Multilayer Airbag Communication Portion Pressure Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air-bags face challenges in controlling pressure rise during deployment to efficiently absorb kinetic energy while maintaining high deployment speed and reducing injury criterion values, often requiring increased inflator gas capacity.
Innovation Solution
The air-bag features a multilayer structure in the communication portion between the main and sub-chambers, which restricts gas flow until the main chamber reaches a certain pressure, then allows gas to flow into the sub-chamber, reducing pressure rise and enhancing deployment speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If gas flows freely to the sub-chamber during deployment, then the deployment speed is improved, but the pressure rise in the main chamber is insufficient for occupant restraint
Solution Approach 1:
The air-bag is divided into a main chamber and a sub-chamber that are separated but connected through a communication portion. This segmentation allows the main chamber to maintain high pressure for rapid deployment while the sub-chamber absorbs excess gas flow, resolving the contradiction between deployment speed and pressure maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication portion acts as an intermediary between the main chamber and sub-chamber. It controls the timing and amount of gas flow from the main chamber to the sub-chamber, enabling the main chamber to achieve sufficient pressure rise while still allowing controlled gas transfer to improve overall deployment performance.
2Stress or pressure
If the capacity of the inflator is increased to raise the pressure of the inflation portion, then the occupant restraint performance is improved, but the gas capacity requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the air-bag into main chamber and sub-chamber, the system can achieve the required pressure in the main chamber with a smaller inflator capacity. The sub-chamber serves as a gas reservoir that receives excess gas after the main chamber is pressurized, reducing the total gas capacity requirement while maintaining effective occupant restraint pressure.
3Strength
If the communication portion is formed by adhesion, welding, or suturing, then the structural integrity is improved, but the control of pressure variation upon opening becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The communication portion is designed to dynamically transition from a closed state (maintaining structural integrity through adhesion/welding/suturing) to an opened state in response to pressure differential. This dynamic behavior allows the system to maintain strong connections during normal conditions while automatically controlling pressure variation when the communication portion opens 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 design achieves rapid pressure rise in the main chamber during deployment, suppresses excessive pressure upon occupant contact, and decreases the required gas capacity of the inflator, thereby reducing injury to the occupant.
Implementation Method 1
the communication portion is made up of a multilayer structure portion having three or more layers... restricts gas flow until the main chamber reaches a certain pressure, then allows gas to flow into the sub-chamber
Data Source
Figure 1~2A
Figure 2B~2C
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Provided is an air-bag capable of further reducing damage value to a passenger and limiting the amount of use of inflator gas by limiting an excessive increase in the internal pressure of the air-bag upon contacting the passenger while increasing the speed of deployment in a passenger protection area. The air-bag includes a main chamber and a sub-chamber that are connected via a communication portion, wherein the communication portion or a region adjacent to the communication portion is configured of a multilayer structure portion comprising three or more layers.