Passenger side active knee bolster

• US 8,459,689 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2010
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABC Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Salflex Polymers Limited
• Inventors: Roychoudhury, Raj S.
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, TOAN C
• Application Number:
  US12/978,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20110198827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/730.1, 280/743.1, 280/750, 280/751, 280/752
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0051 Knees
• 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 7/06 mounted on or below dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An energy management system for mounting in a vehicle, the energy management system comprising an inflatable bolster for mounting in a glove box door of a glove box of the vehicle, the inflatable bolster including an expansible hollow interior, an inflator module for inflating the expansible hollow interior, a front wall for projecting inwardly into the vehicle and away from the glove box on inflation of the expansible hollow interior, and a back wall located between the expansible hollow interior and the glove box, and a support structure for mounting to the inflatable bolster, the support structure being operable to resist the back wall being forced into the glove box due to inflation of the inflatable bolster.

Claims

1. An energy management system for mounting in a vehicle, the energy management system comprising:

an inflatable bolster for mounting in a glove box door of a glove box of the vehicle, the inflatable bolster including an expansible hollow interior, an inflator module for inflating the expansible hollow interior, a front wall for projecting inwardly into the vehicle and away from the glove box on inflation of the expansible hollow interior, and a back wall located between the expansible hollow interior and the glove box; and

a support structure for mounting to the inflatable bolster, the support structure being operable to resist the back wall being forced into the glove box due to inflation of the inflatable bolster.

2. The energy management system as defined in claim 1, wherein the support structure comprises:

an internal support structure for mounting in the expansible hollow interior; and

an external support structure for mounting outside the expansible hollow interior;

wherein the internal support structure is engaged with the external support structure to form a unitary support structure that is operable to resist bending due to the force of inflation of the inflatable bolster.

3. The energy management system as defined in claim 2, wherein:

the internal support structure comprises a first internal support strip and a second internal support strip; and

the external support structure comprises a first external support strip and a second external support strip;

wherein the first internal support strip and the first external support strip are engaged; and

the second internal support strip and the second external support strip are engaged.

4. The energy management system as defined in claim 3, wherein:

the first external support strip comprises a first hinged end and a first free end, and the second external support strip comprises a second hinged end and a second free end;

the first hinged end and the second hinged end are hingedly secure to a front dash panel of the vehicle such that the glove box door is operable to open and close; and

the first free end and the second free end comprises a latching mechanism for engaging the first free end and the second free end with the front dash panel of the vehicle to hold the glove box door closed, the latching mechanism being disengageable to open the glove box door to provide access to the glove box, wherein the latching mechanism is operable to remain engaged during inflation of the inflatable bolster.

5. The energy management system as defined in claim 4, wherein:

the inflatable bolster is configured to inflate in a direction substantially orthogonal to the front wall; and

,

the latching mechanism is disengaged by being moved in a direction substantially orthogonal to the expansion direction of the inflatable bolster.

6. The energy management system as defined in claim 5, wherein:

the internal support structure and the external support structure are metal.

7. The energy management system as defined in claim 6, wherein:

the external support structure comprises a combined total strip area facing the back wall of the inflatable bolster;

the back wall has a total back wall area; and

the combined total strip area is less than half the total back wall area.

8. The energy management system as defined in claim 7, wherein the combined total strip area is less than a fifth of the total back wall area.

9. The energy management system as defined in claim 7, wherein the inflatable bolster further comprises a vent aperture for facilitating deflation of the inflatable bolster, the vent aperture being dimensioned such that the internal support structure is insertable via the vent aperture.

10. The energy management system as defined in claim 9, wherein the vent aperture comprises

a first vent dimensioned such that the first internal support strip is insertable via the first vent;

and

a second vent dimensioned such that the second internal support strip is insertable via the second vent.

11. The energy management system as defined in claim 10, wherein the glove box door comprises a substantially planar glove box surface and reinforcing ribs extending substantially perpendicularly from the glove box door, wherein the ribs are operable to reinforce the glove box door, and are operable to crumble on inflation of the inflatable bolster pushing the glove box door out of the glove box.

