Knee-protecting airbag device

• US 20040207183A1
• Filed: 03/16/2004
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Eiichi, Kondo, Hitoshi, Nagata, Atsushi, Nakayama, Kazuhiro, Hayakawa, Tatsuya
• Granted Patent: US 7,226,075 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 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/203 in steering wheels or steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/206 in the lower part of dashboards, e.g. for protecting the knees
• 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 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

A knee-protecting airbag device is located below a steering column in front of a driver and, at a lower side of a key cylinder into which an ignition key with accessories is inserted. The airbag device includes a housing located below the steering column for housing an airbag and an airbag. The airbag is folded and housed in the housing in undeployed condition, and upon inflow of inflation gas, protrudes rearward from the housing to deploy upward to protect knees of the driver. The airbag is provided in its upper edge in completely deployed condition with a cover portion for covering vehicle'"'"'s rearward of an area proximate to the key cylinder. The airbag is further provided with a flexible reinforcing cloth to be located in a part of the cover portion to contact the key accessories as the key is inserted into the key cylinder. The airbag is protected by the reinforcing cloth even if it contacts with the key accessories upon deployment.

Claims

1. A knee-protecting airbag device located below a steering column in front of a driver and, at a lower side of a key cylinder into which an ignition key with accessories is inserted, the airbag device comprising:

a housing located below the steering column for housing an airbag;

an airbag folded and housed in the housing in undeployed condition, and upon inflow of inflation gas, the airbag protruding rearward from the housing to deploy upward for protecting knees of the driver;

the airbag including;

a cover portion located in an upper edge of the airbag as completely deployed, for covering vehicle'"'"'s rearward of an area proximate to the key cylinder; and

a flexible reinforcing cloth located in a part of the cover portion to contact the key accessories as the key is inserted into the key cylinder.

2. The knee-protecting airbag device according to claim 1, wherein:

the airbag as completely deployed forms a substantially plate shape including a column side wall located toward the steering column and a driver'"'"'s side wall located toward the driver; and

the reinforcing cloth is applied to an airbag part to contact the key accessories, both in the column side wall and the driver'"'"'s side wall.

3. The knee-protecting airbag device according to claim 2, wherein the reinforcing cloth is constituted by a single piece of cloth, and located continuously in the column side wall and the driver'"'"'s side wall.

4. The knee-protecting airbag device according to claim 1, wherein:

the airbag as completely deployed forms a substantially plate shape including a column side wall located toward the steering column and a driver'"'"'s side wall located toward the driver;

the airbag is manufactured by being stitched up at outer edges of the column side wall and the driver'"'"'s side wall; and

the reinforcing cloth is stitched up together when the outer edges of the column side wall and the driver'"'"'s side wall are stitched up, and the reinforcing cloth is applied to the airbag only by the stitching to the outer edges of the column side wall and the driver'"'"'s side wall.

5. The knee-protecting airbag device according to claim 4, wherein:

the reinforcing cloth is constituted by a single piece of cloth; and

the reinforcing cloth is located continuously in the column side wall and the driver'"'"'s side wall in an airbag part to contact the key accessories.

6. The knee-protecting airbag device according to claim 1, wherein:

the airbag includes an airbag body and the reinforcing cloth; and

the reinforcing cloth is located on the outer surface of the airbag body.

7. The knee-protecting airbag device according to claim 1, wherein:

the airbag includes an airbag body and the reinforcing cloth; and

the reinforcing cloth is located on the inner surface of the airbag body.