Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47G—HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT
  • A47G1/00—Mirrors; Picture frames or the like, e.g. provided with heating, lighting or ventilating means
  • A47G1/06—Picture frames
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R19/00—Wheel guards; Radiator guards, e.g. grilles; Obstruction removers; Fittings damping bouncing force in collisions
  • B60R19/02—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects
  • B60R19/18—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects characterised by the cross-section; Means within the bumper to absorb impact
  • B60R19/20—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects characterised by the cross-section; Means within the bumper to absorb impact containing mainly gas or liquid, e.g. inflatable
  • B60R19/205—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects characterised by the cross-section; Means within the bumper to absorb impact containing mainly gas or liquid, e.g. inflatable inflatable in the direction of an obstacle upon impending impact, e.g. using air bags
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
  • A61L9/00—Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air
  • A61L9/015—Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air using gaseous or vaporous substances, e.g. ozone
  • A61L9/02—Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air using gaseous or vaporous substances, e.g. ozone using substances evaporated in the air by heating or combustion
  • A61L9/03—Apparatus therefor
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
  • A61L9/00—Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air
  • A61L9/16—Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air using physical phenomena
  • A61L9/22—Ionisation
• • 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
  • B60R21/013—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 collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
  • B60R21/0136—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 collisions, impending collisions or roll-over responsive to actual contact with an obstacle, e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
  • H05B1/00—Details of electric heating devices
  • H05B1/02—Automatic switching arrangements specially adapted to apparatus ; Control of heating devices
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
  • H05B3/00—Ohmic-resistance heating
  • H05B3/20—Heating elements having extended surface area substantially in a two-dimensional plane, e.g. plate-heater

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a bumper having an air bag controlled by displacement sensors . More particularly, the present invention relates to a bumper having an air bag controlled by displacement sensors, which minimizes impact by automatically activating the air bag when a vehicle approaches another vehicle or a collision obstacle which is located in front of the corresponding vehicle, at a relative speed not less than a predetermined speed, and the corresponding vehicle collides with the other vehicle or the collision obstacle during running .
• a bumper is provided for a vehicle such as an automobile car in order to mitigate impact applied to the vehicle when the vehicle collides with the other vehicle or collision obstacle .
• the bumper employs a structure of having a buffering member which is compressed when a vehicle having the bumper collides with the other vehicle or collision obstacle, in order to absorb and mitigate the impact applied to the vehicle .
• a bumper having an air bag controlled by displacement sensors comprising: a pair of displacement sensors which measure distance from another vehicle running in front of the corresponding vehicle or a collision obstacle; a controller which judges that a current situation may be a collision situation with the other vehicle or the collision obstacle and outputs a drive signal for operation of the air bag, when the relative speed of the corresponding vehicle is not less than a predetermined speed at a state where the corresponding vehicle approaches within a predetermined distance from the other vehicle or the collision obstacle during running; and an air bag system for initiating operation of the air bag under the control of the controller, to thereby mitigate impact applied to the vehicle to collide with the other vehicle or the collision obstacle .
• the displacement sensors are installed in the left and right sides or the center of the bumper so that a distance between the corresponding vehicle and the other vehicle or collision obstacle which is positioned in the front of the corresponding vehicle can be measured.
• the bumper further comprises an analog to digital converter which coverts an analog signal int a digital signal and transfers the converted result to the controller via a buffer .
• the controller is designed to judge a current situation as a collision situation when the vehicle approaches the other vehicle or collision obstacle at a relative speed of 55km/H to 64km/H, at a state where the vehicle is closely positioned at a distance of 2.1m to 2.4m distant from the other vehicle or collision obstacle .
• the controller is designed to judge a current situation as a collision situation when the vehicle approaches the other vehicle or collision obstacle at a relative speed of 65km/H to 74km/H, at a state where the vehicle is closely positioned at a distance of 2.5m to 2.9m distant from the other vehicle or collision obstacle .
• the controller is designed to judge a current situation as a collision situation when the vehicle approaches the other vehicle or collision obstacle at a relative speed of 75km/H to 84km/H, at a state where the vehicle is closely positioned at a distance of 3.0m to 3.3m distant from the other vehicle or collision obstacle .
• the controller is designed to judge a current situation as a collision situation when the vehicle approaches the other vehicle or collision obstacle at a relative speed of 85km/H to 94km/H, at a state where the vehicle is closely positioned at a distance of 3.4m to 3.7m distant from the other vehicle or collision obstacle .
• the controller is designed to judge a current situation as a collision situation when the vehicle approaches the other vehicle or collision obstacle at a relative speed of 95km/H to 104km/H, at a state where the vehicle is closely positioned at a distance of 3.8m to 4.1m distant from the other vehicle or collision obstacle .
