Sled test apparatus and method for simulating pre-impact crash event

• US 6,522,998 B1
• Filed: 10/13/1998
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Schulz, Kurt W., Hill, Timothy W., Mazur, Joseph F., Gentry, Scott B., Miller, H. John III, Rossey, Michel P., Burley, Edward J., Blackburn, Brian K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Hugh M.
• Application Number:
  US09/170,397
• Time in Patent Office: 1,589 Days
• Field of Search: 703/8, 703/7, 738/653
• US Class Current: 703/8
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/0078 Shock-testing of vehicles

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and device for simulating impact conditions which has a test sled 10, simulated occupant (14), and a pre-impact force-generating device. The pre-impact force-generating device can apply force directly to the simulated occupant being (14), thereby overcoming many of the cost problems associated with applying a low and long duration force directly to a test sled (10). The pre-impact force-generating device can be designed such that instead of providing a low and long duration force to a simulated occupant (14), it provides a short and high impact force to the simulated occupant (14). An impact force-generating device provides impact force directly to the sled (10) which simulates impact conditions.

Claims

1. A device for simulating impact conditions of a vehicle (10a), said device comprising:

a simulated vehicle (10a);

an object (14) carried by said simulated vehicle (102), said object (14) simulating a vehicle occupant;

a pre-impact force-generating device selectively subjecting said object to a pre-impact force wherein the pre-impact force-generating device comprises a release device (22) mounted to the simulated vehicle (10a) and being detachably connected to the means for supporting the object (14), a first stop (28) mounted to the means for supporting the object (14) and having a test block stop (24) and secondary stop (26) for receiving the first stop (28) connected to the means for supporting the object (14), wherein the means for supporting the object (14) is pivotally mounted (20) relative to a surface of the simulated vehicle (102); and

an impact force-generating device (68), said impact force-generating device (16) selectively subjecting said object to an impact force.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pre-impact force-generating device subjects said object (14) to said pre-impact force by providing an increased amount of force for a predetermined amount of time to said object (14) relative to an actual pre-impact breaking event.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pre-impact force-generating device generates said pre-impact force for a predetermined amount of time to selectively position said object (14) at a predetermined location within said vehicle (10).

4. A device for simulating impact conditions of a motor vehicle, said device comprising:

an impact sled (10) having a seat (12), said seat (12) simulating a motor vehicle seat, said impact sled (10) being selectively movable along a path in a first direction;

a simulated vehicle occupant (14), said simulated occupant (14) being carried by said impact sled (10) by said seat (12), said impact sled (10) selectively accelerating said simulated occupant (14) to a predetermined velocity along said path;

a pre-impact force-generating device, said pre-impact force-generating device selectively exposing said simulated occupant (14) to a pre-impact force, said pre-impact force simulating a normal breaking conditions experience by a vehicle prior to a crash condition wherein the pre-impact force-generating device comprises a track (38) allowing the seat (12) to move in a forward and a rear direction with respect to the impact sled (10), a spring loaded cable (42) drawing the seat (12) in the forward direction, a release device (22) selectively releasing the seat (12) to allow the spring loaded cable (42) to draw the seat (12) in the forward direction, a second stop (46) stopping the seat (12) from moving along the track at a predetermined position; and

an impact force-generating device, said impact force-generating device selectively exposing said simulated occupant figure (14) and sled to an impact force, said impact force simulating a crash force of said motor vehicle (10) in a crash condition.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said pre-impact force-generating device selectively applies said impact force to said simulated occupant (14), said impact force simulating a crash force of said motor vehicle (10) in a crash condition.

6. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said pre-impact force-generating device comprises:

said seat (12) pivotally mounted (20) relative to a surface of said impact sled (10);

a release device (22) mounted to said impact sled 10 and being detachably connected to said seat (12); and

a seat mounted stop (28) mounted to said seat (12) and having a test block stop (24) and secondary stop (26) for receiving said seat mounted stop 28 connected to said seat (12).

7. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said pre-impact force-generating device comprises:

a track (38) allowing said seat (12) to move in a forward and a rear direction with respect to said impact sled (10);

a spring loaded cable (42) drawing said seat (12) in said forward direction;

a release device (22) selectively releasing said seat (12) to allow said spring loaded cable (42) to draw said seat (12) in said forward direction; and

a seat stop (46) stopping said seat from moving along said track at a predetermined position.

8. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said pre-impact force-generating device comprises an impact sled stop (16) located along said path, said impact sled (10) selectively impacting said impact sled stop (16) to generate said pre-impact force.

9. The device as claimed in claim 4, further comprising an impact force-generating piston (68) selectively exposing said impact sled (10) to an impact force, said impact force-generating piston (68) accelerating said impact sled (10) after said impact sled (10) impacts an impact sled stop (72).

10. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said pre-impact force-generating device comprises at least one spring loaded piston (58), said spring loaded piston (58) being attached to said seat (12), said spring loaded piston (58) selectively applying said pre-impact force to said simulated human (14).

11. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said pre-impact force-generating device generates a predetermined amount of pre-impact force for a predetermined amount of time to selectively position said simulated human at a predetermined location within said impact sled.

12. A device for simulating impact conditions of a motor vehicle, the device comprising:

an impact sled (10) having a means for supporting the occupant (12), the impact sled (10) being selectively movable along a path in a first direction;

a simulated occupant (14), the simulated occupant (14) being carried by the impact sled (10) by a means for supporting the occupant (12), the impact sled (10) selectively accelerating the simulated occupant (14) to a predetermined velocity along the path;

a means for generating a pre-impact force which selectively exposes the simulated occupant (14) to a pre-impact force, the pre-impact force simulating a normal breaking conditions experience by a vehicle prior to a crash condition;

an impact force-generating device, the impact force-generating device selectively exposing the simulated occupant (14) and sled to an impact force, the impact force simulating a crash force of the motor vehicle (10) in a crash condition, the impact generating device comprising a release device (22) mounted to the impact sled (10) and being detachably connected to the means for supporting the occupant (12), a first stop (28) mounted to the means for supporting the occupant (12) and having a test block stop (24) and secondary stop (26) for receiving the first stop (28) connected to the means for supporting the occupant (12), and wherein the means for supporting the occupant (12) is pivotally mounted (20) relative to a surface of the impact sled (10).

13. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the means for generating a pre-impact force selectively applies a non-crash vehicle deceleration pre-impact force to the simulated occupant (14).

14. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the pre-impact force-generating device comprises a means for selectively impacting an impact sled stop (16) to generate the pre-impact force.

15. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the means for generating a pre-impact force comprises at least one means for generating a pre-impact force (58) which is attached to the means for supporting the occupant (12), the means for generating a pre-impact force (58) selectively applying the pre-impact force to the simulated occupant (14).

16. A device for simulating impact conditions of a motor vehicle, the device comprising:

an impact sled (10) having a means for supporting the occupant (12), the impact sled (10) being selectively movable along a path in a first direction;

a simulated occupant (14), the simulated occupant (14) being carried by the impact sled (10) by a means for supporting the occupant (12), the impact sled (10) selectively accelerating the simulated occupant (14) to a predetermined velocity along the path;

a means for generating a pre-impact force which selectively exposes the simulated occupant (14) to a pre-impact force, the pre-impact force simulating a normal breaking conditions experience by a vehicle prior to a crash condition the means for generating a pre-impact force comprising a track (38) allowing the means for supporting the occupant (12) to move in a forward and a rear direction with respect to the impact sled (10), a spring loaded cable (42) drawing the means for supporting the occupant (12) in the forward direction, a release device (22) selectively releasing the means for supporting the occupant (12) to allow the spring loaded cable (42) to draw the means for supporting the occupant (12) in the forward direction, a second stop (46) stopping the means for supporting the occupant (12) from moving along the track at a predetermined position; and

an impact force-generating device, the impact force-generating device selectively exposing the simulated occupant (14) and sled to an impact force, the impact force simulating a crash force of the motor vehicle (10) in a crash condition.