Passive safety device using optical signals for controlling an airbag system of a vehicle, method for optically triggering the passive safety device, and optomechanical acceleration sensor

US5291014A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Dynamit Nobel GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Uwe Brede · Ergolding, DE
• Gerhard Kordel · Wendelstein, DE
• Wolfram Seebeck · Veitsbronn, DE
• Horst Wellner · Fürth, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 31, 1992
• Grant date: Mar 1, 1994
• Expiry date: Jul 31, 2012

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B60R2021/01095
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A passive safety device comprises a sensor unit for determining vehicle accelerations and decelerations, an evaluating unit for evaluating the output signal of the sensor unit, and a triggering unit for the activation of an occupant protection system upon the reception of a trigger signal, to protect the occupants from injuries. The individual units of the safety device are connected by way of optical lightguides, i.e. the communication among the individual units takes place through optical light signals. The sensor unit has an optical-mechanical acceleration sensor with at least one input lightguide, light being transmitted to the acceleration sensor by way of this lightguide. This light is transmitted within the acceleration sensor to at least one output lightguide. The optical system of the acceleration sensor arranged between the two lightguides is exposed to the accelerations to be detected and changes its optical properties in dependence on the magnitude of the acceleration forces. The output signal of the acceleration sensor, i.e. the light from the at least one output lightguide, is a measure for the effective acceleration and permits either quantitative information or qual…