TRW Introduces New Cold-Gas, Side-Impact Inflator
20 September 2000
TRW Introduces New Cold-Gas, Side-Impact Inflator for Rollover Applications
WASHINGTON, Mich.--Sept. 20, 2000--TRW is introducing a new cold-gas inflator for side-impact rollover accidents that goes into limited production this fall.
"We believe this proprietary TRW technology is the most effective and sought-after application for rollover accidents involving cars and light trucks," said Doug Campbell, vice president of engineering for TRW Occupant Safety Systems and its inflatable restraint and steering wheel systems businesses.
Typical head curtain bags remain deployed for up to one second as gas produced from the heated inflator begins to cool. TRW's cold-gas rollover inflator -- an industry first -- allows the curtain bag to stay deployed for a minimum of seven seconds, providing increased protection from occupant ejection, a multiple rollover or other accident complications.
Competitive advantages of the inflator include quicker initial filling of the curtain bag, utilization of less pressure and use of lighter weight curtain fabrics. In addition, the inflator provides increased flexibility for vehicle makers, which can position the inflator at various locations along the interior roof rail of the vehicle (above the windows).
The cold-gas inflator will first be offered by one North American automaker in 2001 and by other automakers in future years.
How does the rollover curtain system work? In a rollover event, the crash sensor acts like a micro-gyro, noticing a shift in the horizontal center of gravity and sending a signal to trigger the igniter. As the igniter functions, it allows the gas to exit the inflator into the air bag module assembly. The rollover curtain module can be more than six feet long for larger sport utility vehicles.
Even if vehicle occupants are belted, the rollover curtain provides increased lateral protection. (Seat belts primarily provide frontal and rear-impact restraint.) The rollover inflator is designed to deploy the curtain downward in less than 20 milliseconds to close the gap between the occupant and the side window.
The rollover inflator can be produced in a variety of sizes -- from a minimum of 150 millimeters (six inches) in length -- to meet a variety of customer specifications.
TRW rollover curtain production begins to a limited extent this fall with product validation work for a major North American customer. About 200,000 rollover inflators and curtains will be produced in 2001 for this customer, with total production for additional North American vehicle makers exceeding 1 million rollover curtain units in 2002. By 2003, TRW's total production is expected to approach 2 million units. Interest continues to increase among vehicle makers around the world, Campbell said.
The new TRW rollover curtain and an existing air bag curtain product that protects the head are expected to reach a total of almost 10 million units by the end of 2004.
