Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-15
2001-09-04
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283508
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention involves a knee protection device for a person sitting on a seat arranged inside a motor vehicle, in case of an accident-related deformation of the leg space.
A safety device of this type is known from German published patent application DE-A-43 28 446, for example. In that application there is provided a padded board attached to a guide, which is movable by a drive mechanism, essentially in the direction toward the knees of the vehicle passenger, during a crash impact. In this publication it is proposed that a leaf spring, which is firmly harnessed in the vehicle and connected to the padded board, is pre-tensioned in the rest position and releasable opposite to the driving direction of the vehicle, for use as the drive mechanism.
This design entails several serious disadvantages. For example, there are space problems due to a leaf spring which is to be made with relatively large dimensions in order to generate greater forces. Therefore, the design is certainly applicable for the passenger side in a motor vehicle, but not however for the driver's side, where the steering column and the pedal structure are in the way. Furthermore, the construction space is relatively large and the material costs for the leaf spring are too high for the design to be used in the intermediate range of motor vehicles as well.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of this background, an object of the present invention is to further develop a knee protection device of the given type so that the problems mentioned do not occur. This object is solved by a knee protection device according to the present invention, wherein the knee protection device also makes use of a load distribution plate which is driven instantaneously from its rest position in the direction toward the knee parts of the person, in case of activation of the trigger device attached to it, and wherein a pyrotechnic device functions as the actuator.
The prerequisite is thus the presence of a pyrotechnic device which, however, is becoming more and more accepted in motor vehicle construction, for example in the form of a belt-tightening device. Using the locationally fixed belt-tightening device, the load distribution plate can be driven instantaneously in the direction toward the knee part of the motor vehicle passengers via a tension cable, for example. There, it meets the knees of the motor vehicle passenger and holds them back. The structural size of the knee protection device according to the invention is relatively small, since the pyrotechnic device is relatively small, and the load distribution plate can be integrated into the dashboard. By the use of a pyrotechnic device as an actuator, enormously short reaction times can be realized, so that the retaining effect of the load distribution plate can be correspondingly high.
According to an advantageous further embodiment, it is provided that the load distribution plate is held and guided by guide rods, wherein these guide rods consist, at least partially, of energy-absorbing deformation elements. Usually, the guiding parts of the guide rods are guided by a cross strut of the dashboard onto which the energy-absorbing section connects. In case of an impact, the load distribution plate in this embodiment is first moved instantaneously, upon the trigger signal, in the direction toward the knee parts of the motor vehicle passenger. The motor vehicle passenger, tends to move forward because of the impact, and contact the load distribution plate. After contact with the load distribution plate, portions of the kinetic energy are then absorbed by the deformation elements, for example, in which the deformation elements are compressed under considerable expenditure of force.
Especially advantageous is an embodiment in which the load distribution plate is constructed from the flap and the frame of a glove compartment. The glove compartment itself extends away from the motor vehicle interior and, in the rest condition of the system, is covered by the flap and the frame. Upon activation of the load distribution plate made of the flap and frame, the glove compartment stays in its position. From this, the advantage results that only relatively small masses must be accelerated in case the system is triggered.
Under the prerequisite of the presence of certain recognition systems, for example for the size, position, and weight of the motor vehicle passenger on the respective seat, it is advantageously provided that the drive path of the load distribution plate, when the system is triggered, is made adaptable to the respective body size of the person by means of multi-level actuators. The actuator therefore has the possibility of controlling its stroke depending on the sensory finding.
In principle, the drive path of the load distribution plate is the same size as the stroke of the actuator in the previously mentioned embodiments. According to an advantageous further embodiment, however, the drive path can differ from the stroke of the actuator, using a cable/pulley system or a lever system, and can be adapted to the spatial conditions of the leg space.
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Nouwynck Stéphane
Tostain Denis
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld L.L.P.
BSRS Restraint Systems GmbH
Johnson Brian L.
Michael Britton
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