Back to results
US 8,910,986 B1Granted
Bonded and rotatable vehicle sensor assembly
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsJayagopal Appukutty, Steven Yellin Schondorf, Erich Kemnitz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automotive vehicle fascia assembly is provided. The fascia assembly includes a bumper cover and an impact sensor assembly attached to, without mechanically fastening, the bumper cover. The sensor assembly includes a housing configured to selectively rotate from a first position to a second position, a sensor disposed within the housing, and a wall preventing access to the sensor when the housing is in the first position. The sensor is accessible when the housing is in the second position.
Claims20
A vehicle comprising:
- a bumper beam;
- a bumper cover having inner and outer surfaces;
- and
- an impact sensor assembly attached to, without mechanically fastening, the inner surface and including a housing, an acceleration sensor disposed within the housing, and a planar tab ultrasonically welded to the inner surface, wherein the planar tab is located between the acceleration sensor and bumper cover and has a thickness such that when ultrasonically welded to the inner surface, the planar tab does not deform the outer surface proximate to the planar tab, wherein the housing is spaced away from the inner surface a distance no greater than the thickness of the planar tab, and wherein the assembly is arranged such that the distance between the bumper beam and the assembly is at least seventy millimeters.
1 more element
A fascia assembly comprising:
- a bumper beam;
- a bumper cover including an inner surface;
- and
- a sensor assembly disposed between the beam and cover and including a planar tab bonded to the inner surface, a housing configured to rotate between first and second positions, a sensor connector, and a wall proximate to the connector and configured to prevent mating access thereto when the housing is in the first position but not in the second position.
1 more element
A vehicle comprising:
- a bumper beam;
- a bumper cover including an inner surface;
- a bracket disposed between the bumper beam and bumper cover, the bracket defining a base bonded to the inner surface and a housing configured to rotate between first and second positions;
- a sensor including a connector and configured to attach to the housing;
- and
- a lock mechanism configured to hold the housing in the first position and to release the housing in response to the sensor being attached to the housing, wherein the bracket includes a wall configured to prevent mating access to the connector when the housing is in the first position but not in the second position.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.