Impulse sensor

• US 7,520,157 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2007
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Hitachi Cable Limited (Proterial Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Cable Limited (Proterial Ltd.)
• Inventors: Iyoda, Motomi, Abe, Tomiya, Nakagawa, Yukio, Suzuki, Akira, Narita, Sotaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Harshad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kirkland, III; Freddie
• Application Number:
  US11/649,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20070180891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 73/120.1, 73/120.9, 180/274, 280/735, 385/12, 385/13
• US Class Current: 73/12.09
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01095 optical
• 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: G01L 1/243 using means for applying force perpendicular to the fibre axis

Abstract

An impulse sensor having: a long elastic structure formed of a material to be deformed according to an impulse; a cable insertion hole formed in the elastic structure; and a cable inserted through the cable insertion hole, the cable being operable to cause a variation in propagation energy due to its deformation. A distance from a central line of the cable to an outer surface of the elastic structure is varied in a longitudinal direction of the elastic structure.

Claims

1. An impulse sensor, comprising:

a long elastic structure comprising a material to be deformed according to an impulse;

a plurality of protruding portions provided longitudinally along the long elastic structure at a predetermined pitch;

a cable insertion hole formed in the elastic structure; and

a cable inserted through the cable insertion hole, the cable being operable to cause a variation in propagation energy due to its deformation,

wherein a distance from a central line of the cable to an outer surface of the elastic structure is varied in a longitudinal direction of the elastic structure, and

wherein the sensitivity of the impulse sensor for sensing the impulse is varied in positions longitudinally along the impulse sensor.

2. The impulse sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

the cable comprises a synthetic resin optical fiber.

3. The impulse sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of sensitivity sections for sensing the impulse, wherein the plurality of sensitivity section are spaced in positions longitudinally along the elastic structure.

4. An impulse sensor, comprising:

a long elastic structure comprising a material to be deformed according to an impulse;

a plurality of protruding portions provided longitudinally along the long elastic structure at a predetermined pitch;

a cable insertion hole formed in the elastic structure; and

a cable inserted through the cable insertion hole, the cable being operable to cause a variation in propagation energy due to its deformation,

wherein an inside diameter of the cable insertion hole is varied in a longitudinal direction of the elastic structure, and

wherein the sensitivity of the impulse sensor for sensing the impulse is varied in positions longitudinally along the impulse sensor.

5. The impulse sensor according to claim 4, wherein:

the cable comprises a synthetic resin optical fiber.

6. An impulse sensor, comprising:

a long elastic structure comprising a material to be deformed according to an impulse;

a plurality of protruding portions provided longitudinally along the long elastic structure at a predetermined pitch;

a cable insertion hole formed in the elastic structure; and

a cable inserted through the cable insertion hole, the cable being operable to acuse a variation in propagation energy due to its deformation,

wherein an outside diameter of the cable is varied in a longitudinal direction of the elastic structure, and

wherein the sensitivity of the impulse sensor for sensing the impulse is varied in positions longitudinally along the impulse sensor.

7. The impulse sensor according to claim 6, wherein:

the cable comprises a synthetic resin optical fiber.

8. An impulse sensor, comprising:

a long elastic structure comprising a material to be deformed according to an impulse;

a plurality of protruding portions provided longitudinally along the long elastic structure at a predetermined pitch;

a cable insertion hole formed in the elastic structure; and

a cable inserted through the cable insertion hole, the cable being operable to cause a variation in propagation energy due to its deformation,

wherein two or more of a distance from a central line of the cable to an outer surface of the elastic structure, an inside diameter of the cable insertion hole and an outside diameter of the cable are varied in a longitudinal direction of the elastic structure, and

wherein the sensitivity of the impulse sensor for sensing the impulse is varied in positions longitudinally along the impulse sensor.

9. An impulse sensor, comprising:

a long elastic structure disposed along a front bumper of a vehicle and comprising a material to be deformed according to an impulse;

a plurality of protruding portions provided longitudinally along the long elastic structure at a predetermined pitch;

a cable insertion hole formed in the elastic structure; and

a cable inserted through the cable insertion hole, cable being operable to cause a variation in propagation energy due to its deformation,

wherein one or more of a distance from a central line of the cable to an outer surface of the elastic structure, an inside diameter of the cable insertion hole and an outside diameter of the cable is different between a middle portion of the front bumper and an end portion of the front bumper in a longitudinal direction of the front bumper, and

wherein the sensitivity of the impulse sensor for sensing the impulse is varied in positions longitudinally along the impulse sensor.

10. The impulse sensor according to claim 9, wherein:

the distance from the central line of the cable to The outer surface of the elastic structure is shorter at the middle portion of the front bumper than that at the end portion of the front bumper in the longitudinal direction of the front bumper.

11. The impulse sensor according to claim 9, wherein:

the inside diameter of the cable insertion hole is smaller at the middle portion of the front bumper than that at the end portion of the front bumper in the longitudinal direction of the front bumper.

12. The impulse sensor according to claim 9, wherein:

the outside diameter of the able is greater at the middle portion of the front bumper than that at the end portion of the front bumper in the longitudinal direction of the front bumper.