Collision detection device

Abstract

To enable a collision body against a vehicle to be satisfactorily discriminated.SOLUTION: A collision detection apparatus 10 includes: a bumper beam 20 extending in a vehicle width direction; an absorber 30 disposed adjacently to the vehicle front side of the bumper beam 20; a collision detection sensor 40 which includes a pressure tube 42 extending in the vehicle width direction and held by the absorber 30, and which outputs a signal corresponding to a pressure change in the pressure tube 42; and a bumper cover 50 disposed on the vehicle front side of the absorber 30. The bumper cover 50 includes: a low rigidity part 50A disposed below the pressure tube 42; and a high rigidity part 50B which has bending rigidity set to be higher than that of the low rigidity part 50A, and which is disposed above the low rigidity part 50A and has an upper end part disposed above the pressure tube 42.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a collision detection device. [Background technology]

[0002] In the vehicle collision detection device described in Patent Document 1 below, a bumper absorber is provided on the vehicle rear side of a bumper cover, and the bumper absorber is disposed adjacent to the vehicle front side of a bumper reinforcement. A pressure tube is held in a groove in the bumper absorber. Furthermore, a lower recess is formed at the rear end of the bumper absorber on the vehicle underside of the groove, and the lower recess is open to the vehicle underside. This increases the force per unit area of ​​the collision load input to the pressure tube when a collision object collides with the bumper cover. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-155411 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above vehicle collision detection device does not take into account the difference in the amount of deformation of the bumper cover when a pedestrian collides with the bumper cover and when an object other than a pedestrian (e.g., a roadside marker, a road traffic cone, or other road obstacle) collides with the bumper cover. Therefore, even when an object other than a pedestrian collides with the bumper cover, the bumper cover may deform toward the rear of the vehicle, resulting in a relatively large amount of deformation of the pressure tube. In this case, the vehicle collision detection device may not be able to accurately determine whether the object colliding with the vehicle is a pedestrian.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a collision detection device that can accurately distinguish an object that has collided with a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One or more embodiments of the present invention include a bumper beam extending in a vehicle width direction, an absorber disposed adjacent to the front side of the bumper beam, a collision detection sensor including a pressure tube extending in the vehicle width direction and held by the absorber, the collision detection sensor outputting a signal corresponding to a pressure change in the pressure tube, and a bumper cover disposed on the front side of the absorber, wherein the bumper cover includes a low-rigidity portion disposed below the pressure tube, and a high-rigidity portion having a bending rigidity higher than that of the low-rigidity portion, disposed above the low-rigidity portion, and having an upper end portion disposed above the pressure tube. The high-rigidity portion includes an abutment portion extending toward the rear of the vehicle on the vehicle upper side of the absorber, and when a collision load toward the rear of the vehicle of a predetermined value or greater is input to the bumper cover, the tip of the abutment portion abuts against the bumper beam. It is a collision detection device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to effectively distinguish an object that has collided with a vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic plan view showing a collision detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view (enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1) of the collision detection device shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the left side. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 2, showing a modified example of the bumper cover shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the abutting rib in the inner cover shown in FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing another modified example of the abutting rib in the inner cover shown in FIG. 3. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The collision detection device 10 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the arrow FR shown as appropriate in the drawings indicates the front side of a vehicle (automobile) V to which the collision detection device 10 is applied, the arrow UP indicates the upper side of the vehicle, and the arrow LH indicates the left side of the vehicle (one side in the vehicle width direction). In the following description, when the up-down, front-rear, and left-right directions are used, they refer to the up-down direction of the vehicle, the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the left-right direction of the vehicle unless otherwise specified.

[0010] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the collision detection device 10 is disposed at the front end of the vehicle V and is configured to detect (the presence or absence of) a collision of a collision object with the vehicle V. The collision detection device 10 is configured to include a bumper beam 20 that constitutes a framework member of the vehicle V, a bumper cover 50 disposed at the front end of the vehicle V, and an absorber 30 disposed between the bumper cover 50 and the bumper beam 20. The collision detection device 10 also has a collision detection sensor 40. Each component of the collision detection device 10 will be described below.

