Airbag Door Fabric Hinge with Compressed Grid Spaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Airbag doors in vehicles often scatter fragments during deployment, potentially causing injury, and lack a smooth rotation mechanism due to the absence of a separate hinge structure at the rotation center point, impeding airbag deployment.
Innovation Solution
A fabric sheet woven in a grid pattern with specific rhombus-shaped spaces is integrally formed on the inner surface of the airbag door using an insert injection molding method, where the grid spaces are compressed to be extensible, allowing them to function as hinges and prevent fragment scattering during deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a fabric sheet with stop warp yarns is used to function as hinges, then the airbag door can rotate during deployment, but the stop warp yarns may be snapped by explosion pressure causing the door to scatter
Solution Approach 1:
The fabric sheet is divided into multiple functional zones: base warp yarns for general support, stop warp yarns arranged in specific patterns for hinge function, and reinforced regions with higher yarn density. This segmentation allows different parts to perform specialized functions - the stop warp yarns in hinge regions provide rotation capability while reinforced regions prevent catastrophic failure by distributing explosion forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The fabric sheet has non-uniform structural properties with varying yarn densities and configurations in different regions. Hinge regions have specific yarn arrangements to enable rotation, while other regions have higher density for strength. This local quality optimization ensures that hinge functionality is provided only where needed while maintaining overall structural integrity to prevent scattering.
2Ease of operation
If a separate hinge structure is added at the rotation center point, then smooth rotation is achieved, but device complexity and production cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge function is merged into the fabric sheet structure itself through strategic arrangement of stop warp yarns, eliminating the need for separate hinge components. The fabric sheet's woven structure with specific yarn patterns directly provides the rotation mechanism, combining the door structure and hinge function into a single integrated component, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fabric sheet serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the door structure, provides hinge functionality through stop warp yarn arrangements, and offers reinforcement against scattering. The material itself creates the rotation mechanism without requiring external hinge components, making the system self-sufficient and simpler.
3Strength
If conventional high tensile strength yarns are used in the fabric sheet, then structural strength is improved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using high tensile strength yarns uniformly throughout the fabric sheet, the invention uses standard yarns with strategic local reinforcement through specific yarn arrangements and densities in critical regions. This localized quality optimization provides necessary strength where needed while using cost-effective materials in non-critical areas, reducing overall production cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The fabric sheet functions as a composite structure where the combination of different yarn types (base warp, stop warp, weft) and their specific arrangements create enhanced mechanical properties. This composite approach allows the use of lower-cost individual yarns that collectively provide the required strength through their synergistic arrangement and interaction.
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 fabric sheet effectively disperses deployment load, ensures smooth airbag door rotation, and prevents fragment scattering, while reducing production costs by using yarns with lower tensile strength compared to conventional designs.
Implementation Method 1
Grid spaces formed in opposite ends of the fabric sheet that are rotated when the airbag door is opened by deployment of an airbag are arranged in a state of being compressed so as to be extensible
Data Source
AI summary
A hinge device for an airbag door of a vehicle is provided. In particular embodiments, a fabric sheet is made by weaving warp yarns and weft yarns with a plurality of grid spaces and integrally formed on an inner surface of an airbag door. Grid spaces formed in opposite ends of the fabric sheet that are rotated when the airbag door is opened by deployment of an airbag are arranged in a state of being compressed so as to be extensible.