Electrical resistors – Strain gauge type
Reexamination Certificate
1996-09-04
2002-05-21
Easthom, Karl D. (Department: 2832)
Electrical resistors
Strain gauge type
C338S006000, C338S047000, C338S050000, C338S211000, C073S862634, C280S735000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06392527
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an acceleration change detection system, which in a preferred embodiment is used as an impact detection system. More particularly, the invention relates to such a system that employs a deflection sensor. The invention may have particular use in a system that determines whether to deploy an air bag in a vehicle.
2. State of the Art
Detection of movement and forces has wide application. For example, automobile air bag systems employ accelerometers in determining whether to inflate the air bag.
Prior art detectors used in deploying air bags have included a cylinder in which a ball is ordinarily held in place by a magnet at one end of the cylinder. A spring is positioned at the other end of cylinder. The cylinder and the ball are gold plated to be electrically conductive. When the vehicle has a collision at the front, the vehicle including the cylinder rapidly decelerates. When there is sufficient force, the ball breaks loose from the magnet and travels toward the spring. Accordingly, the magnet is chosen to have enough magnetic force to hold the ball in place unless a threshold force is created through a collision. The threshold force varies depending on vehicle specifications.
When the ball strikes the spring, an electrical circuit is completed, causing a squib switch to be activated and in turn causing an explosion which inflates an air bag.
Disadvantages of the prior art detection system include that it detects an impact in only one direction and generally lacks flexibility of application.
Accordingly, there is a need for an impact detection system that will detect impact in various directions and has flexibility in applications.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An acceleration change detection system includes a deflection sensor having an electrical parameter that changes upon deflection of the deflection sensor. The deflection sensor may be a flexible potentiometer. The deflection sensor may be deflected against a deflection structure. The deflection structure may include any of a variety of shapes. A non-pivoting attachment may also facilitate deflection. The system may include a movement inhibitor that ordinarily prevents the deflection sensor from deflecting within a particular range of deflection, but that allows deflection within the particular range in response to sufficient change in acceleration of the movement inhibitor. Examples of a movement inhibitor include magnets, springs, and clips. A particularly stiff substrate of the deflection sensor may also inhibit movement.
Determining circuitry that is connected to the deflection sensor may generate a signal indicative of a value of the electrical parameter and determine whether the deflection sensor is deflecting within the particular range based on the indicative signal. The determining circuitry may respond to merely the presence of deflection, that the deflection exceeds a threshold, or to a particular value of a threshold. In each case, the deflection is within a range. The system may include air bag triggering circuitry for triggering an air bag.
The system may include more than one deflection sensor, each having an electrical parameter that changes upon deflection of the deflection sensor for detecting deflections in various directions. The deflection sensors may be joined in a group (for example, to a chassis and/or in a loop) or separated. The determining circuitry may generate signals indicative of values of electrical parameters of the additional deflection sensors, and determines whether the deflection sensors are deflecting within particular ranges based on the indicative signals. Vector mathematics may be used to determine a direction.
Deflection values may be stored for forensic purposes.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3113223 (1963-12-01), Smith et al.
patent: 3174125 (1965-03-01), Curby
patent: 3229511 (1966-01-01), Rossire
patent: 3327270 (1967-06-01), Garrison
patent: 3332280 (1967-07-01), Fish et al.
patent: 3489917 (1970-01-01), Gurol
patent: 3517999 (1970-06-01), Weaver
patent: 3541491 (1970-11-01), Worster
patent: 3545283 (1970-12-01), McGunigle
patent: 3788149 (1974-01-01), Wilner
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), Reytblatt
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
patent: 4269506 (1981-05-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 4273682 (1981-06-01), Kanamori
patent: 4276538 (1981-06-01), Eventoff
patent: 4301337 (1981-11-01), Eventoff
patent: 4306480 (1981-12-01), Eventoff
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: 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: RE32003 (1985-10-01), Shoberg
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: 4745930 (1988-05-01), Confer
patent: 4748433 (1988-05-01), Jackson et al.
patent: 4763534 (1988-08-01), Hager
patent: 4786764 (1988-11-01), Padula et al.
patent: 4810992 (1989-03-01), Eventoff
patent: 4822040 (1989-04-01), Raditic
patent: 4825696 (1989-05-01), Seipler
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: 5002306 (1991-03-01), Hiramitsu et al.
patent: 5059751 (1991-10-01), Woodman et al.
patent: 5065322 (1991-11-01), Mazur et al.
patent: 5086785 (1992-02-01), Gentile et al.
patent: 5109341 (1992-04-01), Blackburn et al.
patent: 5134248 (1992-07-01), Kiec et al.
patent: 5157372 (1992-10-01), Langford
patent: 5172790 (1992-12-01), Ishikawa et al.
patent: 5202281 (1993-04-01), Ishibashi
patent: 5202831 (1993-04-01), Blackburn et al.
patent: 5216607 (1993-06-01), Diller et al.
patent: 5222399 (1993-06-01), Kropp
patent: 5232243 (1993-08-01), Blackburn et al.
patent: 5250227 (1993-10-01), Margolin
patent: 5265904 (1993-11-01), Shelton
patent: 5265905 (1993-11-01), Shelton
patent: 5269559 (1993-12-01), Filion et al.
patent: 5269560 (1993-12-01), O'Loughlin et al.
patent: 5275432 (1994-01-01), Pray et al.
patent: 5297976 (1994-03-01), VanDerStuyf et al.
patent: 5308106 (1994-05-01), Heidorn et al.
patent: 5309135 (1994-05-01), Langford
patent: 5313023 (1994-05-01), Johnson
patent: 5344185 (1994-09-01), Cooke, II
patent: 5350189 (1994-09-01), Tsuchitani et al.
patent: 5364125 (1994-11-01), Brown et al.
patent: 5366242 (1994-11-01), Faigle et al.
patent: 5369232 (1994-11-01), Leonelli
patent: 5371333 (1994-12-01), Kanai et al.
patent: 5383473 (1995-01-01), Moberg
patent: 5387819 (1995-02-01), Ueno et al.
patent: 5388459 (1995-02-01), Inoue et al.
patent: 5395802 (1995-03-01), Kiyota et al.
patent: 5396439 (1995-03-01), Yamada
patent: 5398962 (1995-03-01), Kropp et al.
patent: 5399819 (1995-03-01), Lang et al.
patent: 5413378 (1995-05-01), Steffens, Jr. et al.
patent: 5419176 (1995-05-01), Walker
patent: 5423227 (1995-06-01), Polaert et al.
patent: 5423569 (1995-06-01), Reighard et al.
patent: 5439249 (1995-08-01), Steffens, Jr
Gilano Michael
Langford Gordon B.
Easthom Karl D.
Holme Roberts & Owen LLP
Sensitron Inc.
LandOfFree
Impact detection 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 Impact detection system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Impact detection system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2890501