Delphi Leads Automotive Occupant Safety Efforts With Advanced Safety Interiors
23 February 1998
Delphi Leads Automotive Occupant Safety Efforts With Advanced Safety Interiors
TROY, Mich., Feb. 23 -- Delphi Automotive Systems will take
occupant protection to a new level with its Advanced Safety Interior, unveiled
in Detroit today at the 1998 SAE International Congress and Exposition.
The Advanced Safety Interior is an evolving portfolio of safety features
being designed to enhance occupant protection in frontal, side, rear and
rollover collisions. By using its extensive knowledge in interior systems and
electronics, Delphi will be able to physically and functionally integrate
components and subsystems for optimized performance.
This integration work will also allow Delphi to tailor an Advanced Safety
Interior system for the specific needs of a particular vehicle, market segment
and geographic region, said Rodney O'Neal, vice president and general manager
of Delphi Interior & Lighting Systems.
"Our total systems approach is the Number One reason OEMs should turn to
Delphi for advanced safety interiors," O'Neal said. "Because of our
experience and our resources, we will be able to develop these occupant
protection technologies and integrate them into a harmonious system."
Delphi's Advanced Safety Interior is being developed by the company's
Interior & Lighting, Saginaw Steering and Delco Electronics systems divisions.
The key Advanced Safety Interior technologies highlighted at SAE '98 include:
* Anticipatory Crash Detection System. This system, being developed from
Delphi's Forewarn(TM) product line of collision warning systems, will
use radar, laser and/or ultrasonic sensors to detect potentially
hazardous situations from the front, side and rear. It will provide
advanced notice of impending crash situations, enabling the system to
prepare for maximum occupant protection.
* Adaptive Belt Restraints. Delphi plans to have seatbelts play an
adaptive role in occupant protection through the use of pretensioners,
hypertensioners and adaptive load limiters. These devices will work
together to draw occupants down and into the seats while reducing crash
forces on the occupants to help prevent head and neck injuries in
various crash situations.
* Rollover Sensing System. This system will detect an impending vehicle
rollover using inertial sensor technologies developed for aircraft
guidance control. When the system detects an impending rollover, it
will command deployment of occupant restraint devices such as seatbelt
pretensioners, retractor locks and hypertensioners, as well as
inflatable head restraints and other enhanced support structures. The
combined effect of these technologies will be designed to help minimize
rollover-type injuries.
* Active Knee Bolster. This will be an airbag cushion deployed in the
knee area. The design will allow a more spacious interior while
maintaining superior crash protection. The Active Knee Bolster will be
deployed in conjunction with the frontal airbags to potentially reduce
lower leg injury.
* Adaptive Energy-Absorbing Pedals. These are being designed to limit
pedal forces against a driver's foot in the event of a crash. This
technology will also allow drivers with shorter legs to adjust the
pedals to achieve a more comfortable driving position while maintaining
a greater distance from the airbag module.
* Adaptive Load Steering Column. This will allow real-time changes in
stroking resistive load, and will provide for better tuning of the total
restraint system in the event of a collision.
* Distributed Restraint System Architecture/Safety Bus. The addition of
new sensors and adaptive outputs will create the need for a simple
electrical architecture. This is being developed to fulfill that need
and will have the ability to be quickly reconfigured to meet an OEM's
application. This networked architecture will interconnect the various
components by a Safety Bus and will enhance flexibility and efficiency
in designing future adaptive interiors.
These technologies will be available to OEMs on a global basis between now
and 2007, according to O'Neal.
Also, one of the building blocks of Delphi's Advanced Safety Interior will
be its Adaptive Restraint Technologies(TM), introduced last year. As Delphi's
solution to "smart" airbags, Adaptive Restraint Technologies is a family of
airbag and sensor products, in various stages of development, that will
monitor driver and passenger characteristics (i.e., weight, posture, size,
seat position, seatbelt usage), and the severity of a crash, and tailor the
airbag deployment to match the situation in a frontal impact. These
technologies will allow enhanced airbag performance for a broad range of
occupant size and crash speed conditions.
Key Adaptive Restraint Technologies highlighted at SAE '98 include:
* Variable Output Driver and Passenger Airbag Modules. This family of
airbag modules, when combined with developing sensor technology, will
enable tailoring the inflation rate to match the situation. One of
Delphi's innovative methods of varying the airbag output is Pyrotechnic
Actuated Venting (PAV). With a PAV system, a standard airbag module
will be modified to direct a portion of the inflation energy out of the
module and away from the bag, providing a "depowered" performance, as
recently approved by U.S. regulations. If the sensor information and
algorithm call for full inflation, a slide mechanism, powered by a
standard automotive initiator, will redirect the energy into the airbag.
Variable inflation will be achieved by controlling the time delay of the
slide mechanism. PAV will utilize proven module technologies. It will
also eliminate post-deployment disposal concerns.
