Far-Side Airbag Tension Tether for Inward Deployment Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle safety devices with far-side airbags suffer from reduced occupant restraint performance due to the deployment direction bending inwardly when a vehicle occupant leans against the seatback during a side collision, caused by the tension strap's pull force.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle safety device featuring a far-side airbag that inflates and deploys forward and upward, with a tension tether connected to the seatback frame and headrest, preventing inward movement by hooking around the headrest and extending toward the seatback frame, thereby stabilizing the deployment direction and enhancing occupant restraint.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a tension strap is used to support the far-side airbag, then lateral movement of the airbag is prevented, but the deployment direction bends inward when the occupant strikes the airbag
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful function of the tension strap (causing inward bending) by replacing it with a tension tether that has a different configuration. The tension tether is connected to the seatback frame at positions that prevent it from pulling the airbag inward, thus removing the harmful effect while retaining the beneficial lateral support function.
Solution Approach 2:
The tension tether acts as an intermediary element between the airbag and the seatback frame. It provides lateral support to the airbag while its specific connection points and routing prevent it from interfering with the deployment direction, thus mediating between the need for stability and the need for proper deployment shape.
2Force
If the tension strap is positioned to support the airbag, then the airbag is restrained laterally, but pull force bends the deployment direction toward the inside
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by positioning the tension tether's connection points specifically on the seatback frame at locations that provide lateral restraint without creating inward pull. The tether is routed through specific paths that ensure it exerts force only in the lateral direction, leaving the deployment direction unaffected.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the tension element connected in a way that naturally provides lateral support but causes inward bending (as with the tension strap), the patent inverts the configuration by connecting the tension tether to the seatback frame at positions that inherently prevent both lateral movement and inward bending simultaneously.
3Reliability
If the far-side airbag protrudes higher than the headrest, then head protection is improved, but the airbag may move inward without proper restraint
Solution Approach 1:
The tension tether is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it provides lateral restraint to the high-positioned airbag, prevents inward movement, and maintains the airbag's deployed position. By routing the tether through the headrest area and connecting it to appropriate anchor points, it achieves universal support for the elevated airbag configuration.
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 solution effectively inhibits the far-side airbag from moving inwardly, ensuring better occupant protection by maintaining the deployment direction and preventing unexpected bending, thus providing improved restraint performance.
Implementation Method 1
The inflator is provided in the vehicle seat and generates gas by activating
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle safety device includes a vehicle seat, an inflator, a far-side airbag and a tension tether. The far-side airbag is configured to inflate and deploy forward and upward with respect to the vehicle seat from a seatback inner side portion by a gas being supplied into the far-side airbag. The far-side airbag protrudes higher than a headrest when the far-side airbag is in an inflated and deployed state. The tension tether extends upward from a predetermined portion of an upper end portion of a seatback frame and hooks around the headrest from behind the vehicle seat in the inflated and deployed state. The tension tether extends from an upper surface of the headrest toward an upper surface of the far-side airbag, and further extends toward the seatback frame on a vehicle inside with respect to the far-side airbag in the inflated and deployed state.