight sensor having a means for automatically regulating the amount of sensing fluid therein. U.S. Application Ser. No. 09/003,673 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/058,119 are incorporated herein by reference.
Co-pending U.S. Application Ser. No. 09/003,746 entitled “Seat Weight Sensor Using Fluid Filled Tubing”, filed on Jan. 7, 1997, claiming benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/065,986 filed on Nov. 14, 1997, and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention discloses a hydrostatic weight sensor incorporating a fluid filled tube. U.S. Application Ser. No. 09/003,746 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/065,986 are incorporated herein by reference.
Co-pending U.S. Application Ser. No. 09/003,744 entitled “Low Profile Hydraulic Seat Weight Sensor”, filed on Jan. 7, 1997, claiming benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/065,832 filed on Nov. 14, 1997, and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention discloses a hydrostatic weight sensor constructed from plates or sheets of semi-rigid material and filled with a liquid, grease, Bingham fluid or thixotropic material. U.S. Application Ser. No. 09/003,744 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/065,832 are incorporated herein by reference.
Co-pending U.S. Application Ser. No. 09/075,584, hereinafter “Application ASL-177-US”, entitled “Seat Belt Tension Prediction System Using an Accelerometer Mounted To The Seat Frame and a Weight Sensor” filed on May 11, 1998, claiming benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/046,233 filed on May 12, 1997, and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention discloses a seatbelt tension prediction system and method utilizing a seat weight sensor and an accelerometer. Application ASL-177-US and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/046,233 are incorporated herein by reference.
Co-pending U.S. Application Ser. No. 09/075,729, hereinafter “Application ASL-179-US”, entitled “Belt Tension Device Using A Bend Sensor” filed on May 11, 1998, claiming benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/046,227 filed on May 12, 1997, and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention discloses a seatbelt tension measurement system employing a bend sensor to determine displacement of a device caused by a high tension seat belt. Application ASL-179-US and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/046,227 are incorporated herein by reference.
Co-pending U.S. Application Ser. No. 08/911,148, entitled “Electric Field Sensing Air Bag Danger Zone Sensor” filed on Aug. 14, 1997, claiming benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/038,620 filed on Mar. 7, 1997, and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention discloses a position sensing system for determining the presence and position of a vehicle occupant for purposes of influencing the decision to deploy a safety restraint system in response to a vehicle crash. U.S. Application Ser. No. 08/911,148 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/038,620 are incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL ART
The instant invention relates generally to automotive passenger restraint systems and more specifically to a system and method for controlling the inflation of an air bag in occupant seating situations where the passenger is at risk of injury from deployment thereof.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Automotive manufacturers and the National Highway Transportation Safety Association are investigating methods to disable vehicle air bags in situations where they may cause more harm than good. Typically, airbags have been developed to deploy with enough force to restrain a 175 lb. adult in a high velocity crash. Deployment of the same air bags when infants or children are seat occupants may cause serious injury due to the force generated upon inflation of the bag. This invention can be used to disable a passenger side air bag when infants or children are present in the passenger seat.
Another potentially harmful occupant seating situation is when the occupant is in close proximity to the air bag inflator door at the time of air bag deployment. Recent National Highway Transportation Safety Association data suggests that severe injuries caused by the air bag can be minimized or eliminated if the air bag is disabled when the occupant is closer than approximately four inches from the inflator door. The present invention may be used to detect a human body part that is within a “danger zone” around the air bag inflator assembly at the time of impact such that the air bag could be disabled or its inflation profile could thereby be reduced. Furthermore, the invention can be used to disable the passenger side air bag in nearly all occupant seating situations where air bag deployment is hazardous.
The present invention comprises a seat weight sensor, a seat belt tension sensor, and a capacitive sensor located in the instrument panel or dashboard near the air bag inflator door for sensing the proximity of a human to the air bag deployment danger zone.
The seat weight sensor and the seat belt tension measurement sensor are employed in concert to determine if the occupant is large enough for safe air bag deployment. The capacitive sensor operates independently of the aforementioned sensors to disable the air bag when a human presence is detected too close to the air bag inflator door just prior to air bag deployment.
Seat weight sensors are being develop
Automotive Systems Laboratory Inc.
Culbreth Eric
Dinnin & Dunn P.C.
LandOfFree
Air bag suppression system using a weight sensor, a seat... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Air bag suppression system using a weight sensor, a seat..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Air bag suppression system using a weight sensor, a seat... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2510176