The Design and Experimental Use of a Chest Load-Distribution Transducer and Force-Indicating Legs for the Part 572 Dummy

The current Part 572 50th percentile male dummy's chest and legs only indirectly and incompletely measure the forces acting upon them - by spinal acceleration for the chest and by mid-femur axial force for the legs. A new chest and set of legs have been designed and are in experimental use in a Part 572 dummy which far more completely measure the forces acting upon them during crash testing.

CHEST LOAD-DISTRIBUTION TRANSDUCER - Through three independent beams, with a small triaxial load cell located at the end of each beam, the vector direction and magnitude of the load can be measured at six key locations on the rib cage during the dynamic testing of restraint systems. The effect of small changes in the restraint system on the forces experienced by the thoracic area of the dummy can now be quantified. Some of the experimental results are discussed.

FORCE-INDICATING LEGS - By use of these legs, femur and tibia triaxial, bending, and torsional loads can be measured along with tibia-femur (knee joint) shear loads and ankle upward bending loads. The knee joint also has force-deflection properties in shear. For the first time, these loads, induced by leg restraint systems, can be studied. Some of the experimental results are discussed.