Arc-Shaped Gas Bag Deployment Using Control Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas bags in vehicles often fail to deploy optimally due to inconvenient positioning, leading to inefficient protection of vehicle occupants during crashes, especially when deployment occurs against the direction of gravitational force or around complex vehicle contours.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle occupant restraint device with a gas bag module featuring a housing and a gas bag that deploys in an arc shape, utilizing control elements such as limiting straps or abutments to guide the gas bag into a predetermined position and shape, engaging both the gas bag and vehicle-fixed components to ensure optimal deployment and positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the gas bag is positioned in an inconvenient location due to vehicle design constraints, then the gas bag can be integrated into the vehicle structure, but the deployment speed and effectiveness are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The gas bag is designed to deploy in an arc shape rather than a straight line, allowing it to navigate around vehicle contours and reach the occupant from inconvenient positions. The control element guides the gas bag along a curved path, enabling effective deployment from locations that would otherwise be inaccessible or suboptimal for direct linear deployment.
2Reliability
If the gas bag deploys directly towards the body part, then the protection is most effective, but the gas bag cannot adapt to complex vehicle contours and gravitational force directions
Solution Approach 1:
The gas bag employs an arc-shaped deployment path controlled by a control element that engages with the gas bag and a vehicle-fixed component. This curved deployment mechanism allows the gas bag to adapt to complex vehicle contours while maintaining protection effectiveness by ensuring the gas bag still reaches and contacts the occupant's body part, even when deploying upward against gravity or around obstacles.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the gas bag deploys upwards against gravitational force, then the gas bag can reach occupants in positions requiring upward deployment, but the deployment speed and control are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The control element acts as a mechanical counterbalance system that compensates for gravitational force during upward deployment. By engaging the gas bag and guiding it along a controlled arc path, the control element provides mechanical assistance that overcomes gravity's retarding effect, enabling the gas bag to deploy upward at adequate speeds while maintaining directional control and adaptability to various occupant positions.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle occupant restraint device has a gas bag module with a housing and a gas bag having a free exit end, the gas bag moving into its fully deployed position with the free exit end first. At least one control element is provided which engages the gas bag and forces the gas bag to extend generally in an arc shape from the housing up to the free exit end in the deployed state.