Segmented Side Airbag for Occupant Size Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional side airbag devices are ineffective in restraining the inward movement of occupants in a vehicle width direction during a side collision, particularly failing to adequately protect the neck and shoulder, and are not adaptable to varying body sizes, which can lead to safety issues such as the head or upper body of smaller occupants being caught in the airbag's depressed portion.
Innovation Solution
An airbag device comprising a first inflatable airbag and a second smaller airbag, each deployable from the inward lateral surface of seats, controlled by a unit that detects occupant body size to deploy only the appropriate airbag based on the occupant's size, ensuring effective restraint of the shoulder and neck regardless of body size, with the second airbag filling the depressed portion of the first airbag to prevent head contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a depressed portion is formed on the airbag face to contact the shoulder, then the shoulder and neck can come into contact simultaneously, but the head or upper body of small occupants may be caught in the depressed portion
Solution Approach 1:
The airbag is divided into multiple independent airbags (first airbag, second airbag, third airbag) with different functions and deployment conditions. The first airbag provides general shoulder protection, the second airbag specifically protects the neck region, and the third airbag protects the head region. This segmentation allows each airbag to be optimized for its specific function without the harmful effects of a single complex airbag design.
Solution Approach 2:
The airbag system dynamically adapts to different occupant sizes by selectively deploying appropriate airbags based on sensor detection. For adult occupants, the first and second airbags are deployed to protect shoulder and neck. For child occupants, only the first airbag is deployed, avoiding the deployment of airbags that could entrap the child's head or upper body.
2Device complexity
If a single airbag configuration is used for all occupants, then the device structure is simple, but it cannot effectively restrain both adult and child occupants of different body sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The airbag system is segmented into multiple independent airbags (first, second, and third airbags) that can be selectively deployed. Each airbag targets specific body regions (shoulder, neck, head) and can be independently controlled, allowing the system to adapt to different occupant sizes while maintaining structural organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-airbag system serves multiple functions: the first airbag protects the shoulder region for all occupants, the second airbag provides neck protection for adults, and the third airbag offers head protection when needed. This multi-functional design allows a single airbag system to effectively protect both adult and child occupants despite their different body sizes.
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
Effectively restrains the inward movement of occupants in the vehicle width direction during a side collision, ensuring the safety of both larger and smaller occupants by deploying the appropriate airbag configuration, preventing collisions between occupants and seat backrests, and providing sufficient reaction force to manage impact forces.
Implementation Method 1
a first airbag that is inflatable and deployable inwardly from an inward lateral surface of a corresponding one of the seats in a vehicle width direction
Implementation Method 2
the expanded airbag is able to provide a reaction force for receiving an impact force in the vehicle width direction
Data Source
AI summary
An airbag device is disposed beneath the lateral surface of a driver's seat backrest facing a front passenger seat, and beneath the lateral surface of a front passenger seat backrest facing a driver's seat. The air bag device has first and second airbags that are inflatable and deployable upon a collision of a vehicle equipped with airbag device. The inflated and deployed first airbag has a depressed portion on its outer side in a vehicle width direction near the shoulder of an occupant, and the second airbag inflates and deploys so as to fill the depressed portion. Upon the collision of the vehicle, when the body size of the occupant is greater than or equal to a predetermined size, only the first airbag inflates and deploys, whereas when the body size is smaller than the predetermined size, the first and second airbags inflate and deploy.