Description / Abstract:
An airbag generates a considerable amount of kinetic energy
during its inflation process. As a result substantial forces can be
developed between the deploying airbag and the out-of-position
occupant. Accident data and laboratory test results have indicated
a potential for head, neck, chest, abdominal, and leg injuries from
these forces. This suggests that mitigating such forces should be
considered in the design of airbag restraint systems.
This document outlines a comprehensive set of test guidelines
that can be used for investigating the interactions that occur
between the deploying airbag and the occupant who is near the
module at the time of deployment. Static and dynamic tests to
investigate driver and passenger systems are given. Static tests
may be used to sort designs on a comparative basis. Designs that
make it through the static sorting procedure may be subjected to
the appropriate dynamic tests. On a specific vehicle model,
engineering judgment based upon prior experience in airbag testing
may make it unnecessary to conduct the tests identified by the
document or may indicate that different tests should be
conducted.
Mild severity and moderate severity crash pulses are described
in Section 5. These pulses are not vehicle-specific, but represent
a general acceleration-time history that approximates what occurs
with a large variety of vehicles. The mild severity crash pulse is
near the threshold of many airbag deployments and represents a
high-frequency accident event. Since small children are more likely
than adults to be out of position due to preimpact braking, this
pulse can be used for the child tests. Since preimpact braking has
much less of an effect on adults, the moderate severity crash pulse
can be used for adult testing. The described pulses or other
vehicle specific pulses may be used.
No performance limits are specified in this document. References
2.1.4 2 and 16 gives interpretations of dummy responses relative to
human injury potential.