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Airbag: A Modern Car Safety Feature

Airbags are one of the recent innovations in car safety technologies that have given a new outlook to the car safety feature. These are defined as cushion like structures, fitted in car interiors, which have the capability to inflate in case a car accident is detected. The early airbags were designed in a way that could only be fitted to the steering wheel but gradually as advancements moved forward, new types and styles came into existence.

History

It is believed that the first airbags were introduced in the form of a crash testing technology by Allen Breed in 1960s. The concept was introduced by John W Hetrick in 1950 and later Allen introduced a crash sensor that was fitted in the first electromechanical airbag.

The first car manufacturer to patent the use of airbags was Ford Motors. The company experimented and tested the reliability of airbags in a fleet of its car. General Motors then further introduced the new concept to general public in 1973. The invention did not ended here, it further passed through various modifications and improvements to introduce better and more efficient types of airbags.

Components

The three basic components of a car airbag are a cushion like structure, sensor system, and a deployment mechanism. Specifications of these components are as follows:

Cushion that forms the airbag is mainly designed of a nylon fabric. These can be fitted in various places in a car interior including the steering wheel, dashboard, rear seat, and door interiors. These airbags placed at different areas of the car interior actually help to absorb the energy of the occupants and prevent them from being injured.
The entire system comprises of a sensor system that consists accelerometers, instruments used to measure acceleration. In some cases, gyroscopes, instruments used for measuring orientation, may also be part of the sensor as this helps to detect a rollover accident. These sensors send a signal to the deployment mechanism along with the acceleration pulse. So, if front collision is detected front airbags will inflate and if a rollover accident is detected side airbags becomes functional.
The deployment mechanism for the airbag is mainly regulated by the ignition of a pyrotechnic charge that generates gases. When the sensor system installed in the system detects an impact, the microprocessors send a voltage pulse and ignite the pyrotechnic material. The burning propellant generates an inert gas that automatically gets filled in the cushion like structure to form the actual airbag.

Types

There are mainly two types of airbags, frontal airbags and side airbags.

Frontal airbags are the most common types of airbags that are positioned on the steering wheel or the dashboard to reduce the impact of frontal collision.

Side airbags are further classified into various categories including the curtain airbags, torso airbags, and combination of head/torso airbags. These are positioned on either the door trims or the car seats to protect the car occupants from the devastating impact of side collision or rollover accident. Various categories of side airbags are as follows:

Curtain Airbags: These are designed to protect the head of the car passengers in case of a side crash. These play a vital role in case of a rollover accident as they prevent a passenger from being knocked out of the car through the window. Curtain airbags are beneficial for both the front and rear seat passengers.
Torso Airbags: These are designed to protect the body parts from the shoulder to the hip area. Positioned on the seats or the doors, these deploy to form a cushion between the passenger’s torso and the door panels. Torso airbags are also beneficial for both the front and rear seat passengers.
Combination Head/Torso Airbags: These are designed mainly for the front seat occupants to protect their head and the area between the shoulder and the hip area. They are placed at the same position where torso airbags are positioned but are comparatively larger.

Time of Deployment

Car accident takes place in a second’s time, so it is very essential that airbags are designed in such a way so that they can detect the motion and deploy within milliseconds. The expected time taken for deployment for airbags is:

0 seconds to detect the motion
30 milliseconds are taken by microprocessors to send the signals to deployment mechanism.
32 milliseconds required for ignition of pyrotechnic material.
60 milliseconds are finally taken by the airbags to fully inflate and serve as a catalyst for life protection.

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