JPH0351246Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a knee protector that is placed opposite the front seat of an automobile to protect the knees of a person sitting on the front seat.

(Prior Art) A conventional knee protector has a fixed pad provided at the lower part of the instrument panel, facing the passenger's knees.

(Problem that the invention aims to solve) If the distance between the front seat seat cushion and the knee protector is too far apart, the impact between the knee and the knee protector during a car impact will be large, reducing the effectiveness of knee protection. Therefore, conventional knee protectors are provided close to the seat cushion. Therefore, there was a problem in that the leg space in the front seats was cramped.

(Means for solving the problem) The knee protector of the present invention has a first position that is integrated with the instrument panel and is away from the seat cushion, and a knee protector that is closer to the front seat cushion than this first position. A knee protector main body provided to be movable between the adjacent second position, an upper end guide member rotatably supporting the knee protector main body, and a lower end of the knee protector main body between the first position and the second position. a lower end guide member that guides the knee protector body between the two positions and fixes the knee protector body in the second position; and an urging member that biases the knee protector body in a direction to move the knee protector body from the first position to the second position. a locking member that locks the knee protector main body in the first position against its habit; and a locking member that is activated when an impact of a predetermined value or more is applied to the vehicle body to lock the knee protector main body in the first position. and a release means for releasing the action and allowing movement of the knee protector main body.

(Function) Normally, the knee protector main body is placed integrally with the instrument panel at a first position far away from the seat cushion. When an impact is applied to the automobile, the knee protector body is moved to a second position near the seat cushion by the biasing means and is fixed at that position.

(Example) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on an example shown in the drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 indicates an instrument panel, 2 indicates a front seat seat cushion, 3 indicates a floor, and 4 indicates a knee protector body. The knee protector main body 4 consists of a urethane core 6 lined with a sheet metal panel 5 and an outer skin (not shown) of the urethane core 6. The knee protector body 4 has approximately the same width as the seat cushion 2 in the vehicle width direction. Pins 7 and 8 are fixed to the upper and lower ends of the knee protector main body 4, respectively. The pin 7 is loosely fitted into an inverted L-shaped guide groove 9a of an upper end guide member 9 provided at a higher position than the seat cushion 2. The pin 7 is movable between one end 9b and the other end 9c of the guide groove 9a.

The pin 8 is movably fitted loosely into an arcuate guide groove 10a centered on one end 9b of an inverted L-shaped guide groove 9a formed in the lower end guide member 10. One end of a tension spring 11 serving as a biasing means is locked to the pin 8, and the other end is locked to a suitable immovable member. The elasticity of the spring 11 gives the knee protector body 4 the ability to rotate counterclockwise around the pin 7 and to move downward. A fixing portion 12 is provided at the lower end of the arcuate guide groove 10a, which is formed by bending the groove at right angles. Upper end guide member 9 and lower end guide member 10
is fixed to a suitable immovable member such as a quarter panel (not shown).

Near one end 10b of the arcuate guide groove 10a,
A locking member 13 is arranged to lock the knee protector main body 4 in the first position shown in FIG. This locking member 13 is swingably supported by a shaft 14, and a locking portion 13a at the tip thereof is positioned on the locus of movement of the pin 8. A release means 15 is connected to the other end (not shown) of the locking member 13.

Usually, the locking member 13 is as shown in FIG.
The knee protector main body 4, which is engaged with the pin 8 so as to be supported from below, and which is given a movement habit by the spring 11, is locked in the first position shown in FIG. The release means 15 is a means that operates when a sudden impact is detected on the vehicle body, and when the impact is detected, the release means 15 moves the locking member 13 from the locking position shown in FIG. 2 to the release position (see FIG. 3). ). The release means 15 may be of a type that electrically detects the impact and swings the locking member 13 electrically, or it may be of a type that mechanically detects the impact and locks in conjunction with this. It may be of a type in which the member 13 is swung.

Further, the biasing means may be a combination of a piston and a cylinder instead of a spring.

Now, when the knee protector main body 4 is located at the first position shown in FIG. 1, if an impact of more than a predetermined value is applied to the vehicle body due to a collision or the like, the release means 15 detects this and releases the engagement. The locking member 13 placed at the stop position (see FIG. 2) is rotated clockwise as shown in FIG. 3. Then, the locking member 1
3 is disengaged from the pin 8, and the knee protector main body 4, which is biased by the spring 11, is moved to a second position closer to the seat cushion 2 than the first position, as shown in FIG. Moving. To explain the movement of the knee protector main body 4 at this time in a little more detail, the original knee protector main body 4, which is released from the pin 8, rotates counterclockwise about the pin 7. Then, the pin 8 is inserted into the arcuate guide groove 10a.
When you move to the bottom of the knee protector body 4,
is moved downward along the L-shaped guide groove 9a and the longitudinal groove of the fixing part 12 by the elasticity of the spring 11. That is, the knee protector main body 4 is
Pin 7 is attached to the other end of the guide groove 9c, and pin 8 is attached to the fixing part 1.
2, respectively. As shown in FIG. 3, the knee protector main body 4 positioned at the second position has each pin, the other end 9c, and the fixing part 1.
2 are engaged with each other, so that the knee N
It will maintain its position even if there is a collision.

(Effects of the invention) As described above, the knee protector of the present invention, which has a knee protector main body that is movable between a first position far away from the seat cushion and a second position close to the seat cushion, is advantageous. On the other hand, the Heisei has more leg space, so you don't feel cramped.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an embodiment of the present invention, and is a side view showing the knee protector main body placed in the first position, FIG. 2 is a side view of essential parts showing an example of the locking member,
FIG. 3 is a side view showing the knee protector body placed in the second position. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Instrument panel, 2... Seat cushion, 3... Floor, 4... Knee protector main body, 9... Upper end guide member, 10... Lower end guide member, 11... Biasing means, 12... Fixed part, 13
...Latching member, 15...Release means.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] between a first position that is provided facing the front seat of the automobile and located far away from the front seat cushion, and a second position that is closer to the front seat cushion than the first position. The knee protector body is movably provided, the upper end guide member is arranged above the front seat cushion and rotatably supports the knee protector body, and the knee protector body is rotatable about the guide member. a lower end guide member having a fixing portion that guides the lower end of the protector body between the first position and the second position and fixes the knee protector body at the position when the knee protector body is moved to the second position; urging means for urging the main body in a direction to move the knee protector main body from the first position to the second position; and a locking member for locking the knee protector main body in the first position against its habit. and a release means that is activated when an impact of a predetermined value or more is applied to the vehicle body to release the locking action of the locking member and allow movement of the knee protector main body.