Leg protection device for vehicle occupants

DRIVE January 2, 2003
Source
The object is to provide a leg protection device for vehicle occupants which has an airbag of which thickness when inflated is small so that the airbag can be rapidly inflated even with a gas generator having small generating capacity and which can sufficiently receive and stop occupant's legs. As a vehicle equipped with a leg protection device (1) comes into a frontal collision, a gas generator (5) is actuated to spout out gas through gas ports (5b) so as to initiate the inflation of an airbag (4). Gas from the gas generator (5) first flows into a first chamber (21) so that the first chamber (21) starts to inflate. Subsequently, the gas in the first chamber 21 flows through the inlets (22a) to inflate the second chambers (22). According to the initiation of inflation of the airbag (4), an interior panel (2) is pressed by the airbag (4) so as to be torn along tear lines (6), forming flaps (25). The airbag (4) is deployed into a vehicle cabin to extend along the front surface of the interior panel (2).

Discussion in the ATmosphere

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