Motor vehicles – With means for promoting safety of vehicle – its occupant or... – Responsive to engagement of portion of perimeter of vehicle...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-24
2003-05-13
Culbreth, Eric (Department: 3616)
Motor vehicles
With means for promoting safety of vehicle, its occupant or...
Responsive to engagement of portion of perimeter of vehicle...
C280S734000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06561301
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles for presuming a collision object collided against the vehicle on the basis of the deformed amount of a collided portion caused by the collision of the collision object against the vehicle, and the vehicle speed when the vehicle collided.
The present invention also relates to a collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles comprising a collision object presuming means for presuming a collision object on the basis of an output signal from a collision detection means for detecting collision from deformation of a collided surface of the vehicle, the apparatus comprising a judgement means for judging the collision object from the strength of collision by comparing an electric signal from an electrostatic capacity type collision detection sensor for detecting a change of electrostatic capacity accompanied by collision of a dielectric comprising opposed electrodes disposed with a suitable distance therebetween on the collided surface and an elastic substance interposed between the opposed electrodes, with data on a map prepared for every vehicle speed in advance and stored to thereby judge the collision object the strength of the collision.
The present invention further relates to a collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles in which pressure of a incompressive fluid within a chamber of a detection portion mounted on a part of the vehicle is detected at the time of collision with a collision object, and the collision object is presumed by a rising pattern of a pressure waveform resulting from collision with the collision object on the basis of a pressure signal within the chamber according to the collision with the collision object detected.
The present invention further relates to a collision discriminating apparatus for a vehicle comprising a collision detection means for detecting, in the collision between the vehicle and a pedestrian or other obstacles, the collision with the collision object as a change of an electric signal accompanied by a change of a connection in an electric circuit network, and a collision object presuming means for presuming a collision object on the basis of detection information detected by the collision detection means.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the conventional collision detector for an unmanned carrier (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-191855), a fluid is sealed into an outer peripheral portion of the vehicle body B, and a tube T having an elasticity is provided, as shown in
FIG. 72
whereby a change of internal pressure caused by deformation of the tube T as the collision occurs is measured by a pressure sensor P to detect collision of the vehicle body.
In the embodiment, the pressure sensor P is constituted by a pressure switch, and when pressure generated by collision exceeds a certain reference value, the contact is short-circuited, and a control circuit causes the vehicle to be stopped. There is no description that a change of a pressure level is subjected to sampling.
Further, in the conventional pedestrian protective safety device (U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,632), a pedestrian protective device is actuated by a trigger signal of a collision detection sensor S of a bumper portion BP, as shown in FIG.
73
. The device is constituted by the pedestrian collision detection sensor S mounted on the front bumper BP of the vehicle and one or a plurality of displacement means G for raising a bonnet BN.
The displacement means G has a gas bag, and there are the case of raising the rear end of the bonnet BN, and the case of raising both the front and the rear end thereof. This gas bag operates as follows: the sensor S incorporated into the bumper BP outputs a trigger signal at the time of collision, and the gas is generated by an inflator of the thrust device.
Further, the conventional hood air bag sensor system (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-216826) relates to a pedestrian collision discriminating apparatus for positively developing a hood air bag F as a pedestrian protective device at the time of collision with a pedestrian as shown in FIG.
74
.
In the pedestrian collision discriminating apparatus, as a means for detecting that a pedestrian comes into collision with the vehicle, the collision with the pedestrian is judged when both two signals from the bumper sensor S embedded into the bumper BP and a hood sensor FS incorporated into the hood edge are input.
The bumper sensor S is prepared in the procedure described below. A conductive rubber integrally pressed by a silicone rubber having metal fine particles blended therewith is sandwiched from opposite sides by two electrodes each comprising a bundle of plain-woven copper wires, and the outside thereof is integrally coated with the silicone rubber to be lengthy. The hood sensor S is turned “ON” when a load is applied to the front end of the hood to provide the electric conductive state.
In other conventional occupant protective devices, an acceleration for the vehicle body is detected, and when a level thereof exceeds a predetermined level, the air bag in the vehicle is developed. It is generally well known that as described above, occupants are protected from the obstacle. The position in the compartment or the presence of an occupant is detected to set adequate developing conditions.
It is known that when the pedestrian comes into collision with the running vehicle, the lower limbs of the collided pedestrian are dipped up by the vehicle, and after this, the pedestrian comes into collision with the bonnet. According to the conventional pedestrian collision discriminating apparatus and method (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-216826), in the hood air bag sensor system as shown in
FIG. 75
, a contact sensor S is installed on the bumper portion, and a hood sensor F is installed on the hood edge portion, whereby in the case where the vehicle C comes into collision with the pedestrian H, when signals are detected first by the bumper sensor S and detected next by the hood sensor F in said order, it is judged that a collided body be the pedestrian, and the air bag G is developed. However, in the case other than said order or in the case of detection of only one, it is judged that a collided body be that other than pedestrian, and the air bag G is not developed.
In a collision detection switch of the conventional occupant protecting apparatus for vehicles, as shown in
FIG. 76
, an annular insulating member Z is fallen into a locating pin R protruded from a first electrode F secured to a recess of a side lace S, and conductive rubber D formed with a plurality of holes and a second electrode T are further fallen therein. Then the switch is inserted into a mounting hole bored in advance in an outer panel such as a door of the vehicle and secured by a fixing member.
In the collision detection switch, when the collision object collides from the sideways of the vehicle, and an external force in excess of a predetermined value is applied whereby the conductive rubber D becomes deformed, the resistance between the first electrode F and the second electrode T is varied to detect the collision.
Further, in the conventional vehicle collision sensor for sensing breakage, as shown in
FIG. 77
, a conductive rod RD is coaxially disposed in a conductive tube C, and at least two annular insulating means RZ are interposed in order to insulate the rod RD from the tube C.
At the time of collision of the vehicle, the conductive tube C is deformed by the force in excess of a predetermined magnitude, and the tube C comes in contact with the rod RD according to the breakage of the vehicle to detect the collision.
In the conventional pedestrian sensing device (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-28994) a time period, which output signal from a collision sensor is higher than a threshold level and reference time period are compared. When the detected time period is shorter than the reference time period, pedestrian protection device is op
Hattori Katsuhiko
Hayashi Sadayuki
Inoue Tetsuzo
Kato Takayuki
Kisanuki Yoshikatsu
Culbreth Eric
Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho
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