Knee-protecting airbag device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016288758-A1
Application number	US-201615045374-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 17, 2016
Priority date	Mar 31, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An airbag of a knee-protecting airbag device is mounted on a case together with an inflator with the aid of mounting means of the inflator. The case is provided with an airbag emergence opening at the lower end region. The airbag includes a vehicle body side panel, an occupant side panel, a mounting inflatable region which is located in a lower end region of the airbag as deployed and is secured to the case, and a knee-protecting region deployable in such a manner as to extend rearwardly and upwardly from the mounting inflatable region. The airbag further includes inside the mounting inflatable region a tether which joins the vehicle body side panel and occupant side panel for regulating a clearance between the vehicle body side panel and occupant side panel at airbag deployment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A knee-protecting airbag device mountable on a vehicle, comprising:
a case provided with an airbag emergence opening at a lower end region thereof; an inflatable airbag that is housed in and mounted on the case in a folded-up configuration, the airbag including:
a vehicle body side panel deployable towards a vehicle body structure;
an occupant side panel deployable towards a seat of the vehicle;
a mounting inflatable region that is located in a lower end region of the airbag as deployed and is secured to the case; and
a knee-protecting region that is deployable in such a manner as to extend rearwardly and upwardly from the mounting inflatable region for protecting knees of a vehicle occupant;
an inflator for feeding an inflation gas to the airbag, the inflator being generally cylindrical in outer contour and including a mounting means with which the inflator and airbag are mounted on the case; and a tether that is disposed inside the mounting inflatable region of the airbag and joins the vehicle body side panel and occupant side panel for regulating a clearance between the vehicle body side panel and occupant side panel at airbag deployment.

2 . The knee-protecting airbag device according to claim 1 , wherein an upper end region of the tether joined to the vehicle body side panel is supported by the inflator directly or indirectly at airbag deployment.

3 . The knee-protecting airbag device according to claim 2 , wherein the tether is deployable in front of the inflator.

4 . The knee-protecting airbag device according to claim 2 , wherein the tether is deployable at the rear of the inflator.

5 . The knee-protecting airbag device according to claim 3 , wherein:
the tether is formed into a band deployable generally along a left and right direction; and a first end in a width direction of the tether is joined to the vehicle body side panel generally entirely while a second end in the width direction of the tether is joined to the occupant side panel generally entirely, such that the tether is disposed over a generally entire area in a left and right direction of the mounting inflatable region.

6 . The knee-protecting airbag device according to claim 4 , wherein:
the tether is formed into a band deployable generally along a left and right direction; and a first end in a width direction of the tether is joined to the vehicle body side panel generally entirely while a second end in the width direction of the tether is joined to the occupant side panel generally entirely, such that the tether is disposed over a generally entire area in a left and right direction of the mounting inflatable region.

7 . The knee-protecting airbag device according to claim 1 , wherein the tether is deployable within an area immediately below the case in a front and rear direction.

Assignees

• Toyoda Gosei Kk

Inventors

• Ando Takeshi

Classifications

• B60R21/231

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

• B60R2021/23382

  Internal tether means · 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

• B60R21/2338

  Tethers · CPC title