MILAN – A further step forward for the transport of children by car. A seat with built-in airbag designed and patented by the German Cybex that defines and – increases – new standards in terms of safety.
The experimentation of the airbag in the automotive sector dates back to the end of the Sixties and, in 1973, the first car (it was the American Oldsmobile Toronado) with standard airbags was born, followed by other models of brands such as Cadillac and Buick. “For decades, airbags have been essential safety features for vehicles, protecting adults from serious injury in the event of an accident – said Martin Pos, founder of Cybex – Since our company was founded in 2005, we had the vision to create a car seat that would make this technology accessible to children as well. Thanks to the hard work of our development team over the past 16 years and thanks to new technologies, it is with great pride that we launch Cybex Anoris T i-Size ”.
The new seat, aimed at the age group between 15 months and six years (approx. 76 – 115 cm), underwent over a thousand crash tests during the design phase; the result is that the Anoris T i-Size has 50% better safety performance than a traditional forward facing car seat with harness in the event of a frontal impact.
The airbag on the new seat of the German brand works in a similar way to that of adults, adapting, of course, to the size and weight of the child. “The airbag has been tested in very cold and very hot temperatures and our tests – explained Franz Peleska, Cybex development manager – have shown that there is no risk of explosion in the event of extreme temperatures. Our device inflates at a constant volume, opens in a few milliseconds and this is essential because it guarantees that, before the moment when the force of the impact reaches the seat, the airbag has already activated to protect the child ”. The airbag is contained in the front part of the seat protection cushion and, in the event of a collision, it comes out creating a “C” shape around the cushion itself, without creating any kind of crushing or suffocation damage for the child.
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Anoris T i-Size was awarded as the winner in its category during the tests of Stiftung Warentest and ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club). The first child seat with an integrated airbag system achieved an unprecedented overall score of 1.5 in its product category, as well as a maximum score of 0.9 in crash safety and 1.2 in the overall “safety” category.
“Protecting younger children has always been a challenge. Compared to the body, their head is wider and heavier and their neck muscles are not yet fully developed “, said Peleska.” In the event of a frontal impact, the child is cushioned by the large surface of the airbag and restrained by the pillow. protection of the seat before significant forward movement occurs. And above all, the sensitive areas of the head and neck remain perfectly protected ”.