CN113226093B

CN113226093B - Actuation system for a wearable airbag

Info

Publication number: CN113226093B
Application number: CN202080007661.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 海诺·温德尔鲁普
Original assignee: HOVDING SVERIGE AB
Current assignee: Isi Automotive Sweden Ltd
Priority date: 2019-01-17
Filing date: 2020-01-16
Publication date: 2023-06-27
Anticipated expiration: 2040-01-16
Also published as: SE1950058A1; US20220061446A1; CN113226093A; BR112021014038A2; SE543986C2; CA3121633A1; AU2020209354A1; EP3911193A4; EP3911193A1; WO2020149785A1

Abstract

There is provided a balloon system for protecting a body part of a user (3) in the event of an accident, the balloon system comprising: a bladder (15) configured as a collar (10). The collar (10) comprises: a first fastening body (31) and a second fastening body (32). The first fastening body (31) comprises at least one magnet (35) arranged close to at least one sensor (36), and the second fastening body (32) comprises a shielding body (34), the shielding body (34) being operable to magnetically shield the at least one sensor (36) from the at least one magnet (35).

Description

Actuation system for a wearable airbag

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a system for protecting a user's head in the event of an abnormal movement, such as a fall or an impact. More particularly, the present invention relates to a wearable air bag for protecting the head of a bicycle rider in the event of an accident during riding.

Background

Airbags for protecting a person's head are known in the art, for example from WO 2012044254. In contrast to automotive airbags, the airbag of WO2012044245 is designed to inflate into a complex, head-protecting shape. The bladder described in the prior art reference is designed as a double bladder configuration, the inflated helmet shape of the inner plastic bladder being formed by the fingers of the outer bladder.

The air bag mentioned in WO2012044245 is designed to detect whether the user is exposed to an abnormal movement, such as a fall or an impact, for a particular activity, such as riding a bicycle. In order for the bladder to protect the user in an accident, the user must properly wear the bladder while engaged in the particular activity. During the activity, the wearable air bag is activated, continuously monitoring the movement of the user. Since the inflation is controlled by comparing the current movement with the reference movement of the particular type of activity, it is important to close the wearable air bag once the type of activity changes, for example from riding a bike to walking or running. The wearable air-bag is so gently configured around the neck as compared to conventional helmets that a user may not want to remove the air-bag when performing an activity other than planning. Accordingly, there is a need for an airbag that eliminates or at least alleviates the problems caused by this situation.

Disclosure of Invention

The above and other objects of the present invention are achieved, in whole or in part, according to a first aspect of the present invention, by an air bag system for protecting a body part of a user in the event of an accident, the air bag system comprising: an airbag configured as a collar. The collar includes: a first fastening body and a second fastening body. The first fastening body includes at least one magnet disposed proximate to at least one sensor, and the second fastening body includes a shield operable to magnetically shield the at least one sensor from the at least one magnet.

The fastening bodies are easier to use and less susceptible to magnetic interference than prior art systems.

In an embodiment, the system further comprises: a control unit configured to: disposing the airbag system in an idle state when the at least one sensor detects a magnetic field of the at least one magnet; and configuring the airbag system in an active state when the at least one sensor does not detect the magnetic field.

The control unit has the advantage of allowing a user of the system to set the state of the system as desired. The definition of the several states has the advantage that it is less susceptible to external magnetic fields.

The control unit may be configured to prevent the airbag from being inflated when the airbag system is in the idle state.

An advantage of the idle state is that the idle state prevents accidental inflation of the airbag when not needed.

In a second embodiment, the airbag system further comprises: an interlock device configured to connect a plurality of ends of the collar, wherein the interlock device comprises: at least one of the plurality of fastening bodies.

The interlocking device has the advantage that it has a dual function, allowing the collar to be comfortably arranged around the neck of a user and to act as a carrier for the fastening body. This has the further benefit of making it easier for the user to remember to activate the system when the collar is being worn and to deactivate the system when the collar is being removed.

In another embodiment, the second fastening body is operable to engage with the first fastening body.

An advantage of the engagement is that the engagement allows the several fastening bodies to cooperate with each other in the intended manner. The engagement has the further advantage that the engagement forms a clear distinction between an engaged state and a disengaged state, which may correspond to the active state and the idle state of the system.

The shield may be configured to magnetically shield the at least one sensor when the plurality of fastening bodies are engaged.

