Gas Bag Module With Active Pleat Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas bag modules in vehicle occupant restraint systems cannot adapt internal gas bag pressure in real-time to varying collision scenarios, requiring a solution that balances space efficiency and manufacturing simplicity while allowing for adjustable pressure reduction.
Innovation Solution
A gas bag module with a pleat held by an actively releasable holder, which can be triggered externally to reduce internal pressure, featuring a pyrotechnical drive and a separation bolt for rapid pressure adjustment, allowing for variable adaptation to different situations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If a discharge opening is provided in the module housing to reduce internal gas bag pressure, then the internal gas bag pressure is reduced, but installation space has to be provided in the module housing for the discharge opening itself as well as possibly for an opening mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge function is merged with the existing pleat structure in the gas bag wall. The pleat itself serves as the discharge opening when opened, eliminating the need for separate discharge openings in the module housing and associated mechanisms, thus saving installation space while maintaining pressure reduction capability
Solution Approach 2:
The gas bag structure itself provides the discharge function through its pleat design. The pleat walls form the discharge opening when opened, making the gas bag self-sufficient for pressure reduction without requiring external discharge mechanisms in the housing
2Stress or pressure
If a rupture seam is used to tear open the pleat when internal gas bag pressure exceeds a predetermined value, then the internal gas bag pressure is reduced, but the internal gas bag pressure cannot be adapted as a function of the situation
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is designed to be actively releasable in response to external signals, transforming the static rupture seam system into a dynamic one. This allows the pleat opening and pressure reduction timing to be controlled adaptively based on collision severity, occupant characteristics, and other situational factors
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates signal-responsive control where external sensors and control units provide feedback about collision conditions, enabling the holder release mechanism to adaptively control pleat opening timing and thus pressure reduction based on real-time situational assessment
3Adaptability or versatility
If the holder is actively releasable in response to a signal to reduce internal gas bag pressure, then the internal gas bag pressure can be adapted to different situations, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The active release function is extracted from the gas bag structure itself and placed in external control systems (sensors and control units). This separates the simple mechanical holder structure from the complex control logic, keeping the gas bag module itself simple while enabling sophisticated adaptive pressure control through external 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
Enables the gas bag module to maintain high pressure for high-speed collisions and low pressure for lower-speed collisions, ensuring a softer or harder deployment based on the situation, while minimizing space and manufacturing complexity.
Implementation Method 1
the holder comprises a drive that is advantageously a pyrotechnical drive
Data Source
AI summary
A gas bag module has a gas bag whose wall, in a first state of the gas bag, has at least one pleat that is formed in that opposite sections of the wall lie against each other. The gas bag module further has a holder that holds the opposite sections together and affixes the pleat. The holder can be actively released in response to a signal, as a result of which the gas bag reaches a second state in which the pleat is opened.