Steering column device with knee airbag device

A steering column device with a knee airbag device, comprising:

• a steering column provided with a telescopic mechanism;
• a column cover that covers a rear end portion of the steering column;
• an airbag module that is provided inside the column cover, and that includes a gas generation device that is operated to generate gas, and a knee airbag that is inflated and deployed from a folded state by the gas generated by the gas generating device;
• an airbag door that is provided in the column cover, and that is opened when the airbag door receives an inflation pressure of the knee airbag;
• a collision prediction device that predicts that a vehicle will have a collision with a collision object;
• and
• a control device that operates the telescopic mechanism so that each of the column cover and the airbag module is moved rearward to a predetermined position, when the collision prediction device predicts that the vehicle will have the collision with the collision object,
• wherein the airbag door includes a lower door that is formed in a lower surface of the column cover;
• and
• when the column cover and the airbag module are moved rearward to the predetermined position, the lower door does not substantially interfere with an outline of an instrument panel in a plan view.

A steering column device with a knee airbag device, comprising:

• a steering column provided with a telescopic mechanism;
• a column cover that covers a rear end portion of the steering column;
• an airbag module that is provided inside the column cover, and that includes a gas generation device that is operated to generate gas, and a knee airbag that is inflated and deployed from a folded state by the gas generated by the gas generation device;
• an airbag door that is provided in a surface of the column cover, and that is opened when the airbag door receives an inflation pressure of the knee airbag;
• a collision prediction device that predicts that a vehicle will have a collision with a collision object;
• and
• a control device that operates the telescopic mechanism so that each of the column cover and the airbag module is moved rearward to a predetermined position, when the collision prediction device predicts that the vehicle will have the collision with the collision object,
• wherein when the column cover and the airbag module are moved rearward to the predetermined position, the airbag door does not substantially interfere with an outline of an instrument panel.