Airbag Curtain Deployment Timing Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional curtain air bag deployments are uneven due to inflation chambers being affected by structural pillars, leading to inadequate protection during side impacts or rollovers as the air bag fails to occupy the space between the passenger and the side window glass.
Innovation Solution
An air bag apparatus with a fluid supply delay device that delays high-pressure fluid supply to chambers adjacent to pillars, allowing general chambers to inflate before those adjacent to pillars, ensuring proper deployment along the side wall and improved passenger protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If inflation chambers are arranged along the entire side portion including across structural pillars, then the air bag can protect passengers in both front and rear seats, but the deployment becomes uneven with chambers over pillars extending further into the vehicle interior
Solution Approach 1:
The air bag body is divided into multiple independent inflation chambers (first through fourth chambers) arranged in specific zones. General chambers are positioned adjacent to side window glass while specific chambers are positioned adjacent to structural pillars. This segmentation allows different chambers to be inflated with controlled timing differences, ensuring uniform overall deployment while maintaining comprehensive passenger coverage.
2Speed
If all chambers are inflated simultaneously, then the air bag deploys quickly to protect passengers, but chambers adjacent to pillars pull general chambers further into the vehicle interior away from the side window glass
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by inflating general chambers (adjacent to side window glass) before inflating specific chambers (adjacent to structural pillars). The fluid supply delay device ensures that general chambers are fully inflated and positioned correctly along the side window glass before specific chambers begin to inflate. This sequential approach prevents the pillars from pulling the general chambers away from their protective position while maintaining rapid overall deployment.
3Force
If the air bag deploys with chambers spaced away from the side window glass, then the inflation force from pillar chambers causes improper positioning, but the air bag still needs to engage the passenger during side impact
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid supply delay device ensures that general chambers are fully inflated and positioned adjacent to the side window glass before specific chambers adjacent to pillars begin to inflate. This preliminary positioning of general chambers ensures they maintain proper engagement position despite the subsequent inflation force from pillar chambers, allowing the air bag to reliably engage passengers during side impact or rollover events.
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 delayed inflation of specific chambers relative to general chambers ensures efficient deployment along the side wall, enhancing protection for passengers by maintaining the air bag's position between the passenger and the side window glass during side impacts or rollovers.
Implementation Method 1
a high-pressure gas is released into the air bag body from an inflator. This causes the air bag body to be deployed in a curtain shape
Implementation Method 2
a fluid supply delay device attached to the air bag body for delaying supply of a high-pressure fluid to the first chamber as compared to that of the high-pressure fluid supplied to the second chamber
Data Source
AI summary
An air bag apparatus is installed along the front-to-rear axis of the interior-facing side roof rail of a vehicle. The air bag has an air bag body, an inflator and a fluid body supply device. The air bag body has a plurality of inflatable chambers with at least one specific chamber and at least one general chamber. When in the deployed state, the specific chamber is positioned adjacent a structural pillar member of a vehicle side portion of the vehicle body. When in the deployed state the general chamber is located adjacent the vehicle side portion. In use, the inflator supplies a high-pressure fluid to the air bag body thereby inflating each of the chambers and the fluid supply delay device selectively delays the high-pressure fluid to the specific chamber relative to the general chamber.