Abstract:
A safety device for a motor vehicle includes a multi-chamber airbag, which is inflatable by at least one gas generator activatable when a vehicle is impacted. The airbag includes at least one feeler, or tactile, airbag, which may be quickly inflated using only a small quantity of energy and which is provided with a touch, or tactile, function. The feeler airbag may be inflated and introduced into an inflation area of at least one second airbag chamber and identifies, by touch, an obstacle in the inflation area, such as an out-of-position occupant. A touch recognition device is connected to the feeler airbag and emits a control signal, which is utilized at least during the inflation phase. The gas generator includes a control device for the inflowing amount of gas, the control device being connected to the touch recognition device and preventing, or at least reducing, a further inflation function of the gas generator when receiving the control signal.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a safety device for a motor vehicle with a multi-chamber airbag. 
     BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
     Safety devices for a motor vehicle with a multi-chamber airbag are known in various embodiments and various arrangements. In particular, airbag arrangements in the occupants&#39; front, side, and head impact regions are known. Each of these airbags is inflatable in the event of a vehicle collision, as a function of the collision deceleration and direction, by way of an associated activatable gas generator, in order to intercept an occupant&#39;s impact in damped fashion. 
     One problem with these arrangements is that an inflating airbag can exhibit disadvantageous aggressiveness toward occupants or objects in the inflation region. These problems occur in particular with occupants who are outside of a normal position (out of position), for example, in the case of a child who is standing in front of a seat or an adult who is leaning far forward in a seat, and objects on a seat, for example a child seat attached thereon. 
     Measurement arrangements are known for detecting such out-of-position situations upon activation of an airbag and optionally preventing an airbag from firing or causing it to do so in reduced fashion. Known in particular for this purpose are distance measurement arrangements operating in non-contact fashion with infrared and/or ultrasonic sensors and weight sensors. These arrangements are complex and expensive. 
     A safety device is described in, for example, European Patent Application No. 0 812 741. In this safety device, a sensing medium is associated with a front part of the airbag, which is configured as a gas bag. The medium is configured to participate in the advance movement of the airbag. An analysis device is provided for determining the advance velocity of the sensing medium and, therefore, of the airbag moving into the passenger compartment. The advance distance and/or the advance times detected by the analysis device may be used to influence the filling behavior of the airbag to thereby reduce the gas volume or suppress gas delivery. A similar operating mechanism is described in European Patent Application No. 0 836 971. 
     It is an object of the present invention to develop a safety device for a motor vehicle with a multi-chamber airbag in such a way that its aggressiveness is reduced with a simple and directly acting system for recognizing an out-of-position situation. 
     SUMMARY 
     A multi-chamber airbag has at least one relatively low-volume finger-like feeler airbag, rapidly inflatable with little energy and having a tactile function, which is inflatable and/or movable into the inflation region of at least one further, larger-volume airbag chamber having a support function and senses any obstacle possibly present in that region, in particular an out-of-position occupant or possibly an object. Connected to or integrated into the feeler airbag is a device for tactile recognition that, when the feeler airbag makes contact, emits a control signal that can be analyzed at least during the airbag inflation phase. The occurrence of such a control signal indicates that an impermissible obstacle, such as an out-of-position occupant or an object, is present in the inflation region of the airbag in which the airbag is intended to deploy in unimpeded fashion. 
     The gas generator is equipped with a control device connected to the tactile recognition system for the gas volume flowing into the multi-chamber airbag. When the control device receives the control signal, a further inflation function of the gas generator for the multi-chamber airbag is suppressed or at least reduced. 
     A feeler airbag directly scans the inflation region of an airbag. The relatively small-volume feeler airbag, quickly inflatable with little energy, results in practically no aggression or only a low, acceptable level thereof. If no critical obstacle is sensed in the predefined tactile region, deployment of the remainder of the airbag contour having the supporting function for the associated occupants follows immediately thereafter. If, on the other hand, a critical obstacle is sensed in the predefined scanning region, the aggressiveness of the arrangement is eliminated or at least greatly reduced by remaining airbag contour being not inflated or being inflated to only a reduced extent. 
