Inflatable Restraint Buckle Connector with Strain Relief Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional airbag systems deployed from stationary locations in vehicles like automobiles are less effective in vehicles with non-traditional seating arrangements, such as commercial aircraft, where seatbacks may rotate and lack suitable structures for airbag mounting, and seat belt connectors experience stress and strain due to repeated flexing.
Innovation Solution
A buckle connector system for inflatable personal restraint systems that includes a housing with recesses for strain relief of wiring and a keyed design to prevent incorrect engagement, featuring a connector and buckle assembly that attaches to seat belts and deploys an airbag from the seat belt, with an electronic module for controlled deployment during rapid deceleration events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If airbags are deployed from stationary locations in vehicles, then airbag deployment is simple and reliable, but airbags are ineffective in vehicles with non-traditional seating arrangements such as commercial aircraft
Solution Approach 1:
The airbag system transitions from a stationary deployment location to a dynamic deployment location on the seat belt. The seat belt itself becomes the mounting structure for the airbag, allowing the system to adapt to various seating configurations in different vehicles including commercial aircraft, without requiring fixed mounting points.
2Ease of operation
If seat belt connectors are designed for easy engagement and disengagement, then ease of operation is improved, but repeated flexing causes stress and strain on wiring
Solution Approach 1:
The connector assembly is segmented into distinct functional components: the connector body, the airbag housing, and the wiring harness. The wiring is routed through a dedicated pathway that separates it from the flexing connection interface, allowing easy engagement while protecting the wiring from stress and strain.
3Reliability
If a keyed design is implemented to prevent incorrect engagement, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connector incorporates an asymmetric keyed design where the tongue and receptacle have complementary asymmetric shapes. This prevents incorrect engagement by allowing the connector to be inserted only in the correct orientation, ensuring reliable connection while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Data Source
AI summary
Buckle connectors and airbag assemblies for inflatable personal restraints, and associated methods of use and manufacture are described herein. In one embodiment, an inflatable personal restraint system for use in an aircraft includes a web configured to restrain an occupant in a seat, a connector attached to a distal end portion of the web, and an airbag carried by the web. The restraint system further includes an airbag cover at least partially enclosing the airbag and engaging a portion of the connector. The connector can include a tongue portion configured to be releasably engaged with a corresponding buckle to secure the web around a portion of the occupant.