# US 2013/0278013 A1 · Inflatable Side Rail Deflector Apparatus For Small Offset Collisions > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0278013 A1 - Document ID: US20130278013A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/449,790 - Filed: 2012-04-18 - Published: 2013-10-24 - Earliest claimed: 2012-04-18 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Mohamed Ridha Baccouche; Manoharprasad K. Rao; Saied Nusier; Jialiang Le - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130278013A1 ## CPC - B60R 19/00: Wheel guards; Radiator guards, {e.g. grilles}; Obstruction removers; Fittings damping bouncing force in collisions ({reinforcement elements for side doors B60J5/0412; } mudguards B62D) - B60R 21/013: including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over - B60R 2019/007: {Means for adjusting or regulating the crash absorption capacity of the vehicle, e.g. when detecting an impending collision} - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract An inflatable member, or deflector, is attached to the frame of the vehicle. The deflector in the expanded condition at least partially fills a space defined by a bumper beam, a portion of the frame, a front tire and a portion of the vehicle body. A sensor provides a signal to a controller to actuate an inflator. The sensor may be a contact sensor, such as an accelerometer or an electro-resistive sensor, or the sensor may be a predictive sensor, such as a radar sensor or a machine vision sensor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for managing energy of an offset impact by a vehicle having a body, frame and a front tire with an object laterally outboard of the frame, comprising: a deflector attached to and folded against the frame in an unexpanded condition, the body, the frame and the front tire define a space adjacent the deflector in the unexpanded condition, and the deflector in an expanded condition at least partially fills the space. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: a sensor disposed on the vehicle that senses the object outboard of the frame and provides an offset impact signal; a controller receives the offset impact signal and provides an actuation signal; and an inflator operatively connected to the deflector that inflates the deflector in response to the actuation signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the sensor senses the object before the object impacts the vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting essentially of a radar sensor and a machine vision sensor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the sensor is an accelerometer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the sensor is an electro-resistive sensor that senses the object when the object contacts a bumper of the vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the deflector has a metal skin that is folded in the unexpanded condition and unfolded in the expanded condition. ### Claim 8 (canceled) ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the deflector in the expanded condition impacts the object and influences a first side of the vehicle to move laterally toward a longitudinal centerline during the impact. ### Claim 10 An intrusion avoidance apparatus for a vehicle having a body, a frame, a bumper, and an impact absorbing member disposed between the frame and the bumper, wherein the body, frame and bumper define a void within the body, the intrusion avoidance apparatus comprising: an inflatable member, wherein the inflatable member has a metal skin that is folded in the unexpanded condition and unfolded in the expanded condition; a sensor that senses the void within the body is about to receive an object in the course of a collision with the object, and provides an offset impact warning signal; a controller receives the offset impact warning signal and provides an actuation signal; and a pyrotechnic inflator that is actuated by the actuation signal to inflate the inflatable member to at least partially fill the void. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the inflatable member and the pyrotechnic inflator are secured to the frame. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the sensor senses the object before the object impacts the vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting essentially of a radar sensor and a machine vision sensor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the sensor is an accelerometer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the sensor is an electro-resistive sensor that senses the object when the object contacts the bumper of the vehicle. ### Claim 16 (canceled) ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the inflatable member in the expanded condition impacts the object and influences a first side of the vehicle to move laterally toward a longitudinal centerline during the impact. ### Claim 18 (canceled) ### Claim 19 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising: a sensor disposed on the vehicle that senses the object impacted by the vehicle and provides an offset impact signal; a controller receives the offset impact signal and provides an actuation signal; and an inflator operatively connected to and capable of inflating the deflector in response to the actuation signal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the sensor is an electro-resistive sensor that senses the object when the object contacts a bumper of the vehicle. ### Claim 21 An apparatus for managing energy of a frontal impact with an object by a vehicle, comprising: a deflector disposed on the vehicle having a metal skin that is folded in an unexpanded condition and unfolded in an expanded condition, wherein the vehicle has a front tire that at least partially defines a space adjacent the deflector, and the deflector is expandable to at least partially fill the space. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the sensor is disposed on the vehicle to sense an object impact outboard of a frame assembly of the vehicle.