Airbag Module Guide Member Attachment for Compact Seat Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional airbag module-equipped seats have complex structures due to entangled listing wires, leading to increased size and complexity in attachment processes, with concerns about stay cloth contact with the side frame during usage or inflation, and require improved compactness and manufacturing efficiency.

Innovation Solution

An airbag module-equipped seat design featuring a guide member with a compact attachment mechanism using an attachment member with a holding space for the guide member, allowing easy attachment and improved rigidity, while preventing contact between the side frame and guide member, and ensuring proper assembly through misassembly suppressing portions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If listing wires are provided in a ring shape to attach stay clothes, then the airbag deployment performance is improved, but the structure becomes complex and the size increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveairbag deployment performanceVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The listing wire attachment structure is divided into multiple discrete attachment positions on the side frame, with each position having its own attachment member. This segments the complex ring-shaped wire structure into simpler, distributed attachment points, reducing overall structural complexity while maintaining the functional benefit of secure stay cloth attachment for airbag deployment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If listing wires are provided in a ring shape to attach stay clothes, then the airbag deployment performance is improved, but the periphery size of the side frame increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveairbag deployment performanceVSAvoidside frame periphery size

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using a two-dimensional ring-shaped wire structure that expands the periphery, the invention transitions to a three-dimensional arrangement where attachment members are positioned at specific locations on the side frame. This dimensional change allows the attachment points to be distributed in space without increasing the overall periphery size, maintaining compactness while ensuring proper airbag deployment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If stay clothes are pulled and attached to listing wires, then the inflation pressure is concentrated on the breaking portion, but the stay cloth may contact the side frame during usage or inflation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinflation pressure concentrationVSAvoidstay cloth contact with side frame

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Attachment members are introduced as intermediary components between the stay clothes and the side frame. These attachment members serve as mediators that secure the stay clothes at precise positions while preventing direct contact between the stay cloth and the side frame, thus avoiding the harmful effect of contact during usage or inflation while maintaining proper inflation pressure concentration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Area of stationary object

If a compact configuration is implemented, then the periphery size is reduced, but the attachment process becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveperiphery sizeVSAvoidattachment process ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The attachment members are pre-installed on the side frame at predetermined positions before the stay clothes are attached. This preliminary action simplifies the overall attachment process by eliminating the need to manipulate complex ring-shaped wires during assembly, making the manufacturing process easier while maintaining the compact configuration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3466771B1Airbag module-equipped seat

Publication Date: 2020.10.14 TS TECH CO LTD

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AI summary

An airbag module-equipped seat (S) comprising an airbag module (6) for storing an airbag (6b) therein, comprising: a seat back frame (1) comprising a side frame (10) that extends along a side portion of the seat; a cushion pad (5, 5a) mounted on the seat back frame (1); the airbag module (6) attached to the side frame (10); a guide member (31, 32) that guides a deployment direction of the airbag module (6); and an attachment member (50, 70) for attaching the guide member (31, 32) to the side frame (10), wherein at least a portion of the attachment member (50, 70) is exposed to a region surrounded by a back surface of a front pad portion (5A) of the cushion pad that covers a front surface of the seat back frame and a seat inner-side surface of the side frame (10), the airbag module (6) includes an inflator (6a), a folded airbag (6b), a retainer (6c) that holds the inflator (6a), and a wrapping material (6d) that wraps the airbag (6b), a periphery of the inflator (6a) is fixed to the retainer (6c) and the side frame (10) by a bolt (18) provided to stand toward a seat inner side, and a trim cover (4) covering the seat back frame (10), the cushion pad (5) and the airbag module (6) is provided with a slit (43s') that extends from a lower end of the trim cover (4) in the up and down direction of the seat and that can be opened and closed by a fastener (43f').