Airbag Protruding Portion Tether Integration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional airbag devices are insufficient in protecting occupants during oblique collisions due to their spherical shape and require complex tether installation, which complicates attachment and quality control.
Innovation Solution
An airbag device with a base fabric and an occupant protection fabric, featuring protruding portions and tethers that extend from a flat portion to the joint between the fabrics, providing enhanced oblique collision protection and simplified production processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If tethers are attached to control the shape of the protruding inflation portion, then the airbag can protect occupants in oblique collisions, but the attachment process becomes complex and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the tether attachment process with the airbag assembly manufacturing process. The protruding portion is formed by folding and joining the airbag fabric itself, and the tether is attached to this integrated structure during the same manufacturing step, eliminating the need for separate tether installation and improving productivity while maintaining occupant protection function
Solution Approach 2:
The airbag fabric is preliminarily folded and shaped to form the protruding portion before the tether is attached. This preliminary formation of the three-dimensional shape simplifies the subsequent tether attachment process and enables both operations to be completed in one manufacturing step, thereby improving production efficiency
2Reliability
If tethers are attached to control the shape of the protruding inflation portion, then the airbag can protect occupants in oblique collisions, but quality control becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the protruding portion formation and tether attachment into a single integrated manufacturing step, the patent ensures that both operations are performed under the same quality control conditions. The tether is attached directly to the folded airbag fabric in one process, making it easier to verify proper attachment and maintain consistent quality
Solution Approach 2:
The folded airbag fabric structure itself acts as an intermediary that guides the tether attachment. The pre-formed folds create natural attachment points and orientations, making the tether installation more standardized and easier to quality control compared to attaching tethers to a flat or irregular surface
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 airbag device effectively restrains occupants during oblique collisions while simplifying the production and attachment processes, improving productivity and ensuring stable quality control.
Implementation Method 1
an inflator configured to generate a gas
Data Source
AI summary
The airbag device includes an airbag including a base fabric and an occupant protection fabric whose outer peripheries are joined together. The occupant protection fabric is positioned on the vehicle rear side of the base fabric and configured to restrain an occupant, and includes: at least one protruding portion that protrudes to the vehicle rear side; a flat portion that is continuously formed from the at least one protruding portion and is designed to come into contact with the occupant; and a tether that is disposed between the base fabric and the at least one protruding portion in the airbag, extending from the flat portion to the joint between the occupant protection fabric and the base fabric. The tether is joined at its end on the joint side with a base edge of the at least one protruding portion and the outer periphery of the base fabric.