US 2004/0169363 A1 · Occupant protection apparatus for a vehicle

Abstract

An actuator of an active knee bolster is provided with a drive force generation device and a one way lock mechanism that is disposed in a vicinity of an operation end of the drive force generation device. The one way lock mechanism is configured such that, if attempted movement of a piston member in an inward insertion direction occurs, respective engagement portions are moved to a taper portion by urging force of a spring, whereby the engagement portions are abutted against an external periphery surface of the piston member such that the piston member and the engagement portions are fixed. Accordingly, as a result of the one way lock mechanism, a main body of the active knee bolster that has been moved to a restraining position cannot return in a vehicle forward direction, and thus it is possible to generate a substantial lower limb restraining force that restrains a lower limb of an occupant.

Claims8

Dependent claims

An occupant protection apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a deceleration detection device that detects a vehicle deceleration;
a lower limb restraining device that restrains a lower limb of an occupant;
and
a driving device that, when an output signal of the deceleration detection device is received, actuates the lower limb restraining device, wherein
a force at which the lower limb restraining device is moved in an occupant lower limb direction is smaller than a force at which the lower limb of the occupant is restrained.

2 more elements

An occupant protection apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a deceleration detection device that detects a vehicle deceleration;
a lower limb restraining member that restrains at least one of left and right lower limbs of an occupant by being moved in an occupant lower limb direction;
a driving device that drives the lower limb restraining member in the occupant lower limb direction;
a control device that controls activation of the driving device when a signal of the deceleration detection device is received;
and
a stopping mechanism that holds the lower limb restraining member such that movement in a reverse direction that is opposite to a movement direction of the lower limb restraining member is limited so that the at least one lower limb is restrained, wherein
a force at which the lower limb restraining member is moved in the occupant lower limb direction by the driving device is smaller than a force at which the stopping mechanism restrains the at least one lower limb of the occupant.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Occupant protection apparatus for a vehicle

Life of this patent

Occupant protection apparatus for a vehicle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8