Patent ID: 9669788
Date: 2017-06-06
CPC Classifications: B60R

Claim:
1. A knee airbag for a motor vehicle comprising: a dash panel separating a passenger compartment and an engine or frontal compartment; an instrument panel assembly mounted on the dash panel or other body structure and the instrument panel having a free end spaced a distance from the dash panel; and an airbag module having a housing enclosing an inflatable airbag, said housing being mounted directly on the dash panel within the passenger compartment and independent of the instrument panel assembly; the housing being attached to the dash panel by at least one fastener and the housing having an opening through which the airbag may deploy from the housing during inflation thereof, said opening being generally at or below the underside of the instrument panel assembly so that the airbag inflates and deploys without disrupting the instrument panel assembly; the housing further having a door closing the housing opening, and the door opening upon inflation of the airbag; and the door having a tether limiting the opening movement of the door so that the door guides the inflation and rearward deployment of the airbag from the opening.