Patent Publication Number: US-2009218157-A1

Title: Radar Deployed Fender Air Bag

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to motor vehicles and more specifically, to collision safety equipment for motor vehicles encompassing the incorporation of a plurality of air bags into the body of the vehicle that will automatically deploy when the proximity and/or speed exceeds the threshold of safety and an impending collision is imminent. Preferably, the bags are situated in or near the front and rear bumper with the intent of absorbing some of the force encountered in a collision with static or dynamic objects. 
     Proximity sensors located in or near the front a rear bumper send signals out and information is obtained to calculate the distance of a static or dynamic object in the path of the vehicle. Additionally, velocity sensors located in or near the front a rear bumper send signals out and information is obtained to calculate of the speed of the dynamic object the path of the vehicle. A control module utilizes the aforementioned data along with the vehicles own speed to determine if unsafe conditions exist. 
     The control module contains preset criteria for distance requirements at given speeds of the dynamic object and the speed of the car. If the thresholds of safety are exceeded and impact is evident, the air bags are deployed. Else, the system maintains an endless loop of sending, reading, and analyzing data sent from the sensors and vehicle speedometer. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Presently there are, air bag systems incorporated into a vehicle&#39;s interior to absorb forces imparted to the vehicle&#39;s occupants through inertia of the vehicle as well as prior art of incorporating the air bag system within the front and rear bumpers. 
     These systems have proven to be very successful in dissipating occupant inertia during collision, but have not addressed vehicle inertia other than incorporating collapsible components. 
     Therefore, it is felt that a need exists for additional means of dissipating inertial forces to a vehicle prior to impact by incorporating deployable airbags within a motor vehicle&#39;s exterior, specially the front and/or rear bumpers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     A primary object of the present invention is to provide an air bag deployment system for motor vehicles incorporated into one or more bumper. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide an air bag deployment system having a plurality of air bags arranged within a front and/or rear bumper. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an air bag deployment system having a bumper with a plurality of designated sections that break away upon deployment of the airbags. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide an air bag deployment system having a plurality of pressurized gas filled cartridges. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide an air bag deployment system having a plurality of proximity and velocity sensors in communication with a control module and the pressurized gas cartridges. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an air bag deployment system that upon exceeding a safety threshold causes said control module to trigger the release of the gas into one or more airbags that deploy through one or more of the bumper&#39;s break away sections thereby absorbing some portion of the bumper. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide an air bag deployment system that deploys prior to impact of a static or dynamic object. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an air bag deployment system that can be retrofit to any standard motor vehicle. 
     Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds. 
     The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing an air bag deployment system incorporated within a vehicles bumpers that may be deployed prior to impact of a static or dynamic object. 
     The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawing, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views. 
     The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       In order that the invention may be more fully understood, it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an illustrative view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an illustrative view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an illustrative view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is an illustrative view of the present invention in use; 
         FIG. 5  is an illustrative view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is an illustrative view of the present invention in use; 
         FIG. 7  is an illustrative view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is an illustrative view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is an illustrative view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a block diagram of the system main components; 
         FIG. 11  is a component interface diagram of the radar air bag system of the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  is a logic diagram of the radar air bag system of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 13  is a chart of vehicle stopping distance and user defined independent variables. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCED NUMERALS 
     Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, the figures illustrate the Radar Deployed Bumper Air Bag System for Motor Vehicles of the present invention. With regard to the reference numerals used, the following numbering is used throughout the various drawing figures. 
     
       
         
           
               
               
             
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                 10 
                 Radar Deployed Bumper Air Bag System for Motor 
               
               
                   
                 Vehicles of the present invention 
               
               
                 12 
                 air bag equipped motor vehicle 
               
               
                 14 
                 external front air bag 
               
               
                 15 
                 external rear air bag 
               
               
                 16 
                 vehicle “2” 
               
               
                 17 
                 vehicle “3” 
               