An advantage of this configuration is that the shield will shield the sensor(s) correctly throughout the duration of the engagement.

The first fastening body may further comprise a plurality of locking devices to keep the second fastening body engaged.

An advantage of the several locking devices is that they ensure that the fastening bodies are configured to cooperate with each other in a correct manner and not to be accidentally disengaged.

The plurality of locking devices may be configured to engage the shield.

This is advantageous because the shield is typically part of the second fastening body that needs to be fixed in position. The shield is further typically rigid and thus adapted to interact with the number of locking devices.

The plurality of locking devices may include: at least one sprung projection configured to engage with at least one receiving aperture on the second fastening body.

An advantage of the sprung tabs is that the sprung tabs allow the plurality of locking devices to be easily engaged and disengaged, but not accidentally disengaged. The sprung projection also has an engaged condition that is clearly distinguished from the disengaged condition. The nature of the spring pressure has the further advantage that the spring pressure generally creates audible feedback.

In yet another embodiment, the system comprises: at least two magnets are disposed on different sides of the sensor.

The advantage of the at least two magnets is that they allow for smaller, less powerful magnets than with fewer magnets, while still maintaining a clear signal. An advantage of this arrangement is that it reduces the impact of magnetic interference.

In another embodiment, the shield is shaped as a cup or a cylinder.

The shape of the shield allows a good shield from all relevant directions and is easy to understand and correctly position as a user. These shapes are further rotationally symmetrical and particularly easy to position.

In yet another embodiment, the shield comprises a metal.

The advantage of metal is that it is easy to shape and is magnetically shielding (magnetically shielding) as a Faraday-cage.

In another embodiment, the at least one sensor is a hall sensor.

The advantage of the hall sensor is that the hall sensor is a simple and efficient method of detecting magnetic radiation.

In yet another embodiment, the first fastening body is a female connector and the second fastening body is a male connector.

The male/female connector has the advantage of being easy to align and use.

In another embodiment, the first fastening body further includes: an LED indicator.

The advantage of the LED indicator is that the LED indicator can display a bright and energy efficient light.

The LED indicator may display a first light color when the airbag system is in an active state and a second light color to indicate an error.

The plurality of different colors is a simple user interface for a user to intuitively understand.

The second fastening body may be operable to engage with the first fastening body; wherein the shield further comprises: a transparent portion; and the transparent portion is configured to cover the LED indicator when the plurality of fastening bodies are engaged.

An advantage of the transparent portion is that the transparent portion allows the LED indicator to be protected and aligned with other components of the plurality of fasteners.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed disclosure, from the appended claims and also from the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the present invention relates to all possible combinations of several features.

It should be emphasized that the term "comprises/comprising" when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof. Unless explicitly defined otherwise herein, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field. All references to "a" and "an" and "the" element(s), device(s), component(s), means (means), step(s), etc. are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of said element(s), device(s), component(s), means(s), step(s), etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Drawings

By way of example, several embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1a is a side view of a user wearing an inflatable helmet that includes an airbag system according to some embodiments;

FIG. 1b is a side view of a user wearing an inflated helmet including an airbag system according to some embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a bladder system according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3 shows an example of the prior art;

FIGS. 4 a-4 c show several front views of an airbag system according to various embodiments;

FIGS. 5 a-5 b show several schematic representations of a first and second fastening body, according to an embodiment; a kind of electronic device with high-pressure air-conditioning system

Fig. 6a to 6b show several schematic illustrations of several locking devices according to several different embodiments.

Detailed Description

Several embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. The terminology used in the detailed description of the particular embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings is not intended to be limiting of the invention. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements.

The airbag systems described herein are configured to detect an accident, such as a fall or crash, when a user rides a bicycle, for example. The airbag system is thus configured for the particular use of riding a bicycle, i.e. riding a bicycle is an intended activity of the airbag system. In order for the airbag system to protect the user in the event of an accident, the user must properly wear the airbag system and must activate the airbag system in an active state. It is therefore preferred to provide a system with an improved locking means to ensure that the balloon is properly fitted to the user and that there is a clear indication if the system is in an active state.

Further, having the air bag system set in an activated ON state when the user is not engaged in the intended activity, e.g., not riding a bicycle, results in undesirable energy loss because the air bag system is in an active state, uses battery power to drive the sensor(s) and process movement data collected from the sensor(s), even without risk of falling or bumping. This may also lead to an abnormal movement such as a false reading of a fall or impact, which false reading triggers the balloon when the user is e.g. walking.

