Skip to main content

TRW introduces roof airbag technology

TRW Automotive Holdings has unveiled its new 'bag in roof' airbag system which replaces passenger airbags typically mounted in the instrument panel. The company claims the new airbag can help to mitigate passenger injuries and can allow for improved interior design aesthetics, ergonomics and functionality while saving space in the instrument panel. In addition, TRW claims this new design concept enhances development efficiency: by eliminating the need to package a passenger airbag in the instrument panel, t
April 25, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
RSS601 TRW Automotive Holdings has unveiled its new 'bag in roof' airbag system which replaces passenger airbags typically mounted in the instrument panel. The company claims the new airbag can help to mitigate passenger injuries and can allow for improved interior design aesthetics, ergonomics and functionality while saving space in the instrument panel. In addition, TRW claims this new design concept enhances development efficiency: by eliminating the need to package a passenger airbag in the instrument panel, the bag in roof design can significantly reduce the development costs of the dashboard as there is no need to develop a specific 'door' that opens with the airbag deployment. It is also functionally compatible with a wide range of vehicle architectures.

The airbag unit comprises a cushion and a gas generator which supplies the gas to the cushion in the event of an impact. The product offers easy assembly with opportunities for standardisation as some of the components are common to all applications.
TRW has undertaken pre-development work for the bag in roof technology for several years, and over the previous two years in close collaboration with a major European vehicle manufacturer, resulting in the award of a significant production contract.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Communications redundancy increases VMS reliability
    December 17, 2014
    Hybrid communications to variable message signs increase resilience to natural disasters and enable deployment in remote areas, as Alan Allegretto explains. Variable Message Signs (VMSs) are a common sight and a well-proven means to improve public safety on our roads and highways. ITS professionals rank the VMS as second only to interoperable radios as the most important technology to improve effectiveness during emergency incidents and evacuations. Ironically, however, current systems suffer from one criti
  • Call for nominations for eSafety Awards 2011
    May 21, 2012
    The eSafety initiative, which brings together the European Commission, public authorities, industry and other stakeholders in a drive to accelerate the development, deployment and use of intelligent vehicle safety systems, is holding its fifth edition of the eSafety Awards which will be presented on 24 October, 2011, at the next eSafety Forum Plenary meeting in Brussels, Belgium.
  • Siemens extends low-power retrofit solution
    February 6, 2012
    The Siemens LED retrofit portfolio has been extended to allow Peek Elite incandescent traffic signals to be upgraded to low-power Siemens CLS LED technology. Offering carbon and energy savings of over 75 per cent, the newly developed retrofit option follows the success of Siemens's Helios retrofit technology and enables even more existing incandescent signals to be upgraded to modern LEDs, whilst maximising the re-use of existing roadside infrastructure.
  • NOCoE delivers data for diligent DOTs
    April 29, 2015
    David Crawford talks to Dennis Motiani about the role of the new National Operations Centre of Excellence. Consolidating the collective experience of the US transportation system’s management and operations (TSM&O) community, streamlining its information gathering, while cutting research times and costs are the key drivers behind the country’s new National Operations Centre of Excellence (NOCoE). Launched in January at the annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), this sets out to be a sin