Patent US1205384A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3875284A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3005345A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US6644020B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3730004A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Sensor
Assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
•
Filing: 1971-04-23
•
Granted: 1973-05-01
•
Expires: 1991-04-23
Abstract
Abstract A sensor includes a base plate and a generally vertically extending tubular guide provided intermediate the ends thereof with two diametrically opposed radial openings. A firing pin is slidably mounted within the guide and is spring biased toward one end of the guide to an actuated position wherein the pin engages a cartridge to fire the cartridge and actuate an inflatable cushion of an occupant restraint system. An annular seismic mass surrounds the guide and is pivotally supported thereon for movement about an axis transverse of the guide axis and direction of movement of the operator. The mass axis is further coplanar with the axis of the openings in the guide. The mass includes a pair of diametrically opposite axially and radially directed shoulders having grooves which open to the guide openings and cooperate with an annular groove on the firing pin to trap respective balls therebetween and detent the firing pin against movement. The balls are freely received within the guide openings. When the mass receives an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time directed angularly and preferably normal to the axis thereof, it swings about the axis to move the grooves thereof out of engagement with the balls and permit the firing pin spring to move the firing pin to actuated position as the balls move outwardly of the guide openings.
Inventors
- 👤 W Cwycyshyn
- 👤 E Kitchen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 23:50
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R21/00; B60R21/02; B60R21/16; B60R21/33; F; F42; F42C; F42C1/00; F42C1/02; F42C1/04; F42C7/00; F42C7/12; G; G01; G01P; G01P15/00; G01P15/02; G01P15/03; G01P15/032; G01P15/036; H; H01; H01H; H01H35/00; H01H35/14
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
166 words
A sensor comprising, in combination, a support, an elongated annular guide secured to the support, an operator mounted within the guide for movement between actuated and unactuated positions, means biasing the operator to actuated position, a seismic mass, shaft means pivotally mounting the mass on the guide for movement independently thereof about a fixed axis transverse of the direction of movement of the operator, cooperating pairs of shoulder means on the operator and mass, a ball engageable with each cooperating pair of shoulder means to block pivotal movement of the mass and hold the operator in unactuated position, said seismic mass being responsive to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time directed generally angularly to the mass axis to swing the mass about such axis and move the shoulder means thereof out of cooperating relationship to the operator shoulder means to permit the biasing means to move the operator to actuated position as the balls move out of engagement with each pair of shoulder means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
166 words
A sensor comprising, in combination, a support, an elongated annular guide secured to the support, an operator mounted within the guide for movement between actuated and unactuated positions, means biasing the operator to actuated position, a seismic mass, shaft means pivotally mounting the mass on the guide for movement independently thereof about a fixed axis transverse of the direction of movement of the operator, cooperating pairs of shoulder means on the operator and mass, a ball engageable with each cooperating pair of shoulder means to block pivotal movement of the mass and hold the operator in unactuated position, said seismic mass being responsive to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time directed generally angularly to the mass axis to swing the mass about such axis and move the shoulder means thereof out of cooperating relationship to the operator shoulder means to permit the biasing means to move the operator to actuated position as the balls move out of engagement with each pair of shoulder means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
192 words
A sensor comprising, in combination, a support, an elongated annular guide secured to the support, an operator mounted within the guide for movement between actuated and unactuated positions, means biasing the operator to actuated position, a seismic mass, shaft means pivotally mounting the mass on the guide for movement independently thereof about a fixed axis transverse of the direction of movement of the operator, shoulder means on the operator, a plurality of shoulder means on the mass, each directed axially and radially of the direction of movement of the operator and respectively associated in pairs with the operator shoulder means, a ball engageable with each cooperating pair of shoulder means to block pivotal movement of the mass and hold the operator in unactuated position, said seismic mass being responsive to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time directed generally angularly to the mass axis to swing the mass about such axis and move the shoulder means thereof out of cooperating relationship to the operator shoulder means to permit the biasing means to move the operator to actuated position as the balls move out of engagement with each pair of shoulder means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
192 words
A sensor comprising, in combination, a support, an elongated annular guide secured to the support, an operator mounted within the guide for movement between actuated and unactuated positions, means biasing the operator to actuated position, a seismic mass, shaft means pivotally mounting the mass on the guide for movement independently thereof about a fixed axis transverse of the direction of movement of the operator, shoulder means on the operator, a plurality of shoulder means on the mass, each directed axially and radially of the direction of movement of the operator and respectively associated in pairs with the operator shoulder means, a ball engageable with each cooperating pair of shoulder means to block pivotal movement of the mass and hold the operator in unactuated position, said seismic mass being responsive to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time directed generally angularly to the mass axis to swing the mass about such axis and move the shoulder means thereof out of cooperating relationship to the operator shoulder means to permit the biasing means to move the operator to actuated position as the balls move out of engagement with each pair of shoulder means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
188 words
