Crush sensor for use in a vehicle
First Claim
1. A crush sensor for mounting on a vehicle door having a length for extending along forward and rearward directions of travel of the vehicle, said crush sensor comprising:
- deformable first and second elongated members parallel to each other and closely spaced from one another; and
each of said members having an elongated contact surface which faces an elongated contact surface of the other member, the contact surface of at least one of said members including a generally planar strip having a raised electrically conductive rib extending along its length and protruding from said strip toward the elongated contact surface of the other member, said contact surfaces being normally electrically isolated from one another when said members are closely spaced from one another, said contact surfaces moving into electrical contact with each other upon deformation of at least one of said first and second members;
said contact surface of one of said members having a concave surface area, and said raised electrically conductive rib of the other one of said members having a convex surface area which faces said concave surface area of said contact surface of said one member;
said concave surface area having opposite outer edge portions which lie in a flat plane extending through said raised electrically conductive rib.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A crush sensor (10) includes a deformable first elongated member (20) having a width (W) and a length (L). A deformable second elongated member (30) has a width (W) and a length (L). The first and second members are parallel to each other and are closely spaced from one another. The first member includes an elongated contact surface (22) extending along its length. The second member includes an elongated contact surface (32) extending along its length and facing towards the elongated contact surface of the first member. The contact surface of at least one of the members includes a generally planar strip (34) and a raised electrically conductive rib (36) extending along its length and protruding from the strip toward the contact surface of the other member. The contact surfaces are normally electrically isolated from one another when the members are closely spaced from one another. The contact surfaces move into electrical contact with each other upon deformation of at least one of the first and second members.
21 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A crush sensor for mounting on a vehicle door having a length for extending along forward and rearward directions of travel of the vehicle, said crush sensor comprising:
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deformable first and second elongated members parallel to each other and closely spaced from one another; and each of said members having an elongated contact surface which faces an elongated contact surface of the other member, the contact surface of at least one of said members including a generally planar strip having a raised electrically conductive rib extending along its length and protruding from said strip toward the elongated contact surface of the other member, said contact surfaces being normally electrically isolated from one another when said members are closely spaced from one another, said contact surfaces moving into electrical contact with each other upon deformation of at least one of said first and second members; said contact surface of one of said members having a concave surface area, and said raised electrically conductive rib of the other one of said members having a convex surface area which faces said concave surface area of said contact surface of said one member; said concave surface area having opposite outer edge portions which lie in a flat plane extending through said raised electrically conductive rib.
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2. A crush sensor for mounting on a vehicle door having a length for extending along forward and rearward directions of travel of the vehicle, said crush sensor comprising:
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deformable first and second elongated members parallel to each other and closely spaced from one another; and each of said members having an elongated contact surface which faces an elongated contact surface of the other member, the contact surface of at least one of said members including a generally planar strip having a raised electrically conductive rib extending along its length and protruding from said strip toward the elongated contact surface of the other member, said contact surfaces being normally electrically isolated from one another when said members are closely spaced from one another, said raised electrically conductive rib on the at least one member and the contact surface on the other member moving into electrical contact with each other upon deformation of at least one of said first and second members. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification