Knee air bag module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10994685-B2
Application number	US-201716073404-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2017
Priority date	Feb 9, 2016
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

A knee airbag module of a vehicle occupant restraint system comprises an outer housing ( 12 ) having a front side ( 14 ) including a deployment aperture ( 18 ) as well as an opposite rear side ( 16 ), an airbag ( 20 ) and an inflator ( 32 ) which provides filling gas for the deployment of the airbag ( 20 ). The airbag ( 20 ) is folded and in the folded state is retained by a flexible airbag wrapping ( 34 ) while forming an airbag package ( 24 ), wherein the airbag package ( 24 ) constitutes a pre-assembled unit and the flexible airbag wrapping ( 34 ) closes off the knee airbag module ( 10 ) at least in portions to the outside. There is provided a rigid outer housing part ( 42 ) which includes a first bearing zone ( 54 ) positioned in the area of the airbag package ( 24 ) against which the airbag ( 20 ) bears during deployment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A knee airbag module of a vehicle occupant restraint system, comprising an outer housing ( 12 ) having a front side ( 14 ) including a deployment aperture ( 18 ) and an opposite rear side ( 16 ), an airbag ( 20 ) and an inflator ( 32 ) which provides filling gas for the deployment of the airbag ( 20 ), wherein the airbag ( 20 ) is folded and in the folded state is retained by a flexible airbag wrapping ( 34 ) having no inherent rigidity while forming an airbag package ( 24 ), wherein the airbag package ( 24 ) constitutes a pre-assembled unit and the flexible airbag wrapping ( 34 ) at least in portions closes off the airbag module ( 10 ) to the outside, and wherein the outer housing ( 12 ) comprises a rigid outer housing part ( 42 ) which includes a first bearing zone ( 54 ) positioned in the area of the airbag package ( 24 ) against which the airbag ( 20 ) bears during deployment.

2. The knee airbag module according to claim 1 , wherein the first bearing zone ( 54 ) is opposed to the deployment aperture ( 18 ).

3. The knee airbag module according to claim 2 , wherein the first bearing zone ( 54 ) forms a portion of a rear side ( 16 ) of the outer housing ( 12 ) opposed to the deployment aperture ( 18 ), wherein, in the area of the rear side ( 16 ), the rigid outer housing part ( 42 ) closes off the knee airbag module ( 10 ) to the outside only in portions.

4. The knee airbag module according to claim 1 , wherein the rigid outer housing part ( 42 ) is L-shaped in cross-section and a first leg ( 44 ) forms at least a part of the rear side ( 16 ) of the outer housing ( 12 ) and a second leg ( 46 ) forms at least a part of a sidewall of the outer housing ( 12 ).

5. The knee airbag module according to claim 4 , wherein the second leg ( 46 ) forms a second bearing zone ( 56 ).

6. The knee airbag module according to claim 5 , wherein the free edge ( 58 ) of the second leg ( 46 ) forms the second bearing zone ( 56 ).

7. The knee airbag module according to claim 1 , wherein the rigid outer housing part ( 42 ) forms a maximum of 75% of each of the rear side ( 16 ) and of a sidewall of the outer housing ( 12 ) of the knee airbag module ( 10 ) and the remaining part is formed at least predominantly, preferably completely, by the flexible airbag wrapping ( 34 ).

8. The knee airbag module according to claim 1 , wherein, in its folded package portion, the airbag package ( 24 ) includes an inflating portion ( 26 ) which deploys at the beginning of the deployment operation, wherein the inflating portion ( 26 ) is arranged adjacent to the bearing zone ( 54 ).

9. The knee airbag module according to claim 8 , wherein the inflating portion ( 26 ) is formed by one single fold of the airbag ( 20 ).

10. The knee airbag module according to claim 1 , wherein the knee airbag module ( 10 ) includes a cover ( 36 ) facing a vehicle interior ( 22 ) and closing the deployment aperture ( 18 ).

11. The knee airbag module according to claim 1 , wherein the rigid outer housing part ( 42 ) is a separate one-piece component part.

12. The knee airbag module according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible airbag wrapping ( 34 ) is made especially from fabric material or from a film.

13. The knee airbag module according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible airbag wrapping ( 34 ) also wraps the inflator ( 32 ) so that the latter is part of the pre-assembled unit.

