Front Center Airbag Layout for Consistent Crash Reaction Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing airbags deployed in vehicles often face inefficiencies due to unpredictable or irregular deployment surfaces, which can reduce their effectiveness in providing consistent impact and reaction surfaces during deployment.
Innovation Solution
The development of airbags that can be deployed along the height of a traveler within a vehicle, either from the ceiling towards the floor or from the floor towards the ceiling, utilizing a system with sensors and control modules to adjust deployment based on the vehicle's configuration and impact events, ensuring a stable and consistent reaction surface through strategic placement and materials with sufficient friction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If airbags are deployed towards unpredictable or irregular surfaces in vehicles, then the deployment coverage is increased, but the effectiveness of the airbags is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-positioning the airbag in a retracted state within the seat structure, specifically in the headrest or side bolster area, before a collision occurs. The airbag is strategically placed to be ready for deployment towards predictable surfaces (vehicle interior panels, windows, or adjacent seats) rather than unpredictable irregular surfaces. This pre-positioning ensures that when deployed, the airbag expands in a controlled direction towards known geometric surfaces, maintaining reliability while covering the necessary protection area.
2Stability of the object's composition
If airbags are deployed from ceiling towards floor or floor towards ceiling, then a consistent reaction surface is provided, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the airbag deployment system with the existing seat structure, integrating the airbag into the headrest or side bolster components that are already part of the seat assembly. This integration approach provides a consistent reaction surface (the vehicle interior panels, windows, or adjacent seats that form regular geometric surfaces) while avoiding the need for separate complex ceiling or floor deployment mechanisms. The seat- integrated airbag utilizes the existing seat structure as its housing, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The airbag system utilizes the vehicle's existing structural surfaces (seat frames, vehicle panels, windows) as reaction surfaces, rather than requiring separate dedicated reaction surface structures. The deployment mechanism leverages the natural geometry of the vehicle interior and seat structure to provide the necessary consistent surface for effective airbag operation, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining stability and consistency of the reaction surface.
Data Source
AI summary
Airbags deployable along a height of a traveler in a vehicle and methods for using the same are provided.