Patent ID: 7416212

Claim:
An absorption structure for absorbing energy applied from knees of an occupant, comprising: a container provided in an instrument panel and having an opening; a lid attached to the opening of the container and having a lid outer member and a lid inner member; a side-locking mechanism provided on the lid outer member and having a locking member and a locking mechanism, the locking member extending from the locking mechanism toward at least one side of a vehicle substantially in a direction of width of the vehicle, and the locking mechanism being configured to enter a leading edge of the locking member into at least one side of the lid and to move the leading edge of the locking member out of the at least one side of the lid; a first knee protector provided substantially along a back surface of the lid outer member; a first concave portion formed on a region of the first knee protector corresponding to a location of the side-locking mechanism substantially in the vehicle width direction and detouring the side-locking mechanism; a second knee protector provided substantially along the back surface of the lid outer member in a region within the first concave portion corresponding to the locking member; and a second concave portion formed on the second knee protector substantially in the vehicle width direction and detouring the locking member.