Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Nippondenso Co., Ltd.

Masahito Mutoh

Mitsuhiko Masegi

Akira Kondo

Motomi Iyoda

Masao Sakurai

Koichi Fujita

Toshiaki Ota

Motoharu Naitou

Masataka Inoue

Tomoaki Katayama

Masaki Azuma

Air bags are located at different positions within a vehicle. Squibs serve to fire and activate the air bags respectively. An acceleration detecting device is provided in common to the squibs for detecting an acceleration of the vehicle upon a collision of the vehicle and executing a switching operation in response to the detected vehicle acceleration. Constant-current circuits supplied with an electric power from a vehicle battery feed constant electric currents for a firing operation to the squibs respectively in response to the switching operation of the acceleration detecting device. An energy storage device serves to feed a backup electric power to the constant-current circuits when the supply of the electric power from the vehicle battery is cut off. Each of the constant-current circuits includes a first transistor for feeding an electric current to the related squib, a first resistor for detecting a level of the electric current fed to the squib, a second transistor conducting an electric current with a level which depends on the electric current level detected by the first resistor, and a second resistor for generating a voltage which depends on the electric current conducted by the second transistor and for controlling the first transistor in response to the generated voltage.

Vehicle air bag apparatus

A releasing circuit for actuating a vehicular safety device includes a sensor arranged to provide an acceleration signal responsive to accelerations of the vehicle and an evaluating circuit for setting a predetermined condition for activating a release element of the safety device and responsive to the acceleration signal for effecting the activation of the release element when the predetermined condition has been satisfied by the acceleration signal. A checking circuit for the releasing circuit includes a check signal generator for producing therefrom a check signal at a predetermined level which does not satisfy the predetermined condition and for applying the check signal to a circuit between the sensor and evaluating circuit, a comparator responsive to the check signal for determining as to whether or not there is a defect or malfunction in the circuit between the second and evaluating circuit, and a second comparator responsive to an output signal of the evaluating circuit for ascertaining as to whether or not the release element has been properly activated in response to the acceleration signal under control of the evaluating circuit.

Releasing circuit for actuating vehicular safety device

An anti-theft device for an automobile with high reliability is proposed. The device detects an intrusion and a battery disconnection and disables the engine. The device is powered by a battery prepared exclusively for the device besides the main battery of the automobile. The battery is mounted on the same board as the device, therefore increasing the reliability of that device. The device is simple to operate. When the driver leaves the car and the doors are locked, the anti-theft device is activated. No additional operation is required from the driver. The anti-theft device is even more reliable with the use of a key which has a bar-code printed on its surface.

Anti-theft device for an automobile

A seat assembly for automatically adjusting a seat position of a seat mounted, for example, in a vehicle, includes an actuator, an electric source, a controller, a non-operation maintainer, a stop lamp switch and a cancellation switch. The actuator adjusts the seat, and the electric source supplies electricity to the actuator. The controller controls the actuator and outputs a controlling signal to the actuator. The non-operation maintainer maintains a non-operation condition of the actuator and the non-operation maintainer is electrically connected between the actuator and the electric source. The non-operation maintainer selectively supplies the electricity to the actuator. The stop lamp switch outputs a stop signal to the non-operation maintainer, and the non-operation maintainer starts maintaining the non-operation condition of the controller in accordance with the receipt of the stop signal. The cancellation switch outputs a cancellation signal to the non-operation maintainer, and the non-operation maintainer cancels the non-operation condition of the actuator in accordance with the receipt of the cancellation signal.

Automatic seat position adjusting assembly

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Toyota, Japan

Masahito Mutoh