It would therefore be beneficial if a user could make a highly computationally demanding determination of whether the projected activity, e.g., a bicycle, is about to fall or collide, and be deactivated when not needed to reduce the overall energy consumption of the system. The system may determine whether the airbag system is needed, and in particular, whether a user is actually engaged in the predicted activity. This information may be used, for example, to change the mode of the airbag system 100.

Additionally or alternatively, it would be beneficial to have a system that determines whether the airbag system should be in an active ON state or an idle OFF state, where no external forces can interfere with the state of the system. As the disturbance may result in an unnecessary triggering of the balloon or, worse, in the balloon not being triggered when needed.

FIG. 1a shows an airbag system 100 in its non-inflated state, according to an embodiment. The airbag system 100 forms a garment having the shape of a collar 10 that is worn around the neck 2 of a user 3. Upon inflation, the garment converts into an inflatable helmet.

The collar 10 is placed around the neck 2 of the user 3 and has a sealable opening for placement around the neck 2 of the user 3, typically in front of the collar 10. Alternatively, the opening may be arranged behind the collar 10 or in a shoulder portion of the collar 10. Further, the openings may be fully or partially separable. The opening is sealed using an interlocking device 30 to connect several ends of the collar 10, for example, adjacent the throat or neck area of the user 3. The interlocking device 30 facilitates simple donning and removal of the collar 10 on the user 3. Further, the location of the several different portions of the interlock device 30 determines whether the airbag system 100 is turned on (i.e., powered) or off.

The interlock device 30 and the active state will be described in more detail with reference to fig. 4-6.

The collar 10 may be made of any kind of resilient material, such as any suitable fabric.

The collar 10 comprises a folded air bag 15, the air bag 15 being inflated to form a helmet for protecting the head of the user 3 in the event of an abnormal movement, for example in the event of a bicycle accident.

An inflated helmet is schematically shown in figure 1 b. Here, the collar 10 is opened to release the airbag 15 previously enclosed in the collar 10. The bladder 15 surrounds the neck 2 and the head 4 of the user 3 and provides an effective protection for the user 3.

The envelope 15 is formed of an elastic material to be folded and stored in the collar 10 before inflation. The balloon 15 may, for example, comprise an inflatable inner balloon surrounded by an outer balloon. Inflation of the inner bladder results in inflation of the outer bladder, and when the inner bladder is inflated, the structure of the outer bladder defines the shape of the balloon. Although not shown in fig. 1a and 1b, the balloon system may also be a single-balloon (single-bag) configuration.

The inner bladder may be made of a fluid impermeable material such as a thermoplastic polyurethane film. Since fluid cannot easily leave a fluid impermeable pouch, a person wearing a balloon 15 according to the present invention will be protected by the balloon 15 for a period of time after inflation of the balloon 15, effectively protecting the user's head for the whole period of time of the accident. The inner bladder may be elastic and expandable such that the inner bladder may expand the outer bladder when inflated to a high pressure. Thus, the inner bladder may be inflated, resulting in a relatively high internal pressure, which is preferably maintained for a desired period of time.

An example of how the inner and outer bladders may be configured is described by the same applicant in WO 2012044245.

As shown in fig. 2, the airbag system 100 further includes at least one sensor 80 for detecting movement of the collar 10, i.e., movement of the user 3 during use, and a control unit 50 configured to determine whether the movement corresponds to an unexpected condition in response to information collected by the sensor 80. If an unexpected situation is determined, the control unit 50 will trigger the inflation of the air-bag 15 by an inflator 60. The airbag system 100 further includes a power source 70, such as a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery, to provide power to the portions of the airbag system 100. Several different parts will now be described in more detail.

The inflator 60 may be any suitable type of airbag inflator such as a hybrid generator (hybrid generator) using a combination of compressed gas and solid fuel, a pyrotechnic airbag inflator (pyrotechnic airbag inflator) using hot gas formed from powder, a heated gas inflator, or an inflator using solid fuel. In one embodiment, the inflator 60 is a cold gas inflator.

The inflator 60 may further have a gas conduit 65 for introducing the gas into the balloon. The inflator 60 is clamped, glued, sewn, etc., to the fabric balloon and the gas conduit 65 is positioned within the fabric balloon for introducing the gas into the balloon for inflating the balloon in a suitable manner. The gas conduit 65 may be T-shaped in that the gas can be introduced into the balloon in a suitably stable manner. Alternatively, the gas conduit 65 may be Y-shaped, I-shaped, arrow-shaped, multi-part shaped, cylindrical, etc.

