AIR PRESSURE REGULATOR OF AIRBAG

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically set appropriate air pressure according to each user. SOLUTION: The air pressure regulator comprises airbags 11, 12; a pump 20 for pressurizing the airbags; an exhaust valve 22 for exhausting air in the airbags; a pressure sensor 21 for detecting the internal pressure of the airbags; and a control circuit for controlling the pump and the exhaust valve based on the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor. To regulate the air pressure, the control circuit causes the exhaust valve to intermittently exhaust air and reduce pressure after once pressurizing the airbags, and completes this air-exhausting and pressure-reducing operation according to a pressure difference between the pressure immediately before or after the stop of the intermittent air-exhausting and pressure-reducing operation and the pressure at a predetermined time after the stop. The air pressure is determined based not on the absolute pressure but on the pressure difference as a delay of pressure reduction sensed by the pressure sensor during the air-exhausting and pressure-reducing operation. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO