Automotive Technologies International, Inc.

William Thomas Sanders

David S Breed

Wendell C Johnson

Wilbur E DuVall

Richard M Downs, Jr

Wilbur E Duvall

Occupant protection system for protecting one or more occupants of a vehicle including a deployable occupant protection device arranged on at least one of the seats, a deployment determining unit which generates a signal indicative of whether deployment of the occupant protection device is desired, and an electrical bus extending into the seat and electrically coupling the occupant protection device and the deployment determining unit. The signal from the deployment determining unit is sent over the bus to the occupant protection device to enable deployment thereof. The occupant protection device may include an airbag module having an airbag and be arranged at a rear of the seat to be deployable rearward for protecting an occupant situated behind the seat. The deployment determining unit preferably includes a crash sensor coupled to the bus for sensing a crash event and providing a signal indicative thereof.

Integrated occupant protection system

The fuel gage of the present invention uses a combination of (i) one or more load cells or fuel level measuring devices, plus in some cases other sensors which measure the pitch or roll angle of the vehicle or the fuel density, to approximately measure the quantity of the fuel in the tank and (ii) a processor and algorithm, which may be a look-up table or formulae, to correct for the inaccuracies arising from the pitch and roll angles of the vehicle, other external forces or from variations in fuel density. Although several weighing systems are disclosed for illustrative purposes, the invention applies to any method of making an approximate measurement of the fuel quantity (weight or volume) and then using analytical techniques to improve on the measurement.

Method and apparatus for measuring the quantity of fuel in a vehicle fuel tank subject to external forces

An occupant protection device deployment system and safety network including at least one module housing, at least one deployable component such as an airbag associated with each housing, a deployment initiator associated with each housing for initiating deployment of the component, a determination unit for determining that deployment of one or more of the components is desired, and respective electronic control units arranged within, adjacent or proximate each housing and coupled to a respective deployment initiator and the determination unit via an electrical bus for causing the deployment initiator to deploy the component in the respective housing upon receiving a signal from the determination unit. The control units include a power supply for enabling operation of the initiator.

Automotive electronic safety network

An infinite door check mechanism for enabling a door to be moved from a closed position in a door frame to any one of a plurality of different open positions including a clevis adapted to be mounted to the frame, an elongate strip member mounted to the clevis and directed outward from the frame, a door check housing adapted to be mounted on the door, the strip member extending at least partially through the housing, and a support member arranged in the housing. A rotatable locking member is arranged in the housing such that the strip member is interposed between the locking member and the support member. A biasing member such as a spring is positioned in the housing for selectively pressing the locking member against the strip member to force the strip member against the support member and thereby retain the strip member in a fixed position resulting in checking of the door and releasing pressure of the locking member against the strip member and thereby enable movement of the strip member. Structure is also provided to apply torque to the locking member to prevent the locking member from slipping when the checking is occurring.

Vehicle door check

A vehicle crush detecting device including an electrically conducting tube with an electrically conducting rod positioned within the tube along with insulators positioned at least two points between the rod and tube to insulate the rod from the tube. The electrically conducting tube is deformed during a vehicle crash causing the tube to contact the rod in response to crush of the vehicle. A header/connector assembly seals a space between the rod and tube at one end while a space between the rod and tube at the opposite end is closed. The header/connector assembly includes electrical connector pins electrically coupled to the rod and tube and having an exposed portion for connection to a wire harness. The device is used to sense crashes for the deployment of automobile passive restraint systems such as airbags.

Crush sensing vehicle crash sensor

An airbag for a vehicle formed from sections of material joined to one another, e.g., heat-sealed or adhesively-sealed, such that interconnected compartments receivable of an inflating medium are formed. The sections of material may be fabric or discrete sheets of film with optional tear propagation arresting devices. Two or more of the sections of material may be at least partially in opposed relationship to one another and then joined to one another at locations other than at a periphery of any of the sections to thereby form the interconnected compartments between the sections of material. The sections of material may also be joined to one another along parallel lines such that the interconnected compartments formed between the sections of material are elongate, i.e., substantially straight, and when inflated will be tubular.

Tubular airbag, method of making the same and occupant protection system including the same

A vehicle crush detecting device including an electrically conducting tube with an electrically conducting rod concentrically positioned within the tube along with insulating means positioned at at least two points between the rod and the tube to insulate the rod from the tube. The electrically conducting tube is deformed during a vehicle crash by a force greater than a predetermined magnitude which causes the tube to contact the rod in response to the crush of a vehicle. The crush sensor is mounted at the rear boundary of the Crush Sensor Zone of the vehicle for frontal and rear impacts and in the door or other appropriate side position for side. The sensor is used to sense crashes for the deployment of automobile passive restraint systems such as airbags.

