Airbag Sub-Chamber Design for Oblique Collision Stability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional front airbags collapse during oblique or offset collisions, failing to provide adequate support and protection to passengers' heads and bodies, leading to potential injuries.
Innovation Solution
An airbag design incorporating a sub-chamber with self-supporting force, coupled to the main chamber, which expands to enhance side support and prevent collapse, using vents and gas injection holes to supply gas to the sub-chamber, allowing it to maintain stability and coverage during collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional front airbag is used, then the airbag can protect passengers in straight collisions, but the airbag collapses in oblique or offset collisions, failing to support the passenger's head and body
Solution Approach 1:
The airbag is divided into a main chamber and multiple sub-chambers. The main chamber provides primary protection, while the sub-chambers are positioned at specific locations to provide additional support in oblique collisions, preventing collapse and maintaining structural stability throughout the collision event.
2Area of stationary object
If the main chamber volume is increased to improve coverage, then the airbag can provide better protection, but the device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sub-chambers are nested within or coupled to the main chamber structure. This allows the sub-chambers to be integrated into the existing airbag design without significantly increasing overall volume or complexity, while still providing additional coverage and support functionality.
3Strength
If the sub-chamber is made with self-supporting force, then the airbag can prevent collapse in oblique collisions, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sub-chambers are constructed using flexible panel structures that can be folded or formed into shapes with inherent self-supporting characteristics. These flexible structures provide the necessary strength to prevent collapse while remaining compatible with standard airbag manufacturing processes involving flexible materials and sealed chambers.
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 sub-chamber design effectively prevents passenger head and body injuries by maintaining airbag coverage and stability during oblique collisions, reducing rotational speeds and collapse amounts, and can be configured in various shapes to enhance support without increasing the main chamber volume.
Implementation Method 1
a main chamber expanding by being injected with gas in a collision
Implementation Method 2
gas may be supplied into the sub-chamber through the vents when gas is injected into the main chamber
Data Source
AI summary
An airbag equipped with a sub-chamber may include a main chamber expanding by being injected with gas in a collision, and a sub-chamber formed by folding a panel-shaped chamber to be combined with the main chamber and have self-supporting force, the sub-chamber assisting supporting force of the main chamber by expanding with the main chamber.