Vehicle Side Airbag Module Casing with Low Rigidity Lumbar Zone
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle side airbag systems with resin seat frames risk breaking or flying during side collisions, potentially causing injury to occupants by transferring load to the lumbar region due to metal casings contacting the lumbar area.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle side airbag apparatus featuring a resin seat frame with a recess and a metal module casing that includes a low rigidity portion on its side walls, designed to prevent the seat frame from flying and reduce load input to the lumbar region by allowing the side walls to move closer to the occupant while minimizing impact through a low rigidity area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a metal casing is used to prevent the seat frame from breaking or flying during side collision, then the reliability of the seat frame is improved, but the harmful factor increases because the metal casing may contact the lumbar region of the occupant and transfer load
Solution Approach 1:
The module casing is designed with different rigidity characteristics in different regions: high rigidity in most areas to prevent breaking and flying, and low rigidity in the specific region that may contact the occupant's lumbar area to reduce harmful load transfer. This local differentiation of mechanical properties resolves the contradiction between overall structural integrity and localized safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigidity parameter of the module casing is changed in the region overlapping with the iliac crest. By modifying the physical property (rigidity) of a specific portion of the casing, the design achieves both prevention of frame failure and reduction of harmful contact forces with the occupant.
2Area of stationary object
If the outer side wall of the module casing is made long in the front-rear direction to ensure coverage, then the protection area is improved, but the harmful factor increases because the extended wall may move closer to and contact the lumbar region during collision
Solution Approach 1:
The outer side wall is designed with a low rigidity portion in the region overlapping with the iliac crest, creating local differentiation. This allows the wall to extend sufficiently for coverage while the low rigidity section reduces harmful contact forces if it moves toward the lumbar region during collision.
Solution Approach 2:
The low rigidity portion is pre-designed in the outer side wall to act as a cushioning element before collision occurs. This beforehand preparation ensures that if the extended wall contacts the occupant, the low rigidity area will already be positioned to minimize harmful load transfer.
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 prevents the seat frame from flying during side collisions and reduces load input to the lumbar region, minimizing the risk of injury by distributing the force across a lower rigidity area.
Implementation Method 1
a low rigidity portion is provided in an area including an entirety of, or a portion of a region that overlaps with an iliac crest of a seated occupant in a side view, in at least one of the outer side wall and the inner side wall in the module casing
Implementation Method 2
when gas produced by an inflator is supplied to the side airbag, the side airbag is deployed along a surface of a side portion of a vehicle body
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle side airbag apparatus includes a resin seat frame that includes a recess that is elongated in a vehicle top-bottom direction, and that opens to a vehicle front side; a module casing that is disposed inside the recess and includes an outer side wall and an inner side wall that are arranged in parallel with each other, and extend in the vehicle front-rear direction, the outer side wall being disposed outside the inner side wall in a vehicle width direction, in a horizontal sectional view; and a side airbag stored in a folded manner within the module casing. In at least one of the outer side wall and the inner side wall, a low rigidity portion is provided in an area including an entirety of, or a portion of a region that overlaps with an iliac crest of a seated occupant in a side view.