Abstract: An impact sensor includes the first and the second electrodes arranged a predetermined distance away from each other in a tube insulator. The impact sensor is arranged at a front of a vehicle such that the first and the second electrodes opposed to each other in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle. The first and the second electrodes include cable conductors sheathed with elastically deformable conductive members, respectively. The first and the second electrodes are apart from each other when no impact is applied to the impact sensor. When a collision occurs and the impact is applied to the impact sensor, a contact area between the conductive members increases and a resistance between the first and the second electrodes continuously decreases.

Abstract: A pedestrian determining system mounted on a vehicle determines a collision object for protecting a pedestrian. An impedance sensor is included for detecting an alternating-current impedance or an electricity quantity being a function value of the alternating-current impedance to thereby output the detected one as an impedance signal, wherein the alternating-current impedance is varied by approaching of the collision object. A collision load sensor is included for detecting a collision load when the collision object collides with the vehicle to output the detected collision load as a collision load signal. Whether the collision object is a pedestrian or not is determined based on a value of a given function including as input variables the impedance signal outputted from the impedance sensor and the collision load signal outputted from the collision load sensor.

Abstract: A front surface side sensor is provided on a front surface of a bumper, and a reverse surface side sensor is provided on a reverse surface of the bumper. Accurately discriminating a pedestrian from other objects is feasible based on the combination of binary output levels of two sensors in case of vehicle collision, or based on ON time difference or the ON time duration of two sensors.

Abstract: In a collision damage reduction system, a microcomputer obtains relative position data corresponding to a relative between a vehicle and an object from a first detecting unit, the detected speed of the vehicle as detected by a second detecting unit, the detected turning angle of the vehicle as detected by a third detecting unit. The microcomputer calculates a total collision probability representing a probability that the vehicle and the object will collide on a runnable space according to the relative position data, the detected speed of the own vehicle and the detected turning angle. In addition, the microcomputer instructs the operation unit to operate at least one of a first collision avoidance operation and a second collision avoidance operation according to the total collision probability.

Abstract: A collision object discrimination apparatus for vehicles includes two collision detection sensors for discriminating kinds of a collision object based on two sensor outputs. The collision object is determined based on a collision width (W) detected by a collision width detection sensor fitted to a vehicle body. Alternatively, the collision object is determined based on a difference between operation characteristics of the two sensors. Further alternatively, the two sensors are integrated into a single unit including a plurality of censor cells.

Abstract: Provided is a collision position detecting apparatus for a vehicle, comprising a line sensor including first and second conductive lines fixedly secured onto a front surface or rear surface of the vehicle to extend in lateral directions of the vehicle and placed to be separated from each other by a predetermined spacing in longitudinal directions of the vehicle, with at least one of the conductive lines being elastically deformed at a position of a collision against a body to be restorable to make an electrical connection with the other conductive line. The apparatus simultaneously detects a collision against a pedestrian and the position of the collision on the basis of a current flowing in the conductive lines or a voltage drop therein. This can specify the collision position quickly and facilitate the manufacturing of the apparatus.

Abstract: A seat occupation is judged with a load detector arranged at a seat for detecting a load on the seat and a seat condition detection means arranged at the seat for providing discrimination between an adult and a child seat on the seat. A judging means judges that a child seat is set on the seat when the load detection means detects the load corresponding to that of adult and the seat condition detection means detects that the child seat on the seat. The seat condition detection means may comprise an electrostatistic sensor for detecting a capacitance that is increased by the body of the passenger or a pressure detection element array arranged on the sitting portion. The detected capacitance or the pressure distribution is different between a child seat and an adult or a passenger.

Abstract: A front surface side sensor is provided on a front surface of a bumper, and a reverse surface side sensor is provided on a reverse surface of the bumper. Accurately discriminating a pedestrian from other objects is feasible based on the combination of binary output levels of two sensors in case of vehicle collision, or based on ON time difference or the ON time duration of two sensors.

Abstract: A pedestrian collision detecting apparatus for motor vehicles is provided which works to distinguish between impacts with pedestrians and other sorts of impacts using a combination of a collision duration for which a sensor continues to sense a physical impact arising from collision with an object and a time-sequential change in locations of collisions of the vehicle with objects, thereby ensuring the reliability of detection of a pedestrian-vehicle collision and allowing the size and production costs of the apparatus to be minimized to improve the mountability of the apparatus in motor vehicles.

