Protective structures for air sensors in a vehicle body structure

• US 9,573,544 B1
• Filed: 08/24/2015
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hammoud, Jeffery, Conner, Dana, Ghannam, Mahmoud Yousef, Carremm, Swadad A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Drew
• Application Number:
  US14/833,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20170057443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/04 arranged at the vehicle sides panel mounted arm-rests B60N2/78; wall liners B60R13/02; door edge guards B60R13/043; padded linings associated with the side doors B60R21/0428
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• 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: B60R 21/21 in vehicle side panels, e.g. doors pillar mounted arrangements B60R21/213
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/0636 using particle filters

Abstract

A pair of vehicle door panels defines a cavity. An air sensor has an air inlet protruding into the cavity and senses an air pressure within the cavity. A shield covers the air inlet, has at least one side wall extending away from the air inlet, and defines a chamber configured to collapse in response to an increase in the air pressure to excite the air sensor.

Claims

1. A door assembly comprising:

a pair of panels forming a cavity therebetween;

an air sensor having an air inlet protruding into the cavity and configured to sense a pressure within the cavity; and

a shield disposed over the air inlet, having at least one corrugated side wall extending away from the air inlet, and defining a chamber configured to fold to collapse in response to an increase in the pressure to excite the air sensor.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the shield further includes a top defining a plurality of perforations and wherein each of the perforations is less than 1 mm across to facilitate a flow of air between the cavity and chamber.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the shield has a flat top cone shape.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the shield has a dome shape.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the shield has a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the pair of panels are door panels.

7. A vehicle comprising:

a door assembly defining a cavity;

an air sensor configured to sense a pressure within the cavity;

a flexible shield covering the air sensor, including at least one corrugated side wall configured to fold when collapsing, defining a chamber within the cavity, and configured to collapse in response to an increase in the pressure; and

a controller configured to, in response to a signal from the air sensor indicating an increase in the pressure greater than a threshold, command deployment of an airbag.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the at least one corrugated side wall further defines a plurality of perforations and wherein each of the perforations is less than 1 mm across to facilitate a flow of air between the cavity and chamber.

9. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the shield includes a top defining a plurality of perforations and wherein each of the perforations is less than 1 mm across to facilitate a flow of air between the cavity and chamber.

10. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the door assembly is a driver side door assembly, a passenger side door assembly, or a rear door assembly.

11. A door assembly comprising:

an inner panel joined with an exterior panel to form a cavity therebetween;

an air sensor supported by the inner panel and configured to sense an air pressure in the cavity; and

a shield covering the air sensor, including a corrugated side wall, defining a chamber within the cavity, and configured to fold to reduce a volume of the chamber in response to an increase in the air pressure.

12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the corrugated side wall includes a plurality of perforations and wherein each of the perforations is less than 1 mm across to facilitate a flow of air between the cavity and chamber.

13. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the shield includes a top defining a plurality of perforations and wherein each of the perforations is less than 1 mm across to facilitate a flow of air between the cavity and chamber.

14. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the shield has a flat top cone shape.

15. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the shield has a dome shape.

16. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the shield has a rectangular parallelepiped shape.