Optical occupant restraint activation sensor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An occupant restraint activation sensor for an automotive vehicle having a body, the sensor comprising:
- a light source carried on said vehicle;
a light transmission module extending laterally across a frontal area of said vehicle in optical communication with said light source; and
a photo responsive detector in optical communication with said light transmission module, said light transmission module being supported on structural body members of said vehicle, the substantial deflection thereof being indicative of the occurrence of the imposition of a predetermined impact load on the vehicle body and being operative in response to said load imposition to fracture said light transmission module, thereby severing optical communication between said light source and said photo responsive detector.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An occupant restraint activation sensor includes a light source and a photo responsive detector in optical communication through a light pipe. The severing of this communication by fracturing of the light pipe being indicative of the occurrence of a predetermined impact load on the vehicle because of the mounting of the light pipe on a vehicle structural member whose deflection indicates the occurrence of such a load.
-
Citations
10 Claims
-
1. An occupant restraint activation sensor for an automotive vehicle having a body, the sensor comprising:
-
a light source carried on said vehicle; a light transmission module extending laterally across a frontal area of said vehicle in optical communication with said light source; and a photo responsive detector in optical communication with said light transmission module, said light transmission module being supported on structural body members of said vehicle, the substantial deflection thereof being indicative of the occurrence of the imposition of a predetermined impact load on the vehicle body and being operative in response to said load imposition to fracture said light transmission module, thereby severing optical communication between said light source and said photo responsive detector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. An occupant restraint activation sensor for an automotive vehicle having a body, the sensor comprising:
-
a light source carried on said vehicle; a light transmission module extending laterally across a frontal area of said vehicle in optical communication with said light source; a photo responsive detector in communication with said light transmission module; signal transmission means operative to activate the vehicle occupant restraint only when optical communication between said source and said photo responsive detector is severed in response to imposition of an impact load of predetermined magnitude on said vehicle; and wherein a signal return module is positioned on the other side of said vehicle body, said signal return module including reversing means operative to reverse optical communication laterally across said vehicle body.
-
Specification