Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Patent
1990-03-01
1991-10-22
Marmor, Charles A.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
B60R 2116
Patent
active
050589202
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to safety devices for motor vehicles and, in particular, to passenger restraint devices and methods and apparatus for actuating passenger restraint devices, such as air bags and seat belts.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
German patent application DE-A-2851333 shows a vehicle safety device that uses electrically actuated tripping devices to actuate a passenger restraint device, such as an air bag. The tripping devices are typically ignition tablets. When electric current flows through an ignition tablet, the tablet ignites and thus actuates the restraint device. If the main power source for the safety device is disconnected during a collision, for example, an electric storage device supplies electric current to ignite the ignition tablet.
One problem with such known safety devices, is that ignition tablets frequently shunt; that is, once the ignition table is ignited, it is not completely destroyed. As a result, electric current continues to flow through the ignition tablet. This problem is particularly critical if the main power source is disconnected and several ignition tablets must be ignited one after the other by the storage device. If one of the ignition tablets shunts, it can drain the energy from the storage device before the remaining ignition tablets are ignited. As a result, the remaining restraint devices, such as air bags, cannot be actuated to protect the passengers in the vehicle.
The solution of the present invention avoids the disadvantages of shunts occurring in actuated tripping devices to reliably actuate additional tripping devices, despite the limited energy reserve of a storage device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a method of actuating a vehicular passenger restraint device, comprising the following steps: directing electric current from a storage device to an actuating device to actuate the actuating device and in turn the passenger restraint device; measuring the energy supplied by the storage device to the actuating device; and if the energy supplied to the actuating device is greater than a predetermined amount, interrupting the flow of electric current to the actuating device to maintain a substantially predetermined amount of energy within the storage device to actuate other actuating devices. In one method of the present invention, the amount of energy supplied to the actuating device is measured by measuring the voltage across the storage device. In another method of the present invention, the amount of energy supplied to the actuating device is measured by measuring the voltage across the actuating device. Upon actuating the passenger restraint device, if there is voltage across the actuating device, the flow of electric current therethrough is interrupted.
In another method of the present invention, the amount of energy supplied to the actuating device is measured by measuring the electric current flow therethrough. If upon actuating the passenger restraint device, electric current continues to flow through the actuating device, the flow of electric current therethrough is interrupted.
The present invention is also directed to an apparatus for actuating a plurality of passenger restraint devices mounted on a motor vehicle. The apparatus comprises an electric storage device coupled to the passenger restraint devices to supply electric current thereto to actuate the restraint devices. The apparatus further comprises first means for monitoring the energy supplied by the storage device to a respective restraint device, to maintain a sufficient amount of energy in the storage device to actuate other restraint devices. The apparatus preferably further comprises second means coupled to the first means and to the passenger restraint devices. The second means is responsive to the first means for interrupting the flow of electric current to a respective restraint device.
In one apparatus of the present invention, the first means includes a first volt meter coupled to the storage device to generate ou
REFERENCES:
patent: 3980318 (1976-09-01), Balban
patent: 4110812 (1978-08-01), Arutunian et al.
patent: 4163268 (1979-07-01), Spies et al.
patent: 4243971 (1981-01-01), Suchowerskyj et al.
patent: 4384734 (1983-05-01), Yasui
Burger Wilfried
Nitschke Werner
Taufer Peter
Weller Hugo
Finlay Tamara L.
Marmor Charles A.
Robert & Bosch GmbH
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