Collision detection device

Details Collision detection device Collision detection device

1997-10-14

1999-05-04

Hofsass, Jeffery A.

Communications: electrical

Land vehicle alarms or indicators

Of collision or contact with external object

180282, 280735, 307 101, 701 45, 701 46, B60Q 100

Patent

active

059008075

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a vehicle collision detection device, especially for actuating passenger safety devices in accordance with a direction of a collision.


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is a collision detection device which detects front and side collisions of a vehicle respectively and then actuates air bags for front and side collisions respectively. In this collision detection device, acceleration data detected in three directions, namely front, right and left directions, by acceleration sensors installed in the longitudinal and lateral directions are individually treated then air bags for front and side collisions are respectively actuated. And there is a further proposed collision detection device of which a utilization range is expanded to an oblique collision and which avoids an inflation of a side air bag at the time of a front collision, wherein acceleration informations in the three directions are composed and treated as a composite vector (Refer to Japanese Laid Open No.H6-55993 and H6-56000).
In more detail, this device detects accelerations Gy and Gx in longitudinal and lateral directions respectively as shown in FIG. 6 and obtains values fy and fx by integrating the accelerations Gy and Gx with respect to time. Then, the values fy and fx are composed as a composite vector f concerning the collision. Concretely, a magnitude of the collision is calculated according to a formula of (fx.sup.2 +fy.sup.2).sup.1/2, and the direction of the collision is calculated according to a formula of .theta.=tan.sup.-1 (fx/fy).
And a threshold value is set for the magnitude The necessities of actuations concerning air bags are judged from a result of a comparison between the threshold value and the magnitude. Further, an air bag to be inflated is selected according to the direction .theta..
However, the actual collision situation is so complicated that not only the magnitude but also the direction of the collision as shown by the above vector f change every moment. For example, we assume that an end of the vector f changes along a chain double-dashed line 40 as shown in the drawing. In this case, a definition of the direction .theta., .theta.' or .theta." depends on a way of setting threshold value 41, or 42. Consequently, there is a problem in which combinations of the magnitudes and the directions of the vector f are so innumerable that the way of setting threshold value becomes complicated.
This invention is made to solve these problems possessed by the conventional art, and the object of the present invention is offering a collision detection device which can actuate suitable passenger safety devices after selecting them from a plurality of passenger safety devices even when not only the magnitude but also the direction concerning acceleration of a collision change every moment.


THE DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The collision detection device of this invention actuates appropriately two or more types of passenger safety devices which are installed on a vehicle and respectively have different performances depending on collision types such as a front collision and a side collision. And it comprises two acceleration sensors installed in different directions respectively and a controller for selecting and actuating suitable passenger safety devices from the plurality of passenger safety devices according to a direction of a collision when recognizing the collision on the basis of each acceleration detected by the two acceleration sensors. The controller has collision detecting axes related with the plurality of passenger safety devices respectively. The collision detecting axes are preset in such directions as the collision could be detected in. For example, the directions are the longitudinal, right and left directions and further at least one additional direction which is different from the aforesaid longitudinal, right and left directions. The controller arithmetically obtains components along each of the collision detecting axis with respect to the two accelerations detected by the

REFERENCES:
patent: 5173614 (1992-12-01), Woehrl et al.
patent: 5189311 (1993-02-01), Moriyama et al.
patent: 5202831 (1993-04-01), Blackburn et al.
patent: 5247466 (1993-09-01), Shimada et al.
patent: 5587906 (1996-12-01), McIver et al.
patent: 5608628 (1997-03-01), Drexler et al.
patent: 5610817 (1997-03-01), Mahon et al.
patent: 5740041 (1998-04-01), Iyoda

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Collision detection device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Collision detection device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Collision detection device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1872261