Patent ID: 7753403

Claim:
A knee airbag device comprising: an opening formed in a column lower cover that covers a rear lower end portion of a steering column; an airbag door that is formed separately from the column lower cover, and that covers the opening, wherein when an airbag inflation pressure equal to or above a predetermined value is applied to the airbag door, the airbag door is opened; and an airbag module that is integrally provided on a surface of the airbag door, which faces the steering column, wherein the airbag module includes a gas generation device that generates gas when a vehicle collides with a collision object or when it is predicted that the vehicle will collide with the collision object, and a knee airbag that is stored in a folded state, and that is inflated and deployed through the opening when the knee airbag receives the gas from the gas generation device, wherein the airbag door and the airbag module are connected to each other by a flexible connection member; the connection member and the airbag module are fixed to a column tube of the steering column; at least a portion of the connection member functions as a hinge when the airbag door is opened; the connection member includes an extra length portion that maintains the airbag door at a position away from the opening when the airbag door is opened, a pair of attachment wall portions stand on a surface of the column lower cover, which faces the steering column, in a manner such that the opening is positioned between the attachment wall portions; and an upper surface of the airbag module is covered by the connection member and the connection member is fixed to the attachment wall portions so that a predetermined tension is applied to the connection member.