A PRIMARY CONCERN IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PASSENGER INFLATABLE RESTRAINT SYSTEM IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT A CHILD COULD BE IN THE PATH OF THE DEPLOYING CUSHION EITHER DUE TO INITIAL POSITION AT THE TIME OF AN ACCIDENT OR DUE TO PRECRASH BRAKING ACCOMPANYING AN ACCIDENT. PREVIOUS STUDIES BY GENERAL MOTORS AND VOLVO HAVE INDICATED THAT SERIOUS INJURIES TO CHILDREN ARE POSSIBLE IF THE CUSHION/CHILD INTERACTION FORCES ARE NOT CONTROLLED BY SYSTEM DESIGN. THIS PAPER DESCRIBES AN INSTRUMENTED CHILD DUMMY WHICH WAS DEVELOPED TO PROVIDE MEASUREMENTS OF THE VARIOUS CUSHION/CHILD INTERACTION FORCES. AN ANALYSIS IS GIVEN DESCRIBING THE TYPES OF INJURIES WHICH COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE VARIOUS TYPES OF INTERACTION FORCES. THESE RESULTS WERE USED TO DEVELOP APPROPRIATE DUMMY INSTRUMENTATION FOR INDICATING THE SEVERITY OF THE CUSHION/CHILD INTERACTION. A DESCRIPTION OF THE MODIFICATIONS MADE TO AN EXISTING THREE-YEAR-OLD CHILD DUMMY ARE DESCRIBED. THE USEFULNESS AND LIMITATIONS OF THE MEASUREMENTS MADE WITH THE CHILD DUMMY ARE DISCUSSED. WHILE THE MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES WERE DEVELOPED FOR EVALUATING INFLATABLE RESTRAINT SYSTEM PERFORMANCE, SOME OF THE RESPONSE MEASUREMENTS ARE APPROPRIATE FOR ESTIMATING CHILD RESPONSES WHEN RESTRAINED BY A LAP/SHOULDER BELT OR UNRESTRAINED.(A) FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF THE CONFERENCE SEE IRRD 802816.
Abstract