An assembly includes a front console having a panel. The assembly includes a torsion bar fixed relative to the front console. The assembly includes a gear fixed to the torsion bar. The assembly includes a rack including teeth meshed with the gear, the rack extending toward the panel.

A knee airbag apparatus including a housing part that is formed such that one side thereof is open, a cover part covering the open portion of the housing part, a cushion part that is accommodated in a folded state inside the housing part and connected to an inflator, and a flap part surrounding the folded cushion part on a side of the cover part, and blocking a gap between the housing part and a lower panel of a vehicle to substantially prevent the cushion part from being caught by the lower panel when the cushion part is deployed.

A tunable knee blocker energy absorption system for a vehicle having an instrument panel, a structural cross-car member, and an occupant protection device includes a left energy absorption (EA) bracket configured to couple to the structural cross-car member and including a left lower EA bracket, a left upper EA bracket, and a left EA bridge. A right EA bracket is configured to couple to the structural cross-car member and includes a right lower EA bracket and a right upper EA bracket. The left EA bracket and the right EA bracket are distinct from each other to manage a non-uniform load path of occupant femurs into the instrument panel and alter the kinematic response of the occupant back to a uniform presentation to the occupant protection device.

A vehicle knee airbag device includes a protruding profile section configuring an instrument panel, a position of the protruding profile section being configured to be further toward a vehicle upper side than knees of a seated occupant; an upright wall section provided adjacent to a vehicle lower side of a lower wall of the protruding profile section; and a knee airbag module including a knee airbag. The knee airbag includes an occupant-side base cloth portion disposed on an occupant-facing side and a non-occupant-side base cloth portion disposed on a non-occupant-facing side of the knee airbag in an inflated and deployed state, the non-occupant-side base cloth portion being disposed adjacent to the upright wall section in the inflated and deployed state of the knee airbag.

A knee airbag apparatus for an autonomous vehicle, wherein a first cushion and a second cushion are deployed toward the knees of a passenger and a third cushion is deployed toward the feet and shins of the passenger according to a collision mode (head-on collision, offset collision or oblique collision) and a position (normal position or relaxation position) of a seat.

A knee airbag device includes: a knee airbag that is housed in a folded state at a lower end portion of an instrument panel, and that, due to gas being supplied thereto, is inflated and expanded along the instrument panel; an airbag case that houses the knee airbag; an airbag door portion that structures a lower surface of the airbag case, and that, due to a planned rupture portion rupturing due to inflation pressure of the knee airbag, is opened toward a vehicle front side; and a flap that is housed within the airbag case, one end portion of the flap being fixed to the airbag case, another end portion of the flap being a free end, and that, at a time of inflation and expansion of the knee airbag, unfolds, and covers the airbag door portion from a vehicle rear side.

A knee bolster system for absorbing an impact energy of an occupant's knee is provided with a multi-level force load limiter. The multi-level force load limiter includes three force load limiters. A first force load limiter includes a contact plate for receiving an impact force by the occupant's knee during a vehicle collision. A second force load limiter includes a torsional deflection rod for deforming torsionally by allowing relative rotation, and a third force load limiter includes a locking gear and a female locking base for locking further rotation of a rotational arm after rotation of the torsional deflection rod in the second force load limiter by a predetermined angle based on rotation of the rotational arm. Accordingly, the multi-level force load limiter can create a higher torsion force on the rotational arm of the knee bolster system.

A retainer and an inflator are disposed inside the airbag. The retainer includes a mounting base section, a holding section which extends from the mounting base section and receives and holds an inflator therein, and a second mounting means which protrudes from the mounting base perpendicularly. The inflator includes a cylindrical body provided with a gas release section and, a first mounting means protruding from a region of the body disposed outside the airbag. The retainer further includes a storing dent section which receives the first mounting means of the inflator so as to conform an orientation of the first means to that of the second mounting means and, a pressing section disposed proximate the storing dent section. The pressing section is brought into close contact with a circumferential area of the body of the inflator when the first mounting means of the inflator is secured to a vehicle body.

The present disclosure relates to a method performed by an occupant protection system of a vehicle for supporting protection of a vehicle occupant in the event of an ongoing or imminent collision. The occupant protection system comprises an airbag panel arrangement arranged in connection with a dashboard of the vehicle, which airbag panel arrangement comprises an inflatable airbag adapted to upon deployment protect lower body parts of a vehicle occupant seated in a vehicle seat facing the dashboard. The occupant protection system determines a distance in a predeterminable direction between the airbag panel arrangement or the dashboard and the vehicle seat or an occupant seated in the vehicle seat; determines that the distance exceeds a predeterminable maximum threshold value; determines that one or more conditions for deployment of the airbag is fulfilled; and displaces the airbag panel arrangement outwardly from the dashboard by means of a panel displacing system.

An inflatable airbag, such as a knee airbag, including a positional strap coupled at a first end to an interior surface of the occupant-facing panel. The positional tether extends from within an inflatable chamber of the inflatable airbag and past an exterior surface of the vehicle-facing panel to couple at a second end to an anchor point that is external to the airbag. The positional tether is to be drawn taut during deployment to exert a force on the occupant-facing panel and impact a configuration of the airbag in the deployed state.