     A feeler airbag, or multiple feeler airbags propagating in different directions, can be used for any airbag arrangement, in particular for front, side, and head airbags, in order to sense an unoccupied airbag deployment area. 
     In a first embodiment, a completely separate chamber of a multi-chamber airbag is configured as a feeler airbag, and the feeler airbag is inflated earlier in time than at least one further airbag chamber having a support function. One or more such feeler airbags can then each be associated with a gas generator or a stage of a multi-stage generator, for a rapid inflation operation with little energy and thus little aggressiveness. 
     In an alternative embodiment, at least one feeler airbag is integrally configured in a larger airbag chamber, and can be shaped by the placement of arrester strips. Arrester strips are arranged on wall regions around the rear region of the feeler airbag, as a result of which partial edge regions of the airbag contour are prevented from deploying and initially only the low-volume feeler airbag inflates. These arrester strips are equipped as force-limited burst strips that, after the formation of the feeler airbag, burst as the pressure rises further and thus allow complete deployment of the entire airbag contour with its support function. With this arrangement, a feeler airbag can be configured with only minor additional structured or other modifications for example, a central circular or annular region of a globally approximately spherically inflatable airbag is used to form a feeler airbag. 
     Formation of the feeler airbag during the inflation phase can advantageously be adapted to and coordinated with individual and vehicle-specific circumstances, in terms of geometry and time sequence, by way of the arrangement, length, and burst characteristics of the arrester strips, and by the provision of throttling flow openings in flexible bulkheads. 
     Advantageously, in all of the embodiments, the gas inflow into the multi-chamber airbag (at least outside the region of the feeler airbag) is accomplished through at least one diffuser, which is arranged downstream from a gas generator and has radially directed outflows. As a result of a substantially radial inflation direction into the airbag that is thereby achieved, its aggressiveness toward an occupant is reduced. This feature, in combination with the function of the feeler airbag and optionally a modulation of the at least one generator and/or non-firing of a further stage of a staged generator, results in a substantial reduction in the aggressiveness of an airbag arrangement. 
     In another alternative embodiment for configuring a feeler airbag, at least one, preferably several, finger-like feeler airbags are shaped on the impact surface of at least one principal chamber of an airbag, approximately in the inflation direction directed toward an occupant. The geometry of the arrangement is configured so that at the beginning of the inflation phase, optionally in conjunction with the aforementioned features (bulkheads, burst strips, etc.), one or more feeler airbags are inflated and are moved into the inflation region of the overall contour. In this embodiment, in contrast to the previous embodiment, the finger structure of the feeler airbag does not transition into a spherical overall structure after the bursting of the arrester strips, but rather is substantially retained. To reduce the possible aggressiveness of the free ends of several such feeler airbags, the free ends are connected with a perforated film or a net, so that the impact load is distributed over a surface. 
     In yet another alternative embodiment for configuring a feeler airbag, a first airbag chamber that is inflatable relatively low down toward a normal position of an occupant is configured as a feeler airbag. If the feeler airbag can be fully inflated without encountering an obstacle, a thorax airbag chamber, adjacent at the top, is inflated at the front region of this first airbag chamber and through it for complete activation and formation of the complete airbag contour. As a result of this multi-chamber system, it is possible with the actions already mentioned above, in simple fashion, to define the geometry of the outer contour in the final position as well as the sequence over time, and to adapt them to individual and vehicle-specific circumstances. 
     With all the above embodiments of feeler airbags, a tactile recognition function upon encountering an obstacle in the inflation region is necessary. 
