Impact responses of THOR mod kit under different conditions in sled tests and vehicle crash tests

Yaguchi, Masayuki; Ono, Koshiro; Masuda, Mitsutoshi; Sokusai, Hidetoshi; Kusayama, Yoshinao; Ogaki, Kazunobu

Affiliations

¹Japan Automobile Research Institute, Japan

²Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc., Japan

Abstract

In order to contribute to the development and improvement of the THOR dummies, the impact responses of the THOR Mod Kit were compared with the THOR-NT and the Hybrid III, based on the kinematic and dynamic responses to different conditions in the frontal sled and vehicle crash tests. In a 56 km/h frontal sled test where a dummy was installed on the driver seat of a white body, the responses of the THOR Mod Kit with SD3 shoulder to the differences of the seating procedures and restraint conditions were evaluated comparing with the THOR-NT and the Hybrid III. Moreover, two crash tests using a small passenger car at 55 km/h FWRB and 64 km/h ODB corresponding to JNCAP conditions were conducted, and the responses of the THOR Mod Kit were compared with that of the Hybrid III.

Difference of seating procedure affected the responses of the thoracic deflection, abdominal deflection, and iliac force, etc. Compared with the THOR-NT, the THOR Mod Kit clearly showed difference on each measurement location and the forward displacement of its shoulder on the unrestrained side was more pronounced. Regardless of the D-ring positions, the shoulder belt slippage didn't occur in the Hybrid III, whereas belt slippage occurred in the THOR Mod Kit when the D-ring was at the lowest position. When the load limiter force of the seatbelt was higher, forward displacements of the thorax became smaller in both the THOR Mod Kit and the Hybrid III and the neck flexion of the THOR Mod Kit became larger. Accompanying the difference of kinematics, the responses of the head acceleration, neck force and thoracic deflection also differed. In both the FWRB and ODB tests, the maximum rotation angle of the ankle eversion exceeded the preliminary IARV for the THOR at the rebound phase, not at the intrusion phase.

From the results above, it turned out, that the THOR Mod Kit response to the difference in seating procedure was more sensitive than that of the THOR-NT. The sensitivity of the THOR Mod Kit to the D-ring position was higher than that of the Hybrid III, and that the difference of load limiter affected the difference of kinematics and dynamic responses of the upper body in both the THOR Mod Kit and the Hybrid III.

Links

URL: http://www-esv.nhtsa.dot.gov/Proceedings/24/files/24ESV-000339.PDF

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