초록 ▼

An inflatable knee bolster for a vehicle occupant is mounted to the bottom of the vehicle's instrument panel, having an outer wall that is projected outwardly from a stored position to an extended position adjacent the occupant's knees by inflation of an expansible chamber by an inflator, characteri

An inflatable knee bolster for a vehicle occupant is mounted to the bottom of the vehicle's instrument panel, having an outer wall that is projected outwardly from a stored position to an extended position adjacent the occupant's knees by inflation of an expansible chamber by an inflator, characterized by. The bolster is an expansible chamber comprising a unitary hollow blow molded polypropylene body that has an outer wall and an inner wall which are interconnected at their bottoms by a bottom wall and at their tops and sides by U-shaped normally folded accordion pleats. These pleats extend from the bottom side corners of the body up the sides and across the top of the body. A pair of spaced attachment tabs extend from the bottom wall for attachment to vehicle structure, and a pair of spaced frangible tabs extending from the top of the outer wall for attachment to vehicle structure to maintain the outer wall in stored position. An inflator is mounted on the hollow body in fluid communication with the interior of the body and, when activated, pressurizes the expansible body to unfold the accordion pleats to expand the body. This breaks the frangible tab and projects the front wall outwardly to extended position adjacent the occupant's knees. A pair of vent holes formed in the inner wall enable controlled depressurization of the bolster.

대표청구항 ▼

[What is claimed is:] [1.]said outer wall, an inner wall interconnected to said outer wall and a plurality of normally folded pleats projecting at least partially across said hollow body towards said outer wall such that the folds of said pleats extend in raised profile in substantially opposing rel

[What is claimed is:] [1.]said outer wall, an inner wall interconnected to said outer wall and a plurality of normally folded pleats projecting at least partially across said hollow body towards said outer wall such that the folds of said pleats extend in raised profile in substantially opposing relation to said outer wall,said inflator being disposed in fluid communication with the interior of said hollow body and being selectively operable to pressurize the expansible body to unfold said pleats so as to expand the body and project the front wall outwardly to the extended position.