Side Airbag Tether Layout for Cushion Oscillation Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing side airbag devices face challenges in efficiently applying tension to the airbag cushion, leading to oscillation during deployment, which affects restraint performance.
Innovation Solution
A side airbag device configuration featuring a shorter first tether in the front-back direction and a longer second tether, both cloth-like members, is used to efficiently tension the rear and front chambers, respectively, with stud bolts anchoring the tethers to the vehicle seat, preventing oscillation by applying strong tension to the airbag cushion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a long band-like strap is used to tension the airbag, then the airbag movement can be regulated, but the strap becomes loose and cannot efficiently apply tension
Solution Approach 1:
The single long strap is divided into two separate tethers: a first tether connected to the rear chamber and a second tether connected to the front chamber. This segmentation allows each tether to be optimized for its specific function, with the first tether being shorter in the front-back direction to maintain efficient tension application without becoming loose.
Solution Approach 2:
Different tethers are designed with different length characteristics suited to their specific locations and functions. The first tether is shorter in the front-back direction for efficient rear chamber tensioning, while the second tether is longer in the front-back direction to reach from the front chamber to the rear chamber. This local optimization ensures each tether maintains proper tension without becoming loose.
2Speed
If the airbag cushion is allowed to inflate freely, then inflation speed is fast, but oscillation occurs reducing restraint performance
Solution Approach 1:
The tethers are pre-configured with specific length characteristics before inflation occurs. The first tether's shorter front-back length and the second tether's longer front-back length are designed in advance to counteract the oscillation that would naturally occur during rapid inflation, allowing the airbag to inflate quickly while maintaining stability.
Data Source
Figure 1~1(b)
Figure 2~2(b)
Figure 3
AI summary
Problem: To provide a side airbag device that can improve restraint performance by efficiently suppressing oscillation of an airbag cushion. Resolution Means: Aside airbag device 100 is provided with: a vertically long rear chamber 116, a front chamber 118 that is inflated and deployed forward and upward from the rear chamber 116, an inflator 108 contained within a rear part of the rear chamber 116, and a cloth-like first tether 112 that is provided outside of the rear chamber 116, has a front end 122 connected to a front edge portion 124 of the rear chamber 116, and has a rear end 126 connected to the rear part of the rear chamber 116, and which is tensioned when the rear chamber 116 is inflated and deployed. The rear chamber 116 has a smaller capacity than the front chamber 118, the first tether 112 is longer in the vertical direction than in the front-back direction, and the front end 122 of the first tether 112 is connected to a range that includes at least a lower end 146 of the front edge portion 124 of the rear chamber 116.