Electrical resistors – Strain gauge type – Extensometer type
Reexamination Certificate
1996-09-04
2001-05-22
Easthom, Karl D. (Department: 2832)
Electrical resistors
Strain gauge type
Extensometer type
C338S002000, C338S047000, C338S050000, C338S260000, C338S320000, C338S210000, C338S211000, C073S862324, C073S862474, C073S862627
Reexamination Certificate
active
06236301
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system in which deflection sensors are arranged in a cantilevered arrangement. The invention has particular application for a horn activator used in connection with an automobile air bag system.
2. State of the Art
In the 1980's, automobile manufacturers began putting air bags adjacent to steering wheel hubs.
FIGS. 1 and 2
show side and front views of a typical air bag system
10
. Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, air bag system
10
includes an air bag
12
between a rigid steering wheel hub
16
and an air bag hub cover
20
. Hub
16
, which is connected to steering wheel shaft
24
, supports steering wheel
26
through supports
32
A,
32
B,
32
C, and
32
D.
When the automobile has a sudden impact, a pressure capsule
36
releases a burst of high pressure air into air bag
12
. Air bag
12
is inflated in response to the burst. Hub cover
20
splits along a partially perforated line
38
under the force of air bag
12
.
Referring to
FIG. 3
, a typical automobile horn control system
40
includes a horn actuator
42
, which may comprise a movable element
44
and a stationary element
46
. When the movable element
44
is pressed against the stationary element
46
, an electrical path is completed causing an electrical signal to appear on conductor
48
between stationary element
46
and a horn control circuit
52
. When the signal appears on conductor
48
, horn control circuit
52
activates a horn
56
through a voltage from a power supply
58
.
Horn actuators, such as horn actuator
42
, have been placed in a variety of positions on the steering wheel and under or on the steering wheel hub cover. However, it has been found safest to position the horn actuators on or under the hub cover so that the driver may activate the horn with the palm of his hand or lower part of the palm of his hand.
Manufacturers of air bag systems have placed membrane switch horn actuators between hub covers and air bags. Various problems, however, have been encountered in providing membrane switches that activate the horn in response to a force within a desired range. Membrane switches have the tendency to require too little or too much force to close
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A deflection sensing system for detecting deflection includes one or more deflection sensors between opposing sets of extensions. When one set of extensions is moved toward an opposing set of extensions, the deflection sensors are deflected. A preferred deflection sensor is a flexible potentiometer, which has a resistance that changes as the flexible potentiometer is deflected. A flexible potentiometer includes a variable resistance material on a substrate. An example of extensions are ribs.
In a preferred system, the flexible potentiometer includes a cantilevered section, which is deflected about an extension with respect to the remainder of the flexible potentiometer, or with respect to a portion of the substrate not including the variable resistance material. A flexible potentiometer experiences less stress when in cantilevered form than when stretched between two extensions. In either case, the extensions may be joined to first and second corrugated plates or other substrates. The extensions may form a web or grid and act as their own substrate so that another substrate is not required. Further, the extensions may be applied directly to a hub cover or air bag such that the hub cover or air bag act as a substrate.
A particular application for the system is in a horn activator used in connection with an automobile air bag system. A corrugated plate may be adhered to the inside of a hub cover. Alternatively, the extensions may be adhered directly to the hub cover. Analyzing circuitry senses the resistance of a resistive grid including flexible potentiometers. The analyzing circuitry interprets a change in resistance to mean there has been a deflection. In some embodiments, there merely needs to be some change in resistance. In other embodiments, the amount of change in resistance is considered so that, for example, the amount of change must be above a threshold. The analyzing circuitry may essentially simultaneously analyze the resistance of more than one resistive grid or deflection sensor. The invention has applications in a variety of systems including a system for determining whether a can or bottle is present in a can or bottle dispenser.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a horn control activation system is used in an automobile having an air bag adjacent to a steering wheel and having a horn. The horn control activation system may include a first and second plurality or sets of extensions. A resistive grid that may include flexible potentiometers or other deflection sensors, each that may include a cantilevered section that extends beyond at least one of the extensions of the first plurality and is selectively deflected by at least one of the extensions of the second plurality, thereby causing a change in resistance of the resistive grid. An activation circuitry may activate a horn when the activation circuitry receives an activation signal. Analyzing circuitry connected to the plurality of flexible potentiometers and to the activation circuitry may supply the activation signal to the activation circuitry in response to the change in resistance of the resistive grid. The analyzing circuitry may respond to changes in more than one resistive grid.
REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 32003 (1985-10-01), Shoberg
patent: 3174125 (1965-03-01), Curby
patent: 3229511 (1966-01-01), Rossire
patent: 3332280 (1967-07-01), Fish et al.
patent: 3393566 (1968-07-01), Green
patent: 3517999 (1970-06-01), Weaver
patent: 3541491 (1970-11-01), Worster
patent: 3820529 (1974-06-01), Gause et al.
patent: 3878711 (1975-04-01), Randolph, Jr.
patent: 3888117 (1975-06-01), Lewis
patent: 3895288 (1975-07-01), Lampen et al.
patent: 3958455 (1976-05-01), Russell
patent: 3968467 (1976-07-01), Lampen et al.
patent: 3971250 (1976-07-01), Taylor
patent: 4023054 (1977-05-01), Taylor
patent: 4038867 (1977-08-01), Andrews et al.
patent: 4123158 (1978-10-01), Reyblatt
patent: 4152304 (1979-05-01), Tadewald
patent: 4191470 (1980-03-01), Butter
patent: 4235141 (1980-11-01), Eventoff
patent: 4252391 (1981-02-01), Sado
patent: 4258100 (1981-03-01), Fujitani et al.
patent: 4258720 (1981-03-01), Flowers
patent: 4268815 (1981-05-01), Eventoff et al.
patent: 4269506 (1981-05-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 4273682 (1981-06-01), Kanamori
patent: 4276538 (1981-06-01), Eventoff et al.
patent: 4301337 (1981-11-01), Eventoff
patent: 4306480 (1981-12-01), Eventoff et al.
patent: 4314227 (1982-02-01), Eventoff
patent: 4314228 (1982-02-01), Eventoff
patent: 4315238 (1982-02-01), Eventoff
patent: 4355692 (1982-10-01), Ostrelich
patent: 4414537 (1983-11-01), Grimes
patent: 4420251 (1983-12-01), James et al.
patent: 4423640 (1984-01-01), Jetter
patent: 4429580 (1984-02-01), Testa et al.
patent: 4444205 (1984-04-01), Jackson
patent: 4451714 (1984-05-01), Eventoff
patent: 4461085 (1984-07-01), Dewar et al.
patent: 4489302 (1984-12-01), Eventoff
patent: 4503705 (1985-03-01), Polchaninoff
patent: 4542291 (1985-09-01), Zimmerman
patent: 4575117 (1986-03-01), Uchida
patent: 4605593 (1986-08-01), Iida
patent: 4639711 (1987-01-01), Edholm et al.
patent: 4649784 (1987-03-01), Fulks et al.
patent: 4703335 (1987-10-01), Matsushita et al.
patent: 4715235 (1987-12-01), Fukui et al.
patent: 4729809 (1988-03-01), Dery et al.
patent: 4745301 (1988-05-01), Michalchik
patent: 4745930 (1988-05-01), Confer
patent: 4748433 (1988-05-01), Jackson et al.
patent: 4763534 (1988-08-01), Hager
patent: 4765422 (1988-08-01), Hoffmann
patent: 4782319 (1988-11-01), Dell'Acqua et al.
patent: 4786764 (1988-11-01), Padula et al.
patent: 4810992 (1989-03-01), Eventoff
patent: 4822040 (1989-04-01), Raditic
patent: 4837548 (1989-06-01), Lodini
patent: 4876419 (1989-10-01), Lodini
patent: 4968965 (1990-11-01), Naitou et al.
patent: 4979763 (1990-12-01), Blackburn
patent: 5065322 (1991-11-01), Mazur et al.
patent: 5086652 (1
Langford Gordon B.
Montano Cesar A.
Putnam Greg A.
Easthom Karl D.
Holme Roberts & Owen LLP
Sensitron Inc.
LandOfFree
Cantilevered deflection sensing system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Cantilevered deflection sensing system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Cantilevered deflection sensing system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2448595