Reduce the damage caused by airbags GM's new airbag technology

The invention of airbags can be said to have saved countless lives, but we always say that technology is a double-edged sword, and the same is true for airbags. Although it has saved many lives, countless passengers have also been indirectly killed by airbags due to their sitting posture and not wearing seat belts. Recently, General Motors announced a new airbag technology that makes airbags safer.

However, the traditional single-stage airbag can only achieve a full gas release once. The pop-up airbag relies on the vent on the back to adjust the internal pressure. There is a possibility of injury due to the body shape of the driver and passengers. For this reason, engineers have developed a new technology called two-stage airbags. In the event of a collision, if the occupant is thin or sits close to the steering wheel, the system will only issue an ignition command to the first-stage ignition device to incompletely inflate the airbag. This reduces the chance of injury to those thin occupants. If the driver and passenger's body shape and sitting posture can withstand the maximum degree of protection, the system will trigger the second-stage ignition device to complete the full inflation of the airbag.

The latest airbag technology announced by GM this time does not focus on airbag inflation, but takes a different approach to deflation. This new airbag still uses a single-stage gas generator, which is equipped with an "extra" variable exhaust hole on the back of the airbag. The "extra" exhaust hole is covered with a flexible cover, which is then connected to the internal restraint system through a soft connecting rope. When the airbag is in the expansion stage, the internal restraint system uses a soft connecting rope to tightly cover the flexible cover on the "extra" exhaust hole to prevent the airbag from being deflated prematurely during the inflation stage; when the driver and passengers squeeze the airbag due to inertia, the traditional airbag deflation system starts to work, and at the same time the internal restraint system is squeezed, the soft rope is relaxed, and finally the flexible exhaust hole cover is released, the airbag is quickly deflated, and the damage to the driver and passengers caused by the expansion of the airbag is reduced. A GM spokesperson said that this technology is smaller in size, simpler in structure, and lower in cost than the current two-stage airbag.

It is reported that this new airbag technology will be installed on overseas models such as the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze, overseas version of Buick Enclave, and GMC Acadia large cross.

"Overseas 2013 Chevrolet Cruze and other models will be equipped with this new airbag"

Summary of the full text:

GM's new technology achieves the purpose of protecting the safety of drivers and passengers by optimizing the deflation part of the airbag. According to the information we have obtained, the overseas 2013 Chevrolet Cruze equipped with the new airbag has passed the relevant tests of NHTSA (National Highway Safety Association) and received a 5-star rating. We will continue to pay attention to this technology.