Trw Technar Inc.

Robert J Bolender

Saroj Manandhar

Long T Su

James Purves

Thomas Antonucci

A deceleration sensor switch comprises a base (12d) including a plate portion (15d) and a rod portion (18d) having a longitudinal central axis (99d). In one embodiment (FIGS. 11-15), a rectangular mass (20d) is mounted on the rod portion. The mass is spaced apart from the plate portion at a distance which prevents rotation of the mass about the axis of the rod portion. When the mass moves from an unactuated position to an actuated position, the mass moves away from a releasable tab portion (42d) of a contact (40d) to allow a contact portion (52d) of the contact to move into engagement with an electrical terminal (34d). The contact portion is spaced apart a predetermined distance (D) from the terminal when the mass is in the unactuated position. The tab portion includes a pair of contact ears (334) having convex-shaped arcuate edge surfaces (338) which allow the contact portion to maintain the same predetermined distance from the terminal upon movement of the mass in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the rod portion. The mass has a protection tab (306) which prevents a cover (11d) from striking the contact when the cover is moved into engagement with the base.

Deceleration sensor switch for use in a vehicle occupant safety system

A deceleration sensor switch comprises a base including a plate portion, a pedestal portion projecting from the plate portion, and a rod portion spaced from the plate portion and projecting from the pedestal portion. The plate, pedestal, and rod portions comprise a single continuous piece of plastic molded material. A mass is mounted on the rod portion and is movable relative to the rod portion between an unactuated position and an actuated position. The mass moves from the unactuated position to the actuated position when the mass is subjected to deceleration of a predetermined magnitude. A helical coil spring provides a restoring force which acts on the mass to move the mass relative to the rod portion from the actuated position back to the unactuated position after the mass has moved to the actuated position. An adjustable calibration screw is disposed at one end of the rod portion. The calibration screw is adjusted to adjust the restoring force of the helical coil spring acting on the mass.

A gas damped deceleration sensor for a vehicle includes a flat spring which is coaxially connected to a mass and which resists movement of the mass in response to deceleration. A preload ring is axially movable against symmetrically located surface areas of the spring to adjust the force of the spring evenly. A second flat spring is connected to the mass at a position axially spaced from the first flat spring to stabilize the mass against deceleration forces acting in directions transverse to the axis.

Gas damped deceleration switch

A vehicle crash sensor which operates to activate a passenger safety device such as an airbag inflator is calibratable to provide a desired sensitivity of the sensor to decelerating crash pulses of varying magnitude and duration. The sensor includes an adjustable member which varies the volume of a controlled quantity of damping fluid simultaneously with variations of the piston travel distance.

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Pasadena, CA, United States of America

Robert J Bolender