Knee airbag for a vehicle

1 . A knee airbag for a vehicle having a front end and a rear end comprising:

a front panel configured to be deployed with an exterior surface facing the front end of the vehicle;

a rear panel coupled to the front panel to define an inflation chamber, the rear panel configured to be deployed with an exterior surface facing the rear end of the vehicle; and

an intermediate panel disposed between the front panel and the rear panel within the inflation chamber and the intermediate panel having a proximal end which during deployment is closest to the front end of the vehicle and is connected directly to the rear panel, the intermediate panel defining at least three transverse internal tethers with alternating attachments between the front panel and the rear panel and within the inflation chamber, the at least three transverse internal tethers connected to the rear panel by rows of first attachment points extending in a lateral direction across the knee airbag and connected to the front panel by rows of second attachment points extending in the lateral direction.

2 . The knee airbag of claim 1 , further comprising an inflator for inflating the knee airbag disposed in the inflation chamber at a proximal end of the knee airbag.

3 . The knee airbag of claim 1 , wherein the knee airbag includes a proximal bending area proximate a proximal end thereof.

4 . The knee airbag of claim 3 , wherein the proximal bending area includes 4 rows of first attachment locations and 2 rows of second attachment locations.

5 . The knee airbag of claim 1 , wherein a distance between consecutive offset transverse tether sets is larger than the adjacent transverse tether effective lengths.

6 . The knee airbag of claim 1 , wherein the at least three internal tethers with alternating attachments between the front panel and the rear panel are made from a single panel.

7 . The knee airbag of claim 1 , wherein a distance between adjacent first and second attachment points is the same as a tether effective length.

8 . The knee airbag of claim 1 , wherein the at least three transverse internal tethers of the intermediate panel includes six tethers including a first tether having a first connection of the proximal end of the intermediate panel to the rear panel at a first location and connected to a second connection to the front panel at a second location, a second tether connected to the front panel at the second location and to a third connection to the rear panel at a third location spaced from the first location, a third tether connected to the rear panel at a fourth location spaced from the third location and a fifth connection to the front panel at a fifth location spaced from the second location, a fourth tether connected to the front panel at the fifth location and to the rear panel at a sixth location spaced from the fourth location, a fifth tether connected to the rear panel at a seventh location spaced from the sixth location and to the front panel at an eighth location spaced from the fifth location and a sixth tether connected to the front panel at a ninth location spaced from the eighth location and to the front panel at a tenth location spaced from the seventh location.

9 . A knee airbag for a vehicle having a front end and a rear end comprising:

a front panel configured to be deployed with an exterior surface facing the front end of the vehicle;

a rear panel coupled to the front panel to define an inflation chamber, the rear panel configured to be deployed with an exterior surface facing the rear end of the vehicle; and

an intermediate panel disposed between the front panel and the rear panel within the inflation chamber and the intermediate panel having a proximal end which during deployment is closest to the front end of the vehicle and is connected directly to the rear panel, the intermediate panel including at least three transverse internal tethers with alternating attachments between the front panel and the rear panel and within the inflation chamber, the at least three transverse internal tethers connected to the rear panel by rows of first attachment points extending in a lateral direction across the knee airbag and connected to the front panel by rows of second attachment points extending in the lateral direction.

10 . The knee airbag of claim 9 , further comprising an inflator for inflating the knee airbag disposed in the inflation chamber at a proximal end of the knee airbag.

11 . The knee airbag of claim 9 , wherein the knee airbag includes a proximal bending area proximate a proximal end thereof.

12 . The knee airbag of claim 11 , wherein the proximal bending area includes 4 rows of first attachment locations and 2 rows of second attachment locations.

13 . The knee airbag of claim 9 , wherein a distance between consecutive offset transverse tether sets is larger than the adjacent transverse tether effective lengths.

14 . The knee airbag of claim 9 , wherein the at least three internal tethers with alternating attachments between the front panel and the rear panel are made from a single panel.

15 . The knee airbag of claim 9 , wherein a distance between adjacent first and second attachment points is the same as a tether effective length.

16 . The knee airbag of claim 9 , wherein the at least three transverse internal tethers of the intermediate panel includes six tethers including a first tether having a first connection of the proximal end of the intermediate panel to the rear panel at a first location and connected to a second connection to the front panel at a second location, a second tether connected to the front panel at the second location and to a third connection to the rear panel at a third location spaced from the first location, a third tether connected to the rear panel at a fourth location spaced from the third location and a fifth connection to the front panel at a fifth location spaced from the second location, a fourth tether connected to the front panel at the fifth location and to the rear panel at a sixth location spaced from the fourth location, a fifth tether connected to the rear panel at a seventh location spaced from the sixth location and to the front panel at an eighth location spaced from the fifth location and a sixth tether connected to the front panel at a ninth location spaced from the eighth location and to the front panel at a tenth location spaced from the seventh location.