US6095554A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for sensing side impact crash conditions with an enhanced safing function
Assignee: Northrop Grumman Space and Mission Systems Corp
•
Filing: 1998-09-25
•
Granted: 2000-08-01
•
Expires: 2018-09-25
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for controlling side actuatable restraint (14, 16) includes a side acceleration sensor (22, 34) mounted to a vehicle at a side location and having an axis of sensitivity (24, 36) oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to a front-to-rear axis (25) of the vehicle. The side sensor provides a discriminating crash signal when a transverse crash acceleration of the vehicle is sensed indicating a deployment crash event. A first central safing acceleration sensor (52) is mounted at a substantially central location of the vehicle (11) and having an axis of sensitivity (58) oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front-to-rear axis (25) of the vehicle. The first safing sensor provides a first safing crash signal when a deployment crash acceleration is sensed in the transverse direction. A second central safing acceleration sensor (50) is mounted at the substantially central location of the vehicle (11) and having an axis of sensitivity (56) oriented in a direction substantially parallel to the front-to-rear axis (25) of the vehicle (11). The second safing sensor provides a second safing crash signal when crash acceleration is sensed in said first direction. An actuatable restraint is actuated when the side crash sensor (22, 34) provides the discriminating crash signal indicating a deployment crash event and when either said first (52) or said second (50) crash sensor provides a safing crash signal indicating a deployment crash event.
Inventors
- 👤 Chek-Peng (Anson) Foo
- 👤 Kevin Daniel Weiss
- 👤 Paul Leo Sumner
- 👤 Timothy Chester Wright
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 23:53
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R21/00; B60R21/01; B60R21/013; B60R21/0132; B60R21/01332; B60R21/01336; B60R2021/0002; B60R2021/0006; B60R2021/01322
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
201 words
An apparatus for controlling an actuatable restraint of a vehicle, comprising: a discrimination acceleration sensor mounted to the vehicle and having an axis of sensitivity oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and providing a discriminating crash signal when a transverse crash acceleration of the vehicle is sensed; first safing acceleration sensor mounted at a substantially central location of the vehicle and having an axis of sensitivity oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and providing a first safing crash signal when crash acceleration is sensed in said transverse direction; second safing acceleration sensor mounted at the substantially central location of the vehicle and having an axis of sensitivity oriented in a direction substantially parallel to the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and providing a second safing crash signal when crash acceleration is sensed as a result of a crash in the transverse direction; and means for actuating said actuatable restraint when said discrimination acceleration sensor provides said discriminating crash signal indicating a deployment crash event and when either said first or said second safing acceleration sensors provide their associated safing crash acceleration signal indicating a deployment crash event.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
201 words
An apparatus for controlling an actuatable restraint of a vehicle, comprising: a discrimination acceleration sensor mounted to the vehicle and having an axis of sensitivity oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and providing a discriminating crash signal when a transverse crash acceleration of the vehicle is sensed; first safing acceleration sensor mounted at a substantially central location of the vehicle and having an axis of sensitivity oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and providing a first safing crash signal when crash acceleration is sensed in said transverse direction; second safing acceleration sensor mounted at the substantially central location of the vehicle and having an axis of sensitivity oriented in a direction substantially parallel to the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and providing a second safing crash signal when crash acceleration is sensed as a result of a crash in the transverse direction; and means for actuating said actuatable restraint when said discrimination acceleration sensor provides said discriminating crash signal indicating a deployment crash event and when either said first or said second safing acceleration sensors provide their associated safing crash acceleration signal indicating a deployment crash event.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said discriminating crash sensor is mounted at a side location of the vehicle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said discriminating crash sensor is mounted at a substantially central location of the vehicle.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
57 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for actuating said actuatable restraint includes means for comparing an acceleration signal from said first safing sensor against a first predetermined value and means for comparing an acceleration signal from said second safing sensor against a second predetermined value wherein said first and second predetermined values are not equal.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
180 words
A method for controlling actuation of an actuatable side restraint of a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: sensing a crash acceleration using a discriminating acceleration sensor, said discriminating acceleration sensor providing a deployment crash signal when a crash event is sensed in a first direction having a value greater than a first threshold value; sensing a first safing crash acceleration using a first safing crash acceleration sensor and providing a first safing crash signal when a deployment crash event is sensed in said first direction; sensing a second safing crash acceleration using a second safing crash acceleration sensor and providing a second safing crash signal when a deployment crash event is sensed in a second direction substantially perpendicular to said first direction as a result of a crash event in said first direction; and actuating said side actuatable restraint when said discriminating crash signal indicates a deployment crash event and either (i) said first safing crash signal indicates a deployment crash event is occurring or (ii) said second safing crash signal indicates a deployment crash event is occurring.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
180 words
A method for controlling actuation of an actuatable side restraint of a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: sensing a crash acceleration using a discriminating acceleration sensor, said discriminating acceleration sensor providing a deployment crash signal when a crash event is sensed in a first direction having a value greater than a first threshold value; sensing a first safing crash acceleration using a first safing crash acceleration sensor and providing a first safing crash signal when a deployment crash event is sensed in said first direction; sensing a second safing crash acceleration using a second safing crash acceleration sensor and providing a second safing crash signal when a deployment crash event is sensed in a second direction substantially perpendicular to said first direction as a result of a crash event in said first direction; and actuating said side actuatable restraint when said discriminating crash signal indicates a deployment crash event and either (i) said first safing crash signal indicates a deployment crash event is occurring or (ii) said second safing crash signal indicates a deployment crash event is occurring.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3720426A
Cited
US3889232A
Cited
US5357141A
Cited
US5737224A
Cited
JPH0320674A
Cited
US5037129A
Cited
US4958851A
Cited
US5172790A
Cited
US5208484A
Cited
JPH04176754A
Cited
US5392024A
Cited
US5338062A
Cited
US5322323A
Cited
US5428534A
Cited
US5468013A
Cited
US5740041A
Cited
US5758899A
Cited
US5746444A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-08-01 | 2004-01-31 | 2004-08-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-08-01 | 2008-01-31 | 2008-08-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-08-01 | 2012-01-31 | 2012-08-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |