AIRBAG RESTRAINTS EXPERIENCE
I. 1968
A. STARTED WORK AT THE GM PROVING GROUND'S SAFETY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LABORATORY
II. 1969
A. RAN FIRST AIRBAG TEST
B. RAN TESTS ON ENGINEERING STAFF'S "POP SAC"
1. PASSENGER SIDE ONLY SYSTEM
2. INFLATORS WERE HIGH PRESSURE NITROGEN BOTTLES
3. BAGS WERE MOUNTED IN MIDDLE OF INSTRUMENT PANEL AND HAD KNEE RESTRAINTS
4. TESTED
a) VARIOUS BAG SHAPES
b) VARIOUS BLOW OUT PATCHES TO CONTROL ENERGY ABSORPTION
C. TESTED MECHANICAL SENSORS
III. 1970 - 1972
A. PROJECT ENGINEER RESPONSIBLE FOR TESTING THE FISHER BODY AIRBAG SYSTEM
B. PERSONALLY CONDUCTED APPROXIMATELY 250 IMPACT SLED TESTS WITH AIRBAGS BETWEEN 1969 & 1972
C. TESTED THE HOLLOMAN HUMAN VOLUNTEER TEST FIXTURE AND RECOMMENDED CHANGES BEFORE HUMAN TESTING WAS TO BEGIN
D. FISHER BODY'S SYSTEM WAS A PASSENGER AND CENTER FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SYSTEM
E. TESTED
1. BAG VENTING
a) NON VENTED
b) ENERGY ABSORBING AIRBAG VENTING
(1) BLOWOUT PATCHES
(2) OPEN VENTS
(3) POROUS BAG MATERIAL
(4) PRESSURE RELIEF VALVES
2. AIRBAG LOCATION
3. DIFFERENT BAG SHAPES
4. KNEE RESTRAINTS
a) INTEGRAL TO LOWER INSTRUMENT PANEL
b) INFLATABLE KNEE BAGS
(1) EXTERNAL
(2) INTERNAL
5. TRIM COVER DESIGNS
6. INFLATORS
a) GASES
(1) NITROGEN
(2) ARGON
b) RUPTURE DIAPHRAGMS
c) DIAPHRAGM PLUNGERS
d) DETONATORS
e) SQUIBS
f) INFLATOR ORIFICE DESIGNS
(1) FIXED ORIFICE
(2) VARIABLE ORIFICE
g) ASPIRATOR DESIGNS
h) PYROTECHNIC INFLATORS
(1) SODIUM AZIDE
(2) TWO STAGE INFLATORS
7. REACTION PLATES AND INSTRUMENT PANEL REINFORCEMENTS
8. REAR SEAT AIRBAGS
a) DEPLOYING NETS
b) ROOF MOUNTED AIRBAG
F. DID EVALUATION OF AIRBAG AND SEAT BELT EFFECTIVENESS
1. IN DEPTH, CASE BY CASE ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AIRBAGS, LAP BELTS, LAP/SHOULDER BELTS AND AIRBAGS WITH LAP BELTS IN REDUCING FATALITIES
2. FIRST STUDY OF ITS KIND FOR AIRBAGS AND BELT RESTRAINTS
3. THE 706 FATALITIES EVALUATED REPRESENTED ALL LEVEL 2 FATAL CASE FILES AVAILABLE TO GM ON CONTEMPORARY CARS AT THE TIME
G. HELPED DEVELOP THE FULL SCALE CRASH TEST MATRIX FOR AIRBAGS
1. INCLUDED SUCH TESTS AS:
a) UNDERCARRIAGE IMPACT
b) DEER IMPACT
c) UNDERRIDE IMPACT
d) POLE IMPACT
H. INVENTOR OF THE MINI BAG AIRBAG RESTRAINT SYSTEM
1. SMALL BAG DEPLOYED FROM TOP OF DASH - FIRST AIRBAG TO MEET INJURY CRITERIA
a) LOWER INFLATION RATES
b) REDUCED INFLATOR SIZE/PRESSURE
2. UNIQUE PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE
a) REDUCED INJURY POTENTIAL FOR OUT OF POSITION OCCUPANTS
3. KNEE RESTRAINT
a) MATERIAL SELECTION
b) E.A. COLUMN CLEARANCE
4. 3 PASSENGER SYSTEM
5. LATER VERSIONS CALLED AIR PILLOW
6. DRIVER'S BAG DEPLOYED OVER STEERING WHEEL AND THEN BETWEEN WHEEL AND DRIVER
7. FINAL VERSION WAS ONE SMALL BAG FOR 3 PASSENGERS
8. ON 6 MONTH SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT AT ENGINEERING STAFF AT GM TECH CENTER FOR ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT OF THE AIR PILLOW
9. RECEIVED 3 PATENTS ON AIR PILLOW
10. STUDIED AFFECTS OF WINDSHIELD RETENTION ON AIR PILLOW PERFORMANCE
11. HUMAN VOLUNTEER
a) OUT OF POSITION TEST
12. TRAINED BY GM IN ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION
I. EVALUATED HOW VEHICLE STRUCTURE CAN BE MODIFIED TO IMPROVE CRASHWORTHINESS
IV. 1973-1976
A. ON CALL 24 HOURS A DAY TO INVESTIGATE AIRBAG ACCIDENTS ANYWHERE IN US OR CANADA
B. 1973 1000 CAR BUILD FIELD TRIAL PROGRAM (FTP)
C. 1974-1976 PRODUCTION AIR CUSHION RESTRAINT SYSTEM (ACRS)
1. ANALYSIS OF SENSOR WIRING ROUTING
2. ANALYSIS OF SENSOR MOUNTING
D. RESEARCHED ENGINEERING SAFETY VEHICLE (ESV) TEST RESULTS
1. GM
2. FAIRCHILD/HILLER
3. FORD
4. CHRYSLER
E. REVIEWED TESTING OF RESPONSE OF A DRIVER TO AN UNEXPECTED DEPLOYMENT OF AN AIRBAG
F. CO-AUTHOR OF TWO OF GM'S RESPONSES TO PROPOSED FMVSS 208
G. TESTED:
1. AIRBAG SHAPES
2. STEERING WHEEL MOUNTED AIRBAGS
3. OUT OF POSITION OCCUPANTS
4. MULTIPLE IMPACTS
5. BELTED AND UNBELTED OCCUPANTS RESTRAINED BY AN AIRBAG
H. WORKED ON MATCHING CASE METHODOLOGY
I. EVALUATED AIRBAG EFFECTIVENESS USING MATCHING CASE METHODOLOGY
J. KEPT ABREAST OF LITERATURE ON AIRBAGS
K. ASSISTED ON DEVELOPING AND WRITING PROPER PROCEDURES FOR DISPOSAL OF AIRBAG INFLATORS AND COMPONENTS
L. PRESENTED PAPER ON AIRBAG PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD TO THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS (ASME)
M. TESTED VARIOUS KNEE RESTRAINT DESIGNS
V. 1977 - 1988
A. IN HOUSE CONSULTANT TO THE CORPORATION ON SAFETY RELATED MANNERS
1. 1980 MODEL YEAR A-CAR AIRBAG PROGRAM
2. 1979-1981 INFLATABLE RESTRAINT PROGRAM (IRS)
a) WORKED ON THE IRS DIAGNOSTICS
b) SENSOR LOCATIONS
c) DEPLOYMENT THRESHOLD ANALYSIS
d) CONSULTED ON BAG DESIGN
3. CADILLAC ELDORADO AND CORVETTE SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)
a) HIGH MOUNT ("AIR PILLOW" TYPE MOUNTING ADOPTED)
b) CONSULTED ON AIRBAG DESIGN
B. RESEARCHED THE MINI-CARS RESEARCH SAFETY VEHICLE (RSV) AND THE LARGE RESEARCH SAFETY VEHICLE (LRSV)
1. ANALYSIS OF AIRBAG COMPONENTS
a) SENSORS
2. REVIEWED CLAIMS AND ALLEGATIONS INVOLVING GM
a) DEFECTIVE AIRBAG ALLEGATIONS
(1) SOME CLAIMS INVESTIGATED
(a) BAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND SHOULD HAVE
(b) BAG DID DEPLOY AND SHOULD NOT HAVE
(c) BAG DEPLOYMENT CAUSED INJURY
(d) BAG DEPLOYED AND DIDN'T PREVENT INJURY
(e) BAG ONLY PARTIALLY DEPLOYED
(2) ONE OF TWO ENGINEERS WHO HAD THIS RESPONSIBILITY
b) REVIEWED THOUSANDS OF DOCUMENTS ON AIRBAGS
c) ANALYZED PERFORMANCE OF AIRBAG COMPONENTS
(1) SENSORS
(2) DIAGNOSTICS
(3) BAGS
(4) INFLATORS
(5) MANIFOLDS
(6) WIRING
(a) CONTINUITY
(b) ROUTING
(7) TRIM COVERS
(8) BAG MATERIAL
(9) EFFECTS OF SODIUM AZIDE
(10) INFLATION NOISE
(11) DRIVER REACTION TO UNWANTED DEPLOYMENTS
(12) UNDERCARRIAGE IMPACTS
(13) DEPLOYMENTS IN SIDE IMPACTS
VI. 1989 - PRESENT
A. STUDY OF AIRBAG AND BELT RESTRAINT AVAILABILITY IN VEHICLES SOLD IN USA FROM 1985-1996
1. OVER 2000 MODELS OF VEHICLES EVALUATED
B. PERIODIC REVIEW OF AIRBAG TECHNICAL PAPERS AND PUBLICATIONS
C. ATTENDED TECHNICAL CONFERENCES
D. FRONTAL AND SIDE AIRBAG SYSTEM DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE ANALYSYS
E. AIRBAG DEFECT ANALYSYS
F. ANALYSIS OF AIRBAG (SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEMS (SRS)) DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE, SRS SENSOR DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE AND SRS DIAGNOSTICS ON SPECIFIC VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS VEHICLES
· MITSUBISHI
· CHRYSLER
· FORD
· VOLVO
· BMW
· GM
· MERCEDES BENZ
· MAZDA
· KIA
- NISSAN
G. ANALYZED PATENTS