Collision detecting device and passive safety system

• US 20040011582A1
• Filed: 04/02/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Aoki, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,131,512 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/274
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01013 Means for detecting collision, impending collision or roll-over
• 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

Abstract

A collision detecting device providing the accurate and early determination of a collision with a vehicle or the like, and a passive safety system using this collision detecting device. A low-rigid portion and a crash box are arranged ahead of a high-rigid portion in a front portion of a frame. The front end of a rod is fixed to a bumper. The rod is inserted into a magnetic detector disposed on the high-rigid portion. In the rod, a number of magnets are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the rod such that their N poles and S poles are alternatively arranged. As a vehicle collides, the crash box is first deformed so that the rod moves backward, whereby a collision can be detected before large acceleration is generated.

Claims

1. A collision detecting apparatus for a vehicle comprising a speed detector mounted in a vehicle to measure a deformation speed of at least a portion around an end of a vehicle and a collision occurrence being detected from the deformation speed.

2. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 1 wherein the deformation speed is measured as the rate at which at least two portions around an end of a vehicle approach one another.

3. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 2 wherein the speed detector continuously measures the deformation speed after a predetermined amount of deformation of a vehicle.

4. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 3 wherein the speed detector continuously measures the deformation speed after a vehicle deformation of 20 millimeters or more.

5. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 2 wherein the speed detector measures the deformation speed as the rate at which an outer portion of a vehicle and an inner portion of the vehicle approach one another, and the outer portion being located at a relatively low-rigid member of the vehicle and the inner portion being located at a relatively high-rigid member of the vehicle.

6. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a controller to determine whether the deformation speed exceeds a predetermined value indicating a collision occurrence.

7. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 6 wherein the controller evaluates the progress of a collision occurrence from preselected parameters.

8. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 7 wherein the preselected parameters include deformation speed, collision occurrence time and increasing or decreasing tendency of the deformation speed.

9. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 7 further comprising an acceleration detector to measure the acceleration acting on the vehicle, and the controller determines a collision occurrence based on deformation speed and acceleration.

10. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 9 wherein the acceleration detector is located at an inner position relative to the speed detector.

11. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 6 wherein the controller determines a collision occurrence when the deformation speed or the maximum value of deformation speed exceeds a predetermined value.

12. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 9 wherein the controller determines a collision occurrence when the deformation speed or the maximum value of the deformation speed exceeds the predetermined value and the acceleration or the velocity variation obtained by integrating the acceleration with time exceeds a predetermined value.

13. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 9 wherein the controller determines a collision occurrence when at least one of the deformation speed, or the maximum value of the deformation speed, the acceleration or the velocity variation obtained by integrating the acceleration with time exceeds the corresponding predetermined value.

14. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a deformation amount detector to measure the deformation amount of at least a portion of a vehicle, and the controller determining whether there is a collision occurrence based on one or more of deformation speed, acceleration and/or deformation amount.

15. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 14 wherein the controller determines a collision occurrence when the deformation speed or the maximum value of deformation speed exceeds the predetermined value, the acceleration or the velocity variation obtained by integrating the acceleration with time exceeds the predetermined value and the deformation amount exceeds a predetermined value.

16. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an acceleration detector to measure the acceleration acting on the vehicle and a controller to determine a collision occurrence based on acceleration and one or more other predetermined parameters, the controller changing the one or more other predetermined parameters according to deformation speed.

17. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a work detector to determine the work required for deformation of at least a portion around an end of a vehicle from the deformation speed and a known deformation stress of the at least a portion around an end of the vehicle, and a controller to determine a collision occurrence based on the work determined by the work detector.

18. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 17 further comprising an accelerator detector to measure the acceleration acting on the vehicle, and the controller determines a collision occurrence based on the work and the acceleration detected.

19. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a deformation amount detector to measure deformation amount of at least a portion around an end of a vehicle.

20. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 19 wherein the controller determines a collision occurrence when the deformation speed or the maximum value of deformation speed exceeds the predetermined value and the deformation amount exceeds a predetermined value.

21. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 19 wherein the controller determines a collision occurrence when at least one of the deformation speed, the maximum value of deformation speed or the deformation amount exceeds the corresponding predetermined value.

22. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 6 wherein the controller determines a magnitude of a collision occurrence and further comprising a transmitter to provide output signals corresponding to the magnitude of a collision occurrence.

23. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 6 wherein the speed detector is at least located at the left and right front portions of the vehicle.

24. The collision detecting apparatus of claim 23 wherein the controller determines the type of collision occurrence.

25. A passive safety system for a vehicle comprising:

an occupant restraint system;

a controller for actuating the occupant restraint system; and

a collision detector mounted in a vehicle and having a speed detector to measure a deformation speed of at least a portion around an end of a vehicle and a collision occurrence being detected from the deformation speed.

26. The passive safety system of claim 25 wherein the speed detector measures the deformation speed as the rate at which an outer portion of a vehicle and an inner portion of the vehicle approach one another, and the outer portion being located at a relatively low-rigid member of the vehicle and the inner portion being located at a relatively high-rigid member of the vehicle.

27. The passive safety system of claim 26 further comprising a collision controller to determine whether the deformation speed exceeds a predetermined value indicating a collision occurrence.

28. The passive safety system of claim 27 further comprising an acceleration detector to measure the acceleration acting on the vehicle and the controller determines a collision occurrence based on deformation speed and acceleration.

29. The passive safety system of claim 28 further comprising a deformation amount detector to measure the amount of deformation and the controller determines a collision occurrence based on one or more of deformation speed, acceleration and/or deformation amount.