Claims:WE CLAIM:
1. A knee bolster assembly (100) for protection of knees of occupants of the front seat in an automobile, said assembly (100) comprising, a knee bolster (105) configured to be deployed from a retracted inactive position to a suspended active position in the event of an impact of the automobile, wherein in said suspended active position said knee bolster (105) aligns itself between the knees of the occupants and the instrument panel of the automobile.
2. The knee bolster assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said assembly (100) comprises a holding bracket (101), a plurality of guideways (103) provided on the inner surface of said holding bracket (101), a spring (115) configured for maintaining said knee bolster (105) in said suspended active position, and an actuation mechanism (400).
3. The knee bolster assembly (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said assembly (100) includes a trigger mechanism (not visible in figures) for deployment of said assembly (100), said trigger mechanism comprising said actuation mechanism (400) configured to be activated on the impact of the automobile with an external object, which results in the sliding of said knee bolster (105) to said suspended active position.
4. The knee bolster assembly (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said knee bolster (105) is configured to slide along said guideways (103) to reach said suspended active position.
5. The knee bolster assembly (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said actuation mechanism (400) comprises a linear solenoid (405) in communication with a solenoid control unit and powered via an electrical circuit of the automobile.
6. The knee bolster assembly (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein a plunger (415) of said linear solenoid (405) is configured for supporting said knee bolster (105) by locking said knee bolster (105) in said retracted inactive position, during normal operation of the automobile.
7. The knee bolster assembly (100) as claimed in claim 6, wherein a plunger (415) of said linear solenoid (405) is configured to be engaged with a locking element (not visible in figures) fixedly connected to said knee bolster (105) for holding said knee bolster (105) in said retracted inactive position, during normal operation of the automobile.
8. The knee bolster assembly (100) as claimed in claim 7, wherein a plunger (415) of said linear solenoid (405) is configured to be received in a receiving feature (not visible in figures) provided on said knee bolster (105) for holding said knee bolster (105) in said retracted inactive position, during normal operation of the automobile.
9. The knee bolster assembly (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said spring (115) is selected from the group consisting of a roller spring, a compression spring, and a tension spring.
10. The knee bolster assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, which includes a sensor (305) for detection of the impact of the automobile, and configured for communicating the impact detection signal to an ECU (310) of the automobile, wherein said ECU (310) is configured to trigger said actuation mechanism (400) for the deployment of said assembly (100).
11. The knee bolster assembly (100) as claimed in claim 9, wherein said sensor (305) is selected from the group consisting of an accelerometer, a vibration sensor, a shock sensor, a roller-type sensor, and a mass-type sensor.
, Description:FIELD
The present disclosure relates to the field of occupant safety in automobiles.
DEFINITION
As used in the present disclosure, the following terms are generally intended to have the meaning as set forth below, except to the extent that the context in which they are used indicate otherwise.
CCB – The term “CCB” hereinafter refers to a Cross Car Beam structure of an automobile that supports the steering wheel, the airbags, and the entire dashboard of the automobile. The CCBs are complex parts that make a decisive contribution to the stability and safety of the automobile in which they are used. The CCB ensures that, in the event of an impact, the occupant compartment is not compressed.
Linear Solenoid – The term “CCB” hereinafter refers to a type of electromagnetic actuator that converts an electrical signal into a magnetic field producing a linear motion.
BACKGROUND
The background information herein below relates to the present disclosure but is not necessarily prior art.
The occupant safety standards in automobiles have been upgraded significantly. With increased automobile speed, the vulnerability of occupants to fatal accidents has also increased significantly. Safety features such as air bags, impact attenuators, and seat belts mitigate the injury occurring to the occupants to a significant level. However, in the event of a high speed impact or collision of the automobiles the instrument panel is also deformed, resulting in injuries to the legs of the occupant. Recently, a knee bolster is being provided in most of the automobiles to protect the legs of the occupants in the event of high speed impact or collision of the automobile.
Conventionally, the knee bolster provided in the instrument panel (IP) of the automobile is fixedly mounted therein. This reduces the available legroom for the occupants (particularly the driver and the co-driver). The fixedly mounted knee bolster also utilizes valuable storage space in the instrument panel, which could else be used for storing other objects.
There is, therefore, felt a need of a knee bolster assembly for occupant knee protection in an automobile which ameliorates the aforementioned issues.
OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows:
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a knee bolster assembly for occupant knee protection in an automobile.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a knee bolster assembly that works in a reliable manner.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a knee bolster assembly that is simple in construction and is economical.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a knee bolster assembly that is reusable.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a knee bolster assembly that is easy to restore to its parked condition.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure envisages a knee bolster assembly for occupant knee protection in an automobile.
The knee bolster assembly comprises a knee bolster configured to be deployed from a retracted inactive position to a suspended active position in the event of an impact of the automobile, such that in the suspended active position the knee bolster aligns itself between the knees of the occupant and the instrument panel (IP) of the automobile.
