Segmented Inflatable Belt Tongue With Articulated Loop
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seat belt systems with inflatable air bags face issues such as high force concentration at weld joints during accidents and aesthetic concerns due to large openings required for assembly, which compromise vehicle interior design and safety.
Innovation Solution
The design of a segmented tongue with a hollow tubular body and articulated loop, allowing for increased common areas to distribute forces and a more robust buckle, and an articulated loop that can be fixed or articulated to facilitate easier installation through narrow slits in the vehicle trim.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional seat belt systems use large openings for assembly, then assembly is easier, but vehicle interior aesthetics are compromised and debris can enter more easily
Solution Approach 1:
The tongue is divided into multiple segments that can be assembled through narrow slits in the vehicle trim. The segmented design allows the tongue to be installed piece by piece through small openings rather than requiring a large opening for the entire assembly, thus maintaining vehicle interior aesthetics while enabling easier installation.
2Device complexity
If conventional seat belt systems use traditional buckle designs, then the structure is simpler, but force concentration at weld joints is high during accidents
Solution Approach 1:
The buckle is designed with multiple segments including a tongue, a receiver, and an articulated loop mechanism. This segmentation distributes the impact forces across multiple weld joints and structural elements rather than concentrating them at a single point, improving overall strength and safety during accidents.
Solution Approach 2:
The articulated loop provides dynamic movement capability that allows the buckle to absorb and distribute forces during impact. The loop can articulate and deform in a controlled manner, transforming concentrated impact forces into distributed stresses across the entire buckle assembly.
3Ease of manufacture
If the tongue is designed as a single piece, then manufacturing is simpler, but installation through narrow slits in vehicle trim is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The tongue is divided into multiple segments that can be passed through narrow slits in the vehicle trim separately and then assembled together. This segmentation enables installation through small openings that would be impossible for a single-piece tongue, while the segments are designed to be easily manufactured and connected.
4Ease of operation
If large openings are used in vehicle trim for seat belt assembly, then assembly is easier, but debris can enter the vehicle interior more easily
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented tongue design allows assembly through narrow slits that are too small to allow debris entry, eliminating the need for large openings in the vehicle trim. The segments can be inserted and assembled through these small openings, providing both ease of assembly and protection against debris.
Data Source
AI summary
A tongue (200, 400) for an inflatable belt restraint system, the tongue comprising: a narrow cylindrical hollow tube (204a, 204b) comprising a first formed member and a second formed member joined together along respective mating edges of the first and second formed members and two mating portions (202a and 202b) forming the looped portion of the tongue.