The inflation of the air-bag 15 is controlled by the control unit 50. The control unit 50 controls the inflation of the airbag in the event of an abnormal movement and prevents the airbag system from inflating in an undesired situation. The control unit 50 may be implemented using several instructions that enable hardware functions, for example, by using executable computer program instructions in a general purpose or special purpose processor, which may be stored on a computer readable storage medium (disk, memory, etc.) 52 for execution by, for example, a processor. The control unit 50 may be configured to read a number of instructions from the memory 52 and execute the instructions to control the operation of the airbag system 100. The control unit 50 may be implemented using any suitable publicly available processor or Programmable Logic Circuit (PLC). The memory 52 may be implemented using any well-known technique for computer-readable memory, such as ROM, RAM, SRAM, DRAM, FLASH, DDR, SDRAM or some other memory technique.

The control unit 50 may be a dedicated control unit or the control unit 50 may be configured to control other functions.

The at least one sensor 80 collects data related to movement of the collar 10. The sensor 80 may be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an air ultrasonic sensor (air ultrasonic transducer), radar, and/or a laser. In one embodiment, at least one sensor 80 is an accelerometer that measures acceleration in three dimensions and/or the sensor 80 is a gyroscope that detects angular velocity in three dimensions. Additionally or alternatively, the at least one sensor 80 may be an ultrasonic sensor or any device that measures the distance from the ground to the collar using electromagnetic waves.

EP2313814, filed by the same applicant, discloses a method for detecting a bicycle accident without misclassifying any data samples from normal bicycle activity as accidents. The system classifies detected movements into a "normal category" associated with movement patterns representing riding a bicycle or performing related activities or into an "activated category" associated with movement patterns representing accidents with a bicycle.

The movement data collected from the at least one sensor 80 is transmitted to the control unit 50. The control unit 50 processes the data and analyzes the data to evaluate whether the processed data corresponds to an incident. If the data corresponds to pre-stored data indicating an accident, the control unit 50 transmits a trigger signal to the inflator 60 to trigger the inflation of the air bag 15. The airbag 15 will thus be inflated when the inflator 60 receives the trigger signal.

The controller is coupled to the memory 52 which stores measured and processed data. The stored data may be used to review and analyze the activity history of the airbag system. This is particularly useful if the airbag system has been deflated and a technician wants to confirm that the airbag system is functioning properly.

If the user 3 wears the airbag system 100 while engaged in an activity not expected by the airbag system 100, such as climbing or riding an elevator, there is a risk that the control unit 50 incorrectly detects the movement as an accident and triggers the inflation.

In some embodiments, the airbag system 100 may be configured to directly determine when a user 3 is performing an intended activity, e.g., riding a bicycle, and when the user is performing an unintended activity, such as climbing or running, and then alert him/her that the airbag system 100 should be turned off if the user 3 is performing an unintended activity with the airbag system 100.

Hereinafter, the first activity state of the user 3 is that the user 3 is performing an unexpected activity. If the predicted activity for the airbag system is bicycle riding, the first activity state is an activity of the user 3 other than bicycle riding. The determination may be accomplished either by determining whether the user is performing the predicted activity (e.g., riding a bicycle), determining whether the user is performing an unexpected activity (e.g., other than riding a bicycle), and/or determining whether the user is performing both the predicted activity or an unexpected activity.

The determination of when a user 3 is in a first active state is preferably accomplished using movement data collected by the airbag system 100. The movement data used to determine the activity status of the user (e.g., walking or riding a bicycle) may be extracted from the at least one sensor 80 and/or from at least one additional sensor 85. The control unit 50 is configured to receive the movement signal(s) and process the signal(s) to determine whether the movement signal corresponds to a predetermined pattern indicative of the first active state.

The additional sensor 85 may be an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an air ultrasonic sensor, radar and/or a laser or any other suitable sensor. The plurality of movement signals used to determine the activity state of the user may include information related to acceleration, angular velocity and/or distance from the ground to the collar.

Thus, when the airbag system is in an active ON state, the control unit 50 is configured to determine whether the user 3 is in a first active state that does not correspond to the predicted activity by processing the output from the at least one

sensor

80, 85. If the control unit 50 detects that the user 3 is in a first active state, the control unit 50 is configured to alert the user 3.

The airbag system 100 may further include a user interface 95. The user interface 95 generates a signal that can be detected by the user to alert the user 3 with various information. The user interface 95 may be configured to alert the user 3 to either turn the airbag system 100 into an active state or to turn the airbag system 100 off. The user interface 95 may also be configured to indicate the status of the airbag system, i.e., battery charge, whether the battery needs to be replaced or charged, whether the several internal components of the helmet are intact, and whether the airbag system 100 is activated. As will be further described with reference to the interlock device 30 illustrated in fig. 4, the user interface 95 may be used to alert the user 3 that the airbag system 100 is being turned to an active state in response to changing the position of portions of the interlock device 30.

The warning signal may take the form of: an audible signal, such as a siren, a tactile signal, such as a vibration, a visual signal, such as a strobe light or color indication, or other sensory alert that may be configured on a user in the form of an air bag system 100.

The user interface 95 may include one or more Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that indicate information using light signal(s). Several different light color or blinking signals may for example indicate different information. The user interface 95 may also include a speaker that emits a sound signal, such as a buzzing, or a device that emits a vibration signal or a spoken word.

Fig. 3 shows an interlock device 30 for a balloon system 100 according to one prior art example. The airbag system 100 forms a garment having the shape of a collar 10 that is worn around the neck 2 of a user 3. Upon inflation, the garment converts into an inflatable helmet.

The collar 10 is placed around the neck 2 of the user 3 and has a sealable opening for placement around the neck 2 of the user 3, typically in front of the collar 10. The opening is sealed using an interlocking device 30 to connect the ends of the collar 10. The interlocking device 30 facilitates simple donning and removal of the collar 10 on the user 3.

The interlock device 30 further includes a male connector of a metal clip (metal snap button) 33. The female connector of the clasp 33 is disposed in front of the collar 10 and is operatively connected to a number of electronic components. When the male connector of the clasp 33 is inserted into the female connector, a circuit is closed and the airbag system 100 is placed in an active state.

A problem with this prior art solution is that external forces may accidentally close the circuit, activating the airbag system 100 at an unsuitable time. Another problem is that several metal snaps 33 can be difficult to use, especially by forcefully pressing against a neck region. Further improvements are therefore needed.

Fig. 4a shows a front view of a balloon system 100. The airbag system 100 forms a garment having the shape of a collar 10 that is worn around the neck 2 of a user 3. Upon inflation, the garment converts into an inflatable helmet.

The collar 10 is placed around the neck 2 of the user 3 and has a sealable opening for placement around the neck 2 of the user 3, typically in front of the collar 10. The opening is sealed using an interlocking device 30 to connect the ends of the collar 10. The interlocking device 30 is, for example, a zipper that facilitates simple donning and removal of the collar 10 on the user 3.

The collar 10 comprises a first fastening body 31 and a second fastening body 32 arranged to be separated from the interlocking device 30. The first fastener 31 is configured as a set of components that are directly attached to the collar 10. The second fastening body 32 is configured as a flap (flap) attached to the collar 10 at an edge nearest one of the interlocking devices 30, the flap 32 being foldable over the interlocking devices 30 to engage with the first fastening body 31.

The first fastening body 31 comprises two magnets 35 arranged on different sides of a sensor 36. The second fastening body 32 includes a shield 34 operable to magnetically shield the sensor 36 from the two magnets 35. The first fastening body 31 is a female connector and the second fastening body 32 is a male connector, operable to engage with the first fastening body 31. This engagement will be discussed further with reference to fig. 5a to 5 b.

The shield 34 may be shaped as a cup or a cylinder. The shield 34 may comprise any material suitable for shielding a magnetic field. Examples of suitable materials are any conductor configured as a faraday cage, such as metals like copper, silver and gold; or conductive carbon structures such as graphite or carbon nanotubes.

The first fastening body 31 further includes an LED indicator 95. The LED indicator 95 displays a first light color when the airbag system 100 is in an active state and a second light color to indicate an error. The LED indicator 95 may further demonstrate the battery level of the airbag system 100.

Fig. 4b shows a front view of an alternative airbag system 100. The collar 10 includes a first fastener 31 and the second fastener 32 is configured as part of the interlock device 30.

