JPH05312826A - Detection of collision - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely detect the collision of an article with an another article in a moment independently of the accelerating speed in collision, collision time and the collision direction. CONSTITUTION:An optical fiber 2 is installed on an article 5, and the light signal supplied from a light projector 1 is allowed to pass through the optical fiber 2 and to be received by a light receiving device 3, and the generation of the nontransmission trouble of the light signal due to the cut-off of the optical fiber 2 in the case when an article collides with an another article is detected on the light receiving device side, and the collision is detected.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a collision detecting method for detecting the collision of an object with another object by utilizing the disconnection of an optical fiber.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a method of detecting that an object has collided with another object, a method of detecting acceleration generated at the time of collision has been widely used. As such a method, for example, one shown in FIG. 3 is known. In the figure, 16 is an acceleration detector that uses a spring or a piezoelectric element, and 17 is a circuit that detects the generation of acceleration. These are installed inside an object 18, and when the object 18 collides with another object. The collision was detected by detecting the generated acceleration.

[0003]

By the way, in the conventional method of FIG. 3 for detecting the acceleration generated at the time of collision, the acceleration at the time of collision is instantaneously detected by the acceleration detector depending on the position of the acceleration detector 16 inside the object. It is difficult to communicate to.

Further, in the case of a collision with a small acceleration and a long collision time, or with a large acceleration and a short collision time, the acceleration cannot be detected.

Furthermore, if the acceleration detector 16 has a directivity in the direction of detection, it is impossible to detect an acceleration in a direction having a low directivity, which causes a problem in instantaneously and reliably detecting a collision.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and a first object of the present invention is to indicate that an object collides with another object, such as the magnitude of acceleration at the time of collision, the length of collision time, and the collision time. It is an object of the present invention to provide a collision detection method that detects a collision instantly and reliably regardless of the direction.

A second object of the present invention is to detect the position where an object collides with another object instantaneously and reliably regardless of the magnitude of acceleration at the time of collision, the length of collision time, and the direction of collision. It is to provide a collision detection method.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, in the collision detecting method according to claim 1 of the present invention, an optical fiber is attached to an object, an optical signal is passed through the optical fiber, and the object is Detecting that non-transmission of the optical signal occurs due to the disconnection of the optical fiber when colliding with the object of
I am trying to detect a collision.

According to a second aspect of the collision detecting method of the present invention, a plurality of optical fibers are attached to an object, an optical signal is passed through each optical fiber, and when the object collides with another object, the plurality of optical fibers are detected. A particular optical fiber of the book is broken to detect the non-transmission of the optical signal, and the position where the collision occurs when the object collides with another object is detected.

[0010]

The collision detection method of the present invention detects non-transmission of an optical signal due to the breakage of an optical fiber attached to the outside or inside of an object. A collision can be detected instantly and reliably.

Furthermore, the position of the collision can be detected by providing a plurality of optical fibers.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of a collision detecting method according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a first embodiment of the present invention and shows a collision detection method for detecting only a collision. In this figure, reference numeral 1 is a light transmitter, which transmits an optical signal to a light receiver 3 through an optical fiber 2. The detection circuit 4 is a detection circuit that detects the occurrence of a collision by detecting whether the light receiver 3 receives an optical signal. The light projector 1, the light receiver 3 and the detection circuit 4 are mounted inside the object 5, and the optical fiber 2 is mounted on the surface of the object 5 or inside the object 5 so that disconnection at the time of collision is likely to occur.

Now, when the object 5 does not collide, the light receiver 3 receives the optical signal emitted from the projector 1 and passing through the optical fiber 2. When the object 5 collides with another object and the optical fiber 2 is broken due to stress destruction, the photodetector 3 does not receive an optical signal, and the detection circuit 4 detects the occurrence of the collision.

FIG. 2 shows the second embodiment of the present invention, in which two sets of the projector, the optical fiber, the light receiver and the detection circuit used in the method of the first embodiment are used for collision and collision. The method of detecting the position of is shown. In this figure, 6 and 7
Is a light projector, 8 and 9 are optical fibers, 10 and 11 are light receivers, and 12 and 13 are detection circuits for detecting whether or not the light receivers are receiving optical signals. The determination circuit 14 determines which detection circuit has detected the collision. Floodlight 6,
7, the light receivers 10 and 11, the detection circuits 12 and 13, and the discrimination circuit 14 are inside the object 15, and the optical fibers 8 and 9 are attached to the surface or inside of the object 15 while changing their positions.

Now, when no object has collided, the light receivers 10 and 11 emerge from the projectors 6 and 7 and the optical fibers 8,
The optical signal that has passed 9 is received. When the object 15 collides with another object and the optical fiber 8 on one side is broken, the optical signal of the projector 6 is not transmitted to the light receiver 10 and the optical signal of the light projector 7 is transmitted to the light receiver 11. Transmitted. Therefore, the detection circuit 12 detects the collision, and the detection circuit 13 does not detect the collision. As a result, the determination circuit 14 determines that a collision has occurred and the position thereof is the position of the optical fiber 8.

In the second embodiment, two sets of the projector, the optical fiber, the receiver and the detection circuit are used.
By using three or more pairs, the collision position can be detected in more detail.

[0018]

As described above, according to the collision detection method of the present invention, an optical fiber which is apt to cause stress destruction is widely attached to the outside or inside of an object and an optical signal is passed through the optical fiber, and this object is used for other objects. When a collision occurs, the non-transmission of the optical signal due to the disconnection of the optical fiber is detected to detect the occurrence of the collision. Can be detected.

Further, by providing a plurality of optical fibers and detecting the broken optical fiber among the plurality of optical fibers, it is possible to detect the position of the collision.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of a collision detection method according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional collision detection method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 6, 7 Projector 2, 8, 9 Optical fiber 3, 10, 11 Light receiver 4, 12, 13 Detection circuit 5, 15, 18 Object 14 Discrimination circuit 16 Acceleration detector 17 Detection circuit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An optical fiber is attached to an object, an optical signal is passed through the optical fiber, and when a disconnection of the optical fiber when the object collides with another object, non-transmission of the optical signal is detected. And a collision detection method characterized by detecting a collision. 2. Attaching a plurality of optical fibers to an object,
An optical signal is passed through each optical fiber, and when the object collides with another object, it is detected that a specific one of the plurality of optical fibers is broken and the optical signal is not transmitted, and the object is detected. A collision detection method characterized by detecting a position where a collision occurs when a collision occurs with another object.