Airbag Wrapper Maintains Tip Alignment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing airbag systems can suffer from deployment failures due to assembly errors or impairments caused by hinges and other features in the vehicle, leading to inconsistent or impaired deployment during collision events.

Innovation Solution

The airbag assembly incorporates a securement wrapper and packaging wrapper configuration that maintains the alignment of critical deployment tips during assembly, ensuring consistent deployment by retaining them in a single plane, thereby reducing the risk of misalignment and deployment failures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional airbag assembly methods are used, then assembly process is simpler, but deployment reliability deteriorates due to misalignment of critical tips

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment reliabilityVSAvoidassembly structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The wrapper is divided into multiple segments including a body portion and tip retention portions that can independently function to maintain alignment of critical tips while allowing flexible assembly. The segmented structure enables each portion to perform specific alignment functions without requiring complex overall design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The wrapper acts as an intermediary component between the airbag cushion and the vehicle structure, providing a controlled interface that maintains tip alignment. The wrapper body and tip retention portions serve as mediating structures that ensure proper positioning during assembly and deployment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If assembly constraints are relaxed, then assembly ease improves, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to tip misalignment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetip alignment precisionVSAvoidassembly ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The wrapper provides localized alignment control at critical tip regions through dedicated tip retention portions, while the body portion allows flexible assembly. This local quality approach ensures precise tip positioning without requiring the entire assembly structure to be complex or highly constrained.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The wrapper is pre-configured with tip retention portions that automatically maintain tip alignment during the assembly process. This preliminary structural preparation ensures that tips remain aligned without requiring complex real-time adjustments or highly precise assembly operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If wrapper structure is simplified, then device complexity reduces, but deployment consistency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment consistencyVSAvoidwrapper structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The wrapper is designed with multi-functionality where the body portion provides structural support and the tip retention portions provide alignment control. This universal design allows a single component to perform multiple functions (structural support, alignment maintenance, deployment control) without requiring additional separate components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11518338B1Automotive airbag systems with a securement wrapper and a packaging wrapper

Publication Date: 2022.12.06 AUTOLIV ASP INC

AI summary

An inflatable airbag system is disclosed, the inflatable airbag system configured with a securement wrapper and a packaging wrapper, the securement wrapper retaining an inflatable airbag cushion of the inflatable airbag system in a packaging state during assembly of the packaging wrapper to the inflatable airbag system. The securement wrapper prevents or reduces the incidence of excursion of the inflatable airbag cushion from the appropriate packaging state during assembly.