Head Protection Airbag Downward Movement Inhibiting Portion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional head protection airbag devices face challenges in reliably preventing passenger head movement downward due to the thinner non-inflating blocking portion and tension belt configuration, which allows the lower edge of the blocking portion to potentially climb over the window and fail to catch the head smoothly.
Innovation Solution
A head protection airbag device with a blocking portion formed from overlapping flexible material on both vehicle interior and exterior sides, featuring a downward movement inhibiting portion positioned higher than the window's lower edge but lower than the airbag's center, which catches the head and prevents downward movement by separating from the vehicle exterior member upon engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a non-inflating blocking portion is used to cover the window interior side, then the airbag capacity is controlled and window protection is achieved, but the blocking portion becomes thinner and the lower edge may climb over the window, failing to reliably prevent head downward movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a tension belt made of flexible material that can dynamically adjust its configuration. The tension belt is connected to the airbag at multiple points and can generate tension forces to prevent head downward movement without requiring a thick rigid blocking portion. This flexible approach maintains reliability while avoiding the thickness and rigidity problems of conventional blocking portions.
Solution Approach 2:
The tension belt system is designed to be dynamic rather than static. It can generate tension forces in response to head contact and adjust its configuration during the protection process. The tension belt connects to the airbag at multiple points and can dynamically prevent head downward movement, improving reliability without requiring excessive thickness.
2Reliability
If a separate tension belt is inserted through the center of the blocking portion, then head downward movement is prevented, but the tension belt departs greatly from the blocking portion when head contacts it, making it difficult for the head to catch smoothly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the tension belt function with the airbag structure by connecting the tension belt to the airbag at multiple points along its length. This integration ensures that when the head contacts the tension belt, the belt remains properly positioned and does not depart greatly from the blocking portion, enabling smooth head catching while maintaining reliable downward movement prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The tension belt is pre-configured and connected to the airbag before deployment. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when the head contacts the tension belt during deployment, the belt is already in the correct position and can immediately engage the head smoothly without significant departure, improving the ease of operation.
3Area of stationary object
If the lower edge of the blocking portion is positioned close to the window to maximize protection area, then more window coverage is achieved, but the thinner blocking portion cannot reliably prevent head downward movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the tension belt as an intermediary element between the airbag and the head. The tension belt acts as a mediating structure that can generate tension forces to prevent head downward movement, allowing the blocking portion to maintain maximum area coverage near the window while relying on the tension belt for reliable downward movement prevention rather than thickness.
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
Effectively arrests the passenger's head and prevents downward movement by ensuring the downward movement inhibiting portion is positioned to catch the head reliably, even when the head abuts the blocking portion, thus enhancing the airbag's protective capabilities during rollovers.
Implementation Method 1
allowing inflation gas from an inflator to flow therein
Implementation Method 2
sheets of flexible material at the vehicle interior side and the vehicle exterior side overlapping and connecting with each other
Data Source
AI summary
In a head protection airbag device according to the invention, non-inflating portions of an airbag includes a blocking portion which covers the vehicle interior side of windows when inflation of the airbag is completed. One blocking portion includes a downward movement inhibiting portion catching a passenger's head and inhibiting its downward movement when the head moves downward while moving toward the vehicle exterior and touches the blocking portion when inflation of the airbag is completed. The blocking portion comprises overlapping vehicle interior side and the vehicle exterior side portions which are mutually connected, with a portion of a vehicle interior member by the upper edge made to be the downward movement inhibiting portion. The downward movement inhibiting portion is connected at both the front and rear edges to the vehicle exterior member of the blocking portion, allowing the upper edge of the downward movement inhibiting portion to be a catching edge which can be separated from the vehicle exterior member when catching the head.