Vehicle Airbag Deployment Direction Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional airbag systems struggle to effectively protect passengers from various types of collisions, particularly in automated driving scenarios where seat layouts and passenger positions become more diverse, making it difficult for traditional side airbag devices to cope with collisions in all directions.

Innovation Solution

A passenger protection apparatus featuring an airbag that deploys forward or upward from a seat, regulated by a tether or planar member connecting the seat back to the seat cushion, which adjusts its deployment to ensure the airbag is deployed inward within the seat width direction, providing comprehensive protection from frontal, lateral, and oblique collisions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a conventional side airbag device is used, then the airbag can protect the passenger's head and upper body, but the airbag may deploy outward in the seat width direction which could harm the passenger or reduce protection effectiveness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepassenger protection effectivenessVSAvoidairbag deployment direction control

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A regulating member is introduced as an intermediary between the airbag and the seat structure. This regulating member contacts the outer surface of the airbag in the seat width direction and guides its deployment inward toward the center of the seat, preventing harmful outward deployment while maintaining protection effectiveness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The deployment direction control function is extracted from the airbag system itself and implemented separately through the regulating member. This allows the airbag to focus on inflation and protection while the regulating member handles directional guidance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Productivity

If the airbag deploys without regulation, then the deployment speed is fast and simple, but the deployment direction cannot be controlled to cover all collision types effectively

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveairbag deployment speedVSAvoidprotection coverage for various collision directions

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The regulating member acts as a mediator that does not significantly impede the rapid deployment of the airbag while subtly guiding its expansion direction inward. The member contacts only the outer surface of the airbag, allowing fast inflation while ensuring the airbag covers the passenger effectively from frontal, lateral, and oblique collision angles

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10864878B2Passenger protection apparatus for vehicle

Publication Date: 2020.12.15 SUBARU CORP

AI summary

A passenger protection apparatus for vehicle includes an airbag and a regulating member. The airbag is capable of deploying forward or upward from a side of a seat on which a passenger sits. The regulating member is capable of regulating deployment of the airbag. The regulating member connects a side of a seat back to a side of a lower part of the seat, and is configured to contact an outside of the airbag in a seat width direction to regulate a deployment direction of the airbag to deploy the airbag inward in the seat width direction.