Patent ID: 7081801

Claim:
A shock wave sensor in an automobile comprising: a housing, the housing having a portion providing a mounting surface for attachment to an automobile structural element; a giant magnetostrictive sensing element mounted to the housing; a biasing magnet mounted to the housing and being in engagement with and positioned to provide a biasing magnetic field to the giant magnetostrictive sensing element; a coil mounted to the housing and surrounding the giant magnetostrictive sensing element, for sensing a change in magnetic field produced by a shock wave in the giant magnetostrictive sensing element; a fastener extending between the housing and the automobile structural element to hold the mounting surface of the housing against the automobile structural element, wherein the giant magnetostrictive sensing element directly, or through an optional spacer in engagement with and located between the giant magnetostrictive sensor and the automobile structural element is loaded against the automobile structural element when the portion of the housing providing a mounting surface is held by the fastener against the automobile structural element; and wherein the housing has a portion that extends between the mounting surface and the giant magnetostrictive sensing element, that resiliently biases the giant magnetostrictive sensing element directly or through the spacer, against the automobile structural element thereby compressively loading the giant magnetostrictive sensing element against the spacer or the automobile directly to improve shock wave transmission to the sensing element.