Patent ID: 6330500
Filing Date: 2001-12-11
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
An activation control apparatus for an air bag system having a plurality of inflators for one air bag, which, upon detection of a vehicle collision, controls activation of said inflators in accordance with the severity of said collision, comprising:a first acceleration sensor (1), mounted in a position within a passenger compartment, for constantly detecting acceleration (G) at said mounting position; anda second acceleration sensor (2), mounted in a position within a crush zone in a forward part of a vehicle, for constantly detecting acceleration (G') at said mounting position, and wherein:a decision as to whether to activate or not activate said plurality of inflators and determination of an activation mode of said inflators are made by utilizing differences in characteristics among various values in various types of collision and by combining said various values as appropriate, said various values consisting of a first time-integrated value (V1) obtained by performing time integration based on an acceleration signal from said first acceleration sensor (1) and a second time-integrated value (V1') obtained by performing time integration based on an acceleration signal from said second acceleration sensor (2), and of an integrated value difference between said second time-integrated value and said first time-integrated value (Vd=V'-V) or the amount of change of said integrated value difference (Gd=d(Vd)/dt), said integrated value difference (Vd) being compared with a first predetermined velocity threshold value (Vs1) provided as a function of time, and when said integrated value difference is not smaller than said threshold value (Vd.gtoreq.Vs1), said inflators being activated in accordance with a separately selected inflator activation mode.