Vehicle occupant support testing methodology - assessment of both the car and the restraint

An apparatus for testing the side impact performance of a Child Restraint System (CRS) comprising:

• A support structure
• An Impactor slidably attached along an impact direction of motion to the support structure and comprising at least one of a first part of detachably attachable clamp;
• A Target Sled slidably attached to the support structure along the impact direction, further comprising support means for a Bench;
• A Bench with a support means for a CRS;
• A CRS supported by the Bench;
• A door structure slidably attached to the Bench along the impact direction, further comprising at least one of a second part of the detachably attachable clamp aligned to the at least one first part the detachably attachable clamp and wherein said door structure is locked to the Bench until contact of a predetermined one of the first part of the detachably attached clamps to the corresponding second part of the predetermined one of the detachably attachable clamps;
• a control mechanism for the regulation of the relative velocity of the Target Sled with regard to the Impactor with a plurality of calibration points;
• enabled to measure both an inertial loading of the CRS resulting from the impact on the vehicle and a contact loading as a result of the intrusion of a door towards the CRS, with a plurality of calibration points for the relative velocity of the Impactor with regard to the Bench.