Abstract: In a collision damage reduction system, a microcomputer obtains relative position data corresponding to a relative between a vehicle and an object from a first detecting unit, the detected speed of the vehicle as detected by a second detecting unit, the detected turning angle of the vehicle as detected by a third detecting unit. The microcomputer calculates a total collision probability representing a probability that the vehicle and the object will collide on a runnable space according to the relative position data, the detected speed of the own vehicle and the detected turning angle. In addition, the microcomputer instructs the operation unit to operate at least one of a first collision avoidance operation and a second collision avoidance operation according to the total collision probability.

Abstract: An ink cartridge is detachably mounted on a cartridge holder. At least one first reflector is provided in the cartridge holder. A reflective-type optical sensor includes a light emitter and a light receiver. The optical sensor is operable to form an optical path originated from the light emitter to the light receiver via the first reflector. A shading member is provided in the ink cartridge operable to shade the optical path when the ink cartridge is mounted on the cartridge holder. A second reflector is provided in the ink cartridge. The second reflector reflects light emitted from the light emitter and varies an intensity thereof in accordance with an ink amount remaining in the ink cartridge.

Abstract: The present invention provides a seated person determination apparatus for a vehicle seat that accurately differentiates the type of person seated, or differentiates a person seated from an object such as a child seat. This is accomplished by utilizing the shape of the standard surface distribution of the load that simulates the shape of contact surface formed between the human buttocks and the surface of seat pad. Specifically, the present invention provides a seat sensor composed of the plurality of sensor portions placed in a seat pad of a vehicle seat distributed in a plane parallel with the surface of the seat. The load exerted on the surface of the seat by a person seated or an object placed on the seat is detected by the plurality of sensor portions of the seat sensor located in corresponding position.

Abstract: A seat occupant in a vehicle is classified into one of first and second categories by using a support vector machine (SVM). Sensor signals are obtained from seat sensors to form a sensor signal vector. By using the sensor signal vector, a value of a two-value decision function known as SVM is calculated. The seat occupant is decided to be of one of the first and second categories associated with the value. The two-value decision function can be generated through support vector learning by using a set of training vectors obtained from the seat sensors. An airbag system using an inventive seat occupant classifying apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: In a passenger judging apparatus with a load sensor excellent in practical use and capable of achieving not only the reduction of judgment delay in the case of the necessity for a quick judgment but also the improvement of the judgment accuracy in the other cases, a judgment indicating the occurrence of a state transition forming a transition between classes is made only when a load detected stays continuously in a predetermined class for a predetermined threshold time period, with the threshold time period being variably set to be different in length among inter-class state transitions. This contributes greatly to the improvement of the judgment accuracy by eliminating erroneous judgment stemming from a false signal without uselessly delaying the judgment on the state transition requiring a quick decision.

Abstract: In a collision damage reduction system, a microcomputer obtains a first performance limit data of the own vehicle according to the detected speed thereof by a first detecting unit and a second performance limit data of the object according to the relative position data detected by a first detecting unit, the detected speed of the own vehicle and the detected turning angle thereof by a third detecting unit. The microcomputer calculates a total collision probability representing a probability that the own vehicle and the object will collide with each other on a runnable space according to the first performance limit data, the second performance limit data, the detected speed of the own vehicle and the relative position data. In addition, the microcomputer instructs the operation unit to operate at least one of the first operation and the second operation according to the total collision probability.

Abstract: A vehicle occupant protection apparatus includes a collision object data detection element on a vehicle to detect data, such as the physical parameters of the estimated collision object related to a collision impact force, from an estimated collision object, a vehicle-onboard occupant protection element activated in the event of a vehicle collision, thereby protecting an occupant in a predetermined activation mode, and a protection mode control element for changing the activation mode based on the data. The vehicle occupant protection apparatus may also utilize a collision detection element for detecting an actual collision with the estimated collision object.

Abstract: An ink cartridge, for an ink jet printer, having a cartridge case, first and second ink bags housed in the cartridge case, and a partition plate placed between the ink bags. The partition plate is dropped into a case main body of the cartridge case through an upper opening of the case main body. When a case lid is attached to the case main body, the partition plate is sandwiched between rib upper end faces of the case main body and an outer frame end face of the case lid so that the position of the partition plate is fixed. Ink outlet parts, of the ink bags, are overlaid on each other in a case thickness direction so that they are in contact with each other without intervention of the partition plate. Therefore, the ink cartridge is miniaturized and can be easily disassembled when it is recycled.

Abstract: An airbag of an airbag device has a primary hole for receiving an inflator and a secondary hole for receiving a securing device which secures the inflator to a base plate. A section surrounding the secondary hole is sandwiched between the inflator put in the airbag and the base plate. Therefore, the section of the airbag sandwiched between the inflator and the base plate can be enlarged and thus a high securing strength of the airbag can be acquired. The primary hole can comprise a vent hole that is used to discharge the gas from the inflator to the outside of the airbag. This structure need not make the vent hole separately. Therefore, the airbag is made simple and the production cost thereof becomes lower.

Abstract: A crash mode determining unit comprises first and second acceleration sensors disposed on both sides of a vehicle and a third acceleration sensor disposed almost at a center of the vehicle. A relative line integration length of one of the integrated outputs of the accelerations detected by the first and second acceleration sensors with respect to the integrated output of the acceleration detected by the third acceleration sensor is calculated. The relative line integration length of the integrated output becomes long when a crash mode is either a pole crash or a under-ride crash. Therefore, the crash mode of the pole crash or the under-ride crash can be determined by comparing the relative line integration length with a predetermined length.

Abstract: Gas generated from an inflator flows into a first portion of a main bag and each part of an inner bag, and the first portion is inflated toward an area in front of passenger's seat. Then, the gas filling the first portion which has been inflated flows into a second portion of the main bag. In this situation, the inflation direction of the second portion is more downward than the inflation direction of the first portion. As a result, a speed of backward inflation is decreased.

Abstract: An air bag device mounted in an instrument panel has an inflator for supplying gas, a bag body having a gas inlet hole, and an inner bag disposed inside of the bag body. The inner bag is formed with a pair of first through-holes and a second through-hole so that an opening area of the first through-hole is larger than that of the second through-hole. The inner bag is expanded by the gas supplied from the inflator, while a large amount of the gas is discharged from the first through-hole. Accordingly, the air bag body is expanded toward the waist of a passenger on a passenger seat. At the same time, the gas is discharged from the second through-hole to flow along an inside of a windshield, whereby the air bag can be also expanded toward the head of the passenger. As a result, even if the inflator is mounted in the instrument panel at its upper portion, the air bag device can securely protect the passenger on the passenger seat.

Abstract: The present invention provides a manufacturing method for an air bag which can simply form an inner bag inside a outer bag. Cloth members of the inner bag are mounted within the outer bag and the outer bag is sewn together along its peripheries except its folded portion and a gas inlet hole for introducing gas from an inflator, by using threads. Thereafter the cloth members of the inner bag are put into the outer bag, and the cloth members of the inner bag are pulled out of the outer bag through the gas inlet hole. Thereafter, the cloth members of the inner bag are sewn together along their peripheries by using a thread. Thus, the cloth members of the inner bag are formed into a bag. Finally, putting the inner bag into the outer bag makes the air bag completed.