944 results about "Side impact" patented technology

An automobile seat is provided with a side impact air bag accommodated within a seat back. To permit prompt burst-out of the side impact air bag precisely at a predetermined position in a predetermined direction without the need for the arrangement of a member different in nature from a surface of the seat back on the surface of the seat back, an air bag module is arranged within a cushion pad of the seat back. Further, the cushion pad is provided, on a surface of a surrounding portion thereof with which the air bag is brought into contact upon spreading, with a guide member which increases breaking strength of the cushion pad and specifies the cushion pad to be broken at a break portion under inflating force of the air bag.

An energy absorbing and distributing side impact system for use with a vehicle is provided, the system utilizing a collapsible side sill assembly along with multiple vehicle cross-members to achieve the desired level of vehicle side impact resistance, the combination of these elements absorbing and distributing the impact load throughout the vehicle structure. The collapsible side sill assembly includes a side sill insert, the insert divided into a collapsible portion designed to absorb impact energy and a reacting portion designed to distribute the impact energy to the vehicle cross-members.

An energy absorbing and distributing side impact system for use with a vehicle is provided, the system utilizing a collapsible side sill along with multiple vehicle cross-members to achieve the desired level of vehicle side impact resistance, the combination of these elements absorbing and distributing the impact load throughout the vehicle structure. A battery pack enclosure that includes a plurality of cross-members that transverse the battery pack enclosure also help to absorb and distribute at least a portion of the load received when either the first or second side of the vehicle receives a side impact. In this configuration the battery pack enclosure is positioned between the front and rear vehicle suspension assemblies and mounted between, and mechanically coupled to, the side sill assemblies. In addition to providing rigidity, strength and impact resistance, the battery pack cross-members segregate the batteries contained within the battery pack enclosure into battery groups.

A seat restraint system whose torso belt includes an inflatable structure that inflates upon impact to protect the occupants of a vehicle such as an automobile. The inflatable structure is linked to a gas generator and crash sensor. When an impact above a predetermined level of severity is detected, the gas generator is ignited, inflating the inflatable structure which contracts in length as it inflates. In a preferred embodiment, the inflatable structure is a braided tube. As the braided tube inflates, the diameter of the tube increases significantly and its length decreases significantly, due to the orientation of the fibers comprising the braided tube. The contraction in length pretensions the seat belt system by pulling any slack out of the seat belt systems. In a frontal impact, the inflated structure restricts the forward motion of an occupant and distributes crash loads over a larger occupant surface area to reduce both primary and secondary injuries. In a side impact, the inflated structure passes over the occupant's shoulder, restricts occupant motion, distributes crash loads and provides head and neck protection.

A door handle assembly which is compact in size for space-efficient packaging in a door of an automotive vehicle. The assembly includes a safety system for preventing inadvertent movement of the handle to an unlatched position during a side impact collision. A counterweight is mounted in the handle assembly which, during relative motions of parts induced by acceleration from a side impact, resists unlatching the handle. The counterweight is rotatably mounted on an axis different from an axis of the handle latch control mechanism, and is not fixedly attached to the handle mechanism.

An acoustic vibration damping system for a car door utilizes the side impact beam and connects intermediate areas of the beam to the inside of the outer skin by way of at least one intermediate bracket to shorten vibration distances. An absorbing adhesive is used in the connection.

The invention relates to a driving auxiliary device and a driving auxiliary method. The driving auxiliary device comprises image acquisition devices, a display, an image processing device and an alarm. Information of images around a vehicle is acquired, analyzed and processed by using a plurality of the image acquisition devices which are arranged in an optimized manner and the image processing device. On the one hand, traditional physical imaging rearview mirrors of an automobile are removed, visual blind areas of a driver are eliminated, and air resistance of the automobile is reduced; on the other hand, the acquired images are processed by the image processing device, information of risks under different driving conditions is identified, to fulfill the auxiliary functions of active safety driving, such as lane change and early warning for side impact in turning, early warning for safe interval, early warning for recognition of road signs, early warning for lane departure, early warning for pedestrian detection and collision avoidance.

