Leg protection device for vehicle occupants

• US 6,685,217 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2002
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Abe, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAYES, BRET C
• Application Number:
  US10/142,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20020171232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.1, 280/729, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23176 specially adapted for foot protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• 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

Abstract

A leg protection device for protecting legs of a vehicle occupant from colliding against a vehicle member in front of the vehicle occupant includes an airbag installed inside the vehicle member and a gas generator for generating gas to inflate the airbag. The airbag has a first chamber having a first gas inlet and a second chamber having a second gas inlet. The airbag expands along the vehicle member when the airbag is inflated. The first chamber and the second chamber are connected so that the gas generated from the gas generator at first passes through the first chamber, then flows into the second chamber.

Claims

1. A leg protection device for protecting legs of a vehicle occupant from a member in front of the vehicle occupant, comprising:

a gas generator to be attached to the vehicle for generating gas, and

an airbag attached to the gas generator for receiving the gas therefrom for inflation and having a substantially rectangular shape, said airbag including a first chamber extending laterally at a lower side thereof and having a first gas inlet in a center area thereof to receive the gas from the gas generator, two lateral side areas extending from two lateral sides of the first chamber along the airbag, and a plurality of second chambers extending parallel to the first chamber between the two lateral side areas, each second chamber having second gas inlets communicating with the two lateral side areas so that when the gas generator is actuated, the gas enters the first chamber, flows along the two lateral sides and enters the second chambers sequentially to thereby inflate the airbag.

2. The leg protection device according to claim 1, wherein said airbag further includes partitions at the second gas inlets so that each of the second gas inlets has a size smaller than that of the second chamber adjacent thereto.

3. The leg protection device according to claim 2, wherein said partitions extend substantially perpendicular to the second chambers.

4. The leg protection device according to claim 2, wherein said partitions are curved to extend inwardly of the second chambers.

5. The leg protection device according to claim 4, wherein one of the second chambers adjacent to the first chamber is longer in a lateral size than other second chambers.

6. The leg protection device according to claim 1, wherein one of the second chambers away from the first chamber has a width size perpendicular to the lateral size greater than those of other second chambers.

7. The leg protection device according to claim 6, wherein said airbag further includes partitions at the second gas inlets so that each of the second gas inlets has a size smaller than that of the second chamber adjacent thereto.

8. The leg protection device according to claim 6, wherein said width sizes of the second chambers gradually increase from the second chamber adjacent to the first chamber to the second chamber away from the first chamber.

9. The leg protection device according to claim 8, wherein said air bag extends upwardly from the gas generator.

10. A leg protection device for protecting legs of a vehicle occupant from a member in front of the vehicle occupant, comprising:

a gas generator to be attached to the vehicle for generating gas, and

an airbag attached to the gas generator for receiving the gas therefrom for inflation and having a substantially rectangular shape, said airbag including a first chamber extending vertically at a middle thereof and having a first gas inlet in a center area thereof to receive the gas from the gas generator, and a plurality of second chambers extending parallel to each other perpendicularly to the first chamber and located at two lateral sides relative to the first chamber, each second chamber having a second gas inlet communicating with the first chamber so that when the gas generator is actuated, the gas enters the first chamber, and flows into the second chambers to thereby inflate the airbag.

11. The leg protection device according to claim 10, wherein said airbag further includes partitions at the second gas inlets so that each of the second gas inlets has a size smaller than that of the second chamber adjacent thereto.

12. The leg protection device according to claim 11, wherein said partitions extend substantially perpendicular to the second chambers.