Abstract: A collision detection device is provided with a load detection member 2 for detecting a collision load in a collision, and a mold member 3 which is molded to be integral with the load detection member 2. The mold member 3 covers at least the surface of a collision side of the load detection member 2, to absorb at least a part of impact energy in the collision by a resilient deformation of the mold member 3. Thus, the collision detection device is substantially resistant to an impact in the collision, while being simply manufactured.

Abstract: An optical fiber sensor in which the insertion efficiency of a plastic fiber is improved, the potential danger of rupture of a mold member is decreased, the operation of the sensor in a low load area and the linearity of output of the sensor are improved. Plastic fiber for detection is inserted in insertion hole of molded member, and filler is filled in a gap between the plastic fiber for detection and the molded member.

Abstract: A floor sensor (14) is disposed at a center portion of a vehicle body (10) and front sensors (16, 18) are disposed at front portions of the vehicle body (10). An airbag apparatus (30) always activates when a value determined by the relationship between a floor deceleration (GF) detected by the floor sensor (14) and a change in floor velocity (Vn) exceeds a High Map toward the high side of the floor velocity. The airbag apparatus (30) also activates on the condition that the value determined by the relationship between the front deceleration (Gs*) detected by the front sensors (16, 18) and the change in floor velocity (Vn) exceeds a Front Map toward the high side of the floor deceleration (GF) when the value determined by the relationship between the floor deceleration (GF) detected by the floor sensor (14) and the change in floor velocity (Vn) exceeds the Low Map but does not exceed the High Map toward the high side of the floor velocity.

Abstract: A headrest control apparatus has a rear radar sensor, a PCS-ECU, a headrest drive mechanism that supports a headrest and drives the headrest relative to the vehicle in its longitudinal direction, a motor, a capacitance sensor, and a headrest control portion that controls the motor. The headrest control portion executes a forward drive control in which the headrest starts to be driven forward in response to a start-up signal from the PCS-ECU and the motor is stopped in response to the positional relation between the occupant's head and the headrest reaching a predetermined positional relation. After the forward drive control, the headrest control portion executes a hold control in which the motor is held in a stopped state for a predetermined hold time. After the hold control, the headrest control portion executes a backward drive control in which the headrest is driven backward.

Abstract: A vehicle occupant protection device comprising a headrest configured to be movable forward with respect to a vehicle, and an actuator configured to implement the forward movement is disclosed. The device is configured to protect a vehicle occupant by operating the actuator to move the headrest forward in a pre-crash stage in the course of an object crashing into the vehicle from backside of the vehicle. The headrest is provided with an electrical capacitance sensor. The device is configured to control an amount of the forward movement of the headrest according to a variation manner of electrical capacitance, which electrical capacitance is detected by the electrical capacitance sensor when the headrest moves forward.

Abstract: A load sensing device comprise an inner member provided at a front part of a vehicle and a load sensor provided at a position before a front of the inner member, in addition to an outer member and a load transfer member. The outer member is provided at the front part of the vehicle so as to be located more frontward than the load sensor so that a space is formed between the outer member and the load sensor. The outer member is in charge of allowing the load sensor to sense, via the outer member, a load applied to a front of the vehicle. The load transfer member, made of a hard material, is disposed adjacently to the load sensor within the space between the outer member and the load sensor. The load sensor is allowed to move along the inner member in the back-and-forth direction of the vehicle.

Abstract: An impulse sensor having: a long elastic structure formed of a material to be deformed according to an impulse; a cable insertion hole formed in the elastic structure; and a cable inserted through the cable insertion hole, the cable being operable to cause a variation in propagation energy due to its deformation. A distance from a central line of the cable to an outer surface of the elastic structure is varied in a longitudinal direction of the elastic structure.

Abstract: A headrest control apparatus for a vehicle includes: a headrest rear portion; a headrest front portion movable relative to the headrest rear portion between a first position and a second position; driving means for moving the headrest front portion relative to the headrest rear portion and controlling means controlling the driving means to move the headrest front portion towards the second position when a proximity of an object from a rear of the vehicle is detected and stop a movement of the headrest front portion towards the second position when the head detecting circuit detects the one of a proximity of the head towards, and a contact of the head with, the headrest front portion. The controlling means operates the head detecting circuit when the headrest front portion moves towards the second position.

Abstract: The activating device (20) for an occupant protection device includes a first deceleration detecting means (22) for detecting a first deceleration G in vehicle front/rear direction and an activation judging means (37) for judging whether the activation of the occupant protection device is necessary or not by comparing the first deceleration G detected by the first deceleration detecting means (22) with a first threshold value. The device further includes a second deceleration detecting means (24, 26) for detecting a deceleration LG, RG at a position further front side of the vehicle than the position detecting the first deceleration, a collision condition detecting means (35) for detecting a vehicle collision condition based on a second threshold value by the deceleration LG and RG and a first threshold changing means (36) for changing the first threshold value of an activation judging means (37) based on the detected result of the collision condition detecting means (35).

Abstract: An optical fiber is optically coupled to a light-receiving/emitting element contained in an interface box. The coupling structure is composed of a cylindrical ferule water-tightly inserted into a through-hole formed in a wall of the interface box, a resilient grommet coupled to the ferule and a coupler having the light-receiving/emitting element. An optical fiber is inserted into coaxially formed center holes of the ferule and the grommet, and an axial end of the optical fiber is exposed at an axial end of the ferule. The coupler is coupled to the ferule so that the light-receiving/emitting element directly faces the exposed end of the optical fiber to establish an optical connection at a minimized connection loss.

