Wireless Inflatable Motorcycle Garment Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motorcycle protective garments with inflatable devices face challenges in simultaneous deployment for riders and passengers during accidents, particularly due to delayed activation and the need for external sensors and cables, which can hinder movement and increase complexity.
Innovation Solution
A protective garment with integrated acceleration sensors, a control unit, and a pyrotechnically activated cold gas inflator, along with a transmitting and receiving unit for wireless communication, allowing for simultaneous and synchronized inflation of inflatable bags based on detected acceleration, eliminating the need for external devices and ensuring equal deployment times for riders and passengers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external sensors and cables are used for triggering inflation, then the protective device can be activated during accidents, but the cables hinder movement and increase system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the triggering cable from the system entirely. Instead of using an external cable connected to the motorcycle, the garment integrates its own acceleration sensors and control unit, extracting the triggering function from the external motorcycle system and making it self-contained within the garment itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The garment becomes self-sufficient by integrating all necessary components (acceleration sensors, control unit, inflator) directly into the garment structure. The garment detects accidents and triggers inflation autonomously without requiring external cables or motorcycle-mounted equipment, making the system independent and self-service.
2Reliability
If duplicate systems are purchased for rider and passenger, then each person has independent protection, but the person closest to impact inflates first causing unequal protection timing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the triggering systems of rider and passenger garments through wireless communication. When either garment detects an accident, it sends a triggering signal to the other garment's inflator, ensuring both inflate simultaneously regardless of which one detects the accident first. This combines the detection capability of one with the inflation capability of the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces wireless communication as an intermediary between the rider's and passenger's protective systems. The transmitting and receiving units enable instant signal exchange between the two garments, mediating the triggering process to ensure synchronized inflation across both occupants without requiring physical connection or hierarchical control.
3Reliability
If acceleration sensors are mounted on the motorcycle, then the system can detect accidents, but the garments are not stand-alone devices suitable for different motorcycles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the protective system into two independent parts: the garment-worn components (sensors, control unit, inflator) and the motorcycle components (none required). This segmentation makes the garment a stand-alone device that can be used with any motorcycle without requiring specific motorcycle-mounted equipment, enhancing versatility while maintaining accident detection capability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces triggering time for inflatable protective devices, providing enhanced protection without external connections, maintaining user mobility, and allowing the garment to be worn by both riders and passengers without adjustments, ensuring nearly simultaneous inflation in various accident scenarios.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor suitable for detecting the acceleration undergone by the garment
Implementation Method 2
a pyrotechnically activated cold gas inflator
Implementation Method 3
pyrotechnically activated cold gas inflator
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a protective garment (10, 110) provided with an inflatable protective device. The inflatable protective device comprises: at least one inflatable bag (12), suitable for moving between a rest condition, wherein it is in a deflated status, and an operating condition, wherein it is in an inflated status; an inflator device (14) coupled to the at least one inflatable bag (12) and designed for inflating the at least one inflatable bag (12), once the inflator device (14) is triggered; at least one acceleration sensor (16) suitable for detecting the acceleration undergone by the garment (10, 110) and a control unit (18) designed for processing the acceleration data detected by the at least one acceleration sensor (16) and for sending a triggering signal to the inflator device (14), when a crash situation is identified. The protective garment is characterized by further comprising a transmitting unit (20), (120) designed for sending an activation signal (15) outside the protective garment (10, 110) when the triggering signal is generated by the control unit 18 and a receiving unit (21, 121) suitable for receiving a signal (15) from outside the protective garment (10, 110) and generating the triggering signal of the inflator device (14) when the received signal (15) is recognized as an activation signal. The present invention also relates to a method for inflating an inflatable protective device of a protective garment.