Vehicle impact detection apparatus and method

• US 6,329,910 B1
• Filed: 02/26/2000
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Farrington, Andrew Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US09/514,072
• Time in Patent Office: 654 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/436, 340/438, 340/439, 340/903, 180/282, 280/735, 701/301
• US Class Current: 340/436
• 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: G01P 15/11 by inductive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/122 by metal resistance strain gauges, e.g. wire resistance strain gauges

Abstract

A vehicle impact detection apparatus has a sensor for sensing impact of an object against a vehicle. A safety device, such as an external airbag or a deployable hood is actuatable on receipt of a firing signal from the sensor. The vehicle impact detection apparatus has a magnetostrictive sensor and a stress-conducting member in the form of an elongate metal bar in the lower air dam area of the bumper of the vehicle. The signal from the sensor is analyzed to determine information about the impact.

Claims

1. A vehicle impact detection apparatus for protecting an object external of the vehicle comprising

a magnetostrictive sensor for sensing the actual occurrence of an impact of an object with a vehicle,

a control unit for processing data collected from the magnetostrictive sensor about the impact with the object, the control unit determines the location on the vehicle that is impacted by the object and determines if the object is a vulnerable road user, wherein the vulnerable road user is selected from the group consisting of pedestrians, cyclists, animals, and motorcyclists, and

a safety device actuatable on receipt of a firing signal from the control unit for protecting the vulnerable road user.

2. The vehicle impact detection apparatus for protecting an object external of the vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the sensor is arranged adjacent to a part of the body of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle impact detection apparatus for protecting an object external of the vehicle according to claim 2 wherein the body part includes a stress-conducting member.

4. The vehicle impact detection apparatus for protecting an object external of the vehicle according to claim 3 wherein the sensor is arranged adjacent to the stress-conducting member.

5. The vehicle impact detection apparatus for protecting an object external of the vehicle according to claim 3 wherein the stress conducting member is elongated.

6. The vehicle impact detection apparatus for protecting an object external of the vehicle according to claim 5 wherein the stress conducting member is arranged to conduct stress waves along its length.

7. The vehicle impact detection apparatus for protecting an object external of the vehicle according to claim 3 wherein a part of the vehicle body adjacent to the sensor is ferromagnetic.

8. The vehicle impact detection apparatus for protecting an object external of the vehicle according to claim 3 wherein the stress conducting member is included in a bumper or door of the vehicle.

9. The vehicle impact detection apparatus for protecting an object external of the vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the safety device is an airbag arranged to deploy externally of the vehicle so as to cushion the impact of the object against the vehicle.

10. The vehicle impact detection apparatus for protecting an object external of the vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the safety device comprises means for deploying the hood of the vehicle upwardly from its normal position.

11. A vehicle impact detection apparatus for protecting an object external of the vehicle comprising

a magnetostrictive sensor for sensing the actual occurrence of an impact of an object with a vehicle,

a control unit for processing data collected from the magnetostrictive sensor about the impact with the object, and the control unit determines the location on the vehicle that is impacted by the object and determines if the object is a vulnerable road user, wherein the vulnerable road user is selected from the group consisting of pedestrians, cyclists, animals, and motorcyclists, and

a stress conducting member arranged on or forming part of the body of the vehicle, the sensor being arranged to sense stress waves in the stress conducting member and provide a signal to the control unit.

12. The vehicle impact detection apparatus for protecting an object external of the vehicle according to claim 11 wherein the stress conducting member is a body part of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle impact detection apparatus for protecting an object external of the vehicle according to claim 11 wherein the stress conducting member comprises a separate strain element.

14. The vehicle impact detection apparatus for protecting an object external of the vehicle according to claim 11 wherein the stress conducting member is elongate so that stress waves caused by impact with an object are conducted to the sensor without significant dissipation thereof.

15. The vehicle impact detection apparatus for protecting an object external of the vehicle according to claim 11 wherein the stress conducting member is ferromagnetic.

16. The vehicle impact detection apparatus for protecting an object external of the vehicle according to claim 11 wherein a part of the body of the vehicle adjacent the sensor is ferromagnetic.

17. The vehicle impact detection apparatus for protecting an object external of the vehicle according to claim 16 wherein the separate strain element is located in a bumper or door of the vehicle.

18. The vehicle impact detection apparatus for protecting an object external of the vehicle according to claim 17 wherein the bumper or door is made from a plastic material and the strain element is insert molded into the bumper or door.

19. The vehicle impact detection apparatus for protecting an object external of the vehicle according to claim 18 wherein the strain element comprises a strengthening bar.

20. The vehicle impact detection apparatus for protecting an object external of the vehicle according to claim 19 wherein the strengthening bar is in the lower air dam of the bumper structure.

21. A method of analyzing an impact of a vehicle with an object external of the vehicle comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a magnetostrictive sensor on a vehicle;

(b) providing a stress conducting member arranged on or forming part of a vehicle;

(c) providing a control unit;

(d) arranging the sensor adjacent the stress conducting member;

(e) sensing stress waves in the stress conducting member caused from the actual occurrence of an impact of an object with a vehicle;

(f) providing a signal to the control unit; and

(g) analyzing the signal to determine the location on the vehicle that is impacted by the object and to determine if the object is a vulnerable road user, wherein the vulnerable road user is selected from the group consisting of pedestrians, cyclists, animals, and motorcyclists.

22. The method of analyzing an impact of a vehicle with an object external of the vehicle according to claim 21 wherein the step of analyzing the signal comprises configuring the analysis means so as to determine crash characteristics.