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2.4.2. Safety cushions

Two forward inflatable safety cushions with a nontoxical pyrotechnic charge and two side, being in forward doors, at the same time protect the driver and the sitting next passenger.
Reaction time of a forward safety cushion makes from 40 to 60 ms, a side safety cushion – 20 ms.

Fig. 1.6. Touch laying of a seat of the passenger


The sedan and T-model with a body the versatile person are equipped with the touch laying reacting to pressure being in a covering of the right front seat (fig. 1.6) which automatically defines whether there is on a seat a passenger. Electroconductive tapes of laying are connected to management of system of adjustment of a seatback. If the passenger seat is loaded weighing more than 12 kg, touch laying gives the corresponding signal on electronics of a safety cushion which depending on the nature of collision puts the right safety cushion, a seat belt or a side safety cushion in action.
The limit of weight in 12 kg is necessary in order that sensors by mistake did not apprehend a bag with purchases or "diplomat" on a front seat as passenger.
   Side safety cushions

Fig. 1.7. Side safety cushion


The Mercedes E-class car is supplied with side safety cushions (fig. 1.7) that does more effective protection against side blow.
The side safety cushion is in a forward door, has the volume of 15 l and in the filled state reaches thickness about 7 cm.
For 7 ms a sensitive element — the sensor – at accident defines whether operation of a pillow is required.
If the microcomputer gives an impulse on operation, then through 2 ms the side safety cushion breaks through a door covering, through 13 ms it is brought to the working condition, thereby protecting the driver or the passenger. In general there pass about 20 ms until formation of an air bag between a door and sitting in salon. to track process of operation of a side safety cushion, it was necessary to use the high-speed camera doing 4000 pictures a second.