Airbag folding configuration mitigating occupant protrusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing airbag technologies require additional components and complex assembly processes, increasing costs, and often result in the airbag's folded portion contacting occupants before full inflation, leading to protrusion issues during deployment.
Innovation Solution
The airbag is designed with a specific folding configuration that allows it to inflate and deploy in a small bag shape first, with the extra length tucked towards the rear, enabling reliable inflation and deployment, and using a rectifying member to direct gas flow, which mitigates protrusion towards the occupant.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tether is added to control the inflated state of the airbag, then the airbag can be reliably received and protruding movement can be mitigated, but the number of components and assembling operations increases, leading to cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the tether component from the airbag system and instead uses the airbag's own folded structure to achieve the desired deployment control. The folded portion acts as an internal constraint mechanism, eliminating the need for external tethers while maintaining reliable occupant reception and mitigating protruding movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The airbag uses its own folded structure to control its deployment behavior. The folded portion automatically regulates the inflation process and limits protruding movement without requiring additional control components. The structure serves its own regulatory function, reducing system complexity.
2Reliability
If the airbag is deployed quickly to protect the occupant, then protection effectiveness is improved, but the folded portion may contact the occupant before full inflation, causing injury
Solution Approach 1:
The airbag is pre-folded in a specific configuration that anticipates the deployment process. The folded structure is designed to unfold in a controlled sequence during inflation, ensuring that the folded portions retract or move away from the occupant side before contact can occur. This preliminary structural arrangement prevents harmful contact while maintaining rapid deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The folded structure is configured to counteract the potential harmful effect of folded portion contact. By designing the fold pattern and orientation, the structure creates an automatic anti-action mechanism where the folded portions are positioned or oriented in a way that prevents them from contacting the occupant during the critical early inflation phase.
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
This configuration ensures reliable inflation and deployment, effectively reducing the risk of the airbag's protrusion towards the occupant, even without additional tethers, by forming a small air chamber that rotates downward, providing enhanced protection and stability during deployment.
Implementation Method 1
When the gas from the inflator is introduced into the airbag
Data Source
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AI summary
It is aimed to mitigate, with a configuration as simple as possible, a protruding movement toward an occupant side after inflation to some extent. An airbag device configured to be disposed in an instrument panel includes an inflator configured to generate gas, and an airbag (30) that includes a gas inlet (32h) through which the gas from the inflator is introduced and is inflated and deployed in a bag shape toward a vehicle room side by the gas introduced from the inflator through the gas inlet (32h). The airbag (30) has, in an upper portion thereof, an extra length in a front and rear direction of a vehicle and is folded in a housed state after experiencing a folded state in an approximately planar fashion such that the extra length portion is tucked into the airbag (30) toward the rear of the vehicle.