Magnetic crash sensor

• US 8,180,585 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2009
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Acquisition, LLC
• Original Assignee: TK Holdings Incorporated (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Cech, Leonard S., Watson, William Todd, Baal, James D., Bauer, Scott E., Bomya, Timothy J., Smith, Richard W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barbee, Manuel L
• Application Number:
  US12/483,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20090319212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 702/65, 702/66, 702/72, 702/141, 324/209, 324/228, 324/233, 324/239, 324/240, 324/207.17, 324326-329, 701 45- 48, 701/1, 701/36, 280/735, 180/232, 738/626.9
• US Class Current: 702/65
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/02 Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects B60R19/56 takes precedence; initiating brake action by contact of bumper with an external object B60T7/22; for rail vehicles B61F19/04; safety equipment for cycles B62J27/00; integral with waterborne vessels or specially adapted therefor B63B59/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/003 characterised by occupant or pedestian
• 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 magnetic field is generated by at least one coil in magnetic communication with at least a portion of a vehicle responsive to a first time-varying signal operatively coupled to the at least one coil in series with a sense resistor. A second signal is generated responsive to a voltage across the sense resistor and is response to a magnetic condition of the at least one coil, which is response to the magnetic communication of the at least one coil with the portion of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A magnetic crash sensor, comprising:

a. at least one coil in magnetic communication with at least a portion of a vehicle, wherein said at least said portion of said vehicle in magnetic communication with said at least one coil is susceptible to deformation responsive to a crash;

b. a signal source operatively associated with said at least one coil, wherein said signal source provides for generating a first time-varying signal, and said first time-varying signal is operatively coupled to said at least one coil so as to cause said at least one coil to generate a magnetic field; and

c. at least one circuit, wherein said at least one circuit comprises at least one sense resistor in series with said at least one coil, said current through said at least one coil and through said at least one sense resistor is responsive to said first time-varying signal, said first time-varying signal comprises a time-varying voltage, said current through said at least one coil and through said at least one sense resistor is also responsive to a magnetic condition of said at least one coil, and said magnetic condition is responsive to said magnetic communication of said at least one coil with said portion of said vehicle, and said at least one circuit generates a second signal responsive to a voltage across said at least one sense resistor.

2. A magnetic crash sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one coil comprises a plurality of coil elements, wherein said plurality of coil elements are electrically interconnected in series with one another, and said plurality of coil elements are proximate to and are adapted to span a substantial region of a body or structural element of said vehicle, wherein said body or structural element of said vehicle is susceptible to deformation responsive to a crash.

3. A magnetic crash sensor as recited in claim 2, wherein said plurality of coil elements are operatively coupled to a substrate.

4. A magnetic crash sensor as recited in claim 1, further comprising a conductive element adapted to cooperate with said at least one coil so as to provide for shaping, controlling or limiting said magnetic field generated by said at least one coil.

5. A magnetic crash sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one coil is adapted to magnetically cooperate with a gap between two portions of a body or structure of said vehicle.

6. A magnetic crash sensor as recited in claim 5, wherein said gap is in series with a magnetic circuit of said vehicle.

7. A magnetic crash sensor as recited in claim 5, wherein at least one axis of a corresponding said at least one coil is oriented substantially perpendicular to a surface bounding said gap.

8. A magnetic crash sensor as recited in claim 5, wherein at least one axis of a corresponding said at least one coil is oriented substantially parallel to a surface bounding said gap.

9. A magnetic crash sensor as recited in claim 5, wherein said at least one coil is bonded to a surface bounding said gap.

10. A magnetic crash sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one coil comprises a ferromagnetic core.

11. A magnetic crash sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one coil is operatively coupled to said body or structure of said vehicle with a fastener through a central portion of said at least one coil.

12. A magnetic crash sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one coil is located between an outward facing surface of said body or structure of said vehicle and an inward facing surface of a proximate door of said vehicle.

13. A magnetic crash sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one said coil comprises a toroidal helical coil.

14. A magnetic crash sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein said signal source comprises an oscillator.

15. A magnetic crash sensor as recited in claim 14, wherein said first time-varying signal comprises a sinusoidal signal.

16. A magnetic crash sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one circuit comprises at least one demodulator adapted to generate a third signal responsive to said second signal, and said third signal is responsive to a component of said second signal that is in-phase with said first time-varying signal.

17. A magnetic crash sensor as recited in claim 16, further comprising a safety restraint system, wherein an actuation of said safety restraint system is controlled responsive to at least said third signal.

18. A magnetic crash sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one circuit comprises at least one demodulator adapted to generate third and fourth signals responsive to said second signal, said third signal is responsive to a component of said second signal that is in-phase with said first time-varying signal, and said fourth signal is responsive to a component of said second signal that is in quadrature-phase with respect to said first time-varying signal.

19. A magnetic crash sensor as recited in claim 18, wherein said third and fourth signals are responsive to, or provide a measure of, a self-impedance of said at least one coil.

20. A magnetic crash sensor as recited in claim 18, further comprising a safety restraint system, wherein an actuation of said safety restraint system is controlled responsive to at least said third and fourth signals.

21. A magnetic crash sensor as recited in claim 1, further comprising a safety restraint system, wherein an actuation of said safety restraint system is controlled responsive to said second signal.

22. A magnetic crash sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one circuit comprises at least one element of the group consisting of a discrete electrical component, an analog circuit element, a logic circuit element, a logic array, and a computer processor.