JP2985544B2 - Automotive shock detector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle impact detection sensor connected to an airbag device or the like for protecting an occupant from a collision in the event of a side collision of the vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As this kind of technology, for example,
There is one disclosed in JP-A-112455. That is, a vehicle impact detection sensor for detecting a side collision state of a vehicle connected to such a conventional vehicle airbag device or the like extends between the outer panel and the inner panel of the door body along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. Installed on the reinforcing door beam. A side collision door body that expands and deploys toward the interior of the vehicle at the time of a side collision of the vehicle is mounted in the airbag body, and the operation of the airbag body is determined according to a detection signal from the impact detection sensor. Is controlled, each pair of strain gauges is mounted on the inner surface and the outer surface of the door beam,
The impact detection sensor is constituted by a side collision state detecting means of a vehicle having a Wheatstone bridge circuit formed by each of these strain gauges.

[0003]

However, an automobile impact detection sensor for detecting a side collision state of an automobile connected to such an airbag device for an automobile,
Since the impact detection sensor is mounted on the door, there is almost no gap between the door beam and the vehicle body outer panel, so that the layout is difficult. Further, it is difficult to set operating conditions such as setting a large number of switches and interlocking them so as not to react to local deformation other than at the time of collision. Furthermore, the cost is high. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a means for responding to a large deformation of a vehicle body outer panel at the time of a collision and having no layout restriction.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides such an object.
2. An impact detecting device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein
Location is adjacent the hollow member of the foldable, substantially linearly with the vehicle body external panel by the impact applied to the vehicle body outer panel inside the vehicle body shell
Contact and disposed on one end portion of the hollow member, the light is an emitting unit which emits light constantly to face the other end through the hollow portion of the hollow member, the other end portion of the hollow member
To, by providing the light-receiving portion for receiving light directly from the light emitting portion that has passed through the hollow portion of the hollow member, the hollow portion
Constitute a hollow portion of the timber for the passage of light, the in the folding of the hollow member due to the inward deformation of the vehicle body external panel
Control means for detecting a shock to the vehicle body outer panel and emitting a signal in a state where the light from the light emitting unit is not received by the light receiving unit by bending the light passage in the empty space. It is characterized by the following. Further, the vehicle shock according to claim 2 is used.
In the impact detection device, the hollow member is adjacent to the inside of the vehicle body outer plate.
Formed in the form of a door beam formed by pipes arranged
Become.

[0005]

According to this impact detecting device for an automobile, a substantially straight line is obtained.
The interior of the hollow member is used as a light path,
By bending this light path by the deformation of
Light is not received in the light path of the hollow member
Therefore, take into account the gap between the body outer panel and the hollow member
Can be set without. Also, make sure that the hollow member does not bend
It may react during a light collision where the outer shell is slightly concave
The reliability of the operation of the shock detector is improved
become. Moreover, dead space called the inside of the hollow member
The surrounding members block the light path.
Installation layout without cutting or deforming
Also, the degree of freedom increases, which is advantageous.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS. That is, the vehicle impact detection sensor 1 has a substantially linear hollow shape which is disposed inside the door outer panel 2 as a “body outer panel” and can be bent together with the door outer panel 2 by an impact in the direction of arrow A. One end 3a of the pipe 3 is provided with an end cap 5 having a light emitting portion 4 which constantly emits light toward the other end 3b of the pipe 3, and the light L from the light emitting portion 4 is provided at the other end 3b of the pipe 3. An end cap 7 having a light receiving section 6 for receiving light is provided. When the pipe 3 is bent along with the inward deformation of the door outer panel 2 (FIG. 3), the light L of the light emitting section 4 is bent by the bent section 8. Has an airbag module 9 as "control means" for detecting a shock and generating a signal when no light is received. Reference numeral 10 denotes a door inner panel, and the pipe 3 is supported by a bracket 11 of the door inner panel 10.

[0007] As shown in FIG. 4, the airbag module 9 includes a battery 20, an ignition switch 21.
, An auxiliary power supply capacitor 23 when the ignition switch 21 is disconnected, an impact switch 24 that is cut off when the circuit to the light emitting unit 4 is disconnected, a disconnection alarm circuit 25 on the ignition switch 21 side, and the ignition switch 21. A disconnection warning lamp 26, an airbag control 27 and an inflator 28 are provided.

According to the vehicle impact detection sensor 1,
When an object collides with the vehicle from the side from the side of the door outer panel 2, one end 3 of the pipe 3
When the light L from a does not reach the light receiving portion 6, it is detected that a side collision has occurred when the door outer panel 2 is greatly deformed, and a signal is sent to the airbag control 27 or the like of the airbag device. Can be. Further, since the vehicle impact detection sensor 1 is set at both front and rear ends of the door outer panel 2 which is an empty space, there is no restriction on layout.

[0009]

As described above , according to the vehicle impact detecting device of the first aspect, the substantially linear hollow member that can be bent together with the vehicle body outer plate by the impact applied to the vehicle body outer plate is formed.
And disposed adjacent to the inside of the vehicle body shell, the one end portion of the hollow member, toward the other end portion light through the hollow portion of the hollow member
Rutotomoni which a light-emitting portion that at all times emission as buy, the other end portion of said hollow member, has passed through the hollow portion of the hollow member
And Turkey provided a light-receiving portion for receiving light directly from the light emitting portion
With this, the inside of the hollow portion of the hollow member is configured as a light passage.
The light from the light emitting portion is not received by the light receiving portion by bending the light path in the hollow portion due to the bending of the hollow member accompanying the inward deformation of the vehicle body outer plate. Previous in state
Since it has a control means for detecting a shock to the vehicle body outer panel and generating a signal, it has a substantially linear shape.
Using the inside of the hollow member as a light path,
By bending this light path by shape, hollow
It does not receive light in the light path of the member
Therefore, do not take into account the gap between the outer shell of the vehicle body and the hollow member.
To the extent that the hollow member does not bend,
Does not react at the time of light collision where the outer plate is slightly dented
Therefore, the reliability of the operation of the shock detection device is improved.
You. Further, according to the impact detecting device for an automobile according to claim 2,
If it is, the hollow member is disposed adjacent to the inside of the vehicle body outer panel
It's shaped like a door beam made of pipes
Effective use of the dead space inside the hollow member
The surrounding members block the light path or deform
There is no freedom in the layout
Increased and advantageous.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a door body showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a pipe and a light receiving unit of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a bent state of the pipe of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing control means of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Impact detection sensor for automobiles 2 Body skin 3 Hollow member (pipe) 4 Light emitting unit 6 Light receiving unit 9 Control means

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B60R 21/32 B60J 5/00 B60J 5/04 G01P 3/36

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A substantially linear hollow member that can be bent together with the vehicle body outer plate by an impact applied to the vehicle body outer plate.
And disposed adjacent to the inner, the one end portion of the hollow member, the light is a hollow portion of the hollow member
A light emitting portion for emitting light constantly to face the other end through setting <br/> only Rutotomoni, the other end portion of the hollow member, through the hollow portion of the hollow member
The light from the light emitting portion can in set <br/> only Rukoto a light receiving portion for receiving directly, as a passage of light hollow portion of said hollow member I
Configuration to said in a state which does not receive light from the light emitting portion by bending the optical path in said hollow portion by bending of the hollow member due to the inward deformation of the vehicle body external panel-receiving portion car
An impact detecting device for an automobile, comprising a control means for detecting an impact on an external body plate and generating a signal. 2. The vehicle impact detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the hollow member is formed in a door beam shape formed of a pipe disposed adjacent to the inside of the vehicle body outer panel.