JPH08178794A - Equipment and method for air-bag test - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an apparatus for testing the performance of an air bag system at low cost. SOLUTION: The air bag test apparatus comprises an impact controller 18 connected with a digital impact signal generating means, an impact generator 20 connected with the impact controller 18 to generated an impact pulse, an acceleration sensor supporting means for transmitting a vibration generated from the impact generator 20 to an acceleration sensor 28, means connected with the acceleration sensor 28 and the ECU of an air bag system to be tested, a high pressure container 46 for containing the gas generator 34 for the air bag system to be tested and an air bag module, sensors 38, 40 for sensing the pressure and displacement of the air bag module contained in the high pressure container 46, and means 44 connected with the sensors 38, 40 and outputting the sensed pressure and displacement.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air bag test apparatus and method, and more particularly, to an air bag test apparatus and method capable of testing the performance of an air bag without directly mounting the air bag on a vehicle for testing. It is a thing.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various devices have been developed to protect passengers in motor vehicles. One airbag system of such a device prevents the occupant from directly hitting the vehicle body in the event of a collision to ensure the safety of the occupant. The airbag system uses a collision detection unit such as an acceleration sensor, an ECU that receives a signal from the collision detection unit to determine whether to deploy the airbag, and an airbag deployment signal from the ECU that inputs the airbag to deploy the airbag. It is composed of a gas generating part for generating the above gas and an airbag module deployed by the gas generated in the gas generating part. The gas generation part consists of a detonator and an inflator, and the airbag deployment signal from the ECU is provided to the detonator, so that the explosion of the detonator induces the explosion of the inflator to generate the gas to deploy the airbag. become. Airbag systems generally have to meet the 5 ″ -30 ms criterion and the time from the point of collision to the time of full-blown of the airbag must fall within the range of 55 to 90 ms. 30 to 50p
must be included in the range of si. In addition, the USA Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (Federal Motor-Vehi)
cle Safety Standard, F in the following
According to MVSS), an airbag should be inflated whenever a collision occurs at a speed of 12 mph or more, and should not be deployed if a collision occurs at a speed of 8 mph or less. To test whether an airbag system meets the above criteria, so-called sled tests are generally performed. The sled test is performed by manufacturing the frame of the vehicle body, installing the airbag system, and then directly impacting the frame at various speeds and directions. About 30 frames for sled test
More than one must be made, which is a major factor in increasing the cost of testing. Nowadays, the mounting of airbag systems on automobiles is generally increasing, and as the types of vehicles to be produced diversify, it is desired to develop a device that can test the performance of the airbag system at a low cost. .

[0003]

The present invention was developed in order to solve the above problems, and is the first aspect of the present invention.
An object of the present invention is to provide an airbag device which does not require a sled test or can greatly reduce the number of sled tests. A second object of the present invention is to provide an airbag test method without a slade test or capable of significantly reducing the number of slade tests.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above first object, an airbag test apparatus according to the present invention is a digital collision signal generator for processing collision pulse data obtained from an actual vehicle test to generate a digital collision signal. A shock controller connected to the digital collision signal generating means and generating a control pulse in response to the digital collision signal output from the digital collision signal generating means; connected to the shock controller; and the shock controller. An impact generator vibrated by a control pulse output from the acceleration sensor; an acceleration sensor supporting means for supporting the acceleration sensor of the airbag system to be tested, and transmitting the vibration generated by the impact generator to the acceleration sensor; Connection means to which the ECU of the airbag system to be tested is connected; A high-pressure container equipped with a gas generator of the airbag system and a holder in which the airbag module is installed; a deployment signal output from the ECU is provided to the gas generator to deploy the airbag module. In this case, a pressure sensor that senses the pressure of the airbag module; a displacement that senses a displacement of the airbag module when the deployment signal output from the ECU is provided to the gas generator and the airbag module is deployed. A sensor; and an output means for connecting the pressure sensor and the displacement sensor and outputting the sensed pressure value and displacement value.

On the other hand, the digital collision signal generating means is an input means for inputting the collision pulse data obtained during the actual vehicle test, a storage means for storing the collision pulse data, and a digital signal processor for processing the collision pulse data. including. For example, the shock generator may include a DC motor connected to the shock controller, and a vibrator connected to the DC motor and vibrated by a rotational force generated by the DC motor. Further, a transparent visible window may be installed on all or part of one surface of the high-pressure container so that the inside of the high-pressure container can be seen.
The output means includes display means for displaying the pressure value and the displacement value output by the pressure sensor and the displacement sensor, respectively, and output data storage means for storing the pressure value and the displacement value.

