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:
Jan. 07, 1997
Filed:
Aug. 15, 1995
Robert P Ellis, Almont, MI (US);
Robert E Nill, Royal Oak, MI (US);
Leon P Niedzwiecki, Romeo, MI (US);
TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
A vehicle occupant restraint system (20) includes an inflatable air bag (41) and an actuatable inflator (40) for, upon actuation, providing inflation fluid for inflating the air bag. A seat belt (105) extends across the vehicle occupant to restrain the occupant. A tongue (110) is connected with the seat belt (105), and a buckle (57) receives and latches the tongue (110) in the buckle (57). A pretensioner (44) is operatively connected to the belt (105). An indicator (59) indicates to the occupant if the tongue (110) is not received in the buckle (57). A seat belt buckle switch (66) is operatively connected to the buckle (57). The seat belt buckle switch (66) has electrically conductive normally closed contacts (74, 76) which open upon insertion of the tongue (110) into the buckle (57). A resistor network is electrically connected to the normally closed contacts (74, 76). The resistor network provides a first electrical signal having a first characteristic when the normally closed contacts (74, 76) are closed and a second electrical signal having a second characteristic when the normally closed contacts (74, 76) are open. A controller (24) is operatively connected to the inflator (40), the pretensioner (44), the resistor network (60, 72) and the indicator (59). The controller (24) controls actuation of the inflator (40), the pretensioner (44) and the indicator (59) in accordance with the first and second electrical signals.