The invention discloses a vehicular power supply device. A battery box 18 for accommodating a battery is mounted in a deviated manner to the left side of a vehicle body between right and left side frames 11 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and an intake duct 19 and an exhaust duct 20 of cooling air for cooling the battery are connected to an end of the battery box 18 on the right side of the vehicle body. Thus, the battery can be protected from shocks in the side impact by the right and left side frames 11, and at the same time, a space for arranging the intake duct 19 and the exhaust duct 20 can be ensured while ensuring the maximum capacity of the battery box 18. In addition, since right and left ends of the battery box 18 are connected to the right and left side frames 11, the battery box 18 can be firmly mounted on the vehicle body, and the rigidity of the right and left side frames 11 can be enhanced by the battery box 18.

A vehicle body structure includes longitudinally extending elements such as roof side rail outer and inner members, a reinforcement member and a gusset that are part of a side impact energy management system for vehicles that include a sunroof. A laterally extending cross member is connected to the roof side rail members, and the roof side rail members are connected to an upper portion of an approximately vertical B-pillar. The cross-member is connected to the roof side rail members approximately perpendicular to the B-pillar, but longitudinally offset from the B-pillar. The reinforcement member extends between the roof side rail members to the cross-member.

A side-impact control system (10) for a vehicle (12) includes an adaptive restraint (15). A side sensor (30) is configured to detect an object, in a restraint dependent detection zone (60) along a side (13) of the vehicle (12), and generates an object detection signal. A controller (16) determines an activation time for and a deployment status of the adaptive restraint (15), and activates the adaptive restraint (15) before or after contact between the object and the side (13).

A seat cushion airbag unit is provided at each seat and includes a seat cushion airbag. The seat cushion airbag is disposed in an inboard portion of a seat cushion of the seat so as to support an inboard portion of buttocks of an occupant in the seat. The seat cushion airbag is changed from its inflated state from its shrunk state when the side crash or rollover of the vehicle is predicted by a controller. Thereby, the occupant's head is moved toward the center of the vehicle. Accordingly, the occupant protection device can promptly move the occupant's head toward the center of the vehicle, preventing the head from hitting against the vehicle roof, at the vehicle side crash or rollover.

Tunable pull-through energy attenuator and decelerator devices is disclosed which provide for variable force-time profiles, deceleration and kinetic energy attenuation of moving objects so as to prevent damage or injury to impacting objects, vehicles or persons. The device employs either consumable inelastic or reusable, viscoelastic deforming elements, such as tubes, rods, plates or strips, which absorb substantial amounts of energy through repeated inelastic or viscoelastic deformation when the deforming element is pulled-through a tunable array of rigid pins having a variety of configurations and settings. The disclosed devices provide for variable force-time profiles which control the cumulative deformation and thereby the amount of energy absorbed and rate of deceleration of impacting objects. The device may be readily adapted and deployed as highway vehicle guardrails, road barriers or crash cushions for frontal and side impacts and as load attenuators for crash-resistant aircraft seats, spacecraft landing pods, crash-resistant aircraft landing gear, aircraft and vehicle passenger restraint harnesses, cargo tie-downs, vehicle bumpers and collapsible vehicle steering columns.

A vehicle seat and integrated side impact protection system includes a seat bottom, a seat back movably attached to the seat bottom, and a fold-flat mechanism within a lower portion of the seat back for permitting movement of the seat back between a seating configuration and a fold-flat configuration. An airbag module is located within an upper portion of the seat back adjacent the outboard side thereof and includes a side airbag and an inflator supplying inflation gasses. A lap belt extends between inboard and outboard sides of the seat and has an inflatable portion adjacent the outboard side of the seat. A gas conduit extends between the airbag module and the lap belt for conducting gasses released by the inflator to the inflatable portion of the lap belt. The gas conduit has a flexible portion permitting folding movement of the seat back.

A mounting system and method of attaching an a side impact curtain airbag to a vehicle is provided that is inexpensive, simple to use, and does not require fasteners or other connectors. The mounting system includes one or more airbag mounts comprising a plate that has been positioned within the vehicle. The plate may a separate structure that may be attached to a vehicle as a well as a surface of the vehicle's body to which an airbag may be attached. Preferably, the plate includes one or more first tabs and one or more second tabs which are configured to define a receiving area in the plate. The first and second tabs are also configured such that the second tabs are inverted relative to the first tabs. An airbag with one or more slits and a hemmed portion may also be added to the mounting system. The mounting system operates to attach the curtain airbag by having the first and second tabs configured such that the airbag engages the first and second tabs so as to bind a portion of the airbag's hemmed portion within the receiving area formed into the plate.

