Denso Corporation

Nippondenso Co., Ltd.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Nippon Soken, Inc.

Kyojiro Suzuki

Sadayuki Kuwahara

Keiji Nagura

Motomi Iyoda

Hiroyuki Takahashi

Kazuyoshi Isaji

Shingo Wanami

Yuuji Kakuya

Yujiro Miyata

Norio Sanma

Ryotaro Kachu

Toshihito Nonaka

Masanori Kawaura

Yutaka Ohashi

Masatada Yoshida

Minoru Fujioka

Mutsumasa Koujiya

An in-vehicle apparatus for a vehicle driven by a first driving power source in a first driving mode and driven by a second diving power source in a second driving mode, includes: a collision detection device; a stopping device stopping the first and second driving modes when the collision detection device detects collision; a severity determination device determining a severity of collision indicative of a collision intensity; and a controller. Under a condition that the stopping device stops both of the first driving mode and the second driving mode, the controller executes one of recovery of both of the first driving mode and the second driving mode, recovery of one of the first driving mode and the second driving mode, and system shut-down according to the severity of collision.

In-vehicle apparatus for detecting collision of vehicle

An electromagnetic impedance sensor detects an object made of conducting material or soft magnetic material with contact-free. The sensor includes: a detection coil; and a detection circuit for supplying electricity to the coil and for measuring electromagnetic impedance change in the coil. The detection coil includes multiple coil portions provided by one wire. One coil portion has a side adjacent to a corresponding side of another coil portion. The side and the corresponding side extend along with a direction, and the side has a current flowing direction, which is the same as the corresponding side.

Electromagnetic impedance sensor and passenger protection system

A load sensing device comprise an inner member provided at a front part of a vehicle and a load sensor provided at a position before a front of the inner member, in addition to an outer member and a load transfer member. The outer member is provided at the front part of the vehicle so as to be located more frontward than the load sensor so that a space is formed between the outer member and the load sensor. The outer member is in charge of allowing the load sensor to sense, via the outer member, a load applied to a front of the vehicle. The load transfer member, made of a hard material, is disposed adjacently to the load sensor within the space between the outer member and the load sensor. The load sensor is allowed to move along the inner member in the back-and-forth direction of the vehicle.

Load sensing device for automobiles

A collision detecting apparatus is provided which consists of a rotor and a first and a second contact spring. Upon collision, the rotor pushes the first contact spring to establish an electrical contact with the second contact spring. At least one of the first and second contact member is decreased in width from a base portion secured on a mount base to a contact portion, thereby decreasing the weight of the contact portion to avoid the contact chatter.

Collision detection apparatus designed to minimize contact chatter

A weight (4) rotates with a shaft (5) as a rotational center during acceleration detection. A rotor (1) fixed on the weight (4) rotates integrally therewith. A first cam portion 1a of noncircular configuration on the rotor (1) contacts a plate spring (2) and a second cam portion (1b) of semicircular configuration contacts a plate spring (3), urging constantly the rotor (1) in a direction opposite to rotation direction thereof. The plate springs (2) and (3) have a contact-point function, and when the rotor (1) rotates in resistance to urging force thereof, contact is made with a contact points (2a) and (3a) on the plate springs (2) and (3) due to action of the first cam portion (1a) and second cam portion (1b), and the contacting state thereof is detected via a plate (6) and plate (7) as an electrical signal.

Acceleration detecting device

When an acceleration more than a predetermined level is applied to a weight, a rotational moment is applied to a center of gravity of the weight, and therefore, the weight rotates around a shaft as a rotational center in a direction to be opposite to an elastic force given by plate springs. At this time, a rotor rotates in accordance with the rotation of the weight, the plate springs contacting respectively first cam and second cam move so as to narrow the clearance between the plate springs. When the rotor is rotated to a predetermined angle, contact points of the plate springs contact, and the contact state can be detected as an acceleration detecting signal through signal-output terminals. A stopper has two ends, and the two end are fixed to a cover to have a clearance portion between the cover and the stopper. When the weight and the stopper contact, the stopper is bent to the clearance portion side to absorb a shock due to the rotation of the weight.

A seat belt fastening device has a seat belt buckle and a single casing in which a compression coil spring for pulling in slack of the seat belt is positioned between a retainer and a flange of a guide member. An inertial mass member is slidably disposed in the guide member. The coil spring is connected by a wire to a pulley unit through the retainer and guide member. The seat belt buckle is connected to the pulley unit by a wire. The wire is usually wound to the pulley unit which is locked by a control lever. When the inertial mass member moves under excessive deceleration, it drives operation levers and the control lever to unlock the pulley unit. As a result, the wire is pulled out from the pulley unit by the released compression spring. Incidentally, the wire is wound to the pulley unit so that the buckle is retracted into the casing and the slack of the seat belt is reduced.

Seat belt fastening device

An air bag device is provided having an air bag normally folded, an inflator for inflating the air bag, and an ECU for activating the inflator upon detection of vehicle collision. The inflator and the ECU are placed in parallel and fixed to a casing. The air bag is fixed to the casing by a retainer without use of threaded screws.

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Nagoya, Japan

Kyojiro Suzuki