Electrical transmission or interconnection systems – Vehicle mounted systems – Automobile
Patent
1997-07-08
2000-06-06
Elms, Richard T.
Electrical transmission or interconnection systems
Vehicle mounted systems
Automobile
180282, 280735, B60R 2132
Patent
active
060722460
ABSTRACT:
A process used to trigger a passive occupant protection system for motor vehicles where at least one electric ignition agent for a safety device protecting one person in the event of a hazardous impact, in particular an airbag or a belt tensioner, is provided with ignition energy by a trigger current which--in the event of a functional failure occurring in the on-board electric system of the motor vehicle--is generated as the discharge current of an autarchic capacitor. According to the invention, this autarchic capacitor simultaneously provides the trigger currents for multiple ignition agents--in particular squibs used for airbags--, with the respective trigger current of each ignition agent being pulse-width modulated such that the ignition energy required for the respective ignition agent is preset by the pulse-to-pause ratio of the trigger current. On the one hand, this invention provides for a reduction in the number of components required as one single autarchic capacitor supplies multiple ignition agents, and, on the other hand, each ignition agent will be allocated the ignition energy required to enable safe ignition without accepting an excessive dimensioning of the autarchic capacitor. Furthermore, when compared to the state of the art, the invention leads to a reduced chip surface area of the power amplifier transistors. Finally, a circuit is disclosed for implementing the process according to the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4933570 (1990-06-01), Swart et al.
patent: 5204547 (1993-04-01), Schumacher et al.
patent: 5442244 (1995-08-01), Furui
patent: 5646454 (1997-07-01), Mattes et al.
Elms Richard T.
Kunitz Norman N.
Spencer George H.
TEMIC Telefunken microelectronic GmbH
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