Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Utility Patent
1999-04-09
2001-01-02
Swann, J. J. (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C180S271000, C701S045000
Utility Patent
active
06168197
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to occupant restraint systems and more particularly to a method for controlling the deployment of an airbag.
2. Discussion
Modern airbag systems generally include an airbag control module (ACM) and one or more single-stage airbag modules. The ACM typically includes software and hardware to diagnose the airbag system, one or more accelerometers to sense acceleration or deceleration, and a software algorithm to ascertain the severity of an impact and decide whether or not to deploy an airbag module.
Generally, when an airbag module is deployed, the ACM generates an electrical signal through the vehicle wire harness to a squib which causes the rapid combustion of a pyrotechnic charge, producing gases which inflate the corresponding airbag. Modern production vehicles do not use multiple inflation rates in deploying the airbags due to the complexity and cost of the prior art systems. Consequently, the rate in which the airbags are deployed is not controlled to optimize the performance of the airbag system to the magnitude of a given impact. As the speed with which the vehicle occupants move relative to the vehicle during a collision depends upon the speed of the collision, optimization of the rate of deployment can be utilized to tailor the deployment of an airbag to minimize risk of injury from contact between the vehicle occupant and the vehicle as well as between the vehicle occupant and the airbag.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide an airbag system which can vary the rate of deployment of an airbag according to the magnitude and severity of an impact.
It is a more specific object of the present invention to vary the rate of airbag inflation through the use of an inflator having two independent squibs.
It is another aspect of the preset invention to provide an airbag system having an improved ability to deploy an airbag where a fault in a squib circuit has been detected.
To achieve these objects, a method for controlling an airbag system is provided. The airbag system includes an airbag module which may be deployed at different rates to optimize performance of the airbag module to a given impact. The airbag system includes a control module, an impact sensor, a seatbelt restraint sensor and an airbag module. The airbag module includes an inflator having two independent squibs, a first one of the squibs being coupled to a first charge and a second one of the squibs being coupled to a second charge. The method monitors various vehicle dynamics and controls the generation of first and second squib pulses which cause the deployment of the first and second charges so as to optimize the rate at which the airbag is deployed for an impact of a given magnitude. The method also monitors the integrity of each squib circuit and when a fault in a squib circuit is detected, the deployment algorithm is modified to ensure that the airbag will deploy.
Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Kajdasz Gary F.
Machak Joseph G.
Minissale Ernest P.
Paganini Lisa M.
Bottorff Christopher D
DaimlerChrysler Corporation
Fuller III Roland A.
Swann J. J.
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