Knee Airbag Cushion and Frontal Restraint for Generous Leg Room
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicles providing generous leg room, existing occupant protection systems face challenges in effectively absorbing impact energy during collisions, as the instrument panel is too far from the occupant's knees, leading to inadequate energy absorption and potential knee injuries.
Innovation Solution
The airbag assembly includes a knee airbag cushion and a frontal airbag cushion that are designed to deploy and interact, with the knee airbag cushion extending to cushion the knees and the frontal airbag cushion extending to restrain the occupant's torso, allowing them to work together without relying on the instrument panel for stabilization, and optionally using tethers to restrict rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the instrument panel is positioned far from the occupant's knees to provide generous leg room, then leg room is improved, but impact energy absorption capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the knee airbag cushion and frontal airbag cushion into a single integrated airbag assembly that deploys as one unified structure. This merging allows the airbag to simultaneously provide knee support and torso restraint, creating a continuous protection zone that compensates for the increased distance between the instrument panel and occupant knees in vehicles with generous leg room.
Solution Approach 2:
The airbag assembly extends in multiple dimensions - vertically to cushion the knees and horizontally to restrain the torso. This multi-dimensional deployment creates a comprehensive protection envelope that addresses both the knee support need (vertical dimension) and torso restraint need (horizontal dimension), effectively compensating for the increased longitudinal distance in vehicles with generous leg room.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the knee airbag cushion is not supported by the instrument panel, then adaptability to vehicles with generous leg room is improved, but stability of the airbag assembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The knee airbag cushion and frontal airbag cushion are merged into a single integrated assembly with shared structural elements and inflation system. This merging provides mutual support between the two cushion sections, allowing the knee airbag to remain stable without instrument panel support while the frontal airbag provides the necessary restraint function.
Solution Approach 2:
The frontal airbag cushion acts as an intermediary structure that provides stability to the knee airbag cushion. Instead of relying on the instrument panel for support, the knee airbag is stabilized through its integration with the frontal airbag, which serves as a mediating structural element that maintains assembly stability during deployment.
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
This configuration effectively absorbs and distributes collision impact energy, reducing the risk of knee and torso injuries by ensuring comprehensive coverage and stabilization of the occupant during a collision event, even in vehicles with generous leg room.
Implementation Method 1
effectively absorbs and distributes collision impact energy
Data Source
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AI summary
Protection systems for vehicle occupants, such as airbag assemblies, can be deployed from within a vehicle. Such airbag assemblies can include a frontal airbag cushion and a knee restraint to absorb an occupant's impact energy during a collision event. Such protection systems can be particularly useful in vehicles that provide generous leg room to an occupant.