Vehicle occupant restraint apparatus
US5356176A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 25, 1993 |
| Grant date | Oct 18, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 25, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01M3/3263
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An apparatus (10) for use in inflating a vehicle occupant restraint (12) includes a pressure vessel (14) and a leakage detecting assembly (68). The pressure vessel (14) stores gas, and has a closure wall (40) which ruptures to release the gas from the pressure vessel (14) to inflate the vehicle occupant restraint (12). The closure wall (40) is movable under the influence of a change in the gas pressure within the pressure vessel (14). The leakage detecting assembly (68) senses movement of the closure wall (40) which occurs under the influence of a change in the gas pressure that is caused by leakage from the pressure vessel (14). The leakage detecting assembly (68) generates an electrical signal in response to such movement of the closure wall (40). The leakage detecting assembly (68) does not generate the electrical signal in response to movement of the closure wall (40) which occurs under the influence of a change in the gas pressure that is caused by a change in the ambient temperature of the pressure vessel (14).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.