Sensor assembly

• US 7,733,219 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2008
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Eguchi, Yoshimasa, Kamei, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo; Lisa M
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUNLAP, JONATHAN M
• Application Number:
  US12/187,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20090038403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 73775-777, 737/65, 737/78, 293/102, 293/117, 340/436, 180/274, 280734-735, 296/187.04, 296/187.09
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/483 with obstacle sensors of electric or electronic type
• 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 1/16 using properties of piezoelectric devices

Abstract

A sensor assembly includes a elongate article and a plurality of elongate piezoelectric elements provided to the elongate article. Each of the piezoelectric elements is configured so that when a load is applied in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the piezoelectric element, a short axis direction of the piezoelectric element becomes a sensitivity direction in which a voltage is generated, and a major axis direction becomes a non-sensitivity direction in which a voltage is not generated.

Claims

1. A sensor assembly, comprising:

an elongated article secured to a vehicle body;

a sensor element comprised of at least a first elongated piezoelectric element stacked above and spaced from a second elongated piezoelectric element disposed along a longitudinal direction of the elongated article;

a first member disposed further from the vehicle body than the sensor element and having at least first and second load-transmitting parts extending toward the sensor element; and

a second member disposed between the first member and the elongated article of the vehicle body for supporting the sensor element such that the first elongated piezoelectric element is disposed on an upper portion of the second member and the second elongated piezoelectric element is disposed on a lower portion of the second member,

wherein the first member and the second member are positioned relative to each other in a vertical direction using a positioning part, whereby the first load-transmitting part is made to face the sensor element in a vertical position corresponding to that of the first elongated piezoelectric element and the second load-transmitting part is made to face the sensor element in a vertical position corresponding to that of the second elongated piezoelectric element.

2. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the first member has a mounting part to be mounted to the elongated article of the vehicle body, and the mounting pant is configured so as to limit movement of the first member and the elongated article vehicle body only to a direction away from each other.

3. The sensor assembly of claim 2, wherein the positioning part is provided between the mounting part and the second member.

4. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the positioning part has a plurality of positioning holes formed in the second member and a plurality of insertion parts capable of being inserted into the positioning holes, and the insertion parts are introduced through the positioning holes, whereby the first member and the second member are positioned relative to each other in the vertical direction.

5. The sensor assembly of claim 4, wherein the first load-transmitting part is provided above the insertion part and the second load-transmitting part is provided below the insertion part.

6. The sensor assembly of claim 4, wherein the first load-transmitting part and the first elongated piezoelectric element of the sensor element are provided above the insertion part and the second load-transmitting part and second elongated piezoelectric element of the sensor element are provided below the insertion part.

7. The sensor assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of upper mounting parts and lower mounting parts for mounting the first member to the elongated article of the vehicle body, wherein the positioning part is at least partially provided on the first member and the first load-transmitting part is vertically positioned between the upper mounting parts and the positioning part provided on the first member and the second load-transmitting part is positioned between the lower mounting parts and the positioning part provided on the first member.

8. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second elongated piezoelectric elements of the sensor element are comprised of a polyvinylidene fluoride piezoelectric film, and when the sensor element is disposed on the elongated article, the longitudinal direction of the sensor element is in alignment with the longitudinal direction of the elongated article.

9. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor element is configured such that when a load acts in a direction that is perpendicular to a surface of the piezoelectric element, a short axis direction of the elongated sensor element becomes a sensitivity direction in which a voltage is generated, and a longitudinal direction that is a major axis direction becomes a non-sensitivity direction in which a voltage is not generated.