Vehicle Seat Side Airbag Chute Attachment for Rapid Deployment

Solution Overview

Problem

Current vehicle seat side airbag assemblies face challenges in ensuring timely and proper deployment due to potential delays or misalignment during inflation, which can affect the effectiveness of energy absorption during vehicle impacts.

Innovation Solution

A seat side airbag assembly design featuring a chute attached to the frame and cover using a hook and loop fastener or adhesive, allowing for secure attachment and guiding the airbag's inflation path, ensuring rapid deployment by minimizing movement and play between the cover and chute.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the airbag assembly is attached to the cover without secure fastening, then the assembly process is simpler, but the airbag deployment is delayed due to movement and misalignment between the cover and chute

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly processVSAvoiddeployment time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The chute is pre-attached to the cover using hook and loop fasteners before the airbag is installed. This preliminary attachment ensures proper alignment and positioning is established in advance, eliminating deployment delays caused by movement or misalignment while maintaining ease of assembly through the reusable nature of the fasteners

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Hook and loop fasteners serve as an intermediary mechanism between the chute and cover, providing secure attachment that prevents movement during deployment while allowing for easy assembly and disassembly. This intermediary solution resolves the contradiction by offering both structural stability and manufacturing simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of manufacture

If the chute is loosely attached to the cover, then the assembly is easier to manufacture, but inflation forces are not focused properly, reducing deployment efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly processVSAvoiddeployment efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The chute is pre-attached to the cover using hook and loop fasteners before the airbag is installed. This preliminary attachment ensures proper alignment and positioning is established in advance, eliminating deployment delays caused by movement or misalignment while maintaining ease of assembly through the reusable nature of the fasteners

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Hook and loop fasteners serve as an intermediary mechanism between the chute and cover, providing secure attachment that prevents movement during deployment while allowing for easy assembly and disassembly. This intermediary solution resolves the contradiction by offering both structural stability and manufacturing simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10232817B2Vehicle seat side air bag assembly

Publication Date: 2019.03.19 FORD GLOBAL TECH LLC

AI summary

A vehicle seat includes a frame, a cover, and a seat side airbag assembly. The seat side airbag assembly includes a chute mounted to the frame and extending to the cover. An airbag is fixed to the chute, with the chute extending between the airbag and the cover. The chute is attached to the cover.