Abstract:
The present invention relates to an acceleration sensor which can be provided in a place with extreme ambient temperature variations, for example, near a vehicle engine, and an acceleration detecting system having the acceleration sensor, which are used to control an occupant protection device such as an airbag. In an acceleration sensor (1, 40, 50, 160), gain of an amplifier circuit (4, 5, 6, 41, 42, 43, 51) which differentially amplifies outputs of a piezo-electric element (3) is adjusted by temperature compensation means (9), and thereby an output-temperature characteristic of the piezo-electric element (3) is compensated. Also, a capacitor (8) is inserted in parallel with the piezo-electric element (3), and thereby a composite capacity is increased. By this, a lower cut-off frequency is set to a lower frequency without increasing resistor values of a bias resistor circuit (7). The acceleration sensor (1, 40, 50,160) is provided in a front part of a vehicle, and its sensor output is received by a receiving circuit (2, 80, 90,161) provided in a vehicle room.
Abstract:
A charged voltage between the ground and a positive pole of backup capacitor 5 and a ground-casing voltage developed between the ground and a casing of capacitor 5 are determined. When the ground-casing voltage is smaller than a first value, it is judged that capacitor 5 has an opened circuit on its positive pole side; when the ground-casing voltage is larger than a second value, it is judged that capacitor 5 has an opened circuit on its negative pole side. A difference between the ground-casing voltage and the charged voltage is divided by the ground casing voltage so that a coefficient is obtained. When the coefficient is outside a predetermined range of values, it is judged that capacitor 5 is poor in capacitance, which makes it possible to determine, even in operation, whether capacitor 5 functions properly.
Abstract:
A control system comprises an acceleration sensor for detecting an acceleration of a vehicle, an integral circuit for integrating a signal from the acceleration sensor, and a collision judgment circuit for comparing the integral value with a trigger threshold level and outputs a trigger signal when the integral value, which is increased in a decelerating direction, exceeds the trigger threshold level. A drive circuit of the control system includes an activator of the safety device for a vehicle, and a switching element which is connected to the activator in series and turned on in response to the trigger signal. The control system further comprises a band-pass filter for allowing passage of comparatively high particular frequency band components contained in the acceleration signal, and an adjustment circuit for adjusting the trigger threshold level based on the acceleration components which have passed the band-pass filter.
Abstract:
A control system for a plurality of vehicle safety devices has a feeder circuit and a check current supplying circuit. A plurality of actuating elements are arranged in the feeder circuit in parallel relation, and at the same time, they are arranged in the check current supplying circuit in serial relation. When a switching element is turned ON in accordance with a trigger signal coming from a collision judging circuit, an electric current flowing through the feeder circuit is caused to flow through the actuating elements in parallel. The check current flows to the actuating elements in series. The voltage generated between opposite ends of the serial circuit of the actuating elements in the check current supplying circuit is compared with a predetermined allowable range of voltage in a malfunction judging current, and when the voltage between the opposite ends is outside the predetermined allowable range of voltage, a malfunction detecting signal is outputted from the malfunction judging circuit.
Abstract:
A switching boosting circuit including a clock oscillating circuit having a Schmitt trigger inverter, a boosted-voltage inducing circuit which is actuated in a switching-operation mode in response to the output clock of the clock oscillating circuit to induce a boosted voltage, a capacitor which is charged by the boosted voltage from the boosted-voltage inducing circuit to store energy to be supplied to a load, and a feedback path for feeding back current whose intensity corresponds to the load from the capacitor to the clock oscillating circuit. The feedback current acts such that the duty ratio of the switching operation is set to be smaller than a predetermined reference duty ratio, and the feedback path includes a Zener diode for reducing the boosted voltage below a predetermined value.
Abstract:
In a control apparatus for actuating a vehicle safety device in response to the specific change in the magnitude of acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle which occurs upon a collision, the output signal from the acceleration/deceleration sensor is processed to obtain detected vehicle speed data relating to the running speed of the vehicle, and the maximum value of a positive-going peak in the change in the detected vehicle speed data is detected to determine a reference level used for discriminating the occurrence of collision. The magnitude of the detected vehicle speed data is compared with the reference level, whereby it is discriminated whether or not a collision has occurred on the basis of the condition of the change in the detected vehicle speed.
Abstract:
In a vehicle safety device control apparatus having an energy reservoir, a current regulator for regulating the current supplied from the energy reservoir to a firing element of the safety device, and a controller for controlling the current regulator so as to supply energy for actuating the firing element in response to a vehicle collision, the current regulator is also controlled so as to supply a check current with a level insufficient to actuate the firing element to the fired element so as to produce a detection signal indicative of the condition of the firing element. The condition of the detection signal is checked by a first discriminator and the conditions of the channel and the firing element are determined. In the case where the capacity of the energy reservoir is not sufficient, the output voltage of the energy reservoir falls sharply when the check current is drawn therefrom. A second discriminator is provided to discriminate whether or not the capacity of the energy reservoir is sufficient.
Abstract:
A system for controlling a safety device for a vehicle includes first and second switching elements connected to a power source in serial relation to the safety device. The control system further includes a pair of acceleration sensors, a pair of analog processing circuits, and a microcomputer. In accordance with an deceleration signal from the corresponding acceleration sensor, each analog processing circuit outputs a collision decision signal. In accordance with the signals from the acceleration sensors, the microcomputer makes calculations to output two collision decision signals respectively from two output ports thereof. The control system further includes two logic elements. One of the logic elements, when simultaneously receiving any two out of the above four collision decision signals, turns on one of the two switching elements. The other logic element, when simultaneously receiving the other two collision decision signals, turns on the other switching element. When both of the two switching elements are turned on, the safety device is operated.
Abstract:
An automatic valve seat build-up welding apparatus for a Y-type main steam isolation globe valve used in an atomic power station is disclosed which is characterized in that the valve seat can be build-up welded on the spot by the welding torch introduced into the valve box with the welding operation being carried out remotely from the spot and viewed by an image sensor positioned near the welding torch so that the exposure of an operator to a radioactive environment is prevented.
Abstract:
A device for automatically lapping a wedge-shaped gate valve seat has a main frame including a flange disposed on its upper end portion and a guiding unit disposed on its lower portion. With the flange disposed upon a valve body of the gate valve, either of the valve seats is opposed to a lapping plate rotatably disposed within the guiding unit. The plate intimately contacts the valve seat through the operation of a fluid cylinder and laps it while simultaneously rotating and revolving. Devices for supplying a lapping agent, wiping it and sensing the state of the lapped seat are disposed within the guiding unit and are movable to their operating position. The seat can also be observed through a periscopic observation glass extending through the main frame.