     In a first embodiment of a tactile recognition function, a measurement is performed of the velocity and/or acceleration with which the feeler airbag propagates, and the measurement results are conveyed to a threshold value device. A sudden decrease in this measured value indicates an encounter with an obstacle, and thus the need for modulation of a gas generator and/or non-firing of a further stage of a staged generator. 
     A plurality of different velocity measurement devices may be used. One particularly simple and functional apparatus for velocity measurement includes a measurement cord having an applied barcode, and a photoelectric barrier with a signal analyzer. The measurement cord is attached to the inner front end of the feeler airbag and, as the feeler airbag propagates, is pulled through the photoelectric barrier and through a cord brake mounted at that point which tensions the measurement cord. The barcode pulled through the photoelectric barrier can be detected instrumentally and yields the pull-through velocity. It is also optionally possible to ascertain an end position of the feeler airbag after which an impact will no longer result in any modulation of a gas generator. 
     Alternatively or in addition to the velocity sensing device described hereinabove, it is also possible to use for tactile recognition the position of switch contacts that are arranged in a front feeler region of the feeler airbag. Such switch contacts can be opened or closed, depending on their initial position, by a deformation of the feeler airbag upon encountering an obstacle. Preferably, the result is to complete a circuit in order to emit a switch signal. The arrangement can advantageously also be configured to that upon complete deployment of the airbag, the contacts are so far apart from one another that no further mutual contact is possible to complete a circuit. 
     At least one multi-stage generator, controllable in multiple stages, may be provided to modulate one or more gas generators, a first stage being fired in order to inflate the feeler airbag. In the event of a response by the tactile recognition system, a decision can then be made, by way of a suitable algorithm of the control device, as to whether no further stages, or optionally a reduced number thereof, are fired. A staged generator may also include one non-modulated generator and a controllable generator as the second stage, or vice versa. 
     Alternatively or in addition to the above measures, upon arrival of a tactile recognition signal, it is also possible to perform a direct intervention on a gas generator that has already fired, preferably by a pyrotechnically actuable sliding panel, a gas inlet opening to the airbag is blocked and at the same time a bypass is opened. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a first embodiment of a multi-chamber airbag having a finger-like feeler airbag and a tactile recognition system using a measurement cord; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of a multi-chamber airbag having switch contacts fro tactile recognition arranged in the region of a feeler airbag; 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a third embodiment of a multi-chamber airbag having several feeler airbags; 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a fourth embodiment of a multi-chamber airbag having three inflatable finger-like feeler airbags; and 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a fifth embodiment of a multi-chamber airbag having a thorax airbag chamber and a head airbag chamber. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a safety device  1  for a motor vehicle with a multi-chamber airbag  2  that can be activated in the event of a vehicle collision. This multi-chamber airbag  2  is configured such that at the beginning of airbag activation, a finger-like feeler airbag  3  with a tactile function is quickly inflated with little energy. 
     The formation of feeler airbag  3  is achieved by arrester strips  4 ,  5  that are mounted, on the one hand, on the vehicle and, on the other hand, on a circular or annular region  6 , facing in the inflation direction, of feeler airbag  3 . As a result, partial wall regions  7 ,  8  are prevented from deploying at the beginning of the inflation operation, and feeler airbag  3  is formed. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, feeler airbag  3  is inflated by an axial gas flow  9 , and an annular chamber (lateral airbag chamber portion  11  and lateral airbag chamber portion  12 ) of multi-chamber airbag  2  is inflated by a radial gas flow  10 . The distribution of these gas flows  9 ,  10  in the axial and radial directions is accomplished by a diffuser that is placed downstream from a single-stage gas generator  15 . The principal gas flow is preferably directed in the radial direction, so that feeler airbag  3  is inflated with little energy and little aggressiveness, but quickly because of its relatively small volume. 
