INFLATABLE PADDING FOR HARD SURFACES IN VEHICLE INTERIORS

OCCUPANT INJURY CAN BE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BY THE INCORPORATION OF PADDING OF HARD SURFACES IN VEHICLE INTERIORS. SEVERAL INTERIOR HARD SURFACES SUCH AS ROOF HEADER, A-PILLAR, AND B-PILLAR ARE DIFFICULT TO PAD DUE TO LIMITED SPACE. WAT IS NEEDED IS AN INFLATABLE PLASTIC BI-LAYER THAT COULD BE ATTACHED TO HARD SURFACES AND GIVE ACCEPTABLE WEAR AND APPEARANCE WHEN UNINFLATED, YET BE INFLATABLE DURING A CRASH BEFORE BEING IMPACTED BY THE OCCUPANTS. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO ANALYZE, DESIGN, OPTIMIZE, FABRICATE AND TEST PLASTIC INFLATABLE AIR PAD SYSTEMS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN OCCUPANT INJURY WHILE MEETING STYLING, APPEARANCE, AND DURABILITY REQUIREMENTS. CAC'S TECHNICAL APPROACH IS TO EMPLOY FINITE ELEMENT COMPUTER SIMULATIONS TODESIGN AND OPTIMIZE THE AIRM PAD SYSTEMS. CAC WILL EMPLOY THERMOPLASTIC SHEE STOCK AND/OR EXISTING BLOW MOLDED CYLINDERS FROM WHICH TO FABRICATE PROTOTYPE PARTS FOR TEST. DEMONSTRATION OF OPTIMIZED INFLATABLE PADDING FOR HARD SURFACES IN VEHICLE INTERIORS AND QUANTIFICATION OF OCCUPANTPROTECTION BENEFIT COST, WEIGHT, AND COMMERCIALIZATION FEASIBILITY. DUPONT IS INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN PHASE II.