1. An air bag module comprising:
an air bag canister having a side wall, the side wall having a gas channel port therein to communicate with ambient air pressure;
an air bag cushion attached to the air bag canister;
an inflator attached to the air bag canister for providing gas,
a deployment door attached to the air bag canister;
a structural gas channel connected to the side wall proximate the gas channel port and configured to communicate with the gas channel port to provide venting of gas provided by the inflator to ambient air when the air bag cushion is in a substantially non-deployed condition; and
a venting system connecting the structural gas channel to the gas channel port, the venting system having a plug and a plug pulling system connecting the air bag cushion and the plug;
wherein when the air bag cushion is deployed the plug pulling system pulls the plug into the gas channel port to prevent gas from venting therethrough.
2. The air bag module of claim 1 wherein the plug pulling system comprises a tether connecting the plug to the air bag cushion.
3. The air bag module of claim 1 wherein the plug pulling system comprises a bag-shaping tether connecting the air bag cushion to the air bag canister and a plug tether connecting the plug to the bag-shaping tether.
4. The air bag module of claim 1 wherein a plug centering guide is placed over the gas channel port.
5. The air bag module of claim 4 wherein the plug centering guide comprises a plurality of radial arms connected to a peripheral support having a guide hole.
6. The air bag module of claim 4 wherein the plug is pulled into the plug centering guide.
7. The air bag module of claim 1 wherein the structural gas channel is attached to the air bag canister covering the gas channel port and the venting system comprises a plug inside the structural gas channel, a plug centering guide inside the structural gas channel, and a plug pulling system connecting the air bag cushion to the plug wherein when the air bag cushion is deployed, the pulling system is made taut thereby pulling the plug into the plug centering guide preventing any gas from venting therethrough.
8. The air bag module of claim 7 wherein the plug pulling system comprises a tether connecting the plug to the air bag cushion.
9. The air bag module of claim 8 wherein the plug pulling system comprises a bag-shaping tether connecting the air bag cushion to the air bag canister and a plug tether connecting the plug to the bag-shaping tether.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A driving force distribution controller that is mounted on a four-wheel drive vehicle comprising an engine for generating a driving force, a gearbox for changing output speed of the engine, a clutch capable of interrupting torque transmission between the engine and the gearbox, and a driving force transmission system capable of transmitting an output of the gearbox to either front or rear wheels as main drive wheels and to other remaining wheels as auxiliary drive wheels, the driving force distribution controller comprising:
a control device that calculates a command torque value to be transmitted to the auxiliary drive wheels; and
a driving force transmission device that transmits torque corresponding to the command torque value to the auxiliary drive wheels,
wherein the control device comprises:
a first control means that calculates a torque value to be transmitted to the auxiliary drive wheels according to a running condition; and
a second control means that determines the torque value calculated by the first control means to be the command torque value when a rotational speed of the engine is not lower than a first threshold value or when a vehicle speed is not higher than a second threshold value, and that reduces the torque value calculated by the first control means and determines the reduced torque value to be the command torque value when the rotational speed of the engine is lower than the first threshold value and when the vehicle speed is higher than the second threshold value.
2. The driving force distribution controller according to claim 1, wherein the second control means reduces the torque value calculated by the first control means when the rotational speed of the engine is lower than the first threshold value, when the vehicle speed is higher than the second threshold value and when the amount of acceleration operation by a driver is smaller than a third threshold value.
3. The driving force distribution controller according to claim 2, wherein the front wheels comprise a left front wheel and a right front wheel, and the rear wheels comprise a left rear wheel and a right rear wheel,
the controller further comprising:
a wheel speed sensor for the left front wheel to detect a rotational speed of the left front wheel;
a wheel speed sensor for the right front wheel to detect a rotational speed of the right front wheel;
a wheel speed sensor for the left rear wheel to detect a rotational speed of the left rear wheel; and
a wheel speed sensor for the right rear wheel to detect a rotational speed of the right rear wheel,
wherein the rotational speed of the front wheels is calculated from an average of a detected value of the rotational speed of the left front wheel and that of the right front wheel,
wherein the rotational speed of the rear wheels is calculated from an average of a detected value of the rotational speed of the left rear wheel and that of the right rear wheel,
wherein a rotational speed difference is calculated by subtraction between the rotational speed of the front wheels and that of the rear wheels, and
wherein the first control means calculates a torque value to be transmitted to the auxiliary drive wheels based on at least the rotational speed difference.
4. The driving force distribution controller according to claim 3, mounted on the four-wheel drive vehicle that the front wheels are used as the main drive wheels and the rear wheels are used as the auxiliary drive wheels.
