Side Airbag Thorax Protection with Arcuate Thickness Limiter
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing side airbag apparatuses face challenges in quickly inflating and deploying the thorax protecting portion while preventing the arm from pushing the thorax, due to the adverse influence of the thickness limiting portion on the inflation and deployment process.
Innovation Solution
The side airbag apparatus incorporates a thorax protecting portion with a gas supply port and a thickness limiting portion, where the fabric portions are connected to form an arcuate shape that bulges towards the rear, limiting the thickness and preventing the arm from being pushed towards the thorax, with the folding line located above the gas supply port to ensure efficient inflation and deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a thickness limiting portion is provided in the thorax protecting portion to prevent the arm from being pushed toward the thorax, then the thorax protection is improved, but the inflation and deployment speed of the thorax protecting portion is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The airbag is divided into multiple independent inflation regions separated by partitioning portions. The thorax protecting portion is segmented into a main protecting portion and an auxiliary protecting portion, with the thickness limiting portion positioned to separate these regions. This segmentation allows the main protecting portion to inflate rapidly for immediate thorax protection while the auxiliary portion provides the thickness limitation function, thus resolving the contradiction between protection reliability and deployment speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The thickness limiting portion is specifically positioned at the region corresponding to the occupant's arm, creating a localized thickness limitation only where needed. The arcuate portion of the thickness limiting portion is configured to bulge toward the rear of the airbag, strategically placing the thickness constraint in the auxiliary protecting portion rather than the main protecting portion. This local quality approach ensures that the main protecting portion can inflate quickly for immediate protection while the thickness limitation is applied only where required for arm protection.
2Reliability
If the thickness limiting portion is positioned to limit the thickness of the thorax protecting portion, then the arm is prevented from being pushed toward the thorax, but the flow path of inflation gas is obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
The partitioning portions divide the airbag into distinct inflation regions, creating separate flow paths for inflation gas. The thickness limiting portion with its arcuate configuration is positioned to define the boundary between the main protecting portion and auxiliary protecting portion. This segmentation allows inflation gas to flow efficiently into the main protecting portion through one path while the arcuate portion of the thickness limiter creates a controlled flow path into the auxiliary portion, maintaining inflation efficiency while achieving arm protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The thickness limiting portion incorporates an arcuate portion that is curved to bulge toward the rear of the airbag. This curved configuration strategically positions the thickness limitation in the auxiliary protecting portion while maintaining an open flow path for inflation gas. The arcuate shape allows gas to flow around the curvature into both the main and auxiliary protecting portions, preventing obstruction of the inflation gas flow path while still achieving the thickness limitation function for arm protection.
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 allows for rapid inflation and deployment of the thorax protecting portion, effectively reducing the impact on the thorax by ensuring the arm is not pushed towards it, thereby enhancing protection during side impacts.
Implementation Method 1
The gas supply port supplies the inflation gas to the thorax protecting portion, thereby inflating the thorax protecting portion
Data Source
AI summary
Before a thorax protecting portion of an airbag is altered to a storage mode, at least a part above a gas supply port of the thorax protecting portion is folded along a folding line extending through a thickness limiting portion, so that the thorax protecting portion is partitioned into a main protecting portion, to which the inflation gas is supplied from the gas supply port, and an auxiliary protecting portion, to which the inflation gas is supplied via the main protecting portion. The thickness limiting portion has an arcuate portion that is curved to bulge rearward, and the thickness limiting portion is arranged in the thorax protecting portion such that the rear end of the arcuate portion is located in the auxiliary protecting portion.