A reinforcing member is provided at a lower-outside corner of a side-sill reinforcement so as to extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction including a connection portion of the side sill to a center pillar for straining deformation of the corner. A deformation promoting portion which is provided at an upper portion of the side-sill reinforcement at a specified position which corresponds to the connection portion for prompting deformation of the upper portion of the side-sill reinforcement. Accordingly, a lower vehicle-body structure of a vehicle which can properly restrain the side sill and the center pillar from coming toward the vehicle inside at the vehicle side crash can be provided.

A seat mounted side impact airbag module for protecting an occupant of a vehicle has an airbag with a first inflation chamber for engaging the pelvic region of the vehicle occupant and a second inflation chamber for engaging the thoracic region of the vehicle occupant. The inflation chambers are separated by a chamber separator. An inflator provides inflation gas to fill the airbag housed in a tubular housing manifold having a first aperture and a second aperture. The housing manifold is shaped to retain the inflator and create two discrete flows of inflation gas. A first flow of inflation gas goes into the first inflation chamber via the first aperture and a second flow of inflation gas goes into the second inflation chamber via the second aperture. The chamber separator is tightly sealed around the housing manifold to prevent the first flow and second flow to pass into the other inflation chamber. The chamber separator may be rubber coated with the housing manifold having a recess adapted to accept and hold the chamber separator sealed in a gas tight manner around the exterior of the housing manifold.

A vehicle door latch assembly includes a latch rod coupled to a latch mechanism and operable by a door handle to unlatch the latch mechanism. The latch assembly may include a release clip operably connected to the latch mechanism for releasably connecting the latch rod to the latch mechanism. A latch rod release bracket may be mounted to an inner surface of a vehicle door, and include an extension having a wedge-shaped area adjacent a lower portion thereof engageable with a detent on the release clip to disengage the release clip and thereby release the latch rod during a side impact event. The invention also provides a method of releasing a latch rod from a latching mechanism in a vehicle door during a side impact event, with the method using the latch rod release bracket described above.

A side impact protection system for a motor vehicle body having a stowed position and a deployed position, the system includes a first L-shaped rigid structure comprising a first portion and a second portion; a second L-shaped rigid structure comprising a first portion and a second portion; a synthetic cable fixedly attached to the second portions of the first and second L-shaped rigid structures, wherein the synthetic cable is made from a plurality of helically braided bundles of fibers selected from a group consisting of aramid fibers and liquid crystal polymer fibers characterized by strain-at-failure exceeding about 3 percent; and a deployment device in operative communication with the first portions of the first and second L-shaped rigid structures to selectively extend the first portion outwardly from the deployment device, and wherein in a stowed position the second portions are at about the same plane and in a deployed position the second portions are parallel and the synthetic cables form a web-like structure. Processes for suppressing intrusion into a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle body by an object laterally impacting the vehicle body are also described.

A seat restraint system whose torso belt includes an inflatable structure that inflates upon impact to protect the occupants of a vehicle such as an automobile. The torso belt is secured to an anchor arm that is pivotally mounted on a side surface of a seat of the vehicle or a side structure of the vehicle. The anchor arm is rotationally biased to remove slack in the torso belt and locks up in the event of a vehicle crash or sudden stop. The inflatable structure is linked to a gas generator and crash sensor. The gas generator may be mounted in the seat or within the anchor arm itself. When an impact above a predetermined level of severity is detected, the gas generator is ignited, inflating the inflatable structure which contracts in length as it inflates. In a preferred embodiment, the inflatable structure is a braided tube. As the braided tube inflates, the diameter of the tube increases significantly and its length decreases significantly, due to the orientation of the fibers comprising the braided tube. The contraction in length pretensions the seat belt system by pulling any additional slack out of the seat belt systems. In a frontal impact, the inflated structure restricts the forward motion of an occupant and distributes crash loads over a larger occupant surface area to reduce both primary and secondary injuries. In a side impact, the inflated structure passes over the occupant's shoulder, restricts occupant motion, distributes crash loads and provides head and neck protection.

An energy distributing side structure for a vehicle is disclosed. The side structure includes a B-pillar having a wide base and an internal reinforcing tube, a rocker having an internal bulkhead, a rear rocker, and at least one cross-member extending vehicle-inward from the rocker. The cross-member may extend to the vehicle tunnel and may be attached to a tunnel brace. One or more additional cross-members may be provided which also extend vehicle-inward from the rocker and define secondary load paths. By this arrangement loading is transferred to the floor and cross-members of the vehicle during a lateral impact event.

