The occupant protection device that protects an occupant boarding on a vehicle and includes: a base portion fixed to the vehicle; an operation portion connected to the base portion and configured to move back and forth between a first position serving as an initial position and a second position used to suppress movement of the occupant when inertial force acts on the occupant; and a control unit configured to perform movement control to move the operation portion from the first position to the second position. The operation portion is movable repeatedly from the first position to the second position through the movement control by returning to the first position after having moved from the first position to the second position. The occupant protection device includes an buffering means configured to buffer a collision impact on the occupant against the operation portion when the operation portion moves to the second position.

The disclosure relates to a steering apparatus for a vehicle having an impact absorption device for absorbing an impact force introduced via a steering wheel. The steering apparatus has a fastening device for fastening to a vehicle carrier or a vehicle body. The fastening device has a bracket for holding a steering column. The bracket has at least one connecting portion for connecting to the fastening device by a fastening element. At least one target breaking portion is designed to break starting from a predetermined impact force. In order to simplify the construction and/or to be able to realize production more economically, the bracket has and/or forms the target breaking portion, with the connecting portion being separated from the bracket after breaking the target breaking portion and remaining on the fastening device.

A steering column assembly for motor vehicles, includes a steering wheel, a steering shaft housing unit including a steering shaft that is joined to the steering wheel. The steering shaft housing unit is pivotally connected to a supporting bracket about a first shaft, said supporting bracket being pivotally connected to a vehicle body about a second shaft First and/or second adjusting means adjust the angular position of the steering shaft housing unit relative to the supporting bracket and the angular position of the supporting bracket relative to the vehicle body. A first locking means locks the steering shaft housing unit in a locked position until a kinetic energy transmitted to the steering wheel is less than a threshold value, the first locking means incorporating collapsible means adapted to collapse when the kinetic energy transmitted to the steering wheel is above said threshold value, in which at least a part of the kinetic energy transmitted to the steering wheel is absorbed by the collapsible means.

A foldable steering system for a vehicle may maximize spatial utilization of a driver seat by performing a fold-in operation in which a steering wheel, a steering shaft, shrouds, and the like are accommodated in a crash pad when an autonomous driving mode, a stopping mode, or a getting-in/out mode, in which a driver need not directly manipulate the steering wheel, is selected as a driving mode of an autonomous vehicle and configured for ensuring convenience of use and safety of the steering wheel by performing a fold-out operation in which the steering wheel, the steering shaft, the shrouds, and the like extend from an interior of the crash pad toward the driver seat when the driving mode of the autonomous vehicle is switched to a manual driving mode, an autonomous driving fail mode, and an active safety mode for coping with collision avoidance impossibility.

A foldable steering system for a vehicle may maximize spatial utilization of a driver seat by performing a fold-in operation in which a steering wheel, a steering shaft, shrouds, and the like are accommodated in a crash pad when an autonomous driving mode, a stopping mode, or a getting-in/out mode, in which a driver need not directly manipulate the steering wheel, is selected as a driving mode of an autonomous vehicle and configured for ensuring convenience of use and safety of the steering wheel by performing a fold-out operation in which the steering wheel, the steering shaft, the shrouds, and the like extend from an interior of the crash pad toward the driver seat when the driving mode of the autonomous vehicle is switched to a manual driving mode, an autonomous driving fail mode, and an active safety mode for coping with collision avoidance impossibility.

Methods and systems for operating a vehicle occupant protection device of a steer-by-wire steering system. The system includes a steering wheel and an adjustable steering column connected to the steering wheel which can be adjusted between a retracted position and a deployed position via an adjustment mechanism. The steer-by-wire steering system has a feedback actuator to which a driver's request for a steering angle can be applied by a driver via the steering wheel, and which outputs a feedback signal to the steering wheel in response to the driver's request and a driving state of the motor vehicle. The method includes detecting an accident, detecting a hands-off situation or a hands-on situation, and when a hands-off situation has been detected, moving the steering column into an accident position by means of the adjustment mechanism, and triggering a steering wheel airbag during or after the adjustment process.

A collapse-limiting assembly for a steering system is provided. The collapse-limiting assembly comprises a housing and a moveable member. A pyrotechnic charge is located in the housing and, in response to an impact event, is caused to fire the moveable member into a discharged position and limit the amount of collapse of a steering column. The steering column includes at least two axially moveable portions that move axially relative to each other between an extended position and a retracted position. When the moveable member is fired into the discharged position, it is located in a travel path of at least one of the axially moveable portions.

A steering system for a motor vehicle includes at least one securing member and a first bearing device. The securing member releases the first bearing device from a fastening in the first position when applying a predetermined force on the first bearing device and the first bearing device can be moved into a second position.

A knee airbag for vehicles is provided. The knee airbag includes a lower crash pad that has a panel shape to block a steering column to prevent exposure of the steering column to an indoor space of a vehicle, and includes a housing unit having recesses dented toward the steering column such that the housing unit is spaced apart from the steering column by a designated distance. An airbag module of the knee airbag includes an inflator and a cushion and contained in the housing unit of the lower crash pad to deploy the cushion toward a driver's knee outside the lower crash pad when the cushion is deployed by explosion of the inflator.

A steering column may include an outer casing unit in which an inner casing tube that rotatably mounts a steering shaft is received such that the inner casing tube is displaceable and fixable in an axial direction. An energy absorption device operatively disposed between the casing tube and the casing unit may absorb at least some energy in a crash event where the casing tube is telescopically displaced relative to the casing unit. The energy absorption device may include a deformation strip fastened to but spaced apart from the casing tube, fixed in a radial direction by a spacer on the casing tube, to which deformation strip a deformation slide that is connected to the casing unit is disposed. The deformation slide may encompass and jam outer narrow sides of the deformation strip such that the deformation slide deforms the deformation strip in a crash event.