Delphi Debuts Driver Protection Module

New module can help reduce driver's risk of serious injury in frontal crash by up to 27 percent

OEMs now have new way to improve crashworthiness ratings and meet increased regulations

TROY, Mich. Sept. 13 -- Delphi Corp. unveiled a new technology today at the 61st International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt that can offer drivers up to 27 percent more protection from serious injury during a frontal collision event.

The Delphi Driver Protection Module (DDPM) offers OEMs an industry-first: It integrates the steering column, knee bolster and pedals in a way that allows all three technologies to work in controlled coordination to adapt to driver size, restraint usage, and crash severity.

"Consumers want more safety, and OEMs want new ways to differentiate their products while dealing with increased government regulations and independent agency ratings," said Dan Crishon, business line executive, steering columns and intermediate shafts. "We're excited about this technology because it provides a way to help everyone reach these goals."

Rick Nash, chief engineer, steering columns, said the Delphi Driver Protection Module may help OEMs take a significant step forward in offering more protection for the driver's lower extremities. "There's a lot of public and media attention paid to airbags and Electronic Stability Control systems, and they are important. But an element of automotive safety that may not be 'top of mind' with consumers is the protection of lower extremities, including the feet, knees, and legs, which affect quality of life after a crash. Our Delphi Driver Protection Module helps address these areas in a way that other suppliers aren't right now."

Beyond providing drivers with more protection, the module may also contribute toward raising a vehicle's overall crashworthiness rating. "OEMs are looking to perform well on crash tests, like those conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Consumer Reports, and other organizations. We feel the Delphi Driver Protection Module gives them an important tool to better a vehicle's scores on these tests," said Nash.

The DDPM may also help OEMs meet tougher government safety regulations, Crishon said.

"In the U.S. there are increasingly stringent government regulations on head and chest protection," he said. "New requirements for 5th percentile drivers (small female) already are in place and increased requirements for 95th percentile drivers (very large male) are a distinct possibility. Additionally, impact velocity for belted crash tests has been increased to 30 mph and may be raised to 35 mph between 2007 and 2010. Our system will help provide support to OEMs in meeting these requirements."

HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS

Each component of the module responds together to contribute to overall driver protection:

Steering column. When integrated into the DDPM, the steering column strokes horizontally to help reduce head and chest load, provide a better match for occupant trajectory, increase capacity for energy absorption, allow for less aggressive driver airbag inflation, and improve occupant kinematics by reducing upward displacement of the steering column on impact. Based on mathematical calculations and simulations, a DDPM-equipped vehicle can provide up to 10 percent more energy absorption to the driver. In addition, the protection increases up to 27 percent more injury reduction if the DDPM is supplemented with Delphi's active energy absorbing technology, which protects a wider range of drivers.

Knee bolster. When integrated into the DDPM, the knee bolster helps reduce knee, femur, hip, and lower extremity loads, absorbs energy through translation rather than deformation, and reduces sensitivity to location of knee contact.

Pedals. Delphi's DDPM pedals offer a nontraditional source of energy absorption. During a frontal collision, the pedal unit is pushed away from the driver's feet to help reduce lower extremity loads and to absorb energy by displacing it away from the driver in a controlled manner.

The modular design of the DDPM helps reduce vehicle installation time by up to 90 percent and offers more efficient packaging by eliminating the knee bolster hump around the steering column. Adaptable design facilitates configurations to brand characteristics and simplifies crash tuning design changes that enables crashworthiness enhancements.

Delphi has been a leader in column energy absorption since developing the first energy-absorbing column with mesh jacket in 1966. That was followed by innovative ball and sleeve, bending brackets and tuned metal strap designs. In 2004, Delphi entered production of its active energy absorbing steering column featuring a pyrotechnic actuator.