COLLISION SENSING APPARATUS

• US 20150274102A1
• Filed: 03/26/2014
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ghannam, Mahmoud Yousef, Reddy, Yeruva Satya, Kula, Paul Kevin, Pappas, Bill, Clark, Todd N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,643,554 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/26 comprising yieldable mounting means B60R19/38 takes precedence; springs, shock absorbers, or means for damping vibrations per se F16F
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/48 combined with, or convertible into, other devices or objects, e.g. bumpers combined with road brushes, bumpers convertible into beds
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2019/1873 Cellular materials

Abstract

An apparatus includes a closed body having a varied configuration between a first location and at least a second location. The apparatus further includes a pressure sensor coupled to the closed body at the first location. When forces with substantially equal magnitudes are respectively applied to the closed body at different locations between the first and second locations, the closed body respectively translates the forces to substantially equal pressure differentials at the first location.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a closed body having a varied configuration between a first location and at least a second location; and

a pressure sensor coupled to the closed body at the first location,

wherein, when forces with substantially equal magnitudes are respectively applied to the closed body at different locations between the first and second locations, the closed body respectively translates the forces to substantially equal pressure differentials at the first location.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the varied configuration of the closed body includes at least one of a variation in size, thickness, shape and material composition between the first and location and the second location.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the closed body has a cross-sectional shape that varies in size between the first location and the second location.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the closed body increases in size between the first location and the second location.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the closed body decreases in size between the first location and the second location.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the closed body has a thickness that varies between the first location and the second location.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the thickness of the closed body increases between the first location and the second location.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein thickness of the closed body decreases between the first location and the second location.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the closed body has a shape that varies between the first location and the second location.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, the closed body has a material composition that varies between the first location and the second location.

11. A sensor assembly, comprising:

a beam component;

an exterior component coupled to the beam component;

a closed body coupled between the beam component and the exterior component, the closed body having a varied configuration between a first location and at least a second location and complementary to at least one of the frame component and the exterior component; and

a pressure sensor coupled to the closed body at the first location,

wherein, when forces with substantially equal magnitudes are respectively applied to the exterior component at different locations mechanically coupled between the first and second locations of the closed body, the closed body respectively translates the forces to substantially equal pressure differentials at the first location.

12. The sensor assembly of claim 11, wherein the closed body has a cross-sectional shape that varies in size between the first location and the second location.

13. The sensor assembly of claim 11, wherein the closed body has a thickness that varies between the first location and the second location.

14. The sensor assembly of claim 11, wherein the closed body has a shape that varies between the first location and the second location.

15. The sensor assembly of claim 11, wherein the closed body has a material composition that varies between the first location and the second location.

16. The sensor assembly of claim 11, wherein the beam component has a width configured to extend across a vehicle, and the closed body extends across the width of the beam component.

17. The sensor assembly of claim 11, further comprising an energy-absorbing component extending between the closed body and the exterior component, the energy-absorbing component being fixed to the beam component, and the beam component and the energy-absorbing component receiving the closed body therebetween.