TRW expands adaptive safety options with new rotary seatbelt pretensioner

Livonia, Michigan, August 30, 2013: TRW Automotive Holdings Corp has designed a new anchor seatbelt pretensioner in a rotary configuration (known as the APR1) to further strengthen its product portfolio, especially for challenging packaging situations.

The APR1 features a lighter weight design and more compact packaging resulting in an easy integration for vehicle manufacturer interiors. There is no linkage element necessary and only the normal seatbelt webbing will be visible in the vehicle cabin. It is designed to deliver pretensioning forces of more than 3 kN, which can help to remove some seatbelt slack within milliseconds of a crash being detected .

When combined with TRW's full spectrum of occupant protection seat belt and airbag options, the APR1 helps form the basis of advanced adaptive occupant technologies designed to help manage occupant energy in an unavoidable crash scenario. For example, it can be combined with TRW's Active Control Retractor system or Active Buckle lifter, that help to remove some seatbelt slack before a crash occurs if a potential crash is detected by active vehicle sensors.

Norbert Kagerer, vice-president, Occupant Safety Systems Engineering, TRW, said: "The APR1 design offers vehicle manufacturers a number of options and advantages compared with existing systems. We are seeing strong interest globally for APR1 due to its packaging, weight and performance attributes. The rotary design helps deliver enhanced pretensioning functionality and TRW is uniquely positioned to combine this technology with other occupant safety and active safety technologies to sense a crash and react to the unique characteristics of the crash."

The APR1 will launch on several European vehicle platforms in 2015.