Pillar Tether Lid Structure for Side-Facing Airbag Deployment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current airbag systems are not adequately designed to accommodate non-traditional vehicle seating layouts, particularly in autonomous vehicles where passengers may face rearward or sideward, leading to potential unsafe airbag deployment and inadequate occupant protection.
Innovation Solution
A tether and lid arrangement is integrated into the pillar garnish of a vehicle, where the tether is attached to the airbag and anchored to the pillar garnish, and the lid is configured to open when the tether exerts force, guiding the airbag deployment and ensuring proper orientation and positioning without direct contact with the airbag.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional airbag deployment mechanisms are used, then the system is simple and reliable for conventional vehicles, but it cannot accommodate non-traditional seating layouts in autonomous vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The deployment mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: a lid assembly that can rotate independently, a tether system with specific anchoring points, and an airbag module. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together to achieve adaptable deployment for various seating configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The lid is designed to rotate from a closed position to an open position during deployment, transitioning from a static barrier to a dynamic guide. This dynamic movement allows the same structure to serve different functions: protecting the airbag during storage and guiding its deployment path when needed, thereby accommodating non-traditional seating arrangements.
2Volume of stationary object
If the lid is positioned close to the airbag to save space, then the structure is compact, but the lid may interfere with airbag deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The lid transitions from a static closed position (maximizing compactness) to a dynamic open position (eliminating interference). The rotation mechanism allows the lid to move out of the airbag's expansion path during deployment, resolving the conflict between space efficiency and deployment safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The tether acts as an intermediary between the airbag and the lid assembly. It transmits the deployment force to rotate the lid open, ensuring that the lid moves away from the airbag's expansion path without direct contact, thus preventing interference while maintaining compact storage.
3Manufacturing precision
If the tether is anchored far from the lid to ensure proper airbag orientation, then deployment accuracy is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The tether anchoring point is merged with the lid assembly structure. The lid serves dual purposes: as a protective cover and as the anchoring structure for the tether. This integration achieves precise airbag orientation control without requiring separate complex anchoring structures, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A system including an airbag assembly for a vehicle is disclosed. The airbag assembly includes a housing supporting the airbag, an inflation device (“inflator”) in fluid communication with the airbag for inflating the airbag from an uninflated position to an inflated position, a tether fixed to the airbag that helps control the deployment and inflation of the airbag, and a tether lid configured to open in order to release the tether during deployment. The tether lid is installed in a pillar garnish of the vehicle, and is opened in response to the force of the tether as it is pulled by the deploying airbag.