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:
Jun. 05, 2001
Filed:
Oct. 09, 1998
Pramod Shankar, Redlands, CA (US);
L. Dwight Gilger, Torrance, CA (US);
Carlton B. Ardery, Hermosa Beach, CA (US);
Barry Dunbridge, Torrance, CA (US);
TRW Inc., Redondo Beach, CA (US);
Abstract
Apparatus for sensing the weight of an object and providing a digital representation of a weight range within which the sensed weight falls, and apparatus for controlling the deployment of a vehicular air bag in accordance with the weight of a passenger seated in a vehicle seat adjacent the air bag. A number of two-position switches,normally assume a first position and are responsive to a force of at least a predetermined amount to assume a second position. The first position represents a first weight range, and the second position represents a second weight range. A support surface,overlies the switches to support an object to be weighed. A decoding circuit,monitors the positions of each of the two-position switches and provides a digital representation of the weight range within which the weight of the object falls. In the vehicular air bag system, a number of groups of the two-position switches,are mounted in a passenger seat,adjacent the air bag. Each group includes switches which assume their second position in response to a force of at least a predetermined amount that is associated with such group. The decoding circuit,provides a digital representation of the weight range within which the weight of a passenger seated in the passenger seat falls. A controller is responsive to the decoding circuit to control the air bag deployment system to control deployment of the air bag,in accordance with the represented weight range.