Granted Patent B2

US 9,564,069 · App. 13/427,381 · Granted Feb 7, 2017

Inventor: Zhenwen J. Wang (Northville, MI)

Assignee: HUMANETICS INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS, INC.

G09B23/32G09B23/34

Abstract

Claims (40)

1. A flexible surrogate spine assembly for a crash test dummy comprising:

at least five vertebra discs;

a plurality of ligament joints disposed between said at least five vertebra discs; and

said ligament joints having a joint element with varying joint angles such that four different joint angles can replicate Kyphosis and Lordosis angles of a human spine, wherein each said joint element has an upper surface extending in a plane and a lower surface extending in a plane, at least one of said upper surface and said lower surface forming a predetermined angle relative to an axis perpendicular to a vertical neutral axis of said ligament joint, and wherein each said ligament joint comprises an upper member having a planar lower surface, a lower member having a planar upper surface, and said joint element being disposed between said lower surface of said upper member and said upper surface of said lower member.

2. A flexible surrogate spine assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said predetermined angle ranges from zero degrees (0°) to six degrees (6).

3. A flexible surrogate spine assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said upper member and said lower member are made of a rigid material.

4. A flexible surrogate spine assembly for a crash test dummy comprising:

at least five vertebra discs;

a plurality of ligament joints disposed between said at least five vertebra discs;

said ligament joints having a joint element with varying joint angles such that four different joint angles can replicate Kyphosis and Lordosis angles of a human spine, wherein said joint element has an upper surface extending in a plane and a lower surface extending in a plane, at least one of said upper surface and said lower surface forming a predetermined angle relative to an axis perpendicular to a vertical neutral axis of said ligament joint; and

wherein at least one of said at least five vertebra discs is a transducer to measure forces and moments that are transferred between said vertebra discs.

5. A flexible surrogate spine assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said transducer is a spine load cell constructed as a vertebra disc.

6. A flexible surrogate spine assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said transducer includes a rib load cell constructed as part of a vertebra disc.

7. A flexible surrogate spine assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said spine load cell and rib load cell are either combined or separate load cells.

8. A flexible surrogate spine assembly for a crash test dummy comprising:

a plurality of vertebra discs;

a plurality of ligament joints disposed between said vertebra discs;

said ligament joints having a joint element with varying joint angles that can replicate Kyphosis and Lordosis angles of a human spine, wherein each said joint element has an upper surface extending in a plane and a lower surface extending in a plane, at least one of said upper surface and said lower surface forming a predetermined angle relative to an axis perpendicular to a vertical neutral axis of said ligament joint;

each said ligament joint comprising an upper plate, a lower plate, and a joint element disposed between said upper plate and said lower plate; and

wherein said joint element is made of a flexible material.

9. A crash test dummy comprising:

a body;

a flexible surrogate spine assembly connected to said body; and

said flexible surrogate spine assembly comprising at least four vertebra segments with varying joint angles such that four different joint angles can replicate Kyphosis and Lordosis angles of a human spine, wherein each of said at least four vertebra segments comprise a vertebra disc and a ligament joint, each said ligament joint having a joint element with an upper surface extending in a plane and a lower surface extending in a plane, at least one of said upper surface and said lower surface forming a predetermined angle relative to an axis perpendicular to a vertical neutral axis of said ligament joint, and wherein each said ligament joint comprises an upper member having a planar lower surface, a lower member having a planar upper surface, and said joint element being disposed between said lower surface of said upper member and said upper surface of said lower member.

10. A crash test dummy comprising:

a body;

a flexible surrogate spine assembly connected to said body;

said flexible surrogate spine assembly comprising at least four vertebra segments with varying joint angles such that four different joint angles can replicate Kyphosis and Lordosis angles of a human spine, wherein each of said at least four vertebra segments comprise a vertebra disc and a ligament joint, each said ligament joint having an upper surface extending in a plane and a lower surface extending in a plane, at least one of said upper surface and said lower surface forming a predetermined angle relative to an axis perpendicular to a vertical neutral axis of said ligament joint; and

wherein each said ligament joint comprises an upper plate, a lower plate, and a joint element disposed between said upper plate and said lower plate.

11. A crash test dummy as set forth in claim 10 wherein said predetermined angle ranges from zero degrees (0°) to six degrees (6).

12. A crash test dummy as set forth in claim 10 wherein at least one of said at least four vertebra discs is a transducer to measure forces and moments that are transferred therebetwen.

13. A crash test dummy as set forth in claim 10 including a rib cage assembly connected to said spine assembly.

14. A crash test dummy as set forth in claim 13 wherein said rib cage assembly includes a plurality of rib cage members connected to at least two of said at least four vertebra segments.

15. A crash test dummy as set forth in claim 14 wherein said rib cage assembly includes a flexible element disposed between said at least two of said at least four vertebra segments and said rib cage members.

16. A crash test dummy comprising:

a body;

a flexible surrogate spine assembly connected to said body;

a rib cage assembly connected to said spine assembly;

said flexible surrogate spine assembly comprising a plurality of vertebra segments, each of said vertebra segments comprising a vertebra disc and a ligament joint with varying joint angles that can replicate Kyphosis and Lordosis angles of a human spine, each said ligament joint comprising an upper plate, a lower plate, and a joint element disposed between said upper plate and said plate, each said joint element having an upper surface extending in a plane and a lower surface extending in a plane, at least one of said upper surface and said lower surface forming a predetermined angle ranging from zero degrees (0) to six degrees (6) relative to an axis perpendicular to a vertical neutral axis of said ligament joint; and

said rib cage assembly comprising a plurality of rib cage members connected to said vertebra segments.

Assignments (10)

Continuity (1)