Patent ID: 7913790

Claim:
A structure of an instrument panel area of a vehicle, comprising: an instrument panel having a meter unit attached thereto; a steering column arranged to penetrate through a position below said meter unit attached to said instrument panel, and extending in a rearward direction of the vehicle; a column cover attached to a portion of said steering column located on a rearward side relative to said instrument panel, wherein: said steering column is adapted to be displaced in a frontward direction of the vehicle in response to an impact load applied thereto in the frontward direction; said column cover is disposed to overlap with said meter unit when viewed in an axial direction of said steering column; and said meter unit is attached to said instrument panel through a brittle portion in such a manner as to allow the attachment therebetween to be released when said column cover is brought into contact with said meter unit, wherein said column cover has a top wall formed with an upwardly raised portion, and an inclined portion inclinedly extending from a front end of said upwardly raised portion toward a position beneath said meter unit, wherein said meter unit is attached to said instrument panel through an attaching section which includes an upper attaching section adapted to allow an upper portion of said meter unit to be attached to said instrument panel therethrough, and a lower attaching section adapted to allow a lower portion of said meter unit to be attached to said instrument panel therethrough, wherein said brittle portion is provided in each of said upper attaching section and said lower attaching section, in such a manner that, when said column cover is brought into contact with said meter unit, said attachment in said lower attaching section is released at an earlier timing than said attachment in said upper attaching section.