Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an occupant restraint system, such as an air bag (102), includes sensors (30, 36, 60, 64, 70, 80, 84, 86, 88, 90, 502, 504, 506) for sensing at least two parameters that could affect an occupant restraining function of the restraint system. The sensors are connected to a controller (24). A regulating valve (120) is connected to a reaction can (103) of the air bag (102) and is controlled by a control signal from the controller (24). The controller (24) selects one of a plurality of discrete control zones dependant upon the at least two sensed parameters and provides the control signal based on the selected one of the discrete control zones.

Abstract: An occupant sensing apparatus for use in an occupant restraint system comprises a film having an electrical characteristic with changeable states and a contact member. When an occupant sits in a vehicle seat, the contact member pushes on the film and changes the state of the electrical characteristic. An electric circuit is connected to the film for providing a first signal when the film indicates an occupant is not present, a second signal when an occupant is present, and a third signal if the film and the circuit become disconnected. The occupant restraint system is enabled when either an occupant is present or an electrical fault condition occurs. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, an array of sensors located in the seat determines the occupant's position and weight and controls deployment of the occupant restraint system in response to the determined position and weight.

Abstract: An apparatus (20) for preventing actuation of an air bag restraining device (90) of a vehicle includes a sensor (24, 26) that senses the presence of a child restraining seat (40) on an occupant seat (30) of the vehicle. A controller (22) is operatively connected to the sensor (24, 26) and to the air bag restraining device (90) for controlling actuation of the air bag and preventing actuation of the air bag when the sensor (24, 26) senses the child restraining seat (40) on the occupant seat (30).

Abstract: An apparatus (20) for sensing pressure in a stiff wall sealed vessel (30) comprises a piezoelectric transducer (200) operatively coupled to the vessel (30) for transferring energy to pressurized fluid in the vessel (30). A piezoelectric sensor (202) is operatively coupled to the vessel (30) for providing a received electrical signal having a frequency value indicative of the oscillation frequency of the pressurized fluid. A receiver circuit (224, 226, 228) is operatively connected to the sensor (202) and provides a fluid resonating signal having a frequency indicative of the fluid pressure in the vessel (30). A drive circuit (230) is operatively connected to the receiver circuit (224, 226, 228) and to the piezoelectric transducer (200). The drive circuit (230) initially drives the piezoelectric transducer (206) with noise.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for sensing and restraining an occupant of a vehicle seat (34) includes a weight sensor (60) and a seat incline sensor (62). The weight sensor (60) senses a sensed weight of the occupant of the seat (34). The sensed weight differs from the actual weight of the occupant. The incline sensor (62) senses a characteristic which affects the difference between the sensed weight and the actual weight of the occupant. The apparatus (10) further includes a controller (36) and an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint (26). The controller (36) determines a computed weight of the occupant as a function of both the sensed weight and the characteristic. Inflation fluid is directed into the restraint (26) to inflate the restraint (26) and is controlled in response to the computed weight determined by the controller (36).

Abstract: A vehicle seat belt retractor system (10) includes two seats (16, 18) each having its own integrated seat belt webbing retractor (60, 112). Each retractor (60, 112) includes locking assembly (76, 80) for blocking belt withdrawal in response to an electrical signal. At a central location in the vehicle spaced from the seats (16, 18), a sensor (24) is disposed for sensing vehicle deceleration exceeding a predetermined deceleration and for providing a control signal indicative thereof. An RF transmitter (42) is electrically connected with the sensor (24) and is actuatable in response to the control signal to transmit an RF signal. An RF receiver (100, 114) on each vehicle seat (16, 18) receives the RF signal and provides an output signal to actuate the locking assembly (76, 80) of the two seat belt retractors (60, 112).

Abstract: A vehicle seat belt retractor system (10) includes two seats (16, 18) each having its own integrated seat belt webbing retractor (60, 112). Each retractor (60, 112) includes a locking assembly (76, 80) for blocking belt withdrawal in response to an electrical signal. At a central location in the vehicle spaced from the seats (16, 18), a sensor (24) is disposed for sensing vehicle deceleration exceeding a predetermined deceleration and for providing a control signal indicative thereof. An RF transmitter (42) is electrically connected with the sensor (24) and is actuatable in response to the control signal to transmit an RF signal. An RF receiver (100, 114) on each vehicle seat (16, 18) receives the RF signal and provides an output signal to actuate the locking assembly (76, 80) of the two seat belt retractors (60, 112).

