Airbag Blocking Element for Differential Cushioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air-bag systems with silicone or rubber one-way valves are expensive and difficult to manufacture, limiting their widespread adoption for providing differential cushioning effects for vehicle occupants' heads and torsos during crashes.
Innovation Solution
A safety device comprising two air-bags connected by a blocking element formed from a partially cut region of the first air-bag, which deforms to allow gas flow from the first air-bag to the second air-bag while preventing backflow, and a vent arrangement to control pressure and direct gas away from the occupant.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a silicone or rubber one-way valve is used to control gas flow between air-bags, then the pressure control and cushioning effect are improved, but the manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the valve function from a separate silicone or rubber component and integrates it directly into the air-bag structure through a slit and blocking element mechanism. This eliminates the need for a separate valve component while maintaining the one-way gas flow control function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the valve function with the air-bag structure itself. The blocking element formed from the first air-bag material combines with the slit in the second air-bag to create an integrated one-way valve system, reducing overall device complexity.
2Reliability
If a silicone or rubber one-way valve is used to control gas flow between air-bags, then the pressure control and cushioning effect are improved, but the manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the valve function with the air-bag structure itself. The blocking element formed from the first air-bag material combines with the slit in the second air-bag to create an integrated one-way valve system, reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The blocking element is formed from the air-bag material itself and automatically performs the valve function through its deformation characteristics. The system is self-regulating, using the pressure differential to automatically control gas flow without requiring external actuation or complex attachment mechanisms.
3Device complexity
If a single high-pressure air-bag is used, then the structural simplicity is maintained, but the ability to provide differential cushioning for head and torso is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the air-bag system into two separate air-bags (first and second air-bags) with different pressure characteristics. This segmentation allows each air-bag to provide optimized cushioning for different body regions, with the blocking element controlling gas flow between them.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates different local qualities within the air-bag system by establishing different gas pressures in the first and second air-bags. The second air-bag (with slit) provides a softer local cushioning effect for the head, while the first air-bag provides firmer support for the torso.
4Device complexity
If the blocking element is formed by cutting partially from the first air-bag, then the manufacturing cost and complexity are reduced, but the sealing reliability must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the valve function from a separate silicone or rubber component and integrates it directly into the air-bag structure through a slit and blocking element mechanism. This eliminates the need for a separate valve component while maintaining the one-way gas flow control function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes in the blocking element's physical state. The blocking element deforms in response to pressure differential, changing from a sealed position (preventing backflow) to an open position (allowing forward flow). This dynamic parameter change enables reliable sealing without complex mechanical valve components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces manufacturing costs and complexity while effectively providing a gentle cushioning effect for the head and a firmer cushioning for the torso, enhancing occupant safety during crashes by controlling gas flow and pressure differentially between the two air-bags.
Implementation Method 1
the blocking element being configured to deform in response to a pressure of gas within the first air-bag to uncover at least part of the slit and break the seal between the blocking element and the second air-bag to allow gas to flow from the first air-bag through the slit and the opening into the second air-bag
Data Source
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AI summary
A safety device in the form of an air-bag (1) for use in a vehicle. The air-bag (1) comprises a first air-bag (40) and a second air-bag (43) which are attached to one another so that a slit (41,42) in the first air-bag (40) is fluid communication with an opening (44) in the second air-bag (43). The safety device is provided with a blocking element (47,48) which covers at least part of the slit (41,42) and overlies and seals against a region of a surface of one of the first air-bag (40) and the second air-bag (43) to substantially prevent gas flowing from the second air-bag (43) through slit (41,42) to the first air-bag (40). The blocking element (47,48) is configured to deform to uncover at least a part of the slit (41,42) and break the seal to allow gas to flow from the first air-bag (40) through the slit (41,42) to the second air-bag (43).