Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Patent
1990-05-24
1992-07-14
Rice, Kenneth R.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
180274, 180282, B60R 2132
Patent
active
051296730
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to electronic devices and, in particular, to electronic devices for controlling the release of passenger restraint devices, such as airbags, during vehicle collisions.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
An electronic device for protecting the occupants of a motor vehicle during a collision is shown in German Patent No. DE 3,621,580 Al. Another such device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,695, wherein a motor vehicle is equipped with a plurality of restraining devices which are activated as a function of the vehicle's speed. For example, a restraining device allotted to a passenger is activated only at slow vehicle speeds, whereas a restraining device allotted to the driver is not activated at the same speed, or is only activated at a subsequent point in time.
German Patent No. 2,151,399 shows how to install several impact sensitive configurations in a vehicle, wherein several electro-mechanical sensors have sensitivity axes pointing in different directions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an electronic device for controlling the release of a passenger restraint system on a motor vehicle. The electronic device comprises an acceleration sensor mounted on the vehicle for generating output signals indicative of the acceleration of the vehicle. At least one passenger restraint device is mounted on the vehicle and adapted to be activated during a vehicle collision to protect a passenger in the vehicle. A control unit of the device is coupled to the passenger restraint device and to the acceleration sensor. The control unit is adapted to receive the output signals from the acceleration sensor and to control the release of the passenger restraint device in response thereto. The control unit is further adapted to determine the direction of the force of a collision exerted on the vehicle, and to prevent the release of the restraint device in response thereto.
In one electronic device of the present invention, the control unit includes an integrating unit coupled to the acceleration sensor. The integrating unit includes a first capacitor for integrating the output signals generated by the acceleration sensor. A second capacitor is coupled in parallel relationship with respect to the first capacitor. First means are coupled to the first capacitor and to the second capacitor for monitoring the voltage across the first capacitor. The first means couples the second capacitor to the first capacitor when the voltage across the first capacitor exceeds a threshold value, thus preventing the release of the passenger restraint device.
The first means includes a comparator, wherein the inverting input terminal thereof is coupled to the first capacitor and to the second capacitor. The non-inverting input terminal of the comparator is coupled to a voltage divider. The voltage divider is coupled between ground and the operating voltage of the device, and thus applies a reference voltage to the non-inverting input terminal of the comparator. A first switch is coupled between the output terminal of the comparator and the second capacitor. A second switch is coupled between the output terminal of the comparator and the first capacitor. The comparator is adapted to control the positions of the first and second switches to couple the second capacitor to the first capacitor when the voltage across the first capacitor exceeds a threshold value.
In one electronic device of the present invention, the first means further includes an impedance transformer coupled between the inverting input of the comparator and the first capacitor. The voltage across the first capacitor is applied to the inverting input of the comparator through the impedance transformer.
The present invention is also directed to an electronic device for controlling the release of an airbag on a motor vehicle. The electronic device comprises an acceleration sensor mounted on the vehicle for generating output signals indicative of the acceleration of the vehicle. A control unit is coupled to the air
REFERENCES:
patent: 3629816 (1971-12-01), Gillund
patent: 3842930 (1974-10-01), Fiala
patent: 3874695 (1975-04-01), Abe et al.
patent: 4836024 (1989-06-01), Woehrl et al.
patent: 4933570 (1990-06-01), Swart et al.
Mattes Bernhard
Schumacher Hartmut
Rice Kenneth R.
Robert & Bosch GmbH
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