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Knee protecting airbag device

  • US 6,752,417 B2
  • Filed: 05/03/2002
  • Issued: 06/22/2004
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2001
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A knee protecting airbag device for a vehicle comprising:

  • an airbag for inflating, when fed with an inflating gas, to protect the knees of a passenger; and

    a housing portion arranged below a member attached to the vehicle and in front of the knees of the passenger for housing the airbag in a folded state, wherein;

    said housing portion includes an opening for permitting said airbag to protrude toward the rear of the vehicle;

    said airbag is arranged to extend and expand, when fed with said inflating gas, while protruding from said housing portion toward the rear of the vehicle; and

    said airbag includes;

    a lower expansion portion, which is located in an upstream part of a flow of said inflating gas, and the lower expansion portion protrudes from the opening of said housing portion toward the rear of the vehicle when fed with said inflating gas, to protect said knees; and

    an upper expansion portion that communicates with said lower expansion portion and is in a downstream part of the gas flow, and the upper expansion portion protrudes upward from said lower expansion portion along a rear face of said member attached to the vehicle to cover the opening and at least an area above the opening;

    at an initial stage of the extension and expansion of said airbag, said lower expansion portion protrudes toward the rear of the vehicle from the opening and then extends and expands transversely to cover the areas to the left and right of said opening;

    means for transversely extending and expanding said lower expansion portion includes a gas flow guide member arranged in said airbag for guiding said inflating gas in said lower expansion portion toward opposite, transverse sides of the airbag;

    said airbag includes, upon completion of the extension and expansion, a front wall and a rear wall;

    a tether is arranged in said airbag for connecting said front wall and said rear wall to regulate the thickness of said lower expansion portion during the extension and expansion of the airbag;

    left and right ends of the tether are spaced from corresponding left and right edges of said airbag, and the tether is arranged in a transverse direction to form said gas flow guide member; and

    includes a gas communication port near its center for feeding the inflating gas to said upper expansion portion.

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