Abstract: In a steering column provided with a knee airbag device to a vehicle, an airbag module, which is integrally provided on an airbag door formed separately from a column lower cover, is fitted to a column tube after a steering column body is assembled, and before a steering lock is fitted to the column tube. Then, after the airbag module is fitted to the column tube, a steering column sub-assembly, which is formed by fitting at least the steering lock to the column tube, is fitted to an instrument panel provided in a vehicle at a predetermined position. After the steering column sub-assembly is fitted to the instrument panel, the column lower cover and a column upper cover, which cover a rear end portion of the steering column, are fitted to the steering column.

Abstract: A knee airbag device includes a column cover that covers a rear end portion of a steering column from below; and an airbag module. The airbag module is disposed in a column lower cover and includes a gas generation portion that generates gas and a knee airbag that is housed in the airbag module in a folded state, and is inflated and deployed by the gas supplied by the gas generation portion. The airbag module is connected to the steering column by a snap-fit action.

Abstract: A knee airbag device includes a knee airbag that is disposed in a folded state inside a steering column cover inside which a projection body that projects downward toward one side in a vehicle-width direction is disposed in a rear area, and a cylindrical inflator that supplies the gas to the knee airbag to deploy the knee airbag. The inflator is disposed inside the steering column cover such that at least a portion of the inflator is positioned in the rear area inside the steering column cover. The inflator is disposed in substantially parallel with an axis of a column tube such that the inflator is positioned below the column tube. The end portion of the inflator, in which a gas injection port is formed, faces toward a rear of the vehicle.

Abstract: The glove box door includes an outer panel constituting a rear circumferential wall, an inner panel constituting a front circumferential wall, an airbag apparatus located between the outer panel and inner panel, a plurality of reinforcing ribs and void spaces formed around the airbag apparatus. The airbag apparatus includes a case that encases an airbag and an inflator and opens toward the rear, a holder that mounts the case on the outer panel, and a door that allows airbag emergence. The holder includes a joint flange and coupled to the outer panel by the joint flange. The outer panel is fabricated of hard synthetic resin having enhanced rigidity relative to the holder. A pair of mounting elements are assembled with the holder in such a manner as to be prevented from forward or backward movement. Mounting tongues formed on the case are secured to the mounting elements which are assembled with the holder and thus the case is mounted to the outer panel.

Abstract: The airbag of the present invention, when completely inflated, is formed into a generally square conical shape whose top is in a front end of the airbag. A protection portion to be located in rear side of the airbag upon airbag inflation includes shoulder restraining portions disposed generally side by side in left-right orientation in an area from upper part to rear part of the completely inflated airbag. Each of the shoulder restraining portions continuously projects in upper part to rear part of the airbag.

Abstract: The steering column includes a column body, a column cover formed into a generally tubular contour and mounted around the column body and an airbag apparatus. The column cover includes an upper cover and a lower cover. The lower cover is separable from the upper cover and is split into a front section disposed proximate the airbag apparatus and a rear section disposed proximate a combination switch unit disposed at the rear of the airbag apparatus inside the column cover. The rear section is configured separable from the front section as is secured to the column body.

Abstract: A knee airbag device includes an airbag module and an airbag door. The airbag module, which is provided inside a column cover that covers the rear end portion of a steering column, includes gas generation device that generates gas when a collision occurs, and a knee airbag that is inflated and deployed from a folded state when the knee airbag receives the gas from the gas generation device. The airbag door, which is provided in the lower portion of the column cover, is opened when the inflation pressure of the knee airbag is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. When the knee airbag is deployed, at least a portion of the airbag door is positioned between an interfering object that is positioned in an area on the side of the column cover, and at leaser a portion of the knee airbag.

Abstract: A knee-protecting airbag apparatus is mountable on a door of a glove box that has a box body provided with an opening at the rear and the door. The airbag apparatus includes an airbag, a generally columnar inflator housed in the airbag, a case housing the airbag and inflator, and an airbag cover constituting a rear face of the glove box door and being openable at airbag deployment. The inflator includes a body that discharges inflation gas and a fixing section that secures the body and the airbag to the case. The fixing section includes a projecting portion and the projecting portion extends at an upward or downward angle to the thickness direction of the glove box door.

Abstract: An open-looped rim portion which results when an upper part thereof is open is provided on a steering wheel, and airbags of an airbag apparatus are accommodated in a pad portion lying inside of the rim portion. Then, when an impact of a predetermined value or greater is applied to a front end of a vehicle, the individual airbags are deployed by injecting the gas from an inflator. In addition, when an occupant is captured by the first airbag which is so deployed, the second airbag applies a reaction force which is directed to the rear of the vehicle so as to resist a pressure applied to the first airbag by the occupant.

Abstract: An airbag of an airbag apparatus includes a bag body, a supplementary bag, a communication hole that communicates the bag body and the supplementary bag, an open/close element that opens and closes the communication hole and a connecting element extending from the open/close element. The connecting element is connected at the leading end to an anchor mechanism that regulates the operation of the open/close element under control of a control device. The open/close element keeps closing the communication hole while the anchor mechanism holds the connecting element whereas opens the communication hole when the anchor mechanism releases the connecting element such that inflation gas is fed into the supplementary bag.

Abstract: The knee-protecting airbag apparatus is mounted on a lower region of a column cover covering a steering column of vehicle projecting rearward from an instrument panel. The airbag (47) folded and housed in a housing emerges and spreads in four directions from the housing for deployment in front of knees of a driver when fed with inflation gas from an inflator (41) that is stored inside the airbag (47) and disposed to the rear side of the housing. Folding of the airbag (47) before being stored in the housing is such that left and right areas of a region (50) attached to the housing is folded on the side of the column side wall (49) to reduce the lateral width L2 of the airbag (47) without superimposing the left and right areas of the mounting region (50) on the inflator (41) in the vertical direction and a folded region (63) on the front side of the mounting region (50) is located in parallel with and in front of the inflator (41).

Abstract: In a knee protecting airbag device of the present invention, in the lower area inside a column cover, a case housing an airbag is attached to a steering column. The steering column includes a movable member for moving toward the front side of a vehicle along the axial direction of the column at the time when an impact on the front of the vehicle acts, and an unmoving stationary member, so that the column can absorb the impact when the movable member moves. The case is attached to such an area of the movable member that the case hits the stationary member when the moving member moves and absorbs impact, and the case can be deformed before or at the time of hitting the stationary member so that the moving stroke of the movable member is preserved when it moves.

Abstract: An airbag system includes an airbag, and the airbag includes an airbag body having a passenger-side wall portion that is arranged at a passenger side when having completed deploying and inflating, and a slip cloth that is disposed at an outer surface side of the passenger-side wall portion. The slip cloth formed in a loop shape an axial direction of which is in a left and right direction includes: a front panel portion arranged at a passenger side; an upper back panel portion extending downward from an upper end of the front panel portion; and a lower back panel portion extending upward from a lower end of the front panel portion, and a lower end of the upper back panel portion and an upper end of the lower back panel portion are mutually approximated, and joined to the passenger-side wall portion.

Abstract: When a knee airbag is deployed, a lid, which is provided in a column cover that covers a steering column, is opened by the deployment pressure of the knee airbag. Thus, an opening, through which the knee airbag expands, is formed to extend in the lower wall portion and the right and left side wall portions of the column cover. At this time, an opening amount regulation portion regulates the opening amount of the lid so that the knee airbag is deployed toward areas on right and left sides of the column cover.

Abstract: The airbag apparatus includes an airbag having an exhaust hole for discharging part of inflation gas, an open/close controller for controlling opening and closing operations of the exhaust hole, and a flap element releasably joined to the open/close controller and being joined to a periphery of the exhaust hole in an outer side of the airbag which periphery is in a side facing away from the open/close controller, for opening and closing the exhaust hole. The apparatus further includes an open/close means arranged in the periphery of the exhaust hole. Upon airbag inflation, if the flap element is retained by the open/close controller, the open/close means is held down at its outer side by the flap element and keeps the exhaust hole closed. If the flap element is released from the open/close controller, the open/close means opens by the pressure of inflation gas to expand an opening area of the exhaust hole.

Abstract: A column-attached knee air bag apparatus is provided by being folded at inside of a column cover covering a steering column and is developed between an instrument panel and the knees of an occupant by being supplied with a gas. Upper and lower sides of the knee air bag are restricted such that a developing thickness in a front and rear direction is smaller at a lower portion than at an upper portion by an upper side strap and a lower side strap. An inflator and a diffuser are arranged such that an opening end of the diffuser of supplying a gas from the inflator to the knee air bag is disposed on a rear side of the instrument panel and at inside of a central expansion portion of the knee air bag.

Abstract: In a knee protection airbag system of the invention, an airbag includes an inlet port portion which is connected to an inflator in the vicinity of a longitudinal and transverse center of the airbag when it is inflated completely. A front tether and a rear tether which connect a driver-side wall portion with a column-side wall portion provided forwards and rearwards of the inlet port portion, respectively. The front tether and the rear tether are made to rectify an inflation gas which has flowed from the inlet port portion so that the inflation gas flows towards left and right or transverse ends of a central portion and thereafter to cause the inflation gas to flow out into a front portion and a rear portion by way of outlet path portions. The outlet path portions are made larger in a total sum of open areas than the outlet path portions.

Abstract: The airbag apparatus includes a case for housing and holding an airbag and an inflator. The case includes a vent opening for releasing inflation gas filled inside the airbag and a lid operated by an actuator for closing and opening the vent opening. The lid is pivotally supported at a periphery of the vent opening for rotation about its rotary shaft disposed across the vent opening, and includes an outward-opening area adapted to rotate outward of the case and an inward-opening area adapted to rotate inward of the case, with a border of the outward-opening area and inward-opening area disposed on the rotary shaft. A sliding element is connected to the actuator for holding the lid to keep the vent opening closed when the actuator is inactive and for sliding movement to release the lid and open the vent opening upon operation of the actuator.

Abstract: A knee-protecting airbag apparatus includes an airbag folded and housed in the lower side of column cover. Airbag is attached to a housing with inflator at a position in its column cover side wall which wall is deployed toward column cover upon airbag inflation. When folded and housed in the housing, airbag is folded in such a manner as to turn a boundary region of driver's side wall and column cover side wall, which region is deployed forward of inflator at the complete inflation of airbag, in between inflator and driver's side wall to reduce the longitudinal width of airbag.

Abstract: The airbag apparatus includes an airbag, a tether, a vent mechanism and an actuator. When the actuator is activated, a portion of the tether is retained by a movable member of the actuator to reduce the degree of protrusion of the airbag while the vent mechanism is released from the movable member to open up a vent opening and increase emission of inflation gas. When the actuator is inactive, the portion of the tether is detached from a position where the portion would otherwise be retained by the movable member to increase the degree of protrusion of the airbag while the vent mechanism is retained by the movable member to close off the vent opening and reduce the emission of gas. Further, the actuator may be activated at a delayed timing to open up the vent opening to increase the gas emission after the tether is configured to increase the protruding degree of the airbag.