Patent ID: 7631565

Claim:
A collision detection system for a vehicle comprising: a bumper reinforcement that is fixed to a side member of the vehicle; a pressure sensor that is placed in front of the bumper reinforcement and has at least one pressure-sensitive member responsive to pressure, wherein the at least one pressure-sensitive member comprises a plurality of pressure-sensitive members arranged in a side-to-side direction of the vehicle; and a load plate that is placed in front of the pressure sensor; wherein the load plate has a base member and at least one leg member extending from the base member toward the bumper reinforcement, wherein each leg member is located between adjacent pressure-sensitive members and is not in contact with the pressure-sensitive members of the pressure sensor, wherein the base member has a first portion facing the pressure-sensitive members of the pressure sensor and is spaced by the leg member from the pressure-sensitive members of the pressure sensor in a front-rear direction of the vehicle, and a second portion fixed to the leg member, wherein the leg member comprises a plurality of leg members, wherein a first at least one of the plurality of leg members is located above the pressure sensor in an up-down direction of the vehicle, and wherein a second at least one of the plurality of leg members is located below the pressure sensor in the up-down direction.