[0011] (About Bumper Beam 20) The bumper beam 20 extends in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) and is formed into a substantially rectangular closed cross-sectional shape when viewed in a cross section from the longitudinal direction of the bumper beam 20. The bumper beam 20 includes a front panel 22 that forms the front end of the bumper beam 20, and a rear panel 24 that forms the rear of the bumper beam 20.

[0012] The front panel 22 is made of a metal plate, has a thickness in the front-to-rear direction, and extends in the left-to-right direction. A recess 22A that is open to the front is formed in the middle of the front panel 22 in the up-down direction. The portion of the front panel 22 above the recess 22A is configured as an upper flange portion 22B, and the portion of the front panel 22 below the recess 22A is configured as a lower flange portion 22C.

[0013] The rear panel 24 is made of a metal plate similar to the front panel 22 and extends in the left-right direction. When viewed in the longitudinal direction, the rear panel 24 is formed in a generally hat shape that is open to the front. The upper end of the rear panel 24 is joined to the upper flange portion 22B of the front panel 22, and the lower end of the rear panel 24 is joined to the lower flange portion 22C of the front panel 22.

[0014] A pair of left and right front side members 60 that form the framework of the vehicle V are provided on the rear side of the bumper beam 20, and the front side members 60 extend in the front-to-rear direction. Both ends of the bumper beam 20 in the vehicle width direction are connected to the front ends of the front side members 60 via crash boxes 62.

[0015] (About Absorber 30) The absorber 30 is made of a foamed resin material, such as urethane foam. The absorber 30 is formed in a generally elongated shape with its longitudinal direction extending in the left-right direction and is disposed adjacent to the front side of the bumper beam 20. The absorber 30 is generally trapezoidal in cross section when viewed from the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the upper end of the front surface of the absorber 30 is configured as an upper inclined surface 30A, which is inclined rearward as it extends upward in a side cross section. Meanwhile, the lower portion of the front surface of the absorber 30 is configured as a lower inclined surface 30B, which extends diagonally rearward from the lower end of the upper inclined surface 30A. As a result, the front end of the absorber 30 is defined by the upper end of the lower inclined surface 30B. Furthermore, the vertical dimension of the lower inclined surface 30B is set to be significantly larger than the vertical dimension of the upper inclined surface 30A.

[0016] Furthermore, the upper surface 30C of the absorber 30 extends diagonally downward and rearward from the upper end of the upper inclined surface 30A. The rear surface 30D of the absorber 30 connects the rear end of the lower inclined surface 30B to the rear end of the upper surface 30C. The absorber 30 is disposed adjacent to the front side of the recess 22A and the upper flange portion 22B of the front panel 22 of the bumper beam 20, and the rear surface 30D of the absorber 30 is fixed to the front surface of the bumper beam 20. The rear surface 30D of the absorber 30 is formed along the front surface of the bumper beam 20. That is, the lower portion of the rear surface 30D of the absorber 30 protrudes rearward in a side cross-sectional view viewed from the left and right. The absorber 30 is disposed below the upper end of the front panel 22 of the bumper beam 20, and the upper portion of the upper flange portion 22B of the bumper beam 20 is exposed forward.

[0017] A holding groove 30E for holding a pressure tube 42 (described later) is formed in the upper inclined surface 30A of the absorber 30. The holding groove 30E is formed in a substantially C-shape that opens obliquely toward the upper front side in a side cross-sectional view, and is formed over the entire longitudinal direction of the absorber 30.

[0018] (Regarding the collision detection sensor 40) The collision detection sensor 40 is composed of a pressure tube 42 held by the absorber 30 and a pressure sensor 44 (broadly speaking, an element that can be understood as a pressure detector) that outputs a signal in response to pressure changes in the pressure tube 42.

