Patent ID: 7311327

Claim:
An occupant protection apparatus, comprising: a panel which extends in a transverse direction of a vehicle, the panel constituting a part of an instrument panel arranged separable from a rest of the instrument panel when at least a knee load of an occupant is inputted to the panel, the panel including, an outer panel, an inner panel, constituting a part of a glove box main body having a pair of side walls extending towards a front of the vehicle, and a metallic panel interposed between the inner panel and the outer panel; a plurality of support members which face transverse end portions of the inner panel, respectively, and which have a rigidity higher than that of the panel, wherein the metallic panel is provided with a plurality of ribs that extend in the transverse direction of the vehicle, an interval between adjacent ribs gradually reduces from an interval at a top side of the metallic panel toward an interval at a bottom side of the metallic panel.