Air bag activated knee bolster

• US 5,536,043 A
• Filed: 09/12/1995
• Issued: 07/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Morton International Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lang, Gregory J., Fredin, Steven R., Jarboe, Patrick G., Hock, Christopher, Harris, Bradley D., Marchant, Brent R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Culbreth, Eric D.
• Application Number:
  US08/527,306
• Time in Patent Office: 308 Days
• Field of Search: 280/743.2, 280/728.3, 280/753, 280/752, 280/732, 280/730.2
• US Class Current: 280/753
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/21525 the lid being fixed on the bag, or forming part of the bag wall, or the bag itself being used as wall liner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2161 the cover being displaced towards the occupant during deployment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/02 Occupant safety arrangements or fittings , e.g. crash pads seat belts with crash pads B60R22/14; removable children's seats having a front guard or barrier B60N2/2839
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/206 in the lower part of dashboards, e.g. for protecting the knees
• 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

Abstract

A tethered knee bolster panel which is deployed rearward in the passenger compartment of an automotive vehicle during a crash to provide lower torso restraint. The knee bolster is an air bag system which propels the knee bolster panel rearward during deployment. The activated knee bolster allows automobile designers the flexibility to provide increased leg room in the vehicle while maintaining the same level of safety during a crash.

Claims

1. An air bag activated knee bolster which is deployed in an instrument panel of an automotive vehicle during a crash to a proper location to provide lower torso restraint for an occupant seated therein comprising,

a support member means located behind a downward and forwardly inclined portion of said instrument panel of the vehicle,

a housing securely mounted to said support member means,

an inflator mounted in said housing,

a folded air bag stored in said housing,

a knee bolster panel for said inflator and said air bag stored in said housing, said panel also comprising the door for an air bag deployment opening that is formed in a portion of said instrument panel of said automotive vehicle, said knee bolster panel having a forward facing side,

attaching means positioning said knee bolster panel in the air bag deployment opening that is formed in said portion of the instrument panel of the automotive vehicle, and

tether means to limit the rearward movement of said knee bolster panel during deployment, said tether means being located internally of said folded air bag and comprising spaced parallel tethers and at least one diagonal tether, with a first end of each of said tethers attached to said housing at a position substantially midway the width thereof, the first end of each of said parallel tethers being attached to said housing at different elevations, and the second end of each of said tethers attached to the forward facing side of said knee bolster panel at a position substantially midway the width thereof, with the attachment of the first end of said diagonal tether to said housing being adjacent the most elevated of the parallel tether first end attachments thereto, and with the attachment of the second end of said diagonal tether to said knee bolster panel being adjacent the least elevated of the parallel tether second end attachments thereto,

said knee bolster panel when deployed being forced to move along an arc determined by the length of said diagonal tether with said arc extending rearward and upward, which action reduces the impact loading on the tethers,

whereby the inflated air bag in combination with said tether means positions said knee bolster panel in the proper location to provide lower torso restraint for the occupant seated in said vehicle.

2. An air bag activated knee bolster, as defined in claim 1,

wherein said attaching means comprises means attaching said knee bolster panel to said housing.

3. An air bag activated knee bolster, as defined by claim 2,

wherein said attaching means comprises plastic fasteners.

4. An air bag activated knee bolster, as defined by claim 3,

wherein said-plastic fasteners comprise push-in rivets and studs characterized to break at a predetermined force.

5. An air activated knee bolster, as defined by claim 1,

wherein said attaching means comprises tear tabs having perforated tear areas attaching said knee bolster panel to said housing.

6. An air bag activated knee bolster, as defined by claim 1,

wherein upon activation of said inflator and deployment of said air bag pressure acting on the back of said knee bolster panel from the inflating air bag create a force sufficient to separate said knee bolster panel from said housing, thereby allowing rearward and upward arcing movement of said knee bolster panel during deployment.

7. An air bag activated knee bolster, as defined by claim 1,

wherein said tether means comprises a polyester strap about one inch wide.

8. An air bag activated knee bolster, as defined by claim 1,

wherein said tether means comprises a nylon strap about one inch wide.

9. An air bag activated knee bolster, as defined by claim 1,

wherein said air bag is fabricated from nylon cloth.

10. An air bag activated knee bolster, as defined by claim 1,

wherein said tether means comprises a polyester strap about one inch wide with a thickness in the range of fifty thousandths to one-tenth of an inch.

11. An air activated knee bolster, as defined by claim 1,

wherein said tether means comprises a nylon strap about one inch wide and a thickness in the range of fifty thousandths to one-tenth of an inch.

12. An air bag activated knee bolster, as defined by claim 1, further including:

a first retaining ring for attaching the first end of each of said tethers to said housing, and

a second retaining ring for attaching the second end of each of said tethers to said knee bolster panel.

13. An air bag activated knee bolster, as defined by claim 1,

wherein said tether means includes a pair of spaced parallel tethers and at least one diagonal tether to position and stabilize said knee bolster panel with said diagonal tether being so arranged as to be taut when said knee bolster panel is in a retracted position.