Collision detector

• US 20090014228A1
• Filed: 02/20/2008
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc. (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc. (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Nonaka, Toshihito, Suzuki, Kyojiro, Kawaura, Masanori, Sanma, Norio, Kakuya, Yuuji
• Application Number:
  US12/070,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20090014228A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/274
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• 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 detector includes a deformable portion and a planar sensor accompanied by a process circuit and a collision determination unit. The deformable portion is configured to be deformed on a collision on an object. The planar sensor has a planar coil formed as a planar winding of winding wire to be deformed along the deformation of the deformable portion. The process circuit generates an electric signal that is in proportion to a self inductance Ls of the planar coil. The collision determination unit determines whether the object collided with the deformable member based on the change of the electric signal.

Claims

1. A collision detector comprising:

a deformable member capable of being deformed on collision;

a planar sensor having a coil in a planar shape to be bent by deformation of the deformable member, wherein the coil in the planar shape is formed with its winding wound in a plane;

a process circuit capable of generating an electric signal in proportion to a self inductance of the coil in the planar shape; and

a collision determination unit capable of determining the collision of the deformable member based on change in the electric signal.

2. The collision detector of claim 1, wherein

the planar deformation sensor is formed by binding the coil in the planar shape with a pair of freely-deformable films.

3. The collision detector of claim 1, wherein

the planar sensor is disposed in contact with the deformable member.

4. The collision detector of claim 3, wherein

the planar sensor is disposed in contact with the deformable member in a non-adhesion condition.

5. The collision detector of claim 3, wherein

the planar sensor is glued to the deformable member.

6. The collision detector of claim 1, wherein

the deformable member is made of metallic material, and

the planar sensor is disposed in a detached manner from the deformable member.

7. The collision detector of claim 6, wherein

the deformable member has an installation attachment made of non-metallic material, and

the planar sensor is attached to the installation attachment.

8. The collision detector of claim 1, wherein

the process circuit is an LC resonance circuit that includes an oscillator for generating an alternative voltage, a capacitor and the coil in the planar shape to output the electric signal of periodic nature in response to an application of the alternative current, and

the collision determination unit determines the collision of the deformable member based on an amplitude of the electric signal of periodic nature output from the LC resonance circuit.

9. The collision detector of claim 8, wherein

the alternative voltage generated by the resonance circuit has a resonance frequency set at an outside of a resonance frequency range of the LC resonance circuit that is caused by the deformation of the coil in the planar shape due to the deformation of the deformable member.

10. The collision detector of claim 9, wherein

the resonance frequency of the LC resonance circuit has plural resonance frequency, and

the resonance frequency of the alternative voltage generated by the resonance circuit is set to a frequency that is lower than a lowest frequency of the LC resonance circuit.

11. The collision detector of claim 1, wherein

the deformable member is an outer panel of a vehicle body,

the planar sensor is disposed on an inner side of the outer panel of the vehicle body, and

the collision determination unit determines whether the outer panel of the vehicle body has the collision.