Patent ID: 7823911
Filing Date: 2010-11-02
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
1. A knee protecting air bag apparatus that is mounted to a lower portion side of a column cover for covering a steering column, in which a folded air bag is contained on the lower portion side at inside of the column cover, when the knee protecting air bag apparatus is operated, the air bag is supplied with an expanding gas, and the air bag is projected from the column cover to be arranged on a front side of the knee of a driver while being expanded to develop, wherein the column cover includes a door portion formed at an area from the lower face side over to both left and right side faces of the column cover and to be opened by being pressed by the air bag so as to form a projecting opening for projecting the air bag when the air bag is expanded; and a gas flow restricting member is arranged at inside of the air bag so as to outwardly expand the air bag in a left and right direction of the column cover by making the expanding gas at inside of the air bag flow from a vicinity of a center in the left and right direction to portions of the two left and right side faces of the column cover at the door portion, wherein a space for containing the air bag folded at inside of the column cover is formed by surrounding both left and right sides thereof by the portions of the both left and right side faces of the column cover at the door portion, and surrounding both front and rear sides thereof by side walls extended in an upper direction from a lower wall of the column cover, the side walls being located inside the column cover; wherein at least one of the side walls on the both front and rear sides is arranged by bending both left and right ends to one side in the front and rear direction of expanding the containing space; and wherein an outer peripheral edges of the portions of the both left and right side faces of the column cover at the door portion are arranged to be proximate to both left and right edges of the side walls respectively bent to be arranged to widen an area of the door portion.