Device for detecting a deformation of a structural component

• US 20040099462A1
• Filed: 07/21/2003
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Fuertsch, Matthias, Lorenz, Gerd
• Granted Patent: US 7,025,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/274
• 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: G01R 31/318508 Board Level Test, e.g. P1500 Standard features related to boundary scan G01R31/318533

Abstract

A device 1 for detecting a deformation of a component 10, in particular in the automotive industry, having a deformable hollow body arrangement assigned as a deformation indicator to component 10 and having at least one orifice area 3, and at least one sensor device 4; 12 situated in the particular orifice area 3 for measuring an air flow corresponding to the deformation of hollow body arrangement 2. In addition, the present invention relates to a method of detecting such a deformation of a component 10 and activating an appropriate safety application, the measured data being analyzed by an analyzer unit 13 after measurement of the deformation, and a suitable safety application optionally being activated if the measured data of the at least one sensor device 4; 12 indicates a deformation of hollow body arrangement 2 and thus of component 10.

Claims

1. A device (1) for detecting a deformation of a component (10), in particular in the automotive industry, comprising:

a deformable hollow body arrangement (2) which is assigned to the component (10) as a deformation indicator and has at least one orifice area (3); and

at least one sensor device (4;

12) which is situated in the particular orifice area (3) for measuring an air flow corresponding to the deformation of the hollow body arrangements (2).

2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the hollow body arrangement (2) is designed as a plastically or elastically deformable container (2), in particular as a plastic container.

3. The device as recited in one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the hollow body arrangement (2) is mountable using at least one fastening device (5), e.g., a fastening eye, on the component (10), so that the at least one fastening device (5) allows a deformation of the hollow body arrangements (2).

4. The device as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the orifice area (3) of the hollow body arrangement (2) is mountable so that it is protected from external air flows.

5. The device as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the hollow body arrangement (2) is provided in an interior panel, e.g., in the door of a vehicle.

6. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the component (10) is itself designed as a deformable hollow body arrangement (2).

7. The device as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one sensor device (4) is designed as an air flow sensor or as an air velocity sensor.

8. The device as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein several sensor devices (4;

12) of the same principle or different principles are combinable.

9. The device as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein a safety application (15) is activatable if, on analysis, the measured data of at least one sensor device (4;

12) yields air flow values in the orifice area (3) of the hollow body arrangement (2) whose magnitudes exceed predetermined threshold values or whose variation over time resembles, is equal to, or exceeds a predetermined signal pattern.

10. A method of detecting a deformation of a component (10) and activating an appropriate safety application (15), in particular in the automotive industry, comprising the following steps:

measuring a deformation of a hollow body arrangement (2), which has at least one orifice area (3) and is assigned to the component (10) as a deformation indicator using at least one sensor device (4;

12);

analyzing the measured data of the at least one sensor device (4;

12) using an analyzer unit (13); and

activating an appropriate safety application (15) if the measured data of at least one sensor device (4;

12) indicates a deformation of the hollow body arrangement (2) and thus of the component (10).

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the appropriate vehicle occupant safety application (15) is activated if the measured data of the sensor device (4) yields air flow values in the orifice area (3) of the hollow body arrangement (2) whose magnitudes exceed predetermined threshold values or whose variation over time resembles, is equal to or exceeds a predetermined signal pattern.

12. The device as recited in one of claims 10 or 11, wherein the hollow body arrangement (2) is designed as a plastically or elastically deformable container (2), in particular as a plastic container.

13. The method as recited in one of claims 10 through 12, wherein the hollow body arrangements (2) are mounted on the component (10) by at least one fastening device (5), e.g., a fastening device (5), e.g., a fastening eye, the at least one fastening device (5) allowing a deformation of the hollow body arrangement (2).

14. The method as recited in one of claims 10 through 13, wherein the orifice area (3) of the hollow body arrangement (2) is situated so that it is protected from external air flows.

15. The method as recited in one of claims 10 through 14, wherein the hollow body arrangements (2) are provided in an interior panel, e.g., in a door of a vehicle.

16. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the component (10) is itself designed as a deformable hollow body arrangement (2).

17. The method as recited in one of claims 10 through 16, wherein the at least one sensor device (4) is designed as an air flow sensor or an air velocity sensor.

18. The method as recited in one of claims 10 through 17, wherein several sensor devices (4;

12) of the same principle or different principles are combined.