The first fastener 31 is configured as a set of components that are directly attached to the collar 10. The first fastening body 31 includes a single magnet 35. The second fastening body 32 is configured as a flap that is attached to the interlocking device 30. When the interlocking device 30 is fully closed, the second fastening body 32 is at a suitable distance to engage with the first fastening body 31.

Fig. 4c shows a front view of an alternative airbag system 100. The collar 10 comprises a first fastening body 31 and a second fastening body 32, both the first fastening body 31 and the second fastening body 32 being configured as part of the interlocking device 30.

The first fastener 31 is configured as a set of components that are directly attached to the collar 10. The second fastening body 32 is configured as a flap, which serves as the interlocking device 30. The flap 32 includes a shield 34 and a series of snaps 33, the series of snaps 33 being configured to engage with snaps directly attached to the collar 10 to connect the ends of the collar 10. The shields 34 of the first and

second fastening bodies

31, 32 are disposed in series with the clasp 33 and are operable to engage each other in a similar manner.

Fig. 5a shows a schematic representation of the first fastening body 31. The first fastening body 31 comprises a circuit board with two sensors 36 and one LED95 mounted on the board and acting as a user interface. The first fastening body 31 may include any number of sensors 36 and LEDs 95, including zero.

The first fastening body 31 further includes two magnets 35 provided on both sides of the plurality of sensors 36. Preferably, the two magnets 35 are disposed at the same radius from the circuit board, but separated by an angle, such as in the range of 90 to 270 degrees. The first fastening body 31 may include any number of magnets 35 and the magnets 35 may be aligned in any number of ways. The embodiment shown with two aligned magnets 35 has proven advantageous because a high but shielding magnetic field is created.

The several sensors 36 are arranged on both sides of the LED. The plurality of sensors 36 may be hall sensors configured to detect a magnetic field produced by the plurality of magnets 35. The number of sensors 36 may be configured in any number of ways. The illustrated configuration has proven to be advantageous because the number of sensors are less susceptible to unintended actuation by external magnetic fields.

The airbag system 100 in fig. 5a is in an idle state. The at least one sensor 36 detects a magnetic field of the at least one magnet 35. The control unit 50 is operatively connected to at least the plurality of sensors 36. The control unit 50 is configured to place the airbag system 100 in an idle state whenever the sensors 36 detect the magnetic fields of the magnets 35. When the airbag system 100 is in an idle state, the airbag 15 is not inflated.

Fig. 5b shows an exemplary illustration of the

several fastening bodies

31, 32 engaging with each other. When the

fastening bodies

31, 32 are engaged, the shielding body 34 is configured to magnetically shield the at least one sensor 36 from the magnet(s) 35.

The airbag system 100 in fig. 5b is in an active state. The at least one sensor 36 does not detect a magnetic field of the at least one magnet 35. A control unit 50 is configured to place the airbag system 100 in an active state as long as the plurality of sensors 36 do not detect the magnetic field. When the airbag system 100 is in an active state, the airbag 15 will be inflated upon detection of an abnormal movement.

The shield 34 in fig. 5b includes a transparent portion 34a. When the plurality of

fastening bodies

31, 32 are engaged, the transparent portion 34a is configured to cover the LED indicator 95. This allows the LED indicator 95 to be visible when the

several fastening bodies

31, 32 are engaged (in this embodiment, this also means when the airbag system 100 is in an active state).

The transparent portion 34a may comprise glass, plastic, or gas. The transparent portion 34a may be disposed in front of the LED indicator 95 or around the LED indicator 95. In other embodiments, the shield 34 is hollow such that the transparent portion 34a is formed by a void, or a lack of material.

Fig. 6a is a schematic illustration of several locking devices 37. The plurality of

fastening bodies

31, 32 are engaged with each other and the shielding body 34 is configured to magnetically shield the at least one sensor 36. The shield 34 is configured as two separate units, however any number of units is possible.

The plurality of locking devices 37 are configured to hold the plurality of

fastening bodies

31, 32 in engagement with each other. The plurality of locking devices 37 comprises at least one sprung projection 38, said at least one sprung projection 38 being arranged to engage with at least one receiving hole 39 on the second fastening body 32.

The plurality of sprung tabs 38 are tabs having inclined edges and spring means. When the second fastening body 32 is inserted into the first fastening body 31, the second fastening body 32 pushes against the plurality of sprung protrusions 38 and compresses the spring device. Once the plurality of receiving holes 39 are aligned with the plurality of protrusions 38, the spring device will push the plurality of protrusions into the plurality of receiving holes 39 and retain the plurality of

fastening bodies

31, 32 in engagement with one another.

