KNEE AIRBAG MODULE

• US 20120242066A1
• Filed: 03/21/2011
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Acquisition, LLC
• Original Assignee: TK Holdings Incorporated (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: CHAVEZ, Spencer W., Ruterbusch, John P., Kitts, Greg D., Lange, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,696,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/206 in the lower part of dashboards, e.g. for protecting the knees
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/217 Inflation fluid source retainers, e.g. reaction canisters; Connection of bags, covers, diffusers or inflation fluid sources therewith or together
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

A knee airbag module for restraining an occupant seated in the interior compartment of a vehicle. The module includes an inflatable airbag cushion configured to deploy to a location forward of the legs of the seated occupant, and an inflator to supply inflation gas for inflating the cushion. The module further includes a housing configured to couple to the vehicle and a cover connected to the housing. The housing includes a base, a forward side wall and a rearward side wall, which together with the cover form a compartment for housing the airbag cushion prior to deployment, as well as the inflator. A portion of the rearward side wall is inclined to guide the deploying airbag cushion in an oblique direction when breaching the housing.

Claims

1. A knee airbag module for restraining an occupant seated in the interior compartment of a vehicle, the airbag module configured to be mounted at a bottom portion of a dashboard of the vehicle, comprising:

a housing configured to couple to the vehicle;

a cover connected to the housing, wherein the cover is configured to face downward when the airbag module is installed and coupled to the vehicle;

an inflatable airbag cushion stored in the housing and configured to inflate and deploy out of the housing to a location forward of the legs of the seated occupant; and

an inflator provided in the housing and configured to provide inflation gas to inflate the airbag cushion;

wherein the housing includes a base, a forward side wall and a rearward side wall and wherein the base and side walls together with the cover form a compartment for housing the airbag prior to deployment;

wherein a portion of the rearward side wall adjacent to the cover is inclined away from a vertical plane a greater amount than a portion of the forward side wall adjacent to the cover;

wherein the airbag cushion includes an end portion configured to deploy to a position farthest from the airbag module and wherein the end portion is positioned adjacent to the rearward side wall; and

wherein during deployment of the airbag cushion the inclined portion of the housing guides the deploying cushion in an oblique direction when breaching the housing.

2. The airbag module of claim 1, wherein the end portion of the airbag cushion is rolled into a rolled portion and positioned in the housing so that the rolled portion faces away from the interior compartment of the vehicle.

3. The airbag module of claim 2, wherein the airbag cushion includes a folded portion provided adjacent to the rolled portion, wherein the folded portion inflates prior to the rolled portion of the airbag cushion during deployment.

4. The airbag module of claim 3, wherein the airbag cushion is stored in the module in a position so that inflation of the folded portion of the airbag cushion during airbag deployment creates forces that induce the rolled portion of the cushion to deploy initially at the angle of incline formed by the rearward wall.

5. The airbag module of claim 3, wherein the ratio of the length of the rolled portion of the cushion to the length of the folded portion of the cushion is between 9:

1 and 1;

1, wherein the lengths of the cushion are cross-sectional profile lengths.

6. The airbag module of claim 3, wherein the folded portion of the cushion includes two Z-folds provided adjacent to one another.

7. The airbag module of claim 1, further comprising at least one tether to influence the deployment trajectory of the airbag cushion during airbag deployment.

8. The airbag module of claim 1, wherein the cover is hingedly connected to the forward side wall so that when the airbag deploys the cover and rearward side wall are disconnected and the cover and forward side wall remain connected.

9. A knee airbag module for restraining an occupant seated in the interior compartment of a vehicle, the airbag module configured to be mounted at a bottom portion of a dashboard of the vehicle, comprising:

a housing configured to couple to the vehicle;

a cover connected to the housing, wherein the cover is configured to face downward when the airbag module is installed and coupled to the vehicle;

an inflatable airbag cushion stored in the housing and configured to inflate and deploy out of the housing to a location forward of the legs of the seated occupant; and

an inflator provided in the housing and configured to provide inflation gas to inflate the airbag cushion;

wherein the housing includes a base, a forward side wall and a rearward side wall and wherein the base and side walls together with the cover form a compartment for housing the airbag prior to deployment;

wherein the airbag cushion includes an end portion configured to deploy to a position farthest from the airbag module; and

wherein the end portion of the airbag cushion is rolled into a rolled portion and positioned in the housing so that the rolled portion faces away from the interior compartment of the vehicle and is located adjacent to the rearward side wall of the housing.

10. The airbag module of claim 9, wherein the airbag cushion includes a folded portion provided adjacent to the rolled portion, wherein the folded portion inflates prior to the rolled portion of the airbag cushion during deployment.

11. The airbag module of claim 10, wherein the airbag cushion is stored in the module in a position so that inflation of the folded portion of the airbag cushion during airbag deployment creates forces that induce the rolled portion of the cushion to deploy initially at the angle of incline formed by the rearward wall.

12. The airbag module of claim 10, wherein the ratio of the length of the rolled portion of the cushion to the length of the folded portion of the cushion is between 9:

1 and 1;

1, wherein the lengths of the cushion are cross-sectional profile lengths.

13. The airbag module of claim 10, wherein the folded portion of the cushion includes two Z-folds provided adjacent to one another.

14. The airbag module of claim 9, further comprising at least one tether to influence the deployment trajectory of the airbag cushion during airbag deployment.

15. The airbag module of claim 9, wherein the cover is hingedly connected to the forward side wall so that when the airbag deploys the cover and rearward side wall are disconnected and the cover and forward side wall remain connected.