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US 5,856,645 AGranted
Crash sensing switch
OwnerPeter Nortoninventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerPeter Nortoninventor
Estimating the term…
A crash sensing switch for automotive vehicles has a cylindrical piston that moves sealingly in a tube during a crash to bridge a pair of contacts. Viscous flow of air through ducts creates pressures that resist movement of the piston. A venting valve may be incorporated in the piston to increase contact dwell. Impedance of the ducts may be adjusted during manufacture by blocking one or more of the ducts. The clearance between the piston and the tube limits air flow between the piston and the walls of the tube and provides aerodynamic lubrication between the piston and the tube during cross axis vibrations. A piston ring may assist in preventing air flow between the piston and the walls of the tube. There may be compensation for changes of air viscosity with temperature. One way to compensate is to make the contacts of thermostat metal which bends with temperature to change the distance the piston must move to bridge the contacts. Another way is to provide a valve incorporating thermostat metal which opens or closes certain ducts to compensate for changes of air viscosity with temperature. Compensation for variation of air viscosity with temperature may be provided at higher temperatures but not at lower temperatures. An injection molded cap includes connector pins to form an integral connector and hermetically seal the interior from the environment. Contact height setters may be incorporated into the cap to assure the desired piston movement for switch closure. Calibration may be done at manufacture by adjusting the piston movement required for switch closure. The combination of these elements provides a crash sensing switch having superior performance and costing much less than known crash sensing switches.
In a crash sensor for an occupant protection system of a vehicle of the type comprising a sealed gas filled tube having an axis, a sensing mass movable axially inside and in close proximity to said tube, said movement causing displacement of said gas and including means for viscously conducting said displaced gas,
In a crash sensor for an occupant protection system of a vehicle of the type comprising a sensing mass movable during a crash from a normal resting position, the improvement comprising:
In a crash sensor for an occupant protection system of a vehicle of the type comprising a sensing mass movable in a tube and including an electrical contact and contact bridging means for contacting said electrical contact upon a predetermined movement of said sensing mass, the improvement comprising:
A crash sensor for an occupant protection system of a vehicle comprising:
In a crash sensor for an occupant protection system of a vehicle of the type comprising a sensing mass movable during a crash from a normal resting position and sensing means for ascertaining when said sensing mass has moved to a second position, the improvement comprising:
In a crash sensor for an occupant protection system of a vehicle of the type comprising a movable sensing mass wherein movement of said sensing mass causes viscous flow of displaced gas, the improvement comprising:
In a crash sensor for an occupant protection system of a vehicle of the type having an enclosure, sensing means disposed inside said enclosure and responsive to decelerations of a crash and having electricity conducting means connecting said sensing means with an element of said occupant protection system located outside said enclosure, the improvement comprising:
In a crash sensor for an occupant protection system of a vehicle of the type comprising a sensing mass movable axially inside and in close proximity to a sealed, gas filled tube during a crash from a normal resting position and sensing means for ascertaining when said sensing mass has moved to a second position, the improvement comprising:
In a crash sensor for an occupant protection system of a vehicle of the type having an interior containing contacts bridged upon sensing a crash and having electricity conducting means connecting said contacts with elements of said occupant protection system that are outside said crash sensing switch, the improvement comprising:
A crash sensor for an occupant protection system of a vehicle of the type comprising a sensing mass movable axially inside and in close proximity to a sealed, gas filled tube during a crash from a normal resting position, means for viscously conducting the gas displaced by movement of said sensing mass and sensing means for ascertaining when said sensing mass has moved a predetermined distance from said normal resting position, the improvement comprising:
In a crash sensor for an occupant protection system of a vehicle of the type comprising a sensing mass movable from a resting position in a tube and including electrical contacts and contact bridging means movable with said sensing mass for bridging said electrical contacts upon a predetermined movement of said sensing mass away from said resting position, the improvement comprising:
A crash sensor for an occupant protection system of a vehicle comprising:
A crash sensor for an occupant protection system of a vehicle comprising:
In a crash sensor for an occupant protection system of a vehicle of the type comprising a movable sensing mass, the movement of said sensing mass being affected by viscosity of a gas, the improvement comprising:
In a crash sensor for an occupant protection system of a vehicle of the type comprising a sensing mass movable axially inside and in close proximity to a sealed, gas filled tube, means for viscously conducting the gas displaced by movement of said sensing mass, said sensing mass being movable during a crash from a normal resting position to a second position, and sensing means responsive to movement of said sensing mass to said second position, the improvement comprising:
A crash sensor of the type comprising a sensing mass movable axially inside and in close proximity to a sealed, gas filled tube during a crash from a normal resting position to a second position, said movement causing displacement of said gas, and sensing means for ascertaining when said sensing mass has moved to said second position, the improvement comprising:
In a crash sensor for an occupant protection system of a vehicle of the type comprising a sensing mass movable during a crash from a normal resting position, the improvement comprising:
A crash sensor for an occupant protection system of a vehicle, said sensor comprising a sensing mass movable axially inside a sealed gas filled tube during a crash from a normal resting position and sensing means for ascertaining when said sensing mass has moved a predetermined distance from said normal resting position, the improvement comprising:
A crash sensor for an occupant protection system of a vehicle of the type comprising a member defining a passage, a sensing mass movable in said passage during a crash from a normal resting position and sensing means for ascertaining when said sensing mass has moved a predetermined distance from said normal resting position, the improvement comprising:
A device for use in a vehicle where it is subject to contact with potentially damaging elements, said device being of the type having an enclosure containing a component of an electronic circuit and having electricity conducting means for connecting said component with a second component located outside said enclosure, the improvement comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.