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for restraining an occupant during a side impact of a vehicle with an object includes an air bag (20) mounted in a vehicle door (22) adjacent to the occupant. The door (22) includes an outside panel (26) and an inside panel (28) spaced from the outside panel (26). An accelerometer (50) for measuring sideways acceleration of the vehicle is mounted to the inside panel (28) of the door (22). The output signal of the accelerometer has a value functionally related to the acceleration of the vehicle in a direction substantially perpendicular to the side of the vehicle. A controller (54, 56, 62, 66) determines the sideways velocity from the accelerometer output signal and deploys the air bag (20) if the velocity exceeds a predetermined value within a predetermined time period. Reinforcement members (310, 312, 314) enhance communication of the sideways acceleration to the accelerometer.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling actuation of an occupant restraint system in a vehicle includes an accelerometer for providing a signal having a characteristic indicative of a vehicle crash condition. A microcomputer monitors the output of the accelerometer at a plurality of different times and determines an instantaneous power value from the plurality of monitored acceleration signals. The microcomputer further determines a vehicle delta velocity value from the acceleration signal. The microcomputer compares the instantaneous power and the delta velocity against associated thresholds. The microcomputer actuates the occupant restraining device when the vehicle delta velocity value exceeds its threshold within a time period from when the instantaneous power value exceeds its threshold.

Abstract: An occupant restraint device (10) for a vehicle includes an air bag (16) mounted in the vehicle door (14) and an accelerometer (30) for measuring sideways acceleration of the door (14). A controller (20) monitors the accelerometer output (34, 36) and determines if the door (14) is in a door opening event or if the vehicle is in a sideways crash condition. The controller (20) actuates the air bag (16) if a vehicle crash condition is detected and disables actuation of the air bag (16) if the vehicle door (14) is determined to be opening.

Abstract: A vehicle crash sensing arrangement includes an accelerometer (28) and an integrator (36) for determining crash velocity in response to sensed crash acceleration. A second integrator (40) determines a crash displacement value from the crash velocity value. A variable velocity threshold value is determined (44) in response to the determined crash displacement value. The crash velocity value is compared (48) against the variable threshold value. The comparator (48) provides a signal indicative of a vehicle crash condition when the crash velocity value is greater than the velocity threshold value.

Abstract: An occupant sensing apparatus for use in an occupant restraint system comprises a film having an electrical characteristic with changeable states and a contact member. When an occupant sits in a vehicle seat, the contact member pushes on the film and changes the state of the electrical characteristic. An electric circuit is connected to the film for providing a first signal when the film indicates an occupant is not present, a second signal when an occupant is present, and a third signal if the film and the circuit become disconnected. The occupant restraint system is enabled when either an occupant is present or an electrical fault condition occurs. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, an array of sensors located in the seat determines the occupant's position and weight and controls deployment of the occupant restraint system in response to the determined position and weight.

Abstract: A method and apparatus (10) provide a deployment signal for deploying a vehicle occupant restraint device (20) during a side impact to a vehicle. The method includes the step of sensing a non-door side impact at a non-door location, and the step of providing a non-door side impact signal. The method further includes the step of sensing an on-door side impact at a vehicle door, and the step of providing an on-door side impact signal. The non-door side impact signal is evaluated to determine if it indicates a non-door deployment crash condition. The on-door side impact signal is evaluated to determine if it indicates an on-door deployment crash condition. A deployment signal is provided for deploying the vehicle occupant restraint device (20) when either of the side impact signals indicates a deployment crash condition.

Abstract: A force development system for controlling and generating variable shear forces in an exercise machine is disclosed for strengthening and developing body muscles during weight training or physical rehabilitation therapy. In the force development system, first and second members are movable with respect to one another and define an interspacial chamber therebetween. The interspacial chamber is filled with an electro-rheological magnetic fluid for selectively changing the shear stress characteristics in response to an applied magnetic field and for requiring a corresponding amount of force to move one of the first and second members with respect to the other of the first and second members. A magnetic field inducing mechanism is provided for selectively exposing the electro-rheological magnetic fluid means to a magnetic field of controlled intensity to selectively change the shear stress characteristics of the electro-rheological magnetic fluid.

