Crush sensing vehicle crash sensor

A vehicle crush detecting device in combination with a vehicle comprising:

• an electrically conducting, deformable tube, said tube containing greases
• an electrically conducting rod positioned within said tube;
• and
• insulating means positioned at at least two points between said rod and said tube for insulating said rod from said tube;
• whereby when said tube is deformed by a force greater than a predetermined magnitude during crush of the vehicle, said tube contacts said rod in response to the crush of the vehicle thereby completing an electric circuit indicative of crushing of the vehicle.

In a vehicle having a deployable occupant protection device, a vehicle crash sensor system comprising:

• a crush detecting switch changeable from an open position indicative of a non-crush situation and a closed position indicative of crush of a portion of said vehicle proximate to said switch;
• and
• an electronic sensor coupled to said crush detecting switch and comprising;
• an accelerometer, and
• means coupled to said accelerometer for initiating deployment of said occupant protection device based on closure of said crush detecting switch and an analysis of output from said accelerometer indicative of a situation in which deployment of said occupant protection device is desired.

A vehicle crush detecting device in combination with a vehicle comprising:

• an elongate, electrically conducting, deformable tube, said tube having an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface;
• an elongate, electrically conducting rod positioned within said tube, said rod having an outer circumferential surface;
• attachment means for attaching said tube to said vehicle at at least two spaced apart locations to provide at least one free, unrestrained span of said tube between said at least two spaced apart locations which is spaced away and not in contact with any portion of said vehicle;
• and
• insulating means positioned at at least two longitudinal points between said rod and said tube for insulating said rod from said tube, said insulating means being arranged to separate the entire outer circumferential surface of said rod from the entire inner circumferential surface of said tube around the entire outer circumference of said rod such that said tube is deformable by the crush of the vehicle about its entire circumference into contact with said rod;
• whereby when said tube is deformed by a force greater than a predetermined magnitude during crush of the vehicle, said tube contacts said rod in response to the crush of the vehicle thereby completing an electric circuit indicative of crushing of the vehicle.