Wire collision sensor system

• US 7,364,222 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2005
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Tanabe, Takatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis; Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLANKENSHIP, GREGORY A
• Application Number:
  US11/244,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20060076799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 296/187.03, 296/187.04, 296/18.09, 296/187.1, 296/187.11, 293/102, 293/120, 293132-137, 293/121, 293/4, 180/274
• US Class Current: 296/187.03
• 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 21/34 Protecting non-occupants of a vehicle, e.g. pedestrians B60R19/02 takes precedence

Abstract

A wire collision sensor system for a vehicle, which includes a vehicle body, includes a bumper, a wire, a wire deformation sensor and a determination circuit. The bumper is mounted on a longitudinal end portion of the vehicle body. The wire, which senses a collision of the vehicle, is received in the bumper and extends along the bumper in a transverse direction of the vehicle. The wire is connected to at least one of the vehicle body and the bumper at both ends in such a manner that the wire is displaceable in a longitudinal direction of the wire. The wire deformation sensor electrically senses a physical quantity, which is associated with a deformation of the wire at a time of the collision. The wire deformation sensor transmits an output, which indicates the sensed physical quantity. The determination circuit determines a state of the collision based on the output.

Claims

1. A wire collision sensor system for a vehicle, which includes a vehicle body, the wire collision sensor system comprising:

a bumper, which is mounted on a longitudinal end portion of the vehicle body;

a wire for sensing a collision of the vehicle, wherein;

the wire is received in the bumper;

the wire extends along the bumper in a transverse direction of the vehicle; and

the wire is connected to at least one of the vehicle body and the bumper at both ends in such a manner that the wire is displaceable in a longitudinal direction of the wire;

a wire deformation sensor for electrically sensing a physical quantity, which is associated with a deformation of the wire at a time of the collision, wherein the wire deformation sensor transmits an output, which indicates the sensed physical quantity;

a determination circuit for determining a state of the collision based on the output, which is transmitted by the wire deformation sensor; and

a slack take-up member, which takes up slack of the wire, wherein;

the slack take-up member displaces the wire in the longitudinal direction of the wire at the time of the collision;

the physical quantity, which is sensed by the wire deformation sensor, is an amount of wire displacement in the longitudinal direction of the wire; and

the wire deformation sensor converts the amount of wire displacement in the longitudinal direction of the wire into an electrical signal.

2. The wire collision sensor system according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle body includes a bumper reinforcement on the longitudinal end portion of the vehicle body, wherein the bumper is mounted on the bumper reinforcement; and

the bumper includes a bumper absorber and a bumper cover, which are ranged such that the bumper reinforcement the bumper absorber and the bumper cover are provided in this order in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body;

the bumper cover covers at least an outer surface of the bumper absorber; and

the wire is located between the bumper absorber and the bumper cover.

3. The wire collision sensor system according to claim 2, further comprising a tube, into which the wire is inserted.

4. The wire collision sensor system according to claim 3, wherein the tube receives at least one of the following:

a lubricant; and

a friction coefficient reducing member, which reduces friction resistance between the wire and an inner surface of the tube.

5. The wire collision sensor system according to claim 2, further comprising a plurality of projection members, which are ranged at predetermined intervals for slidably supporting the wire, wherein the plurality of projection members is supported by the bumper cover.

6. The wire collision sensor system according to claim 2, wherein the wire is supported by the bumper absorber.

7. The wire collision sensor system according to claim 6, further comprising a plurality of projection members, which are arranged at predetermined intervals for slidably supporting the wire, wherein the plurality of projection members is supported by the bumper absorber.

8. The wire collision sensor system according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle body includes a bumper reinforcement on the longitudinal end portion of the vehicle body; and

the both ends of the wire are finally connected with the bumper reinforcement.

9. The wire collision sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the slack take-up member, which takes up the slack of the wire, includes an elastic member.

10. The wire collision sensor system according to claim 9, wherein the elastic member includes a coil spring, which is connected with the wire in series.

11. The wire collision sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the wire deformation sensor is a first wire deformation sensor for electrically sensing a corresponding physical quantity, the wire collision sensor system further comprising a second wire deportation sensor for electrically sensing a corresponding physical quantity, which is associated with a deformation of the wire at the time of the collision, wherein:

the first and second wire deformation sensors transmit corresponding outputs, which indicate the sensed corresponding physical quantities; and

the determination circuit for determining a state of the collision based on a difference between the corresponding outputs, which are transmitted by the first and second wire deformation sensors.