Development of a Mechanical Impedance Model-Based Computer Simulator for Evaluation of an Active Headrest Mechanism in Rear-End Impact

概要

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Recent years have seen increasing demand for the development of a car seat with an active headrest (AHR) that is expected as one of strong mechanisms to reduce neck injuries caused by rear-end collisions. This paper develops a mechanical impedance model-based computer simulator that can be used to analyze and design an effective AHR seat by means of the 7 criteria in line with the specifications of Euro-NCAP such as NIC and Nkm. The developed simulator can reproduce the dynamic behavior of a crash-test dummy (BioRID II) as measured in an actual rear-end collision test. The effectiveness of AHR originally developed to reduce neck injuries was quantitatively evaluated through a set of computer simulations. Furthermore, in order to improve the performance of the AHR seat, effects of the seat parameters such as the seat joint stiffness, the headrest position, and the viscoelastic parameters of the seat surface were investigated.