Side Airbag Stretchable Member Partition Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing side airbag technology faces challenges in enhancing occupant restraint performance due to variability in the inflating width of the rear bag section, which affects the position of the front-rear partition, leading to reduced flexibility and restraint effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A side airbag device with a gas generator and a front-rear partition that includes a stretchable member to restrict inflation in the front-rear direction of the rear bag section, allowing for increased inflating width in the vehicle width direction without significant changes to the partition's position, along with a check valve to maintain high pressure in the lower bag section and communicating ports for balanced gas distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the inflating width in the vehicle width direction of the rear bag section is increased to enhance occupant restraint performance, then the occupant restraint performance is improved, but the position in the vehicle front-rear direction of the front-rear partition varies due to uniform gas pressure application
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the stretchable member from relaxed to stretched during inflation, transforming it into a constraint element that modifies the pressure distribution pattern. This parameter change allows the rear bag section to maintain high inflating width for occupant restraint while the stretched stretchable member prevents excessive front-rear expansion that would displace the partition position.
Solution Approach 2:
The stretchable member acts as an intermediary element between the gas pressure and the rear bag section walls. It mediates the force transmission by being stretched during inflation, converting uniform gas pressure into directional constraint forces that control the inflation shape. This intermediary function allows increased width direction inflation while maintaining partition position stability.
2Reliability
If the inflating width in the vehicle width direction of the rear bag section is increased, then the occupant restraint performance is improved, but the flexibility in setting the inflating width becomes lower
Solution Approach 1:
The stretchable member introduces dynamic behavior to the airbag system. During inflation, the member transitions from a relaxed state to a stretched state, dynamically adjusting the constraint level. This dynamic characteristic allows the system to achieve high inflating width for occupant restraint while maintaining design flexibility, as the member's stretchability can be engineered to provide appropriate constraint at different inflation stages.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a stretchable member is added to restrict inflation in the front-rear direction, then the position stability of the front-rear partition is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a stretchable member in the form of a flexible strip or film element that is integrated into the airbag structure. This flexible component is simple in form but effective in function, providing partition position stabilization through its elastic deformation during inflation. The use of a thin, flexible element minimizes the increase in device complexity compared to rigid structural solutions.
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
This configuration enhances occupant restraint performance by maintaining high pressure in critical areas, stabilizing deployment, and compactly folding the airbag without bulkiness, effectively addressing the limitations of existing systems.
Implementation Method 1
a stretchable member is extendingly disposed across between the front-rear partition and a rear end of the rear bag section, and in an inflating and deploying state of the side airbag, the stretchable member is stretched so as to restrict inflation in a vehicle front-rear direction of the rear bag section
Implementation Method 2
a gas generator provided to a vehicle seat, the gas generator activated so as to generate gas for inflation and deployment
Implementation Method 3
When gas is supplied into the rear bag section, the pressure of the gas is uniformly applied onto an inner surface of the rear bag section
Data Source
AI summary
In the side airbag device, in an inflation and deployment state of the side airbag, a tension cloth extendingly disposed across between a front-rear partition and a rear end of the rear bag section is stretched, thereby restricting inflation in the vehicle front-rear direction of the rear bag section. An inflating width in a vehicle width direction of the rear bag section can be increased without significantly changing a position in the vehicle front-rear direction of the front-rear partition. In a flat developed state of the side airbag, the tension cloth is extendingly disposed across between the front-rear partition so folded into two as to protrude toward the rear bag section, and the rear end of the rear bag section. Accordingly, dimensions of each component can be so defined as to cause no redundancy in the rear bag section in the flat developed state, thus compactly folding the side airbag.