               
                 18 
                 static object 
               
               
                 20 
                 front proximity sensor 
               
               
                 22 
                 front velocity sensor 
               
               
                 24 
                 signal 
               
               
                 26 
                 proximity measurement 
               
               
                 28 
                 dynamic object 
               
               
                 30 
                 vehicle direction 
               
               
                 32 
                 rear proximity sensor 
               
               
                 34 
                 rear velocity sensor 
               
               
                 36 
                 stop sign 
               
               
                 38 
                 front bumper 
               
               
                 40 
                 rear bumper 
               
               
                 41 
                 air bag housing compartment 
               
               
                 42 
                 breakaway panel 
               
               
                 44 
                 gas cartridge 
               
               
                 46 
                 control module 
               
               
                 48 
                 speedometer 
               
               
                 49 
                 stopping distance formula 
               
               
                 50 
                 coefficient between tires and road surface 
               
               
                 52 
                 vehicle mass 
               
               
                 54 
                 driver reaction time 
               
               
                 56 
                 minimum velocity of deployment 
               
               
                 58 
                 front surface of 38 
               
               
                 60 
                 top surface of 38 
               
               
                 62 
                 bottom surface of 38 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment of the invention (and several variations of that embodiment). This discussion should not be construed, however, as limiting the invention to those particular embodiments; practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well. For definition of the complete scope of the invention, the reader is directed to appended claims. 
       FIG. 1  is an illustrative view of the present invention  10  in use. Shown is the present invention  10 , an air bag system for front and rear vehicle bumpers comprising an air bag compartment housing a plurality of air bags integrally incorporated within a vehicle bumper having proximity and velocity sensors in communication with gas cartridges. Depicted is the approaching air bag equipped vehicle&#39;s  12  front air bags  14  deployed prior to impact with disabled vehicle “ 2 ”  16 . The air bag system  10  includes a control module that analyzes data sent from the vehicles speedometer and the bumper mounted proximity sensors and velocity sensors. The aforementioned data is compared to preset thresholds of unsafe or impact probabilities. If the thresholds are exceeded, the air bags  14  are deployed. 
       FIG. 2  is an illustrative view of the present invention  10 . Shown is the air bag system  10  in conjunction with a static object  18 . The proximity  20  and velocity  22  radar sensor transceivers send signals  24  that are returned and interpreted by a control module that in turn determines if the speed of the equipped vehicle  12  and the proximity measurement  26  of the static object  18  warrants deployment of the airbags. Airbags are installed in compartments with breakaway panels  42  in both the front  38  and rear  40  bumper. 
       FIG. 3  is an illustrative view of the present invention  10 . Shown is the air bag system  10  in conjunction with a dynamic object  28 . The proximity  20  and velocity  22  sensors send signals  24  that are interpreted by a control module that in turn determines if the speed of the equipped vehicle  12  and the proximity measurement  26  of the static object  28  warrants deployment of the airbags. 
       FIG. 4  is an illustrative view of the present invention  10  in use. Shown is the air bag system  10  with front bumper air bags  14  deployed. The proximity  20  and velocity  22  sensors sent readings to a control module and it was determined the proximity between the equipped vehicle  12  and vehicle “ 2 ”  16  as well as the velocity of each exceeded the threshold of safety. As a result, the front bumper airbags  14  were deployed. 
       FIG. 5  is an illustrative view of the present invention  10 . As illustrated a stationary air bag equipped vehicle  12  is at a stop sign  36  with the air bags in the rear bumper  40  along with radar proximity  32  and velocity  34  sensors so the control module calculates how fast the approaching vehicle “ 2 ”  16  is traveling along with a proximity measurement  26  to determine when to deploy the airbag prior to impact. 
       FIG. 6  is an illustrative view of the present invention  10  in use. Shown is the air bag system  10  with rear bumper air bags  15  deployed. The rear proximity  32  and velocity  34  sensors sent readings to a control module and it was determined the proximity between the equipped vehicle  12  and vehicle “ 2 ”  16  as well as the velocity of each exceeded the threshold of safety. As a result, the rear bumper airbags  15  were deployed. The arrows indicate the direction  30  of the respective vehicles. 
       FIG. 7  is an illustrative view of the present invention  10  in use. Shown is the air bag system  10  with front bumper air bags  14  deployed. The front proximity  20  and velocity  22  sensors sent readings to a control module and it was determined the proximity between the equipped vehicle  12  and vehicle “ 2 ”  16  as well as the velocity of each exceeded the threshold of safety. As a result, the front bumper airbags  14  were deployed. The arrows indicate the direction  30  of the respective vehicles. 
       FIG. 8  is an illustrative view of the present invention  10 . Shown is the air bag system  10  in conjunction with a dynamic object  28  detected by both the front and rear bumper sensors of the equipped vehicle  12 . In the event of both bumper sensors detecting conditions exceeding the threshold of safety, both the front air bags  14  and rear bumper airbags  15  were deployed to absorb the impact of dynamic vehicle “ 2 ”  16  and dynamic vehicle “ 3 ”  17 . 
       FIG. 9  is an illustrative view of the present invention  10 . Shown is the air bag system  10  for front and rear vehicle bumpers comprising an air bag housing compartment  41  with a plurality of breakaway panels  42  that are blown out upon deployment due to the force of the inflation of the air bags  14 . Shown are the air bags  14  within the airbag compartment  41  positioned in the ideal location in order to perform the function required. Also shown is the interrelation between the proximity  20  and velocity  22  sensors of the front bumper  38 . 
       FIG. 10  is a block diagram of the system main components of the present invention  10 . The air bag system  10  comprises front proximity  20  and velocity sensors  22 , rear proximity  32  and velocity  34  sensors and a control module  46  to activate gas cartridges  44  to deploy the air bags  14 , 15  in the event that threshold of safety is in violation. 
       FIG. 11  is a component interface diagram of the radar air bag system of the present invention  10 . The control module  16  processes data collected from the vehicle speedometer  48 , front bumper proximity sensor  20 , front bumper velocity sensor  22 , rear bumper proximity sensor  32  and the rear bumper velocity sensor  34  to determine if the threshold of safety is in violation and, if so, activates the appropriate gas cartridge  44  to deploy the front  14  and/or rear  15  air bags. 
       FIG. 12  is a logic diagram of the radar air bag system of the present invention  10 . The air bag system for front and rear vehicle bumpers utilizes a control module to analyze data sent from the vehicles speedometer and the bumper mounted radar proximity sensors and velocity sensors. The aforementioned data is compared to preset thresholds of unsafe or impact probabilities. If the thresholds are exceeded, the air bags are deployed. Else, the system maintains an endless loop of sending, reading, and analyzing data sent from the sensors and speedometer. 
       FIG. 13  is a chart of vehicle stopping distance and user defined independent variables of the present invention  10 . The air bag system control module is programmed to suit individual needs of the user and characteristics of the vehicle being equipped. A stopping distance formula  49  is used to determine when deployment of the air bags is required by factoring the coefficient of friction between tire and road surface  50 , vehicle mass  52 , driver reaction time  54 , and minimum velocity of deployment  56 . These aforementioned user defined settings in addition to the standard formula for stopping distance of the vehicle allow the control module to determine deployment of the air bags. 
     It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above. 
     While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 
     Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.