SPECIAL PROBLEMS AND CONSIDERATIONS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AIR CUSHION RESTRAINT SYSTEMS

Presented in this paper is a discussion of the details of the General Motors air cushion restraint system and of specific technical problems of system development and of implementing a production build program. The details of the General Motors system include a description of the components of the driver's and front passenger's systems, crash sensing, and “variable inflation.” The discussion of specific technical problems includes performance considerations; such as: Occupant rebound, child-size occupants, out-of-position occupants, non-barrier type crashes, and the function of the appearance cover. Also included is a discussion of the toxicity potential, noise risk, sensor development, reliability considerations, and field service requirements.