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First commercialization in the world with our expertise
accumulated in the development of airbags
Car
collisions occur at various angles and speeds including from the front,
side, and rear. TG developed an airbag for the driver and passenger
as a supplemental restraint system (SRS) in a front collision, and
a side airbag to protect the occupant's stomach and chest in a side
collision. In addition to these products, we have developed and started
to mass-produce a curtain shield airbag for the front seat for the
first time in the world in 1998 to protect the occupant's head in
a side collision. A curtain shield airbag for both front and rear
seats were added and has been adopted in the Celsior since summer
in 2000. |
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Sophisticated simulation technology to support safety
We
briefly explain the structure of the curtain shield airbag for front
and rear seats here. An inflator to expand the airbag is installed
in a quarter pillar. The airbag folded like an accordion is stored
in a space between a ceiling and a pillar garnish (front and middle).
If impact is sensed, the inflator expands the airbag in an instant
to cover side glass, so that the occupant's head is protected.
There were many problems to solve in this unprecedented development,
such as how to store a necessary device in a limited space and how
to expand the airbag. We used appropriate analysis and evaluation
methods, including the simulation of airbag expansion, to know the
best way to expand it. After many experiments and much effort, we
were able to decrease head injury in a side collision against a utility
pole or a tree to one tenth, one of the test methods using a running
car, compared to without the airbag. The product is highly evaluated
as the most effective way to ease the impact against the occupant's
head in a side collision. |
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