Patent ID: 6009970
Filing Date: 2000-01-04
Classification: B60R,H01H

Abstract:
In a motor vehicle having a forward extremity, a crush zone immediately rearward of said forward extremity, said crush zone having vehicle elements, an improved crush sensor arranged in said crush zone and attached to at least one of said vehicle elements in said crush zone, and an occupant restraint system responsive to said crush sensor comprises:(1) means arranged at a given position in said crush zone of the vehicle for determining when the vehicle elements in said crush zone have been deformed as far back in the vehicle as said given position; and(2) means responsive to said determining means for actuating said occupant restraint system when a vehicle impact with a barrier causes said vehicle elements in said crush zone to deform as far back as said position; said given position is a sufficient longitudinal distance rearward from said forward extremity of the vehicle such that an impact by said forward extremity with said barrier at a vehicle speed below a prescribed threshold value will not actuate said occupant restraint system;the improvement beingsaid determining means is a switch having an actuating member with a length dimension at least an order of magnitude larger than its width and thickness dimensions, said switch being designed to actuate upon bending of said actuating member, and wherein said switch and said at least one of said vehicle elements cooperate such that when said at least one of said elements deforms at said given position upon said impact at at least said prescribed threshold-value speed, bending of said actuating member intentionally occurs resulting in actuation of said switch.