Nippon Soken, Inc.

Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Nippondenso Co., Ltd.

Denso Corporation

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho

Tadashi Ozaki

Tadashi Hattori

Tokio Kohama

Hideki Obayashi

Hidetaka Nohira

Yoshinori Ootsuka

Kazuhiko Miura

Hiroaki Yamaguchi

Minoru Yamamoto

Shunzo Yamaguchi

Shinichi Kiribayashi

Toshiaki Konomi

Yukihide Hashiguchi

Masanori Hanaoka

Akira Suzuki

Yasunori Taga

Minoru Nishida

Naoki Nakane

Yoshinori Ohtsuka

Naohito Mizuno

Hiroshi Uesugi

Kazuo Sakakibara

Hideya Yamadera

Shoichi Ishida

Mutsumasa Koujiya

Minoru Fujioka

Masashi Kida

Haruhiko Inoue

Yoshiki Seno

Katsuhiko Ariga

Hiroshi Fujitsuka

Takashi Hattori

Hirokazu Kato

Naoki Hara

Koji Ohtaka

A seat load measuring system for use in a vehicle occupant protection device for a vehicle seat has a zero point adjusting capability. The seat load measuring system comprises four weight sensor assemblies; a hub assembly for collecting the weight sensor outputs and providing an output determined by the weight sensor outputs; and means for communicating a user's desire for a zero point adjustment to each weight sensor assembly. Each weight sensor assembly includes a zero point adjusting section, which receives an output from the communication means for executing a zero point adjusting operation. If a zero point of a weight sensor assembly is not within a predetermined range, the zero point adjusting section may providing an alert. A zero point adjusting command may be entered by a command input device and passed to the zero point adjusting section. Alternatively, the zero point adjustment may be initiated through a momentary switch provided in the hub assembly.

Seat load measuring system with zero point-adjusting capability

A detecting device ( ) is provided to detect signals from a sensing mat ( ) including a plurality of sensing cells (R) electrically interconnected to each other in a matrix. Each sensing cell (R) is changeable in resistance with a change in a load to be applied. The detecting device ( ) comprises a detecting circuit (Rp) and voltage applying means ( ). The detecting circuit (Rp) detects a signal through a conversion of changes in the resistance to changes in voltage. When detecting a sensing cell (R ) connected to a specified line path ( ), the voltage applying means ( ) applies a particular voltage to the remaining line paths ( ). The particular voltage is for example voltage of which potential is the same as a voltage detected from the selected sensing cell (R ). Applying the particular voltage prevents current from bypassing the other line paths irrelevant to the detection.

Device for detecting signal of sensing cells interconnected in a matrix

A circuit board having an impact sensor element thereon is mounted on a depressed portion formed between a pair of thick portions of a supporting member. The supporting member includes a pair of protecting walls between which a connector leading out electrical signals from the circuit board is disposed. The supporting member is fixed to a support frame of a vehicle by screws or bolts inserted through the thick portions. The supporting member is formed with a resin material as a unitary body. Since the circuit board and the connector are mounted on the supporting member at positions protected by solid structures of the supporting member, they are prevented from being hit by vehicle parts falling apart when a collision occurs.

Electronic impact sensor mounted on supporting member

An air bag system comprises an air bag having an opening through which gas is supplied. The air bag is folded in a predetermined polygonal shape and is then contained in a pad. An expansion restraining member is provided in the air bag system. The expansion restraining member temporarily holds a peripheral portion of the folded air bag so as to suppress rapid expansion thereof when the air bag is developed. Because the expansion of the peripheral portion is delayed by the expansion restraining member, it is possible to prevent the air bag from developing in the straight thin form toward a passenger. That is, the air bag can be developed in a round shape from its center portion when the gas is supplied into the air bag.

Air bag system

An airbag device 1 is composed of an inflator 2, a bag 3 and an electronic control unit (ECU) 4 created as a single unit as well as a pad 6 which is attached to the steering unit 5. There is connection from the ignition device 8 of the inflator 2 to the circuit board 18 by means of a connector 8a. The connector 8a realizes short-circuiting by means of external shorting member. In assembly operations of the airbag device, the shorting member can be easily removed to release the short-circuiting of the connector 8a. As a result, when attaching the airbag device to the ECU 4 the connector 8a does not occupy excessive space and there is no reduction in the assembly efficiency of the airbag device.

Airbag device

A device for detecting pressure of a high temperature pressurized fluid. A sensing element having a diaphragm adjacent to one end and a lead wire outlet adjacent to another end in the longitudinal direction of a rectangular parallelopiped configuration of the sensing element including the diaphragm. Thus, the lead wire outlet is a predetermined distance from the diaphragm heated by high temperature fluid. This prevents the lead wire outlet and the other electrical assemblies from suffering deterioration or misoperation caused by high temperature. The reliability of the pressure detecting device can be improved.

