Grammer AG – Automotive, a supplier of specialty seating systems, has developed a second generation of electronically-activated head restraints.

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The new system reduces the impact of whiplash injury in rear-end collisions by moving the head restraint forward. The anti-whiplash system is completely contained within the head restraint. Unlike the earlier version that is deployed by a gas generator cartridge, the newer model uses an electromagnetic actuator to release pre-stressed springs that simultaneously pivot the headrest while pushing it forward.


A recent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) report in the US showed that few head restraints are designed to sufficiently align the head with the cervical spine to prevent serious injury. Auto-related neck injuries in the US result in $7 billion annually in insurance claims.


“Grammer’s second-generation active head restraint system can answer the issues identified by the IIHS testing,” said Juergen Huertgen, vice president of sales and marketing for the Americas.  “Unlike the earlier pyrotechnic system used exclusively in the BMW 5 and 7 Series vehicles, the unit is completely contained within the headrest and is independent of the seatback frame.”


The headrest houses two coil springs, a plastic headrest housing, an electromagnetically-activated plate and wiring. The two coil springs push the headrest forward after receiving a signal from the vehicle’s crash sensor. The new electromechanical system weighs only 350 grams (12.3 ounces), about half the weight of the earlier system.

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