Airbag Module Concave Connecting Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing airbag modules for motor vehicles fail to efficiently protect both front- and rear-seated passengers in frontal and rear crashes due to large volume requirements and deployment behavior issues, particularly when positioned between seats.
Innovation Solution
An airbag module with a partially concave connecting surface, separate gas spaces, and time-offset inflators to reduce volume and enhance deployment behavior, featuring a main support surface adjacent to a vehicle structural element and impact surfaces that extend parallel to each other, allowing for independent gas space inflation and controlled deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the overall dimensions of the inflatable airbag device are increased to protect both front- and rear-seated passengers, then the restraining capability is improved, but the volume to be filled becomes very large leading to deployment behavior problems
Solution Approach 1:
The airbag device is divided into a first inflatable airbag for the front-seated person and a second inflatable airbag for the rear-seated person, each with its own gas space. This segmentation allows each airbag to be filled to an appropriate volume independently, avoiding the deployment problems associated with a single very large volume while maintaining the ability to protect both occupants.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting surface between the two airbags is shaped at least partially concave, creating a recess that optimizes the distribution of gas volume. This local geometric modification allows the airbag structure to achieve the necessary restraining capability through strategically distributed volume rather than uniform expansion, improving deployment behavior.
2Reliability
If a single large airbag is used to protect both front- and rear-seated passengers, then the restraining capability is improved, but the deployment behavior becomes problematic due to the very large volume
Solution Approach 1:
The airbag system is segmented into two independently inflatable airbags with separate gas spaces. Each airbag can be deployed with optimized volume and pressure characteristics, ensuring reliable protection while maintaining controlled and predictable deployment behavior for each unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The airbag module is pre-configured with separate inflators and gas spaces during manufacturing, allowing each airbag to be independently prepared and deployed when needed. This preliminary arrangement ensures that during a crash, each airbag can deploy with optimal characteristics without the complications of a single large-volume deployment.
3Ease of operation
If two separate inflators are used to fill the two gas spaces independently, then the deployment behavior is improved and excessive forces are prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses two separate inflators, each dedicated to filling a specific gas space. This segmentation allows independent control of each airbag's inflation, preventing excessive forces that would occur with a single inflator attempting to fill a large combined volume, while the modular nature of the segmentation keeps the overall system manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
By using separate inflators, the system can independently control the pressure, volume, and timing parameters for each gas space. This parameter control optimizes deployment behavior for each airbag individually, ensuring reliable protection while avoiding the excessive forces that would result from attempting to inflate a single large airbag.
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 the volume of the airbag module while maintaining restraint capability, providing defined and reproducible deployment behavior, and effectively protects occupants in both frontal and rear crashes by optimizing the airbag's shape and inflation mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
an inflator which is arranged outside the airbag module and in fluid communication with the gas space, such that the inflator is configured to generate gas to fill the gas space
Data Source
AI summary
A motor vehicle with at least one first seat (10) and at least one second seat (12) is described. The second seat (12) is located rear of the first seat (10) and the first seat has one position of operation in which it faces the second seat (12). An air-bag module with an inflatable airbag device (20) being positioned between the first seat (10) and the second seat (12) when in its fully deployed state is provided. Said inflatable airbag device (20) has a first impact surface (22) pointing towards the first seat (10), a second impact surface (24) pointing towards the sec- and seat (12), a main support surface (26) adjacent to or abutting a structural element of the vehicle, and a connecting surface (28) remote from the support surface (26) and extending between the impact surfaces (22, 24). Especially in order to improve the deployment behaviour, the connecting surface (28) is at least partially concave, such that a recess (R) is formed.