Patent ID: 7152881

Claim:
An occupant protection apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: a deceleration detection device that detects a vehicle deceleration; a lower limb restraining member that restrains at least one of left and right lower limbs of an occupant by being moved in an occupant lower limb direction; a driving device that drives the lower limb restraining member in the occupant lower limb direction; a control device that controls activation of the driving device when a signal of the deceleration detection device is received; and a stopping mechanism that holds the lower limb restraining member such that movement in a reverse direction that is opposite to a movement direction of the lower limb restraining member is limited so that the at least one lower limb is restrained, the stopping mechanism being a one way lock mechanism, and the movement direction being generated by the driving device, wherein a force at which the lower limb restraining member is moved in the occupant lower limb direction by the driving device is smaller than a force at which the stopping mechanism restrains the at least one lower limb of the occupant.