Abstract: An apparatus (20) for preventing actuation of an air bag restraining device (25) of a vehicle includes a weight sensor (36), a distance sensor (42), and a seat belt payout sensor (66). A controller (22) is operatively connected to the sensors (36, 42, 66) and to the air bag restraining device (25). The controller (22) prevents actuation of the air bag when the sensors ( 36, 42, 66 ) sense a rearward facing child seat (46) on the occupant seat (40) by sensing a weight of an object less than a predetermined amount, a distance to an object on the seat (40) less than a predetermined amount, and a seat belt payout of greater than a predetermined amount.

Abstract: A vehicle occupant restraint system (10) comprises a vehicle seat (12) including a seat bottom (14), a seat back (16), and an occupant position sensor (20) mounted in the seat back. The occupant position sensor is located about sixteen inches above a flat plane (99) of the seat bottom of the vehicle seat and below a head rest (11) of the vehicle seat. The seat back of the vehicle seat includes foam material (40) to which the occupant position sensor is secured. The seat back of the vehicle seat also includes fabric material (41) which covers the occupant position sensor secured to the foam material. The fabric material and the foam material of the seat back cooperate to protect the occupant position sensor and hide the occupant position sensor from view. The occupant position sensor senses the position of an occupant in the vehicle seat and provides a position signal (21) functionally related to the position of the occupant in the vehicle seat.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an occupant restraint system, such as an air bag (102), includes position sensors (80, 84, 86) for sensing position of an occupant and a weight sensor (70) for sensing weight of the occupant. Both the position sensors (80, 84, 86) and the weight sensor (70) are connected to a controller (24). A seat position sensor (30), a seat back incline sensor (36), and a belt payout sensor (64) are also used to determine occupant weight and position. A vent valve (120) is connected to the reaction can (103) of the air bag (102) and is controlled by the controller (24). The controller (24) establishes an occupant weight range from the weight sensors and an occupant position range from the position sensors. The controller (24) selects one of a plurality of discrete control zones dependant upon both the sensed occupant position range and the sensed occupant weight range.

Abstract: An apparatus (20) for sensing pressure in a stiff wall sealed vessel (30) comprises a speaker (60) operatively coupled to the vessel (30) for, when energized, transferring energy to pressurized fluid in the vessel (30). The energy transferred from the speaker (60) establishes oscillations of the pressurized fluid in the vessel (30). A piezoelectric capacitive sensor (62) is operatively coupled to the vessel (30) for providing a received electrical signal having a frequency value indicative of the oscillation frequency of the pressurized fluid in the vessel (30). A receiver circuit (70, 90, 110) is operatively connected to the capacitive sensor (62) and provides a fluid resonating signal having a frequency indicative of the natural frequency of the oscillating pressurized fluid in the vessel (30). The natural frequency of the pressurized fluid is indicative of the fluid pressure in the vessel (30).

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for inflating a vehicle occupant restraint such as an air bag (32) includes a container (30). The container (30) includes a liner (96) and a composite material (100) encasing the liner (96). A gas (94) is stored under pressure in the container (30) and, when released from the container, inflates the vehicle occupant restraint (32). The apparatus (10) includes opener means (180) for opening the container (30) by rupturing the composite material (100) and the liner (96) to release the gas (94) from the container (30). The liner, when ruptured, produces liner fragments (200). The composite material (100) inhibits separation of the liner fragments (200) from the container (30).

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling actuation of a vehicle occupant restraint system includes a displacement sensor mounted to the vehicle dashboard for sensing the distance between the air bag storage location and the occupant in a seat. An infrared sensor is mounted in the headliner above the occupant. The infrared sensor has a plurality of viewing fields for sensing the location of the occupant relative to the air bag storage location and provides an output indicative of the occupant's location relative to the air bag storage location. A controller determines the distance between the occupant and the air bag storage location from the output of the infrared sensor. The controller is also connected to the displacement sensor. The controller provides an electric enable signal when at least one of the sensors indicates that the occupant is at least a predetermined distance from the air bag storage location.