[0019] The pressure tube 42 is formed in an elongated shape with its longitudinal direction in the left-right direction and is configured as a hollow structure with a substantially circular cross section. The outer diameter of the pressure tube 42 is set slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the retaining groove 30E of the absorber 30, and the pressure tube 42 is fitted into the retaining groove 30E. This allows the pressure tube 42 to be held at the front end of the absorber 30.

[0020] The pressure sensors 44 are provided at both longitudinal ends of the pressure tube 42 and are fixed to the vehicle body at positions not shown. The pressure sensors 44 are electrically connected to the ECU 46 (which is broadly understood as a collision determination unit). When the pressure tube 42 deforms, a signal corresponding to the pressure change inside the pressure tube 42 is output from the pressure sensor 44 to the ECU 46.

[0021] An impact speed sensor (not shown) is also electrically connected to the ECU 46. The impact speed sensor outputs a signal to the ECU 46 in accordance with the impact speed of an impact object colliding with the bumper cover 50 (described later). The ECU 46 then calculates the impact load based on the output signal of the pressure sensor 44, and calculates the impact speed based on the output signal of the impact speed sensor. Furthermore, the ECU 46 calculates the effective mass of the impact object from the calculated impact load and impact speed, and determines whether the effective mass exceeds a threshold value to determine whether the impact object colliding with the bumper cover 50 is a pedestrian or something other than a pedestrian (for example, a road obstacle such as a roadside marker or a post cone).

[0022] (About Bumper Cover 50) The bumper cover 50 is disposed in front of the absorber 30 and constitutes the front end of the vehicle V. The bumper cover 50 includes an outer cover 52 that constitutes the vehicle's design surface, and an inner cover 54 that is disposed behind the outer cover 52 and overlaps the outer cover 52 in the front-to-rear direction. That is, the bumper cover 50 has a double-cover structure. In addition, the bumper cover 50 is curved so that the vertical middle portion thereof is convex toward the front in a side cross-sectional view. The longitudinal distance L1 between the lower end of the lower inclined surface 30B of the absorber 30 and the bumper cover 50 is set longer than the longitudinal distance L2 between the upper end of the lower inclined surface 30B of the absorber 30 and the bumper cover 50.

[0023] The outer cover 52 is made of a resin material or the like. The outer cover 52 extends in the vehicle width direction in front of the absorber 30. The upper end of the outer cover 52 is located above the bumper beam 20, and the lower end of the outer cover 52 is located below the bumper beam 20. The outer cover 52 is fixedly supported on the vehicle body at a position not shown.

[0024] The inner cover 54 is made of a resin material or the like, similar to the outer cover 52. The inner cover 54 is disposed adjacent to the rear side of the outer cover 52 and is fixed to the outer cover 52 at a position not shown. This allows the inner cover 54 to be integrated with the outer cover 52. Note that in FIG. 2, the gap between the outer cover 52 and the inner cover 54 is exaggerated. The upper end of the inner cover 54 is disposed above the bumper beam 20 and below the upper end of the outer cover 52. On the other hand, the lower end of the inner cover 54 is disposed below the bumper beam 20.

[0025] A lower portion of the inner cover 54 is configured as a lower cover portion 54L, and the lower cover portion 54L is disposed below the pressure tube 42. Specifically, the lower cover portion 54L is disposed in front of the lower inclined surface 30B of the absorber 30. A plurality of holes 54A are formed through the lower cover portion 54L. In the lower cover portion 54L, as one example, a plurality of holes 54A aligned in the up-down direction are defined as one row, and the rows of the holes 54A are arranged side by side at predetermined intervals in the vehicle width direction.

[0026] An upper portion of the inner cover 54 is configured as an upper cover portion 54U, and the upper cover portion 54U is disposed above the lower cover portion 54L. Specifically, a lower portion of the upper cover portion 54U is disposed in front of the upper inclined surface 30A of the absorber 30, and an upper portion of the upper cover portion 54U is disposed above the absorber 30. As a result, the upper cover portion 54U and the pressure tube 42 are disposed overlapping each other in a front view, and the upper end of the upper cover portion 54U is disposed above the pressure tube 42.