An airbag deployment system including at least one module housing, at least one deployable airbag associated with each housing, an inflator associated with each housing for inflating the airbag(s) to deploy into the passenger compartment, an airbag inflation determination unit for determining that deployment of the airbag(s) is/are desired, and respective electronic control units arranged within or proximate each housing and coupled to a respective inflator and the airbag inflation determination unit for initiating the inflator to inflate the airbag(s) in the respective housing upon receiving a signal from the airbag inflation determination unit. The control units include a power supply for enabling initiation of the inflator. Another airbag system includes a first housing for housing a first airbag adapted to deploy between a dashboard of the vehicle and the front-seated occupant, a first inflator arranged in connection with the first housing for inflating the first airbag, a second housing for housing a second airbag adapted to deploy between a side of the vehicle and the front-seated occupant, and a second inflator arranged in connection with the second housing for inflating the second airbag. This system also includes a sensor and diagnostic module for determining that deployment of the first and second airbags is required for the crash of the vehicle and controlling the first and second inflators to inflate the first and second airbags, respectively.

Efficient airbag system

An inflatable occupant restraint module including a housing mounted in the vehicle and having an interior, a deployable airbag contained within the housing interior prior to deployment, an inflator coupled to the housing for inflating the airbag by supplying a gas into the airbag interior and an initiator for initiating the supply of gas into the airbag interior in response to a crash of the vehicle. The airbag includes at least one non-perforated sheet of film defining the airbag interior and a thermoplastic elastomeric material arranged at specific locations in connection with the sheet(s) of film such that the locations are thicker in comparison to an average thickness of the sheet(s) of film. Another embodiment of the inflatable occupant restraint assembly includes at least one airbag module mounted in the vehicle and having inflatable airbags, a net surrounding the airbags for retaining the same in an interior thereof, an inflator arranged in connection with the airbags for inflating the same and an initiator for initiating the inflator in response to the crash of the vehicle. The airbags preferably include the thermoplastic elastomeric material as described above. The net is made of an interlaced network of material strips and defines an interior volume less than the volume of the airbags when inflated.

Plastic film airbag

An infinite door check mechanism for enabling a door to be moved from a closed position in a door frame to any one of a plurality of different open positions including a clevis adapted to be mounted to the frame, an elongate strip member mounted to the clevis and directed outward from the frame, a door check housing adapted to be mounted on the door, the strip member extending at least partially through the housing, and a support member arranged in the housing. A movable locking member is arranged in the housing such that the strip member is interposed between the locking member and the support member. A biasing member such as a spring is positioned in the housing for selectively pressing the locking member against the strip member to force the strip member against the support member and thereby retain the strip member in a fixed position and releasing pressure of the locking member against the strip member and thereby enable movement of the strip member. Structure is also provided to exert a drag force onto the strip member to enable the locking member to rotate without slipping.

Vehicle infinite door check

An inflatable occupant restraint device in an occupant protection system of a vehicle including a housing mounted in the vehicle and having an interior, at least one deployable airbag contained within the housing interior prior to deployment, an inflator coupled to the housing for inflating the airbag, the airbag being attached to and in fluid communication with the inflator, and an initiator for initiating a gas supply mechanism in the inflator to supply gas into the interior of the airbag in response to a crash of the vehicle. The airbag is made of a first non-perforated sheet of film and a member arranged in connection with the film sheet for arresting the propagation of a tear in the film sheet. The member is (i) a network of at least bi-directional material strips or (ii) a second non-perforated sheet of film having substantially anisotropic tear properties whereby the direction of least tear resistance of the second sheet of film is different than a direction of least tear resistance of the first sheet of film.

An inflatable occupant restraint device in an occupant protection system of a vehicle having at least two pieces of substantially flat inelastic plastic film having peripheral edges attached together only at their peripheral edges to form a substantially sealed airbag, an inflator coupled to the airbag and to the vehicle for inflating the airbag by providing gas to the airbag through at least one port in one of the pieces of elastic film, and an initiator for initiating the inflator in response to a crash of the vehicle. Upon inflation of the airbag, the at least two pieces of inelastic plastic film deform substantially without stretching, in particular to create a shape for the airbag where the thickness is substantially smaller than the width or height and/or to provide the airbag with an ellipsoidal shape.

Growing community of inventors

Rockaway Township, NJ, United States of America

William Thomas Sanders