Knee air bag

Abstract

A knee airbag is proposed. The knee airbag is configured to be applied to a slim-type cockpit design and to quickly restrain the knees of an occupant without increasing a package of an airbag cushion to reduce a risk of injuries to the occupant. The knee airbag includes an airbag housing provided at a lower end of a cockpit, and including an airbag cushion located toward an occupant, a cover assembled to the airbag housing in a shape of covering the airbag cushion, wherein in deployment of the airbag cushion, a lower portion of the cover is fixed to the airbag housing and an upper portion thereof is separated and opened from the airbag housing, and an opening limiting unit configured to limit an opening degree of the upper portion of the cover.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A knee airbag of a vehicle, comprising:
 an airbag housing disposed at a lower portion of a cockpit of the vehicle and containing an airbag cushion;   a cover coupled to the airbag housing and covering the airbag cushion, wherein the cover has a lower portion coupled to the airbag housing and an upper portion configured to be separated from the airbag housing to open the cover toward an occupant of the vehicle when the airbag cushion is deployed; and   an opening limiting unit configured to limit an opening degree of the cover.   
     
     
         2 . The knee airbag of  claim 1 , wherein the opening limiting unit includes a connection part elastically extending between the airbag housing and the cover and having an elastically extended length limiting the opening degree of the cover to a predetermined degree. 
     
     
         3 . The knee airbag of  claim 2 , wherein the connection part comprises a tether. 
     
     
         4 . The knee airbag of  claim 2 , wherein the connection part comprises a link. 
     
     
         5 . The knee airbag of  claim 2 , wherein the connection part extends to outer surfaces of the airbag housing and cover. 
     
     
         6 . The knee airbag of  claim 5 , wherein the connection part is connected to a selvage disposed at an outer surface of the airbag cushion. 
     
     
         7 . The knee airbag of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the connection part includes a hook, and   the airbag housing and the cover include a hook hole with which the hook is engaged.   
     
     
         8 . The knee airbag of  claim 2 , further comprising a rivet configured to couple an end of the connection part to the airbag housing or the cover. 
     
     
         9 . The knee airbag of  claim 1 , wherein the lower portion of the cover is pivotally coupled to the airbag housing. 
     
     
         10 . The knee airbag of  claim 1 , wherein the cover is opened toward the occupant in an upwardly inclined direction toward the occupant.