Crush sensing vehicle crash sensor

• US 20010000886A1
• Filed: 12/26/2000
• Published: 05/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1991
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: David S. Breed, Richard M. Downs Jr, William Thomas Sanders
• Inventors: Sanders, William Thomas, Downs, Richard M. Jr., Breed, David S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,328,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/274
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/00 Sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2863 backward facing
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/16 Electromagnetic waves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/483 with obstacle sensors of electric or electronic type
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/15 having impact absorbing means, e.g. a frame designed to permanently or temporarily change shape or dimension upon impact with another body bumpers B60R19/02; shock absorbers in general F16F
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/20 by measurement of weight, e.g. to determine the level of stored liquefied gas
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2962 Measuring transit time of reflected waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2965 Measuring attenuation of transmitted waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/804 containing circuits handling parameters other than liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/146 operated by plastic deformation or rupture of structurally associated elements

Abstract

A vehicle crush detecting device including an electrically conducting tube with an electrically conducting rod positioned within the tube along with insulating means positioned at at least two points between the rod and tube to insulate the rod from the tube. The electrically conducting tube is deformed during a vehicle crash causing the tube to contact the rod in response to crush of the vehicle. A header/connector assembly seals a space between the rod and tube at one end while a space between the rod and tube at the opposite end is closed. The header/connector assembly includes electrical connector pins electrically coupled to the rod and tube and having an exposed portion for connection to a wire harness. The device is used to sense crashes for the deployment of automobile passive restraint systems such as airbags.

Claims

1. A vehicle crush detecting device in combination with a vehicle, comprising:

a sensor assembly consisting of

a first elongated electrical conductor,

a second elongated electrical conductor, and

means for coupling said second electrical conductor to said first electrical conductor so that said first and second electrical conductors are parallel and substantially co-extensive to each other and thereby form the sensor assembly, said coupling means maintaining a separation between said second electrical conductor from said first electrical conductor; and

attachment means for attaching said sensor assembly to said vehicle;

wherein when a portion of said vehicle crushes to contact said sensor assembly, said sensor assembly bends causing said first electrical conductor to contact said second electrical conductor and complete an electric circuit indicative of crush of said vehicle.

2. The combination of

claim 1

, wherein said attachment means attached said sensor assembly to said vehicle at at least two spaced apart positions providing thereby at least one free, unrestrained span between said at least two spaced apart locations which is spaced away and not in contact with any part of said vehicle;

wherein when a portion of said vehicle crushes to contact said sensor assembly in said span between said at least two spaced apart locations, said sensor assembly bends in said span between said at least two spaced apart locations causing said first electrical conductor to contact said second electrical conductor and complete an electric circuit indicative of crush of said vehicle.

3. The combination in accordance with

claim 1

, wherein said coupling means include a header/connector assembly arranged at one end of said sensor assembly.

4. The combination in accordance with

claim 3

, wherein said header/connector assembly hermetically seals a space between said first and second conductors at first ends of said first and second conductors, a space between said first and second conductors at second ends being closed, said header/connector assembly including electrical connector pins electrically coupled to said first and second conductors, said connector pins having an exposed portion.

5. The combination in accordance with

claim 4

, wherein said header/connector assembly further includes a housing having an inlet port, a dam in the space between said first and second conductors at said first ends of said first and second conductors and urethane or a silicone rubber compound around said first ends of said first and second conductors.

6. The combination in accordance with

claim 4

, wherein said header/connector assembly further includes header pins connected to said first and second conductors, said connector pins being connected to said header pins.

7. The combination in accordance with

claim 1

, wherein said first conductor is a tube surrounding said second conductor and is welded closed at one end to thereby seal a space between said first and second conductors at said end.

8. The combination in accordance with

claim 7

, wherein said coupling means include a resistor arranged between the closed end of said first conductor and a proximate end of said second conductor.

9. The combination in accordance with

claim 1

, wherein said first conductor is a tube and said second conductor is a rod arranged in said tube.

10. The combination in accordance with

claim 9

, wherein said tube is deformable such that contact of said rod by said tube is caused by bending of said tube.

11. The combination in accordance with

claim 9

, wherein said rod and said tube are unitary and said rod is substantially solid.

