WO1996029215A1 - Systeme a coussin gonflable de securite pour vehicule automobile - Google Patents

Systeme a coussin gonflable de securite pour vehicule automobile Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1996029215A1
WO1996029215A1 PCT/KR1995/000169 KR9500169W WO9629215A1 WO 1996029215 A1 WO1996029215 A1 WO 1996029215A1 KR 9500169 W KR9500169 W KR 9500169W WO 9629215 A1 WO9629215 A1 WO 9629215A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
air bag
motor vehicle
air
inflator
conduit
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/KR1995/000169
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Sung Kwang Byon
Original Assignee
Daewoo Electronics Co., Ltd.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Daewoo Electronics Co., Ltd. filed Critical Daewoo Electronics Co., Ltd.
Priority to AU43164/96A priority Critical patent/AU4316496A/en
Publication of WO1996029215A1 publication Critical patent/WO1996029215A1/fr

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
    • B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
    • B60R21/16—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags
    • B60R21/26—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow
    • B60R21/30—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow with means to draw ambient air into the flow line and mix such air with the inflation fluid
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
    • B60R21/01—Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents
    • B60R21/015—Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats, and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
    • B60R21/01508—Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats, and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use detecting forces or pressure in bags or modules

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an improved air bag system for a motor vehicle, and more particularly to an air bag system for a motor vehicle capable of preliminarily charging air under an atmospheric pressure into an air bag of the motor vehicle.
  • a conventional air bag system for a motor vehicle generally includes an inflatable air bag, a collision sensor for sensing the collision of the motor vehicle to generate a collision sensing signal. Also, the conventional air bag system includes an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "ECU") for receiving the collision sensing signal from the collision sensor to control the operation of the air bag, and an inflator for injecting a gas or air into the inflatable air bag in accordance with an air bag expansion triggering signal from the ECU to expand the air bag.
  • ECU electronice control unit
  • FIG. 3 An operation of the conventional air bag system constructed as above will be considered with reference to FIG. 3. If a shock is applied to a car body by the collision with another vehicle or object during the running of the vehicle along a road, the collision of the vehicle is monitored by a collision sensor 40 mounted to the forefront of the vehicle. Collision sensor 40 generates the collision sensing signal to supply it to an ECU 30 when the shock against the car body exceeds a preset shock value required for inflating an air bag 10. ECU 30 determines whether the collision sensing signal is received from collision sensor 40 or not to provide the air bag expansion triggering signal to an inflator 20.
  • inflator 20 injects an inert gas such as nitrogen N : or argon Ar, or the air to inflatable air bag 10 to instantaneously inflate air bag 10. Consequently, by the inflated air bag 10. the passenger in the vehicle can be protected from colliding with a structural pan of the vehicle.
  • an inert gas such as nitrogen N : or argon Ar
  • FIG. 4 illustrates inflator 20 which has been heretofore employed in the conventional air bag system described as above.
  • Inflator 20 includes a cylindrical container 60 for defining a chamber 50 in which a squib 22, a pyrotechnic material 24 and a gas generating material 26 being an ignitable material are placed.
  • a metal filter 70 and a ceramic filter 80 are disposed within chamber 50.
  • metal filter 70 and ceramic filter 80 are provided for eliminating specific materials as minute particles or molten materials from combustion products originated from the combustion of pyrotechnic material 24 and gas generating material 26.
  • a tortuous gas flow passage 90 is formed within chamber 50, which typically performs two functions: first, identical to the aforesaid filters, it eliminates the specific materials of the minute particles and molten materials from the combustion products originated during the combustion of pyrotechnic material 24 and gas generating material 26. Second, when operating air bag 10, tortuous gas flow passage 90 cools the inflation gas of high temperature and high pressure generated by the explosive combustion of pyrotechnic material 24 and gas generating material 26. The reason of cooling the inflatable gas is in that the inflation gas of high temperature and high pressure may burn a driver or a passenger who contacts air bag 10 in the moment of inflating air bag 10, and, further, the high pressure may apply a secondary shock to the driver or passenger.
