Side Impact Preventive Occupant Protection System, Basic Function - GF91.40-P-1005A

Model all (CAR) 

with code 292 (PRE-SAFE® Impulse Side) 

General 

In the event of a side impact, only a limited crumple zone is available for vehicle occupants. For this reason, the preventive side impact occupant protection system increases the distance from the acute danger zone for the driver or front passenger.

Air chambers in the side bolsters of the seat backrest are inflated within fractions of a second. This gives the vehicle occupants a side pulse that moves the head and upper torso towards the vehicle center.

This movement also reduces the speed differential between the colliding vehicle and the vehicle occupants. This enables the load applied to the chest by the side collision to be reduced.

At the same time, the reversible emergency tensioning retractor is activated for the vehicle occupant at the opposite side. If the reversible belt tensioner on the impact side was already activated, it is deactivated just before the collision.

Function requirement 

• Circuit 15 ON

Preventive occupant protection system side impact 

The traffic area next to the vehicle is monitored by radar sensors at front left and right of the vehicle. They detect objects that are on a collision course with the vehicle and that will probably cause a side impact.

If a collision is unavoidable, the air chambers in the side bolsters of the seat backrest are inflated within fractions of a second. To do this, pyrotechnical gas generators, which are situated at each side in the seat, are triggered. The vehicle occupant is then moved towards the vehicle center.

Preventive raising of body (Model 223 with electrohydraulic suspension and driver assistance system) 

The left and right front radar sensors on the vehicle are used to monitor the traffic area. If a collision is unavoidable, the active suspension and damping system control unit actuates the electrohydraulic controller unit of the electrohydraulic suspension. The body is raised by the suspension by up to 8 cm within a few tenths of a second so that the side collision tends to make impact slightly lower.

This can reduce the degree of intrusion, through loads being applied to more rigid structures of the vehicle, if necessary.