Patent ID: 7810869

Claim:
A glove box/knee bolster assembly for a vehicle panel, comprising: a storage bin that has a plurality of walls connected to one another; an energy absorbing panel located adjacent the plurality of walls, the energy absorbing panel cooperates with the plurality of walls to define a storage compartment having a plurality of sides and an open top, the energy absorbing panel includes, a rib wall that extends across one side of the storage compartment, a first plurality of ribs that extend from and along the rib wall, each rib of the first plurality of ribs is spaced from other ribs of the first plurality of ribs, a second plurality of ribs that extend from and along the rib wall, each rib of the second plurality of ribs is spaced from other ribs of the second plurality of ribs, and each rib of the second plurality of ribs intersects a respective rib of the first plurality of ribs, and a plurality of openings formed in at least one of the first plurality of ribs and second plurality of ribs; and a lid that includes a top edge, a bottom edge, a first side edge that extends from the top edge to the bottom edge, and a second side edge that extends from the top edge to the bottom edge, the lid further includes, a front surface configured and dimensioned to be complementary with a contour of the vehicle panel, the front surface bounded by the front, top, first side, and second side edges of the lid, a rear surface bounded by the front, top, first side, and second side edges of the lid, the rear surface extending substantially parallel with the rib wall and secured to the first and second plurality of ribs by a weld, the weld cooperating with the first and second plurality of ribs and the rear surface of the lid to define a first load path that extends from the lid to the energy absorbing panel, and a plurality of hooks extending from the rear surface of the lid and passing through respective ones of the plurality of openings, the plurality of hooks engaging the first and second plurality of ribs at respective openings and cooperating with the first and second plurality of ribs to define a second load path from the lid to the energy absorbing panel that is distinct from the first load path.