Vehicle Side Window Structure for Curtain Air Bag Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional curtain air bag devices face challenges in preventing deployment out of the vehicle during side collisions without increasing manufacturing costs or reducing visibility, as they either require larger air bags or raised window frames, and tension members complicate the design and size.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle side structure featuring a bar-shaped member within the window opening that partitions it into upper and lower sections, preventing the curtain air bag from escaping by hitching to this member, which is positioned inside the window opening and outside the fully inflated air bag, ensuring the air bag expands below it, thus maintaining a large window opening and unobstructed visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the size of the curtain air bag is increased to prevent it from flying out through the window opening, then the air bag can overlap the door trim panel when deployed, but the manufacturing cost of the curtain air bag device increases
Solution Approach 1:
A tension member is introduced as an intermediary element between the curtain air bag and the window opening. This tension member extends from near the upper forward corner to near the lower end of the air bag, creating a restraint system that prevents the air bag from flying out without requiring the air bag itself to be larger. The tension member acts as a mediator that provides the necessary constraint while keeping the air bag size and manufacturing cost down.
2Reliability
If the lower border of the window opening is raised to allow overlap with the curtain air bag, then the air bag can be hitched to the door trim panel, but the window opening is narrowed and the field of view of the vehicle occupant is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The tension member serves as an intermediary restraint mechanism that allows the curtain air bag to be contained within the existing window opening boundaries. By attaching the tension member to the air bag and anchoring it appropriately, the system prevents the air bag from escaping without requiring any modification to the window opening size, thereby preserving the occupant's field of view.
3Reliability
If a tension member is attached to the curtain air bag to prevent it from flying out, then the air bag can be restrained during deployment, but the size of the curtain air bag in a folded state increases and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The restraint function is extracted from the curtain air bag itself and transferred to a separate tension member. This allows the air bag to maintain its original compact folded size without the added bulk of integrated restraint mechanisms. The tension member is a separate, slender component that provides the necessary restraint while adding minimal volume to the folded assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The tension member acts as an external intermediary restraint system that does not become part of the air bag's folded structure. It remains a separate component that only engages during deployment, allowing the air bag to maintain its original compact form while still providing effective restraint against flying out through the window opening.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle side structure includes a window, which has a window opening defined in a side wall of a vehicle and a window glass for covering the window opening, a curtain air bag device attached to a position above the window, and a bar-shaped member configured to partition the window opening into upper and lower sections when viewed along a lateral direction of the vehicle. In the vehicle side structure, the bar-shaped member is placed inside the window opening or at a position located, in a vehicle width direction, on an inner side of the window opening and also on an outer side of a fully inflated curtain air bag, and at least a part of the fully inflated curtain air bag expands to a region below the bar-shaped member.