Influence of Restraint System Angles on Impact Response and Protection of Child Occupants in Vertical Crash Conditions

Focusing on the protection needs of child occupants in the scenario of aircraft vertical crashes, a finite element calculation model based on the cabin structure of a certain type of small electric aircraft was established. The child seat restraint system was coupled with the THUMS 3YO human body model, and the vertical 15 g condition meeting the requirements of Article 23.562 of CCAR-23-R3 was simulated. The influence law of the safety belt restraint angles (formed by different safety belt routing positions) on the dynamic response and injury indicators of child occupants was explored. To verify the rationality of the simulation results, a physical impact experiment was conducted using a Hybrid III 3YO child dummy and the same type of child seat, with key indicators (e.g., head acceleration, lumbar load) measured and compared with simulation data. The analysis results show that the effect of the safety belt restraint angle on the overall protective performance is less pronounced under vertical conditions, but a clear trend is observed: when the angle is in the range of 76°~84°, the head acceleration is relatively low and the brain tissue injury indicators are in the optimal state, which can effectively reduce the risk of head and neck injuries; when the restraint angle increases to 92°, the lumbar axial load and lung strain increase significantly, indicating a detrimental effect. The results of this study clarify the differences in the protective performance of child seats under different restraint angles, and provide a theoretical basis and technical guidance for the layout of safety belt anchors of aircraft seats and the optimal design of child seats.