Abstract: A mechanical acceleration switch 12 acting at the time of collision tends to occur chattering easily, thereby lowering reliability in operation due to insufficient application of ignition current to an igniter of an airbag. When the mechanical acceleration switch 12 is closed and first-stage igniters 4 and 7 are ignited, a forced igniter 115 is turned on. Even if chattering occurs in the mechanical acceleration switch 12, the first-stage igniters 4 and 7 and a backup capacitor 11 are completely conducted by turning on a driving transistor 31, and an electric current is sufficiently delivered to the igniters 4 and 7. As a result, it is possible to improve reliability in operation. It is no longer necessary to increase capacity of the capacitor 11 and decrease chattering of the mechanical acceleration switch 12.

Abstract: When an on-board power source is turned off, after a predetermined time has elapsed, a microcomputer 34 writes predetermined data in a nonvolatile memory 35, and when the on-board power source is turned on, the microcomputer 34 judges whether the predetermined data is written in the nonvolatile memory 35 or not. If the judgment shows that the predetermined data is not written in the nonvolatile memory 35, the microcomputer 34 determines a backup capacitor 32 not to be working normally. The predetermined time is shorter than the operating time of the microcomputer 34 determined by the discharge time of the backup capacitor when the backup capacitor is working normally, and is longer than the operating time of the microcomputer 34 determined by the discharge time of the backup capacitor when the backup capacitor is not working normally.

Abstract: A device for starting an occupant crash protector can output, as a start signal, a logical product of an output of a collision determining mechanism and an output of a non-collision determining mechanism. The collision determining mechanism detects a collision including an impact that does not require a start-up. The non-collision determining mechanism detects only a collision that requires a start-up using a value obtained by subtracting a value varied with time from the output of an acceleration sensor and integrating the result of the subtraction.

Abstract: A device of detecting collision of a vehicle for determining collision of a vehicle based on an acceleration from an acceleration detecting means for detecting a collision acceleration of the vehicle, the device including a collision force calculating means for calculating an estimated collision force caused in the vehicle in the collision based on the collision acceleration and a collision determining means for determining the collision based on the estimated collision force.

Abstract: A starting device integrates an output signal of an acceleration sensor by a band-pass integrating means while restricting an upper limit of the output signal in a specified frequency range by an upper limit restricting means, and is provided with a comparing means for outputting a starting signal when the integrated value is larger than a predetermined threshold value. In this way, the starting device is certainly started by an acceleration waveform of collision that must start the device. Further, the device is not influenced by vibration components caused immediately after the beginning of collision with respect to a low-speed collision such as 8 mile/hour frontal collision that must not start the device.

Abstract: Valuable substances are recovered from a spent electroless nickel plating solution containing a water-soluble nickel salt, organic complexing agent, hypophosphite, phosphite, and alkali metal ion by adding oxalic acid to the plating solution for causing a nickel ion to precipitate as nickel oxalate for removal and recovery; optionally adding a sulfide to the plating solution for causing a heavy metal ion to precipitate as a heavy metal sulfide for removal; adding a mineral acid and calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, calcium chloride or a calcium salt of organic acid to the plating solution from which the nickel ion has been removed; firing solids of the solution in air for converting the alkali metal ion into an alkali metal salt of mineral acid, converting phosphorus into hydroxyapatite, and pyrolyzing off the organic material; and pouring a solid mixture of the alkali metal salt of mineral acid and hydroxyapatite into water for dissolving the alkali metal salt of mineral a

Abstract: An actuating apparatus for a passenger protecting apparatus the characteristics of which are easily adjusted, and which is small in size, and the cost of which can be suppressed to be inexpensive, has a comparatively simple construction, that is to say, is constructed to combine a mechanical acceleration switch having no mechanism for holding the states of the contacts thereof with electric circuits such as an integrating circuit, a comparing circuit and the like for controlling a semiconductor switch in the igniting circuit thereof.

Abstract: A starting apparatus of a passenger protecting apparatus is actuated by detecting collision of a vehicle. The starting apparatus is provided so as to subtract a predetermined value from an acceleration signal fed from G sensor and integrate the subtracted acceleration signal, and forcedly set an integrated value to zero if the integrated value is less than zero. Further, the starting apparatus is provided so as to provide a starting signal when the integrated value exceeds a preset threshold value. Therefore, it is possible to discriminate collision to start the apparatus from other collision, prevent starting means from being unnecessarily actuated, and avoid malfunction of the starting means.

Abstract: An electronic system for activating a vehicle rider protection apparatus capable of preventing the erroneous activation caused by the failure or malfunctioning of the triggering circuit in the system. An acceleration sensor produces a vehicle acceleration signal, and it is processed independently by a digital signal processor and analog signal processing circuits, which produce trigger signals S.sub.A, S.sub.B and S.sub.D on detecting a collision of the vehicle. An OR gate takes logical sum of the signals S.sub.A and S.sub.B, and produces a trigger signal S.sub.C. An AND gate takes logical product of the signals S.sub.C and S.sub.D, and produces a final trigger signal S.sub.E. In response to the final trigger signal S.sub.E, a current is supplied to a squib, which then ignites and activates the vehicle rider protection apparatus. A diagnostic circuit applies a test signal to the analog signal processing circuits, and tests the operation of the circuits by analyzing the outputs of the circuits.

