Abstract
Keywords: Absorbed energy systems, child restraint system
Now, Child Restraint Systems (CRS) are tested with the ECE R44/04 protocol to be homologated and with the EuroNCAP protocol in test consumer. Highest acceleration values registered in these tests using child restraint systems could be produced by contacts between the dummy with the own belt restraint system and contacts between the dummy and another components inside the vehicle, for instance the C-pillar.
In this research project, many possibilities have been analyzed to decrease the acceleration top values the dummy P3, which is included in the Group I, as it's shown in the ECE R44/04, experiments in a frontal crash. This dummy goes in a child restraint system that includes the standard Isofix.
Isofix system with deformation and absorbed energy elements, load limiters in the own belt of the child restraint system or third points of the child restraint systems, as Toptether or support leg, to control the displacement of the child during the crash are the elements analyzed to absorb energy and decrease the acceleration values during the crash, trying to avoid injuries in the child.
After taking the load limiters in the own belt of the child restraint system as the element with a better result in the value analyze, it has been made a comparison among the longitudinal acceleration in the C-pillar of the car with the longitudinal acceleration in the chest and in the head of the dummy and an estimation of longitudinal acceleration the dummy could have with these new concepts introduced.
The ECE R44/04 protocol has been followed to do this frontal crash test. In test results, a constant value acceleration as a highest acceleration value is obtained during the time the load limiters are working. So, it could be said that the load limiters applied to a Group I child restraint system using the standard Isofix could decrease the injury probability in a frontal crash, becoming a cheap innovative solution to these passive safety systems.