[0027] The overlapping portion between the lower cover portion 54L and the outer cover 52 in the front-rear direction is configured as the low-rigidity portion 50A of the bumper cover 50, and the overlapping portion between the upper cover portion 54U and the outer cover 52 in the front-rear direction is configured as the high-rigidity portion 50B of the bumper cover 50. As described above, the lower cover portion 54L has a plurality of holes 54A formed therein. Therefore, in the bumper cover 50, the bending rigidity of the high-rigidity portion 50B is higher than the bending rigidity of the low-rigidity portion 50A.

[0028] Furthermore, a plurality of (four in this embodiment) reinforcing ribs 54B are formed as reinforcing portions on the upper portion of the upper cover portion 54U of the inner cover 54, and the reinforcing ribs 54B are arranged in a line at predetermined intervals in the up-down direction. The reinforcing ribs 54B protrude rearward from the upper cover portion 54U, are formed in a generally plate-like shape with the plate thickness direction in the up-down direction, and extend in the vehicle width direction. This makes the bending rigidity of the upper portion of the high-rigidity portion 50B higher than the bending rigidity of the lower portion of the high-rigidity portion 50B. The reinforcing ribs 54B are also arranged above the absorber 30.

[0029] (Action and effect) Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0030] In the collision detection device 10 configured as described above, the bumper cover 50 has a low-rigidity portion 50A and a high-rigidity portion 50B having higher bending rigidity than the low-rigidity portion 50A, and the high-rigidity portion 50B is disposed above the low-rigidity portion 50A. When the bumper cover 50 collides with a colliding object, as described above, the ECU 46 calculates the effective mass of the colliding object and determines whether the object that collided with the bumper cover 50 is a pedestrian or something other than a pedestrian.

[0031] Here, in the collision detection device 10, in order to properly distinguish between objects colliding with the vehicle V, it is desirable to properly deform the pressure tube 42 when colliding with a pedestrian, and to reduce the amount of deformation of the pressure tube 42 when colliding with an object other than a pedestrian.

[0032] When a pedestrian collides with the bumper cover 50, the pedestrian's legs strike the high-rigidity portion 50B, which is the upper portion of the bumper cover 50, causing the pedestrian to fall onto the hood of the vehicle V. As a result, a rearward, diagonally downward collision load F1 (see FIG. 2) is mainly input to the high-rigidity portion 50B. When the collision load F1 is input to the high-rigidity portion 50B, the high-rigidity portion 50B deforms toward the rearward, diagonally downward side (the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2), pressing against the absorber 30 and the pressure tube 42. As a result, the absorber 30 is crushed and the pressure tube 42 is deformed. This causes a change in pressure within the pressure tube 42, and the pressure sensor 44 outputs a signal corresponding to the pressure change in the pressure tube 42 to the ECU 46. Therefore, the ECU 46 can accurately determine that the colliding object is a pedestrian.

[0033] On the other hand, when a collision occurs between the bumper cover 50 and an object other than a pedestrian (for example, a road obstacle such as a roadside marker or a post cone), the object strikes the low-rigidity portion 50A, which is the lower part of the bumper cover 50. Therefore, a collision load F2 (see FIG. 2) toward the rear side is mainly input to the low-rigidity portion 50A.

[0034] Here, the low-rigidity portion 50A of the bumper cover 50 is located below the pressure tube 42. That is, the low-rigidity portion 50A is not located in front of the pressure tube 42, but the lower end of the high-rigidity portion 50B, which has higher bending rigidity than the low-rigidity portion 50A, is located there. Therefore, when a collision load F2 is input to the low-rigidity portion 50A of the bumper cover 50, rearward deformation of the upper end of the low-rigidity portion 50A is suppressed, and the low-rigidity portion 50A deforms so that mainly the lower end of the low-rigidity portion 50A is displaced rearward (see the low-rigidity portion 50A indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2). That is, the low-rigidity portion 50A deforms obliquely upward and rearward (toward the direction of arrow B in FIG. 2). This suppresses the pressure of the bumper cover 50 on the pressure tube 42, thereby reducing the amount of deformation of the pressure tube 42. As a result, the ECU 46 can effectively detect that an object other than a pedestrian has collided with the bumper cover 50. As described above, the collision detection device 10 of this embodiment can accurately identify an object that has collided with the vehicle V.

