Delco Electronics Corporation

Shailendra Verma

Duane Donald Fortune

Charles A Gray

Robert K Constable

Anthony Luke Simon

Mahesh K Chengalva

Troy Allen Wideman

Aparna Vaidyanthan

Craig Tieman

Mark R Bryant

A switch selectively connects an airbag inflator or a load resistor to a crash sensing module to enable or disable an airbag. A transistor circuit across the load resistor detects whether deployment current is flowing in that resistor. Another transistor activated by the first transistor passes current to a fuse to open the fuse, permanently indicating a deployment event when the airbag was disabled. A latch circuit holds the second transistor on to assure sufficient time to open the fuse by melting.

Airbag suppression controller with crash state evidence

A strain gauge has a stainless steel substrate with a dielectric coating comprising two dielectric layers. A circuit comprising conductors, resistors and piezoresistors in a Wheatstone bridge configuration is formed on the dielectric. One dielectric layer is to adhere to the steel and a second is to form a barrier against diffusion of the first layer into the piezoresistor material. An amplification and signal conditioning circuit is applied adjacent the bridge. The steel substrate is to be welded or bolted at its marginal portions to a structure subject to strain.

Strain gauge with steel substrate

A mounting system for a housing and method of mounting a housing is provided where the housing is to be mounted to a slotted member in a secure and rigid fashion without loosening over time, particularly when exposed to high vibration environments. The mounting system includes a mounting arm of the housing which is to be inserted through a first slot and then pivoted so that a finger projection on the arm pivots up into a second slot formed in the frame member. The spacing of the first and second slots and the length of the arm and position of the finger projection thereon are such that when the finger is pivoted into the second slot, a cam surface on the finger will engage and slide against at least one of the walls of the slot so as to bias the arm against the frame member in the slots. In this manner, the arm is preloaded against subsequent movement even when subject to intense vibrations or other loosening forces. Other bolt fastener(s) are contemplated for use in mounting the housing by way of mounting flange(s) provided on the housing spaced from the arm or arms at predetermined positions therearound.

Housing mounting system

An existing vehicle seat design is equipped with strain gauges welded to structural seat members to sense occupant seated weight. A microprocessor compensates for preload on the sensors and multiplies each signal by an empirically determined gain, and then combines the gauge outputs. The combined output is low pass filtered to avoid motion induced errors. The measured occupant seated weight is used by decision logic to decide whether to allow passenger airbag deployment.

Method and apparatus for measuring seat loading by strain gauge

A metal shield is stamped from sheet metal into a box shape and tabs are bent up from the housing walls, and posts are extruded from the tabs. The shield is then insert molded into a plastic housing. A connector shroud is molded on one side of the housing and apertures for terminal pins are also formed during molding. Pins are pressed into the aperture and the ends bent up for circuit board connection. Metal bushings insert molded into ears on the housing provide mounting lugs. The tabs are supports for a circuit board and the posts extend through holes in the circuit board and are upset to retain the board without screws.

Growing community of inventors

Indianapolis, IN, United States of America

Shailendra Verma