JPS625406Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea]

The present invention relates to a knee protector. Conventionally, various devices and methods have been developed for the purpose of protecting occupants in the event of a collision of a motor vehicle or the like. However, conventional devices and methods are mainly aimed at protecting the upper body of the human body, such as the cephalothorax, and while it has been proven that the upper body can be effectively protected in actual collisions, the lower body is particularly Because they are unprotected, impact forces tend to concentrate on the knees and legs, making them particularly vulnerable to injury. This tendency is particularly noticeable in cars with wide knee holes for the driver and passenger seats. However, simply making the kneehole narrower only hinders driving operation and increases the feeling of being cramped. Therefore, the inventors of the present invention have conducted extensive research in order to eliminate the above drawbacks, to develop a knee protector that does not cause discomfort while riding, and that can effectively protect the lower body, especially the knee and leg areas, in the event of a collision. Ta. As a result, the present invention was completed. That is, the present invention consists of a laminated molded product of a sheet made of long glass fiber and polypropylene and a mesh made of at least one of metal, glass, and plastic, and can have a bulged shape on at least one side. This invention provides a knee protector that is a flexible plate-like body. The shape of the knee protector of the present invention may be one in which at least one side is bulged, but specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, one side is a bulge and the other side is a concave surface. Preferably, the plate-shaped body has grooves in its surface layer (the concave surface in the figure) as shown in Figure 2a, or the plate-shaped body has a corrugated structure as shown in Figures 2b and c. I can give it to you. The device is then installed and used with this bulging surface facing the passenger side. The material of the knee protector of the present invention is a laminated molded product of a sheet made of long glass fiber and polypropylene and a mesh made of at least one of metal, glass, and plastic. Here, the fiber length of the long fiber glass fiber is preferably 10 mm or more, particularly 30 to 100 mm. If the average fiber length is less than 10 mm, the mechanical strength of the molded product will be slightly inferior, and if the average fiber length is less than 100 mm, the mechanical strength of the molded product will be slightly inferior.
If it exceeds mm, the moldability of the molded product will be poor. In manufacturing the knee protector of the present invention, a sheet made of the above-mentioned long glass fiber and polypropylene, a mesh body (including a perforated plate, etc.) made of at least one of metal, glass, and plastic are used. are heated to the molding temperature, overlapped, and integrally molded into the desired shape by press molding. If necessary, this laminated molded product can be used as a core material and covered with a cushion material such as a foamed polyurethane sheet, or can be further covered with a covering material such as synthetic leather cloth or pile cloth. Regarding the glass fiber reinforced polypropylene sheet that is the material of the knee protector of this invention,
The effect of the fiber length of the glass fiber on the sheet was determined by comparing the glass fiber containing long fibers (average length 50 mm) used in this invention and the short fiber containing short fibers (average length 0.5 mm) used in the present invention. The comparison is shown in Table 1.

[Table] In addition, we manufactured a knee protector with the shape shown in Figure 1 using metal, resin, and foam as materials.
The physical properties of the knee protector of the present invention were compared. The results are shown in Table 2.

[Table] As can be seen from the table above, the knee protector of the present invention has high mechanical strength, especially impact strength and cushioning properties, and has a large recessed restoring force against external forces such as impact, so in the event of a collision. It not only effectively protects the knee and leg, but also restores to its original shape in the event of a minor collision, so it can be used repeatedly without having to be replaced. In addition, when the knee protector of the present invention is attached to a car dash board, etc., if a flap type with a spring as shown in Fig. 3b is used instead of the fixed pipe shown in Fig. 3a, a softer feel will be obtained. This can improve the sense of stability when riding. Furthermore, the knee protector of the present invention does not cause scattering of material or sharp broken edges when broken, and is excellent in terms of preventing secondary disasters. Furthermore, compared to other resin products, the same effect can be obtained with a thinner wall, so it is lightweight and at the same time does not unnecessarily narrow the kneehole, making it easier to install. Therefore, the knee protector of the present invention can be particularly effectively used as a knee protector for automobiles, but if its structure is utilized and its shape is modified for a purpose, it can be used as a cushioning interior material for vehicles, ships, aircraft, etc. It can also be used effectively as a.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIGS. 1 and 2 a to 2 c are perspective views illustrating embodiments of the knee protector of the present invention, and FIGS. 3 a and 3 b illustrate the state in which the knee protector of the present invention is attached to an automobile. It is an explanatory diagram. 1...Knee protector, 2...Mounting hole.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] 1. Consisting of a laminated molded product of a sheet made of long glass fiber and polypropylene and a mesh made of at least one of metal, glass, and plastic, at least one side of which is bulged. A knee protector is a flexible plate-shaped body. 2. The knee protector according to claim 1, wherein the plate-shaped body has a bulging surface on one side and a concave surface on the other side. 3. The knee protector according to claim 2, wherein the plate-like member has grooves in the surface layer. 4. The knee protector according to claim 2, wherein the plate-like body has a corrugated plate structure.