Knee-protecting airbag apparatus

• US 20080238048A1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishida, Ryotaro
• Granted Patent: US 7,798,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2032 the inflator or inflatable member not being rotatable with the steering wheel; Arrangements using the steering column or steering wheel rim for storing, supplying or evacuating the inflation gas or for storing the inflatable member
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/206 in the lower part of dashboards, e.g. for protecting the knees

Abstract

The knee-protecting airbag apparatus includes an airbag module and a mounting bracket for fixing the airbag module on a vehicle body. The mounting bracket is provided with a mounting hole that is adapted to be fastened to a mounting seat of the vehicle body. The airbag module includes a retaining lug for fixing the airbag module tentatively on the vehicle body. When the retaining lug is engaged with a periphery of a retaining hole of the vehicle body, a rearward rotation moment is generated to rotate the airbag module about the engaging point of the retaining lug and periphery of the retaining hole, so that a pressing plane of the airbag module formed above the retaining lug abuts on and gets supported by a receiving plane formed on the vehicle body such that the mounting hole of the mounting bracket is positioned on a fastening location of the mounting seat of the vehicle body.

Claims

1. A knee-protecting airbag apparatus comprising an airbag module including an inflatable airbag and a mounting bracket for mounting the airbag module on a vehicle body structure, the apparatus being configured such that a mounting hole of the mounting bracket that is formed above and at the rear of the gravity point of the airbag module is fastened to a mounting seat of the vehicle body structure to mount the airbag module on the vehicle body structure, wherein:

the airbag module includes;

a retaining lug disposed above the gravity point of the airbag module and below the mounting hole of the mounting bracket for fixing the airbag module on the vehicle body structure tentatively, the retaining lug being configured to project toward the vehicle body structure and bend to be oriented toward the airbag module at a leading end thereof for engagement with a periphery of a retaining hole formed on the vehicle body structure such that a rearward rotation moment is generated to rotate the airbag module about an engaging point of the retaining lug and the periphery of the retaining hole; and

a pressing plane disposed above the retaining lug, the pressing plane abutting on and getting supported by a receiving plane formed on the vehicle body structure at the working of the rotation moment such that the mounting hole of the mounting bracket is positioned on a fastening location of the mounting seat of the vehicle body structure.

2. The knee-protecting airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing plane is disposed at the periphery of the mounting hole of the mounting bracket so as to abut on the receiving plane disposed on the mounting seat.

3. The knee-protecting airbag apparatus according to claim 1, including two of the mounting brackets at two interspaced positions on the left and right of the gravity point of the airbag module such that the retaining lug is formed below the mounting hole of each of the mounting brackets.

4. The knee-protecting airbag apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of the retaining lugs is configured by cutting and raising a part of the mounting bracket so as to be integral with the mounting bracket.

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

each of the mounting brackets has a vertically elongated contour and is provided on both edges in the width direction with reinforcing ribs that project forward; and

the retaining lug is configured between the ribs to such size as not to project forward relative to the ribs.