DEVELOPMENT OF WHEELCHAIR OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION DEVICES

WHEELCHAIR OCCUPANTS ARE EXTREMELY VULNERABLE TO INJURY IN EVEN MODERATE SPEED CRASHES BECAUSE OF THE OPEN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THEY ARE BEING TRANSPORTED TODAY. IT IS COMMON PRACTICE TO TRANSPORT THE WHEELCHAIR BOUND POPULATION FACINGSIDEWAYS IN VANS AND BUSSES. THIS SIDE-FACING ORIENTATION EXPOSES THE WHEELCHAIR OCCUPANT TO A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNTOF DANGER IN THE EVENT OF FRONTAL OR REAR-END COLLISIONS. WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOPED A SYSTEM TO PROVIDE PROPER PROTECTION FOR THIS CLASS OF TRANSPORTED PERSONS USING THE CONCEPTS OF COMPARTMENTALIZATION AND INFLATABLE RESTRAINTS TO MORE EFFECTIVELY SECURE THE WHEELCHAIR AND ITS OCCUPANT IN MOST CRASH SITUATIONS. THIS INFLATABLE COMPARTMENTALIZEDCRASH PROTECTION SYSTEM WILL PROTECT WHEELCHAIR OCCUPANTS FROM CONTACT WITH THE ADJACENT WHEELCHAIR/OCCUPANT COMPLEX, PREVENT EXCESSIVE LATERAL FLEXION OF THE UPPER TORSO AND CUSHION THE OCCUPANT'S HEAD AND TORSO DURING A CRASH. FURTHERMORE, THIS SAFETY DEVICE WILL NOT PRECLUDE THE VEHICLE DRIVER AND/OR ATTENDANT FROM VISUAL CONTACT WITH THEWHEELCHAIR OCCUPANTS DURING TRANSIT. AS PART OF THE SYSTEM, A WHEELCHAIR SECUREMENT MECHANISM WILL BE DEVELOPED WHICH PROVIDES BOTH FRONTAL AND LATERAL STABILITY AND RESTRAINT.