A sensor comprising, in combination, a support, an elongated annular guide secured to the support, an operator mounted within the guide for movement between actuated and unactuated positions, means biasing the operator to actuated position, a seismic mass, shaft means pivotally mounting the mass on the guide for movement independently thereof about a fixed axis transverse of the direction of movement of the operator, cooperating pairs of arcuate shoulder means on the operator and mass, a ball tangentially engageable with each cooperating pair of shoulder means to block pivotal movement of the mass and hold the operator in unactuated position, the centers of generation of the arcuate shoulder means being coplanar with the mass axis and centers of the balls, said seismic mass being responsive to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time directed generally normal to such plane to swing the mass about the axis thereof and move the shoulder means thereof out of cooperating relationship to the operator shoulder means to permit the biasing means to move the operator to actuated position as the balls move out of engagement with eaCh pair of shoulder means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
188 words
A sensor comprising, in combination, a support, an elongated annular guide secured to the support, an operator mounted within the guide for movement between actuated and unactuated positions, means biasing the operator to actuated position, a seismic mass, shaft means pivotally mounting the mass on the guide for movement independently thereof about a fixed axis transverse of the direction of movement of the operator, cooperating pairs of arcuate shoulder means on the operator and mass, a ball tangentially engageable with each cooperating pair of shoulder means to block pivotal movement of the mass and hold the operator in unactuated position, the centers of generation of the arcuate shoulder means being coplanar with the mass axis and centers of the balls, said seismic mass being responsive to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time directed generally normal to such plane to swing the mass about the axis thereof and move the shoulder means thereof out of cooperating relationship to the operator shoulder means to permit the biasing means to move the operator to actuated position as the balls move out of engagement with eaCh pair of shoulder means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
212 words
A sensor comprising, in combination, a support, an elongated annular guide secured to the support, an annular operator mounted within the guide for movement between actuated and unactuated positions and including a peripheral radially outwardly opening groove, means biasing the operator to actuated position, a seismic mass, shaft means pivotally mounting the mass on the guide for movement independently thereof about a fixed axis transverse of the direction of movement of the operator, a pair of grooves on the mass opening toward the operator groove and directed axially and radially of the mass axis, each cooperating with the operator groove to provide cooperating pairs of shoulder means, a ball engageable with each cooperating pair of shoulder means to block pivotal movement of the mass and hold the operator in unactuated position, said seismic mass being responsive to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time directed generally angularly to the mass axis to swing the mass about such axis and move the grooves thereof out of cooperating relationship to the operator groove to permit the biasing means to move the operator to actuated position as the balls move out of engagement with each pair of shoulder means, a plane bisecting the grooves containing the mass axis and the centers of the balls.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
212 words
A sensor comprising, in combination, a support, an elongated annular guide secured to the support, an annular operator mounted within the guide for movement between actuated and unactuated positions and including a peripheral radially outwardly opening groove, means biasing the operator to actuated position, a seismic mass, shaft means pivotally mounting the mass on the guide for movement independently thereof about a fixed axis transverse of the direction of movement of the operator, a pair of grooves on the mass opening toward the operator groove and directed axially and radially of the mass axis, each cooperating with the operator groove to provide cooperating pairs of shoulder means, a ball engageable with each cooperating pair of shoulder means to block pivotal movement of the mass and hold the operator in unactuated position, said seismic mass being responsive to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time directed generally angularly to the mass axis to swing the mass about such axis and move the grooves thereof out of cooperating relationship to the operator groove to permit the biasing means to move the operator to actuated position as the balls move out of engagement with each pair of shoulder means, a plane bisecting the grooves containing the mass axis and the centers of the balls.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
196 words
A sensor comprising, in combination, a support, an elongated annular guide secured to the support, an operator mounted within the guide for movement between actuated and unactuated positions, means biasing the operator to actuated position, an annular seismic mass surrounding the guide, shaft means pivotally mounting the mass adjacent one end thereof on the guide for independent movement relative thereto about a fixed axis transverse of the direction of movement of the operator, cooperating pairs of shoulder means on the operator and mass adjacent the other end thereof, a ball engageable with each cooperating pair of shoulder means to block pivotal movement of the mass and hold the operator in unactuated position, the centers of the balls being coplanar with the mass axis, said seismic mass being responsive to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time directed generally normal to the mass axis and intermediate the ends thereof to swing the mass about such axis and move the shoulder means thereof out of cooperating relationship to the operator shoulder means to permit the biasing means to move the operator to actuated position as the balls move out of engagement with each pair of shoulder means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
196 words
A sensor comprising, in combination, a support, an elongated annular guide secured to the support, an operator mounted within the guide for movement between actuated and unactuated positions, means biasing the operator to actuated position, an annular seismic mass surrounding the guide, shaft means pivotally mounting the mass adjacent one end thereof on the guide for independent movement relative thereto about a fixed axis transverse of the direction of movement of the operator, cooperating pairs of shoulder means on the operator and mass adjacent the other end thereof, a ball engageable with each cooperating pair of shoulder means to block pivotal movement of the mass and hold the operator in unactuated position, the centers of the balls being coplanar with the mass axis, said seismic mass being responsive to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time directed generally normal to the mass axis and intermediate the ends thereof to swing the mass about such axis and move the shoulder means thereof out of cooperating relationship to the operator shoulder means to permit the biasing means to move the operator to actuated position as the balls move out of engagement with each pair of shoulder means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-04-30 | 1976-10-30 | 1977-05-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-04-30 | 1980-10-30 | 1981-05-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-04-30 | 1984-10-30 | 1985-05-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |