Knee protecting airbag device

A knee protecting airbag device,

• wherein a knee protecting folded airbag and an inflator for feeding an inflating gas to said airbag are housed in a plate-shaped holding member arranged in front of the knees of a seated passenger,
• wherein an airbag cover for covering the housed airbag in a manner allowing the airbag to protrude is mounted on said holding member,
• wherein said holding member includes a bottomed box-shaped housing portion for housing said airbag and said inflator,
• wherein said housing portion is opened toward the vehicle rear,
• wherein said airbag cover includes:
• a door portion for covering the opening of said housing portion, to open when pushed by said expanding airbag;
• a thinned breakaway portion arranged periphery of said door portion broken for said door portion to open;
• a hinge portion arranged around said door portion for providing a pivot for said door portion being opened;
• and
• a general portion arranged around said door portion, said breakaway portion and said hinge portion for covering the periphery of said housing portion in said holding member on the vehicle rear side, and
• wherein mounting members to be mounted on said housing portion through said holding member are arranged at a plurality of portions of said general portion in the opening periphery of said housing portion.

A knee protecting airbag device comprising an airbag module arranged in front of the knees of a seated passenger,

• wherein said airbag module includes:
• a knee protecting folded airbag;
• an inflator capable of feeding an inflating gas to said airbag;
• a case for housing said airbag and said inflator;
• and an airbag cover for covering the vehicle rear side in the opening of said case,
• wherein said case has an opening for allowing said airbag when extending and expanding to protrude toward the rear of the vehicle,
• wherein said knee protecting airbag device further includes a plate-shaped holding member made of a deformable material,
• wherein said holding member has a plate-shaped portion extending from around the opening of said case, and mounting portions to be mounted on the vehicle body,
• wherein said plate-shaped portion is arranged on the vehicle front side of the area of said airbag which has completed its expansion and,
• wherein said mounting portions are arranged near the periphery of said plate-shaped portion,
• wherein said holding member is constructed to hold the case having housed said airbag and said inflator, and said airbag cover, and
• wherein when a kinetic energy higher than a predetermined level is applied by said knees to said airbag, said plate-shaped portion can be deformed to absorb the kinetic energy of said knees.

A knee protecting airbag device arranged in front of the knees of a seated passenger and comprising:

• a knee protecting folded airbag;
• an inflator for feeding an inflating gas to said airbag;
• a case opened toward the vehicle rear for housing said airbag and said inflator;
• and an airbag cover for covering said case on the rear-facing side,
• wherein said airbag cover consists of an integral molding including:
• a door portion for covering the opening of said case and a general portion arranged around said door portion,
• wherein said door portion includes:
• a hinge portion arranged at a lower end for providing a pivot when said door portion is opened;
• and a thinned breakaway portion arranged at the periphery excepting said hinge portion, that can be opened downward when said airbag expands, and
• wherein extension promoting means for opening said door portion quickly to promote the extension and expansion of said airbag is arranged near said door portion.

A knee protecting airbag device comprising:

• a folded airbag;
• an inflator for feeding an inflating gas to said airbag;
• and a case housing said airbag and said inflator and arranged below a steering column,
• wherein said airbag fed with the inflating gas extends and expands, while protruding toward the rear of the vehicle from the opening of said case, to protect the knees of the passenger,
• wherein said case is opened toward the vehicle rear side and includes a peripheral wall portion and a bottom wall portion closing the vehicle front side of said peripheral wall portion, and
• wherein said inflator is of a cylinder type and is so housed in said case that its axial direction is generally parallel to the axial direction of said case peripheral wall portion.

A knee protecting airbag device comprising:

• a folded airbag;
• an inflator for feeding an inflating gas to said airbag;
• and a case housing said airbag and said inflator and arranged below a steering column,
• wherein when said airbag fed with the inflating gas extends and expands it protrudes to the rear of the vehicle from the opening of said case, to protect the knees of the passenger, wherein said case is opened on the vehicle rear side and includes a peripheral wall portion and a bottom wall portion closing the vehicle front side of said peripheral wall portion, and
• wherein said inflator is of a disc type and is so mounted and fixed on the peripheral wall portion of said case that its axial direction is generally perpendicular to the axial direction of said case peripheral wall portion.

A knee protecting airbag device comprising:

• a folded airbag;
• an inflator for feeding an inflating gas to said airbag;
• and a case housing said airbag and arranged below a steering column,
• wherein when said airbag fed with the inflating gas extends and expands, it protrudes backward of the vehicle from the opening of said case, to protect the knees of the passenger,
• wherein said case is opened toward the vehicle rear side and includes a peripheral wall portion and a bottom wall portion closing the vehicle front side of said peripheral wall portion, and
• wherein said inflator has a gas feed passage for feeding the inflating gas to said airbag folded and housed in said case, the inflator being arranged outside of said case.