Curtain Air Bag Delayed Deployment for Rollover Head Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle air bag systems, particularly those involving curtain and side air bags, face challenges in effectively protecting occupants during rollovers, as the auxiliary deployment portions often deploy away from the occupant and the curtain air bag's thickness is insufficient to provide adequate head protection.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle air bag system that includes a side air bag and a curtain air bag with a delayed deployment portion, which receives gas through a narrowed passage, deploying later than the main deployment portion to overlap with the side air bag's deployment area and provide enhanced head protection during rollovers, featuring a pillar wrap portion and a restricting structure to control gas supply and deployment timing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the auxiliary deployment portion of the curtain air bag is deployed in a position away from the occupant, then the curtain air bag can deploy without interference from the side air bag, but the head protection performance during rollover is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The side air bag deploys first to protect the occupant during side collision, then deflates. After the side air bag has fulfilled its function and deflated, the delayed deployment portion of the curtain air bag deploys in the overlapping area to provide head protection during subsequent rollover. This sequential deployment ensures both deployment without interference and adequate head protection.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the curtain air bag deploys to overlap with the side air bag deployment area, then head protection during rollover is improved, but the thickness of the overlapping portion cannot be made thick enough
Solution Approach 1:
The side air bag deploys first during side collision and then deflates after fulfilling its protective function. Once the side air bag has deflated, the delayed deployment portion of the curtain air bag deploys in the same area to provide head protection during rollover. This time-sequenced deployment allows the curtain air bag to achieve adequate thickness and protective capability in the overlapping region without interference from the side air bag.
3Loss of time
If the delayed deployment portion receives gas through a narrowed passage, then deployment timing is delayed relative to the main deployment portion, but the gas supply rate is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The main deployment portion of the curtain air bag receives gas through a large-diameter passage and deploys immediately to protect the occupant's head during side collision. The delayed deployment portion receives gas through a narrowed passage that delays its deployment until after the side air bag has deflated, ensuring it deploys in the correct timing sequence without compromising the primary protective function.
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 system improves occupant protection by ensuring the delayed deployment portion deploys without interference from the side air bag, effectively suppressing the occupant's head movement and supporting reaction forces during rollovers, while maintaining adequate internal pressure for effective deployment.
Implementation Method 1
a delayed deployment portion that is provided in the curtain air bag, and that inflates later than a main deployment portion of the curtain air bag by receiving a supply of gas through a narrowed passage from the main deployment portion of the curtain air bag
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle air bag system includes a side air bag that is housed folded up in a vehicle seat and that deploys between an occupant seated in the vehicle seat and a front side door by receiving a supply of gas when a side collision occurs, and a curtain air bag that is housed folded up in an upper edge portion of a door opening and that deploys in a curtain shape downward by receiving a supply of gas when a side collision and a rollover occur. The curtain air bag has a delay chamber that deploys later than a main chamber by receiving a supply of gas from the main chamber via a narrowed passage. The delay chamber deploys with a lower end side below a beltline and in an area that overlaps with a deployment area of a side air bag.