Patent ID: 7416231

Claim:
A collision detecting apparatus for a vehicle having a reinforcement member and side members, the collision detecting apparatus comprising: a plurality of collision detecting means located between the reinforcement member and one of the side members; and a determination means determining a collision based on at least one of outputs of the plurality of collision detecting means, wherein each of the plurality of collision detecting means has a crank member and a deformation detecting member, the crank member includes a middle portion having a resiliency, a first extending portion extending from a first end of the middle portion and a second extending portion extending from a second end of the middle portion in a direction opposite to the first extending portion, the deformation detecting member is disposed at a center of the middle portion for detecting a deformation of the middle portion, wherein a first collision detecting means, which is one of the plurality of collision detecting means, and a second collision detecting means, which is another one of the plurality of collision detecting means, are arranged in opposite directions such that the middle portion of the first collision detecting means is parallel to the middle portion of the second collision detecting means, the first extending portion of the first collision detecting means and the second extending portion of the second collision detecting means connect to the reinforcement member, and the second extending portion of the first collision detecting means and the first extending portion of the second collision detecting means connect to the side member.