Knee airbag arrangement for vehicles

• US 8,876,159 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2011
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Norbert Stemp
• Original Assignee: Norbert Stemp
• Inventors: Stemp, Norbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Karen
• Application Number:
  US13/704,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20140159353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.1, 280/740, 280/732, 280/743.2, 280/733
• US Class Current: 280/743.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/206 in the lower part of dashboards, e.g. for protecting the knees
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2346 Soft diffusers

Abstract

Knee airbag arrangement for vehicles comprising an airbag module located in a lower area of an instrument panel of a vehicle and an airbag exhibiting an area of lower cross section between the airbag module and the knee impact area which is to catch the knees of a vehicle occupant in the inflated state of the airbag.

Claims

1. A knee airbag arrangement for vehicles with an instrument panel and a passenger compartment, comprising

an airbag module (1), which is arranged in a lower portion of the instrument panel of the vehicle, said lower portion is not visible from the passenger compartment,

an airbag (2), said airbag (2) comprises a knee impact area (4), which is designed to intercept the knees of a vehicle occupant in the inflated state of the airbag (2), a lower area (3) and an intermediate area (5) arranged between the lower area (3) and the knee impact area (4), wherein the airbag (2) exhibits an area of smaller cross section relative to the knee impact area between the airbag module (1) and the knee impact area (4);

wherein the airbag (2) comprises at least one gas guiding wall formed of fabric material, said gas guiding wall is sewed inside the airbag and has a width being greater in the knee impact area than in the lower area (3) and in the intermediate area (5), said gas guiding wall extends substantially in a flow direction of the gas flowing into the airbag when the airbag (2) is triggered.

2. The knee airbag arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising at least one opening (14) for distributing gas in the at least one gas guiding wall, said opening allows a pressure equalization between the gas chambers located at opposite sides of the gas guiding wall (6-12).

3. The knee airbag arrangement according to claim 1, wherein an end (16) of the airbag (2), which end faces the airbag module (1) of the airbag (2) is folded in a zigzag pattern when the airbag (2) is in a non-triggered state.

4. The knee airbag arrangement according to claim 1, wherein an end (17) of the airbag (2), which end facing away from the airbag module (1), is rolled up in the non-triggered state.

5. The knee airbag arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the airbag (2) exhibits lateral areas (20, 21), which are turned towards a central area in the non-triggered state of the airbag (2).

6. The knee airbag arrangement according to claim 1, wherein an instrument panel cover is provided, which extends downwards from an area being in about knee height of the instrument panel and exhibits a front lower edge facing away from the passenger compartment of the vehicle, and a decorative element is provided, which is adjoined at the front lower edge of the instrument panel cover, which decorative element

exhibits a rear lower edge facing the front lower edge of the instrument panel cover,

covers the airbag module (1) from below in the non-triggered state of the airbag module (1), and

exhibits an H-shaped material weakness (10) along which it ruptures when the airbag module (1) is triggered, wherein the material weakness exhibits a front and a rear flap-like portion, which is folded downwards when the airbag module is triggered, wherein the rear flap-like portion is designed so that it covers the front lower edge of the instrument panel cover in the unfolded state and acts as a shooting ramp for the unfolding knee airbag.

7. The knee airbag arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the rear lower edge of the decorative element is slightly displaced upwards than the front lower edge of the instrument panel cover (4) in the non-triggered state of the 10 airbag module (1).

8. The knee airbag arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the rear flap-like portion is narrower than the front flap-like portion.