Adaptive Air Bag Vent Tether System for Occupant-Specific Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle air bag systems lack efficient control mechanisms to tailor inflation and deployment based on occupant size and position, potentially leading to inadequate protection or unnecessary fluid venting.
Innovation Solution
An adaptive tether system with a vent mechanism that utilizes a trigger tether and vent tether, employing rupturable tear stitching to control inflation fluid release, ensuring the vent remains closed for larger occupants and opens for smaller ones, adjusting air bag deployment and inflation volume accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed vent mechanism is used, then the air bag deployment is simple and reliable, but the protection cannot be tailored to different occupant sizes and positions
Solution Approach 1:
The vent mechanism transitions from a fixed state to a dynamic, adaptive system. The vent is initially closed and remains closed based on real-time feedback from deployment sensors, allowing the air bag system to adapt its inflation characteristics to different occupant sizes and positions rather than using a predetermined fixed vent configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensor feedback to monitor air bag deployment progress and occupant characteristics. This feedback controls the vent mechanism, enabling it to remain closed during initial inflation for larger occupants or open for smaller occupants, thereby tailoring the protection to the specific occupant without requiring complex pre-programming
2Force
If the vent opens during inflation, then inflation fluid is released to reduce deployment force, but this may provide inadequate protection for larger occupants
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes the vent opening parameter based on detected occupant characteristics and deployment progress. For larger occupants, the vent remains closed to maintain higher inflation pressure and deployment force. For smaller occupants, the vent opens to reduce force, thereby adjusting the protection parameter to match the specific occupant size and avoiding both inadequate and excessive force application
Solution Approach 2:
The vent mechanism is dynamically controlled during the inflation process rather than being statically configured. Sensors monitor the deployment progress and occupant response, allowing the system to adjust vent opening timing and duration to achieve appropriate deployment forces for different occupant sizes, transforming a static force application into an adaptive dynamic process
3Force
If the vent remains closed, then optimal restraint force is maintained for larger occupants, but inflation fluid is wasted and deployment may be excessive for smaller occupants
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses sensor feedback to detect occupant size and position, then controls the vent mechanism accordingly. This feedback loop prevents inflation fluid waste by opening the vent only when needed for smaller occupants, while maintaining closed vent configuration for larger occupants to preserve restraint force, thereby optimizing both force application and fluid consumption based on real-time conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The vent opening parameter is changed dynamically based on detected occupant characteristics. The system transitions from a default closed state to an open state only when sensor data indicates a smaller occupant is present, thereby adjusting the inflation fluid release parameter to match occupant size and avoiding both excessive force and fluid waste
4Adaptability or versatility
If a complex control system is used to tailor deployment, then accurate protection can be provided, but the system reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into simple, discrete functional components: sensors detect specific deployment parameters, a control mechanism responds with binary vent opening/closing actions, and effectors execute the vent control. This segmentation breaks down a potentially complex adaptive system into reliable, simple subsystems that maintain high reliability while achieving accurate deployment tailoring through coordinated operation
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus (10) including a protection device (14) has a front panel (74) presented towards an occupant (20, 20a) and is inflatable between a vehicle surface (36, 38) and the occupant (20, 20a). A vent (100) releases inflation fluid from the protection device (14). The vent (100) has an actuated condition and a non-actuated condition prior to deployment of the protection device (14). A vent tether (154, 168) has a first end secured to the vent (100) end a second end having a releasable connection (153) with the protection device (14). A trigger tether (152,162) has a first end connected to the front panel (74) and a second end connected to the protection device (14) at the releasable connection (158). The trigger tether (152,162) Is slackened when the protection device (14) deploys less than a predetermined degree such that the releasable connection (158) remains intact to allow the vent tether (154,168) to place the vent (100) in the actuated condition. Deployment of the protection device (14) to the predetermined degree tensioning the trigger tether (152,162) to release the releasable connection (158) such that the vent (100) remains in the non-actuated condition.