Knee-bag and occupant leg protection apparatus

• US 20080157509A1
• Filed: 03/03/2008
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Murakami, Yoshiki, Kumagai, Masayoshi, Abe, Kazuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,669,895 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 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• 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

Abstract

A knee-bag to be inflated in front of an occupant leg includes a first member facing the occupant, a second member facing the first member, and a tether provided in the knee-bag for connecting the first member and the second member. The tether extends in a lateral direction and has end portions in a thickness direction of the knee-bag, and lateral ends in the lateral direction. At least one of the lateral ends has a portion located inwardly in the lateral direction so that air-flow spaces are formed between a left end of the tether and a left side of the knee-bag and between a right end of the tether and a right side of the knee-bag.

Claims

1. A knee-bag to be inflated in front of an occupant leg, comprising:

a first member facing the occupant,

a second member facing the first member, and

a tether provided in the knee-bag for connecting the first member and the second member, said tether extending in a lateral direction and having end portions in a thickness direction of the knee-bag, and lateral ends in the lateral direction, at least one of the lateral ends having a portion located inwardly in the lateral direction so that air-flow spaces are formed between a left end of the tether and a left side of the knee-bag and between a right end of the tether and a right side of the knee-bag.

2. A knee-bag according to claim 1, wherein said tether further includes a middle portion between the lateral ends, said middle portion having a width between the end portions in the lateral direction, said width being less than each of widths between the end portions at the lateral ends.

3. A knee-bag according to claim 2, wherein said middle portion is spaced from the lateral ends in the thickness direction.

4. A knee-bag according to claim 1, further comprising a second tether disposed adjacent to said tether with a space therebetween and having a middle and end portions substantially same as those of said tether.

5. A knee-bag according to claim 4, further comprising a uniform width portion, and a narrow portion extending downwardly from the uniform width portion to have a width gradually decreased, said tether being located at a portion between the uniform width portion and the narrow portion.

6. A knee-bag according to claim 5, wherein said second member includes an opening for an inflator at a lower portion of the narrow portion, said second tether being located between the opening and said tether.

7. A knee-bag according to claim 6, further comprising a diffuser situated inside the narrow portion for covering the opening.

8. An occupant leg protection apparatus comprising the knee-bag according to claim 1 and an inflator for inflating the airbag.