Extruded Bracket for Side Curtain Airbag Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inflatable passenger restraint systems lack a robust support mechanism between the front pillar frame member and interior trim component, which is essential for effective deployment and protection during vehicle impacts.
Innovation Solution
An extruded support bracket extending between the front pillar frame member and interior trim component, featuring primary and secondary attachment points, supports the interior trim component and guides the airbag deployment, allowing it to move between closed and opened positions in response to inflation, and is designed to store the airbag in a folded state along the vehicle's pillar portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the airbag is stored in a folded state between the front pillar frame member and the interior trim component, then the airbag can be effectively deployed during impacts, but the support mechanism between these components is insufficient without a robust bracket structure
Solution Approach 1:
The support bracket serves as an intermediary component between the front pillar frame member and the interior trim component. It provides a robust structural connection that enables reliable airbag deployment while distributing forces during inflation. The bracket includes attachment points to both the frame member and trim component, creating a mediator structure that resolves the contradiction between deployment effectiveness and structural robustness.
2Reliability
If the interior trim component is fixed in a closed position to enclose the airbag, then the airbag is protected during storage, but the trim component must be moveable to allow deployment during inflation
Solution Approach 1:
The interior trim component is designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing it to transition between a closed position for storage protection and an opened position for deployment. The bracket structure enables this dynamic behavior through attachment points that permit controlled movement. This dynamic design resolves the contradiction by allowing the trim component to be both protective during storage and movable during deployment without requiring complex additional mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
An inflatable passenger protection system for a vehicle having a structural front pillar frame member to be covered by a separate interior trim component, and a side curtain airbag to be positioned in a stowed condition between the front pillar frame member and the interior trim component, the interior trim component having at least a portion movable between a covered position enclosing the side curtain airbag in the stowed condition and an opened position in response to inflation of the side curtain airbag to the deployed condition, includes an extruded support bracket extending between the front pillar frame member and the interior trim component. The bracket has a primary attachment point and a secondary attachment point for supporting the interior trim component.