     Also connected to feeler airbag  3  is a tactile recognition apparatus  16  that includes a measurement cord  17  with an applied barcode, a stationary photoelectric barrier  18  associated with measurement cord  17 , and a signal analyzer with a threshold value device (not depicted in FIG.  1 ). Measurement cord  17  is fastened to a front inner end of feeler airbag  3 , and upon propagation of feeler airbag  3  is pulled through photoelectric barrier  18  that is mounted in stationary fashion. The velocity at which measurement cord  17  is pulled through is optically sensed and measured by photoelectric barrier  18  by the barcode being pulled past the photoelectric barrier  18 . A cord brake (not depicted in FIG. 1) is attached to ensure a specific and relatively low cord tension in the region of photoelectric barrier  18 . 
     In the event of a vehicle collision, if feeler airbag  3  encounters an out-of-position vehicle occupant as an obstacle  19 , the propagation velocity of feeler airbag  3  and thus of measurement cord  17  is suddenly greatly reduced. This reduction in the propagation velocity of measurement cord  17  is sensed via photoelectric barrier  18  by the signal analyzer. If the velocity and/or acceleration fall below a predefined setpoint the signal analyzer, emits a control signal to a pyrotechnic element  21 . The result of this control signal is that pyrotechnic element  21  activates an attached sliding panel, which blocks off the gas inlet opening from gas generator  15  into multi-chamber airbag  2 , and thereby prevents further inflation of multi-chamber airbag  2 . Simultaneously with the advance of the sliding panel, a bypass is opened to allow outflow of the gas from the gas generator that has already fired. The result is to prevent injury to an out-of-position occupant, since inflation of multi-chamber airbag  2  into its final position (shown with dashed lines in FIG. 1) does not occur. 
     In order for multi-chamber airbag  2  to be able to inflate into its spherical final position (shown with dashed lines) if no obstacle is present in the inflation region, arrester strips  4 ,  5  have a force-limited defined break point. Once feeler airbag  3  has formed, a further increase in pressure due to inflowing gas causes arrester strips  4 ,  5  to burst, thus permitting deployment of the entire airbag chamber. Arrester strips  4 ,  5  are configured as flexible bulkheads with flowthrough openings and, as a result, before bursting, have a throttling effect between the gas flowing directly into feeler airbag  3  for rapid formation and the adjacent lateral airbag chamber portions  11 ,  12 . 
     FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a second embodiment of a safety device  25  for a motor vehicle having a multi-chamber airbag  26 . This safety device  25  has substantially the same configuration as safety device  1  illustrated in FIG.  1 . As a result of the arrangement of arrester strips  32 ,  33  and in a manner analogous to the embodiment of FIG. 1, multi-chamber airbag  26 , activatable by a gas generator  27 , forms at the beginning of the airbag activation process a feeler airbag  29  and an annular chamber with an airbag chamber portion  30  and airbag chamber portion  31  as depicted. 
     This safety device  25  furthermore includes a tactile recognition apparatus  34  that is made up of switch contacts  35 ,  36 ,  37 , of which switch contact  37  is arranged on a front inner end of feeler airbag  29  and the other two switch contacts  35 ,  36  are arranged opposite one another on end-located side regions of feeler airbag  29 . Switch contacts  35 ,  36  can also be elements of a contact ring. If feeler airbag  29  encounters an out-of-position vehicle occupant constituting an obstacle  38 , switch contacts  35 ,  36 ,  37  change their positions relative to one another, and switch contact  37  comes into contact with switching contacts  35  and  36 , thereby completing a circuit. As a result, a control signal is emitted to a control device, which triggers a pyrotechnic element  28 . This pyrotechnic element  28  then activates a sliding panel, which corresponds to the embodiment of FIG.  1  and which blocks off a gas inlet opening into multi-chamber airbag  26 , a bypass for gas outflow simultaneously being opened. It is also possible to use as the switch contacts a switching wire or switching film, which detach or optionally close in order to make contact when an obstacle is encountered. 