[0035] Additionally, a plurality of reinforcing ribs 54B are formed in an upper cover portion 54U of the inner cover 54 that constitutes the high rigidity portion 50B of the bumper cover 50, and a plurality of holes 54A are formed in a lower cover portion 54L of the inner cover 54 that constitutes the low rigidity portion 50A of the bumper cover 50. This makes it possible to provide the bumper cover 50 with a simple configuration, a low rigidity portion 50A having a relatively low bending rigidity, and a high rigidity portion 50B having a bending rigidity higher than that of the low rigidity portion 50A.

[0036] Furthermore, in the upper cover portion 54U of the inner cover 54, a reinforcing rib 54B is formed on the upper portion of the upper cover portion 54U, and the bending rigidity of the upper portion of the high-rigidity portion 50B is set to be higher than the bending rigidity of the lower portion of the high-rigidity portion 50B. As a result, when a collision load F1 from the diagonally downward rear side is input to the upper portion of the bumper cover 50, the entire high-rigidity portion 50B can be tilted diagonally downward rearward from the lower portion of the high-rigidity portion 50B. Therefore, in the event of a collision between a pedestrian and the bumper cover 50, the bumper cover 50 can effectively deform the pressure tube 42.

[0037] The bumper cover 50 is configured to include an outer cover 52 that forms the design surface of the vehicle V, and an inner cover 54 that is disposed on the rear side of the outer cover 52, and the reinforcing ribs 54B and holes 54A are formed in the inner cover 54. As a result, the outer cover 52 ensures the design of the vehicle V, while the inner cover 54 increases the design freedom for the bending rigidity of the bumper cover 50.

[0038] Additionally, the upper end of the high-rigidity portion 50B of the bumper cover 50 is positioned above the bumper beam 20. Therefore, when a rearward diagonally downward collision load F1 is input to the bumper cover 50, the high-rigidity portion 50B of the bumper cover 50 can be tilted rearward diagonally downward from above the absorber 30. This allows the high-rigidity portion 50B to effectively press the absorber 30 while deforming the pressure tube 42. Therefore, the shock absorber 30 can effectively absorb the collision load F1 while deforming the pressure tube 42.

[0039] Furthermore, the lower inclined surface 30B constituting the lower portion of the front surface of the absorber 30 slopes rearward as it extends downward when viewed from the left and right, and is disposed below the pressure tube 42 and behind the low-rigidity portion 50A. This allows the longitudinal distance L1 between the lower end of the lower inclined surface 30B and the bumper cover 50 to be set longer than the longitudinal distance L2 between the upper end of the lower inclined surface 30B and the bumper cover 50. Furthermore, as described above, in the event of a collision between the bumper cover 50 and an impact object other than a pedestrian, the low-rigidity portion 50A deforms so that the lower end of the low-rigidity portion 50A is displaced rearward. Therefore, in the event of a collision between the bumper cover 50 and an impact object other than a pedestrian, the pressure applied to the absorber 30 by the bumper cover 50 can be effectively suppressed. This effectively prevents the impact load F2 from being input to the pressure tube 42 via the absorber 30. Therefore, the impact object against the bumper cover 50 can be more accurately identified.

[0040] (Modification of bumper cover 50) Next, a modified example of the bumper cover 50 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. As shown in this figure, in the modified example of the bumper cover 50, an abutment rib 54C is formed as an abutment portion in place of the lowermost reinforcing rib 54B in the inner cover 54. That is, the reinforcing ribs 54B and the abutment rib 54C are formed in three locations on the upper cover portion 54U of the inner cover 54, and the abutment rib 54C is disposed below the reinforcing rib 54B. Like the reinforcing rib 54B, the abutment rib 54C is formed in a plate shape with its thickness extending in the vertical direction and extending in the left-right direction. In addition, the rear portion of the abutment rib 54C is disposed above the absorber 30, and the leading end (rear end) of the absorber 30 is disposed adjacent to the front side of the upper flange portion 22B of the bumper beam 20. Specifically, the front-rear distance L3 between the abutment rib 54C and the bumper beam 20 is set to be significantly shorter than the front-rear distance L2 between the bumper cover 50 and the front end of the absorber 30.

