VEHICULAR SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT DEVICE SIMULATION USING FINITE ELEMENT MODELING
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for modeling an inflatable supplemental restraint device for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
- modeling the restraint device in a fully inflated state, using a finite element model;
reconfiguring the modeled restraint device from a fully inflated to a fully deflated and flattened configuration using data from the model of the fully inflated state in the implicit finite element model; and
using the results corresponding to the fully deflated and flattened configuration, including the finite element mesh data and the geometry data corresponding to the fully deflated and flattened configuration, as an input to a finite element model to simulate folding of the restraint device from a fully deflated and flattened configuration to a folded configuration.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for modeling an inflatable supplemental restraint device for a vehicle includes operating a simulation system according to a first step in which the restraint device is modeled in a fully inflated configuration using a finite element model. The modeled airbag is then deflated and flattened. The flattened airbag is subjected to simulated folding using a finite element model. Inputs drawn from the results of successive portions of the simulation are used in the later modeling steps.
-
Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A method for modeling an inflatable supplemental restraint device for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
-
modeling the restraint device in a fully inflated state, using a finite element model;
reconfiguring the modeled restraint device from a fully inflated to a fully deflated and flattened configuration using data from the model of the fully inflated state in the implicit finite element model; and
using the results corresponding to the fully deflated and flattened configuration, including the finite element mesh data and the geometry data corresponding to the fully deflated and flattened configuration, as an input to a finite element model to simulate folding of the restraint device from a fully deflated and flattened configuration to a folded configuration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A system for modeling an inflatable supplemental restraint device for a vehicle, comprising:
-
a finite element model for modeling a supplemental restraint device as the device is transitioned from a fully inflated configuration to a fully deflated and flattened configuration; and
a finite element model using the results from the implicit modeling to simulate folding of the deflated supplemental restraint device. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method for modeling an inflatable supplemental restraint device for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
-
modeling the restraint device in a fully inflated state, using a finite element model;
reconfiguring the modeled restraint device from a fully inflated to a fully deflated and flattened configuration using data from the model of the fully inflated state in the finite element model;
using the results corresponding to the fully deflated and flattened configuration as an input to a finite element model to simulate continuous folding of the restraint device from its fully deflated and flattened configuration to a folded configuration;
comparing package dimensions of the modeled folded configuration to corresponding package dimensions of a housing for said restraint device; and
using the modeled folded configuration to model a fully inflated configuration of said supplemental restraint device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
-
Specification