Follow the fascinating development of the automotive air bag - from its introduction to the latest advances - in this comprehensive collection of papers from both SAE and other professional sources, complete with informative diagrams, graphics, and charts.

As early as the 1930s, air bag-like mechanisms were being patented for possible use in automobiles. Just a decade or two later, devices resembling modern-day air bags were developed, including John Hetrick's inflatable single-bag system (U.S. Patent 2,649,311, patented in 1953) and H. A. Bertrand's multiple-bag system (2,834,606, patented in 1958). Interest in the automotive air bag has increased ever since, booming in recent years. Of the 3,000-plus patents currently related to the air bag, 2,500 have been filed since 1996.

Air Bag Development and Performance: New Perspectives from Industry, Government and Academia begins with five chapters - one each from Editor Richard Kent and the collection's four Associate Editors - offering the authors' unique perspectives on the history, development, or performance of these important safety devices. Approximately 50 selected SAE, government, and other papers are also provided in their entirety, along with the titles and abstracts of about 90 other papers (listed as recommended reading) and the titles of some 600 related papers for further reference (included in a bibliography at the end of the book).

Contents include:

Papers in: PT-88