COLLISION DETECTING APPARATUS FOR A VEHICLE

• US 3,794,136 A
• Filed: 06/03/1971
• Issued: 02/26/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Motohiro Okada
• Original Assignee: Motohiro Okada
• Inventors: Okada, Motohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Betts, Kenneth H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Paperner, Leslie J.
• Application Number:
  US05/149,698
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 180/91,103 280/15AB 73/517R,518 200/61.44,DIG.10 307/318 340/52H,53,61
• US Class Current: 180/274
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/017 including arrangements for providing electric power to safety arrangements or their actuating means, e.g. to pyrotechnic fuses or electro-mechanic valves

Abstract

Electrical generators are connected to the body of a vehicle to detect deformation of the body at the time of collision and produce an electrical voltage signal to actuate a safety device such as an air bag. Each generator comprises a relatively movable coil and magnet assembly which is connected to the safety device by a circuit containing a Zener diode and possibly a silicon control rectifier to establish a threshold level for actuation of the safety device.

Claims

1. Apparatus for detecting collision of a vehicle and for operating a safety device in response thereto when the collision reaches a given magnitude, said apparatus comprising an electrical generator constituted by a relatively movable coil and magnet assembly, means mounting one said generator at each of the ends of a front bumper of the vehicle and additional generators on the vehicle above the bumper for responding to deformation of the part of the vehicle at said generators in a collision, said coil and magnet of each generator being so constructed and mounted on the vehicle to be relatively moved, at the time of a collision when the associated part of the vehicle undergoes deformation, to cause an electrical voltage to be induced in the coil, actuator means for a safety device, circuit means transmitting said voltage as an actuation signal to said actuator means to cause the safety device then to become operative, and means in said circuit means to block passage of said voltage until the voltage reaches a predetermined level so that the safety device will only be operated when the rate of deformation of at least one of said parts of the vehicle exceeds a threshold value.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coil and magnet are relatively slidable.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means to block the voltage comprises a Zener diode.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said electrical generators on said bumper are connected in series to provide a combined voltage signal for said circuit means.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the two said generators on the bumper are connected in series and each has one-half the sensitivity of the other generators.