Side Airbag Chamber Structure for Lower Upper-Arm Load
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing side airbags do not effectively reduce the load applied to the upper arm of a vehicle occupant during a side collision, as they lack a mechanism to regulate the inflation thickness of the airbag in a manner that minimizes this impact.
Innovation Solution
A side airbag design featuring a first chamber for the shoulder and a second chamber with a thickness regulating member, comprising multiple thickness regulating panels that extend downward and are positioned to reduce the inflation thickness at the upper portion of the second chamber, thereby reducing the load on the upper arm by creating regions of smaller thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the side airbag is inflated with uniform thickness to provide comprehensive protection, then the protection coverage is improved, but the load applied to the upper arm part of the occupant increases
Solution Approach 1:
The airbag is divided into multiple chambers with different thickness characteristics. The first chamber (upper portion) has larger thickness for shoulder protection, while the second chamber (lower portion) has reduced thickness at its upper portion to minimize load on the upper arm. This local differentiation of thickness quality allows the airbag to provide comprehensive protection while reducing harmful load on specific body parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The side airbag is segmented into multiple chambers (first chamber and second chamber) with different functional characteristics. The first chamber handles shoulder restraint with larger thickness, while the second chamber handles lower body restraint with regulated thickness. This segmentation allows different regions of the airbag to serve different protective functions with optimized thickness characteristics.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the thickness regulating member is added to reduce inflation thickness, then the load on upper arm is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thickness regulating member is segmented into multiple panels (first panel and second panel) that are integrated into the airbag structure. These panels create distinct thickness zones within the second chamber without requiring a completely separate regulatory mechanism, thereby reducing complexity compared to active control systems while still achieving the thickness reduction function.
Solution Approach 2:
The thickness regulating member is merged with the airbag chamber structure itself. The panels forming the thickness regulating member are integrated into the second chamber's construction, combining the chamber containment function with the thickness regulation function in a single structural element, thus avoiding additional separate components.
Data Source
AI summary
A side airbag that is to be inflated and deployed to a side of an occupant, includes: a first chamber that is positioned in an upper portion and is to be inflated to a side of a shoulder part of the occupant; and a second chamber that is on a lower side of the first chamber, and a thickness regulating member for reducing an inflation thickness is provided at an upper portion of a front portion of the second chamber.