Abstract
Objective:To evaluate the crashworthiness of commercially available hardware that attaches seat surfaces to the wheelchair frame. Design:A low cost static crashworthiness test procedure that simulates a frontal impact motor vehicle crash. Setting:Safety testing laboratory. Specimens:Eleven unique sets of drop-hook hardware made of carbon steel (4), stainless steel (4), and aluminum (3). Interventions:Replicated seat-loading conditions associated with a 20g/48kph frontal impact. Test criterion for seat loading was 16,680N (37501b). Main Outcome Measures:Failure load and deflection of seat surface. Results:None of the hardware sets tested met the crashworthiness test criterion. All failed at less than 50% of the load that seating hardware could be exposed to in a 20g/48kph frontal impact. The primary failure mode was excessive deformation, leading to an unstable seat support surface. Conclusions:Results suggest that commercially available seating drop hooks may be unable to withstand loading associated with a frontal crash and may not be the best option for use with transport wheelchairs.
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