[0041] Furthermore, when a rearward collision load of a predetermined value or greater is input to the bumper cover 50, the bumper cover 50 is deformed rearward, causing the tip of the abutting rib 54C to abut against the upper flange portion 22B of the bumper beam 20 and breaking the abutting rib 54C. In other words, when a rearward collision load of less than the predetermined value is input to the bumper cover 50, even if the tip of the abutting rib 54C abuts against the upper flange portion 22B, the breakage of the abutting rib 54C is suppressed and the rearward displacement of the bumper cover 50 is limited.

[0042] More specifically, the breaking strength of the abutting rib 54C is set so that the abutting rib 54C will bend when a collision load F1 equal to or greater than a predetermined value, at which the object colliding with the bumper cover 50 is estimated to be a pedestrian, is input to the high rigidity portion 50B of the bumper cover 50. Therefore, even in this modified example of the bumper cover 50, when a pedestrian collides with the bumper cover 50, the abutting rib 54C will bend, and the high rigidity portion 50B can effectively deform the pressure tube 42. Therefore, the collision detection device 10 can effectively detect that the object colliding with the bumper cover 50 is a pedestrian.

[0043] On the other hand, the breaking strength of the abutting rib 54C is set so that bending of the abutting rib 54C is suppressed when a collision load F2 less than a predetermined value, which is assumed to be a collision load other than a pedestrian, is input to the low-rigidity portion 50A of the bumper cover 50. Therefore, even if the abutting rib 54C abuts against the upper flange portion 22B during a collision between the bumper cover 50 and an object other than a pedestrian, the abutting rib 54C does not break, and the rearward displacement of the bumper cover 50 is limited by the abutting rib 54C. At this time, the longitudinal distance L3 between the abutting rib 54C and the bumper beam 20 is set shorter than the longitudinal distance L2 between the bumper cover 50 and the shock absorber 30. This effectively prevents the bumper cover 50 from pressing against the shock absorber 30 and the pressure tube 42. Therefore, even in this modified example of the bumper cover 50, deformation of the pressure tube 42 during a collision between the bumper cover 50 and an object other than a pedestrian is suppressed. Therefore, the collision detection device 10 can effectively detect that the colliding object is something other than a pedestrian.

[0044] Furthermore, in this modified example of the bumper cover 50, the abutment ribs 54C are disposed below the three reinforcing ribs 54B. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the abutment ribs 54C are disposed above the reinforcing ribs 54B, the abutment ribs 54C can be disposed lower. In other words, the abutment ribs 54C can be disposed closer to the upper end of the low rigidity portion 50A of the bumper cover 50. This effectively prevents the upper end of the low rigidity portion 50A from being displaced rearward when the bumper cover 50 collides with an object other than a pedestrian.

[0045] In the modified example of the bumper cover 50, the abutting rib 54C is configured to bend when a rearward collision load of a predetermined value or greater is input to the bumper cover 50. However, the abutting rib 54C may also be provided with a starting point portion that serves as a starting point for bending. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 , a notch 54C1 that opens downward may be formed in a central portion of the abutting rib 54C in the front-to-rear direction as a bending starting point. The abutting rib 54C may then be configured to bend from the notch 54C1 when a rearward collision load of a predetermined value or greater is input to the bumper cover 50. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5 , a bent portion 54C2 that is bent obliquely upward and rearward may be formed in a central portion of the abutting rib 54C in the front-to-rear direction as a bending starting point. The abutting rib 54C may then be configured to bend from the bent portion 54C2 when a rearward collision load of a predetermined value or greater is input to the bumper cover 50.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment (including the modified example), a holding groove 30E is formed in the upper inclined surface 30A of the absorber 30, and the pressure tube 42 is held at the front end of the absorber 30. Alternatively, the holding groove 30E may be formed at the upper end of the rear surface 30D of the absorber 30, and the pressure tube 42 may be held by the rear end of the absorber 30.

