Patent ID: 8950778
Filing Date: 2015-02-10
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
1. A vehicle-occupant protection structure for a vehicle comprising a pair of vehicle body component members disposed on a left side and a right side of a vehicle body, an instrument panel member disposed to extend in a vehicle width direction between the paired vehicle body component members, and a pair of linking parts disposed on both ends of the instrument panel member in the vehicle width direction and linked to inner walls of the respective vehicle body component members, wherein: a steering shaft support part configured to support a steering shaft is disposed on a portion of the instrument panel member located on the left side or the right side with respect to a center part of the instrument panel member in the vehicle width direction; and a support member to be linked to a vehicle body component member other than the paired vehicle body component members is mounted on a portion of the instrument panel member between the steering shaft support part and the linking part on a far side from the steering shaft; and a fragile part is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the instrument panel member between the steering shaft support part and the linking part on a side near the steering shaft in such a manner that a portion of the instrument panel member between the steering shaft support part and the linking part on the side near the steering shaft is bent, prior to the portion of the instrument panel member on which the support member is mounted, by a load input through the linking part on the side near the steering shaft in a vehicle body front-rear direction, the fragile part being formed only on a surface on a vehicle body rear side with respect to a centerline passing through a cross-sectional center of the instrument panel member in an up-down direction.