TRW Automotive has launched a new compact knee airbag module which combines airbag performance with reduced weight and dimensions and a scaleable control unit designed for low-cost markets.
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The safety equipment specialist claims the innovative technology in the knee airbag allows vehicle manufacturers to optimise cabin space and yields greater design freedom.
The module covers the potential impact area of the lower part of the instrument panel. The main benefits of active knee protection are improved restraint of the occupants’ femur and pelvis, while helping to better balance chest and lower limb loads.
The compact module is a smaller unit that can be moulded into the dashboard of the car without affecting the aesthetic design of the interior cabin.
The unit is based on SHI2 inflator technology – a small, single stage hybrid that enables quick airbag fill times.
The metal or plastic housing of the module offers manufacturers the choice of more diverse styling and greater packaging flexibility for the vehicle interior.
The scaleable airbag control unit designed for low-cost markets can be adapted within a platform to offer two options – standard and enhanced – for models sold locally and for export to developed markets.
The standard system is configured for cost effective applications of one to four squibs with no satellite interface, but provides the flexibility to be used in an enhanced system, designed to handle additional capability requirements of up to eight squibs and four satellite interfaces. The standard and enhanced options can be offered within the same base unit.
The unit supports front and side crash detection with the additional option of rear crash detection and can support the interface of up to four satellite sensor modules or can be configured for no satellite interface.
The metal housing design of the standard ACU meets cost, packaging and reliability requirements while maintaining the mechanical performance necessary for reliable crash sensing.
TRW claims to be leading the way in the performance/price ratio with this airbag controller, fulfilling the need for a cost effective unit for both value-oriented manufacturers and for emerging crash sensor markets such as Brazil, Russia, India and China.
