Investigation of Airbag-Induced Skin Abrasions 922510
Static deployments of driver-side airbags into the legs of human subjects were used to investigate the effects of inflator capacity, internal airbag tethering, airbag fabric, and the distance from the module on airbag-induced skin abrasion. Abrasion mechanisms were described by measurements of airbag fabric velocity and target surface pressure. Airbag fabric kinematics resulting in three distinct abrasion patterns were identified. For all cases, abrasions were found to be caused primarily by high-velocity fabric impactrather than scraping associated with lateral fabric motion. Use of higher-capacity inflators increased abrasion severity, and untethered airbags produced more severe abrasions than tethered airbags at distances greater than the length of the tether. Abrasion severity decreased as the distance increased from 225 to 450 mm. Use of a finer-weave airbag fabric in place of a coarser-weave fabric did not decrease the severity of abrasion.
Author(s):
Matthew P. Reed, Lawrence W. Schneider, Richard E. Burney
Affiliated:
University of Michigan Transportation Research institute, The University of Michigan
Pages: 12
Event:
Stapp Car Crash Conference
ISSN:
0148-7191
e-ISSN:
2688-3627
Also in:
36th Stapp Car Crash Conference Proceedings-P-261, Air Bag Development and Performance-PT-88, SAE 1992 Transactions: Journal of Passenger Cars-V101-6
Related Topics:
Airbag systems
Wear
Fabrics
Leg
Kinematics
Pressure
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