Search Results

The objective of this investigation was to understand relationships among loading characteristics as they affect the kinematics and injury of a pedestrian’s lower extremity. Real-life pedestrian and motor vehicle collision scenarios were modeled by impacting 604 human cadaver intact legs and long bones with a cart/guide rail impacting system designed to simulate the front end of an automobile. A parametric study was conducted that varied the boundary conditions on the foot as well as test parameters such as loading direction, impact velocity, and impactor geometry. The series of tests can be categorized as follows: (1) Fracture Characterization, (2) Threshold Velocity, (3) Friction versus Inertial Constraint, (4) Anterior and Lateral Thigh Impacts, and (5) Embalmed vs. Unembalmed. Documented data for various specimens include, but are not limited to, specimen anthropometrics, fracture patterns, failure force levels, and calculated bending moments.

This paper examines an originally designed airbag deployment system for use in static experimental testing. It consists of a pressure vessel and valve arrangement with pneumatic and electric controls. A piston functions like a valve when operated and is activated pneumatically to release the air in the tank. Once released, the air fills the attached airbag. The leading edge velocity can be controlled by the initial pressure in the tank, which can range up to 960 kPa. Three different test configurations were studied, which resulted in leading edge deployment speeds of approximately 20 m/s, 40 m/s, and 60 m/s. In experiments using this system, seven types of airbags were tested that differed in their material, coating, and presence of a tether. Data for each series of tests is provided. High speed video and film were used to record the deployments, and a pressure transducer measured the airbag's internal pressure.

The air bag system is described in terms of four basic elements: the crash sensors and controls, the inflator, the air bag itself, and the diagnostic circuitry. A general discussion of these elements is provided and a review of air bag related injuries is also presented which includes data from various sources such as the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, Transport Canada, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The most frequently occurring accident type is the frontal collision and has been the main focus of safety efforts with regard to restraint systems. Air bags are an effective injur/prevention device, however their deployment can introduce new injury mechanisms. Air bags save lives and decrease the severity of major injuries in exchange for increasing the number of minor injuries.