ZF TRW Introduces Center Airbag for Side Impact Protection

The alarming number of airbag-related deaths has urged ZF TRW to develop a new airbag that helps automakers boost side impact protection.

Integrated into the inner side of the seat back, the all-new center airbag deploys to protect the head, shoulder and torso areas of occupants in the front seat. It keeps occupants in ‘near-side’ and ‘far-side’ collisions by deploying a bag cushion between the driver and the front seat occupant. In the event of a far-side impact, where an oncoming vehicle or object strikes the opposite side of the vehicle to the driver with adequate force, the center airbag keeps the driver safely in place. Moreover, it can minimize the driver’s side displacement and reduce the risk of interaction between the driver and the front seat occupant or surrounding structural vehicle interior parts.

According to Dirk Schultz, global engineering director, ZF TRW Inflatable Restraints Systems, there is a huge risk to far-side passengers during side impact crashes. “Accident research shows that in the USA, nearly 30 percent of side impact fatalities involve far side events, and in Germany, nearly 30 percent of severely injured occupants in side crashes resulted from a far side collisions.”

The center airbag module comes with a hybrid inflator and employs woven bag or sewn cushion technology. The module can be flexibly adapted to the particular requirements of a vehicle’s interior. Plus, a tether mechanism can be ordered by the automaker to promote a triangular shape upon deployment which helps to boost restraint performance.

Schultz revealed that they are experiencing growing interest in the new airbag technology and Euro NCAP is currently evaluating new side impact test protocols for 2018 and beyond. He believes that if it is implemented, a number of new vehicles could require far-side airbag modules.

ZF TRW is confident to meet such upcoming requirements. The company is already involved in a number of development programs and research studies with automakers.