The airbag test method of the present invention using the airbag test apparatus of the present invention to achieve the above second object is as follows: (a) Collision pulse data obtained from an actual vehicle test is input through the input means. Inputting and storing in a storage means; (b) processing the collision pulse data into a signal suitable for the shock controller by a digital signal processor; (c) using the digital signal processor by the shock controller. Generating a shock control pulse in response to the output signal; (d) generating a shock pulse in the shock generator in response to the shock control pulse; (e) generating a shock pulse in the airbag system acceleration sensor. And (f) if it is determined that the airbag will not be deployed, based on the signal from the acceleration sensor to determine whether or not to deploy the airbag. ,
Returning to the step (a); (g) generating a trigger signal for deploying the airbag to deploy the airbag when it is determined to deploy the airbag; (h) airbag Detecting the pressure and displacement of the airbag using the pressure sensor and the displacement sensor during the deployment of step (i), and (i) outputting the pressure value and the displacement value detected in step (h) to the output means. Composed.

By using the airbag test apparatus and method of the present invention, it becomes possible to perform an airbag performance test at low cost.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of an airbag test apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. In FIG. 1, the digital signal generator 12 includes a data input unit 14, a data storage unit 15, and a digital signal processor 16. The collision pulse data obtained by the actual vehicle test is input via the data input means 14 and stored in the data storage means 15. The collision pulse data is, for example, an acceleration pulse obtained from an actual vehicle test. The output end of the digital signal generator 12 is connected to the input end of the impact controller 18. The digital signal processor 16 processes selected ones of the input or stored collision pulse data,
The impact controller 1 sends a digital collision signal corresponding to this data.
Output to 8.

The output end of the shock controller 18 is the shock generator 20.
The impact generator 20 includes a DC motor 22 connected to the output end of the impact controller 18 and a vibrator 24 connected to the DC motor 22. Impact controller 18
DC motor 2 depending on the input digital collision signal
2 to control pulses. If the rotation speed of the DC motor 22 changes due to the control pulse, the vibration of the vibrator 24 also changes.

The vibration of the vibrator 24 is transmitted to a holder 26 which supports an acceleration sensor 28 which constitutes an airbag system. Due to the vibration of the vibrator 24, the acceleration sensor 28 provides a collision pulse, which is the same as or similar to the collision pulse data input to the digital signal generator 12, to the ECU that constitutes the airbag system.

The ECU constituting the airbag system is E
The collision pulse output from the acceleration sensor 28 inserted into the CU cartridge 30 is provided. The ECU determines whether to deploy the airbag using an algorithm unique to the airbag system. When it is determined that the airbag is deployed, the ECU provides a trigger signal to a squib, that is, an ignition tube (not shown) included in the gas generator 34 mounted in the high pressure container 46.

A visible window 42 made of bulletproof glass is provided on all or part of one surface of the high-pressure container 46, and the position of the pressure sensor 38 for detecting the pressure in the high-pressure container 46 and the position of the airbag module 36 due to the expansion are determined. A displacement sensor 40 for sensing is installed. The gas generator 3 is provided in the high-pressure container 46.
A mounting holder 32 for mounting the vehicle 4 and the airbag module 36 is provided.

Through the visible window 42, the tester can see the high pressure container 46.
The inside of the vehicle can be seen, and the process of inflating the airbag can be photographed to determine whether the airbag has been properly inflated to protect the occupant. When inflated, the internal air pressure of the airbag is indirectly calculated by the pressure sensor 38 sensing the air pressure in the high-pressure container 46.
The displacement sensor 40 senses a change in the position of the airbag due to the flow of time during inflation.

The outputs of the pressure sensor 38 and the displacement sensor 40 are provided to the output means 44, which comprises a display device and / or a printing device. Also, if necessary, storage means may be additionally included in the output means 44 to store pressure data and displacement data. The digital signal generator 1
2. Instead of the shock controller 18, the shock generator 20 and the acceleration sensor 28, a function generator may alternatively be used to provide crash pulses to the ECUs that make up the airbag system.

