Page 564 - Automotive Engineering Powertrain Chassis System and Vehicle Body

Vehicle safety C HAPTER 17.1

humans. Consequently they have a steel skeleton in
(e) 27° which the critical parts, such as the spine, necks and ribs,
(a)
Fig. 17.1-1, are sprung and damped. The legs and arms
articulate about their joints, like those of their human
(b) counterparts. To simulating the flesh, a foamed plastics
(f) material covers the whole of this basic structure. Bonded
to it is a plastic covering the properties of which closely
(c) (g) resemble those of human skin.
The dummies are even clothed in cotton garments so
that their frictional performance on the seats and in the
(d)
interiors of the vehicles closely represents what happens
Fig. 17.1-7 Some of the tests done by manufacturers to ensure with real people. Their clothing is colour coded according
that the occupants of their vehicles will be, so far as is practicable, to the position of the dummy in the vehicle. Size 11
safe in the event of an accident. At (a) is the simple basic zero leather shoes are fitted to protect their feet from

offset frontal impact, at (b)is a30 offset, at (c) a 40% offset and at damage! Dummies are not allowed to sit for more than
(d) a pole impact test. A side impact test for representing an
impact between two vehicles moving along lines at right angles to about two hours, lest their foam covered buttocks com-
each other is shown at (e) while, at (f), the vehicle that is struck is press, and thus reduce the height of the dummy in the
stationary. Finally, a rear end impact test is shown at (g). seat. When out of use, they are stored in a closely con-
trolled air-conditioned, humidity-regulated atmosphere.
European and US standard dummies for side impact
earliest crash testing had been done with cadavers! The tests differ. Therefore, MIRA has to carry in stock not
modern sophisticated dummies are particularly useful only the European but also the American standard
because, provided they are properly calibrated, they dummies. Clearly, since not only does each dummy cost
react consistently to crash conditions. about £30 000 and its instrumentation a further £30 000
Anthropomorphic dummies are now available repre- but also exports of vehicles and components in both di-
senting babies, children of different ages, and large and rections are involved, there is a need for harmonisation of
small adult males and females. The term anthropomor- the standards for both continents.
phic implies that, when subjected to impacts, their re- In the USA, two types of dummy are used for full
actions and movements are representative of those of live frontal impact tests. These are Hybrid II and Hybrid III,

Fig. 17.1-8 A range of male and female child and adult Anthropomorphic Test Devices (ATVs) ranging in weight up to 14 stone (90 kg) is
used by MIRA.

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