Vehicle Side Airbag Mountain Valley Fold Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle side airbags require a large number of components and complex assembly processes to adjust the inflated form, which complicates the deployment and restricts the thickness of the airbag, thereby inadequately restricting the occupant's shoulder.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle side airbag design utilizing a single base cloth folded in mountain and valley folding manners, with specific fold lines and stitching to form a V-shaped bent portion, allowing for adjustable inflation and thickness without additional components like tethers, enabling easier assembly and effective shoulder restriction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If tethers are provided on each panel to adjust the inflated form and increase deployment width, then the airbag thickness and deployment width are improved, but the number of components increases and assembly operation becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of multiple panels with tethers into a single base cloth structure. The mountain fold line portions and valley fold portions are integrated directly into the base cloth, eliminating the need for separate tether components while achieving the same airbag shape adjustment and thickness increase effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The base cloth is segmented into functional zones defined by mountain fold line portions and valley fold portions. These fold lines create distinct regions that control different aspects of airbag inflation, allowing independent adjustment of thickness and deployment width through the folded structure rather than adding components.
2Shape
If multiple components and complex assembly are used to adjust inflated form, then airbag deployment width is improved, but assembly time and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The base cloth is pre-configured with mountain fold line portions and valley fold portions during manufacturing. These fold lines are predetermined and integrated into the base cloth structure, so no additional assembly steps are needed during installation - the airbag deployment width adjustment is built-in and requires no on-site assembly operations.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional airbag structures are used, then assembly is simpler, but end portions cannot achieve sufficient thickness for effective shoulder restriction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a third dimension (fold depth) to the base cloth structure through mountain and valley folding. This creates volumetric thickness at the end portions without adding lateral width or complexity to the assembly process. The folded structure naturally generates the required thickness when inflated, maintaining assembly simplicity while achieving sufficient end portion thickness for shoulder restriction.
Data Source
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AI summary
A vehicle side airbag is provided in which the use of fewer components and an easier assembly operation enable the adjustment of the airbag in an inflated form, and, in particular, end portions of the airbag can be sufficiently thick when the airbag is inflated, which allows the shoulder of an occupant to be suitably restricted. A vehicle side airbag that is deployed and inflated at a position lateral to an occupant, this vehicle side airbag including: a base cloth folded in a mountain folding manner at a pair of mountain fold lines set on both sides of a bag shaping reference line and folded in a valley folding manner at the bag shaping reference line, an outer peripheral edge of the base cloth being joined to another outer peripheral edge of the base cloth except at the pair of mountain fold lines and an inflator installation portion to form the base cloth into a bag shape.