Steering column device with knee airbag device

• US 7,862,079 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2008
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Bito, Kazuaki, Sanada, Akiyoshi, Adachi, Yuichi, Imamura, Kenji, Fukawatase, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): BECK, KAREN JANE AMORES
• Application Number:
  US12/071,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20080217890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 280/731, 280/728.3, 280/728.2, 280/775, 280/776, 280/777, 280/779, 280/730.1
• US Class Current: 280/731
• 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 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2165 characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/197 incorporating devices for preventing ingress of the steering column into the passengers space in case of accident

Abstract

A steering column device with a knee airbag device includes a steering column provided with a telescopic mechanism; a column cover that covers the rear end portion of the steering column; an airbag module, provided inside the column cover, which includes a gas generation device that generates gas, and a knee airbag that is inflated and deployed by the gas; an airbag door that is provided in the column cover, and that is opened when the airbag door receives the inflation pressure of the knee airbag; a collision prediction device that predicts that a vehicle will have a collision with a collision object; and a control device that operates the telescopic mechanism so that each of the column cover and the airbag module is moved rearward to a predetermined position, when the collision prediction device predicts that the vehicle will have a collision with the collision object.

Claims

1. A steering column device with a knee airbag device, comprising:

a steering column provided with a telescopic mechanism;

a column cover that covers a rear end portion of the steering column;

an airbag module that is provided inside the column cover, and that includes a gas generation device that is operated to generate gas, and a knee airbag that is inflated and deployed from a folded state by the gas generated by the gas generation device;

an airbag door that is provided in the column cover, and that is opened when the airbag door receives an inflation pressure of the knee airbag;

a collision prediction device that predicts that a vehicle will have a collision with a collision object; and

a control device that operates the telescopic mechanism so that each of the column cover and the airbag module is moved rearward to a predetermined position, when the collision prediction device predicts that the vehicle will have the collision with the collision object,

wherein the airbag door includes a side door that is formed in each of side surfaces of the column cover; and

when the column cover and the airbag module are moved rearward to the predetermined position, the side door does not substantially interfere with an outline of an instrument panel in a lateral view.

2. The steering column device with the knee airbag device according to claim 1, wherein

the telescopic mechanism is an electric telescopic mechanism that is driven by a telescopic motor.

3. The steering column device with the knee airbag device according to claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined position is a rearmost position in each of a range where the column cover can be moved using the telescopic mechanism, and a range where the airbag module can be moved using the telescopic mechanism.

7. The steering column device with the knee airbag device according to claim 1, wherein

the side door includes a side front door and a side rear door,

when the steering column is in a normal position in which the telescopic mechanism is not operated, the side front door of the airbag door interferes with the outline of the instrument panel in the lateral view, and

when each of the column cover and the airbag door is moved to the predetermined position by the control device, the side front door of the airbag module does not interfere with the outline of the instrument panel at all, or almost at all in the lateral view so that the airbag door is widely opened.

4. A steering column device with a knee airbag device, comprising:

a steering column provided with a telescopic mechanism;

a column cover that covers a rear end portion of the steering column;

an airbag module that is provided inside the column cover, and that includes a gas generation device that is operated to generate gas, and a knee airbag that is inflated and deployed from a folded state by the gas generated by the gas generating device;

an airbag door that is provided in the column cover, and that is opened when the airbag door receives an inflation pressure of the knee airbag;

a collision prediction device that predicts that a vehicle will have a collision with a collision object; and

a control device that operates the telescopic mechanism so that each of the column cover and the airbag module is moved rearward to a predetermined position, when the collision prediction device predicts that the vehicle will have the collision with the collision object,

wherein the airbag door includes a lower door that is formed in a lower surface of the column cover; and

when the column cover and the airbag module are moved rearward to the predetermined position, the lower door does not substantially interfere with an outline of an instrument panel in a plan view.

5. The steering column device with the knee airbag device according to claim 4, wherein

the outline of the instrument panel is an outline of the instrument panel at the position of the lower door in the vehicle height direction.

6. The steering column device with the knee airbag device according to claim 4, wherein

the predetermined position is a rearmost position in each of a range where the column cover can be moved using the telescopic mechanism, and a range where the airbag module can be moved using the telescopic mechanism.

8. The steering column device with the knee airbag device according to claim 4, wherein

the lower door includes a lower front door and a lower rear door,

when the steering column is in a normal position in which the telescopic mechanism is not operated, the lower front door of the airbag door interferes with the outline of the instrument panel in the plan view, and

when each of the column cover and the airbag door is moved to the predetermined position by the control device, the lower front door of the airbag module does not interfere with the outline of the instrument panel at all, or almost at all in the plan view so that the airbag door is widely opened.

9. A steering column device with a knee airbag device, comprising:

a steering column provided with a telescopic mechanism;

a column cover that covers a rear end portion of the steering column;

an airbag module that is provided inside the column cover, and that includes a gas generation device that is operated to generate gas, and a knee airbag that is inflated and deployed from a folded state by the gas generated by the gas generation device;

an airbag door that is provided in a surface of the column cover, and that is opened when the airbag door receives an inflation pressure of the knee airbag;

a collision prediction device that predicts that a vehicle will have a collision with a collision object; and

a control device that operates the telescopic mechanism so that each of the column cover and the airbag module is moved rearward to a predetermined position, when the collision prediction device predicts that the vehicle will have the collision with the collision object,

wherein when the column cover and the airbag module are moved rearward to the predetermined position, the airbag door does not substantially interfere with an outline of an instrument panel.