An undercarriage-mounted battery pack is provided that includes a foot well cavity that is aligned with the foot well corresponding to one or more of the vehicle's seats, e.g., the rear vehicle seats. A portion of the battery pack is located in front of the foot well cavity while a second portion is located behind the foot well cavity, where the two portions are coupled together using conduits. The bottom surface of the battery pack may be shaped in order to minimize drag and enhance the flow of air under the vehicle. The battery pack may include cross-members, either interposed between battery subassemblies or incorporated into the subassembly enclosures, to increase side impact resistance and provide further protection to the batteries within the pack as well as the vehicle's occupants.

A pyrotechnic side impact inflator is provided for inflating a side airbag in an automobile. The inflator has a few number of physical components and has a tubular shape. The inflator has an igniter that directly ignites the main gas generant in the inflator. The burning of the gas generant produces combustion products or inflation gas that is utilized to inflate a folded airbag. The inflation gas travels in a tortuous path in the inflator, which reduces the kinetic energy associated with the gas molecules thereby cooling the inflation gas.

A vehicle body structure includes longitudinally extending elements such as roof side rail outer and inner members, a reinforcement member and a gusset that are part of a side impact energy management system for vehicles that include a sunroof. A laterally extending cross member is connected to the roof side rail members, and the roof side rail members are connected to an upper portion of an approximately vertical B-pillar. The cross-member is connected to the roof side rail members approximately perpendicular to the B-pillar, but longitudinally offset from the B-pillar. The reinforcement member extends between the roof side rail members to the cross-member.

The present invention relates to a floor structure for a motor vehicle with accommodating means for at least two energy storage modules, wherein the accommodating means comprise at least two longitudinal members and at least two cross members. In addition the present invention relates to the use of such a floor structure in a vehicle with an electric and / or internal combustion engine. The technical problem of providing a floor structure that in the event of accidents, in particular side impacts, improves the protection of the batteries in floor structures of vehicles without adversely affecting the weight or the costs, is solved in that the accommodating means have at least one deformation zone with defined deformation behaviour between the energy storage modules.

Autonomous short distance manoeuvring with optimal acceleration for avoiding or mitigating inevitable side and read end collision is a highly time sensitive design and technique that actively monitors, instantaneously senses inevitable or imminent side impact and rear end collision, alert or warns the driver and if the driver not available or doesn't react or if the drivers sensing and reaction time is not sufficient the present system according to scenarios acts in the right time to takes control of the vehicle's with autonomous optimal acceleration and steering followed by deceleration or restoring the control back to driver based on scenarios thereby mobilising the vehicle to short distance according to critical situations thus efficiently utilising the space around the vehicle to manoeuvre, locate or position the vehicle ultimately to avoid or mitigate the side impact and read end collision. The present system particularly helps in efficiently utilising the space or environment around the vehicle in critical situations ultimately to avoid or mitigate Imminent and inevitable side impact and rear end collision. The system smartly senses, perform context aware computing in a closed loop processing manner thereby autonomously and optimally accelerate and steer the vehicle to right position ultimately to avoid or reduce the side and read end collision thus assist in overcoming or mitigating critical situations for protecting the vehicles, occupants, pedestrians and other objects around or on the way. Also according to design, configurations and scenarios the system instantaneously restores or transfers the control back to the driver after the vehicle overcomes the critical situation or restores the vehicle position. In critical situations SAAAMS performs sensing, warns or alerts, performs pre computing & set ready to control the vehicle's acceleration prior to critical situation, current computing for controlling the vehicle's acceleration during critical situation, post computing to either stop or transfer the control back to the driver after overcoming the critical situation all accordingly to design, configuration and scenarios. The present system utilise smart and adaptive closed loop processing algorithm with predetermined and tested correlation table parameters to instantaneously check and compare the effects between predetermined and tested real world scenarios to the actual real world scenarios for actively sensing, computing and controlling the vehicle accordingly to mitigate the critical situations. In case of vehicles available in both front and rear end and if the rear end vehicle is about to collide the system actively senses, instantaneously manoeuvre the vehicle ultimately to efficiently utilises the space available between the own vehicle and front end vehicle thereby to provide space for the rear end vehicle that is about to collide to either stop or in extreme situations mitigates the severity of the collision.