1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a knee protecting airbag device in which an airbag to be expanded and inflated with an inflating gas let in protects the knee of a driver.
2. Description of Related Art
In the prior art, the device for protecting the knee of a driver is known in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-32195, EP Publication No. 0684167A1, EP Publication No. 0818360A1 and so on. In the prior art, more specifically, there were a device in which a pad is arranged near a column cover below a steering wheel to protrude when activated to hold the knee of a driver, or a device having an airbag which is expanded and inflated when activated to protect the knee of the driver.
In the knee protecting devices of the prior art, however, the pad or airbag is protruded into a narrow space between the column cover and the knee of the driver. Especially at the action time, the driver is mostly depressing a brake pedal. In this case, the space between the column cover and the knee of the driver is further narrowed.
Therefore, devices of the prior art had a room for improvement in proper protection of the knee of a driver.