Airbag Insert Opening Slit Design for Inflator Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional airbag devices face challenges in achieving both good gas sealing properties and ease of inflator mounting, with existing configurations either compromising on sealing due to longer slits for easy insertion or losing ease of insertion when prioritizing sealing with shorter slits.
Innovation Solution
The airbag device incorporates a retainer with a tubular holding section and protruding mounting means, featuring two retaining pawls and a plurality of slits at the insert opening that intersect and form bent sealing regions, allowing for secure alignment and sealing of the inflator while facilitating its insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single straight slit is used for the insert opening, then ease of insertion of the inflator is improved, but gas sealing property deteriorates due to gaps formed around the inflator
Solution Approach 1:
The insert opening is divided into multiple slits (first slit and second slit) instead of using a single straight slit. These slits are arranged at specific angles (e.g., 45 degrees relative to the inflator's longitudinal axis) to create overlapping sealed regions that effectively seal around the inflator's outer periphery while maintaining ease of insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The slits are oriented at specific angles (e.g., 45 degrees) relative to the inflator's longitudinal axis rather than parallel to it. This angular arrangement creates a multi-dimensional sealing pattern that better conforms to the cylindrical shape of the inflator, improving gas sealing while preserving insertion ease.
2Reliability
If the slit is shortened to improve gas sealing property, then sealing is enhanced, but ease of insertion of the inflator is lost
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of lengthening a single slit, the opening is segmented into multiple shorter slits arranged at specific angles. Each slit is short enough to maintain good sealing contact with the inflator, while the combined arrangement of multiple slits provides sufficient total opening area for easy insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The slits are arranged asymmetrically at specific angles (e.g., 45 degrees) relative to the inflator's axis rather than symmetrically along its length. This asymmetric angular arrangement optimizes both sealing contact and insertion ease without requiring long slits.
3Reliability
If multiple radial slits are used in a patch to improve sealing property, then gas sealing is enhanced, but position alignment of the insert opening and holding section becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer's holding section is designed with a universal tubular structure that can accommodate the inflator regardless of the specific slit configuration in the airbag. The holding section's outer periphery simply needs to engage with the inner periphery of the insert opening, making the alignment process straightforward and independent of complex slit patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment function is extracted from the slit configuration itself and transferred to the retainer's holding section structure. The holding section's geometric features (outer periphery shape and size) are designed to naturally align with the insert opening, eliminating the need for complex alignment considerations in the slit design.
Data Source
AI summary
An airbag includes an insert opening. An inflator is inserted into the airbag via the insert opening and set in a holding section of a retainer which is disposed inside the airbag. The retainer includes, at its end region disposed towards the insert opening of the airbag, two retaining pawls that are in engagement with a periphery of the insert opening. The insert opening is composed of a plurality of slits formed on a base material of the airbag such that one or more area among the slits serve as a bent sealing region that is bent inward and covers an outer periphery of the inflator. The slits include a pair of retaining slits that intersect each other. Each of the retaining pawls protrudes from a terminal of each of the retaining slits. A peripheral area of the retaining slits constitutes the bent sealing region.