  • above-mentioned tortuous gas flow passage 90 is formed within inflator 20 to prevent the above concerns, so that the temperature of the inflation gas is lowered while, additionally, the pressure of the inflation gas is lowered.
  • the air bag installed to a front passenger seat beside a driver's seat in the motor vehicle should have a capacity larger than the air bag implemented to the driver's seat by approximately 2.5 times since the physical features of the passenger occupying the front passenger seat is more variable than the driver occupying the driver's seat.
  • the passenger occupying the front passenger seat just beside the driver's seat differs from a child to an adult and probably takes a relatively unstable posture as compared with the driver. Therefore. in order to safely protect the passenger on the front passenger seat from an accident such as collision, the air bag mounted to the passenger's compartment necessarily has a capacity greater than that of the air bag mounted to the driver's compartment.
  • the air bag having a capacity greater than that of the air bag for the driver's compartment has been typically mounted to the passenger's front compartment.
  • U.S. Patent No. 5,219,178 issued to Hirokazu Kobari in the date of June 15, 1993 may be given as an example.
  • the above patent discloses an air bag inflation gas generator which includes a substantially circular cylinder formed with a gas exhaust in the middle portion thereof. Two combustion chambers formed by separating members are provided to both ends of the circular cylinder.
  • a cylindrical end filter is installed coaxially with the circular cylinder within the center of the circular cylinder, middle filters are installed between the separating members and an end filter, and orifices directing the middle filters are formed.
  • An object of the inflation gas generator constructed as above is for generating a combustion gas having a greater volume and for increasing a combustible surface area of gas generating materials to thereby adjust the expansion of the air bag in the optimum state.
  • the Hirokazu Kobari 's generator can supply the combustion gas of the larger volume, but two combustion chambers and the plurality of filters are employed for generating the combustion gas of the larger volume. Consequently, the inflation gas generator is disadvantageous in that large quantities of pyrotechnic material and gas generating material are required, the construction is complicated and a lot of manufacturing cost is needed. Furthermore, a unique solution capable of cooling the combustion gas of high temperature and high pressure is not suggested.
  • the foregoing conventional air bag systems utilize the air bag and the inflator as a single module with the consequence of making it difficult in changing an implementing of the air bag desired to strive for a safer protection of the passengers within the motor vehicle against the accident.
  • the present invention is contrived to solve the foregoing problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved air bag system, in which a quantity of a pyrotechnic material and that of a gas generating material required for inflating an air bag are significantly reduced, and air bag of various sizes can be employed while a cooling effect with respect to the inflation gas of high temperature and high pressure is afforded and the air bag can be easily mounted to a motor vehicle.
  • the present invention provides an air bag system for a motor vehicle, the air bag system comprising: an inflatable air bag; a collision sensor for sensing a collision of the motor vehicle to generate a collision sensing signal; an electronic control unit for receiving the collision sensing signal from the collision sensor to control an operation of the inflatable air bag; an inflator for injecting an inflation gas into the inflatable air bag in accordance with an air bag expansion triggering signal from the electronic control unit to expand the inflatable air bag; a first conduit for preliminarily charging an air into the inflatable air bag, the first conduit being connected between the inflatable air bag and the inflator ; a second conduit for introducing the air into the first conduit, the second conduit being connected between an inlet manifold of the motor vehicle and the first conduit; and a valve provided to the second conduit for adjusting an amount of the air admitted into the inflatable air bag and the first conduit in accordance with a control signal from the electronic control unit.
  • the air bag system further includes a pressure sensor installed within the first conduit for sensing an air pressure within the first conduit to generate a pressure sensing signal.
