Vehicular Seat Airbag Conduit for Occupant Posture Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicular seats with airbags fail to provide effective protection when occupants are not seated in the correct posture, as the airbag may not inflate appropriately, leading to inadequate protection and increased seat size due to separate airbags for inflation and posture correction.
Innovation Solution
A vehicular seat design featuring a first airbag that inflates from a side end of the seat back, with a flexible conduit that deforms to correct the occupant's posture before inflation, allowing the airbag to properly protect the intended body part while reducing seat thickness and weight by integrating posture correction within the seat's structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate airbag is provided for posture correction in addition to the protection airbag, then the occupant's posture can be corrected to ensure proper airbag effectiveness, but the seat size and thickness increase due to the additional airbag and its required space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the posture correction function and protection function into a single airbag system. The airbag is configured to first correct the occupant's posture by contacting and pushing against specific body parts (shoulder, chest, or abdomen) to achieve proper seating position, and then provide protection by maintaining inflated state to cushion impact forces. This eliminates the need for separate posture correction and protection airbags, reducing seat thickness while ensuring both posture correction effectiveness and protection reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The airbag performs preliminary posture correction action before the actual protection is needed. Upon detection of improper seating posture, the airbag inflates to correct the occupant's position by contacting specific body parts, and maintains this corrected posture during the protection phase. This preliminary action ensures that when collision occurs, the occupant is already in the correct position for effective airbag protection, eliminating the need for separate posture correction mechanisms
2Volume of moving object
If the airbag is arranged to correspond to a specific body part assuming proper seating posture, then the airbag can be compact, but the protection effectiveness is compromised when the occupant is not seated in the correct posture
Solution Approach 1:
The airbag system dynamically adapts to the occupant's actual seating posture rather than assuming a fixed proper posture. The airbag inflates to contact and correct the occupant's position based on real-time posture detection, and then maintains inflated state to provide protection regardless of the initial posture. This dynamic adjustment ensures the airbag remains effective whether the occupant was initially seated properly or improperly, while keeping the airbag compact through controlled inflation timing and pressure
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 solution ensures reliable protection of occupants by correcting their posture before airbag inflation, reducing the need for additional space within the seat for separate posture correction mechanisms, thereby minimizing the seat's thickness and weight.
Implementation Method 1
the first flexible tube portion expands to deform the seat body when the gas supplied from the first gas generator to the first airbag passes through the first flexible tube portion
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular seat includes a first conduit that guides gas from a first gas generator to a first airbag, the first conduit includes a first flexible tube portion having flexibility and disposed along a first side end inside at least one of a seat surface or a seat back, and the first flexible tube portion expands to deform the seat body when the gas supplied to the first airbag from the first gas generator passes through the first flexible tube portion.