     Again, arrester strips  32 ,  33  burst in response to a further increase in pressure resulting from inflowing gas, thus allowing deployment of the entire airbag chamber. In the final position of multi-chamber airbag  26 , shown with dashed lines in FIG. 2, switch contacts  35 ,  36 ,  37  are so far away from one another that no further contact resulting in completion of a circuit, and thus (in correctly functioning fashion) no further modulation of generator  27 , is possible. 
     FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a third embodiment of a safety device  41  for a multi-chamber airbag  42 . This safety device  41  includes a multi-stage generator  43  which has a first gas generator stage  44  and a second gas generator stage  45 . 
     At the beginning of an inflation operation of multi-chamber airbag  42  in the event of a vehicle collision, first gas generator stage  44  is fired after opening of an airbag cover (not depicted here), causing finger-like feeler airbags  46 ,  47 ,  48  to be inflated at relatively low energy and with a relatively small volume. The finger-like configuration of feeler airbags  46 ,  47 ,  48  can be achieved, by analogy with the embodiments of FIG.  1  and FIG. 2, by arrester strips  49 ,  50 ,  51 ,  52  arranged in the region of multi-stage generator  43  in conjunction with wall folds, portions of the airbag walls thereby initially being held back. 
     Feeler airbags  46  and  48  each point in a lateral direction, so that out-of-position occupants and objects that may be located in those directions may be detected. As depicted, the free ends of feeler airbags  46 ,  47 ,  48  can be joined by a film or a net. Feeler airbags  46 ,  48  as depicted may be elements of a circular ring chamber. 
     A tactile recognition apparatus  53 ,  54 ,  55  is associated with each of these feeler airbags  46 ,  47 ,  48 . Tactile recognition apparatus  53  of feeler airbag  46  includes a measurement cord  57  with an applied barcode, a stationary photoelectric barrier  58  associated with this measurement cord  57 , and a signal analyzer with a threshold value device (not depicted here). Measurement cord  57  is fastened to a front inner end of feeler airbag  46 , and upon propagation of feeler airbag  46  is pulled past photoelectric barrier  58  that is mounted in stationary fashion. Tactile recognition apparatus  54  of feeler airbag  47  with a measurement cord  61  and a stationary photoelectric barrier  62 , and tactile recognition apparatus  55  of feeler airbag  48  with a measurement cord  63  and a stationary photoelectric barrier  64 , are similarly configured. 
     During the inflation of feeler airbags  46 ,  47 , and  48 , the measurement cords  57 ,  61 ,  63  are tensioned at a relatively low cord tension by cord brakes mounted in the vicinity of photoelectric barriers  58 ,  62 ,  64 , so that the velocity at which they are pulled through may be optically sensed and measured by the barcode that is being pulled past. If the pull-out velocities of measurement cords  57 ,  61 ,  63  decrease, for example, when one or more of feeler airbags  46 ,  47 ,  48  encounters an out-of-position vehicle occupant, a control signal is emitted to a gas generator control device, by respective threshold device of the signal analyzer, when the velocity and/or acceleration fall below a predefined setpoint. The gas generator control device then does not trigger second gas generator stage  45 , so that no further inflation of multi-chamber airbag  42  occurs. 
     Feeler airbags  46 ,  47 ,  48  have a high propagation velocity with relatively little energy. It is thereby possible to detect, for example, occupants or child seats with relatively little impact even in an oblique direction from feeler airbags  46 ,  47 ,  48 , i.e., in out-of-position locations. 
     In the event that no vehicle occupants are in out-of-position locations, the pull-out velocity of measurement cords  57 ,  61 ,  63  does not decrease until the defined break points of arrester strips  49 ,  50 ,  51 ,  52 , are reached. The control signal then delivered to the gas generator control device causes firing of second gas generator  45 , which then further inflates airbag chambers  65 ,  66  as well as feeler airbags  46 ,  47 ,  48 , as a result of which arrester strips  49 ,  50 ,  51 ,  52  burst apart and multi-chamber airbag  42  assumes its final position. 
