CRASH SAFE WHEELCHAIR SEATING FOR CHILDREN

描述（改编自申请人摘要）：进行的试验 弗吉尼亚大学汽车安全实验室（ASL） 严重残疾的儿童，当他们坐在 定制的轮椅，在使用过程中有很大的受伤风险， 车辆碰撞。 定制座椅的两个常见版本都失败了 在碰撞载荷测试中。 而姿势支撑带也证明了 在模拟的车辆碰撞中对乘员的约束较弱， 它们能够产生足够大的负载力， 伤害乘客。 本项目将研究硬件， 使轮椅制造商，定制座椅制造商， 专门的座椅诊所，以创建定制的座椅系统， 更好地保护儿童在车辆碰撞。 开发一种方法， 定制轮椅，达到与所有交通工具相同的标准 轮椅将提供更安全的交通服务， 对于身体脆弱的人来说，受伤的可能性很大。 拟议的第一阶段工作将调查以下方面的可行性： 为儿童开发碰撞安全的定制座椅硬件， 包括：1）座椅和靠背结构部件，包括 将插入物安装到轮椅框架中的硬件; 2）新的带 或支撑服装，其是碰撞安全的并且适合于姿势 仅用于姿势的带子的支撑和断开连接 支持.

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from the applicant's abstract): Testing conducted at the University of Virginia Automobile Safety Laboratory (ASL) has indicated that children with severe disabilities, when seated in customized wheelchairs, are at significant risk of injury during vehicle collision. Two common versions of custom seats have failed during crash load testing. While postural support straps proved too weak to provide occupant restraint in simulated vehicle collisions, they were capable of generating loading forces significant enough to injure the occupant. This project will investigate hardware that can enable wheelchair manufacturers, customized seat fabricators, and specialized seating clinics to create custom seating systems that better protect children in vehicle collisions. Developing a way of customized wheelchairs to reach the same standards as all transit wheelchairs will provide safer transportation services and reduce the likelihood of injury for individuals who often are physically fragile. The proposed Phase I effort will investigate the feasibility for developing crash-safe customized seating hardware for children, including: 1) seat and back structural components, including the hardware to mount the inserts in to the wheelchair frame; 2) a new belt or support garment that is crash safe and suitable for postural support, and break-away links for straps intended solely for postural supports.