The plurality of locking devices 37 are arranged on the collar 10 with one sprung projection 38 on each side of the shield 34. The shield 34 has a receiving hole 39 on each side configured to engage the plurality of spring loaded projections 38.

Fig. 6b is an exemplary depiction of a number of locking devices 37, according to an alternative embodiment. The first fastening body 31 includes the plurality of locking devices 37 to hold the second fastening body 32 in engagement.

The locking device 37 is configured to engage with the shield 34. The locking device 37 comprises a number of sprung protrusions 38, the number of sprung protrusions 38 being configured to engage with a number of receiving holes 39 on the shield 34 from inside the shield 34.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, while the foregoing description and associated drawings describe several exemplary embodiments in the context of specific exemplary combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided by several alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, different combinations of elements and/or functions than those described above are also contemplated as being set forth in some of the accompanying embodiments. In the examples where advantages, benefits, or solutions to problems are described herein, it should be understood that such advantages, benefits, and/or solutions may apply to some, but not necessarily all, exemplary embodiments. Thus, any advantages, benefits, or solutions described herein should not be construed as critical, required, or essential to all embodiments or embodiments in which such advantages, benefits, or solutions are claimed. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims

1. An airbag system for protecting a body part of a user (3) in the event of an accident, said airbag system characterized by: comprising the following steps: a bladder (15) configured as a collar (10), wherein the collar (10) comprises: a first fastening body (31) and a second fastening body (32); wherein

The first fastening body comprises at least one magnet (35) arranged close to at least one sensor (36), and the second fastening body (32) comprises a shielding body (34), the shielding body (34) being operable such that the at least one magnet (35) magnetically shields the at least one sensor (36).

2. The airbag system of claim 1, wherein: the system further comprises: a control unit (50) configured to:

-configuring the airbag system (100) in an idle state when the at least one sensor (36) detects a magnetic field of the at least one magnet (35); a kind of electronic device with high-pressure air-conditioning system

The airbag system (100) is configured in an active state when the at least one sensor (36) does not detect the magnetic field.

3. The airbag system of claim 2, wherein: the control unit (50) is configured to prevent the airbag (15) from being inflated when the airbag system (100) is in the idle state and/or the control unit (50) is configured to allow the airbag (15) to be inflated when the airbag system (100) is in the active state.

4. The airbag system of claim 1, wherein: the airbag system further includes: -an interlocking device (30) configured to connect several ends of the collar (10), wherein the interlocking device (30) comprises: at least one of the first fastening body (31) and the second fastening body (32).

5. The airbag system of claim 1, wherein: the second fastening body (32) is operable to engage with the first fastening body (31).

6. The airbag system of claim 5, wherein: the shield (34) is configured to magnetically shield the at least one sensor (36) when the first fastening body (31) and the second fastening body (32) are engaged.

7. The airbag system of claim 5, wherein: the first fastening body (31) further comprises a number of locking devices (37) to keep the second fastening body (32) engaged.

8. The airbag system of claim 7, wherein: the plurality of locking devices (37) are configured to engage with the shield (34).

9. An airbag system according to claim 7 or 8, wherein: the plurality of locking devices (37) comprises: at least one sprung projection (38) arranged to engage with at least one receiving aperture (39) on the second fastening body (32).

10. The airbag system of claim 1, wherein: comprising the following steps: at least two magnets (35) arranged on different sides of the sensor (36).

11. The airbag system of claim 1, wherein: the shield (34) is shaped as a cup or a cylinder.

12. The airbag system of claim 1, wherein: the shield (34) comprises a metal.

13. The airbag system of claim 1, wherein: the at least one sensor (36) is a hall sensor.

14. The airbag system of claim 1, wherein: the first fastening body (31) is a female connector and the second fastening body (32) is a male connector.

15. The airbag system of claim 1, wherein: the first fastening body (31) further comprises: an LED indicator (95).

16. The airbag system of claim 15, wherein: the LED indicator (95) displays a first light color when the airbag system (100) is in an active state and a second light color to indicate an error.

17. An airbag system according to claim 15 or 16, wherein: the second fastening body (32) is operable to engage with the first fastening body (31);

the shield (34) further includes: a transparent portion (34 a); and when the first fastening body (31) and the second fastening body (32) are engaged, the transparent portion (34 a) is configured to cover the LED indicator (95).