* Crash Severity Sensors. Crash severity is measured by the Electronic
Severity Indicator (ESI), a sensor mounted in the front bumper (or
"crush zone") of the vehicle. The sensor is being designed to provide
early evaluation of crash severity. When used with an adaptive system,
it will potentially reduce inflation-induced injuries in lower-severity
crashes. ESI will transmit the information to the Sensing and
Diagnostic Module (SDM), which will control deployment of variable
inflation-rate airbags.
* Occupant Mass, Occupant Position and Seat Belt Sensors.
* A family of occupant mass sensors is being developed to provide a
measurement of the seated occupant's mass -- an important element in
distinguishing the presence of a child or child seat, or for
categorizing the occupant size.
* Occupant position sensors, also in development, will use an array of
invisible infrared light and ultrasonic signals to monitor the
occupant profile and position
* Seat belt sensors will be used to determine whether the belt is
fastened.
* The combined data from these sensors will allow the SDM to suppress
the passenger airbag when a child or child seat is detected, or when
no passenger is present; it will also tailor airbag deployment to best
match the restraint needed.
The complete systems approach of the Advanced Safety Interior will enhance
occupant protection while reducing cost and lead time for OEMs. Delphi will
offer a comprehensive integrated package, as well as be able to provide any
portion of the system to meet customer requirements.
Delphi's technical leadership in airbag development can be seen through
its Wuppertal Technical Center in Germany and its test sled facility in
Vandalia, Ohio. The testing capabilities of both centers will be among the
world's best when Wuppertal officially opens this spring, and Vandalia opens
later this summer.
Delphi Automotive Systems, with headquarters in Troy, Mich., USA, is the
world's most diversified supplier of automotive components and systems. With
the recent integration of Delphi Delco Electronics Systems, Delphi operates
208 manufacturing facilities, 46 ventures and 27 technical centers in 36
countries. Regional headquarters are located in Paris, Tokyo and Sao Paulo.
Delphi can now be found on the Internet at http://www.delphiauto.com.
"NEXT CENTURY WINNERS" FACT SHEET
ADVANCED SAFETY INTERIOR
NEWS
Delphi unveils its Advanced Safety Interior -- an evolving portfolio of
safety features integrated with Delphi's extensive interior systems and
electronics knowledge. Advanced Safety Interior will be designed to enhance
occupant protection in frontal, side, rear and rollover collisions.
The technologies will be available to OEMs on a global basis between now
and 2007.
OPERATION
Highlighted Advanced Safety Interiors technologies include:
Adaptive Restraint Technologies(TM) (ART)
* One of the building blocks of Advanced Safety Interior.
* In a crash scenario, sensors will monitor: the occupant's position and
proximity to the airbags; the occupant weight and presence in the seat;
seat belt usage; the presence of a child seat; and the severity of a
collision.
* Based on these inputs, ART will tailor airbags by means of variable
inflation modules to provide the appropriate restraint level for optimal
protection.
* Sensor inputs and adaptive restraint devices will be controlled by a
Delphi Delco Electronics Electrical Control Unit (ECU) algorithm,
carefully developed for specific vehicle requirements.
Anticipatory Crash Sensors
* Will use radar, laser and/or ultrasonic sensors to detect potentially
hazardous situations from the front, side and rear.
Adaptive Belt Restraints
* Pretensioners, hypertensioners and adaptive load limiters will work
together to draw occupants down and into the seats while reducing crash
forces on the occupant to help prevent head and neck injuries.
Rollover Sensing System
* Will detect an impending vehicle rollover using inertial sensor
technologies. When the system detects an impending rollover, it will
command deployment of occupant restraint devices to help minimize
rollover-type injuries.
Active Knee Bolster
* Airbag cushion deployed in the knee area.
* Will provide a more spacious interior while maintaining crash
protection.
Adaptive Energy-Absorbing Pedals
* Will limit pedal forces against a driver's foot in a crash event.
* Will allow drivers with shorter legs to adjust pedals for a more
comfortable driving position while maintaining a greater distance from
the airbag module.
Adaptive Load Steering Column
* Will allow real-time changes in stroking resistive load.
* Will provide for better tuning of total restraint system in a collision.
Distributed Restraint System Architecture/Safety Bus
* Simplified electrical architecture to accommodate additional sensors and
adaptive outputs.
* Safety Bus will interconnect various components in architecture.
BENEFITS
* Enhancements for occupant protection in front, side and rear collisions
-- as well as vehicle rollover situations.
* OEMs will be able to rely on Delphi as single source for an entire
advanced occupant restraint system.
* Delphi will be able to physically and functionally integrate components
and subsystems for optimized performance.
* Delphi will be able to tailor the system to meet specific needs of a
particular vehicle, market segment and geographic region.
* Anticipatory sensors will provide advanced notice of impending crash
situations.
SOURCE Delphi Automotive Systems