Patent 7325831 was granted and assigned to DAIMLERCHRYSLER AG on February, 2008 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The invention relates to an active impact protection system (1) for a knee area and/or a lower leg area of a vehicle occupant in a motor vehicle, particularly in a passenger car. The impact protection system (1) comprises an impact element (2) that can be extended toward the vehicle occupant out of a passive position and into an active position by means of a drive device (4). A particularly advantageous design results when the impact element (2) is formed by a lid of a passenger-side glove compartment (3).