Side Airbag Cushion with Foldable Inner Valve Fabric
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current side airbag cushion designs face challenges in optimizing material utilization and manufacturing efficiency, particularly in controlling inflation gas flow and deployment, which can be improved by simplifying the manufacturing process and incorporating features for better gas flow control and deployment control.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a main airbag cushion panel with foldable inner valve fabric portions that guide inflation gas into the airbag cushion body, formed by continuously cutting and sewing fabric portions to minimize waste and facilitate assembly, allowing for improved fabric utilization and manufacturing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional airbag cushion designs are used with separate components for body and inner valve, then manufacturing process is more complex and material utilization is reduced, but structural control and assembly are simplified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the airbag cushion body and inner valve into a single continuously formed panel structure. The main airbag cushion panel includes a pair of major body fabric portions continuously formed together with a pair of inner valve fabric portions, eliminating the need for separate components and reducing assembly steps while maintaining functional integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
Within the continuously formed panel, the patent segments different functional zones including major body fabric portions and inner valve fabric portions. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function while being part of an integrated structure, enabling complex functionality without requiring separate components.
2Loss of substance
If conventional cutting and assembly methods are used for airbag fabric portions, then material waste increases, but manufacturing precision and quality control are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates the inner valve fabric portions directly into the main airbag cushion panel during the initial cutting and forming process. This preliminary integration of the valve structure into the panel design allows for optimized material layout and cutting patterns that minimize waste while ensuring precise positioning of all components.
Solution Approach 2:
By continuously forming the body and inner valve portions as a single panel unit, the patent eliminates multiple separate cutting operations and material joins, thereby reducing overall material waste and improving manufacturing precision through a unified fabrication process.
3Productivity
If inner valve fabric portions are continuously formed with major body fabric portions, then manufacturing efficiency and material utilization improve, but control over inflation gas flow direction may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different fabric configurations to different local zones of the panel. The inner valve fabric portions are specifically designed and positioned to control inflation gas flow direction, while the major body fabric portions provide the cushion structure. This local differentiation maintains gas flow control capability within the integrated panel structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner valve fabric portions act as intermediary structures within the continuously formed panel that mediate the flow of inflation gas from the inflator into the airbag cushion body. These fabric portions are strategically positioned and configured to direct gas flow while being an integral part of the unified panel, thus maintaining control functionality within the efficient continuous structure.
Data Source
AI summary
An airbag cushion having a main airbag cushion panel that includes a pair of major body fabric portions continuously formed together with a pair of inner valve fabric portions extending therebetween. The pair of inner valve fabric portions are foldable to form an inner valve for at least in part containing an inflation gas supplying inflator device. The pair of major body fabric portions are joinable together at a peripheral joint portion to at least in part form an airbag cushion body. The airbag cushion body has or forms an interior to receive inflation gas and is deployable on a side of an occupant seated in a vehicle seat. Also provided are corresponding or associated methods of or for manufacturing a side airbag cushion.