Side impact crash detection system
First Claim
1. A side impact crash sensor that operates in conjunction with displacement of an outer panel of a vehicle door in the event of a side impact crash, the side impact crash sensor being disposed in a sectioned region bounded by the door outer panel and an door inner panel of the vehicle door, comprising:
- a sensor housing coupled to a vehicle door member in the sectioned region;
a pendulum that is allowed to rotate around a rotating shaft secured to the sensor housing in the event of a side impact crash, the pendulum being conductive and being housed in a housing space of the sensor housing; and
a detecting section for detecting a rotation operation mode of the pendulum on the basis of a change in impedance of a conductive coil which occurs in conjunction with a rotation operation of the pendulum, the detecting section having the conductive coil energized by an alternating current secured to the sensor housing so as to be opposed in the housing space to a plane in which the pendulum rotates.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A side impact crash sensor that operates in conjunction with displacement of a door outer panel of a vehicle door in the event of a side impact crash. The side impact crash sensor comprises a sensor housing coupled to a vehicle door member in a sectioned region of the door and a pendulum rotates around a rotating shaft secured to the sensor housing in the event of a side impact crash. The pendulum is conductive and is housed in a housing space of the sensor housing. The side impact crash sensor further comprises a detecting section including a conductive coil energized by an alternating current secured to the sensor housing. The detecting section detects a rotation operation mode of the pendulum on the basis of a change in impedance of a conductive coil which occurs in conjunction with a rotation operation of the pendulum.
-
Citations
9 Claims
-
1. A side impact crash sensor that operates in conjunction with displacement of an outer panel of a vehicle door in the event of a side impact crash, the side impact crash sensor being disposed in a sectioned region bounded by the door outer panel and an door inner panel of the vehicle door, comprising:
-
a sensor housing coupled to a vehicle door member in the sectioned region; a pendulum that is allowed to rotate around a rotating shaft secured to the sensor housing in the event of a side impact crash, the pendulum being conductive and being housed in a housing space of the sensor housing; and a detecting section for detecting a rotation operation mode of the pendulum on the basis of a change in impedance of a conductive coil which occurs in conjunction with a rotation operation of the pendulum, the detecting section having the conductive coil energized by an alternating current secured to the sensor housing so as to be opposed in the housing space to a plane in which the pendulum rotates. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
-
-
4. A side impact crash detection system for detecting information on a side impact crash of a vehicle, comprising:
-
a side impact crash sensor according to that operates in conjunction with displacement of an outer panel of a vehicle door in the event of a side impact crash, the side impact crash sensor being disposed in a sectioned region bounded by the door outer panel and an door inner panel of the vehicle door, the sensor comprising; a sensor housing coupled to a vehicle door member in the sectioned region; a pendulum that is allowed to rotate around a rotating shaft secured to the sensor housing in the event of a side impact crash, the pendulum being conductive and being housed in a housing space of the sensor housing; and a detecting section for detecting a rotation operation mode of the pendulum on the basis of a change in impedance of a conductive coil which occurs in conjunction with a rotation operation of the pendulum, the detecting section having the conductive coil energized by an alternating current secured to the sensor housing so as to be opposed in the housing space to a plane in which the pendulum rotates; and a determination section for determining a side impact crash mode of the vehicle door, wherein the determination section determines the side impact crash mode of the vehicle door on the basis of the rotation operation mode of the pendulum detected by the detecting section of the side impact crash sensor. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 9)
-
-
7. An occupant restraint system comprising:
-
a side impact crash detection system for detecting information on a side impact crash of a vehicle, comprising; a side impact crash sensor according to that operates in conjunction with displacement of an outer panel of a vehicle door in the event of a side impact crash, the side impact crash sensor being disposed in a sectioned region bounded by the door outer panel and an door inner panel of the vehicle door, the sensor comprising; a sensor housing coupled to a vehicle door member in the sectioned region; a pendulum that is allowed to rotate around a rotating shaft secured to the sensor housing in the event of a side impact crash, the pendulum being conductive and being housed in a housing space of the sensor housing; and a detecting section for detecting a rotation operation mode of the pendulum on the basis of a change in impedance of a conductive coil which occurs in conjunction with a rotation operation of the pendulum, the detecting section having the conductive coil energized by an alternating current secured to the sensor housing so as to be opposed in the housing space to a plane in which the pendulum rotates; and a determination section for determining a side impact crash mode of the vehicle door, wherein the determination section determines the side impact crash mode of the vehicle door on the basis of the rotation operation mode of the pendulum detected by the detecting section of the side impact crash sensor; and an occupant restraint apparatus that restrains a vehicle occupant in the event of a side impact crash of a vehicle; and a control unit that performs drive control of the occupant restraint apparatus on the basis of information determined by the determination section of the side impact crash detection system. - View Dependent Claims (8)
-
Specification