Side Airbag Folding Structure for Fast Early Occupant Restraint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing side airbag devices face challenges in compact storage, which affects their deployment behavior, and struggle to quickly and effectively restrain occupants during vehicle collisions while being compactly designed.
Innovation Solution
A side airbag device is integrated into a vehicle seat with a folded airbag configuration that includes a lower compressed part, secured by a bracket extending in the vertical direction, allowing for compact storage and efficient deployment, ensuring proper restraint of occupants by expanding and deploying quickly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the airbag is made compact for storage in the side supporting part, then the storage space requirement is reduced, but the deployment behavior of the airbag is adversely affected
Solution Approach 1:
The airbag is divided into multiple segments: the main body portion and the lower compressed part. The lower compressed part is folded multiple times to reduce volume while the main body portion maintains its structure for reliable deployment. This segmentation allows the airbag to be compact during storage while ensuring proper deployment behavior when activated.
Solution Approach 2:
The airbag is stored in an extended condition with the vertical direction as the longitudinal direction, utilizing the vertical space of the side supporting part. By folding the lower part multiple times in the longitudinal direction, the airbag achieves compact storage volume while maintaining the necessary dimensions for effective deployment in the horizontal direction.
2Length of stationary object
If the airbag is stored folded in the vertical direction, then the storage height is reduced, but the deployment speed may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The lower part of the airbag is pre-folded into a compressed part during manufacturing, creating a compact storage configuration. The folding structure is designed to unfold rapidly during deployment, with the pre-formed compressed part serving as a compact reservoir that can quickly expand to provide occupant protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The airbag transitions from a static folded state during storage to a dynamic expanding state during deployment. The folding structure allows for rapid expansion when gas is supplied, converting the compact stored form into a fully deployed protective barrier in a fraction of a second.
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
The solution enables effective occupant restraint over a wider vertical range, ensuring quick and reliable deployment, even in compact designs, by utilizing a folded airbag configuration and a bracket system that stabilizes the airbag's posture and facilitates smooth deployment.
Implementation Method 1
an inflator that supplies an expansion gas to the airbag
Data Source
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AI summary
[Problem] To provide: a side airbag device capable of quickly and properly restraining a passenger in the initial stage of deploying an airbag; and a vehicle seat provided with the side airbag device. [Resolution Means] A side airbag device is provided with: an airbag disposed inside a side supporting part of a seat, that restrains an occupant by expanding and deploying in the event of a vehicle collision; and an inflator that supplies an expansion gas to the airbag. Furthermore, the airbag is folded and stored in the side supporting part in an extended condition such that the vertical direction is the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, a lower part of the airbag in the stored condition is folded a plurality of times in the longitudinal direction to form a lower compressed part.