Abstract: Provided is a collision position detecting apparatus for a vehicle, comprising a line sensor including first and second conductive lines fixedly secured onto a front surface or rear surface of the vehicle to extend in lateral directions of the vehicle and placed to be separated from each other by a predetermined spacing in longitudinal directions of the vehicle, with at least one of the conductive lines being elastically deformed at a position of a collision against a body to be restorable to make an electrical connection with the other conductive line. The apparatus simultaneously detects a collision against a pedestrian and the position of the collision on the basis of a current flowing in the conductive lines or a voltage drop therein. This can specify the collision position quickly and facilitate the manufacturing of the apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention provides a seated person determination apparatus for a vehicle seat that accurately differentiates the type of person seated, or differentiates a person seated from an object such as a child seat. This is accomplished by utilizing the shape of the standard surface distribution of the load that simulates the shape of contact surface formed between the human buttocks and the surface of seat pad. Specifically, the present invention provides a seat sensor composed of the plurality of sensor portions placed in a seat pad of a vehicle seat distributed in a plane parallel with the surface of the seat. The load exerted on the surface of the seat by a person seated or an object placed on the seat is detected by the plurality of sensor portions of the seat sensor located in corresponding position.

Abstract: In a passenger judging apparatus with a load sensor excellent in practical use and capable of achieving not only the reduction of judgment delay in the case of the necessity for a quick judgment but also the improvement of the judgment accuracy in the other cases, a judgment indicating the occurrence of a state transition forming a transition between classes is made only when a load detected stays continuously in a predetermined class for a predetermined threshold time period, with the threshold time period being variably set to be different in length among inter-class state transitions. This contributes greatly to the improvement of the judgment accuracy by eliminating erroneous judgment stemming from a false signal without uselessly delaying the judgment on the state transition requiring a quick decision.

Abstract: In a collision damage reduction system, a microcomputer obtains a first performance limit data of the own vehicle according to the detected speed thereof by a first detecting unit and a second performance limit data of the object according to the relative position data detected by a first detecting unit, the detected speed of the own vehicle and the detected turning angle thereof by a third detecting unit. The microcomputer calculates a total collision probability representing a probability that the own vehicle and the object will collide with each other on a runnable space according to the first performance limit data, the second performance limit data, the detected speed of the own vehicle and the relative position data. In addition, the microcomputer instructs the operation unit to operate at least one of the first operation and the second operation according to the total collision probability.

Abstract: A vehicle occupant protection apparatus includes a collision object data detection element on a vehicle to detect data, such as the physical parameters of the estimated collision object related to a collision impact force, from an estimated collision object, a vehicle-onboard occupant protection element activated in the event of a vehicle collision, thereby protecting an occupant in a predetermined activation mode, and a protection mode control element for changing the activation mode based on the data. The vehicle occupant protection apparatus may also utilize a collision detection element for detecting an actual collision with the estimated collision object.

Abstract: A seat occupation is judged with a load detector arranged at a seat for detecting a load on the seat and a seat condition detection means arranged at the seat for providing discrimination between an adult and a child seat on the seat. A judging means judges that a child seat is set on the seat when the load detection means detects the load corresponding to that of adult and the seat condition detection means detects that the child seat on the seat. The seat condition detection means may comprise an electrostatistic sensor for detecting a capacitance that is increased by the body of the passenger or a pressure detection element array arranged on the sitting portion. The detected capacitance or the pressure distribution is different between a child seat and an adult or a passenger.

Abstract: Gas generated from an inflator flows into a first portion of a main bag and each part of an inner bag, and the first portion is inflated toward an area in front of passenger's seat. Then, the gas filling the first portion which has been inflated flows into a second portion of the main bag. In this situation, the inflation direction of the second portion is more downward than the inflation direction of the first portion. As a result, a speed of backward inflation is decreased.

Abstract: An electrical connector has a flexible cable housed in a case, wherein one end thereof is attached to a rotating member and the other end is attached to a fixed member. The cable is wound around the rotating member and the fixed member to form loose windings of a plurality of turns. A rotation support member is installed in the case so that the rotation support member can rotate around the fixed member and the flexible cable is wound around a perimeter thereof several times. An elastic member connects the rotation support member and the fixed member and generates a returning force responsive to rotation of the rotation support member. Cable codes are formed on the flexible cable in order to indicate a rotation angle of the rotating member. A detection device is installed in the case and generates a signal representing the cable codes.