  • the electronic control unit consistently maintains the quantity of the air preliminarily charging into the inflatable air bag and the first conduit by controlling the valve in accordance with the pressure sensing signal from the pressure sensor.
  • the first conduit is a flexible hose.
  • the second conduit may be an air pipe and the valve may be a cut off valve.
  • the collision sensor, the electronic control unit and the inflator may be formed as a single module.
  • the inflator includes: a cylindrical container including a front, rear and side wall formed as one piece; a burstable diaphragm for partitioning an internal space of the cylindrical container into a first chamber and a second chamber; a cylindrical filter mounted to the front wall; a gas generating material retained in the first chamber for inflating the air bag; a pyrotechnic material retained in the second chamber for burning the gas generating material; and pyrotechnic means mounted to the rear wall for igniting the pyrotechnic material.
  • the cylindrical filter is mounted to the front wall in the concentric arrangement with the side wall.
  • the cylindrical filter may be comprised of a metal or a ceramic .
  • the container may be comprised of a steel or a stainless steel.
  • the diaphragm may be a thin metal sealing diaphragm.
  • the quantities of the pyrotechnic material and gas generating material required for inflating the air bag can be significantly reduced.
  • the air bag system can be equipped with the air bag of various sizes and has a cooling effect with respect to the inflation gas of high temperature and high pressure.
  • the collision sensor, electronic control unit and inflator constitute a single module to be easily mounted to the motor vehicle.
  • the inflator is improved by eliminating a gas flow passage but involving a single filter to significantly decrease manufacturing cost of the air bag system according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 1 is a view schematically showing a construction of an air bag system according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is a sectional view employed to the air bag system shown in FIG. 1 ;
  • FIG. 3 is a view schematically showing a construction of a conventional air bag system;
  • FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the conventional inflator.
  • an air bag system 100 includes an inflatable air bag 110, a collision sensor 400, an ECU 300 and an inflator 200.
  • a flexible hose 140 having a predetermined length is placed between air bag 110 and inflator 200.
  • Flexible hose 140 may consist of a rubber or resin, which is joined with an air pipe 142 around a coupling portion with inflator 200.
  • Air pipe 142 serves as an air flow passage. Outer end of air pipe 142 is connected to an inlet manifold (not shown) of a motor vehicle.
  • Air pipe 142 is provided with a cut off valve 144 on a joining portion with flexible hose 140, which adjusts an amount of the air supplied into air bag 110 via flexible hose 140 from the inlet manifold in accordance with a control signal from ECU 300.
  • a pressure sensor 146 is installed within flexible hose 140 for detecting a quantity of air preliminarily supplied into air bag 110.
  • Pressure sensor 146 senses an air pressure within flexible hose 140, and generates a pressure sensing signal to supply it to ECU 300.
  • air bag 110 and inflator 200 are spaced from each other by using flexible hose 140, so that inflator 200, ECU 300 and collision sensor 400 can be formed as a single module.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates a section of inflator 200 which is a major element of air bag system 100 shown in FIG. 1.
  • Inflator 200 according to the present invention includes a sealed cylindrical container 130 which is formed of a generally cylindrical one-piece steel wall. Cylindrical container 130 may be constituted by a generally cylindrical one-piece stainless steel.
  • Cylindrical container 130 is incorporated with a front wall 131 , a rear wall 132 and a side wall 133 formed in a body.
  • Flexible hose 140 as shown in FIG. 1 is connected to side wall 133, which extends to inflatable air bag 110 to force air bag 110 to be communicated with cylindrical container 130.
  • a cylindrical filter 150 consisting of a ceramic or metal is installed to front wall 131 of cylindrical container 130 connected with flexible hose 140. Cylindrical filter 150 is installed coaxially with side wall 133 of cylindrical container 130.
  • a burstable thin metal sealing diaphragm 160 is vertically installed in an internal space of cylindrical container 130. Thin metal sealing diaphragm 160 partitions the internal space of cylindrical container 130 into a first chamber 136 and a second chamber 138.
  • a gas generating material 170 of pellet-like construction or disc-like construction fills in first chamber 136.
  • a pyrotechnic material 180 fills up second chamber 138, a squib 190 inserted to the inside of second chamber 138 is loaded into rear wall 132, and pyrotechnic material 180 encloses squib 190.