Further, instead of mounting the airbag module 36 in the high-pressure container 46, the high-pressure container 46 can be manufactured to have the same volume as the tested airbag, and the test can proceed without mounting the airbag module. In this case, the displacement sensor 40 becomes unnecessary and the pressure sensor 38
The pressure value measured by is the air pressure inside the airbag.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing the relationship between the air pressure inside the airbag and the time obtained by using the airbag test apparatus of the present invention. The maximum pressure of the airbag should be in the range of 30 to 50 psi to provide sufficient protection for passengers, 55 to 90 ms after the crash.
The maximum pressure must be reached in. The graph shown in FIG. 2 can be used to ascertain whether a tested airbag system complies with the above criteria. Hereinafter, the method of the airbag test of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of the airbag test method of the present invention. In S1, the collision pulse data is input via the data input means 14 and stored in the data storage means 15. As the collision pulse data, those obtained by various types of collision tests are selected and used. The input collision pulse data is processed by the digital signal processor 16 and converted into a digital collision signal that can be used by the impact controller 18 (S2).

The digital collision signal output from the digital signal processor 16 is provided to the shock controller 18 (S).
3). The shock controller 18 generates a shock control pulse and provides it to the shock generator 20 according to the input digital collision signal. The shock generator 20 generates a shock pulse corresponding to the collision pulse data input in S1 (S4).

The shock pulse generated in S4 is sensed by the acceleration sensor 28, and the collision pulse output from the acceleration sensor 28 is input to the ECU to determine whether or not to deploy the airbag (S5). When it is determined that the airbag is not deployed, the process proceeds to S1. When it is determined that the airbag is deployed, a trigger signal is provided to the squib included in the gas generator 34 mounted in the high-pressure container 46 to deploy the airbag (S6).

At S7, the air pressure and displacement of the airbag due to the deployment of the airbag are detected. In S8, the air pressure and displacement data of the airbag detected in S7 are output.

By using the airbag test apparatus and method of the present invention, the sled test for the airbag performance test becomes unnecessary, or the number of slade tests is significantly reduced. Therefore, the performance test of the airbag can be performed at a low cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an airbag test apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing the relationship between the pressure of an airbag and the time obtained using the airbag test apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an airbag test method according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 12 Digital Signal Generator 14 Data Input Means 15 Data Storage Means 16 Digital Signal Processor 18 Impact Controller 20 Impact Generator 22 DC Motor 24 Vibrator 26 Holder 28 Accelerometer 30 ECU Cartridge 32 Mounting Holder 34 Gas Generator 36 Airbag Module 38 Pressure Sensor 40 Displacement Sensor 42 Visible Window 44 Output Means 46 High Pressure Container

