SUPPORT MEMBER, DETECTION UNIT, SIDE SURFACE COLLISION DETECTION SYSTEM, AND OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEM

• US 20130062868A1
• Filed: 09/07/2012
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mihara, Atsushi, Oigawa, Atsuhiko, Kawaguchi, Hiroo, ITOGA, Yasuo, OOI, Kazuya
• Application Number:
  US13/607,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20130062868A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0443 Beams
• 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

An acceleration sensor (40R) for detecting a side surface collision which occurs in a vehicle is mounted on a beam (112) of a door via a support member (50). When a force due to a collision acts on the beam (112), this force is dampened by the support member (50) and thereafter transmitted to the acceleration sensor (40R). As a result, even if the beam (112) moves at an acceleration exceeding the rated input of the acceleration sensor (40R), the acceleration of the acceleration sensor (40R) is suppressed to a level not greater than the rated input. Accordingly, the side surface collision can be detected with high accuracy without using a sensor having a high rated input.

Claims

1. A support member which supports an acceleration sensor on a beam disposed on a door of a vehicle, the support member comprising:

an affixer affixed to the beam; and

a supporter which supports the acceleration sensor at a position apart from the affixer,

wherein the supporter dampens a force, transmitted from the beam to the acceleration sensor, by elasticity.

2. The support member according to claim 1, wherein the supporter supports the acceleration sensor at a position offset vertically downward from the affixer.

3. The support member according to claim 1, further comprising a protrusion which protrudes toward an outside plate of the door.

4. The support member according to claim 1, wherein the acceleration sensor is affixed to an opposite surface of a surface, facing an outside plate of the door, of the supporter;

and

the support member further comprises a protector which avoids interference between the acceleration sensor and a window disposed on the door.

5. A detection unit comprising:

an acceleration sensor which detects an acceleration rate; and

the support member according to claim 1, which supports the acceleration sensor.

6. A side surface collision detection system which detects a side surface collision in a vehicle, the side surface collision detection system comprising:

an acceleration sensor supported by the support member according to claim 1; and

a collision detecting unit which detects a side surface collision occurring in the vehicle based on an output from the acceleration sensor.

7. An occupant restraint system comprising:

the side surface collision detection system according to claim 6;

an occupant restraint unit which restrains an occupant in the vehicle; and

a control unit which controls the occupant restraint unit when a side surface collision is detected by the side surface collision detection system.

8. The occupant restraint system according to claim 7, wherein the occupant restraint unit comprises:

an air bag for restraining an occupant in a vehicle; and

an expansion unit which propels a gas into the air bag to expand the air bag; and

the control unit starts the expansion unit depending on an output from the acceleration sensor.

9. The occupant restraint system according to claim 7, further comprising a first spacer arranged between the affixer and an outside plate of the door.

10. The occupant restraint system according to claim 9, further comprising a plurality of second spacers arranged between the beam and an outside plate of the door.

11. The occupant restraint system according to claim 10, wherein a hardness of the first spacer is greater than a hardness of the second spacer.

12. The occupant restraint system according to claim 9, wherein the first spacer is a spring.

13. The occupant restraint system according to claim 7, further comprising a protective member which avoids interference between the acceleration sensor and a window disposed on the door.