Airbag Regulatory Tether for Occupant Protection Gap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing occupant protection devices with airbags often create gaps between the airbag and the occupant after inflation, compromising quick protection.
Innovation Solution
An occupant protection device featuring an airbag with a regulatory tether that connects to the lap belt, allowing the airbag to be pulled rearward and maintain contact with the occupant, ensuring the airbag remains in place and effectively restrains the upper body and thigh.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the airbag simply inflates to protrude forward and upward from the holder, then the airbag can be quickly deployed, but a gap is created between the airbag and the occupant, reducing protection effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a regulatory tether that dynamically adjusts the airbag's position after inflation. The tether connects the lower end of the airbag to the holder, allowing the airbag to move from an initial inflated position forward and upward to a final regulated position where it contacts the occupant's upper body, thereby maintaining protection effectiveness while preserving quick deployment capability
Solution Approach 2:
The regulatory tether acts as an intermediary element between the airbag and the holder. It mediates the position control of the airbag, preventing the airbag from floating away while allowing controlled movement to achieve proper contact with the occupant, thus resolving the contradiction between quick deployment and reliable protection
2Volume of moving object
If the airbag inflates away from the occupant, then the airbag has sufficient volume for cushioning, but the airbag cannot effectively restrain the upper body of the occupant
Solution Approach 1:
The regulatory tether enables dynamic position control of the airbag, allowing it to achieve both sufficient volume for cushioning and proper contact with the upper body. The tether regulates the airbag to contact the chest and head area while maintaining adequate inflation volume, thus resolving the contradiction between volume and restraint effectiveness
3Volume of moving object
If the airbag is positioned too far forward, then the airbag provides adequate cushioning volume, but the thigh abutment surface cannot effectively support the thigh, causing bag collapse
Solution Approach 1:
The regulatory tether serves as an intermediary that connects the airbag's lower end to the holder, providing positional regulation that prevents the airbag from moving too far forward. This ensures the thigh abutment surface maintains proper contact with the occupant's thigh for structural support while preserving adequate cushioning volume
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 device ensures quick and effective protection by preventing the airbag from inflating away from the occupant, providing stable restraint from the chest to the head, and maintaining contact with the thigh to suppress collapse and compression.
Implementation Method 1
the regulatory tether connects a base end to a rear surface side of an upper-lower intermediate portion of the bag body when the inflation is completed and connects a tip extending downward from the base end to the lap belt side and a length dimension is set a dimension in which a connecting portion connecting the base end of the bag body can be pulled toward the lap belt side
Implementation Method 2
a bag body which inflates so that inflation gas flows into the inside when operated and projects forward and upward
Data Source
AI summary
An occupant protection device, protecting an occupant seated in a seat, includes: a seat belt; and an airbag which is arranged in an area of a lap belt in the seat belt. The airbag includes a bag body and a regulatory tether. A thigh abutment surface abutting on a thigh of the occupant is arranged on a lower surface side of the bag body, and an upper body restraining surface restraining an upper body of the occupant is arranged on a rear surface side. The regulatory tether connects a base end to a rear surface side of an upper-lower intermediate portion of the bag body and connects a tip extending downward from the base end to the lap belt side and a length dimension is set a dimension in which a connecting portion connecting the base end of the bag body can be pulled toward the lap belt side.