5. The driving force distribution controller according to claim 4, wherein the first threshold value is from 1000 to 2000 rpm and the second threshold value is from 10 to 20 kmh.
6. The driving force distribution controller according to claim 5, wherein the driving force transmission system comprises a differential device arranged between the driving force transmission device and the auxiliary drive wheels, and
wherein the control device decreases the reduction amount of the torque value according to an increase in temperature of differential oil in a differential carrier that houses the differential device.
7. The driving force distribution controller according to claim 6, wherein the control device decreases the reduction amount of the torque value according to an increase in outside temperature.
8. A four-wheel drive vehicle, comprising:
an engine for generating a driving force;
a gearbox for changing output speed of the engine;
a clutch capable of interrupting torque transmission between the engine and the gearbox;
a driving force transmission system capable of transmitting an output of the gearbox to either front or rear wheels as main drive wheels and to other remaining wheels as auxiliary drive wheels; and
the driving force distribution controller according to claim 7.
9. The driving force distribution controller according to claim 2, mounted on the four-wheel drive vehicle that the front wheels are used as the main drive wheels and the rear wheels are used as the auxiliary drive wheels.
10. The driving force distribution controller according to claim 2, wherein the first threshold value is from 1000 to 2000 rpm and the second threshold value is from 10 to 20 kmh.
11. The driving force distribution controller according to claim 2, wherein the driving force transmission system comprises a differential device arranged between the driving force transmission device and the auxiliary drive wheels, and
wherein the control device decreases the reduction amount of the torque value according to an increase in temperature of differential oil in a differential carrier that houses the differential device.
12. The driving force distribution controller according to claim 2, wherein the control device decreases the reduction amount of the torque value according to an increase in outside temperature.
13. A four-wheel drive vehicle, comprising:
an engine for generating a driving force;
a gearbox for changing output speed of the engine;
a clutch capable of interrupting torque transmission between the engine and the gearbox;
a driving force transmission system capable of transmitting an output of the gearbox to either front or rear wheels as main drive wheels and to other remaining wheels as auxiliary drive wheels; and
the driving force distribution controller according to claim 2.
14. The driving force distribution controller according to claim 3, wherein the first threshold value is from 1000 to 2000 rpm and the second threshold value is from 10 to 20 kmh.
15. The driving force distribution controller according to claim 1, wherein the front wheels comprise a left front wheel and a right front wheel, and the rear wheels comprise a left rear wheel and a right rear wheel,
the controller further comprising:
a wheel speed sensor for the left front wheel to detect a rotational speed of the left front wheel;
a wheel speed sensor for the right front wheel to detect a rotational speed of the right front wheel;
a wheel speed sensor for the left rear wheel to detect a rotational speed of the left rear wheel; and
a wheel speed sensor for the right rear wheel to detect a rotational speed of the right rear wheel,
wherein the rotational speed of the front wheels is calculated from an average of a detected value of the rotational speed of the left front wheel and that of the right front wheel,
wherein the rotational speed of the rear wheels is calculated from an average of a detected value of the rotational speed of the left rear wheel and that of the right rear wheel,
wherein a rotational speed difference is calculated by subtraction between the rotational speed of the front wheels and that of the rear wheels, and
wherein the first control means calculates a torque value to be transmitted to the auxiliary drive wheels based on at least the rotational speed difference.
16. The driving force distribution controller according to claim 1, mounted on the four-wheel drive vehicle that the front wheels are used as the main drive wheels and the rear wheels are used as the auxiliary drive wheels.
17. The driving force distribution controller according to claim 1, wherein the first threshold value is from 1000 to 2000 rpm and the second threshold value is from 10 to 20 kmh.
18. The driving force distribution controller according to claim 1, wherein the driving force transmission system comprises a differential device arranged between the driving force transmission device and the auxiliary drive wheels, and
wherein the control device decreases the reduction amount of the torque value according to an increase in temperature of differential oil in a differential carrier that houses the differential device.
19. The driving force distribution controller according to claim 1, wherein the control device decreases the reduction amount of the torque value according to an increase in outside temperature.
20. A four-wheel drive vehicle, comprising:
an engine for generating a driving force;
a gearbox for changing output speed of the engine;
a clutch capable of interrupting torque transmission between the engine and the gearbox;
a driving force transmission system capable of transmitting an output of the gearbox to either front or rear wheels as main drive wheels and to other remaining wheels as auxiliary drive wheels; and
the driving force distribution controller according to claim 1.