Toroid Airbag for Vehicle Front End Stiffness and Pedestrian Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle architectures face challenges in achieving optimal stiffness for managing varying impact modes, such as high-speed collisions and pedestrian impacts, while maintaining pedestrian protection and avoiding undesirable manufacturing variations in plastic and composite parts.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a toroid-shaped airbag system between the front fascia and radiator apparatus, which is selectively inflatable and deflatable, provides energy absorption during low-impact events like pedestrian collisions without affecting the vehicle's thermal performance, and includes a control system for optimizing deployment based on vehicle speed and operational thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the front end stiffness is increased to manage high-speed impact forces, then vehicle safety in high-speed collisions is improved, but pedestrian protection performance deteriorates due to excessive stiffness
Solution Approach 1:
The front end structure is segmented into a rigid upper portion (frame, engine bay) for high-speed collision safety and a compliant lower portion (plastic bumper, composite parts) for pedestrian protection. The airbag system further segments the protection function by deploying specifically for pedestrian impacts without affecting the overall structural stiffness.
Solution Approach 2:
The front end structure transitions from a static rigid design to a dynamic system where the airbag can be selectively inflated to modify stiffness characteristics. During normal operation, the front end maintains high stiffness, but upon detecting a pedestrian impact, the airbag inflates to provide temporary compliance and energy absorption.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If plastic and composite parts are used for pedestrian leg impact protection, then pedestrian safety is improved, but manufacturing and material process control variations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The airbag acts as an intermediary element between the rigid vehicle structure and the pedestrian's legs. Instead of relying solely on the variable-quality plastic and composite parts, the airbag provides a consistent, controllable cushioning effect that compensates for manufacturing variations in the bumper and other front end components.
Solution Approach 2:
The airbag system changes the physical parameters of the front end structure dynamically. By inflating the airbag, the system transitions from a rigid state to a compliant state, providing consistent protection characteristics that are not affected by the manufacturing variations inherent in plastic and composite parts.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If an airbag system is added to the front end, then pedestrian protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The airbag system is integrated with the existing vehicle front end structure and shares mounting points, sensors, and control systems with other vehicle safety systems. The airbag serves multiple functions: protecting pedestrians, absorbing impact energy, and potentially serving as a supplemental restraint system for occupants in certain collision scenarios.
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 airbag system effectively mitigates the impact of low-force collisions by maintaining vehicle stiffness for high-speed impacts while ensuring pedestrian safety, without compromising thermal performance or manufacturing consistency.
Implementation Method 1
the airbag is free of the grill opening or space and, therefore, have substantially no effect on the thermal performance of the vehicle
Implementation Method 2
selectively inflatable and deflatable, provides energy absorption during low-impact events
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle front end assembly includes a radiator assembly, a fascia component overlapping the radiator assembly, and a grill laterally aligned with the radiator assembly. The grill and radiator assembly define an airflow space longitudinally therebetween. The vehicle front end assembly further includes an airbag coupled between the fascia component and the radiator assembly, and the airbag is disposed outside of the airflow space in both deflated and inflated configurations.