Collision detection sensor for vehicle

• US 7,868,748 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2008
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kiribayashi, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fan, Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US12/217,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20090015391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 340/436, 340/435, 701/45, 180/274, 180/268, 280/735, 293/107, 293/110, 293/117
• 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

Abstract

A chamber room is located between a bumper reinforcement and a bumper cover in a vehicle front-rear direction. The chamber room is deformed with a relative movement of the bumper cover to the bumper reinforcement in the event of the collision. A pressure sensor is located in the chamber room to detect a pressure change in the chamber room. A touch sensor is located between the bumper reinforcement and the bumper cover to detect contact with the bumper cover. The touch sensor and the chamber room are located at different positions in a vehicle top-bottom direction. It is determined whether collision occurs based on the detection results of the pressure sensor and the touch sensor.

Claims

1. A collision detection sensor for detecting a collision of a vehicle with an object, the collision detection sensor comprising:

a bumper reinforcement extending in a vehicle left-right direction;

a bumper cover located to cover space ahead of the bumper reinforcement in a vehicle front-rear direction, the bumper cover being configured to move toward a vehicle rear direction relative to the bumper reinforcement in the event of the collision;

a chamber member defining a chamber room therein and located between the bumper reinforcement and the bumper cover, the chamber room being deformed with the relative movement of the bumper cover to the bumper reinforcement;

a movable member configured to move with the relative movement of the bumper cover to the bumper reinforcement;

a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure change in the chamber room;

a touch sensor located ahead of the bumper reinforcement in the vehicle front-rear direction and detecting contact with the movable member, the touch sensor and the chamber room being located at different positions in a vehicle top-bottom direction; and

a determination circuit that determines whether the collision occurs based on the detection results of the pressure sensor and the touch sensor,

wherein the chamber member includes a body portion and an extension portion integrally formed with the body portion, the body portion defining the chamber room, the extension portion extending outward from an outer surface of the body portion, and

wherein the touch sensor is mounted to the extension portion.

2. The collision detection sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the determination circuit determines whether the collision occurs based on the detection result of the pressure sensor, only when the touch sensor detects the contact with the movable member.

3. The collision detection sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the touch sensor is located below the chamber room in the vehicle top-bottom direction.

4. The collision detection sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a bumper absorber located between the bumper reinforcement and the bumper cover in the vehicle front-rear direction and located below the chamber room in the vehicle top-bottom direction, the bumper absorber being configured to absorb impact force caused by the collision,

wherein the extension portion of the chamber member is located between the bumper reinforcement and the bumper absorber in the vehicle front-rear direction, and

wherein the movable member is a portion of the bumper absorber.

5. The collision detection sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a bumper absorber located between the bumper reinforcement and the bumper cover in the vehicle front-rear direction and located below the chamber room in the vehicle top-bottom direction, the bumper absorber being configured to absorb impact force caused by the collision,

wherein the extension portion of the chamber member is located between the bumper cover and the bumper absorber in the vehicle front-rear direction, and

wherein the movable member is a portion of the bumper cover.

6. The collision detection sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the touch sensor is mounted to a front surface of the bumper reinforcement in the vehicle front-rear direction.

7. The collision detection sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a bumper absorber located between the bumper reinforcement and the bumper cover in the vehicle front-rear direction and located below the chamber room in the vehicle top-bottom direction, the bumper absorber being configured to absorb impact force caused by the collision,

wherein the touch sensor is mounted to a front surface of the bumper absorber in the vehicle front-rear direction.

8. A collision detection sensor for detecting a collision of a vehicle with an object, the collision detection sensor comprising:

a bumper reinforcement extending in a vehicle left-right direction;

a bumper cover located to cover space ahead of the bumper reinforcement in a vehicle front-rear direction, the bumper cover being configured to move toward a vehicle rear direction relative to the bumper reinforcement in the event of the collision;

a chamber member defining a chamber room therein and located between the bumper reinforcement and the bumper cover, the chamber room being deformed with the relative movement of the bumper cover to the bumper reinforcement;

a movable member configured to move with the relative movement of the bumper cover to the bumper reinforcement;

a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure change in the chamber room;

a touch sensor located ahead of the bumper reinforcement in the vehicle front-rear direction and detecting contact with the movable member, the touch sensor and the chamber room being located at different positions in a vehicle top-bottom direction;

a determination circuit that determines whether the collision occurs based on the detection results of the pressure sensor and the touch sensor; and

a bumper absorber located between the bumper reinforcement and the bumper cover in the vehicle front-rear direction and located below the chamber room in the vehicle top-bottom direction, the bumper absorber being configured to absorb impact force caused by the collision,

wherein the touch sensor is mounted to a front surface of the bumper absorber in the vehicle front-rear direction.

9. The collision detection sensor according to claim 8,

wherein the determination circuit determines whether the collision occurs based on the detection result of the pressure sensor, only when the touch sensor detects the contact with the movable member.

10. The collision detection sensor according to claim 8,

wherein the touch sensor is located below the chamber room in the vehicle top-bottom direction.

11. The collision detection sensor according to claim 8,

wherein the chamber member includes a body portion and an extension portion integrally formed with the body portion, the body portion defining the chamber room, the extension portion extending outward from an outer surface of the body portion, and

wherein the touch sensor is mounted to the extension portion.

12. The collision detection sensor according to claim 11,

wherein the extension portion of the chamber member is located between the bumper reinforcement and the bumper absorber in the vehicle front-rear direction, and

wherein the movable member is a portion of the bumper absorber.

13. The collision detection sensor according to claim 11,

wherein the extension portion of the chamber member is located between the bumper cover and the bumper absorber in the vehicle front-rear direction, and

wherein the movable member is a portion of the bumper cover.

14. The collision detection sensor according to claim 8,

wherein the touch sensor is mounted to a front surface of the bumper reinforcement in the vehicle front-rear direction.