12. The combination in accordance with

claim 1

, farther comprising insulating means positioned at at least two points between said first and second conductors for insulating said first conductor from said second conductor.

13. The combination in accordance with

claim 12

, wherein said insulating means comprise spacers extending only at discrete locations circumferentially between said first and second conductors only at discrete locations..

14. The combination in accordance with

claim 1

, wherein said first conductor surrounds said second conductor and contains grease.

15. The combination in accordance with

claim 1

, wherein said attachment means attach said sensor assembly to said vehicle in a front region of the vehicle so as to detect crush of the front region of said vehicle.

16. The combination in accordance with

claim 1

, wherein said attachment means attach said sensor assembly to said vehicle at a rear of the vehicle so as to detect crush of the rear of said vehicle.

17. The combination in accordance with

claim 1

, wherein said vehicle has a side and a deployable occupant protection apparatus for protecting an occupant in a side impact, said attachment means attaching said sensor assembly to said vehicle on a side of the vehicle so as to detect crush of the side of said vehicle, the combination further comprising means for coupling said crush detecting device and said occupant protection apparatus such that upon completion of said electronic circuit, said occupant protection device is deployed.

18. The combination in accordance with

claim 17

, wherein said sensor assembly has an elongate portion attached by said attachment means in a position substantially parallel to a door panel in a door on said side of said vehicle.

19. The combination in accordance with

claim 1

, further comprising:

a deployable occupant protection device,

an electronic sensor coupled to said sensor assembly and comprising an accelerometer, and means coupled to said accelerometer for initiating deployment of said occupant protection device based on completion of the electric circuit indicative of crush of said vehicle and an analysis of output from said accelerometer indicative of a situation in which deployment of said occupant protection device is desired.

20. A vehicle crush detecting device, comprising

a first electrical conductor having first and second ends,

a second electrical conductor having first and second ends and arranged relative to said first conductor to define a space between said first and second conductors, and

a header/connector assembly for hermetically sealing the space between said first and second conductors at said first ends of said first and second conductors, the space between said first and second conductors at said second ends being closed, said header/connector assembly including electrical connector pins electrically coupled to said first and second conductors, said connector pins having an exposed portion;

said first conductor being arranged to bend upon exertion of a force to said first conductor and thereby contact said second conductor with such contact being indicative of crush of the vehicle.

21. The device in accordance with

claim 20

, wherein said header/connector assembly comprises a housing having an inlet port, a dam in the space between said first and second conductors at said first ends of said first and second conductors and urethane or a silicone rubber compound around said first ends of said first and second conductors.

22. The device in accordance with

claim 20

, further comprising header pins connected to said first and second conductors, said connector pins being connected to said header pins.

23. The device in accordance with

claim 20

, wherein said first conductor is welded closed at said second end to thereby seal the space between said first and second conductors at said second ends.

24. The device in accordance with

claim 23

, wherein said header/connector assembly further comprises a resistor arranged between said second end of said second conductor and said second end of said first conductor.

25. A method for sealing a device for mounting on an automobile, comprising the steps of:

providing the device with a cavity having at least one inlet port and at least one narrow outflow passage,

injecting a curable compound through the at least one inlet port such that the at least one narrow passage remains open during the injection process until the cavity is substantially full permitting air within the cavity to be displaced by the curable compound, the at least one passage being sufficiently narrow as to permit only a small amount of rubber compound to flow out of the cavity during the injection process, but large enough to permit air to easily flow out of the assembly; and

curing the compound.

26. The method of

claim 25

, wherein the device is a crush detecting switch comprising an electrically conductive tube and an electrically conductive rod arranged within the tube and spaced therefrom, further comprising the step of forming the cavity at least partially between the tube and the rod.

27. The method of

claim 25

, wherein the device is a crash detecting switch comprising an electrically conductive tube and an electrically conductive rod arranged within the tube and spaced therefrom, further comprising the steps of:

forming a plurality of the cavities between discrete regions of the tube and the rod,

separating each of the cavities by means of spacers, and

connecting the cavities through an aperture in the spacers to enable the injected curable compound to flow into each of the cavities.

28. The method of

claim 25

, wherein the curable compound is a rubber compound.