• the controller is designed to judge a current situation as a collision situation when the vehicle approaches the other vehicle or collision obstacle at a relative speed of 105km/H to 114km/H, at a state where the vehicle is closely positioned at a distance of 4.2m to 4.5m distant from the other vehicle or collision obstacle .
• a value measured at a far-distance should be continuously maintained, but a value measured at a near-distance should be cleared when the vehicle becomes farther .
• the controller is designed to judge a current situation as a collision situation when the vehicle approaches the other vehicle or collision obstacle at a relative speed of 115km/H or more, at a state where the vehicle is close at a distance of 4.6m to 5.0m distant from the other vehicle or collision obstacle .
• the controller is designed to judge that the corresponding vehicle runs on a curved road.
• the front surface of the bumper having the incorporated air bag is formed of a door which can be opened and closed up and down.
• the bumper according to the present invention further comprises a sync signal generator for generating a sync signal for blocking an unnecessary operation of the air bag and providing the generated sync signal for the controller .
• the sync signal generator generates a sync signal by a vehicle driver' s manipulation or when the corresponding vehicle runs at a predetermined speed or faster .
• a communication port is connected with the controller in order to transmit a variation of the distance from the other vehicle or collision obstacle measured by the displacement sensors to an external unit .
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system for operating an air bag mounted in a bumper according to the present invention
• FIG. 2 is a flowchart view for explaining a process of operating an air bag mounted in a bumper by the system shown in FIG. 1;
• FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a bumper having an air bag controlled by displacement sensors according to the present invention
• FIG. 4 is a front view showing essential portions of the bumper shown in FIG. 3.
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system for determining whether or not an air bag system 17 mounted in a bumper 19 of a vehicle according to the present invention should activate an air bag to operate by a distance from another vehicle or a collision obstacle which is located in front of the corresponding vehicle .
• a pair of displacement sensors 10a and 10b are sensors for measuring a distance between a vehicle and another vehicle which runs forward or a collision obstacle which is positioned in front of the corresponding vehicle. As shown in FIG. 3, the displacement sensors 10a and 10b are installed in the left and right sides or center of the bumper 19 so that a distance between the corresponding vehicle and the other vehicle or collision obstacle which is positioned in the front of the corresponding vehicle is measured.
• the values measured by the displacement sensors 10a and 10b are analog signals which a central processing unit (CPU) which is a controller 13 does not recognize . Accordingly, the values measured into the analog signal are converted into digital signals by analog-to-digital converters 11a and lib, respectively. Then, the digital signals are buffered and then provided to the controller 13.
• the controller 13 which receives a distance value between the corresponding vehicle and the other vehicle or collision obstacle which is measured by the displacement sensors 10a and 10b, judges whether or not the corresponding vehicle approaches within a predetermined distance from the other vehicle or collision obstacle .
• the controller 13 judges that a current situation is a collision situation with the other vehicle or the collision obstacle when the relative speed of the corresponding vehicle is not less than a predetermined speed, at a state where the corresponding vehicle approaches within a predetermined distance from the other vehicle or the collision obstacle during running, and outputs a drive signal for operation of an air bag system 17.
• the controller 13 judges a current situation as a collision situation, at a relative speed of 55km/H to 64km/H, at a state where the vehicle is closely positioned at a distance of 2.1m to 2.4m distant from the other vehicle or collision obstacle, at a relative speed of 65km/H to 74km/H, at a state where the vehicle is closely positioned at a distance of 2.5m to 2.9m distant from the other vehicle or collision obstacle, at a relative speed of 75km/H to 84km/H, at a state where the vehicle is closely positioned at a distance of 3.
• a value measured at a far-distance should be continuously maintained, but a value measured at a near-distance should be cleared when the vehicle becomes farther.
• the air bag system 17 activates an air bag to operate when a vehicle collides with another vehicle or a collision obstacle .
• the air bag system 17 is driven by a driving signal from the controller 13 via a drive unit 14 to thus reduce impact applied to the corresponding vehicle .
• the drive unit 14 generates the driving signal when the controller 13 judges that the corresponding vehicle collides with the other vehicle or collision obstacle as described above .
• the air bag system 17 is mounted in the bumper 19 which is positioned in the front portion of the vehicle .
• An air bag 20 spreads out when an operational fuse unit 21 is driven by a driving signal from the drive unit 14 under the control of the controller 13, in order to mitigate impact applied to the vehicle having collided with the other vehicle or collision obstacle .
• the bumper 19 since a part of the bumper 19 is formed of a door 22 which is opened and closed around hinges 23 as shown in FIG. 4, the bumper 19 is not damaged even though the air bag system 19 is activated.