[0047] In the present embodiment (including the modified example), the reinforcing ribs 54B are formed on the upper part of the upper cover portion 54U of the inner cover 54 to increase the bending rigidity of the upper cover portion 54U, but the method for increasing the bending rigidity of the upper cover portion 54U is not limited to this. For example, the bending rigidity of the upper cover portion 54U may be increased by increasing the plate thickness of the upper cover portion 54U. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 10 Collision detection device 20 Bumper beam 30 Absorber 30B Lower slope (slope) 40 Collision detection sensor 42 Pressure Tube 50 bumper cover 50A Low rigidity part 50B High rigidity part 52 Outer cover 54 Inner cover 54A Hole 54B Reinforcement rib (reinforcement part) 54C Stop rib (stop part) 54C1 Notch (starting point of bend) 54C2 Bent part (bending starting point)

Claims

1. a bumper beam extending in the vehicle width direction; an absorber disposed adjacent to the front side of the bumper beam; a collision detection sensor including a pressure tube extending in the vehicle width direction and held by the absorber, the collision detection sensor outputting a signal corresponding to a pressure change in the pressure tube; a bumper cover disposed on the vehicle front side of the absorber; Equipped with The bumper cover is a low-rigidity portion disposed below the pressure tube; a high-rigidity section having a bending rigidity higher than that of the low-rigidity section, being disposed above the low-rigidity section, and having an upper end portion disposed above the pressure tube; The invention comprises: the high-rigidity portion includes a protruding portion extending toward the rear of the vehicle on an upper side of the absorber; A collision detection device in which, when a collision load of a predetermined value or greater is input to the rear of the vehicle, the tip of the abutting portion abuts against the bumper beam.

2. A bumper beam extending in the vehicle width direction; an absorber disposed adjacent to the front side of the bumper beam and having an inclined surface on its front surface; a collision detection sensor including a pressure tube extending in the vehicle width direction and held by the absorber, the collision detection sensor outputting a signal corresponding to a pressure change in the pressure tube; a bumper cover disposed on the vehicle front side of the absorber; Equipped with The bumper cover is a low-rigidity portion disposed below the pressure tube; a high-rigidity section having a bending rigidity higher than that of the low-rigidity section, being disposed above the low-rigidity section, and having an upper end portion disposed above the pressure tube; The invention comprises: The inclined surface inclines toward the rear of the vehicle as it approaches the bottom of the vehicle when viewed from the vehicle width direction, and the collision detection device is located below the pressure tube and at the rear of the low rigidity portion.

3. The abutting portion includes a bending starting point portion, The collision detection device according to claim 1, wherein the abutting portion bends from the bending start portion as a starting point when the collision load equal to or greater than a predetermined value is input to the bumper cover.

4. the high-rigidity portion includes a plurality of reinforcing portions extending toward the rear of the vehicle, The collision detection device according to claim 3 , wherein the low-rigidity portion has a plurality of holes penetrating in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

5. The collision detection device according to claim 4, wherein the abutment portion is disposed below the reinforcing portion.

6. 6. A collision detection device according to claim 4, wherein the reinforcing portion is formed in an upper portion of the high rigidity portion, and the bending rigidity of the upper portion of the high rigidity portion is configured to be higher than the bending rigidity of the lower portion of the high rigidity portion.

7. The bumper cover is an outer cover that constitutes the design surface of the vehicle; an inner cover disposed on the vehicle rear side of the outer cover; It is composed of 7. The collision detection device according to claim 4, wherein the abutment portion, the reinforcing portion, and the hole portion are formed in the inner cover.

8. 8. The collision detection device according to claim 1, wherein an upper end of the high-rigidity portion is disposed above the bumper beam on the vehicle.

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