Predictive Inflatable Protection With Prolonged Airbag Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle protection systems, including airbags and seat belt pretensioners, are inadequate for protecting vehicle occupants and pedestrians due to rapid deployment times, limited gas volume generation, and insufficient adjustment for passenger position, leading to potential injuries and lack of protection for pedestrians.
Innovation Solution
A protection system featuring an inflatable structure with regulated vents and a gas generator that deploys slowly over a longer duration, adjustable to impact conditions, and integrated with an automated system to optimize deployment timing and positioning for enhanced safety, including shock absorbers and seat belt pretensioners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If traditional airbags deploy rapidly upon impact detection, then response time is minimized (0.06 seconds), but protection effectiveness is degraded for passengers not in normal position and injuries may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The airbag system transitions from static rapid deployment to dynamic controlled deployment. The bag inflates gradually over 1-2 seconds rather than instantly, allowing the system to adapt its protection characteristics to the specific impact scenario and passenger position, thereby maintaining reliability while reducing harmful effects
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the temporal parameter of deployment from instantaneous (0.06 seconds) to prolonged (1-2 seconds). This parameter change allows the airbag to provide sustained protection throughout the impact event rather than brief contact, improving reliability for various passenger positions
2Duration of action of moving object
If airbags are equipped with large vents for rapid deflation, then deployment time is reduced to a few hundredths of a second, but the window of effectiveness is limited to the first impact only
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the traditional large vents from the airbag structure. By extracting the rapid deflation mechanism, the airbag maintains inflation for the entire duration of the impact event (1-2 seconds) rather than deflating in a few hundredths of a second, thereby extending the protection window beyond the first impact
Solution Approach 2:
The airbag provides excessive inflation duration compared to traditional systems. By maintaining full inflation throughout the 1-2 second impact event rather than just the initial contact, the system ensures protection persists throughout the entire dangerous period, including secondary impacts
3Quantity of substance
If gas generators are limited to 1.5 moles of gaseous volume, then gas generation time remains in the range of a few hundredths of a second, but the duration of protection is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The gas generation process is segmented into multiple stages rather than a single rapid burst. The system uses a first gas generator for initial inflation followed by a second gas generator for sustained inflation, dividing the protection duration into distinct phases that together provide 1-2 seconds of continuous protection
Solution Approach 2:
The invention ensures continuous gas generation throughout the entire protection period. By coordinating two gas generators with different output characteristics, the system maintains continuous inflation pressure for 1-2 seconds rather than providing brief initial pressure that dissipates quickly
4Ease of operation
If seat belt pre-tension is applied, then shoulder play is reduced for comfort, but protection is only effective when the seat belt is correctly positioned
Solution Approach 1:
The airbag system performs preliminary action by inflating before the impact occurs (with 1-2 second duration). This preliminary inflation maintains protection throughout the impact event regardless of seat belt positioning, compensating for any shoulder play created by comfort adjustments
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides beforehand cushioning through pre-inflation of the airbag. By establishing the protective cushion before impact and maintaining it throughout the 1-2 second event, the system ensures protection is available even when seat belt positioning is suboptimal for comfort
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
The system provides improved protection for both vehicle occupants and pedestrians by allowing for controlled and prolonged deployment of safety structures, reducing the risk of injury and enhancing safety during impacts by anticipating and adjusting to the nature and timing of collisions.
Implementation Method 1
a gas generator which can be activated by an external control
Implementation Method 2
at least one vent regulated by pressure (sealer) or electronically by the automated system regulating the deflation of the structure
Implementation Method 3
The gas generator is configured to generate gas for a duration such that the total inflation time of the inflatable structure is greater than 50 milliseconds
Data Source
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Figure 14a~16
AI summary
The invention relates to a protection system comprising at least one inflatable safety structure (1) each associated with a gas generator which can be activated by an external command, characterised in that said external command comprises an electrical signal from an automated system which is responsible for the critical safety functions of a vehicle (50), corresponding to predictive information about an impact, in that the gas generator is configured to generate a gas over a period such that the total inflation time of the inflatable structure (1) is greater than 50 milliseconds, and in that the inflatable structure is waterproof.