Airbag Support Structure With Deformable Legs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle airbag deployment can apply undesirable forces on obstacles in the passenger compartment, such as occupants, due to rapid and substantial force application, which existing support structures fail to adequately mitigate.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle airbag support structure comprising a base member, first and second support legs, and mounting arrangements that allow for controlled and localized deformation, reducing the impact force by absorbing resistive forces during deployment, with the support legs designed to tilt and extend in a manner that dampens the deployment force by up to 50% when an obstacle is present.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If existing rigid support structures are used for airbag deployment, then the airbag can deploy rapidly to protect passengers, but the structure applies excessive impact force to obstacles and occupants in the passenger compartment
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure transitions from a rigid static configuration to a dynamic deformable configuration. The L-shaped support legs are designed to deform elastically during airbag deployment, allowing the structure to adapt its stiffness characteristics based on the deployment phase. During rapid deployment, the legs remain relatively rigid to enable fast airbag inflation, but during obstacle contact, the legs deform to absorb impact forces, thus resolving the contradiction between deployment speed and impact force reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure changes its mechanical parameters (stiffness, force absorption characteristics) during the deployment process. The L-shaped geometry with specific leg lengths and thicknesses is designed to exhibit different mechanical responses at different stages: maintaining structural integrity during rapid deployment while transitioning to a force-absorbing state when obstacles are detected, thereby reducing impact force on occupants while preserving deployment speed.
2Reliability
If the support structure is designed to absorb impact forces, then the safety of occupants is improved, but the structural complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is divided into distinct functional segments: a base member with an inflator aperture and multiple L-shaped support legs extending from it. Each leg is a separate element with specific geometry designed for force absorption. This segmentation allows the complex force-absorbing function to be achieved through simple, repeatable geometric forms that are easier to manufacture and assemble compared to a monolithic complex structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The support legs are designed with non-uniform cross-sectional properties along their length, with varying thicknesses positioned to optimize force absorption at critical locations. The L-shaped geometry concentrates material where bending moments are highest, providing enhanced strength and energy absorption capability at key structural points while minimizing material usage elsewhere, thus achieving improved safety without proportionally increasing overall complexity.
3Force
If the support legs are designed to tilt and extend during deployment, then the deployment force is reduced by up to 50%, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support legs feature asymmetric L-shaped geometry with different horizontal and vertical segment lengths and orientations. This asymmetric design is optimized to naturally tilt and extend during deployment, creating the desired mechanical behavior that reduces deployment force. The specific asymmetric dimensions are calculated to achieve the 50% force reduction target while maintaining manufacturability through standard fabrication tolerances, avoiding the need for excessively tight precision requirements.
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 support structure effectively reduces the deployment force of the airbag by up to 50% when an obstacle is adjacent, ensuring a safer deployment by minimizing the impact on occupants and other objects in the passenger compartment.
Implementation Method 1
the support legs designed to tilt and extend in a manner that dampens the deployment force by up to 50% when an obstacle is present
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle airbag support structure comprises a base member, a first support leg and a mounting arrangement. The base member defines an inflator aperture for receiving a portion of a vehicle airbag module supported on a top surface of the base member. The first support leg includes first and second ends with first and second segments disposed between the first and second ends. The first end is attached to a peripheral portion of the base member with the first and second segments disposed on a bottom side of the base member that faces in an opposite direction from the top surface. The first and second segments extend perpendicularly and non-orthogonally, respectively, with respect to the base member. The mounting arrangement is attached to the second end and defines a fastening aperture with a center fastener axis arranged in a direction parallel to a plane including the top surface.