Patent ID: 7232153

Claim:
A leg protection device for protecting a leg of an occupant in a vehicle, comprising: a casing, an airbag disposed in the casing in a folded state to be inflated in front of the leg of the occupant, said airbag having a front portion facing the occupant and a rear portion opposite to the front portion in an inflated state, and gas generating device attached to the airbag for inflating the airbag, wherein said airbag comprises an upper folded portion folded between the front portion and the rear portion at an upper side of the airbag in a spread state of the airbag, left and right side portions folded over a center area of the airbag with the upper folded portion such that parts of the left and right side portions to be folded later are located laterally outside the casing in a partly folded state of the airbag, and an intermediate folded portion, in another partly folded state of the airbag, having a width to be able to enter into the casing in a direction perpendicular to the left and right side portions, said intermediate folded portion being obtained by folding rearwardly a part of the airbag with the upper folded portion and the left and right side portions several times, said parts of the left and right side portions located laterally outside the casing being folded on a center area to be completely disposed inside the casing in the folded state, and wherein said upper folded portion includes a pleated portion in which a perimeter of the airbag is folded at least once inwardly between the front portion and the rear portion.