Patent ID: 7370719

Claim:
An instrument panel for a vehicle, comprising: a main instrument panel unit which is formed into an open cross sectional shape, comprising: an upper surface member which is formed to extend substantially in the horizontal direction of the body of the vehicle across a transverse direction and which is formed in a plate shape; the upper surface member comprising: a stepped portion which bulges upwards in the direction towards a passenger compartment side, the stepped portion comprising an upper step portion and a lower step portion connected to the upper step portion via a rupturable portion, wherein the rupturable portion ruptures when a load is imposed the upper surface member, the lower step portion being slidably movable in a horizontal direction to slide underneath the upper step portion when the rupturable portion ruptures, and a front surface member which is formed to curve inside of the upper surface member at the passenger compartment side of the vehicle and to extend downwards substantially in a vertical direction and which is connected to a support portion of the vehicle at a substantially center portion in a transverse direction, wherein the upper surface member and the front surface member are made from a metal as a single unit; and the main instrument panel unit is adapted to be connected to left and right front pillars of the vehicle.