Environmentally sealed vehicular air bag sensor
AssigneeElectro-Wire Products, Inc.
InventorsJames P. Burgess, Dewey Mobley, Al Vanderstuyf
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An environmentally sealed vehicular air bag sensor. The sensor employs a conventional ball and tube accelerometer which supplies an electrical signal when subjected to a deceleration of force equal to or greater than a preset limit. All of the electrical connections of the sensor are disposed in the interior thereof, and the interior is sealed from the operating environment of the vehicle, thus enhancing reliability and minimizing accidental damage thereto.
Claims12
An environmentally sealed vehicular air bag sensor comprising:
- a housing defining an interior;
- first and second electrical terminals disposed in said interior and configured to engage within said interior third and fourth electrical terminals, respectively, said third and fourth terminals being associated with a wiring system of a vehicle;
- an accelerometer disposed in said interior and operative to provide a detectable electrical characteristic when subjected to a deceleration force of at least a preset level, said accelerometer having fifth and sixth electrical terminals in electrical communication with said first and second terminals;
- and
- means for sealing the interior of the housing from the ambient environment so that connection of the sensor to the wiring system is environmentally sealed.
In a vehicular air bag sensor of the type having an accelerator operative to provide a detectable electrical characteristic when subjected to a deceleration force at least as great as a preset level, said accelerometer having a pair of terminals electrically connectable to a wiring system of a vehicle to permit the transmission of said detectable characteristic to the wiring system to actuate said air bag, the improvement comprising means for environmentally isolating the sensor including:
- a housing defining an interior;
- first and second electrical terminals disposed in said interior and configured to engage within said interior third and fourth electrical terminals, respectively, said third and fourth terminals being associated with said wiring system;
- a sealing cap disposed on an end of said housing and configured to permit the passage therethrough of said third and fourth terminals and to seal the interior of the housing from the ambient environment so that connection of the sensor to the wiring system is environmentally sealed, wherein the accelerometer is disposed in the interior and the first and second terminals are in electrical communication with the pair of terminals of the accelerometer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.