Pressure detecting device

A thin film resistor for a strain gauge prepared by physical or chemical vapor deposition. The resistor contains 60 to 98 atomic % of chromium, 2 to 30 atomic % of oxygen, and 0 to 10 atomic % of a metal or semiconductor. These constituents are uniformly distributed. The thickness of the film is between 0.01 and 10 .mu.m. The metal is at least one of Al, Ti, Ta, Zr and In, and the semiconductor is at least one of silicon, germanium and boron. The thin film resistor has excellent resistance-strain characteristics and resistance-temperature characteristics, as well as high sensitivity and mechanical strength.

Thin film resistor for strain gauge

In a knocking detection system for an internal combustion engine, a knocking is detected by a vibration sensor the output level of which is changed by controlling the sensor excitation current. The excitation current is controlled in dependence upon the output of the sensor, engine speed or load conditions or the like so that the output noise level of the sensor is maintained substantially constant regardless of engine operating conditions.

Knocking detection system for internal combustion engine

A vibration detecting apparatus comprises a housing having at one end thereof an opening, a piezoelectric element disposed within the housing, a connector mounted to the housing to cover the opening thereof and having an output pin, a lead wire for electrically connecting the piezoelectric element with the output pin, and an initially conical annular spring having an outer peripheral edge portion thereof received by an annular groove formed in an inner peripheral wall of the housing. The piezoelectric element is biased by the initially conical annular spring.

Vibration detecting apparatus

A device for the detection of ignition misfire in an internal combustion engine is disclosed. A pressure detector detects changes in the combustion pressure of the engine, and a timing detector calculates a reference angular position of the engine. An ignition/misfire detection unit detects occurrences of ignition/misfire. The detection unit compares the output of the pressure detector with predetermined positive and negative reference voltages, and produces signals when these thresholds are passed. The period of a signal produced from the point of positive value detection to the negative value detection is counted and another period which is double the period from the generation of the positive value to the signal from the timing detector unit is counted. These two signals are then compared against one another, using a predetermined program, to detect if ignition or misfire has occurred in the internal combustion engine. A sample and hold circuit may also delay the value obtained by the pressure detector, if necessary.

Ignition/misfire detector for an internal combustion engine

A device for detection of knocking in a diesel engine has a pressure sensor including a piezoelectric element and detecting a rate of change in combustion pressure, an angle sensor for detecting the rotation of the engine or engine speed, and a knocking detector for receiving outputs from the pressure and angle sensors. The knocking detector serves to detect a rate of change in combustion pressure per unit angle upon necessary correction by the engine speed and to compare the obtained rate with a reference rate of 5 atm/deg, at which knocking occurs. Knocking is detected when the detected rate exceeds the reference rate.

Knocking detection device in diesel engine

A device for detecting an abnormality in a pressure detector in an internal combustion engine. This device includes a piezoelectric pressure detector, a timing detection unit, a selective connection unit, and an abnormality detection unit. The abnormality detection unit includes a capacitor connected to an oscillation circuit, and the piezoelectric pressure detector is connected in parallel with the series connection of the oscillation circuit and the capacitor.

Device for detection of abnormality in pressure detector for internal

A knocking detection apparatus for multi-cylinder engines, capable of detecting knocking through sensing pressure pulsation propagating through the cooling water flowing in a cylinder block surrounding the cylinders. The knocking detection apparatus has a diaphragm facing the space downstream from the detection apparatus as viewed in the direction of flow of the cooling water, and a transducer dixed to the diaphragm.

Knocking detection apparatus for an internal combustion engine

In a knock detecting apparatus for an internal combustion engine, the output signal of a knock sensor whose output signal level varies in accordance with the engine conditions, engine speed, sensor sensitivity, etc., is passed through an automatic gain control circuit (AGC) thereby stabilizing the output level. The background noise level derived by integrating the output signal and the stabilized output signal are compared to detect the occurrence of knocking. The stabilized output signal is passed through a low-pass filter or a band-pass filter and the resulting control signal is used to control the gain of the AGC circuit.

Knock detecting apparatus for internal combusion engines

An engine knocking detection device has a diaphragm to be disposed in contact with the engine cooling water so as to resonate with pulsations of the pressure of the cooling water caused by engine knockings, and output elements responsive to the vibration of the diaphragm to produce an electrical output signal to be utilized for the control of engine spark timing. The water-contacting surface of the diaphragm is coated with a layer of a hydrophilic material operative to prevent attachment or adhesion of air bubbles to the water-contacting surface of the diaphragm whereby the sensitivity of the diaphragm to the water pressure pulsation is improved.

Growing community of inventors

Gamagori, Japan

Tadashi Ozaki