Nissan Motor Company Limited

Akio Oikawa

Masanori Narita

Minoru Matano

Masashi Miyasaka

Koji Sasai

An air-bag arrangement includes an air-bag module disposed in a recess of an instrument panel, and a lid member for covering an opening of the recess. The lid member is secured to the instrument panel. The lid member is openable in response to inflation of an air bag of the air-bag module to accommodate expansion of the air bag into the passenger space. A first bracket member is secured to the lid member. A second bracket member is secured to the instrument panel and arranged to be brought into engagement with the first bracket member in a manner wherein distortion of either of the first and second bracket members is absent and to allow the first bracket member to be detached from the second bracket member in a snap action manner upon inflation of the air bag.

Air-bag arrangement

A knee protective panel of a vehicle, extending laterally of the vehicle in front of a driver's seat under an instrument panel and having a U-shaped cut receiving a steering column is provided with a reinforcing member fixed to the protective panel so that there is formed between the protective panel and reinforcing member an enclosed space extending laterally immediately under the U-shaped cut. In one embodiment of the invention, an opening is formed in an outboard half of the reinforcing member lying on the outboard side of the steering column so that the rigidity of the outboard half is made lower than that of the inboard half. In another embodiment, the protective panel is joined with the instrument panel through at least one intermediate bracket which is fastened with the upper end of the protective panel by bolts extending substantially vertically and which is connected with a laterally extending steering member through at least one support bracket extending forwardly and transmitting impact due to collision from the protective panel to the steering member.

Knee protective structure of vehicle

A striker is temporarily fixed to a member by inserting its one end into a slit formed in the member. The other end portion is securely fixed to the member by means of a screw which extends through an elongate slot formed in the other end. An adjustment of the striker can be carried out easily by removing an adjustment portion formed integral with the member around the slit or an adjustment portion formed integral with the striker on a wall adapted to be engaged by the edge of the slit defining wall of the member.

Striker attachment construction

A meter mounting panel having an opening through which a dial board of a meter is exposed is made of a transparent material and has a light reflecting surface formed thereon. An edge of the panel is located in the vicinity of a light source so that the light from the light source enters the panel through the edge and is reflected on the reflecting surface to be directed in a direction parallel to the surface of the panel thereby to illuminate the same from within.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Akio Oikawa