Patent ID: 8328276

Claim:
An apparatus for determining an impact on a vehicle comprising: a load detecting portion attached to an end portion of a seat portion of a seat for the vehicle that includes a seat back at a rear portion of the seat for the vehicle, and detecting a compressing-direction load, applied to the end portion of the seat portion toward a floor of the vehicle, and a pulling-direction load, applied to the end portion of the seat portion away from the floor of the vehicle; and an impact determining portion determining that the impact is applied on the vehicle in a case where the compressing-direction load, which is equal to or larger than a first predetermined value, is detected and subsequently the pulling-direction load, which is equal to or larger than a second predetermined value, is detected within a first predetermined time period, at the end portion of the seat portion by means of the load detecting portion, or in a case where the pulling-direction load, which is equal to or larger than a third predetermined value, is detected and subsequently the compressing-direction load, which is equal to or larger than a fourth predetermined value, is detected within a second predetermined time period, at the end portion of the seat portion by means of the load detecting portion.