Leg protection device

• US 20030193174A1
• Filed: 03/11/2003
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Abe, Kazuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 6,916,039 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• 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 21/205 in dashboards
• 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 main chamber is formed of a front panel and a rear panel connected together, and the interior thereof is partitioned into small chambers by partition panels. A surface panel is sewn to the front side of the front panel to form an auxiliary chamber in between. When a gas generator is actuated to generate a gas, the gas flows to the auxiliary chamber through the small chambers, and the auxiliary chamber is inflated while the surface panel bulges out toward an occupant.

Claims

1. A leg protection device for protecting a leg of an occupant in a vehicle, comprising:

a gas generator for generating a gas, and

a knee bag to be inflated in front of the leg, and having a main chamber connected to the gas generator to be inflated by the gas from the gas generator, and an auxiliary chamber communicating with the main chamber to be inflated by the gas from the main chamber, said auxiliary chamber covering the main chamber at one side of the main chamber facing the occupant or the other side of the main chamber opposite to the occupant when the knee bag is inflated.

2. A leg protection device according to claim 1, wherein said main chamber is formed of a front panel facing the occupant and a rear panel located at a side opposite to the occupant when the knee bag is inflated, and said auxiliary chamber is formed of an auxiliary-chamber panel and one of said front panel and said rear panel.

3. A leg protection device according to claim 2, wherein said auxiliary-chamber panel has a tucked portion on a periphery thereof.

4. A leg protection device according to claim 2, further comprising a tether situated inside the knee bag for connecting the auxiliary-chamber panel and one of the front and rear panel.

5. A leg protection device according to claim 2, wherein said main chamber is formed of a plurality of sub chambers arranged in series to have fluid communication with each other, one of sub chambers located at one end being connected to the gas generator.

6. A leg protection device according to claim 5, further comprising a partition panel situated between the front and rear panels for dividing the main chamber.

7. A leg protection device according to claim 5, wherein one of the sub chambers not connected to the gas generator communicates with the auxiliary chamber.