Abstract: A starting apparatus for a passenger protecting apparatus includes a collision deciding unit, a control unit, and a trigger. The collision deciding unit makes a collision decision depending upon output of an acceleration sensor which detects acceleration at a time of collision. The control unit controls generation of a starting signal based upon a difference between output of a decelerating direction integrating unit, which integrates the acceleration signal of the acceleration sensor in the decelerating direction, and output of accelerating direction integrating unit, which integrates the acceleration signal of the acceleration sensor in an acceleration direction. The trigger outputs the starting signal based on output of the collision deciding unit and output of the control unit.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a start control device for starting a vehicle passenger protecting device such as an air bag, which does not respond to an impact against which the vehicle passenger protecting device must not be started, but quickly responds to a collision against which the vehicle passenger protecting device must be started. The start control device includes a start level generator for setting a decision level of start signal generation to a higher level for a predetermined time from a rise timing of an acceleration signal obtained from an acceleration sensor in deciding a collision by using an integral value of the acceleration signal. With this arrangement, in case of the impact against which the vehicle passenger protecting device must not be started, the start signal can be prevented from being generated.

Abstract: A starting apparatus is provided to start at least a two passenger protecting apparatus. In the starting apparatus, an auxiliary power supply has a capacitor supplied by a power source which is mounted to a vehicle, and is independently provided for each passenger protecting apparatus. Further, an acceleration switch serves to feed current from the auxiliary power supply to a squib for starting the passenger protecting apparatus when a vehicle acceleration exceeds a predetermined acceleration. The acceleration switch is provided for only one squib, and make and break of this switch is detected. If the switch is closed, switches corresponding to other squibs are turned ON so that current is fed to the squibs from each auxiliary power supply.

Abstract: A starting apparatus of a passenger protecting apparatus is actuated by detecting collision of a vehicle. The starting apparatus is provided so as to subtract a predetermined value from an acceleration signal fed from G sensor and integrate the subtracted acceleration signal, and forcedly set an integrated value to zero if the integrated value is less than zero. Further, the starting apparatus is provided so as to provide a starting signal when the integrated value exceeds a preset threshold value. Therefore, it is possible to discriminate collision to start the apparatus from other collision, prevent starting means from being unnecessarily actuated, and avoid malfunction of the starting means.

Abstract: A passenger protecting apparatus has a parallel connection of two current paths; a dummy firing current path having a dummy load and a first switch connected in series, and a firing current path having a driving device and at least one impact-sensitive switch as a second switch connected in series. A third switch in series with the aforementioned parallel circuit is closed when the third switch receives a signal indicative of an impact from a signal processing circuit. The impact-sensitive switch, mounted on the vehicle body, is closed when an impact greater than a predetermined value is exerted to the vehicle. When the vehicle has an impact exerted thereto, a diagnostic circuit directs the signal indicative of the impact to the third switch, which closes to allow the firing current to flow through the firing current path. The firing current causes the driving device to activate the passenger-protecting element.

Abstract: The fault diagnosis apparatus includes an electronic acceleration sensor and mechanical acceleration sensor. Strength of an impact of the vehicle is calculated based on the acceleration detected by the electronic acceleration sensor. A first comparator compares the calculated strength of the impact to a predetermined strength, and a second comparator compares the acceleration detected by the mechanical acceleration sensor to a predetermined acceleration. When the first comparator indicates that the strength of impact is greater than or equal to the predetermined strength and the second comparator indicates that the acceleration detected by the mechanical acceleration sensor is greater than the predetermined acceleration, a crew protecting apparatus operates. On the other hand, when the second comparator indicates that the acceleration detected by the mechanical acceleration sensor is less than or equal to the predetermined acceleration, a fault diagnosis of the crew protecting apparatus is carried out.

Abstract: A fault detection device for an automotive passenger protection device includes a pair of parallel-connected squibs 4a and 4b coupled across a DC power source 1 and acceleration is sensors 3 and 5 coupled in series therewith. A diode 10 coupled across the higher voltage terminals of the two squibs, and field effect transistors 30 and 31, inserted between the non-inverting input terminal of the differential amplifier 7 and the measurement points A and A', are driven alternately by the judgment circuit 8. A resistor 20 balances the voltages at the measurement points A and A' when the normally open contacts 3b and 5b are open. When the normally open contacts 3b and 5b are open, the voltages at measurement points A and A' are supplied alternately to the differential amplifier 7, so that the failures of the two squibs can be detected individually.

Abstract: A fault of a trigger resistor or a squib resistor of an air bag system is monitored together with other resistors by utilizing a balanced Wheatstone bridge for providing an inexpensive and highly reliable fault detector, wherein first and second junctions of the Wheatstone bridge are connected alternately to a dc amplifier circuit with use of first and second switching circuits for applying a voltage across the squib resistor and a reference voltage alternately on an input terminal of the dc amplifier circuit, amplified voltages are fed from the dc amplifier circuit to a decision circuit to check whether or not the voltage across the squib resistor is within an allowable limit from the reference voltage, the amplified reference voltage is fed from the dc amplifier circuit to a voltage regulating circuit, which has a feedback circuit to the dc amplifier circuit, with use of a third switching circuit for adjusting an output of the voltage regulator to the center value of the input voltage range of the decision