Arrangement for mounting occupant protection device

A structure for mounting an occupant protection system in a vehicle and the structure comprising:

• an electric power steering device including a steering column supporting a steering wheel of the vehicle, the steering column attached to a steering member;
• and
• a knee protection air bag assembly including a bag configured to expand if the vehicle collides with an obstacle to protect knees of an occupant seated on a driver's seat of the vehicle, wherein
• the steering column includes a drive member of the electric power steering device,
• the knee protection air bag assembly is located below the drive member,
• the knee protection air bag assembly is attached to the drive member,
• the steering column includes a tilt mechanism configured to control a vertical position of the steering wheel,
• a lower panel of a dashboard of the vehicle is located closer to a rear of the vehicle than the knee protection air bag assembly,
• the knee protection air bag assembly is configured such that the bag expands through a region under a lower end of the lower panel beyond the lower panel toward the rear of the vehicle, if the vehicle collides with the obstacle,
• the steering column includes a front mount portion and a rear mount portion,
• the front and rear mount portions are attached to the steering member, and spaced apart from each other in a vehicle longitudinal direction,
• the drive member is located between the front and rear mount portions in the vehicle longitudinal direction,
• the steering member is a pipe member extending in the vehicle width direction,
• the drive member is located below the pipe member,
• the pipe member, the drive member, and the knee protection air bag assembly are arranged vertically in parallel,
• the drive member includes
• a drive motor including a motor shaft projecting beyond a motor case in the vehicle width direction, and
• a drive gear connected to the motor shaft of the drive motor,
• the motor case of the drive motor has a larger diameter than the drive gear,
• the knee protection air bag assembly further includes
• an inflator extending in the vehicle width direction, and configured to feed gas to the bag, and
• a housing extending in the vehicle width direction, and housing the inflator and the bag,
• the housing is located below the motor case and the drive gear,
• the inflator is closer to the drive gear in the vehicle width direction in the housing,
• a recess is formed in an upper portion of the housing on a side closer to the motor case in the vehicle width direction, and
• the motor case is housed in the recess.