Airbag Cover Hinge with Dual Textile Force-Absorbing Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing textile or knitted fabric hinges for air-bag covers are prone to tearing under high forces during air-bag deployment, posing a risk of separation and potential harm to individuals, and current solutions are not cost-effective or reliable in ensuring safe deployment.
Innovation Solution
A hinge with a two-dimensional textile structure and warp threads as force-absorbing systems, where warp threads are aligned parallel to expected tensions and have lower elasticity than the textile structure, distributing forces uniformly to prevent tearing and ensure safe deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a textile or knitted fabric hinge is used for the air-bag cover, then the hinge can be manufactured cost-effectively and allows easy deployment, but the hinge may tear under high forces during air-bag deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge combines two different textile materials with complementary properties: a first textile material providing elasticity and flexibility for easy deployment, and a second textile material providing high strength and low elasticity to prevent tearing under load. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by integrating both cost-effective manufacturing capabilities and enhanced reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameters by selecting textiles with specific elasticity moduli - the first material has higher elasticity for flexibility, while the second material has lower elasticity for strength. By controlling the elasticity parameter distribution across different material layers, the hinge achieves both ease of manufacture and high reliability.
2Ease of operation
If the air-bag cover hinge is made from textile or knitted fabric, then deployment is easy, but separation of the air-bag cover from the support frame cannot be excluded under unfavorable conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The dual-textile hinge structure provides both the flexibility needed for easy deployment and the strength required to prevent separation. The first textile material enables smooth operation and deployment, while the second textile material ensures the hinge maintains integrity under unfavorable conditions, preventing cover separation from the support frame.
3Area of moving object
If larger or heavier air-bag covers are used, then the coverage area increases, but the forces applied to the hinge during deployment increase, increasing the risk of tearing
Solution Approach 1:
The composite hinge structure with two textile materials of different mechanical properties provides the necessary strength to support larger and heavier air-bag covers. The second textile material with high strength and low elasticity specifically addresses the increased loading from larger cover areas, while the first material maintains deployment flexibility.
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 dual force-absorbing systems effectively absorb forces during air-bag deployment, preventing the hinge from tearing and ensuring safe, cost-effective operation, allowing for controlled deployment range and speed to prevent damage, such as to a vehicle windshield.
Implementation Method 1
the warp threads have a lower elasticity than the elements of the two-dimensional textile structure
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an airbag cover hinge having a textile hinge that can be connected both to the airbag cover and to a carrier part surrounding the airbag cover, wherein the hinge comprises two different systems absorbing forces, which is to say one textile surface structure as a system that is combined to a second system with further warp threads, wherein the warp threads tear under a tensile load on the airbag cover hinge as a first force absorbing system.