Side Airbag Stacked Section Inversion for Deployment Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing side airbag apparatuses often allow the lower part of the airbag main body to project forward beyond the deployment region, potentially failing to effectively restrain occupants during side impacts due to the design of the stacked sections and gas flow distribution.
Innovation Solution
A side airbag apparatus with a lateral partition and inner tube that preferentially supplies inflation gas to the lower inflation chamber, featuring a stacked portion with bent sections arranged to control the deployment and inflation momentum, ensuring the airbag main body is deployed and inflated within the predetermined region.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the first stacked section is arranged in front of the second stacked section, then the deployment speed is improved, but the lower part of the airbag main body projects forward beyond the deployment region causing harmful effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional arrangement by placing the first stacked section behind the second stacked section instead of in front. This inversion changes the deployment sequence so that the lower part deploys rearward first, then forward, preventing excessive forward projection while maintaining deployment speed through the controlled pivoting motion about the boundary between stacked sections.
2Reliability
If inflation gas is preferentially supplied to the lower inflation chamber, then the occupant protection is improved, but the lower part of the airbag main body projects forward beyond the deployment region
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines preferential gas supply to the lower inflation chamber with the inverted stacked section arrangement. The lower part still receives more gas for better protection, but the rearward-first deployment sequence caused by the inverted arrangement prevents excessive forward projection, resolving the contradiction between protection effectiveness and harmful projection.
3Volume of moving object
If the first stacked section is elongated to accommodate great vertical dimension, then the storage capacity is improved, but the structural segments project forward beyond the deployment region during deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent allows the first stacked section to be elongated for greater storage capacity, but the inverted arrangement behind the second stacked section ensures that even when elongated, the section deploys rearward first about the boundary. This prevents the structural segments from projecting forward beyond the deployment region regardless of the section's length.
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 effectively restricts the forward projection of the airbag's lower part, enhancing the impact mitigation by controlling the deployment momentum and ensuring the airbag remains within the intended deployment region, thereby improving occupant protection during side collisions.
Implementation Method 1
a gas generator arranged in the airbag main body... inflation gas is supplied from the gas generator into the airbag main body so that the airbag main body is deployed and inflated
Implementation Method 2
the bent section that is located at the most downstream position in the inflation gas flowing direction is a downstream bent section... the structural segments in the first stacked section are prevented from being deployed and inflated forward with momentum and projecting forward beyond the deployment region
Data Source
AI summary
An airbag main body is stored in a storage portion in a storage form and includes an elongated stacked portion. The stacked portion includes a first stacked section, which forms a lower part, and a second stacked section, which forms a part above the first stacked section and accommodates a gas generator. In the storage form, the first stacked section includes a plurality of bent sections arranged along a flowing direction of inflation gas. Among the bent sections, the bent section that is located at the most downstream position in the inflation gas flowing direction is a downstream bent section. Among the bent sections, at least the downstream bent section is arranged behind the second stacked section.