Airbag deployment controller
US5865463A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 2, 1997 |
| Grant date | Feb 2, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 2, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB60N2230/30
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An airbag deployment controller has a plurality of sensors interposed between a rigid member and a seat pan member such that the weight supported by a portion of the seat cushion which the rigid member underlies is transferred from the rigid member to the seat pan via said sensors. The sensors sense the magnitude of the force transferred therethrough. A device processes signals from the sensors to determine the weight that the portion of the seat cushion which the rigid member underlies is bearing. The signal processing device controls the activation and operation of an airbag as a function of the presence and weight of a seat occupant. Optionally, the tension on a seat belt may also be sensed and processed as a parameter for controlling the deployment of an airbag.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.