The interaction of the chest of the Hybrid III dummy with the air bag restraint system during a crash is complex. Forces applied to one component of the dummy can generate an unexpected response in a distal part. Motion, both linear and angular, of the pelvis during impact can create an enigmatic spike in the acceleration of the chest. Because significant changes in the chest acceleration response can affect the development of an airbag system, this pelvis-chest intercation is cause for concern. The factors that appear to affect the chest acceleration spike as a result of the pelvis-chest interaction are: the mass moment of inertia of the pelvis, the interaction of the pelvis with the femur, the characteristic of the lumbar spine, with the femur, the characteristic of the lumbar spine, and the differential velocity of the pelvis with respect to the chest. (A)
Abstract