Impact-sensor mounting structure for an automotive vehicle

• US 5,311,963 A
• Filed: 06/25/1992
• Issued: 05/17/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Tokuda, Makoto, Makimoto, Susumu, Egawa, Shinpei, Shigeoka, Tadayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): FERRITER, KARIN L
• Application Number:
  US07/903,224
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 280/734, 280/735, 180/282, 180/274, 180/68.6, 180/68.4, 180/291, 180/297, 293/4, 200/61.44, 200/61.45, 296/194
• US Class Current: 180/274
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/15 having impact absorbing means, e.g. a frame designed to permanently or temporarily change shape or dimension upon impact with another body bumpers B60R19/02; shock absorbers in general F16F

Abstract

An impact sensor is mounted to the front portion of a vehicle body so as to operate with a desired responsiveness. The impact sensor is located below a horizontal line passing through the upper end portion of a stiffener for a bumper of the vehicle and behind a vertical line passing through a front end portion of the stiffener. The stiffener is stiffer than a portion of the bumper which is located on a horizontal line passing through the stiffener. Crash energy is not transmitted to the impact sensor during a light crash and, as a result, the air bag is not inappropriately inflated during such a light crash.

Claims

1. A front structure for a short nose automobile vehicle comprising:

a pair of horizontally extending elongated front frame members extending in the longitudinal direction of the automobile vehicle from front to back and being in parallel spaced relationship on opposite sides of a longitudinal centerline of the automobile vehicle;

a cross member fixed to the bottom of the forward end portions of the frame members;

a front bumper extending transversely of the automobile vehicle and being composed of a rigid bumper reinforcement and an energy absorbing material mounted on the forward side of the rigid bumper reinforcement;

a stay, said stay fixing the rigid bumper reinforcement to the forward end of each of said front frame members;

a vertically oriented rigid shroud panel extending transversely across the automobile vehicle to define the forward end of the automobile vehicle engine room, the bottom part of said shroud panel being fixed to the front frame members;

a rigid shroud member extending transversely across the automobile vehicle and being fixed to the upper part of said shroud panel;

a stiffener member extending vertically on the centerline of the automobile vehicle and fixed at its lower portion to the cross member and at its upper portion to the rigid shroud member, said stiffener member having greater stiffness than the forward end of the bumper; and

an impact sensor mounted on the rigid shroud member on the centerline of the automobile vehicle, behind the stiffener member, below the top end of the stiffener member and vertically spaced above the horizontal level of the front bumper.

2. A front structure according to claim 1 wherein the impact sensor is mounted directly on the rigid shroud member.

3. A front structure according to claim 1 and further comprising an intermediate structure provided between the impact sensor and the rigid shroud member to which the impact sensor is connected.

4. A front structure according to claim 3 wherein the intermediate structure is a heat exchanger.

5. A front structure according to claim 3 wherein the intermediate structure is a fan cowling.