Patent ID: 7213834

Claim:
A knee-protecting airbag device comprising an airbag, the airbag being folded and housed in a housing located below a steering column in front of a driver, and upon inflow of inflation gas, the airbag protruding rearward from the housing to deploy upward for protecting knees of the driver, wherein: an upper edge portion of the airbag as completely deployed serves as a cover area for covering the lower side or back side of key accessories of a key inserted into a key cylinder and contactable with the accessories; the airbag is roll-folded on a steering column side when the airbag is transversely folded to bring an upper edge thereof close to a lower edge side thereof; the airbag comprises: a bag-shaped airbag body including a driver's side wall and a column side wall, each of the walls being located toward the driver and the column cover, respectively, upon airbag deployment; a protecting cloth joined to the column side wall for covering the cover area in the column side wall; and a retainer cloth; the protecting cloth is joined at a lower end thereof to an area in the column side wall below the cover area while leaving an upper end thereof as free end; the length of the protecting cloth is predetermined such that the protecting cloth extends over the upper edge of the airbag body when flatly expanded; the retainer cloth is joined at a lower end thereof to an area in the driver's side wall below the cover area for covering an upper end part of the protecting cloth extended to the driver's side wall side; and the airbag is transversely folded and housed in the housing in a condition that the upper end part of the protecting cloth is extended to the driver's side wall side, and the retainer cloth is superposed over the upper end part of the protecting cloth.