AN EXTENDABLE AND RETRACTABLE KNEE BOLSTER

Knee bolsters are integral parts of the occupant protection system for frontal impact in modern passenger vehicles. The knee bolster is the lower portion of the instrument panel of a passenger vehicle. It is generally made of padded structures, which structures are capable of absorbing the impact energy imposed by the knees during a frontal impact. An active knee bolster called the extendable and retractable (E/R) knee bolster is presented. The E/R knee bolster is intended to automatically extend in situations in which there is a high risk of frontal impact to help prepare the vehicle for crash and retract when the risk subsides. Its key enabling technologies, implementation options and intended benefits are discussed in detail. A prototype vehicle is presented to demonstrate the unique styling, designs and utilities enabled by the E/R knee bolster. For the covering abstract see ITRD E825082.