• the operational fuse unit 21 in the air bag 20 is re-charged with gunpowder and then the air bag 20 is inserted into the bumper 19, the air bag 20 can be re-used.
• the door 22 is designed to maintain a closed state when the air bag system 17 does not operate, so that the air bag 20 in the bumper 19 would not be escaped to the outside, but to become an opened state toward the outside by an expansion force of the air bag 20 together with firing of the operational fuse unit 21.
• the controller 13 is designed to judge that the corresponding vehicle runs on a curved road if a difference between the distances from the other vehicle or collision obstacle which are measured by the pair of the displacement sensors 10a and 10b is not less than a predetermined value, to accordingly prevent the air bag system 17 from operating when corresponding vehicle runs on a curved road.
• a sync signal generator 15 for generating a sync signal is attached to the controller 13 in order to block an unnecessary operation of the air bag system 17.
• the sync signal generator 15 generates a sync signal and supplies the generated sync signal to the controller 13, only when a vehicle driver sets an operational mode of the air bag system 17 or the corresponding vehicle runs at a predetermined speed or faster, to thereby block an unnecessary operation of the air bag system 17.
• the bumper according to the present invention includes a communication port 16 which can communicate with the outside, to thereby enable a variation of the distance from the other vehicle or collision obstacle measured by the displacement sensors 10a and 10b to be externally recognized.
• FIG. 2 is a flowchart view for explaining a process of operating an air bag mounted in a bumper 19 by the air bag system 17 shown in FIG . 1.
• the controller 13 initiates an operation of the air bag system 7 at an operational mode of the air bag system 17 or when a vehicle speed is not less than a predetermined speed (SIl) ,
• the controller 13 analyses distance values supplied from the displacement sensors 10a and 10b, and obtains a distance between a vehicle, and another vehicle or a collision obstacle (S12 ) . Then, the controller 13 confirms whether the obtained distance is within a predetermined distance (S13 ) .
• the controller 13 monitors the distance between the corresponding vehicle and the other vehicle or the collision obstacle continuously. However, in the case that the corresponding vehicle approaches the other vehicle or the collision obstacle within a predetermined distance, the controller 13 confirms a relative speed between the corresponding vehicle and the other vehicle or the collision obstacle (S14 ) . The controller 13 judges that a current situation may be a collision situation with the other vehicle or the collision obstacle (S16) when the relative speed of the corresponding vehicle is not less than a predetermined speed
• a relative speed which becomes a reference of recognizing a current situation as a collision situation with the other vehicle or collision obstacle is in a range of 55km/H to 64km/H.
• a relative speed which becomes a reference of recognizing a current situation as a collision situation with the other vehicle or collision obstacle is in a range of 65km/H to 74km/H.
• a relative speed which becomes a reference of recognizing a current situation as a collision situation with the other vehicle or collision obstacle is in a range of 75km/H to 84km/H.
• a relative speed which becomes a reference of recognizing a current situation as a collision situation with the other vehicle or collision obstacle is in a range of 85km/H to 94km/H.
• a relative speed which becomes a reference of recognizing a current situation as a collision situation with the other vehicle or collision obstacle is in a range of 95km/H to 104km/H .
• a relative speed which becomes a reference of recognizing a current situation as a collision situation with the other vehicle or collision obstacle is in a range of 105km/H to 114km/H.
• a relative speed which becomes a reference of recognizing a current situation as a collision situation with the other vehicle or collision obstacle is in a range of 115km/H or more .
• the bumper having an air bag controlled by displacement sensors according to the present invention provides an effect of minimizing impact by automatically activating the air bag mounted in the bumper which is positioned in the front portion of the vehicle, just before the corresponding vehicle collides with the other vehicle or the collision obstacle during running. Also, the bumper having an air bag controlled by displacement sensors according to the present invention, provides an effect of minimizing an economical loss by re-using the air bag which has been used for absorption of impact applied to a vehicle when the corresponding vehicle collides with the other vehicle or the collision obstacle during running .
• the present invention provides a bumper having an air bag controlled by displacement sensors which minimizes impact by automatically activating the air bag mounted in the bumper which is positioned in the front portion of the vehicle, just before the corresponding vehicle collides with the other vehicle or the collision obstacle during running, and minimizes an economical loss by re-using the air bag which has been used for absorption of impact applied to a vehicle when the corresponding vehicle collides with the other vehicle or the collision obstacle during running.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Epidemiology (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Air Bags (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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Citations (5)

• 2005
  • 2005-02-03 KR KR1020050009983A patent/KR100635922B1/ko not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2006
  • 2006-01-24 WO PCT/KR2006/000259 patent/WO2006083086A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (5)

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