12. A method of assembling an energy management system for mounting in a vehicle, the method comprising:

providing an inflatable bolster for mounting in a glove box door of a glove box of the vehicle, the inflatable bolster including an expansible hollow interior, an inflator module for inflating the expansible hollow interior, a front wall for projecting inwardly into the vehicle and away from the glove box on inflation of the expansible hollow interior, a back wall located between the expansible hollow interior and the glove box; and

a vent aperture for facilitating deflation of the inflatable bolster;

providing an internal support structure, and an external support structure;

inserting the internal support structure into the expansible hollow interior via the vent aperture; and

engaging the internal support structure with the external support structure to form a unitary support structure that is operable to bending due to a force of inflation of the inflatable bolster.

13. An energy management system and glove box compartment for mounting in a vehicle, the energy management system and glove box compartment comprising:

a glove box for mounting in the vehicle, the glove box having a glove box door and a glove box interior dimension;

an inflatable bolster for mounting in the glove box door of the glove box, the inflatable bolster including an expansible hollow interior, an inflator module for inflating the expansible hollow interior, a front wall for projecting inwardly into the vehicle and away from the glove box on inflation of the expansible hollow interior, and a back wall located between the expansible hollow interior and the glove box; and

,

a support structure for mounting to the inflatable bolster, the support structure having a support structure dimension larger than the glove box dimension, and spanning the glove box dimension, the support structure being operable to the back wall being forced into the glove box due to inflation of the inflatable bolster.

14. The energy management system and glove box compartment as defined in claim 13, wherein the support structure comprises:

an internal support structure for mounting in the expansible hollow interior; and

an external support structure for mounting outside the expansible hollow interior;

wherein the internal support structure is engaged with the external support structure to form a unitary support structure that is operable to resist bending due to the force of inflation of the inflatable bolster.

15. The energy management system and glove box compartment as defined in claim 14, wherein:

the internal support structure comprises a first internal support strip and a second internal support strip; and

the external support structure comprises a first external support strip and a second external support strip;

wherein the first internal support strip and the first external support strip are engaged; and

the second internal support strip and the second external support strip are engaged.

16. The energy management system and glove box compartment as defined in claim 15, wherein:

the first external support strip comprises a first hinged end and a first free end, and the second external support strip comprises a second hinged end and a second free end;

the first hinged end and the second hinged end are hingedly secured to a front dash panel of the vehicle such that the glove box door is operable to pivot about the first hinged end and the second hinged end to open and close; and

the first free end and the second free end comprises a latching mechanism for latching the first free end and the second free end to the front dash panel of the vehicle to hold the glove box door closed, the latching mechanism being disengageable to such that the glove box door is operable to pivot about the first hinged end and the second hinged end to open to provide access to the glove box, wherein the latching mechanism is operable to remain latched to the front dash panel of the vehicle during inflation of the inflatable bolster.

17. The energy management system and glove box compartment as defined in claim 16, wherein:

the inflatable bolster is configured to inflate in a direction substantially orthogonal to the front wall; and

the latching mechanism is disengagable by being moved in a direction substantially orthogonal to the expansion direction of the inflatable bolster.

18. The energy management system and glove box compartment as defined in claim 17, wherein:

the internal support structure and the external support structure are metal.

19. The energy management system and glove box compartment as defined in claim 18, wherein:

the external support structure comprises a combined total strip area facing the back wall of the inflatable bolster;

the back wall has a total back wall area; and

the combined total strip area is less than half the total back wall area.

20. The energy management system and glove box compartment as defined in claim 19, wherein the combined total strip area is less than a fifth of the total back wall area.

21. The energy management system and glove box compartment as defined in claim 19, wherein the inflatable bolster further comprises a vent aperture for facilitating deflation of the inflatable bolster, the vent aperture being dimensioned such that the internal support structure is insertable via the vent aperture.

22. The energy management system and glove box compartment as defined in claim 21, wherein the vent aperture comprises

a first vent dimensioned such that the first internal support strip is insertable via the first vent;

and

a second vent dimensioned such that the second internal support strip is insertable via the second vent.

23. The energy management system and glove box compartment as defined in claim 22, wherein the glove box door comprises a substantially planar glove box surface and reinforcing ribs extending substantially perpendicularly from the glove box door, wherein the ribs are operable to reinforce the glove box door, and are operable to crumble on inflation of the inflatable bolster pushing the glove box door out of the glove box.