The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 19, 2011
Filed:
Feb. 14, 2007
Hiroyuki Takahashi, Aichi-ken, JP;
Yujiro Miyata, Kariya, JP;
Ryotaro Kachu, Aichi-ken, JP;
Tetsuya Takafuji, Anjo, JP;
Shigenori Kobayashi, Aichi-ken, JP;
Yasuyuki Hishida, Hitachi, JP;
Hiroyuki Takahashi, Aichi-ken, JP;
Yujiro Miyata, Kariya, JP;
Ryotaro Kachu, Aichi-ken, JP;
Tetsuya Takafuji, Anjo, JP;
Shigenori Kobayashi, Aichi-ken, JP;
Yasuyuki Hishida, Hitachi, JP;
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota-shi, Aichi-ken, JP;
Denso Corporation, Kariya, Aichi-Pref, JP;
Hitachi Cable, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
In a vehicle bumper structure, an optical fiber sensor () is provided in a vehicle width direction on the front surface of a front-bumper reinforcement (). A front-bumper absorber () is provided in front of the optical fiber sensor (), the front-bumper absorber () formed of a soft absorber () and a hard absorber (). The hard absorber is disposed at the bumper center region where the thickness of the bumper is increased. Accordingly, the thickness of the soft absorber () becomes substantially uniform in the vehicle width direction, so that a substantially uniform load is inputted to the optical fiber sensor () regardless of the collision position of the bumper with an object. As a result, variations in the output of the load-sensing unit are reduced.