Abstract: From a collision load, a one-time integration value and a two-time integration value are computed. The one-time integration value and two-time integration value are then used for obtaining a mass and rigidity of a collision object as two primary parameters. The obtained two primary parameters are used for determining whether or not the collision object is a pedestrian. This achieves accuracy in determining the collision object that is remarkably superior to a conventional method that uses a collision load waveform.

Abstract: A roll over detector for a vehicle is disclosed, which includes a roll over phenomenon detecting circuit that detects a roll over phenomenon of the vehicle based on a relationship between at least a type of physical quantity representative of a roll state of the vehicle and a predetermined threshold; a reacting roll phenomenon detecting circuit that detects a reacting roll phenomenon of the vehicle based on a predetermined criterion, which reacting roll phenomenon occurs in reaction to the roll phenomenon in an opposite direction; and a threshold changing circuit that changes the predetermined threshold from a first threshold to a second threshold so that the roll over phenomenon becomes difficult to be detected by the roll over phenomenon detecting circuit if the reacting roll phenomenon is detected by the reacting roll phenomenon detecting circuit.

Abstract: A collision detection system includes a shock detecting device, a collision position detecting device, a correcting device, and a collision determining device. The shock detecting device detects a magnitude of a shock due to a collision. The collision position detecting device detects a collision position of the collision. The correcting device corrects a detection result detected by the shock detecting device based on a detection result detected by the collision position detecting device. The collision determining device determines the collision based on a corrected result corrected by the correcting device.

Abstract: A vehicular bumper structure includes plural load detection sensors (28, 30, 32, 34, 52) disposed at predetermined intervals in a vehicle body vertical direction between a load transmitting plate (36, 50) disposed with a bumper touch sensor and a front wall portion (20C) of a bumper reinforcement. The load transmitting plate (36, 50) is configured so as to be displaced towards a vehicle body rear side with respect to the front wall portion (20C) of the bumper reinforcement (20).

Abstract: An activation control apparatus controls activation of an airbag unit. An electronic control unit detects a floor deceleration Gf and front decelerations GI, Gr from signals output from a floor sensor and front sensors. Also, the electronic control unit calculates a velocity change Vn from the floor deceleration Gf, and determines the severity of a collision. Further, the electronic control unit determines the state of a symmetric flag FRG through comparison between the front decelerations GI, Gr and the value of a front determination map boundary, serving as a front threshold variation pattern and through comparison between the floor deceleration Gf and the value of a low or high map boundary, serving as an activation threshold variation pattern. Then, on the basis of results of the severity determination and the state of the symmetric flag FRG, the electronic control unit determines a delay time in relation to the activation of the airbag unit.

Abstract: A rollover determination system 20 includes a first roll rate sensor 22, a lateral G-sensor 26, and a main rollover determination unit 30. The first roll rate sensor 22 detects roll rate of a vehicle. The lateral G-sensor 26 detects acceleration in the lateral direction of the vehicle. The main rollover determination unit 30 determines a possibility of rollover of the vehicle based on roll rate RR and lateral acceleration Gy. A safing determination unit 70 for confirming an occurrence of rollover is additionally incorporated in the main rollover determination unit 30.

Abstract: An optical fiber sensor in which the insertion efficiency of a plastic fiber is improved, the potential danger of rupture of a mold member is decreased, the operation of the sensor in a low load area and the linearity of output of the sensor are improved. Plastic fiber for detection is inserted in insertion hole of molded member, and filler is filled in a gap between the plastic fiber for detection and the molded member.

Abstract: A load sensor includes a optical fiber sensor that provides output analog signals in response to shocks of various magnitudes caused by hits by a vehicle on various objects, two or more amplifiers each of which approximates a non linear function of the analog signals and a unit that converts the linear functions into digital data. Therefore, each analog signal either in a lower magnitude range or a higher magnitude range can be amplified by one of the amplifiers that has a more suitable gain, so that the magnitude of the shock can be accurately converted into digital data for a pedestrian protection airbag system.

Abstract: A collision type identifying device is disposed in a central portion of a vehicle main body and has first deceleration detecting device (22), peak time detecting device (32), required time detecting device (34), and type identifying device (36). The deceleration detecting device (22) detects a vehicle deceleration in the longitudinal direction. The peak time detecting device (32) detects, as a first peak time (tp), a time from the excess of a preset threshold (GTH) by a waveform of the vehicle deceleration (G) detected by the deceleration detecting device (22) to a first peak. The required time detecting device (34) detects, as a required time (tn), a time when an integrated deceleration (VG) obtained through time quadrature of the vehicle deceleration (G) becomes equal to a predetermined integrated value set in advance. The type identifying device (36; 78) identifies a vehicle collision type on the basis of the first peak time (tp) and the required time (tn).

Abstract: An activation control apparatus of an air bag system of a motor vehicle includes a first sensor disposed at a predetermined position within a vehicle body, for generating a signal indicative of an impact applied to the vehicle, and at least one second sensor disposed frontwardly of the position of the first sensor, for generating a signal indicative of an impact applied to the vehicle. The control apparatus is operable to activate an air bag device when a parameter determined based on the output signal of the first sensor exceeds a predetermined threshold pattern that is determined based on the output signal of the second sensor. When the predetermined threshold pattern is changed from a reference pattern to a desired threshold pattern that provides lower threshold values, the pattern is changed step by step at predetermined time intervals, without skipping an intermediate pattern or patterns between the reference pattern and the desired pattern.