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An acceleration sensor, an ECU that is connected to the acceleration sensor and determines whether or not to deploy an airbag according to an input acceleration signal, and an ECU that is connected to the ECU and that responds to a deployment signal from the ECU. In a test device for performance test of an airbag system comprising a gas generator for generating a gas for deploying a bag, and an airbag module inflated by the gas generated by the gas generator, the test device comprises: A digital collision signal generating means for processing the collision pulse data obtained from an actual vehicle test to generate a digital collision signal; the digital collision signal output from the digital collision signal generating means connected to the digital collision signal generating means A shock controller for generating a control pulse in response to the shock controller; A shock generator vibrated by a control pulse output from the controller; an acceleration sensor that supports the acceleration sensor that constitutes the airbag system to be tested and transmits the vibration generated by the shock generator to the acceleration sensor Supporting means; Connection means to which the acceleration sensor is connected and which constitutes the airbag system to be tested; Connection means to which the ECU is connected; The gas generator and the airbag module constituting the inside of the airbag system to be tested A high-pressure container having a holder in which is installed; a pressure sensor that senses the pressure of the airbag module when the deployment signal output from the ECU is provided to the gas generator and the airbag module is deployed; The expansion signal output from the A displacement sensor for detecting displacement of the airbag module when the airbag module is deployed; and an output means for connecting the pressure sensor and the displacement sensor to output the sensed pressure value and displacement value. Air bag test equipment. 2. The digital collision signal generating means is an input means for inputting collision pulse data obtained during an actual vehicle test, a storage means for storing the collision pulse data, and a digital signal processor for processing the collision pulse data. The airbag test apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: 3. The shock generator comprises a DC motor connected to the shock controller, and a vibrator connected to the DC motor and vibrated by a rotational force generated from the DC motor. Item 1
Airbag test device described. 4. The airbag test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a transparent visible window is installed on all or part of one surface of the high-pressure container so that the inside of the high-pressure container can be seen. 5. The output means comprises display means for displaying the pressure value and the displacement value output from the pressure sensor and the displacement sensor, respectively, and output data storage means for storing the pressure value and the displacement value. The airbag test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: 6. An acceleration sensor, an ECU that is connected to the acceleration sensor and determines whether or not to deploy an airbag in accordance with an input acceleration signal, and an ECU that is connected to the ECU and that responds to a deployment signal from the ECU. In a test device for performance test of an airbag system comprising a gas generator for generating a gas for deploying a bag, and an airbag module inflated by the gas generated by the gas generator, the test device comprises: A digital collision signal generating means for processing the collision pulse data obtained from an actual vehicle test to generate a digital collision signal; the digital collision signal output from the digital collision signal generating means connected to the digital collision signal generating means A shock controller for generating a control pulse in response to the shock controller; An impact generator vibrated by a control pulse output from the controller; an acceleration sensor that supports the acceleration sensor that constitutes the airbag system to be tested and transmits the vibration generated from the impact generator to the acceleration sensor Supporting means; Connection means to which the acceleration sensor is connected and which constitutes the airbag system to be tested; Connection means to which the ECU is connected; The gas generator and the airbag module constituting the inside of the airbag system to be tested A high-pressure container having a holder in which is installed; a pressure sensor that senses the pressure of the airbag module when the deployment signal output from the ECU is provided to the gas generator and the airbag module is deployed; The output signal from the gas generator is provided to the gas generator. When the airbag module is deployed, the displacement sensor detects displacement of the airbag module; and the pressure sensor and an output unit connected to the displacement sensor to output the sensed pressure value and displacement value. The digital collision signal generating means includes an input means for inputting collision pulse data obtained during an actual vehicle test, a storage means for storing the collision pulse data, and a digital signal processor for processing the collision pulse data. The container is composed of a DC motor connected to the shock controller, and a vibrator connected to the DC motor and vibrated by a rotational force generated from the DC motor, so that the interior of the high pressure container can be seen. A transparent visible window is provided on all or part of one side, and the output means is the pressure Nsa and an airbag test apparatus characterized by comprising an output data storage means for storing display means and the pressure value and the displacement value representing the pressure value and the displacement values respectively outputted from the displacement sensor. 7. A digital collision signal generating means including an input means, a storage means and a digital signal processor, for processing the collision pulse data to generate a digital collision signal; A shock controller that is generated; a shock generator that is connected to the shock controller and that is composed of a DC motor and a vibrator and that is vibrated by a control pulse output from the shock controller; an acceleration sensor is supported and the shock is generated. Acceleration sensor support means for transmitting the vibration generated from the device to the acceleration sensor; connection means to which the acceleration sensor is connected and an ECU constituting the airbag system to be tested is connected; the air to be tested inside Hold the holder where the gas generator and airbag module that make up the bag system are installed. A high-pressure container provided; a pressure sensor that senses the pressure of the airbag module when the airbag module is deployed; a displacement sensor that senses a displacement of the airbag module when the airbag module is deployed; A method for testing an airbag system using a test device comprising a pressure sensor and an output means for outputting the detected pressure value and displacement value, to which the displacement sensor is connected, comprising: (a) an actual vehicle test via the input means. Inputting the obtained collision pulse data and storing it in the storage means; (b) processing the collision pulse data into a signal suitable for the impact controller by the digital signal processor; (c) impact control. For generating a shock control pulse according to the signal output from the digital signal processor (D) generating an impact pulse in the impact generator in response to the impact control pulse; (e) providing the impact pulse to an acceleration sensor of an airbag system, and outputting a signal from the acceleration sensor to an airbag. (F) When it is determined that the airbag is not deployed,
Returning to the step (a); (g) generating a trigger signal for deploying the airbag to deploy the airbag when it is determined to deploy the airbag; (h) airbag Detecting the pressure and displacement of the airbag using the pressure sensor and the displacement sensor at the time of deployment, and (i) outputting the pressure value and the displacement value sensed in the step (h) to the output means. An airbag test method comprising the steps of: