JP2011088509A - Collision detection device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To guarantee pressure detection performance by eliminating a state that a collision part is recessed inside and left in a sprung back state on a collision of a chamber member against an object. <P>SOLUTION: A collision detection device for a vehicle includes the chamber member 7, which is formed in a long, narrow rectangular parallelepiped shape arranged on an absorber 6 on the front surface of a bumper reinforcement 4 in a vehicular bumper and extending in the vehicle width direction and inside of which a chamber space is formed, and a pressure sensor, which detects the pressure of the chamber space. A collision to the vehicular bumper is detected based on a detection result of a pressure change of the chamber space detected by the pressure sensor. A plurality of recessed parts 7b are formed at fixed intervals on a side part that connects laterally or vertically recessed parts 7a of corner parts on a surface at the vehicle front side facing a fixed plane of the chamber member 7 to the bumper reinforcement 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle collision detection device for detecting a collision of a pedestrian or the like with a vehicle, and more particularly to a vehicle collision detection device having a chamber member in which the pressure of a chamber space changes during a vehicle collision.

  In recent years, for the purpose of protecting pedestrians, in order to protect pedestrians, if an obstacle discriminating device is attached to the vehicle bumper part, it is determined whether or not the collision target is a pedestrian at the time of a vehicle collision. Techniques for operating these devices (for example, active hoods and cowl airbags) have been proposed, and their practical application has been studied.

  That is, when the obstacle that has collided is not a pedestrian, various adverse effects occur when a protective device (for example, an active hood) on the hood is activated. For example, if it cannot be distinguished from a pedestrian when it collides with a lightweight fallen object such as a triangular cone or a signboard under construction, the protection device is activated wastefully and extra repair costs are generated. In addition, if it is indistinguishable from a pedestrian when it collides with a fixed wall such as a concrete wall or a vehicle, the hood will move backward with the hood lifted up, so there is a risk that the hood may enter the passenger compartment and harm the passenger. is there. Thus, it is required to accurately classify whether or not the obstacle is a pedestrian.

  For example, in the vehicle collision detection device described in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 1, an absorber 16 is provided at the lower part of the front surface of the bumper reinforcement 14 extending in the vehicle width direction, and a chamber member 17 is provided at the upper part. Arranged substantially in parallel, a pressure change in the chamber space inside the chamber member 17 is detected by a pressure sensor (not shown) so as to detect a collision of a pedestrian or the like with the vehicle bumper. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the bumper reinforcement 14, the absorber 16, and the chamber member 17 at the left end portion extending in the vehicle width direction in the vehicle bumper.

JP 2009-190569 A

  The chamber member 17 of the above-described vehicle collision detection device of Patent Document 1 has a corner shape C1 in which a right end portion and a left end portion (portion surrounded by a broken line frame A1 in FIG. 1) in the vehicle width direction are sharpened by combining three surfaces of a rectangular parallelepiped. Therefore, when an object collides with the corner portion C1, if the impact is weak, the corner portion C1 is temporarily recessed but restored. However, when the impact is strong, as shown in FIG. 2, the broken line frame A1 is recessed and warped as the corner portion C1 is indicated by C2. In this way, in a state where the corner portion C2 is recessed and bent back, the pressure change in the chamber space is different from that at the time of design, so that there is a problem that the pressure detection performance cannot be compensated. Further, this is not limited to the corner portion, and the same problem may occur in other portions of the chamber member (particularly, the front portion of the chamber member).

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and a vehicle capable of guaranteeing pressure detection performance by eliminating a state in which a collision portion is recessed and warped back when a chamber member collides with an object. An object of the present invention is to provide a collision detection device for a vehicle.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention according to claim 1 is arranged in front of the bumper reinforcement in the vehicle bumper, has an elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the vehicle width direction, and has a chamber space inside. For a vehicle that includes a formed chamber member and a pressure sensor that detects a pressure in the chamber space, and detects a collision with the vehicle bumper based on a detection result of a pressure change in the chamber space detected by the pressure sensor. In the collision detection apparatus, the chamber member has a concave portion or a convex portion at least in a vehicle width direction corner or front portion.

  According to this configuration, the corner portion or the front portion of the vehicle front side surface of the chamber member that is disposed in the bumper reinforcement and protrudes toward the vehicle front side is concave or convex, and thus has a sharp corner shape. The physical strength becomes stronger. For this reason, even when the impact force is strong when the object collides with the corner portion or the front portion of the chamber member via the vehicle bumper, the concave portion or the convex portion of the corner does not easily warp back. Therefore, when the chamber member collides with the object, the collision portion hardly dents and warps back, so that pressure detection performance can be ensured.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the chamber member has a plurality of concave portions or convex portions formed on all or a part of a side portion connecting the corners in the vehicle width direction in the vehicle width direction or the vehicle vertical direction. It is characterized by being.

  According to this configuration, the straight side connecting the respective corner portions of the chamber member in the width direction or the vertical direction has a shape in which the unevenness is repeated, and therefore the physical strength is stronger than the straight side shape. For this reason, even when the impact force is strong when the object collides with the corner portion of the chamber member via the vehicle bumper, the side portion is difficult to warp.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the concave portion or the convex portion is formed at regular intervals on all or part of side portions connecting the vehicle width direction corners of the chamber member in the vehicle width direction or the vehicle vertical direction. It is characterized by being.

  According to this configuration, the straight side connecting the respective corner portions of the chamber member in the width direction or the vertical direction has a shape in which the unevenness is repeated at regular intervals, so that the physical strength is higher than that of the straight side shape. Become stronger.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a chamber member that is disposed in front of a bumper reinforcement in a vehicle bumper, has an elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the vehicle width direction, and has a chamber space formed therein. A vehicular collision detection device that detects a collision with the vehicle bumper based on a detection result of a pressure change in the chamber space detected by the pressure sensor. Further, at least the vehicle width direction corner is formed in a protruding curved surface.

  According to this configuration, the left and right corners of the surface of the chamber member on the vehicle front side form a protruding curved surface, so that it is easier to restore when recessed than a sharp corner. Therefore, even when the object strongly collides with the corner portion of the chamber member, the depth of the concave portion of the corner curved surface is small, and even if it is recessed, it can be easily restored to the original state, so that the pressure detection performance can be guaranteed. .

  The invention according to claim 5 is that the chamber member is formed in a curved surface shape in which all or a part of the side portion that connects the vehicle width direction corner portion in the vehicle width direction or the vehicle up-down direction is projected. Features.

  According to this configuration, since the straight side connecting the vehicle width direction corners of the chamber member forms a protruding curved surface, it can be easily restored when it is recessed rather than the straight side shape. Therefore, even when the object strongly collides with the corner portion of the chamber member, the side portion is less likely to be recessed into the curved surface, and even if it is recessed, it can be easily restored to its original state.

It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the bumper reinforcement of the left end part extended in a vehicle width direction in the conventional vehicle bumper, an absorber, and a chamber member. It is a perspective view showing the state which the corner | angular part of the chamber member shown in FIG. It is a top view which shows typically the collision detection apparatus 1 for vehicles of this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the bumper reinforcement, absorber, and chamber member of the vehicle left end part in the vehicle collision detection apparatus of this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the chamber member of the vehicle left end part of other embodiment.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, parts corresponding to each other in all the drawings in this specification are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description of the overlapping parts will be omitted as appropriate.

  FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing the vehicle collision detection apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the bumper reinforcement 4, the absorber 6, and the chamber member 7 at the left end portion of the vehicle in the vehicle collision detection device 1.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle collision detection apparatus 1 includes a chamber member 7 disposed in a vehicle bumper 2, a pressure sensor 8, and an electronic control unit (hereinafter, the electronic control unit is abbreviated as ECU) 10. And the main constituent.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the vehicle bumper 2 is mainly configured by a bumper cover 3, a bumper reinforcement 4, a side member 5, an absorber 6, and a chamber member 7. The bumper cover 3 is a resin (for example, polypropylene) cover member that extends in the vehicle width direction (left-right direction) at the front end of the vehicle and is attached to the vehicle body so as to cover the bumper reinforcement 4, the absorber 6, and the chamber member 7. .

  The bumper reinforcement 4 is a metal structural member that is disposed in the bumper cover 3 and extends in the vehicle width direction, and is a hollow member having an eye-shaped cross section in which a beam is provided. The side members 5 are a pair of metal members that are positioned in the vicinity of the left and right side surfaces of the vehicle and extend in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the bumper reinforcement 4 described above is attached to the front end thereof. The absorber 6 is a foamed resin member that extends in the vehicle width direction and is attached to the lower side of the front surface of the bumper reinforcement 4 in the bumper cover 3, that is, in the vicinity of the lower side of the chamber member 7 in an approximately balanced state with the chamber member 7. The shock absorbing action in the vehicle bumper 2 is exhibited.

  The chamber member 7 is a substantially box-shaped synthetic resin extending in the vehicle width direction attached to the absorber 6 in a substantially balanced state on the upper side of the bumper reinforcement 4 in the bumper cover 3, that is, on the upper vicinity side of the absorber 6. A substantially sealed chamber space surrounded by a wall having a thickness of several millimeters is formed.

  The pressure sensor 8 is a sensor device capable of detecting a gas pressure, and is assembled on the upper surface of the chamber member 7 so as to detect a change in pressure in the chamber space. A signal proportional to the pressure in the chamber space is sent to the signal line 10a. To the ECU 10. The ECU 10 detects the collision of an object with the vehicle bumper 2 based on the pressure detection result in the chamber space based on the signal.

  In the vehicle collision detection apparatus 1 having such a configuration, the feature of the present embodiment is the shape of the chamber member 7, and as shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle left end side of the chamber member 7 (the same applies to the right end side not shown). A corner portion where the three surfaces of the left end surface (or right end surface), the front surface and the upper surface are combined is formed into a concave shape 7a, and a corner portion where the three surfaces of the left end surface (or right end surface), the front surface and the lower surface are combined is formed into a concave shape 7a. However, all or any of the corner portions of the four corners are molded into the concave shape 7a. Further, a plurality of concave portions 7b are formed at regular intervals (or arbitrary intervals) on all or any of the side portions connecting the concave portions 7a at the respective upper, lower, left and right corner portions.

  In other words, all or any of the four corners at the left and right ends of the front surface of the chamber member 7 is defined as the concave shape 7a. In addition, a plurality of concave portions 7b are formed at regular intervals on all or any of the side portions connecting the concave portions 7a.

  As a result, the rectangular portion of the rectangular parallelepiped chamber member 7 that protrudes in a slender shape becomes a concave shape 7a, so that the physical strength is stronger than that of the sharp corner shape. For this reason, even when the impact force is strong when an object collides with the corner portion of the chamber member 7 through the vehicle bumper, the corner concave portion 7a is unlikely to warp back. Therefore, when the chamber member 7 collides with the object, the collision portion hardly dents and warps back, so that the pressure detection performance can be guaranteed.

  In addition, since the straight side connecting the concave portions 7a of each corner portion has a shape in which the concave and convex portions are repeated, the physical strength is stronger than the simple straight side shape. For this reason, even when the impact force is strong when the object collides with the corner portion of the chamber member via the vehicle bumper, the side portion is difficult to warp.

  However, in the above description, the corner portion of the chamber member 7 is the concave shape 7a, but the predetermined position of the front surface portion of the chamber member 7 may be one or a plurality of concave shapes. Further, in the above description, the corner portion of the chamber member 7 is the concave shape 7a, and the straight side connecting the concave portions 7a of each corner portion has the shape of repeating the unevenness, but the unevenness may be reversed. In other words, the corner portions of the chamber member 7 may be convex, and the straight side connecting the convex portions of each corner portion may have a shape that is uneven. In the case of this shape as well, as described above, the physical strength is increased and it is difficult to warp during a collision.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, all or any of the four corners at the left and right ends of the front surface of the chamber member 7 is a protruding curved surface 7 c that is a part of a spherical surface. In this case, the left and right corners of the vehicle front side surface of the chamber member 7 form a protruding curved surface, so that it is easier to restore when recessed than a sharp corner shape. Therefore, even when the object strongly collides with the corner portion of the chamber member, the depth of the concave portion of the corner curved surface is small, and even if it is recessed, it can be easily restored to the original state, so that the pressure detection performance can be guaranteed. .

  Further, all or any of the side portions connecting the curved surfaces 7c may be curved surfaces 7d. Also in this configuration, since the straight side of the chamber member 7 forms a protruding curved surface, it can be easily restored when it is recessed rather than the straight side shape. Accordingly, even when the object strongly collides with the corner portion of the chamber member, the side portion is less likely to be recessed into the curved surface, and even if it is recessed, it can be easily restored.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle collision detection apparatus 2 Vehicle bumper 3 Bumper cover 4 Bumper reinforcement 5 Side member 6 Absorber 7 Chamber member 7a, 7b Concave part 7c, 7d Curved part 8 Pressure sensor 10 ECU
10a Signal line

Claims (5)

A chamber member disposed in front of the bumper reinforcement in the vehicle bumper, having an elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the vehicle width direction and having a chamber space formed therein, and a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure in the chamber space; A vehicle collision detection device that detects a collision with the vehicle bumper based on a detection result of a pressure change in the chamber space detected by the pressure sensor.
The vehicle collision detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the chamber member has a concave portion or a convex portion at least in a vehicle width direction corner portion or a front portion.   2. The chamber member has a plurality of concave portions or convex portions formed on all or a part of a side portion connecting a vehicle width direction corner portion in a vehicle width direction or a vehicle vertical direction. The vehicle collision detection device according to claim 1.   The concave portion or the convex portion is formed at regular intervals on all or part of a side portion that connects a vehicle width direction corner of the chamber member in the vehicle width direction or the vehicle vertical direction. Item 3. The vehicle collision detection device according to Item 2. A chamber member disposed in front of the bumper reinforcement in the vehicle bumper, having an elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the vehicle width direction and having a chamber space formed therein, and a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure in the chamber space; A vehicle collision detection device that detects a collision with the vehicle bumper based on a detection result of a pressure change in the chamber space detected by the pressure sensor.
The vehicular collision detection device, wherein the chamber member is formed in a curved surface shape with at least a vehicle width direction corner portion protruding.   5. The chamber member according to claim 4, wherein all or a part of a side portion connecting the corners in the vehicle width direction in the vehicle width direction or the vehicle vertical direction is formed in a protruding curved surface shape. Vehicle collision detection device.

Images