An exploding glove compartment could protect front-seat passengers’ legs in a head-on crash. In EP 1164061, car maker Volvo suggests packing an air bag inside the glove compartment. In a crash, a deceleration sensor triggers a gas cylinder, filling the bag and blowing the compartment’s soft lid against the passenger’s legs. The lid is made of cushioned, reinforced plastic, which acts as a load-spreading cushion, backed by the inflated air bag.
Technology
Leg preserver
By Barry Fox
16 March 2002
