Abstract: A system for judging to permit actuating a safety device for protecting an occupant seated on the passenger seat of a vehicle. The system is capable of detecting a rearward facing child seat. The system is able to judge in many situations as to whether it is necessary to permit actuating the safety device. The safety device has an air bag storing portion holding an air bag therein. The storing portion is located in front of the front passenger seat. On rapid deceleration of the vehicle, the safety device is set into actuation to inflate the air bag. The system uses plural distance sensors to detect the distances to an upper portion and a lower portion, respectively, of an object existing in the space between the air bag storing portion and the passenger seat. According to the output signals from the distance sensors, the system judges as to whether it is necessary to permit actuating the safety device.

Abstract: A crash sensor including an accelerometer, a calculation device, a comparator, a trigger circuit, a physical quantity calculation device, and an adjusting device. The accelerometer develops an acceleration signal and the calculation device calculates a first value corresponding to a magnitude of deceleration based on the acceleration signal. The comparator compares the first value and the trigger circuit actuates a protective device, such as an air bag, upon receiving the trigger signal from the trigger circuit. The physical quantity calculation device calculates a magnitude of physical quantities in a wave defined by acceleration signals during an initial stage of a crash. The adjusting device adjusts at least one of the first value corresponding to the magnitude of deceleration and the threshold value used by the comparator on a basis of the magnitude of physical quantities.

Abstract: A gas generator for an air bag is provided which contains a spontaneously-firing explosive composition in which at least one of a squib, igniting agent and a gas generant is contained in a casing formed of a light alloy material, the spontaneously-firing explosive composition containing carbohydrates, oxohalogenates and metal oxides or alternatively carbohydrates, oxohalogenates, metal oxides and one or more synthetic resins. The spontaneously-firing explosive composition has a spontaneous firing property in temperature range of either 165.degree.-220.degree. C. or 165.degree.-200.degree. C. The effective temperature range may be selected as needed.

Abstract: An apparatus for actuating a plurality of safety devices equipped in a vehicle for protecting occupants from an impact of a collision has a plurality of squibs (4,5) connected in series with each other so as to form a series circuit (6) and ignited by a current flowing through and conformed to one and the same standard. A power source (3) supplies electrical energy to the series circuit (6), and a collision detector (7) allows a current to flow from the power source (3) to said series circuit (6) when detecting a collision. A required energy for igniting all of the squibs (4,5) is thus supplied before the series circuit (6) opens electrically at one squib.

Abstract: An electronic crash sensor which can operate appropriately in response to any form of crash of any vehicle, more especially to a high speed oblique or pole crash of a vehicle which has a less rigid body or to a compound crash which is compound of various forms of crash, to say nothing of a high speed oblique or pole crash of a vehicle which has a normal rigid body. An input acceleration waveform from an accelerometer is processed to peak cut any portion thereof lower than a predetermined value. Then, the value obtained by the said peak cutting is time integrated. Then, a time integrated value of a predetermined function is subtracted from the value obtained by the said time integration.

Abstract: To detect an impact due to a shock with high precision and stability, a shock sensor is employed which provides a sufficiently long closure interval of a contact of a reed switch (1) enough to carry out signal processing. A gap between an outer surface of a magnet (2) and an inner wall (8) of a housing (7) defining a passage for the magnet (2) comprises a first gap (G1) between a stationary position and an activating position and a second gap (G2) between the activating position and a stop position. The inner wall (8) is formed so that the first gap (G1) is greater than the second gap (G2). The velocity of the magnet (2) is lower when travelling in the second gap (G2) than the velocity in the first gap (G1) because air resistance is greater in the second gap (G2). Accordingly, the closure interval is increased.

Abstract: The crash sensor of the present invention comprises a magnet, a sensing mass made of a ferromagnetic material and attractable by the magnet, a sleeve made of a paramagnetic material and restricting the movement of the sensing mass in one direction, a pair of strips that make a closed circuit by contact with the sensing mass having moved in one direction and a body fitted with the magnet and housing the sensing mass, the sleeve and the contacts; the crash sensor further comprising a magnetic shield made of a ferromagnetic material and covering the magnet and the body. The magnetic shield forms a closed-type magnetic field by covering the magnet and the body and forms an appropriate magnetic loop in the vicinity of the sensing mass, so that the crash sensor also acts as a magnetic shield to protect itself from being influenced by outside ferromagnetic bodies and makes effective use of the magnetic force of the magnet.

Abstract: An electronic crash sensor which can operate appropriately in response to any form of crash of a vehicle. An input acceleration waveform from an accelerometer is first processed to peak cut any portion thereof lower than a predetermined value. Then, a value obtained such peak cutting is time integrated. Then, a time integrated value of a predetermined function is subtracted from a value obtained by such time integration. Then, the value of the acceleration waveform thus obtained is compared with a predetermined time function value, and when the former is higher than the latter, a triggering signal is delivered to a trigger circuit to trigger operation of a passenger protecting apparatus such as an air bag of the vehicle.