The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 20, 1992
Filed:
Dec. 11, 1990
Hans Spies, Pfaffenhofen, DE;
Alfons Woehrl, Schrobenhausen, DE;
Peter Hora, Schrobenhausen, DE;
Guenther Fendt, Schrobenhausen, DE;
Messerschmitt-Boelkow-Blohm AG, Munich, DE;
Abstract
A passive safety device (62) is triggered for protecting vehicle passengers in the event of a collision. The output signals of a signal acceleration sensor (1) are integrated to form a signal which triggers the deployment of the safety device when a threshold value for the integrated signal is exceeded and simultaneously additional criteria are met. These conditions are met in a simple circuit with a single acceleration sensor (1), so that the entire apparatus including the safety device (62) can be installed compactly in a steering wheel of a motor vehicle. In addition to a first signal evaluation channel in which the sensor signal is integrated once, there is at least one second signal evaluation channel including two integrators (20) and (23) in which the sensor signal is integrated twice to provide a distance signal that is evaluated by a further threshold value switch (24). The safety device (62) is only triggered if both the singly integrated signal and the doubly integrated signal exceed prescribed thresholds within a prescribed time period. Additionally, a rear collision impact recognition circuit and a hammer blow impact recognition circuit (31 to 36; 41, 28) is provided to block the triggering of the safety device. A rest circuit is also provided.