THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEM IS GENERALLY REDUCED AS THE IMPACT VELOCITY OF THE VEHICLE INCREASES. THE ADDITION OF A PRE-LOADING DEVICE TO THE SEAT BELT SYSTEM HAS BEEN PROPOSED AS ONE USEFUL MEASURE AGAINST THIS. THIS PAPER PROPOSES AN OPTIMUM SELECTION OF ACTIVATION TIME AND LEVEL OF LOAD PRODUCED BY THE ASSUMED PRE-LOADING DEVICE IN THE CASE OF A 2-POINT DIAGONAL SEAT BELT SYSTEM WITH KNEE BOLSTER FOR A FRONTAL IMPACT AT 40 MPH. A TWO-DIMENSIONAL, FIVE MASS OCCUPANT MATHEMATICAL MODEL IS DEVELOPED AND THE VALIDATION OF THE MODEL IS CARRIED OUT BY ADJUSTING VARIOUS PARAMETERS OF THE MODEL BY COMPARING THE SIMULATED RESULTS WITH THOSE OF ACTUAL SLED TESTS, WHERE A TYPICAL PRE-LOADING DEVICE IS EMPLOYED. THE SET OF OPTIMUM PARAMETERS OF THE PRE-LOADING DEVICE IS DERIVED IN RELATION TO THE LEVEL OF HIC (HEAD INJURY CRITERIA) AND THE DISPLACEMENT OF THE OCCUPANT THROUGH THE COMPUTER SIMULATION OF THIS KINEMATIC MODEL. FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF THE CONFERENCE SEE IRRD 802816.
Samenvatting