A COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEMS ANALYSIS APPROACH WAS TAKEN TO DEVELOPING AIR BAG RESTRAINT SYSTEMS FOR, AND INTEGRATING THEM INTO, A NEW GENERATION LIGHTWEIGHT FRONT-WHEEL-DRIVE CAR. THIS APPROACH RELIED HEAVILY ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF COMPUTERIZED MATHEMATICAL MODELS WHICH WERE THEN USED TO CONDUCT PARAMETER SENSITIVITY ANALYSES TO AID IN THE CHOICE OF FEATURES TO BE INCLUDED IN THE DESIGN, AND ALSO USED AS SPECIFIC DESIGN TOOLS WHERE APPROPRIATE. ALL FEASIBLE TECHNICAL OPTIONS WERE REVIEWED FOR APPLICABILITY FOR INCLUSION IN THE SYSTEM WHICH WAS TO PROTECT THE FULL RANGE OF OCCUPANT SIZES TO SPEED RANGES ABOVE 30 MPH BARRIER EQUIVALENT VELOCITY WHERE THE MAJORITY OF SOCIETAL BENEFITS FROM AIR BAGS WILL ACCRUE. THE SUCCESS OF THIS EFFORT IS EVIDENT FROM THE TEST RESULTS FOR THE AIR BAG EQUIPPED 2600 LB CAR CRASHED INTO A BARRIER AT 36.9 MPH IN WHICH AMPLE MARGINS ON THE FMVSS NO. 208 INJURY CRITERIA WERE DEMONSTRATED. THE AIR BAG SYSTEM INCLUDES MULTIPLE LEVEL INFLATION FEATURES TO PROTECT FORWARD POSITIONED OCCUPANTS. (A) FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF SECTION 5 SEE IRRD 266063. FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF THE CONFERENCE SEE IRRD 266046.
Abstract