  • Pyrotechnic material 180 and gas generating material 170 are separated from each other by means of thin metal sealing diaphragm 160.
  • air bag system 100 constructed as above will be described as below. If a driver starts the motor vehicle, the air under the atmospheric pressure is admitted via air pipe 142 from inlet manifold. ECU 300 supplies an open signal to cut off valve 144 as soon as an engine of the vehicle begins operating.
  • Inflatable air bag 110 typically has a capacity of about 60f .
  • air bag 110 is preliminarily charged with the air of atmospheric pressure by as much as 2/3 of the overall capacity thereof. Therefore, since the air bag is preliminarily charged with the air as much as being required for expanding the air bag regardless of the size of the air bag, the air bag of a variety of sizes can be employed.
  • Pressure sensor 146 installed within flexible hose 140 monitors the air pressure within flexible hose 140.
  • Pressure sensor 146 generates the pressure sensing signal under the state that the air pressure within flexible hose 140 reaches a pressure value obtained when the air preliminarily charges 2/3 of the total capacity of air bag 110, thereby providing the pressure sensing signal to ECU 300. Then, ECU 300 supplies the control signal to cut off valve 144 to close cut off valve 144. By this operation, the amount of air within flexible hose 140 and air bag 110 are consistently maintained prior to operating air bag 110.
  • collision sensor 400 senses a magnitude of the impact. In case that the magnitude of the impact monitored by collision sensor 400 exceeds a preset impact value, collision sensor 400 generates the collision sensing signal to supply it to ECU 300.
  • ECU 300 determines whether the collision sensing signal is supplied from collision sensor 400 or not to provide an air bag expansion triggering signal to inflator 200. That is, ECU 300 supplies current to electric input terminal 192 of squib 190 to heat squib 190.
  • pyrotechnic material 180 loaded around squib 190 is ignited. Ignited pyrotechnic material 180 generates the inflation gas of high temperature and high pressure while being explosively burnt. By the inflation gas, thin metal sealing diaphragm 160 is ruptured.
  • gas generating material 170 filling in first chamber 136 interposing thin metal sealing diaphragm 160 is ignited by the inflation gas of high temperature and high pressure.
  • Ignited gas generating material 170 generates the gaseous combustion products of high temperature and high pressure while being explosively burnt to exhaust the combustion products to flexible hose 140.
  • cylindrical filter 150 eliminates the specific materials as the minute particles and molten materials from the gaseous combustion products generated by the combustion of pyrotechnic material 180 and gas generating material 170 as described above.
  • the gas of high temperature and high pressure exhausted after eliminating the contaminating materials therefrom is provided into air bag 110 via flexible hose 140. At this time, the gas of high temperature and high pressure is cooled while passing through flexible hose 140 by the air preliminarily charging in flexible hose 140.
  • Air bag 110 is completely inflated by the inflation gas of high temperature and high pressure generated by the air preliminarily charging up to 2/3 of the overall capacity of air bag 110 prior to the expansion thereof and the operation of inflator 200. Air bag 110 is completely inflated within 0.04 to 0.05 seconds from the moment of sensing the collision by collision sensor 400. By doing so, the passenger within the vehicle can be safely protected from the shock during the collision.
  • air bag system 100 can separate air bag 110 from inflator 200 by means of flexible hose 140, so that inflator 200, ECU 300 and collision sensor 400 are arranged to constitute the single module.
  • the air bag system according to the present invention preliminarily charges the air under the atmospheric pressure into the air bag via the inlet manifold of the vehicle and flexible hose.
  • the quantities of the pyrotechnic material and gas generating material required for inflating the air bag can be significantly reduced, and the air bag of various sizes can be employed while affording a cooling effect with respect to the inflation gas of high temperature and high pressure.
  • the air bag system according to the present invention forms the elements except the air bag, i.e., the ECU, collision sensor and inflator. as the single module to facilitate the mounting of the air bag system to the motor vehicle.
  • the improved inflator having a single filter without involving the tortuous cooling passage for cooling the air bag inflation gas of high temperature is equipped to permit the air bag system according to the present invention to be cost effective in manufacturing.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Air Bags (AREA)