14. The knee airbag module according to claim 1 , wherein the rigid outer housing part ( 42 ) includes a fastening portion ( 48 ) via which the rigid outer housing part ( 42 ) can be fixed to the vehicle.

15. A knee airbag module of a vehicle occupant restraint system, comprising an outer housing ( 12 ) having a front side ( 14 ) including a deployment aperture ( 18 ) and an opposite rear side ( 16 ) and comprising an airbag ( 20 ) and an inflator ( 32 ) which provides filling gas for the deployment of the airbag ( 20 ), wherein the airbag ( 20 ) is folded and in the folded state is retained by a flexible airbag wrapping ( 34 ) having no inherent rigidity while forming an airbag package ( 24 ), wherein the airbag package ( 24 ) constitutes a pre-assembled unit and the flexible airbag wrapping ( 34 ) at least in portions closes off the knee airbag module ( 10 ) to the outside, and wherein, in the mounting position of the pre-assembled unit, part of the vehicle environment includes a first bearing zone ( 54 ) positioned in the area of the airbag package ( 24 ) against which the airbag ( 20 ) bears during deployment.

16. The knee airbag module according to claim 15 , wherein the first bearing zone ( 54 ) is opposed to the deployment aperture ( 18 ).

17. The knee airbag module according to claim 16 , wherein the first bearing zone ( 54 ) forms a portion of a rear side ( 16 ) of the outer housing ( 12 ) opposed to the deployment aperture ( 18 ), wherein, in the area of the rear side ( 16 ), the rigid outer housing part ( 42 ) closes off the knee airbag module ( 10 ) to the outside only in portions.

18. The knee airbag module according to claim 15 , wherein the rigid outer housing part ( 42 ) is L-shaped in cross-section and a first leg ( 44 ) forms at least a part of the rear side ( 16 ) of the outer housing ( 12 ) and a second leg ( 46 ) forms at least a part of a sidewall of the outer housing ( 12 ).

19. The knee airbag module according to claim 18 , wherein the second leg ( 46 ) forms a second bearing zone ( 56 ).

20. The knee airbag module according to claim 15 , wherein, in the mounting position of the pre-assembled unit, a second part of the vehicle environment forms a second bearing zone ( 56 ) protruding from the inflator ( 32 ) in a direction (R) perpendicularly to the first bearing zone ( 54 ).

21. The knee airbag module according to claim 18 , wherein the free edge ( 58 ) of the second leg ( 46 ) forms the second bearing zone ( 56 ).

22. The knee airbag module according to claim 15 , wherein the rigid outer housing part ( 42 ) forms a maximum of 75% of each of the rear side ( 16 ) and of a sidewall of the outer housing ( 12 ) of the knee airbag module ( 10 ) and the remaining part is formed at least predominantly, preferably completely, by the flexible airbag wrapping ( 34 ).

23. The knee airbag module according to claim 15 , wherein, in its folded package portion, the airbag package ( 24 ) includes an inflating portion ( 26 ) which deploys at the beginning of the deployment operation, wherein the inflating portion ( 26 ) is arranged adjacent to the bearing zone ( 54 ).

24. The knee airbag module according to claim 23 , wherein the inflating portion ( 26 ) is formed by one single fold of the airbag ( 20 ).

25. The knee airbag module according to claim 15 , wherein the knee airbag module ( 10 ) includes a cover ( 36 ) facing a vehicle interior ( 22 ) and closing the deployment aperture ( 18 ).

26. The knee airbag module according to claim 15 , wherein the rigid outer housing part ( 42 ) is a separate one-piece component part.

27. The knee airbag module according to claim 15 , wherein the flexible airbag wrapping ( 34 ) is made especially from fabric material or from a film.

28. The knee airbag module according to claim 15 , wherein the flexible airbag wrapping ( 34 ) also wraps the inflator ( 32 ) so that the latter is part of the pre-assembled unit.

29. The knee airbag module according to claim 15 , wherein the ri

Assignees

• Trw Automotive Gmbh

Inventors

• Elija Daniel
• Freisler Werner

Classifications

• B60R21/201 Primary

  Packaging straps or envelopes for inflatable members · CPC title

• B60R2021/161

  characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory · CPC title

• B60R2021/23169

  specially adapted for knee protection · CPC title

• B60R21/206 Primary

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

• B60R21/231

  characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration · CPC title