Far-Side Airbag Layout Without a Tunnel Console
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The reduction or elimination of tunnel consoles in vehicles poses a challenge for providing support to inboard side airbags during far-side crash events, increasing the risk of driver excursion and injury without an additional support mechanism.
Innovation Solution
An airbag arrangement comprising a first airbag installed in the dashboard and a second airbag installed on the inboard side of the driver seat, where the first airbag inflates to provide support for the second airbag, preventing it from moving into the passenger area during a far-side crash event, with the ability to adapt its size based on the presence of a passenger.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If tunnel console is reduced or eliminated to simplify vehicle structure, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to provide support for inboard side airbag during far-side crash events deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The passenger airbag serves as an intermediary structure that provides support to the inboard side airbag during far-side crash events. When the tunnel console is eliminated, the passenger airbag deployed in the passenger area acts as a mediator to prevent the inboard side airbag from moving into the passenger area, thereby maintaining driver excursion prevention functionality without requiring the tunnel console structure.
2Ease of manufacture
If inboard side airbag is positioned without tunnel console support, then ease of manufacture is improved, but the airbag may move into passenger area during far-side crash event, worsening driver safety
Solution Approach 1:
The passenger airbag is deployed in advance before the inboard side airbag can move into the passenger area during a far-side crash event. By establishing the passenger airbag's supporting presence beforehand, the system prevents harmful driver excursion without requiring complex pre-installation structures like the tunnel console, thus maintaining ease of manufacture while ensuring safety.
3Reliability
If first airbag inflates to larger volume to provide support for second airbag, then driver excursion prevention is improved, but volume of moving object increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first airbag's volume is dynamically adjusted based on the detection of far-side crash events and passenger presence. During normal operation, the airbag maintains a smaller volume. Upon detecting a far-side crash event, the system inflates the first airbag to a larger volume to provide necessary support to the second airbag, preventing driver excursion. This dynamic volume adjustment ensures reliable protection only when needed, minimizing the volume of the moving object during normal conditions.
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 airbag arrangement effectively reduces the risk of driver excursion and injury by providing support for the inboard side airbag even in vehicles without a tunnel console, adapting to different scenarios through adjustable inflation volumes.
Implementation Method 1
A first airbag can be configured to inflate in a passenger area of the vehicle. A second airbag can be configured to inflate between an inboard side of a driver area and the inflated first airbag.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to handling excursion far-side load cases without use of a tunnel console. A corresponding airbag arrangement for a vehicle can comprise a driver area and a passenger area. The airbag arrangement can comprise a first airbag configured to inflate in the passenger area. The airbag arrangement can further comprise a second airbag configured to inflate between an inboard side of the driver area and the inflated first airbag, such that when the first airbag and the second airbag are inflated the first airbag provides support for the second airbag such that the first airbag inhibits a movement of the second airbag into the passenger area.