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US 6,273,461 B1Granted
Vehicle safety airbag control system
AssigneeDaimlerChrysler AG
InventorsPatricia S Kaiker, Michele K Harbaugh, James S Stouppe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Deployment of a vehicle airbag can be prevented in situations where the vehicle occupant has a hand, or other body part, in direct physical contact with the airbag cover. This can be achieved by a membrane switch or capacitive touch membrane incorporated into the outer exposed surface of the airbag cover.
Claims4
A control system for a vehicle airbag deployment mechanism, comprising:
- an electrical circuit for normally triggering the airbag deployment mechanism to inflate the airbag in a crash event;
- an airbag cover;
- and
- means responsive to direct vehicle occupant contact with an exposed surface of said cover for generating a control signal that prevents said electrical circuit from triggering the airbag deployment mechanism;
- said signal generating means being effective only while there is direct occupant contact with said airbag cover, whereby said electrical circuit is enabled to instantaneously trigger the airbag deployment mechanism to the deployed state after the vehicle occupant is out of direct physical contact with the airbag cover.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.