External Airbag Layout for Front Pillar Coverage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle external airbag designs face challenges in ensuring that the right and left bendable members deploy correctly over the front pillars of a vehicle, often deviating outward due to high-pressure gas expansion, leading to inadequate protection for pedestrians or cyclists thrown over the vehicle.
Innovation Solution
The airbag design includes a central bag and right/left bags that deploy over the front pillars, with preferential gas supply to the central bag initially, and the right/left bags deploying in a controlled manner to ensure they cover the pillars without deviating, using a system of joints and communication holes to manage gas distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If high-pressure gas is supplied to the right and left bags simultaneously with the central bag, then deployment speed is improved, but the right and left bags deviate outward from the front pillars
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by equipping the right and left bags with communication holes that allow gas to flow from the central bag before direct inflator supply begins. This preliminary gas flow prepares the bags for deployment in the correct position, preventing outward deviation while maintaining fast deployment speed when the inflator activates.
2Reliability
If the airbag structure covers the front pillars completely, then protection effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the airbag into three separate bags (central bag, right bag, left bag) that can deploy independently yet work together. Each bag is responsible for covering a specific area, with the right and left bags specifically designed to cover the front pillars. This segmentation achieves complete pillar coverage while keeping each individual bag's structure relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the nested doll principle by having the right and left bags positioned within the overall airbag assembly, with their communication holes nested within the central bag's gas flow path. The inflator is positioned to supply gas through the central bag first, which then flows to the side bags through the communication holes, creating a nested gas distribution system.
3Ease of operation
If communication holes are provided in the right and left bags, then gas distribution control is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies pneumatics by using gas flow through communication holes to control the deployment sequence and position of the right and left bags. The communication holes allow pressurized gas from the central bag to enter the side bags, creating internal pressure that guides the bags into their correct deployment positions over the front pillars without requiring complex mechanical guidance systems.
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
This design effectively protects pedestrians or cyclists from direct impact with the vehicle structure by ensuring the airbags deploy correctly over the front pillars, providing comprehensive coverage and timely deployment.
Implementation Method 1
with supply of a high-pressure gas of an inflator, deploy, in the vehicle, rearward of the vehicle from between a nose in front of the cabin and a front glass of the cabin
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle external airbag device for a vehicle includes a vehicle external airbag which is deployable rearward of the vehicle from between a nose in the vehicle and a front glass of a cabin of the vehicle and over the front glass with a high-pressure gas of an inflator. The vehicle external airbag includes: a central bag deploying in a vehicle width direction; a right bag joined to a right side of the central bag and deploying to extend rearward of the central bag to overlap a front pillar on a right side of the front glass; and a left bag joined to a left side of the central bag and deploying to extend rearward of the central bag to overlap a front pillar on a left side of the front glass. The high-pressure gas is preferentially supplied to the central bag rather than the right and left bags.