     Safety device  41  illustrated in FIG. 3 may also be operated with a single-stage gas generator and a suitably configured diffuser. With a single-stage gas generator, corresponding to the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, further inflation illustrated in multi-chamber airbag  42  would then, in the event of a sudden decrease in the pull-out velocity of measurement cords  57 ,  61 ,  63 , be modulated by a pyrotechnic element. For example, the gas inlet openings into multi-chamber airbag  42  would be closed and bypasses for gas outflow would simultaneously be opened. 
     FIG. 4 schematically illustrates another embodiment of a safety device  70  with a multi-chamber airbag  71 . This safety device  70  includes a single-stage gas generator  72  with which multi-chamber airbag  71  can be inflated. As illustrated in FIG. 4, at the beginning of the inflation operation upon activation of multi-chamber airbag  71 , three finger-like feeler airbags  74 ,  75 ,  76  are extruded on an impact surface of a principal chamber  73 , directed approximately in the inflation direction, and are inflated together at the beginning of the inflation phase, governed by the corresponding airbag geometry. 
     Safety device  70  includes a first tactile recognition apparatus  79  for feeler airbag  74 , with a measurement cord  81  having an applied barcode and with a stationary photoelectric barrier, with signal analyzer, associated with the measurement cord  81 . Safety device  70  furthermore includes a second tactile recognition device  80  for feeler airbags  75  and  76  which includes a first measurement cord  83  for feeler airbag  75  and a second measurement cord  84  for feeler airbag  76 . A stationary photoelectric barrier  85  with a signal analyzer is associated with these measurement cords  83 ,  84 . 
     A cord brake is mounted in the region of the photoelectric barrier for a relatively low cord tension, so that the barcode of measurement cords  81 ,  83 ,  84  can easily be optically sensed and measured as it is pulled past photoelectric barrier  82 ,  85 . 
     Feeler airbags  74 ,  75 ,  76  scan the area in front of principal chamber  73  with relatively little energy, and by way of their measurement cords  81 ,  83 ,  84  and the signal analyzer associated with photoelectric barriers  82 ,  85 , as a result of the sudden reduction in pull-out velocity deliver a signal to a pyrotechnic element  86  upon encountering an out-of-position vehicle occupant. This pyrotechnic element  86  stops further gas delivery into multi-chamber airbag  71  by a sliding panel that can be slid in front of the gas inlet opening, thus considerably reducing the aggressiveness of multi-chamber airbag  71  for an out-of-position vehicle occupant. 
     As illustrated in FIG. 4 with dashed lines, the free ends of feeler airbags  74 ,  75 ,  76  are connected by a net  87  or a perforated film in order to reduce local finger aggressiveness. 
     FIG. 5 schematically illustrates yet another embodiment of a safety device  90  with a multi-chamber airbag  91  in the form of a four-chamber airbag. With this safety device  90 , which has a single- or multi-stage gas generator  92 , in the event of a vehicle collision, initially a first airbag gas chamber  96  is activated to open the cover and a second airbag chamber is activated as a feeler airbag  93  which is inflated in a lower region in the direction of a normal position of an occupant. If a vehicle occupant is in an out-of-position location inside the vehicle, then similar to the previously described embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, it is possible to stop gas delivery, and thus stop aggressive complete inflation of multi-chamber airbag  91 , by modulation of gas generator  92  or by activation of a pyrotechnic element. 
     If the vehicle occupant is in a normal position inside the vehicle, i.e., not out of position, and if no further obstacle is detected, multi-chamber airbag  91  can be completely inflated. A further thorax airbag chamber  94 , adjacent to the top of the front region of feeler airbag  93 , is inflated through feeler airbag  93 , and then a head airbag chamber  95 , adjacent to thorax airbag chamber  94 , is inflated through feeler airbag  93  and thorax airbag chamber  94 .