Device for protecting the knees of vehicle occupants

Details Device for protecting the knees of vehicle occupants Device for protecting the knees of vehicle occupants

2002-05-31

2004-08-03

Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)

Land vehicles

Wheeled

Attachment

Reexamination Certificate

active

06769713

ABSTRACT:

This application claims the priority of German Patent Document No. 101 26 864.5, filed Jun. 1, 2001, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for protecting the knees of vehicle occupants with at least one airbag, which, in the inflated operating position, extends in front of the knees of a vehicle occupant.
Such a knee-protection device is disclosed, for example, in German Patent Document DE 197 01 709 C2. This knee-protection device comprises essentially a transversely extending load distribution plate, an airbag section being provided on either side of this load distribution plate. It is a disadvantage of this version of an airbag that the load distribution plate is accelerated very rapidly by the inflation of the airbag, this rapid acceleration representing an increased risk of injury to the occupant. In addition, the propelling charge must be designed adequately, so that the airbag can unfold rapidly. By these means, the problem of the rapid acceleration of the load distribution plate is increased even further.
It is an object of the present invention to create an improved knee-protection device for vehicle occupants, which functions well and can prevent injuries to the knee of vehicle occupants when the knee-protection device is inflated.
The inventive knee-protection device does not have a load distribution plate and consists only of at least two transversely extending airbags which, in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, are disposed one directly behind the other, or of at least one air cushion, the airbags being tubular and, on the side facing the knees, being coupled together by at least one fabric bridge. In addition, on the side averted from the knees, the airbags are fixed by shackles to the body of the vehicle. When the pressure increases in the two airbags, they mutually support one another and, due to a structural overlapping of the two tubular sections in the center, they endeavor to move apart from one another. This is prevented, on the one hand, by the fabric bridge and, on the other, by the fixing shackles. With the design of the fabric bridge and the fixing brackets, a positionally stable airbag system is formed, for which the airbags are braced by the housing of the knee-protection device and by the dashboard. The tubular form of the airbag offers the largest surface area for the smallest volume. By these means, a high pressure can be built up very rapidly in the airbags. Due to the absence of the load-distribution plate, the weight of the inventive, well functioning, knee-protection device can be reduced significantly. The two tubular sections and the fabric bridge can be produced in one-piece in a so-called 3-D weaving method, so that there are fewer seams and costs are reduced.
The airbags can be filled individually or jointly. If they are filled jointly, air ducts are provided in the connecting fabric bridge and permit joint filling from one side of the device. If the airbags are filled separately, there is no connection between them and each airbag is filled separately.
The geometric shape of the airbags can be adapted to the conditions in the vehicle body or in the cockpit region. Aside from a tubular form, the airbags can also be elliptical or constructed as so-called cushions. The cushion can also have different chambers, which can be filled individually or jointly. Likewise, the air cushion may have several tubes, which are disposed adjacent to one another and have a mutual depression to one another.
Embodiments of the invention are explained in greater detail below and shown in the drawings.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


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