Collision detection sensor for vehicle

• US 20090015392A1
• Filed: 07/10/2008
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Takahashi, Hisashi, Nakamura, Shuji
• Granted Patent: US 8,368,523 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/436
• 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

Abstract

A collision detection sensor includes an absorber, a chamber member, a pressure sensor, and a collision detection circuit. The absorber is deformed with a collision to absorb collision impact force. The absorber is located in a vehicle bumper and located in front of a bumper reinforcement in a vehicle front-rear direction. The chamber member defines a chamber room therein. The chamber member is located in the bumper and located in front of the bumper reinforcement in the vehicle front-rear direction. The pressure sensor detects pressure in the chamber room. The collision detection circuit detects the collision based on the detected pressure. A front end of the absorber is located further away from the bumper reinforcement than a front end of the chamber member in the vehicle front-rear direction.

Claims

1. A collision detection sensor for detecting a collision of a vehicle bumper with an object, the collision detection sensor comprising:

an absorber configured to be deformed with the collision to absorb impact force of the collision, the absorber being located in the bumper and located in front of a bumper reinforcement in a vehicle front-rear direction;

a chamber member defining a chamber room therein, the chamber member being located in the bumper and located in front of the bumper reinforcement in the vehicle front-rear direction;

a pressure sensor configured to detect pressure in the chamber room; and

a collision detection circuit for detecting the collision based on the detected pressure,

wherein a front end of the absorber is located further away from the bumper reinforcement than a front end of the chamber member in the vehicle front-rear direction.

2. The collision detection sensor according to claim 1,

wherein a distance between the front end of the absorber and the front end of the chamber member in the vehicle front-rear direction is set according to stiffness of the entire bumper.

3. The collision detection sensor according to claim 2,

wherein the distance increases with a decrease in the stiffness and decreases with an increase in the stiffness.

4. The collision detection sensor according to claim 1,

wherein an energy absorption characteristic of a combination of the absorber and a bumper cover located at a front end of the bumper varies in a vehicle left-right direction, and

wherein a distance between the front end of the absorber and the front end of the chamber member varies in the vehicle left-right direction.

5. The collision detection sensor according to claim 4,

wherein the distance is greater in a middle than ends of the bumper in the vehicle left-right direction.

6. The collision detection sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the chamber member is located outside the absorber, and

wherein the chamber member does not overlap the absorber in the vehicle front-rear direction.

7. The collision detection sensor according to claim 6,

wherein the chamber member is located above the absorber in a vehicle top-bottom direction.

8. The collision detection sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the absorber has a curved plate-like shape,

wherein an impact absorption room is defined between the absorber and a front surface of the bumper reinforcement, and

wherein the chamber member is located in the impact absorption room.

9. The collision detection sensor according to claim 1,

wherein a rear end of the absorber is in contact with the bumper reinforcement, and

wherein a rear end of the chamber member is in contact with the bumper reinforcement.

10. The collision detection sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the object is a pedestrian.