Design of a crash-test dummy suspension device adapted for crash tests with bicycles / Entwurf einer Dummy-Aufhängevorrichtung für Unfallversuche mit Fahrrädern

When carrying out an analysis of accidents between passenger cars and bicycles it has been assumed for many years that the kinematics at impact correspond to those of passenger cars colliding with pedestrians. While at the end... [ view full abstract ]

When carrying out an analysis of accidents between passenger cars and bicycles it has been assumed for many years that the kinematics at impact correspond to those of passenger cars colliding with pedestrians. While at the end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s crashtests with bicycles that were hit while standing still were conducted at the TU Berlin, tests with a moving bicycle remained an exception. Taking the nearly exclusively used test setup into account, where a crash-test dummy is initially accelerated by a sled, problems occur not only when positioning the crash-test dummy. It is not uncommon for the crash-test dummy to topple sideways prior to the actual impact thus influencing the kinematics or the parameters to be studied.

For this reason a bicycle crash installation was developed, where the crash-test dummy is held and accelerated from above through a harness, similar to those used while alpine climbing. Using climbing ropes this harness is... [ view full abstract ]

For this reason a bicycle crash installation was developed, where the crash-test dummy is held and accelerated from above through a harness, similar to those used while alpine climbing. Using climbing ropes this harness is connected to a sled, which passes over the passenger car. The crash-test dummy is released immediately prior to the impact, thus ensuring the planned seating posture until the collision occurs. The actuation is achieved by a revolving rope, which is moved by a motor. As the installation is mobile, it is usable for higher collision speeds of the passenger car. The difficulty here is the synchronisation, which is currently assessed in the course of a master’s thesis. This contribution will demonstrate the design of the installation and show results of selected tests.