Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Tomiji Sugimoto

Tsutomu Fukui

Atushi Makino

Nozomu Shoji

An air bag apparatus for a vehicle is characterized in that an air bag, an inflator and acceleration sensors for controlling the inflator are closely disposed in a single place to constitute an air bag unit. The acceleration sensors in the air bag unit are made up of a plurality of acceleration sensors of different kinds. The air bag unit is disposed on a steering wheel and each of the acceleration sensors is disposed such that the direction of movement of a movable element to be provided in each of the acceleration sensors is parallel to an axis of rotation of the steering wheel. The inflator is electrically ignited and each of the acceleration sensors controls the electric current supply to the inflator.

Air bag apparatus for vehicle

An acceleration detecting system includes a base plate made of non-conductive material and mounted on a moving object. A stationary contact is fixedly disposed on the base plate and is formed of a first plate-like contact portion fixed and electrically connected at a base end thereof to the first connecting terminal, and a second plate-like contact portion fixed and electrically connected at a base end thereof to the second connecting terminal through a resistor element. A movable contact, which cooperates with the stationary contact to constitute an acceleration detecting switch, is electrically connected to the second connecting terminal and floatingly supported on the base plate so that the movable contact can abut against an intermediate portion or free end of the stationary contact. It is possible to reliably detect a failure of conduction between the first and second connecting terminals by monitoring the energization of an energizing circuit including an acceleration switch and particularly, at a coupled portion or junction of the stationary contact.

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Saitama, Japan

Tomiji Sugimoto