|
Home
|
First
Guard Designed by the Impact Project Team (Articulated Guard)
TEST CONDITIONS:
Closing speed: 50 km/h or 31 m.p.h.
Contact surface: 50% offset impact on driver's side.
Frontal car height reduced to simulate panic braking from 100 km/h (62.5
m.p.h.) to 50 km/h (31 m.p.h.)
Car: GM Corsa (mass = 1,200 kg)
Truck: Mercedes-Benz LK-1217 (mass = 10,000 kg)
GUARD FEATURES:
Height from the Ground: 400 mm (15.7 inches)
Mounted flush with the rear end of the truck bed
Guard designed at UNICAMP and constructed by MERCEDES-BENZ DO BRAZIL,
which also donated the truck.
Tested at the experimental facilities of GENERAL MOTORS DO BRAZIL in
Indaiatuba - Brazil, which also donated the Corsa Car and the time and
skills of their engineers.
ALL DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN SAE TECHNICAL PAPER 973106.
|
Click on the pictures to enlarge them!
|
View of the UNICAMP
articulated guard
|
 |
|
Side view of the
UNICAMP articulated guard
|
 |
|
Rear of the truck
with the UNICAMP articulated guard
|
 |
|
Relative heights
of the car front bumper and the UNICAMP underride guard
|
 |
|
Final position of
the car after colliding with the articulated guard. The windshield remained
intact
|
 |
|
The car after collision
with the UNICAMP articulated guard
|
 |
|
The passenger compartment
remained intact after the collision with the articulated guard
|
 |
CONCLUSIONS:
UNICAMP UNDERRIDE GUARD
WOULD SAVE FRONT SEAT PASSENGERS OF A CAR WITH ONLY LIGHT INJURIES.
IT IS OF FUNDAMENTAL IMPORTANCE
THAT UNDERRIDE GUARD STRENGTH AND HEIGHT FROM THE GROUND BE COMPATIBLE
WITH CAR COLLISION FORCES AND BUMPER HEIGHT.
|
|
