Intelligent restraining system

Details Intelligent restraining system Intelligent restraining system

1999-07-15

2001-05-29

Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)

Land vehicles

Wheeled

Attachment

C280S736000, C701S045000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06237948

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a restraining element, or restraint system, which has a plurality of restraint devices for vehicle passengers and is equipped with a central control unit that via a bus system controls the tripping of the restraint devices.
One such restraint system is described in the printed proceedings of the third International Symposium on Sophisticated Car Occupant Safety Systems, “Airbag 2000”, Karlsruhe, Germany, Nov. 26-27, 1996, pages 16-1 through 16-19. As can be learned from this paper, there have already been frequent cases in which vehicle passengers have been even fatally injured by an inflated air bag. As a rule, this was due to the fact that the restraint systems used in the past have been very rigid in their tripping behavior and cannot react flexibly to different types of seat occupation and to various seat positions and passenger body sizes or weights. Professionals in the field have therefore proposed the introduction of so-called intelligent restraint systems, which make it possible for the restraint devices (such as air bags) not to be tripped with full force in every instance, but instead to be tripped with reduced force or in succession in multiple stages, depending on the severity of the accident and on the seat occupation. An intelligent restraint system of this kind should also be able to tell whether a particular type or severity of accident, or a particular kind of seat occupation (child seat), is involved in which tripping should be omitted entirely. An intelligent restraint system should also be capable, in multiple collisions, to react with multiple tripping of the various restraint devices.
In the literature cited above, it is proposed that given the many restraint devices built into vehicles in the future (air bags in the head, thorax and knee region for every vehicle passenger, and belt tighteners), all the restraint devices be triggered from a central control unit via a so-called “firing bus”. Every restraint device is provided with a gas generator, which receives its firing information from the central control unit via the firing bus.
The object of the invention is to disclose a restraint system of the type defined at the outset which at the least possible expense enables very flexible triggering of each individual restraint device, so that depending on the type of accident, the severity of the accident, and the seat occupation (such as the passenger position and passenger weight), optimal protection for the passengers is assured.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This object is attained in that a central gas generator is present, whose firing is tripped by the central control unit. The gas generator is connected to the restraint devices via a gas line system. Electrically controllable valves are disposed in the gas supply lines to the restraint devices, and their control is effected from the central control unit via a bus system. Thus for each restraint device, an individual inflation characteristic (course over time of the gas pressure) can be achieved, yet this requires only a single central gas generator and a single control unit, which ascertains the inflation characteristic of each restraint device by taking the type and severity of the accident and the seat occupation into account.
The central control unit is connected to one or more acceleration sensors, precrash sensors, and/or rollover sensors and/or seat occupation sensors, so as to ascertain the kinetic behavior of the vehicle and/or the severity of the accident and/or the seat occupation in the vehicle, and from that to derive the inflation characteristics for the restraint devices.
The valves may for instance be magnet valves, of the kind used for fuel injection in internal combustion engines.
The central control unit monitors the gas pressure in the gas generator and also controls an overpressure valve on the gas generator.
The gas line system may have the structure of a star-shaped bus, whose branches each supply gas to respective groups of restraint devices, which are distributed in accordance with zones in the vehicle.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3603535 (1971-09-01), DePolo
patent: 3642303 (1972-02-01), Irish et al.
patent: 4178016 (1979-12-01), Andres et al.
patent: 5039035 (1991-08-01), Fitzpatrick
patent: 5370355 (1994-12-01), Rembold et al.
patent: 5820032 (1998-10-01), Reiter
patent: 5947514 (1999-09-01), Keller et al.
patent: 4231522 (1994-03-01), None
Third International Symposium on Soficticated Car Occupant Safety Systems. “Airbag 2000”, Karlsruhe, Germany, Nov. 26-27, 1996, pp. 16-1 Through 16-19.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Intelligent restraining 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 Intelligent restraining system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Intelligent restraining system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2487239