Passive Air Bag Vent Guide Tether for Adaptive Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current airbag systems face challenges in adapting to varying occupant sizes, restraint conditions, and vehicle configurations, leading to inconsistent protection and potential inefficiencies in energy absorption during impacts.
Innovation Solution
The airbag system incorporates an adaptive tether and vent mechanism that adjusts its configuration and inflation based on whether the occupant is belted or unbelted, using a three-leg tether and vent tether system to control deployment and pressurization, ensuring optimal energy absorption and distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the airbag uses a fixed inflation system, then the structure is simple, but it cannot adapt to varying occupant sizes and restraint conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The airbag system transitions from fixed inflation to dynamic adjustment through the tether mechanism. The tether connects the vent door to the airbag body and changes its constraint state based on airbag expansion degree, enabling the vent opening area to dynamically adapt to different inflation levels and occupant conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The tether system automatically adjusts the vent opening based on airbag inflation without external control. As the airbag expands, the tether naturally transitions from constrained to relaxed state, self-regulating the vent opening area according to the actual inflation degree and occupant presence
2Force
If the airbag maintains high pressurization, then energy absorption is maximized, but it may cause excessive force on small occupants
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the vent opening area parameter dynamically during inflation. The tether mechanism adjusts the vent opening based on inflation degree, allowing the airbag to maintain high pressurization when needed while reducing force on small occupants by opening the vent earlier in their case
3Reliability
If the airbag deploys fully regardless of occupant size, then protection coverage is maximized, but it increases the risk of injury to child occupants
Solution Approach 1:
The tether mechanism provides dynamic adaptation to different occupant sizes. When a child occupant is present, the airbag inflates to a smaller degree, causing the tether to relax and open the vent, thereby limiting maximum inflation and reducing injury risk while maintaining adequate protection
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus (10) for helping to protect an occupant (20) of a vehicle (12) comprises an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (14) inflatable between a vehicle surface (36) and the vehicle occupant. A vent (110) has at least one opening (114) for releasing inflation fluid from the protection device (14). The vent (110) has an actuated condition and a non-actuated condition. A guide tether (113) is connected to the vent door (120). A vent tether (112) is connected to the protection device (14) and includes a guide (123) connected to the guide tether (113) such that the guide (123) and guide tether (113) are slidable relative to one another. Tension on the vent tether (112) applies tension to the guide tether (113) for actuating the vent (110). The vent (110) is configured to be initially in the non-actuated condition upon initial deployment of the protection device (14), with further deployment of the protection device (14) to a predetermined degree causing the vent tether (112) to act on the guide tether (113) to place the vent (110) in the actuated condition.