The knee bolster assembly further comprises a holding bracket for supporting other components of the assembly, a plurality of guideways provided on the inner surface of the holding bracket, a spring configured for maintaining a continuous force on the knee bolster that tries to move the knee bolster towards the suspended active position, and a suitable actuation mechanism.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the knee bolster assembly includes a trigger mechanism for deployment of the knee bolster assembly, wherein the trigger mechanism includes the actuation mechanism that is configured to be activated on the impact of the automobile with an external object.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, the knee bolster is configured to slide along the guideways to reach to its deployed position in the event of impact of the automobile.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, the actuation mechanism of the knee bolster assembly comprises a linear solenoid in communication with a solenoid control unit that receives control signals from the ECU of the automobile.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the actuation mechanism of the knee bolster assembly comprises a plunger of the linear solenoid configured to be in contact with a locking element that is fixedly connected to the knee bolster, to hold the knee bolster in its retracted inactive position during normal operation of the automobile.
In accordance with still another embodiment of the present disclosure, the knee bolster assembly the knee bolster is provided with a receiving feature to receive a plunger of the linear solenoid such as to hold the knee bolster in its retracted inactive position during normal operation of the automobile.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the spring is a roller spring, a compression spring, or a tension spring.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, the knee bolster assembly includes a sensor for detection of the impact of the automobile which is further configured for communicating the impact detection signal to the ECU of the automobile such that, the ECU triggers the actuation mechanism for the deployment of the knee bolster assembly.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the knee bolster assembly in the automobile is capable of receiving an impact or a collision signal from a sensor provided in different parts of the automobile.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, the sensor is an accelerometer, a vibration sensor, a shock sensor, a roller-type sensor, or a mass-type sensor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
A knee bolster assembly for occupant knee protection in an automobile of the present disclosure will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates an isometric view of a knee bolster assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 2 illustrates an exploded view of the knee bolster assembly shown in Figure 1;
Figure 3 illustrates an isometric view of the knee bolster assembly of Figure 1 in a suspended active condition;
Figure 4a illustrates a front side view of the knee bolster assembly;
Figure 4b illustrates a sectional view of the knee bolster assembly along a plane A-A shown in Figure 4a; and
Figure 5 illustrates an isometric view of the mounting arrangement for the knee bolster assembly; and
Figure 6 illustrates an isometric view of a linear solenoid.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
100 – A knee bolster assembly
101 – Holding bracket
101a – Operative top edge of the holding bracket
101b – Operative bottom edge of the holding bracket
103 – Slider guideways
105 – Knee bolster
115 – Spring
200 – Mounting arrangement
205 – Cross car beam (CCB)
210 – Mounting brackets
300 – Impact detection unit
305 – Sensor
310 – ECU
315 – Electrical cables
400 – Actuation mechanism
405 – Linear solenoids
410 - Coil
415 – Plunger
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments, of the present disclosure, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Embodiments are provided so as to thoroughly and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to the person skilled in the art. Numerous details are set forth, relating to specific components, and methods, to provide a complete understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the details provided in the embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, well-known processes, well-known apparatus structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.
The terminology used, in the present disclosure, is only for the purpose of explaining a particular embodiment and such terminology shall not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As used in the present disclosure, the forms “a”, “an” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly suggests otherwise. The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “including” and “having” are open ended transitional phrases and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, modules, units and/or components, but do not forbid the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The particular order of steps disclosed in the method and process of the present disclosure is not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance as described or illustrated. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
The present disclosure envisages an arrangement for occupant protection in an automobile. Particularly, the present disclosure relates to a knee bolster assembly 100 provided in an instrument panel (IP) of the automobile.
The knee bolster assembly 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure is depicted in Figure 1 and Figure 2, wherein Figure 2 illustrates an exploded view of the knee bolster assembly 100. Figure 1 depicts a parked condition (non-actuated, non-triggered state or retracted-inactive position) of the knee bolster assembly 100. The knee bolster assembly 100 is in communication with external elements such as a sensor 305 and an electronic control unit (ECU) 310 of the automobile via electrical cables 315. The knee bolster assembly 100 comprises a holding bracket 101, a plurality of guideways 103 provided on the inner surface of the holding bracket 101, a knee bolster 105, a spring 115, and an actuation mechanism 400. The guideways 103 extend from an operative top edge 101a to an operative bottom edge 101b of the holding bracket 101. The actuation mechanism 400 comprises a linear solenoid 405 and a solenoid control unit (not shown in figures). The spring 115 is configured to keep the knee bolster 105 continuously under the effect of a spring force that tries to shift the knee bolster 105 towards the operative bottom edge 101b of the holding bracket 101 (shown in Figure 3).
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the knee bolster 105 is filled or covered with a soft material in order to protect legs of the occupant, specifically knees, in the event of an impact or an accident of the automobile. The soft material is foam, cotton, wool or a synthetic fiber.
As shown in Figure 3, the knee bolster assembly 100 is in a suspended condition/position (an actuated, an active, or a triggered state). In the suspended condition, the knee bolster 105 slides instantly along the guideways 103 towards the operative bottom edge 101b of the holding bracket 101 from its parked inactive condition/position. In the parked inactive condition the knee bolster 105 is held by the actuation mechanism 400.
Figure 4a illustrates a front view of the knee bolster assembly 100 in a parked inactive condition/position. A linear solenoid 405 is mounted on the outer surface of the holding bracket 101, such that a plunger 415 of the solenoid 405 is configured to engage with a locking element (not shown in figures) provided or fixedly mounted on the knee bolster 105. The plunger 415 in the inactive state of the linear solenoid 405 is in an extended position such as to remain engaged with the locking element of the knee bolster 105, thus holding the knee bolster 105 in its parked condition/position.
Figure 4b illustrates a sectional view of the knee bolster assembly 100 along a plane A-A shown in Figure 4a. The knee bolster assembly 100 is fixed to a cross car beam (CCB) 205 structure via a plurality of mounting brackets 210 and suitable fastening means.
Figure 5 illustrates an isometric view of the knee bolster assembly 100 mounted on the Cross Car Beam (CCB) 205 structure of the automobile. The complete knee bolster assembly 100 is accommodated behind the surface of the instrument panel (IP) of the automobile in proximity to the knee zone area of the occupant. The knee bolster 105 normally tends to move to the suspended active position under the action of the force of the spring 115. During normal operation of the automobile, the knee bolster 105 is maintained in the parked condition/position by means of the locking element (not shown in figures). The holding bracket 101 of the knee bolster assembly 100 has a plurality of guideways 103 to enable the sliding motion of the knee bolster 105 during deployment of the knee bolster 105.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a receiving feature (not shown in figures) is provided on the knee bolster, such that the receiving feature is configured for receiving the plunger 415 of the linear solenoid 405 in a parked inactive condition of the knee bolster assembly 100.
The knee bolster assembly 100 of the present disclosure works effectively even in high speed frontal crash accident of the automobile.
In a normal operation of the automobile, the knee bolster 105 is held in a parked condition, wherein the knee bolster 105 is held in a retracted position. When the automobile meet with an accident, the sensor 305 detects the collision or an impact and sends a corresponding signal to the ECU 310. The ECU 310 in turn sends an actuation signal to a solenoid control unit (not shown in figures), which further actuates the actuation mechanism 400. After actuation the plunger 415 retracts from the locking element of the knee bolster 105, and thus the knee bolster 105 is set free to slide to the deployed condition (shown in figure 3). In the deployed condition, the knee bolster 105 aligns itself between the instrument panel and the knees of the occupant. The knee bolster 105 in its deployed condition protects the legs (particularly knees) of the occupants.
In a normal condition, the plunger 415 of the linear solenoid 405 holds the knee bolster 105 in a parked position against the spring force. Once the solenoid 405 gets triggered, the plunger 415 retracts from the locking element of the knee bolster 105 and the knee bolster 105 slides down to its deployed state. The knee bolster 105 can be reused by forcing it to its parked position by hand or any other means.
The assembly 100 of the present disclosure is fixedly mounted on a cross car beam (CCB) 205 by means of a plurality of mounting brackets 210. Figure 6 illustrates an isometric view of a linear solenoid 405 with a plunger 415 therein. A coil 410 is wound around the body of the solenoid.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sensor 305 can be an accelerometer, a vibration sensor, a shock sensor, a roller-type sensor, mass-type sensor, or any other suitable sensor.
When an element is referred to as being “mounted on”, “engaged to”, “connected to” or “coupled to” another element, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed elements.
The terms first, second, third, etc., should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure as the aforementioned terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another component, region, layer or section. Terms such as first, second, third etc., when used herein do not imply a specific sequence or order unless clearly suggested by the present disclosure.
Terms such as “inner”, “outer”, “beneath”, “below”, “lower”, “above”, “upper” and the like, may be used in the present disclosure to describe relationships between different elements as depicted from the figures.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Individual components of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, are interchangeable. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.
TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS
The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of a knee bolster assembly for occupant knee protection in an automobile, which:
• is reliable;
• is simple in design and easy to manufacture;
• can be reused after impact;
• can be easily retracted to an inactivated position; and
• is economical.
The foregoing disclosure has been described with reference to the accompanying embodiments which do not limit the scope and ambit of the disclosure. The description provided is purely by way of example and illustration.
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
The numerical values mentioned for the various physical parameters, dimensions or quantities are only approximations and it is envisaged that the values higher/lower than the numerical values assigned to the parameters, dimensions or quantities fall within the scope of the disclosure, unless there is a statement in the specification specific to the contrary.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.