Air bag device for knee protection

• US 20030132617A1
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Takimoto, Masahiro, Koyama, Toru
• Granted Patent: US 6,942,245 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/206 in the lower part of dashboards, e.g. for protecting the knees
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/215 characterised by the covers for the inflatable member B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/216 comprising tether means for limitation of cover motion during deployment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2165 characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2171 specially adapted for elongated cylindrical or bottle-like inflators with a symmetry axis perpendicular to the main direction of bag deployment, e.g. extruded reaction canisters B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2346 Soft diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

A knee protecting airbag device (M1), wherein an airbag (26) covers the substantial lower surface (9a) of a column cover (9) protruded to a driver side. Therefore, the airbag is minimized in the capacity without deteriorating the protection of the knee of the driver. As a result, it is possible to shorten the time period required for the airbag to complete the expansion and inflation. The airbag has a generally plate shape capable of covering at least the lower surface of the column cover when it completes the inflation. Even if the knee of the driver comes close to the column cover when the driver depresses a brake pedal or the like, the airbag being expanded and inflated is smoothly arranged in a narrow space between the knee of the driver and the column cover lower surface without interfering with the knee of the driver. With the knee protecting airbag device according to the present invention, therefore, the airbag is rapidly expanded and inflated in the narrow space between the column cover and the knee of the driver thereby to protect the knee of the driver properly.

Claims

1. (Amended) A knee protecting airbag device for protecting the knee of a driver with an airbag to be expanded and inflated by an inflating gas let in, wherein:

said airbag takes such a generally plate shape when completing the expansion and inflation as covers only the substantial lower surface of a column cover covering a steering column; and

said airbag is so folded and housed below said steering column as to expand and inflate while rising along the lower surface of said column cover.

2. A knee protecting airbag device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

a hard portion is formed on the lower surface of said column cover; and

said airbag having completed the expansion and inflation is constructed to cover said hard portion.

3. A knee protecting airbag device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said hard portion is formed of a key cylinder arranged on the side face of said column cover.

4. A knee protecting airbag device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said airbag is constructed to set the portion for covering said hard portion thicker than the remaining general portion.

5. A knee protecting airbag device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the thickness of said airbag is set by partially connecting peripheral walls as opposed to each other in the thickness direction.

6. A knee protecting airbag device as set forth in claim 5, wherein said connection portions are arranged at a plurality of positions in said airbag.

7. (Amended) A knee protecting airbag device for protecting the knee of a driver with an airbag to be expanded and inflated by an inflating gas let in, wherein:

said airbag is constructed to take such a generally plate shape when completing the expansion and inflation as covers the lower surface of a column cover and at least a hard portion in the vicinity of said column cover; and

said airbag is so folded and housed below said steering column as to expand and inflate while rising along the lower surface of said column cover.

8. A knee protecting airbag device as set forth in claim 7, wherein said hard portion is defined by an arranged position of a key cylinder.

9. A knee protecting airbag device as set forth in claim 7, wherein said airbag is constructed to set the portion for covering said hard portion thicker than the remaining general portion.

10. A knee protecting airbag device as set forth in claim 7, wherein the thickness of said airbag is set by partially connecting peripheral walls, as opposed to each other in the thickness direction.

11. A knee protecting airbag device as set forth in claim 10, wherein said connection portions are arranged at a plurality of positions in said airbag.

12. (Amended) A knee protecting airbag device for protecting the knee of a driver with an airbag to be expanded and inflated by an inflating gas let in, wherein:

said airbag is constructed to take such a shape when completing the expansion and inflation as covers at least the lower surface of a column cover covering a steering column;

the portion for covering a hard area is set thicker than the remaining general portion; and

said airbag is so folded and housed below said steering column that it can be expanded and inflated while rising along the lower surface of said column cover.

13. A knee protecting airbag device as set forth in claim 12, wherein said hard portion is defined by the arranged position of at least a key cylinder on or near said column cover.

14. A knee protecting airbag device as set forth in claim 12, wherein:

said airbag has a generally plate shape; and

the thickness of said airbag is set by partially connecting peripheral walls, as opposed to each other in the thickness direction.

15. A knee protecting airbag device as set forth in claim 14, wherein said connection portions are arranged at a plurality of positions in said airbag.

16. A knee protecting airbag device as set forth in claim 14, wherein:

said peripheral walls are constructed to include a column cover side wall portion and a driver side wall portion opposed to each other;

said connection portion is formed by connecting a band-shaped tether to said column cover side wall portion and said driver side wall portion opposed; and

said tether arranges the joint portion to said driver side wall portion, at a position which is more distant from the portion covering said hard area than such a position on the driver'"'"'s side wall as opposed from the joint portion to said column cover side wall portion, in the thickness direction of said airbag.

17. A knee protecting airbag device as set forth in claim 12, wherein the portion covering said hard area is arranged closer to the downstream side of said inflating gas than said general portion.

18. (Amended) A knee protecting airbag device for protecting the knee of a driver with an airbag to be expanded and inflated by an inflating gas let in, wherein:

said airbag is folded and housed on the lower side of a steering column and is constructed to include;

an upper portion to be expanded upward from the housed portion of said airbag along the lower surface of a column cover so as to cover at least the lower surface of said column cover covering said steering column; and

a lower portion to be expanded downward from the housed portion of said airbag along a panel arranged below said housed portion of said airbag, at the time of the expansion and inflation.