AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTABLE AUTOMOBILE KNEE RECEIVER

摘要

PURPOSE: To minimize the damage of a vehicle passenger in a vehicle collision accident or the like so as to improve safety by constituting a knee bolster in such a way that the position of the knee bolster to the knees and tibiae of the vehicle passenger can be automatically adjusted to the constitution of the vehicle passenger to detecting the collision of the vehicle. CONSTITUTION: A knee bolster 10 provided in the lower position of a front part in a cabin of a motor vehicle is provided with deformable energy absorbing members 14 forming inner side faces 16 in front of a passenger at the time of being seated in a seat 18 in an ordinary state. This energy absorbing member 14 is supported by a pneumatic operating device 20 such as an air bag extended between the member 14 and a rigid support 22 in the vehicle 12. Sensors 26 are embedded in the surface 16 of the energy absorbing member 14 to detect separation distance between the member 14 and the upper side and lower side parts of the passenger's knees. The operating device 20 is driven according to the compared result of this separation distance and optimum distance, and the separation distance is maintained to the optimum distance to reduce the damage of the vehicle passenger at the time of a collision accident.