Trw Automotive U.S. LLC

Trw Limited

Zf Active Safety and Electronics US LLC

Trw Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.

Neil Gordon Murray, Jr

Mark Ramsay

Dion Parker

Chek-Peng Foo

Stephen R W Cooper

Evgeny I Rivin

Arnold J Herberg

Luis Fernando Sanchez

Charles S Pillsbury, Iv

Victor R Fey

Marco Bracalente

Stephen R Cooper

Curt Douglas Campbell

Geoffrey A Wright

Brilleasha M Moore

Yoshihiko Shimokawa

Ying-Kuo Lee

Johannes Konle

Jagan Kumar Surendran

An apparatus for measuring vehicle acceleration includes a housing comprising an interior space and one or more contacts supported in the housing. Each contact includes a pin portion extending outside the housing and a spring contact portion positioned above an ASIC receptacle inside the housing. An accelerometer ASIC is positioned the ASIC receptacle. The accelerometer ASIC includes contact pads that engage and deflect the spring contact portions. The resilient spring characteristics of the spring contact portions applying a retention force on the accelerometer ASIC. A retention clip connected to the housing has a portion extending into the interior space and includes a portion that engages the housing to secure the retention clip in the housing. The retention clip includes portions that engage and maintain the position(s) of the contact(s) inside the housing, and portions that engage the accelerometer ASIC and maintain the position of the accelerometer ASIC inside the housing.

Acceleration sensor

A pressure sensor for being mounted in a vehicle door includes a housing, a pressure transducer, an elastomeric connector, and electrical conductors for facilitating an electrical connection to the pressure sensor. The pressure transducer is mounted in the housing adjacent the elastomeric connector. The housing is configured to exert a force that presses the pressure transducer against the elastomeric connector. The elastomeric connector comprises electrically conductive regions configured to be pressed against electrical contacts of the pressure transducer and the electrical conductors to establish and maintain an electrical connection between the pressure transducer and the electrical conductors.

Crash pressure sensor with improved fluid communication

A mounting structure for mounting an electrolytic capacitor on a printed circuit board (PCB) of an airbag electronic control unit (ECU) includes a cap for receiving a lead end of the capacitor. The cap includes openings for receiving electrical leads of the capacitor. The cap supports electrical connectors, which electrically contact the electrical leads when a lead end of the capacitor is installed in the cap. The electrical connectors include portions for interfacing with the PCB to electrically connect the electrical connectors to the PCB. The cap also includes a vent that provides fluid communication from inside the cap to outside the cap. The vent is configured to vent dielectric liquids and gases discharged from the lead end of the capacitor during thermal cycles and/or charging cycles of the capacitor.

Vented capacitor mounting structure for airbag electronic controller unit

A vehicle safety system for a vehicle includes an electronic control unit (ECU) and at least one remote crash sensor mounted in the vehicle at a location remote from the ECU and operatively connected to the ECU. The remote crash sensor is configured to sense vehicle crash conditions and to provide data related to the sensed vehicle crash conditions to the ECU. An ECU remote sensor is mounted in the vehicle at a location remote from the ECU and near a vehicle center-of-gravity (COG). The ECU remote sensor includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and is configured to sense vehicle roll conditions and to provide data related to the sensed vehicle roll conditions to the ECU. The ECU is operative to receive the data provided by the at least one remote crash sensor and the ECU remote sensor, perform calculations to determine whether the data is indicative of a vehicle crash condition, and to provide a signal for actuating a vehicle occupant protection device.

System for sensing vehicle conditions

An apparatus detects a vehicle/pedestrian impact event by sensing impact events near a forward location of a vehicle using a multi-port pressure sensor and acceleration sensors. The multi-port pressure sensor includes multiple pressure sensors in a unified housing, connected via individual pressure ports to multiple impact-sensing hoses mounted along the vehicle bumper. An acceleration sensor may also be installed in the same housing. A single electrical connector provides connection to the multiple pressure sensors and also the acceleration sensors.

Hybrid vehicle/pedestrian impact detecting method and apparatus

A circuit board mounting arrangement is provided including a circuit board and a press fit mounting bushing including a cylindrical inner piece and an outer piece secured to the inner piece. The outer piece has a plurality of radially projecting, deformable elements and the circuit board has a cylindrical opening having a diameter less than an outer diameter of the radially projecting deformable elements. The deformable elements deform when the mounting bushing is pushed into the cylindrical opening of the circuit board so as to hold the mounting bushing to the circuit board. The circuit board and press fit bushing are then overmolded.

