Critical Obstacle Detection Sensors
Bus passengers, especially school children or the elderly, have faced the risk and danger of getting caught in automatic bus doors, which can be a serious and often tragic issue.
An incident in Kentucky of a young girl getting her backpack caught in the school bus door and being pulled along the pavement when the bus started up again was horrific to any parent, to say the least.
Fortunately, there are a number of technologies, like camera-based systems and outside proximity sensors that can help alleviate these dangerous incidents, but there are other solutions that most people do not think of. That’s where Cooper Standard comes in to provide simple, elegant and cost-effective solutions.
Sensors Built Right Into the Door Seal
The door seal we build right onto the sensor is a high quality, durable component designed to maintain a tight seal, preventing air and water ingress even after numerous open-close cycles.
This unique seal features an integrated sensor within the EPDM material, offering obstacle detection capabilities.
Cooper Standard produces both the sensor and the seal, delivering a quality-controlled, single sourced part for detecting compression conditions. The Cooper Standard obstacle detection sensor (ODS) is fully functional and can seamlessly integrate into the vehicle’s onboard control system.
When the seal detects abnormal pinch force or compression during closing, indicating an obstruction, it promptly signals the control system to halt the door movement and initiate a safe reversal.
Used in Millions of Vehicles
Cooper Standard has manufactured millions of these critical components for various vehicle platforms of leading automobile manufacturers like Ford, Lincoln, Peugeot and more. The Cooper Standard Industrial & Specialty Group (ISG) is now extending this successful technology to commercial applications, school and passenger buses, RVs, and other large vehicles with automatic doors.
As a major supplier of sealing solutions to bus OEMs, we are well-positioned to support the integration of this innovative technology into our partners’ vehicles.
Our involvement begins early in the vehicle design process, collaborating closely with our engineers to develop tailored ODS door seals. Leveraging finite element analysis, we conduct virtual testing to ensure optimal performance, minimize the need for prototypes, reduce costs and accelerate time to market.
If this type of partnership sounds like it would be of value to you, give us a call. Let’s work together to make the next generation of buses safer than ever before.