Side Airbag Holding Plate with Side and Rear Walls

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Solution Overview

Problem

Side airbag apparatuses require improvement in passenger protection performance and restraining force, as current designs often rely on soft materials that do not effectively support the airbag cushion during deployment.

Innovation Solution

A side airbag apparatus with a holding plate that includes a side wall and rear wall part, where the side wall extends from the base to support the airbag cushion from the side and the rear wall applies a forward reaction force, enhancing the expansion and deployment of the airbag cushion, and the holding plate is designed to maintain its position during deployment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If only soft members such as urethane materials are present on the side opposite the passenger, then the structure remains simple, but the passenger protection performance and restraining force are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepassenger protection performanceVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The holding plate is divided into multiple functional parts: a base part attached to the side frame, a side wall part extending from the base part to support the airbag cushion from the side, and a rear wall part extending from the base part to support the airbag cushion from the rear. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The holding plate transitions from a simple two-dimensional soft member to a three-dimensional rigid structure with vertical and horizontal extensions. The side wall part extends vertically from the base part, while the rear wall part extends horizontally, creating a multi-dimensional support framework that provides comprehensive support to the airbag cushion from multiple directions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If the airbag cushion is expanded without adequate support from the side and rear, then the deployment is simpler, but the expansion smoothness and protection effectiveness are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexpansion smoothnessVSAvoidsupport structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The holding plate with its side wall part and rear wall part is pre-installed in the seat before the airbag cushion deployment. This preliminary support structure is already in place to guide and support the airbag cushion as it expands, ensuring smooth deployment from the beginning of the inflation process rather than allowing uncontrolled expansion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The holding plate acts as an intermediary structure between the expanding airbag cushion and the seat frame. It provides a rigid support framework that mediates the force distribution during expansion, guiding the airbag cushion to expand smoothly while transferring loads to the seat frame in a controlled manner.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3705351B1Side airbag device
Publication Date: 2023.07.19 AUTOLIV DEV AB
  • EP3705351B1 patent drawingFigure 1(a)~1(b)
  • EP3705351B1 patent drawingFigure 2(a)~2(b)
  • EP3705351B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

[Problem] To provide a side airbag apparatus capable of efficiently improving passenger protection performance and passenger restraining force. [Resolution means] A side airbag apparatus 100 includes: a cushion 108 which is bag shaped, wound, or folded in a storage form; a holding plate 118 with the cushion 108 attached thereto; and an inflator 110 which is embedded in the cushion 108 and attached to a side frame 112 along the side of a seat back 104 of a seat 102 together with the cushion 108 and the holding plate 118. The holding plate 118 includes: a base part 120 formed between the cushion 108 and the side frame 112; and a side wall part 122 which extends in the front-back direction of the vehicle in front of the side frame 112 in the front-back direction of the vehicle and supports the expanded and deployed cushion 108 from the side.