Airbag Retainer Shielding Wall Inflator Gas Interference
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional airbag devices for front passenger seats with two inflators often experience interference between the inflation gases emitted by the inflators, leading to unpredictable pressure and contour changes in the airbag, due to the potential influence of one inflator on the other.
Innovation Solution
The airbag device incorporates a shielding wall in the retainer that redirects the inflation gas emitted by the potentially-influential inflator away from the other inflator, preventing interference and ensuring stable inflation, while maintaining sufficient space for the airbag and allowing for various actuation patterns based on passenger size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If two inflators are used to inflate the airbag, then the inflation speed and reliability are improved, but one inflator may interfere with the other inflator's operation
Solution Approach 1:
The gas discharge paths of the two inflators are segmented by providing separate gas outlet ports positioned at different heights. The first inflator has gas outlet ports at a first height, while the second inflator has gas outlet ports at a second height different from the first height. This spatial segmentation prevents the inflation gases from interfering with each other, allowing both inflators to operate independently and reliably.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the gas outlet ports are arranged along the circumferential direction, then the gas distribution is improved, but the inflators still potentially influence each other
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vertical height dimension to differentiate the gas outlet ports of the two inflators. While the gas outlet ports within each inflator are arranged along the circumferential direction for uniform gas distribution, the two inflators are positioned at different heights (first height and second height). This dimensional differentiation prevents cross-inflator influence while maintaining uniform gas distribution within each inflator.
3Extent of automation
If one inflator is actuated before the other, then the inflation sequence can be controlled, but the first inflator's gas may rupture the sealing tape of the second inflator
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary spatial arrangement of the gas outlet ports at different heights before actuation. By positioning the first inflator's gas outlet ports at a first height and the second inflator's gas outlet ports at a second height, the system prevents the sealing tape rupture issue before it can occur. This preliminary spatial configuration ensures that even when one inflator is actuated before the other, the inflation gases cannot interfere with each other's sealing integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
An airbag device for a front passenger seat includes an airbag, two inflators each for feeding the airbag with an inflation gas, a case which holds the airbag and inflators, and a retainer which mounts the airbag and inflators on the case. One of the two inflators is a potentially-influential inflator whose inflation gas may influence the other inflator. The retainer includes a holding plate section which is disposed on an inner surface of the airbag, two insert openings for receiving main bodies of the two inflators, and a shielding wall which rises out of a position of the holding plate section between the two insert openings and extends to a vicinity of a height of the top end plane of the main body of the potentially-influential inflator. The shielding wall shields the other inflator from an inflation gas emitted by the potentially-influential inflator.