公开(公告)号：US20030102688A1

公开(公告)日：2003-06-05

申请号：US10301315

申请日：2002-11-21

申请人： Donnelly Corporation a corporation of the State of Michigan

发明人： Robert L. Bingle ,  Roger L. Koops ,  Niall R. Lynam ,  Kevin C. McCarthy ,  Eric J. Hoekstra ,  Kenneth Schofield ,  Eugenie V. Uhlmann ,  Gimtong Teowee ,  Brent J. Bos ,  David W. Taylor

IPC分类号： B62D025/10

CPC分类号： E05B83/26 ,  B60Q3/30 ,  E05B17/10 ,  E05B79/20 ,  E05B81/54 ,  E05B81/77 ,  E05B85/12 ,  G07C9/00174 ,  G07C9/00896 ,  G08B13/19 ,  G08B21/22 ,  G08B29/183 ,  Y10S292/43 ,  Y10S292/65

摘要： A safety sensing and/or release assembly for a trunk or compartment of a vehicle is provided which is positionable within the trunk or compartment space of the vehicle so as to allow for opening of the trunk or compartment lid in response to an occupant detection or a manual actuation of the system from within the trunk or compartment. The safety assembly comprises a handle for activating a release mechanism of the lid in order to open the compartment, a release assist device, at least one illumination source, which is at least occasionally activated to provide illumination of the handle, and a control for activating the assist device or the illumination source in response to an occurrence of at least one activating event, such as when the deck lid is closed, motion is sensed by a sensor within the trunk/compartment, an object having a predetermined temperature is detected within the trunk/compartment, or the like. The assist device preferably is a gas powered assist device, such as a piston in communication with a compressed gas or a pyrotechnic device or the like. The assist device is operable to activate the handle or the release mechanism to ease the opening of the trunk or to automatically open the trunk in response to detection of an occupant within the trunk. The control is operable to activate the illumination source for a period of time following occurrence of at least one activating event, and subsequently to deactivate the illumination source upon completion of that time period. The handle of the present invention is designed for easy visibility in minimal lighting conditions and easy recognition even by a young child who may become trapped within the trunk space of the vehicle. This allows easy recognition and activation of the handle and release mechanism of the lid of the vehicle compartment in order to escape from within a trunk space. The system may be operable to sense ambient conditions in the vehicle compartment, and generates a control signal in response to the sensed conditions. This control signal actuates indicators to notify operators of the vehicle that there is a person trapped in the trunk. The control signal is also used to actuate a lamp inside the trunk to provide light for the trapped person. A trunk release is also actuated, by a control module, to free the trapped person. The trunk release of the automobile can be prevented from being actuated if the automobile is moving, which prevents the trunk lid from unexpectedly opening while the vehicle is in motion.