Airbag Retainer Deflector for Controlled Inflation Fluid Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inflatable vehicle occupant protection devices, such as air bags, face challenges in ensuring uniform inflation fluid distribution to effectively protect vehicle occupants during collisions, with immediate contact between inflation fluid and the air bag potentially compromising protection.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a retainer with a cover portion that directs inflation fluid into the air bag in a manner that provides different volumetric flow rates to the upper and lower portions, using a deflector portion to prevent direct contact between the inflation fluid and the air bag, ensuring efficient distribution and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If inflation fluid is directed directly into the air bag, then inflation speed is improved, but immediate contact between inflation fluid and air bag compromises protection effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer with cover portion and deflector portion serves as an intermediary component between the inflator and the air bag. It controls the interaction between inflation fluid and the air bag by directing fluid flow through openings in the cover portion, preventing immediate direct contact while still enabling rapid inflation through controlled fluid distribution.
2Stability of the object's composition
If uniform inflation fluid distribution is provided to all portions of the air bag, then inflation uniformity is improved, but the specific protection needs of different occupant regions are not optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer is designed with asymmetric flow characteristics where the cover portion directs inflation fluid at different volumetric flow rates to different regions of the air bag. This allows different portions of the air bag to receive tailored amounts of inflation fluid, optimizing protection for specific occupant regions while maintaining controlled inflation uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The retainer structure employs asymmetric design in the cover portion that creates unequal volumetric flow rates to different halves of the air bag. This asymmetric fluid distribution enables differentiated protection strategies for upper and lower portions of the air bag, adapting to varying protection requirements of different occupant body regions.
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
This configuration ensures that the air bag receives inflation fluid in a controlled manner, optimizing protection for vehicle occupants by preventing immediate contact between inflation fluid and the air bag, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device.
Implementation Method 1
The deflector portion directs inflation fluid from the inflator into the protection device in a direction substantially parallel to a central axis of the inflator
Implementation Method 2
The cover portion directs the inflation fluid from a first half of the cover portion into the upper portion of the protection device at a first volumetric flow rate. The cover portion directs inflation fluid from a second half of the cover portion into the lower portion of the protection device at a second volumetric flow rate that is greater than the first volumetric flow rate
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus (10) includes an inflatable protection device (14) having an upper portion (60) and a lower portion (62) and an inflator (32) having inflation fluid outlets (33). The inflator (32) is actuatable to inflate the protection device (14). A retainer (70) includes a base portion (72) for clamping the inflator (32) to a support member (34). The retainer (70) further includes a cover portion (74) that has a deflector portion (86) and a top portion (88). The deflector portion (86) directs inflation fluid from the inflator (32) into the protection device (14) in a direction substantially parallel to a central axis (37) of the inflator (32). The cover portion (74) directs inflation fluid from a first half (74a) of the cover portion (74) into the upper portion (60) of the protection device (14) at a first volumetric flow rate and from a second half (74b) of the cover portion (74) into the lower portion (62) of the protection device (14) at a second volumetric flow rate that is greater than the first volumetric flow rate.