Airbag Cutout Cover for Head Impact Decoupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing airbag designs for head-on collisions cause high tensile stresses in the fabric, leading to hard impacts and potential injury to the head and neck, as the airbag is wedged between the occupant's thigh and upper body, and lacks positional stability.
Innovation Solution
An airbag device with a cutout in the head impact region covered by a decoupled cover that absorbs tensile stresses, allowing the head to penetrate without rebounding, and is stabilized by tension bands to prevent shifting during deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the airbag is fastened to the vehicle structure above the occupant to ensure positional stability, then the airbag remains stable during deployment, but high tensile stresses occur in the airbag fabric causing hard impact and potential injury to the head and neck
Solution Approach 1:
The airbag fabric is segmented into two functional zones: a tensioned fastening region that maintains positional stability, and a decoupled head impact region that allows safe head penetration. The cover is separated from the main tension-carrying fabric structure, creating independent functional segments that resolve the contradiction between stability and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the airbag are given different mechanical properties: the fastening region maintains high tensile strength and stability, while the head impact region is designed with decoupled cover and reduced tensile stress transmission to provide a softer, safer impact surface. This local differentiation allows simultaneous achievement of stability and reduced head strain.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If tear lines are provided in the fastening region to reduce head and neck strain, then the safety for vehicle occupants is improved, but the positional stability of the airbag is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is extracted from the main tension-carrying fabric structure and decoupled from it. The cover is taken out of the stress transmission path, allowing it to function independently as a protective surface for head impact without compromising the stability provided by the anchored fabric structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover acts as an intermediary element between the stable fabric structure and the occupant's head. It mediates the interaction by providing a decoupled interface that reduces direct tensile stress transmission to the head while maintaining the overall stability of the airbag through its connection to the fabric structure.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the airbag is wedged between the thigh and upper body to maintain position, then positional stability is achieved, but very high tensile stresses occur in the airbag fabric resulting in hard impact
Solution Approach 1:
The airbag is segmented into a stability-providing fastening region and a safety-providing impact region. The cover is separated from the main fabric structure, allowing the fastening region to maintain high tensile strength for stability while the impact region provides a softer surface through decoupled cover design.
Solution Approach 2:
The airbag exhibits different mechanical characteristics in different regions: the fastening region has high tensile strength and rigidity for stability, while the head impact region has reduced stress transmission and softer characteristics. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between overall stability and local impact softness.
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 head and neck strain by decoupling tensile stresses in the airbag fabric, ensuring the airbag remains stable and provides deeper penetration for the head, enhancing protection and positional stability during collisions.
Implementation Method 1
which can be filled with gas by means of a gas generator and which in the filled state extends in front of the vehicle occupant
Implementation Method 2
a cutout is provided in the head impact region of the airbag fabric which the head of the vehicle occupant can penetrate, and this cutout is closed by a cover that is decoupled from tensile stress in the airbag fabric
Data Source
AI summary
An airbag device comprising an airbag made of a woven fabric which is fastened to a vehicle structure, in particular above a vehicle occupant, and which can be filled with gas by means of a gas generator and in the filled state extends in front of the vehicle occupant is characterized in that a cutout is provided in the head impact region of the airbag fabric which the head of the vehicle occupant can penetrate, and this cutout is closed by a cover that is decoupled from tensile stress in the airbag fabric.