Abstract

Système à coussin gonflable de sécurité perfectionné ayant un faible coût de fabrication et facilitant sa mise en place. Un tuyau souple (140) est monté entre un coussin gonflable de sécurité (110) et un dispositif de gonflage (200) et destiné à effectuer un chargement préliminaire du coussin (110) en air, une conduite d'air (142) est prévue pour relier le tuyau souple (140) au collecteur d'admission du véhicule automobile, un capteur de pression (146) est monté à l'intérieur du tuyau souple (140), et une soupape d'arrêt (144) se situe à l'intérieur de la conduite d'air (142). Le dispositif de gonflage (200) possède un seul filtre à la place d'un canal de refroidissement. Un détecteur de collision (400), une unité de commande électronique (300) et le dispositif de gonflage (200) constituent un module unique séparé du coussin gonflable pour faciliter le montage du système à bord du véhicule automobile. Par conséquent, les quantités de matière pyrotechnique et de matière engendrant un gaz nécessaires au gonflage du coussin (110) sont réduites, et le coussin gonflable (110) peut présenter des dimensions variables tout en assurant une action de refroidissement d'un gaz de gonflage à haute température et sous haute pression.
PCT/KR1995/000169 1995-03-22 1995-12-22 Systeme a coussin gonflable de securite pour vehicule automobile WO1996029215A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU43164/96A AU4316496A (en) 1995-03-22 1995-12-22 Air bag system for a motor vehicle

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
KR1995/6061 1995-03-22
KR19950006061 1995-03-22

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1996029215A1 true WO1996029215A1 (fr) 1996-09-26

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/KR1995/000169 WO1996029215A1 (fr) 1995-03-22 1995-12-22 Systeme a coussin gonflable de securite pour vehicule automobile

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AU (1) AU4316496A (fr)
IL (1) IL116591A0 (fr)
WO (1) WO1996029215A1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1999030932A1 (fr) 1997-12-15 1999-06-24 Petri Ag Systeme d'airbag, notamment systeme d'airbag pour la tete, servant de protection en cas de collision laterale
DE10340910A1 (de) * 2003-09-05 2005-04-07 Autoliv Development Ab Verfahren zum Betreiben eines Airbagmoduls und Airbagmodul dazu

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3197234A (en) * 1963-06-10 1965-07-27 Harry A Bertrand Safety device for vehicle passengers
US3632133A (en) * 1969-02-25 1972-01-04 Eaton Yale & Towne Vehicle safety apparatus including an inflatable confinement
US3909037A (en) * 1974-05-22 1975-09-30 Olin Corp Safety device with coanda effect
US5184846A (en) * 1991-11-01 1993-02-09 Trw Vehicle Safety Systems Inc. Inflator assembly
US5219178A (en) * 1990-10-08 1993-06-15 Nippon Koki Co., Ltd. Air bag inflation gas generator

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3197234A (en) * 1963-06-10 1965-07-27 Harry A Bertrand Safety device for vehicle passengers
US3632133A (en) * 1969-02-25 1972-01-04 Eaton Yale & Towne Vehicle safety apparatus including an inflatable confinement
US3909037A (en) * 1974-05-22 1975-09-30 Olin Corp Safety device with coanda effect
US5219178A (en) * 1990-10-08 1993-06-15 Nippon Koki Co., Ltd. Air bag inflation gas generator
US5184846A (en) * 1991-11-01 1993-02-09 Trw Vehicle Safety Systems Inc. Inflator assembly

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1999030932A1 (fr) 1997-12-15 1999-06-24 Petri Ag Systeme d'airbag, notamment systeme d'airbag pour la tete, servant de protection en cas de collision laterale
DE10340910A1 (de) * 2003-09-05 2005-04-07 Autoliv Development Ab Verfahren zum Betreiben eines Airbagmoduls und Airbagmodul dazu
DE10340910B4 (de) * 2003-09-05 2006-08-17 Autoliv Development Ab Verfahren zum Betreiben eines Airbagmoduls und Airbagmodul dazu

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU4316496A (en) 1996-10-08
IL116591A0 (en) 1996-03-31

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