Anthropomorphic dummy for use in vehicle crash testing
First Claim
1. A shoulder assembly for use in coupling an arm to a thoracic spine in an anthropomorphic dummy of a type suitable for use in vehicle crash testing, said shoulder assembly comprising:
- an elastically compressible member;
spine coupling means for coupling said compressible member to the thoracic spine;
arm coupling means for coupling said compressible member to the arm; and
wherein the shoulder assembly functions to couple lateral forces, of a type encountered in vehicle crash testing, from the arm to the spine, said forces being attenuated by said compressible member in a prescribed fashion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An anthropomorphic dummy suitable for use in vehicle crash testing, wherein the dummy includes a thoracic spine, at least one arm, and a corresponding shoulder assembly for coupling the arm to the spine. Lateral forces to the arm, resulting from lateral impacts, are coupled through the shoulder assembly to the spine, where they can be measured by appropriate instruments. The shoulder assembly includes an elastically compressible member, with an embedded, floating clavicle, that attenuates the forces being coupled to the spine and that is correspondingly deformed by the forces in a prescribed fashion. Additionally, the arm includes a high-strength, plastic humerus and a resilient energy-absorbing coating overlaying the humerus, whereby both the arm and the shoulder assembly closely model the responsiveness of a human arm and shoulder to such laterally-applied forces.
51 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A shoulder assembly for use in coupling an arm to a thoracic spine in an anthropomorphic dummy of a type suitable for use in vehicle crash testing, said shoulder assembly comprising:
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an elastically compressible member; spine coupling means for coupling said compressible member to the thoracic spine; arm coupling means for coupling said compressible member to the arm; and wherein the shoulder assembly functions to couple lateral forces, of a type encountered in vehicle crash testing, from the arm to the spine, said forces being attenuated by said compressible member in a prescribed fashion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An arm and shoulder assembly for use in an anthropomorphic dummy of a type suitable for use in vehicle crash testing, wherein the arm and shoulder assembly functions to couple laterally-applied forces to a thoracic spine of the dummy, said arm and shoulder assembly comprising:
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an arm; a molded, elastically compressible shoulder member having inner and outer faces formed therein, said faces arranged in spaced relationship to each other; a spine fitting embedded in the inner face of said compressible shoulder member for coupling the assembly to the thoracic spine of the dummy; an arm fitting embedded in the outer face of said compressible shoulder member; a relatively rigid, elongated clavicle molded within said compressible shoulder member and spaced from said spine fitting and said arm fitting; and means for coupling said arm to said arm fitting; wherein lateral forces of a type encountered in vehicle crash testing are coupled through the arm and shoulder assembly to the thoracic spine, said lateral forces being attenuated by said compressible shoulder member in a prescribed fashion; and wherein said compressible shoulder member and said means for coupling are configured such that the compressible shoulder member is compressed and moved omnidirectionally by such lateral forces, in a manner that models the response of a human shoulder. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. An anthropomorphic dummy for use in vehicle crash testing, said dummy comprising:
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a thoracic spine; an arm; and a shoulder assembly for coupling lateral forces, of a type encountered in vehicle crash testing, from said arm to said thoracic spine, said shoulder assembly including an elastically compressible member, spine coupling means for coupling said compressible member to said thoracic spine, and arm coupling means for coupling said arm to said compressible member; wherein in coupling lateral forces from said arm to said thoracic spine, the compressible member functions to attenuate the forces in a prescribed fashion. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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Specification