Apparatus for mounting a printed circuit board

A circuit mounting assembly includes a housing and a protrusion extending from the housing. At least one retaining member is attached to the protrusion and adapted to deform when received in an opening of a mounting structure and form an interference fit with the mounting structure so as to hold the housing to the mounting structure. At least one attachment member provides a secure attachment of the housing to the mounting structure. Electrical circuitry is located within the housing for performing a function, and an electrical connector for providing an electrical connection between the electrical circuitry located within the housing and an external device.

Apparatus for snap mounting a crash sensor

A crash sensor assembly including a printed circuit board and a crash sensor mounted on the printed circuit board, At least one connector pin is mounted to the printed circuit board so as to permit external electrical communication with the crash sensor. A first insert molded soft inner layer of material partially covers the printed circuit board and covers the crash sensor, and a second overmolded hard outer layer of material covers the first soft inner layer of material and bonded thereto and rigidly contacts the printed circuit board.

Method and apparatus for packaging crash sensors

A tire pressure monitoring apparatus includes a valve assembly mountable in a vehicle wheel and a housing securable to the end of the valve assembly. A pressure sensor assembly is securable in the housing for monitoring tire pressure and providing an electrical signal indicative thereof. The pressure sensor assembly includes a flexible circuit board, and a battery held within a fold of the flexible circuit board, wherein the flexible circuit board is overmolded.

Method and apparatus for overmolding a tire pressure monitor sensor

An apparatus () for a vehicle includes a steering wheel () and a vehicle occupant protection device () that is mounted to the steering wheel () and is actuatable for helping to protect an occupant of the vehicle. At least a portion of the vehicle occupant protection device () is movable relative to the steering wheel () for actuating an electric device () associated with the vehicle when a force is applied to any one of various locations on the vehicle occupant protection device (). The apparatus () also includes a mechanism () for substantially blocking tilt of the movable portion of the vehicle occupant protection device () relative to the steering wheel () during movement for actuating the electric device ().

Apparatus having a mechanism for limiting the movement of an air bag module relative to a steering wheel

An ultrasonic transducer (,) comprises a housing (,) having an axis (,) and a diaphragm (,) centered on the axis (,) at one end (,) of the housing (,). A cylindrical vibratable mass (,) is disposed in the housing (,) and centered on the axis (,). The vibratable mass (,) has a first end (,) secured to and centered relative to an inner surface (,) of the diaphragm (,) and an opposite second end (,). The vibratable mass (,) can be vibrated in a direction along the axis (,). A second cylindrical mass (,) is disposed in the housing (,) and centered on the axis (,). The second mass (,) has a third end (,) with a recess (,) centered on the axis (,). The second end (,) of the vibratable mass (,) extends into the recess (,) and is secured to the second mass (,). The second mass (,) resists the vibration of the vibratable mass (,) toward the second mass (,). An electrode (,) is fixed to a fourth end (,) of the second mass (,) opposite the third end (,).

Ultrasonic transducer

A stencil (,) facilitates application of solder material (,) to a circuit board (,) carrying a through-hole component (,) and to which a surface mount component is to be mounted. The stencil (,) has a first surface (,) and a second surface (,). The second surface (,) is engageable to a surface (,) of the circuit board (,) having a plurality of electrically conductive pads (,). At least one first aperture (,) is formed between the first and second surfaces (,)of the stencil (,). The stencil (,) has a first thickness (T,) adjacent the first aperture (,) for depositing a first amount of solder material (,) within the first aperture (,) and around a component lead (,) extending from the through-hole component (,) into the first aperture (,). At least one second aperture (44) is formed between the first and second surfaces (,) of the stencil (,). The stencil (,) has a second thickness (T,), which is less than the first thickness (T,), adjacent the second aperture for depositing a second amount of solder material (,) within the second aperture (,) onto a desired surface mount pad (,) of the circuit board (,).

Apparatus and method for depositing solder material onto a circuit board

An ultrasonic transducer (10) includes a housing (12) having a main section (14) and a base section (16). Retainer elements (20) on the main and base sections (14 and 16) of the housing (12) are engageable only when the main and base sections of the housing are in a predetermined orientation relative to each other. The retainer elements (20) press the main and base sections (14 and 16) of the housing (12) together and securely interconnect the main and base sections of the housing. A diaphragm (82) is formed in an end portion of the main section (14) of the housing (12) opposite from the retainer elements (20). A ridge (88) projects axially outward from the diaphragm (82) to protect the diaphragm and decouple the diaphragm from a side wall (74) of the housing (12). Acoustically absorptive material (114 and 116) is disposed in the housing.

Growing community of inventors

Wixom, MI, United States of America

Neil Gordon Murray, Jr