Motor vehicle crash impact detector using air pressure sensors

摘要

A system for measuring impact in a traffic accident consists of air pressure sensors (23) mounted in the cavity (12) of door columns (4) and linked by air channels to other hollow parts (10, 11) of the vehicle's bodywork. Each of these sensors may be connected to a control unit (24) which activates inertia-reel seatbelts, airbags and other in-car safety devices. If, for example, another vehicle crashed into the rear door (3) of a car, the outer wall of the door (7) would be pushed in, reducing the volume of the door cavity (11) and causing a rise in its air pressure. This would open easily-displaced valve flaps (25) in the door column, causing a change in air pressure within the column which would be immediately registered by the sensor.