Knee protection airbag device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10596991-B2
Application number	US-201815902015-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2018
Priority date	Mar 27, 2017
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

A knee protection airbag device includes: a case including a circumferential wall part surrounding a protrusion opening and extending in a front side; and an airbag cover, made by rigidity resin, covering the protrusion opening and being connected to the case. The airbag cover includes: a connection wall part which extends forward from a front side of the decorative panel, and is arranged to cover an upper side of an upper wall part on an upper side in the circumferential wall part of the case. The connection wall part includes an engaging hole. The upper wall part includes a metal engaging hook protruding upward to be inserted into the engaging hole. The airbag cover includes a shield part configured to hide the engaging hook from a visual line. The shield part is integrally formed during molding of the airbag cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A knee protection airbag device mounted on a front side of a seated driver, the device comprising:
a case which houses a driver-knee protection airbag and includes a circumferential wall part surrounding a protrusion opening and extending in a front side, the protrusion opening being arranged toward a rear side and allowing the airbag to protrude during inflation; and
an airbag cover, made by rigid resin, covering the protrusion opening of the case to allow the airbag to protrude during inflation, the airbag cover being connected to the case, and the airbag cover including:
a decorative panel which covers the protrusion opening, has a door part which is openable by being pressed by the airbag during inflation and an upper edge part which surrounds the door part and extends upward, and is arranged to be exposed to an inside of a vehicle cabin; and
a connection wall part which extends forward from a front side of the decorative panel, and is arranged to cover an upper side of an upper wall part on an upper side in the circumferential wall part of the case, wherein:

the connection wall part of the airbag cover includes an engaging hole penetrated vertically;
the upper wall part of the case includes a metal engaging hook protruding upward to be inserted into the engaging hole;
the airbag cover is connected to the case when the engaging hook is inserted into the engaging hole is engaged with the connection wall part;
the airbag cover includes a shield part configured to hide the engaging hook from a visual line which is directed through an upper side of the upper edge part toward the engaging hook engaged with the connection wall part in a vehicle mounted state; and
the shield part is integrally formed during molding of the airbag cover, wherein:

the shield part of the airbag cover is arranged to extend in a wall shape in a right and left direction, so as to hide a plurality of the engaging hooks engaged in a plurality of the engaging holes provided in parallel in the right and left direction,
a recess part which is recessed downward from portions of both right and left edges is arranged in a center in the right and left direction in the upper edge part of the airbag cover; and
the shield part is arranged on a front side of the recess part to have a width dimension larger than a width dimension of the recess part in the right and left direction and smaller than a width dimension in the right and left direction in the connection wall part in which the plurality of the engaging holes are provided in parallel in the right and left direction.

2. The knee protection airbag device according to claim 1 , wherein
the airbag cover includes, in an upper end of the upper edge part, a tongue part which extends to be curved to the front side.

3. A knee protection airbag device mounted on a front side of a seated driver, the device comprising:
a case which houses a driver-knee protection airbag and includes a circumferential wall part surrounding a protrusion opening and extending in a front side, the protrusion opening being arranged toward a rear side and allowing the airbag to protrude during inflation; and
an airbag cover, made by rigid resin, covering the protrusion opening of the case to allow the airbag to protrude during inflation, the airbag cover being connected to the case, and the airbag cover including:
a decorative panel which covers the protrusion opening, has a door part which is openable by being pressed by the airbag during inflation and an upper edge part which surrounds the door part and extends upward, and is arranged to be exposed to an inside of a vehicle cabin; and
a connection wall part which extends forward from a front side of the decorative panel, and is arranged to cover an upper side of an upper wall part on an upper side in the circumferential wall part of the case, wherein:

the connection wall part of the airbag cover includes an engaging hole penetrated vertically;
the upper wall part of the case includes a metal engaging hook protruding upward to be inserted into the engaging hole;
the airbag cover is connected to the case when the engaging hook is inserted into the engaging hole is engaged with the connection wall part;
the airbag cover includes a shield part configured to hide the engaging hook from a visual line which is directed through an upper side of the upper edge part toward the engaging hook engaged with the connection wall part in a vehicle mounted state; and
the shield part is integrally formed during molding of the airbag cover, wherein
the airbag cover is arranged such that the shield part protrudes from an area from a rear edge of the engaging hole in an upper side of the connection wall part to an upper end of the upper edge part in a front side of the upper edge part,
the shield part of the airbag cover protrudes upward from a rear position of the engaging hole in an upper side of the connection wall part,
the shield part of the airbag cover includes:
a rear front side part which protrudes from a rear position of the engaging hole to hide, from a rear side, the engaging hook which protrudes from the engaging hole; and
oblique rear side parts which protrude from both right and left sides of the engaging hole, and hide the engaging hook which protrudes from the engaging hole, from an oblique rear side.

4. The knee protection airbag device according to claim 3 , wherein:
the shield part of the airbag cover is formed by molding; and
the shield part is arranged so that at least a surface of the shield part, an upper surface of the connection wall part, and a front side of the upper edge part are molded by a molding surface of one split mold of a molding die.

5. The knee protection airbag device according to claim 3 , wherein
the shield part of the airbag cover is configured such that the right and left oblique rear side parts extend forward from both right and left sides of the rear front side part, and has a substantially U shape when viewed from an upper side.

6. A knee protection airbag device mounted on a front side of a seated driver, the device comprising:
a case which houses a driver-knee protection airbag and includes a circumferential wall part surrounding a protrusion opening and extending in a front side, the protrusion opening being arranged toward a rear side and allowing the airbag to protrude during inflation; and
an airbag cover, made by rigid resin, covering the protrusion opening of the case to allow the airbag to protrude during inflation, the airbag cover being connected to the case, and the airbag cover including:
a decorative panel which covers the protrusion opening, has a door part which is openable by being pressed by the airbag during inflation and an upper edge part which surrounds the door part and extends upward, and is arranged to be exposed to an inside of a vehicle cabin; and
a connection wall part which extends forward from a front side of the decorative panel, and is arranged to cover an upper side of an upper wall part on an upper side in the circumferential wall part of the case, wherein:

the connection wall part of the airbag cover includes an engaging hole penetrated vertically;
the upper wall part of the case includes a metal engaging hook protruding upward to be inserted into the engaging hole;
the airbag cover is connected to the case when the engaging hook is inserted into the engaging hole is engaged with the connection wall part;
the airbag cover includes a shield part configured to hide the engaging hook from a visual line which is directed through an upper side of the upper edge part toward the engaging hook engaged with the connection wall part in a vehicle mounted state; and
the shield part is integrally formed during molding of the airbag cover, where

Assignees

• Toyoda Gosei Kk

Inventors

• Yamauchi Koji

Classifications

• B60R2021/0051

  Knees · CPC title

• B60R21/206 Primary

  in the lower part of dashboards, e.g. for protecting the knees · CPC title

• B60R21/215 Primary

  characterised by the covers for the inflatable member {(B60R21/2176 takes precedence)} · CPC title